Church Family Happenings

 August 19, 2022

At LMC

Playground Days are back! Families with children are invited to an informal playground meet-up weekly throughout the summer on Thursdays at 6:30pm at the Lendrum Community Park. The intention is for families with small children to meet up, but anyone is welcome to join! If you have questions, please contact Aimee R.

It’s that time of year again: time to fill MCC School Kits! There are two ways that you can participate. First, you can make a monetary donation to help us buy school supplies by writing a cheque to the church and designating it ‘school kits’. Second, you can fill a kit as a family! Bags and lists of the necessary contents will be set out in the Foyer sometime in the next couple weeks, and you can pick them up, fill the bag, and bring it back to the church. To fill an MCC School Kit, you will need:

  • Any combination of 4 spiral or perforated-pages notebooks (about 21.5cm x 27cm) totally 500-600 pages, OR 7 spiral or perforated-pages notebooks (about 21.5cm x 27cm)
  • 8 new unsharpened pencils
  • 1 ruler (flat, good quality; must indicate 30cm, inch markings optional)
  • 12 coloured pencils (in packaging)
  • 1 large eraser
  • 2 new black or blue ballpoint pens
  • 1 small all-metal pencil sharpener, one or two holes (we have a batch of sharpeners at the church. If you cannot find an all-metal sharpener, pack your kit without one, and we can add one here)

In the community

Mennonite Central Committee

Emergency Supplies Needed. MCC is planning an immediate shipment of emergency supplies to Ukraine, but our inventory of material resources is getting low. We need comforters, soap and towels as well as dignity, hygiene, infant care, relief, school and sewing kits. Your donations will provide relief and a tangible sign of hope to people in Ukraine and other difficult situations around the world.
Please contact Linda Dickinson, Material Resources Coordinator at lindadickinson@mccab.ca.

Peace Sunday Packet. Peace Sunday falls on November 6, 2022 and the packet materials centre on the theme, “Peace is More Than a Wish.” In this packet, we share stories from MCC staff and volunteers around the world. People who, regardless of their context, are asking important questions including:

  • How do we humanize our enemies?
  • How do we help others find peace when we’ve been victimized ourselves?
  • How do we open ourselves to the wonder of forgiveness?
  • How do we ensure peace is more than a wish?

To help you reflect on these questions, sign-up to receive this year’s Peace Sunday packet at: mcccanada.ca/2022-peace-sunday-packet

MCC Fall Festival Tickets. Register today to help us prepare a seat and a meal for you! Please visit mcccanada.ca/get-involved/events/mcc-alberta-fall-festival for more information.

Volunteer at MCC Fall Festival. Interested in volunteering at Fall Festival? We’re looking for help in the following teams:

  • Auction Assistance
  • Payment Booth
  • Table Cleaners
  • Food Service

Register online at mccreliefsale.com/volunteer or call the office at 403-275-6935.

 MCC Fall Festival Auction Donations. The Fall Festival auction needs your hand crafted quilts, woodwork, art, needlework, and other special items! To register your item for the auction, visit mccreliefsale.com/donate-items/ or call the office at 403-275-6935.

We are hiring! MCC Alberta is looking for a dynamic and creative Community Engagement Coordinator to join the Development team. If this sounds like you, or someone in your network – please check it out!
Link: mcccanada.ca/get-involved/serve/openings/community-engagement-coordinator-mcca

Wheels of Waterton rides again! GO!100 team Wheels of Waterton rode over 100km from Cardston to Waterton and back to raise over $9,000 for MCC in July! Thank you to all the riders and their supporters, you’ve made a tremendous difference for the work of MCC.
To learn more about GO!100, visit mcccanada.ca/get-involved/events/go-100-alberta

“The reality of what a field like this can do is sensational.” Grow Hope farmer Blaine Gatez describes the rollercoaster year his crops have been having and the difference that MCC’s partnership with Canadian Foodgrains Bank makes.

