The communion of the saints

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints We passionately confess this every time that we recite the Apostles Creed. In other words, we believe in the Holy Spirit who enables people to believe, who forms and equips the church and unites believers to Christ and to each other. The lectionary readings of September also focused our attention on the communion of saints. Matthew 18 has been dubbed Jesus sermon on the congregation wherein he speaks about relationships within the church. The questions asked are: How do we care for one another in the congregation? And what is it that we particularly care about? What is it that distinguishes our fellowship in the church from relationships that we have outside the church? And what does this say about the purpose of the communion of the saints?

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

We noticed how Jesus emphasized spiritual care, a concern for one anothers spiritual well-being, a concern for holiness, repentance, and the restoration of sinners. Fellowship is a vital aspect of church; it is one of the most important considerations when people first come to church. We treasure the warmth and the friendliness of the congregation, the people we know, the life-long friendships we form, and the things we do together. But this in itself doesnt distinguish us from other groups or organizations. You can find friendship and support in any number of places. We dont need a church to make friends, to do fun things together, or even to serve the material needs of the community. But we do need a church for spiritual care, for nurturing our faith, for guiding us in the truth, for equipping us for discipleship, for praying with us and for us, for encouraging, rebuking and correcting us, for holding us accountable to the Scriptures. Spiritual care, a mutual concern for faith, holiness, discipleship, and Christ-likeness distinguishes the communion of saints from other relationships. This also ties in with a topic that is on the table of Session. Over the next few months, well be

Fall 2011

studying and talking about small group ministry (or cell group ministry) as a form of ministry to enhance the communion of the saints in our congregation. Typically, a cell group meets at the home of one of the members. They may choose to meet weekly, or bi-weekly as it works best for the group. A group meeting starts with worship (singing and praying), followed by a time of caring and sharing (listening to each others stories), a short, simple Bible study/discussion, and a time of simple hospitality. These meetings should not be longer than an hour and a half so that it doesnt become a burden. There are some things that the session needs to sort out first, such as leaders training, and how this will fit in with the existing ways of providing pastoral care and the role of elders. We have therefore decided on the following process: Session studies and refines the concept. Identification and training of leaders. Communication of ideas and information to the congregation throughout. An open house for information where you can sign up for a group of your choice. Launching of this ministry at a service of worship in 2012. Ongoing leaders training and support through a regular Leaders Group by minister. We believe that this could become a significant ministry in the congregation. So please pray with us for discernment and wisdom as we explore this further. Yours in Christs service,

Gerard

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STAND OR SIT?
It was amusing. On a recent Sunday the service bulletin clearly stated that the congregation was to remain seated during the opening hymn. As the music started up several people immediately stood up. A few others hesitantly followed suit, some with confused looks, while others quickly checked their bulletins. Soon most of the congregation was on its feet but some stubbornly remained seated as the bulletin directed them to do. It got me to wondering. How many things do we do, as a matter of rote (we always do it that way) giving little, if any thought to what we are doing? It is so easy to follow a comfortable routine that is predictable and so requires little effort. When something becomes so familiar it requires little thought and loses both its meaning and impact on our lives. This is true of our worship service as a whole. When we enter the sanctuary we are entering a holy place, a special place set aside and consecrated for a high and holy purpose. How we enter should reflect something of the awe and wonder at Gods gracious gift of grace, the sacrifice of Jesus who freely gave his life that we might have life in all its fullness. We might ask ourselves how often we casually enter the sanctuary with little thought as to why we are there, other than to meet and greet our friends and enjoy one anothers company. It is pretty hard to be casual about it when we take the time to prepare ourselves to worship him in spirit and truth as Jesus said true worshippers must. (John 4:24) For instance, when we say or sing the prayer our Lord taught His disciples to use, do we really ponder and wonder at the meaning of what we are saying or do we just toss it off as being so familiar we dont even have to think about it? The prayer is but an outline guiding us as we bring our prayers to God. In a quiet moment try praying our Lords prayer line by line, expanding each line with your own words and thoughts to give it both substance and a deeper meaning. And when we present our offerings, do we do so because the budget has to be maintained, the staff paid and the building maintained? Or is it from a profound sense of how blessed we are, Delete text and place of our offerings is that all we have ultimately comes from and belongs to God? The presentationphoto here. a high, holy moment of committing not only our wealth but ourselves to the calling of God to be a holy people consecrated to His service as disciples of Jesus. Pretty heavy stuff when we think about it.
Submitted by R. Dorne Cornish

