Greetings,
Happy Feast of St. John the Baptist. There is important information in this eMessage about Spirit West as the church moves forward during the summer and beyond. Please read it carefully.
This Sunday – FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, and the focus is on hope. We are not going to read a David story this Sunday, instead we will hear an exhortation from the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth. Paul calls the Corinthians to be generous in the service of love. And this generosity is not prompted by rules, but by our response to the generosity of God. Paul says to them, “God will accept your gift, on the basis of what you have to give, not on what you don’t have.” In the Gospel reading we meet two people who want help from Jesus, one is Jairus, an official of the local synagogue whose daughter is very ill, and the other is an unnamed women who has suffered terrible bleeding for twelve years. Jairus approaches Jesus directly and ask for Jesus to come heal his daughter. The woman, who has suffered for years in spite of the attempts of many doctors, just wants to touch the Jesus’ robe and be healed. Both have placed their hope in Jesus, though they approach him in very different ways. In the story we learn that both Jarius’ daughter and the woman are healed, and at the same time they and those around them learn more about who Jesus is.
The Scripture readings for Sunday are 2 Corinthians 8:7-15,and Mark 5:21-43. In the Time for All Ages I will talk about how “Wishing and hoping” and my sermon is titled, “What give you hope?”
THERE WILL BE A ZOOM COFFEE HOUR (this is the Link for May and June!)
Join Zoom Coffee on Sunday at 11:30
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82877953866?pwd=REZSamRsRU0ybENRREdEaGR4bVFGUT09
Meeting ID: 828 7795 3866 Passcode: 738328
Do you like to ZOOM with your church friends? Would you like our ZOOM coffee time throughout the summer?
Do you have some spare time to put towards hosting the weekly ZOOM coffee time?
We are hoping that there is a person or are people that would be able to host ZOOM coffee starting with Sunday, July 4 while we transition back to in-person worship. The ZOOM coffee times are already booked on ZOOM, we just need someone to start them.
One person has already stepped forward willing to do a ZOOM coffee once a month so it would not be a commitment for every week.
Please contact Norma at the church office for more information.
THE END OF ONE ERA AT SPIRIT WEST AND THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER
That’s rather a pompous title for this information, but I thought it might attract your attention. The Worship Video for Sunday, June 27, 2021 will be the last opportunity to worship with me as minister of Spirit West United Church. My last day in “paid accountable ministry” is June 30, 2021. I will be speaking about this a bit during the worship video, but I will also be recording a separate video to say good-bye. A link for that video will be sent out by Norma next week.
So then what happens? First there will be a two week break. Then the Rev. Stuart Jackson will begin part time ministry at Spirit West on July 12, and his first worship video will be for Sunday, July 18, 2021. Once a month, the service will be provided by David Faber, a student in his final year of theological studies. Some of you may remember David, as he preached at Spirit West a couple of years ago. And in that way the work and worship of Spirit West will carry on until a new full time minister is found.
FROM THE PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE
The Pastoral Search Committee has worked diligently to complete all the required documentation for Spirit West on Church Hub. Church Hub is the central information sharing site for the United Church of Canada, and access is restricted. But now with the approval of the Northern Spirit Regional Council Executive, the position for minister at Spirit West United Church is now being advertised on Church Hub. This information is available to any minister who is looking, and the names of ministers who are looking are now available to the Spirit West Search Committee. The search is on!
SPIRIT WEST WORSHIP VIDEOS
Greeters
You may have gotten (or will get) a call from Diane H. our “Greeter Co-ordinator,” asking you if you would record a greeting for our Sunday Worship videos. If at all possible, please say yes. Recorded greetings should be sent to our “Recording technician” (Paul W.) at [email protected] or you can come into the church and we will record your greeting. Video greetings need to be sent in or recorded by the Friday before “your” Sunday.
Scripture Readers
Using the list of those who have volunteered to be Scripture readers, Norma has drawn up and sent out a schedule of readers for the next couple of months. If you have read scripture for one of the worship videos, you will be on the schedule and will have received a copy. Please confirm with Norma as soon as possible that you are available to do your reading. Readings can be recorded well in advance of the date required. Your reading can also be recorded at the church between 3:30 and 4:30 on Thursday afternoons.
