Blog Archives

March 19, 2023 - Fourth Sunday in Lent

3/16/2023

Sunday, March 19, 2023 – Lent Sunday in Lent
Blessings in the name of God who was, who is and who is to come.

I have a busy weekend ahead with both the men’s and the women’s groups eating on Saturday. I’m sure looking forward to seeing so many of you at these events.

This week we are focussing on how David was chosen to be King. 1 Samuel 16:1-13. This will also be the children’s story, including some oil for anointing. He was the youngest brother, not even brought along for the sacrifice (read party) but left at home with the sheep. He is God’s choice to be Israel’s next king. He will be far from perfect, especially in his private life, but he will be a better King than Saul, and will bring in the Golden Age of Israel.

Samuel is told to give up on King Saul and move on to something new, to literally take his anointing oil and go anoint a new king. Even though it looked at one time like Saul would be the best king, God and Samuel both now know that isn’t true.

Sometimes we have to take up the anointing oil of our own life and put it somewhere new – a new job or relationship, a new home, a new city or country. Can we take courage from Samuel and David’s story? Is there fresh hope in some new beginning for us to bless? Have you given it your best shot and now it’s time to move on? If God can do it, so can you.

King David would be the writer of great psalms. Psalm 23 is probably the best known. David was a shepherd, and he wrote about how God was his shepherd. What about you? If you imagine God having your career or life’s work, how would your psalm go? The Lord is my teacher . . . my nurse . . . my parent . . .I shall not . . . . .

Maybe you can write your own psalm about God.
(Rev) Eli Carter-Morgan (they/them)
Spirit West United Church
Proud to share the land through Treaty 6

Faith Exploration - Explore big questions – What do we mean when we say God, Who was/is Jesus and how does he matter? What is the Bible and how should it influence us? What are your big questions? The Study Group open to anyone wherever you are on your faith journey. This can lead to Confirmation or Re-Affirmation of faith. Please Let Eli know if you are interested.
Schedule - after Church/Lunch on Sunday and on Wednesday afternoons at 2pm

March 22, 26 – The Spirit and the Church
March 29, April 2 – Live with respect in Creation
April 12, 16 – Seek Justice, Resist Evil
April 19, 23 – Life, Death, Life beyond Death

MEN’S BREAKFAST, 8:30 AM. Sat, March 18
Gather with other men of the congregation in the Lower Hall for fellowship and a breakfast of pancakes, sausages and eggs. Come a few minutes early and help cook if you would like. All men welcome!

WOMEN’S GROUP LUNCH and ANNUAL MEETING
The Spirit West Women’s lunch and annual meeting will be held on Saturday, March 18 at 11:30am at the Boston Pizza at 17002 – 90 ave. Access is easy and there is plenty of parking. Please sign up on the sheet by the office or call the church office at 780-481-1406.

GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER? – Join us in using cunning stealth and covert organization, to surprise our phenomenal Spirit West chefs. Only at the ring of their doorbell, should they discover who will join them for dinner on their chosen night of gastronomical delights!! This fund-raiser for the church will take place in the next few months! It is a terrific time to enjoy a fabulous meal and fellowship. Those who wish to host a dinner are asked to contact Bill C 780-481-2662 or Sheila H at 780-960-3878 or signup at the church. Hosts need to indicate the dates and times of their dinners and the number of guests they will be hosting. If there is a theme for the evening, this should also be provided. Guests will have the opportunity to select where they will dine and to provide any dietary restrictions to the conveners (who will secretly pass on the information to the hosts). A free will offering, in envelopes, will be collected by the host. Please plan on attending one of these sensational evening parties and generously supporting our church.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Men’s Breakfast – 8:30am, Sat, March 18
Women’s Group Lunch and AGM – 11:30 am, Sat, March 18
Board Meeting – 7pm, Wed, Mar 22 via ZOOM
Good Friday Service – 10:30 am, Fri, Apr 7
Easter Sunday Service – 10:30am, Sun, Apr 9

