Services will also be uploaded to our Facebook page on Sunday afternoon.
If you'd like to comment and react to others during the live stream service, you will need to create a YouTube account, which only takes a minute.
See you on Sunday!
St. John's Advent Pageant - November 27
The children and youth are hard at
work on this year's Advent Pageant
which will be presented on Sunday,
November 27 during our worship
service.
The pageant, entitled "From
Generation to Generation", was
written by our minister, Annika
Sangster. A family reminisces on
their holiday traditions and explore
new ideas.
Please mark your calendars to
attend as this presentation is
always the highlight of the church
year!
Sunday School
Our Sunday School is meeting in-person at
6025 Stanley Street on Sunday mornings.
Our Advent Pageant, "From Generation to
Generation" will be presented on Sunday!
Youth Group
The Youth Group will be meeting at 3 p.m. this Sunday to complete our Little Libraries project; we will be back at the church by about 5 p.m. for a pre-Christmas party. If you are planning on coming, please let Kathy or Jacob know! This is the last time we will meet before Christmas.
Thanks to everyone who dropped off the wonderful books!
Treasurer's Report
To help you plan for any year-end or special donations as we move through November into December, on behalf of the Official Board, here is our financial position YTD as of Oct 31, 2022:
Our M&S givings as of Oct 31, 2022 = $19,624 (YTD Budget = $20,000) - essentially on budget.
As reported, we have committed to provide additional support to the Yousef family as they transition beyond our 1-year financial commitment, and we need additional funds raised for our Refugee Fund. Manna for Health is in a very healthy financial position. Please consider making a year-end donation either to general revenues for the Church, or to the Refugee Fund, or perhaps both if you are able. Thanks to everyone for your commitment and support to St. John’s!
Christmas Bake Sale
It's coming soon! Sunday,December 4immediately following our worship service.
If you would like to bake or volunteer at the event, email Amy at amy.thurlow@msvu.ca
UCW Potluck
The UCW will be holding a festive potluck celebration on Tuesday, December 13 at noon.
Please join them at 6025 Stanley Street and bring along some food to share.
Partnerships
Now that we're settling into our new church space, the Board will be exploring ways and resources to create strategic partnerships that would benefit our new neighbourhood. We have formed a small group that will take the lead on this; currently Liz, Annika and Hubert are part of this, and we are looking for two more people.
The purpose is to connect with fitting local community stakeholders, explore what kind of community initiatives we might develop, and how it might be funded. The goal is to articulate a basic plan before this summer, so it would be a relatively short commitment.
If you think this is something you’d like to be part of, please let Hubert or Annika know. Thank you for considering!
Join us for a short online service every Thursday at 8:00 am. Music, readings, prayers and 10 minutes of silent meditation; and then some conversation if you have the time. Everyone is welcome.
Click THIS LINK on Thursday morning to join us.
Please use Meeting ID: 839 1084 0376. Passcode: Pray
Advent Video Snippets
What are you afraid of...?
For the second week of Advent we’ll light a candle to help us get through some of the things we are afraid of. Maybe it’s loneliness, or heights, or spiders, or sickness...
Record yourself in a 5-second video saying what you are afraid of, and send it to Hubert to be included in a video montage with other folks’ fears. Thanks!
We're Collecting Art Supplies!
This Advent and Christmas Tide, the Sunday School plans to build the Christmas story from Generation to Generation through art! Come in during our regular Sunday School time to explore each of our themes; or request an "At Home" kit to enjoy with your family.
To help us out, we'd love it if you could bring in any of the following you might be looking to upcycle:
Used Christmas Cards
Scraps of ribbon (blues, purples, golds, whites)
Blue material
Scrapbook paper (blues, purples, golds, whites)
Small silk flowers (blues, purples, golds, whites)
Wreath sized bells
LED tea lights
Old church directories
Yarn (blues, purples, golds, whites)
Raffia (undyed/natural)
Small sponge paint brushes
Wire cutters
Please contact Annika for more details or to get on the "At Home" Kit list!
Volunteer Opportunity
We are looking for a volunteer to work on English with the mother of our refugee family, Jihad, in her home in Bedford during school hours. There is no teaching experience required. We currently have one volunteer working with her but it would be ideal to have a second member of the team.
Taizé Service
(Each 1st and 3rd Sunday evening of the month)
Join us on Sunday, December 4 at 7:00 pm for a Taizé Prayer Service in the main worship space at Stanley Street. This short service will include singing, scripture reading, prayer and silent meditation.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Event from the Royal Canadian College of Organists Halifax Centre
Annual Festival of Carols
All Saints Cathedral • Monday, Nov. 28 @ 7:30pm
Begin your Halifax season with this sacred celebration of new life and light with choral music, poetry and sacred readings. With guest choir, The Aeolian Singers, and guest reader Katy Jean (Columnist, The Saltwire Network), this will be a beautiful way to begin the Christmas season. Freewill donation. Organ Prelude at 7:00. Massed choir rehearsal at 5:45 – all singers welcome.
Spiritual Friends
All are welcome to join the St. John's United Spiritual Friends group which meets Mondays from 5:30 - 6:30 pm via Zoom (and hopefully in-person occasionally). On Monday, November 28, the group is beginning an Advent series entitled, "The Dawn Chorus: An Advent Devotional on the Wonders of Birds".
Please contact Connie in the church office if you are interested in participating.
St. John's United
Book Club
St. John's has a very active Book
Club which meets on the fourth
Wednesday of every month at
7:00 pm from September to
November and January to May.
The book for our November 23
session is These Precious Days
by Ann Patchett.
All are welcome to join us at our
Stanley Street location or via
Zoom for a discussion of this book
of essays.
Online Prayer Box
To have your prayer requests included in Sunday's Prayers of the Community just click the link below and type in your request. Names will not be mentioned, unless so specified; or reach out to one of our Ministers, Hubert or Annika, to let them know.
Hubert I'm working primarily from my Stanley Street office combined with work from home. Saturdays and Mondays are my days off, but otherwise feel free to call, text, email or Zoom me. My cell: (902) 414-6342.
If you'd like to book a meeting with me, please insert your details into this calendar.
Annika I will be working in both the Stanley Street space and my home office Monday - Thursday. Sundays will be a mix of hours as programming requires. Fridays and Saturdays will continue to be my days off.
If you'd like to book a meeting with me, please insert your details into this calendar. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Church Office Hours
The regular church office hours are Wednesday - Friday from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm.
Phone number: (902) 423-8498
The Weekly Newsletter is sent out on WEDNESDAYS.
Please send any new content to Connie at office@stjohnsunited.com.Deadline is Tuesday evening.