Sharing our Celebrations
In this time when it is important for us to look for signs of hope and joy, opportunity is being given for you to share your celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries, new grandchildren etc) with the wider community. If you have a celebration you want to share please email [email protected] or phone the church. (must be sent in before noon on Thursday for inclusion on the Sunday) During the opening section or our Worship Video, I will announce celebrations that have been shared with me.
Spirit West Prayer Chain
Prayer is important. We know that people still face challenges and difficulties not related to Covid-19, and we cannot forget them. Our Prayer Chain will continue to be active. If you have a prayer request, please send it to [email protected]. These requests will be shared regularly with the prayer chain and will form part of the Prayers of the People in our Sunday Worship videos.
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 now accept donations by eTransfer. The contact name for the eTransfer is Spirit West United Church, and the email address is [email protected] . If you include a security question with your eTransfer, please notify Norma at the church office by phone or email. And remember that if you are not on PAR(Pre-Authorized Remittance), you can also mail in cheques to the church office (Spirit West United Church, 7003 – 199 St. Edmonton, AB T5T 3A8, include your envelope number if you have one.) The church office is open and you can drop off your offering/donation in the offering plate just inside the front doors. You can also donate online, see below…
ANOTHER WAY TO CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY TO SPIRIT WEST DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC
You are stuck home, Spirit West is not holding services, you are not on PAR, but you want to make a financial contribution to the work of Spirit West, because the church has bills to pay even when we are not gathering on Sunday. Check 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
CHURCH OFFICE
The Spirit West Church office remains open.
Office hours
- Norma => Noon to 5:00 pm, Monday to Thursday
- Larry => 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesday to Friday
Larry
(Rev.) Larry K. Wright, CD, BA, MDiv
Minister
Spirit West United Church
780-481-1406
[email protected]
Spiritwest.org
Happy Feast of St. John the Baptist. There is important information in this eMessage about Spirit West as the church moves forward during the summer and beyond. Please read it carefully.
This Sunday – FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, and the focus is on hope. We are not going to read a David story this Sunday, instead we will hear an exhortation from the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth. Paul calls the Corinthians to be generous in the service of love. And this generosity is not prompted by rules, but by our response to the generosity of God. Paul says to them, “God will accept your gift, on the basis of what you have to give, not on what you don’t have.” In the Gospel reading we meet two people who want help from Jesus, one is Jairus, an official of the local synagogue whose daughter is very ill, and the other is an unnamed women who has suffered terrible bleeding for twelve years. Jairus approaches Jesus directly and ask for Jesus to come heal his daughter. The woman, who has suffered for years in spite of the attempts of many doctors, just wants to touch the Jesus’ robe and be healed. Both have placed their hope in Jesus, though they approach him in very different ways. In the story we learn that both Jarius’ daughter and the woman are healed, and at the same time they and those around them learn more about who Jesus is.
The Scripture readings for Sunday are 2 Corinthians 8:7-15,and Mark 5:21-43. In the Time for All Ages I will talk about how “Wishing and hoping” and my sermon is titled, “What give you hope?”
THERE WILL BE A ZOOM COFFEE HOUR (this is the Link for May and June!)
Join Zoom Coffee on Sunday at 11:30
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82877953866?pwd=REZSamRsRU0ybENRREdEaGR4bVFGUT09
Meeting ID: 828 7795 3866 Passcode: 738328
Do you like to ZOOM with your church friends? Would you like our ZOOM coffee time throughout the summer?
Do you have some spare time to put towards hosting the weekly ZOOM coffee time?
We are hoping that there is a person or are people that would be able to host ZOOM coffee starting with Sunday, July 4 while we transition back to in-person worship. The ZOOM coffee times are already booked on ZOOM, we just need someone to start them.
One person has already stepped forward willing to do a ZOOM coffee once a month so it would not be a commitment for every week.