To bless God for mercies is the way to increase them; to bless Him for miseries is the way to remove them. William Dyer
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A VBS TALE
My granddaughters, Mackenna, 6 yrs. Kylianne, 3 yrs., and Grandma had a wonderful experience at Pandamania in August. My granddaughters live in Deroche so are not regular attendees to our church. On the first mornig Mackenna was very hesitant to come but I told her she had to come for one day to decide if she wanted toattend the rest of the week. I was helping Lorraine Cornish with the registrations and my two shadows were clinging to me as the other children started to arrive. After a few minutes, Mackenna was helping with the registrations and welcoming everyone as they came through the door. She still was not sure about going into the church. LIse arrived, said hello to Mackenna, they discovered they were in the same class, took each others hand and went off into the sanctuary. The music started and the children were welcomed by Paddy Pandamania had begun and I never saw Mackenna again. When it was time to go home, I quietly asked if she was coming the next day. Her reply, Oh yes, this is so much fun. By the end of the week she knew all the songs, all the actions and felt comfortable and very much at home n our church. She always wanted to sit on the aisle so when the music and singing started she could move into the aisle and sing and dance to her hearts content. She was especially taken with the Bible session on Jonah in the Whale and asked is she could have her very own Bible. She is still struggling with Jesus on the cross and cant understand why He had to die. Grandma will have some work to do on that subject! Her experience was fantastic and she is already waiting for next year.

Kylianne also had a wonderful time and she was especially impressed with Beans, one of her leaders. At the final Pandamania performance of the children in church on Sunday, Kylianne was at the front of the church singing and doing all the actions and holding her new Panda stuffy and friend. She was right at home with the wind-up BBQ luncheon. After church we had to do some shopping for last minute items for Grandpas birthday party. Kylianne was very excited and could hardly wait to get home to get ready. She donned a very oldfashioned pink knitted dress from the dress-up trunk and went off to the bathroom by herself. One should never leave a 3 yr old alone for any length of time, especially in a bathroom. She emerged some time later and we all took a collective gasp andasked, What have you done? (She had applied dark eye shadow very carefully and evenly around both eyes.) She was completely unfazed and without missing a beat stated, I am a Panda because I have been to Pandamania and I love God and pandas. She happily remained a Panda for the entire party. Fast forward 18 days after VBS: Kylianne was at Grandma and Grandpas, we were out in the sandbox playing when, out of the blue and very spontaneously, she started to sing, Hes wild, Hes wild, God is wild about us. She turned to me and said, You know, Grandma, God loves me and He loves you. He loves my family and He loves everyone in the whole wide world. She then returned happily to digging in the sandbox. VBS was an amazing opportunity to plant seeds of Gods love, His grace and His mercy into our little people. My two granddaughters were impressed and influenced more deeply than I realized. How many other lives were touched by that magical week at Pandamania? Submitted by Joan Kerr

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Gospel Boys Concert

On September 17th, the Missions Committee sponsored a very successful concert to raise funds to provide young people from a ghetto in Nicaragua with scholarship funds to further their education. The Sunday before the concert a display was put up in the Narthex showing their portraits and the touching letters of appreciation that they had written. About 200 people attended the event and everyone enjoyed it thoroughly even the fourteen men who sang a wonderful selection of gospel music - a cappella! Some people couldnt sit still and rocked to the music or sang along with the men. At least one person was seen in tears. The whole program was one and a half hours long which included a hymn sing-along. In addition, Roger Page (who is on the Committee and is in charge of our Nicaragua project) gave a brief talk backed up by a power point presentation. This was followed by an opportunity for people to give their donations. At the conclusion of the afternoon, everyone was invited to the gym where an abundance of baked goodies, tea and coffee awaited them. Duncan McDonald was the one responsible for booking the choir but the whole committee worked together wonderfully to bring about such a successful event. After expenses the donations totaled $1,783.00 which far exceeded our hopes and more than met our budget needs. Respectfully submitted by

PRAISE GOD!

Alice Chambers
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Ladies Retreat Camp Douglas 2011

Ladies, did you miss the blessing? You did if you didn't attend the Ladies Retreat at Camp Douglas this year. We were blessed in so many ways. First we had a great speaker in Dr Pat Dutcher-Walls, who as well as being a gifted speaker, was also lots of fun and participated in all the "fun times". Her topic for the retreat was: A Woman's Journey" and the scenic setting of Camp Douglas added to that theme. At one point there was a "silent journey" through the woods when everyone silently walked through the forest together. The silence was only broken by the rustling of the trees and the singing of the birds. As we trod the path we had specific rests along the way where the word of God was shared with us. It was a beautiful, reflective time and the presence of the Lord was surely there with each one. Dr Pat DutcherWells gave several very insightful and meaningful talks pertaining to us, as women taking our life journey. Other events included times of singing, small group studies, crafts, skits and times of great fellowship. We even had a Bocci Ball tournament as part of the outdoor activities. Great camaraderie there as teams competed with one another. Lots of laughs and lots of fun. The beauty surrounding us at Camp Douglas was enjoyed in many ways: sitting on the rocks by the ocean, drinking in all that beauty as the waves rolled in or taking a walk through the dappled forest. God

is so good!!!!

Too bad you missed it but it enjoy a few wonderful

will happen again next year so plan ahead and come and days of blessing.