EVENTS Happening in the CHURCH BUILDING March 19 to 26, 2023

Mon, March 20, 6-8 pm – Embers (Brownies)
Tues, March 21, 6-7pm – set up for Church of Christ service
Wed, March 21, 4:30-7:30am – Church of Christ service
Wed, March 22, 2pm – Faith Exploration – The Spirit & the Church
Wed, March 22, 7-11pm – Church of Christ service
Thurs, March 23, 7-8:30pm – choir practice
Fri, March 24, 6-7pm – set up for Church of Christ service
Sat, March 25, 4am - 4pm – Church of Christ service
Sun, March 26 – 10:30am to noon – our service
Sun, March 26 – after worship - Faith Exploration – The Spirit & the Church

LEADERS for March 19

Hospitality Team – Hemmerling – Georgina, Doreen, Rhea, Glenna
Scripture Reader – Bill C
Projectionist – Norma B

LEADERS for March 26

Hospitality Team – Sather – Ramona, Isobel, Colleen
Scripture Reader – Bob H
Projectionist – Terri-Lynn / Sara

OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES

UNITED CHURCH EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE - Sun, April 9 (7:00am), Fire Pit at Emily Murphy Park, Edmonton (11904 Emily Murphy Park Rd NW). Warm yourself around a shared fire as the sun’s new light creeps through the trees and sing the first Hallelujahs of a new Easter morning. Bring your favorite morning beverage to enjoy. Organized by United Churches in Edmonton. For more information, contact Blaine Gregg at minister@spiritofhope.ca.
ST. STEPHEN'S COLLEGE FUNDRAISING GALA - Friday, June 16, 5-10pm, JW Marriott Ice District - 10344 102 St NW, Edmonton. Featuring live painting by Giselle Denis, live entertainment, guest speakers & silent auction - $250 per person, or $2000 per table of 8. A deductible charitable tax receipt will be issued for a portion of the ticket price after the event

YouTube Videos Worship Services – March 19 – also, in person worship service
To watch online, you will need to go to YouTube and google “Spirit West United Church”.
This action will bring you to the Spirit West United Church YouTube page.

SPIRIT WEST PRAYER CHAIN
Prayer is important. We know that people face challenges and difficulties and we cannot forget them. Our Prayer Chain continues to be active. If you have a prayer request, please send it to spiritwest.prayerchain@gmail.com. These requests will be shared regularly with the prayer chain and may form part of the Prayers of the People in our Sunday Worship.
Please remember to have people removed from the prayer chain if the prayers are no longer needed.

YOUR BOTTLES FOR THE CHURCH
You may have bottles piling up for recycling. You can bring them to the church (or you can call for pick up). If you want to bring your bottles (and any other recyclable beverage containers) in during our office hours and put them directly in the Bottle Shed (by the garage), give us a call, and we can have the shed open for you. All money raised from the return of bottles goes towards paying down the principal and interest on our mortgage.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

We can accept donations by eTransfer. The contact name for the eTransfer is Spirit West United Church, and the email address is spiritw@telus.net . If you include a security question with your eTransfer, please notify Norma at the church office by phone or email of the answer.
And remember that if you are not on PAR(Pre-Authorized Remittance) or even if you are , you can mail in cheques to the church office (Spirit West United Church, 7003 – 199 St. NW Edmonton, AB T5T 3A8, include your envelope number if you have one.)
You can drop off your offering/donation in the offering plate just inside the front doors or place it in the mailbox.
You can also donate online by checking out the online donation option on our website spiritwest.org and click on the Donate tab in the navigation bar.

Office Hours for March 19-25
Norma =>      Mon & Wed => noon to 5pm
Tues & Thurs – 9:30am to 2:30pm
Eli =>              Sun to Thurs this week. Please let Eli know if there is anyone you think they should call or visit.