Please contact Norma at the church office for more information.
THE END OF ONE ERA AT SPIRIT WEST AND THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER
That’s rather a pompous title for this information, but I thought it might attract your attention. The Worship Video for Sunday, June 27, 2021 will be the last opportunity to worship with me as minister of Spirit West United Church. My last day in “paid accountable ministry” is June 30, 2021. I will be speaking about this a bit during the worship video, but I will also be recording a separate video to say good-bye. A link for that video will be sent out by Norma next week.
So then what happens? First there will be a two week break. Then the Rev. Stuart Jackson will begin part time ministry at Spirit West on July 12, and his first worship video will be for Sunday, July 18, 2021. Once a month, the service will be provided by David Faber, a student in his final year of theological studies. Some of you may remember David, as he preached at Spirit West a couple of years ago. And in that way the work and worship of Spirit West will carry on until a new full time minister is found.
FROM THE PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE
The Pastoral Search Committee has worked diligently to complete all the required documentation for Spirit West on Church Hub. Church Hub is the central information sharing site for the United Church of Canada, and access is restricted. But now with the approval of the Northern Spirit Regional Council Executive, the position for minister at Spirit West United Church is now being advertised on Church Hub. This information is available to any minister who is looking, and the names of ministers who are looking are now available to the Spirit West Search Committee. The search is on!
SPIRIT WEST WORSHIP VIDEOS
Greeters
You may have gotten (or will get) a call from Diane H. our “Greeter Co-ordinator,” asking you if you would record a greeting for our Sunday Worship videos. If at all possible, please say yes. Recorded greetings should be sent to our “Recording technician” (Paul W.) at [email protected] or you can come into the church and we will record your greeting. Video greetings need to be sent in or recorded by the Friday before “your” Sunday.
Scripture Readers
Using the list of those who have volunteered to be Scripture readers, Norma has drawn up and sent out a schedule of readers for the next couple of months. If you have read scripture for one of the worship videos, you will be on the schedule and will have received a copy. Please confirm with Norma as soon as possible that you are available to do your reading. Readings can be recorded well in advance of the date required. Your reading can also be recorded at the church between 3:30 and 4:30 on Thursday afternoons.
Sharing our Celebrations
In this time when it is important for us to look for signs of hope and joy, opportunity is being given for you to share your celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries, new grandchildren etc) with the wider community. If you have a celebration you want to share please email [email protected] or phone the church. (must be sent in before noon on Thursday for inclusion on the Sunday) During the opening section or our Worship Video, I will announce celebrations that have been shared with me.
Spirit West Prayer Chain
Prayer is important. We know that people still face challenges and difficulties not related to Covid-19, and we cannot forget them. Our Prayer Chain will continue to be active. If you have a prayer request, please send it to [email protected]. These requests will be shared regularly with the prayer chain and will form part of the Prayers of the People in our Sunday Worship videos.
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 now accept donations by eTransfer. The contact name for the eTransfer is Spirit West United Church, and the email address is [email protected] . If you include a security question with your eTransfer, please notify Norma at the church office by phone or email. And remember that if you are not on PAR(Pre-Authorized Remittance), you can also mail in cheques to the church office (Spirit West United Church, 7003 – 199 St. Edmonton, AB T5T 3A8, include your envelope number if you have one.) The church office is open and you can drop off your offering/donation in the offering plate just inside the front doors. You can also donate online, see below…
ANOTHER WAY TO CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY TO SPIRIT WEST DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC
You are stuck home, Spirit West is not holding services, you are not on PAR, but you want to make a financial contribution to the work of Spirit West, because the church has bills to pay even when we are not gathering on Sunday. Check 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
CHURCH OFFICE
The Spirit West Church office remains open.
Office hours
- Norma => Noon to 5:00 pm, Monday to Thursday
- Larry => 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesday to Friday
Larry
(Rev.) Larry K. Wright, CD, BA, MDiv
Minister
Spirit West United Church
780-481-1406
[email protected]
Spiritwest.org
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