 

Canadian Mennonite University

It’s not too late! CMU is still accepting applications for fall 2022 classes. Whether full- or part-time, while on a gap year, check out our course offerings at cmu.ca/courses. Apply at cmu.ca/apply. 

 Want to do some in-depth Bible study or delve into key theological questions? Consider taking a course through CMU’s Graduate School of Theology and Ministry for personal enrichment, professional development, or for academic credit. All courses offered in-person and online. For more information, visit cmu.ca/gstm. 

Xplore: At the Intersection of Faith and Life – Xplore offers life-long learning courses investigating dimensions of the Christian faith, our world, and life in it—all without any assignments or examinations! Join one or more of our six courses in-person or online Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings, beginning October 5. For information and to register visit cmu.ca/xplore.

Providence Renewal Centre

Centering Prayer Circle. Centering Prayer is based on the wisdom saying of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.” (MT 6:6) This contemplative prayer practice is inspired by writings of major contributors to the Christian contemplative heritage including John Cassian, the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing, Francis de Sales, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Therese of Lisieux, Thomas Merton and Thomas Keating.
Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer; rather it casts a new light and depth of meaning on them. It is at the same time a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. This method of prayer is a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with him. Join us on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm via Zoom for 20 minutes of Centering Prayer followed by learning and fellowship.
Wednesdays, September 7, 2022 to June 28, 2023 (6:30 -7:30 pm)
September 7, 2022 and June 28, 2023 will be in person at PRC
September 14, 2022 to June 21, 2023 will be via Zoom
Free. Register to receive Zoom link at:
https://providencerenewal.ca/tc-events/free-centering-prayer-event14817/

Self-Care Days: Nurtured By Nature. Nourish your body, mind, and soul with prayer, music, silence, and fellowship. This is a day just for you–take as much silence as you wish and join in times of prayer and conversation as you are comfortable. Relax in the comfort of our retreat surroundings, gather to share a lunch buffet, walk the grounds, and join others to share conversation. Take your spiritual pulse and rest in God’s presence as you revive your spirit.
Thursday, September 15 (10:00 am to 3:00 pm)
$30 (incl. buffet lunch). Register by September 8 by clicking this link:
https://providencerenewal.ca/tc-events/self-care-days-nurtured-by-nature-event-14977/

Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola: A Retreat in the Real World. With Faith Nostbakken and Carol Sebastian via Zoom. A Retreat in the Real World, the 19th Annotation of the Ignatian Exercises, encourages a closer relationship with God by praying through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  Participants spend an hour daily in personal prayer, keep a journal of their prayer experiences, share their prayer journey with a spiritual director every two weeks, and gather monthly for continued learning.  Required text: The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius in Daily Life by Kevin O’Brien, SJ (Loyola Press 2011).
Second Tuesday of the month from 6:30 to 9:00 pm
Total Cost: $1190.00 (payments are $595 per semester). Register by September 13 by clicking this link:
https://providencerenewal.ca/tc-events/a-retreat-in-the-real-world-via-zoom-semester-1-event-14672-semester-2-event-14673/

International Day of Peace – Labyrinth Walk. Mark United Nations International Day of Peace by walking the outdoor labyrinth at Providence Renewal Centre and pray for peace in our world, one step at a time. A pamphlet on how to walk a labyrinth will be available at the arbor.
Wednesday, September 21. Drop-in between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm.
FREE.  Event #14978
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Walk at your leisure respecting others who may want to do the same.

SPIRITUAL BOOK CLUB (via Zoom). Join us on Zoom as we use our eyes of faith to see inspiration in the writing of a variety of authors. Most of the books are available through libraries and/or in e-book versions. Members are responsible for acquiring their own books.
First Monday of the month, October 3, 2022 to June 5, 2023 (7:00 – 8:30 pm)
$45.00 Register to receive Zoom link at:
https://providencerenewal.ca/tc-events/spiritual-book-club-via-zoom-event-14784/