SPIRIT WEST ONLINE!
Website: www.spiritwest.org
Facebook: Spirit West United Church and Friends of Spirit West Outreach
Instagram: spiritwestyeg
YouTube: Spirt West United Church, Edmonton

Thank you,
Norma Balcombe
Office Administrator
Spirit West United Church
7003 - 199st.NW Edmonton, AB T5T 3A8
phone:     (780) 481-1406
email:     spiritw@telus.net
website: www.spiritwest.org

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March 12, 2023 - Third Sunday in Lent

3/9/2023

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Sunday, March 12, 2023 – Third Sunday in Lent
Greetings and Blessings in Christ who is our living water.

I, Eli, am not in a meeting and do not need your help with something right away. Someone is pretending to be me. Please ignore, block and or report this scam if it comes to you, at least two people have been targeted. If you are a victim of this crime, contact the police.

This week we are looking at two stories about thirstiness. Our Hebrew Scriptures are a story of the people who have escaped slavery travelling across the desert. They have no water and start complaining. Moses gets irritated, but God provides miraculous water from a rock. (Exodus 17)

With the children we will talk about Jesus in John 4. Jesus has travelled a long way in a hot arid climate and meets a forbidden outcast stranger. She gives him water, he elevates her as an apostle to the Samaritans, giving her the living water of new perspectives.

What is the sustaining living water that we need, so that we, like the woman at the well don’t need to keep coming back for more, but the Spirit of Christ rises up within us.

We are looking for what rocks to hit with which stick for living water to flow.

Jesus understands our struggles and our thirst. May we reach deep within and find the living water of the Spirit of Christ rising up within and between us.

(Rev) Eli Carter-Morgan (they/them)
Spirit West United Church
Proud to share the land through Treaty 6

Faith Exploration - Explore big questions – What do we mean when we say God, Who was/is Jesus and how does he matter? What is the Bible and how should it influence us? What are your big questions? The Study Group open to anyone wherever you are on your faith journey. This can lead to Confirmation or Re-Affirmation of faith. Please Let Eli know if you are interested.
Schedule - after Church/Lunch on Sunday and on Wednesday afternoons at 2pm

March 15, 19 – Jesus
March 22, 26 – The Spirit and the Church
March 29, April 2 – Live with respect in Creation
April 12, 16 – Seek Justice, Resist Evil
April 19, 23 – Life, Death, Life beyond Death

Daylight Savings Time begins – spring ahead 1 hour – 2am, Sun, March 12
Congregational Meeting – Sun, Mar 12 after the worship service
Women’s Group Lunch and AGM – 11:30 am, Sat, March 18
Men’s Breakfast – 8:30am, Sat, March 18
Board Meeting – 7pm, Wed, Mar 22 via ZOOM

EVENTS Happening in the CHURCH BUILDING March 13 to 18, 2023

Mon, March 13 – 6-8pm – Embers (Brownies)
Tues, March 14, 6-7pm – set up for Church of Christ service (assuming the church is not rented to another group)
Wed, March 15, 2pm – Faith Exploration - Jesus
Wed, March 15, 7-10pm – Church of Christ service
Thurs, March 16, 7-8:30pm – choir practice 7-8:30pm
Fri, March 17, 6-7pm – set up for Church of Christ service (assuming the church is not rented to another group)
Sat, March 18, 7-10pm – Church of Christ service
Sat, March 18, 8:30 am - Men’s Breakfast

LEADERS for March 12

Hospitality Team – Ludlow – Diane, Norma, Carol & Bruce
Scripture Reader – Sheila Hoy
Projectionist – Rebecca W

LEADERS for March 19

Hospitality Team – Hemmerling – Georgina, Doreen, Rhea, Glenna
Scripture Reader – Bill C
Projectionist – Norma B

YouTube Videos Worship Services – March 12 – also, in person worship service
To watch online, you will need to go to YouTube and google “Spirit West United Church”.
This action will bring you to the Spirit West United Church YouTube page.

SPIRIT WEST PRAYER CHAIN
Prayer is important. We know that people face challenges and difficulties and we cannot forget them. Our Prayer Chain continues to be active. If you have a prayer request, please send it to spiritwest.prayerchain@gmail.com. These requests will be shared regularly with the prayer chain and may form part of the Prayers of the People in our Sunday Worship.
Please remember to have people removed from the prayer chain if the prayers are no longer needed.

YOUR BOTTLES FOR THE CHURCH
You may have bottles piling up for recycling. You can bring them to the church (or you can call for pick up). If you want to bring your bottles (and any other recyclable beverage containers) in during our office hours and put them directly in the Bottle Shed (by the garage), give us a call, and we can have the shed open for you. All money raised from the return of bottles goes towards paying down the principal and interest on our mortgage.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

We can accept donations by eTransfer. The contact name for the eTransfer is Spirit West United Church, and the email address is spiritw@telus.net . If you include a security question with your eTransfer, please notify Norma at the church office by phone or email of the answer.
And remember that if you are not on PAR(Pre-Authorized Remittance) or even if you are , you can mail in cheques to the church office (Spirit West United Church, 7003 – 199 St. NW Edmonton, AB T5T 3A8, include your envelope number if you have one.)
You can drop off your offering/donation in the offering plate just inside the front doors or place it in the mailbox.
You can also donate online by checking out the online donation option on our website spiritwest.org and click on the Donate tab in the navigation bar.

SPIRIT WEST ONLINE!
Website: www.spiritwest.org
Facebook: Spirit West United Church and Friends of Spirit West Outreach
Instagram: spiritwestyeg
YouTube: Spirt West United Church, Edmonton

Thank you,
Norma Balcombe
Office Administrator
Spirit West United Church
7003 - 199st.NW Edmonton, AB T5T 3A8
phone:     (780) 481-1406
email:     spiritw@telus.net
website: www.spiritwest.org

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March 5, 2023 - Second Sunday in Lent

3/2/2023

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Sunday, March 5, 2023 – Second Sunday in Lent
May the abundance of God’s blessings surround you all.

I’m starting to notice the nights getting shorter, so perhaps it’s time we talk about the blessings of night time.

At night, Nicodemus sneaks out to meet Jesus. (John 3:1-7) He’s curious, even excited about the possibility of Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom of God, but he may be a bit afraid of what he has to loose. He is a religious leader and needs to seem respectable, and Jesus already has a reputation for upsetting the status quo.

Please note, Nicodemus and Jesus are the same religion. This might look like me sneaking out at night to hear what Paul Walfal or Helen Reed have to say.

Jesus says that you have to hold loosely to all your power and privilege, in fact, become like a child, reborn to understand God’s vision.

We have the privilege of hosting the Church of Jesus Christ for two worship services a week. If you come in while they are set up, there are chairs for over 200 people. Members of our congregation ask how we could grow to be that big.

If I knew the answer and had the ability to make it so I would, but I would suggest that perhaps we need to be reborn as well. Christianity is growing in the global South and East. What is God doing there? How can we learn from them about what it means to be the church?

The promise of God to continue to bless the earth for generations stretching far into the future comes from deep in the past, and with the children we'll be talking about God's promise to Abraham and Sarah.

Our study group examining big faith questions starts this Sunday after church and enough time to run out and grab a bag lunch(12:30 ish) looking at the question "What do we mean when we say God?" Repeat experience on Wednesday afternoon at 2.

(Rev) Eli Carter-Morgan (they/them)
Spirit West United Church
Proud to share the land through Treaty 6

Faith Exploration - Explore big questions – What do we mean when we say God, Who was/is Jesus and how does he matter? What is the Bible and how should it influence us? What are your big questions? The Study Group open to anyone wherever you are on your faith journey. This can lead to Confirmation or Re-Affirmation of faith. Please Let Eli know if you are interested.
Tentative Schedule - after Church/Lunch on Sunday and on Wednesday afternoons at 2pm

March 5, 8 – God
March 15, 19 – Jesus
March 22, 26 – The Spirit and the Church
March 29, April 2 – Live with respect in Creation
April 12, 16 – Seek Justice, Resist Evil
April 19, 23 – Life, Death, Life beyond Death

Daylight Savings Time begins – spring ahead 1 hour – 2am, Sun, March 12
Congregational Meeting – Sun, Mar 12 after the worship service
Women’s Group Lunch and AGM – 11:30 am, Sat, March 18
Men’s Breakfast – 8:30am, Sat, March 18

EVENTS Happening in the CHURCH BUILDING March 6 to 11, 2023

Mon, March 6 – 6-8pm - Brownies
Tues, March 7, 6-7pm – set up for Church of Christ service (assuming the church is not rented to another group)
Wed, March 8, 7-10pm – Church of Christ service
Thurs, March 9, 7-8:30pm – choir practice 7-8:30pm
Fri, March 10, 6-7pm – set up for Church of Christ service (assuming the church is not rented to another group)
Sat, March 11, 7-10pm – Church of Christ service

LEADERS for March 5

Hospitality Team – Doyle – Don & Daphne, Tony, Dave & Cathy
Scripture Reader – Peter K
Projectionist – Bruce C

LEADERS for March 12

Hospitality Team – Ludlow – Diane, Norma, Carol & Bruce
Scripture Reader – Sheila Hoy
Projectionist – Rebecca W

YouTube Videos Worship Services – February 26 – also, in person worship service
To watch online, you will need to go to YouTube and google “Spirit West United Church”.
This action will bring you to the Spirit West United Church YouTube page.

SPIRIT WEST PRAYER CHAIN
Prayer is important. We know that people face challenges and difficulties and we cannot forget them. Our Prayer Chain continues to be active. If you have a prayer request, please send it to spiritwest.prayerchain@gmail.com. These requests will be shared regularly with the prayer chain and may form part of the Prayers of the People in our Sunday Worship.
Please remember to have people removed from the prayer chain if the prayers are no longer needed.

YOUR BOTTLES FOR THE CHURCH
You may have bottles piling up for recycling. You can bring them to the church (or you can call for pick up). If you want to bring your bottles (and any other recyclable beverage containers) in during our office hours and put them directly in the Bottle Shed (by the garage), give us a call, and we can have the shed open for you. All money raised from the return of bottles goes towards paying down the principal and interest on our mortgage.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

We can accept donations by eTransfer. The contact name for the eTransfer is Spirit West United Church, and the email address is spiritw@telus.net . If you include a security question with your eTransfer, please notify Norma at the church office by phone or email of the answer.
And remember that if you are not on PAR(Pre-Authorized Remittance) or even if you are , you can mail in cheques to the church office (Spirit West United Church, 7003 – 199 St. NW Edmonton, AB T5T 3A8, include your envelope number if you have one.)
You can drop off your offering/donation in the offering plate just inside the front doors or place it in the mailbox.
You can also donate online by checking out the online donation option on our website spiritwest.org and click on the Donate tab in the navigation bar.

SPIRIT WEST ONLINE!
Website: www.spiritwest.org
Facebook: Spirit West United Church and Friends of Spirit West Outreach
Instagram: spiritwestyeg
YouTube: Spirt West United Church, Edmonton

Office Hours for March 6 to 11, 2023
Norma => Wed => noon to 5pm
Tues & Thurs – 9:30 am to 2:30 pm
Eli => Eli will be working Sunday to Thursday this week. They will be taking some Fridays off as Study leave this winter to do an online course on adaptive leadership. They are happy to discuss both the course itself and the impact on working days.

Please let Eli know if there is anyone you think they should call or visit.
Eli is trying to get to know members of the congregation and they would love to meet with you in your homes, their office, or a favourite coffee shop. They are hoping to meet with a few people each week.

Thank you,

Norma Balcombe
Office Administrator
Spirit West United Church
7003 - 199st.NW Edmonton, AB T5T 3A8
phone: (780) 481-1406
email: spiritw@telus.net
website: www.spiritwest.org

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March 19, 2023 - Fourth Sunday in Lent

March 12, 2023 - Third Sunday in Lent

March 5, 2023 - Second Sunday in Lent

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