May Hastie

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The Importance of Reading

In the beginning was the Word God spoke His
words of inspiration for selected men to write down for all men. Gods written word is His greatest gift to us next to the gift of His Son. There is, therefore, no doubt of Gods regard for the written word to communicate great truths. The capacity to write and read is a unique privilege. Of all of His created beings, only man employs metaphor, parable, narrative and other written communication.

The Bible is the most ancient of all literary texts and the source of all literacy. Until recent centuries, the privilege of learning to read was protected by priests and by the ruling elite who, having access to knowledge, had access to power. Their power was maintained by keeping the masses illiterate. Universal literacy resulted from the Protestant Reformations emphasis upon Bible reading not just for theologians but also for the spiritual life of every believer. The outcome of this--mans ability to read and write---has shaped our civilization. But what does reading do for us on a personal level? Reading enlarges our being because it allows us to see into others minds and better understand their perspectives. It reveals to us the history, culture and religions of other peoples, thus making us more tolerant. It transports us to places where we would not otherwise travel. It enables us to share the pain or the joy of other families or individuals. It warns us, instructs us, causes us to laugh or to cry and puts into perspective our humanness and Gods divinity. Reading also improves our attention span, enhances our imagination and develops a capacity for analysis and critical thinking. The faith of every believer is, therefore, edified by the reading of scripture and Christian literature. Let us gratefully continue to be people of the Word. Submitted by Marla van Hilten
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BOOK

REVIEW

Our Book Club, last month, read Somewhere More Holy, the true story of Tony Woodlief and how he and his family discovered together that home is really much more than just rooms and a roof. Shortly after Tony and his wife became Christians they lost their firstborn daughter at the age of three to cancer and that began a life filled with belief and unbelief, of finding and losing God and finding Him again. Tony weaves together devotional thoughts about the power of the incarnation within the stories of his family. He explains how a home can become sacred, and how in the process it can sanctify us as well. Home is more than a place where we eat and sleep; it is where we learn grace, where we glimpse heaven. It is where we find God, or perhaps where He finds us if we will only be still long enough to listen for Him. Each chapter focuses on a different room in his home to express how God healed his hurting heart. You can find this fabulous book in our church library.

Susan Reaveley

HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY HANEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FAMILY BAZAAR! Can you believe it? This will be the 10th Family Bazaar at Haney Presbyterian Church. Thank you Ruth Larmor and Shirley Lyster and all the women of the Ladies Evening Fellowship who so faithfully manage this annual event and so faithfully encourage the involvement of everyone in our church family. And yes, we are looking forward to this major milestone bazaar!!!!!

When?

Saturday, November 19!

Have you noticed how toasty we are in church lately?

Thats because we have a new boiler! After faithfully serving us for 20+ years we have retired our old boiler. The new one is much more energy efficient and will save us money. Another item on the maintenance agenda is our roof. The committee in charge of maintenance is busy trying to get us the best possible quote to fix our aging roof. Thanks to all who help with the upkeep of our building it is much appreciated!

Over the next 6 weeks, there will be notices in the bulletin to invite you to participate. The notices will invite you to assist with filling our tables with baking, treasures, crafts, knitting and sewing, childrens items, woodworking, candy, preserves and lots more. The notices will invite you to help by working in the kitchen, at a table or as a greeter, by putting posters in public areas where you live, by inviting your friends and family members. Our family bazaar is for everyonewe have jobs for youth and seniors, for men and for women, and we can guarantee the wagesFun! Fun! Fun! The focus of this event has always been more than fund-raising. The focus is on our familyall of us working together side by side and on our communitywelcoming all and providing a safe and enjoyable time in a festive and cheerful setting. So Happy 10th Anniversary to us all on November 19th !

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HPCs youth groups are expanding from two to four groups, all of which will meet on Friday nights 5-7pm. Weve made the split to accommodate our growing numbers and to limit the age range of each group. Wed like to welcome our new leaders to these groups: Sue Reaveley and Robyn White are co-leading the newly-formed HPC Chicklettes (age 6-8) and James Deutschmann and Jake Nobiss will be joining Johnathan Booy as the co-leaders of HPC Boys (ages 8-12). Ricky and Laura Newberry are continuing with Gods Girls (ages 9-13) as are Andrew Newberry and Regard Booy with HPC Guys (13-16). Thank you to all of you for offering your gifts to these ministries. What can you do to support these ministries?

Please pray for them.

Pray for the leaders that they will communicate the love of Christ to our children and youth. Pray that God will give them insight into the hearts and minds of the children they lead and the energy to offer a lively, faith-filled programme. Pray for our children and youth that they will recognize Gods call to them through the relationships within these groups.

Get the word out. There are extra brochures describing HPCs various programmes available in the
office. Why not give one to your neighbours, grandchildren etc?

Share your own gifts. Do you have a gift that you are willing to share with one of our groups? Wed
love to hear of your interests and hobbies who knows how they might fit in with our programmes? As well, every once in a while we may need some help with driving, food, supplies etc.

Encourage our leaders through your words and actions.

Paddy Eastwood

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Gallivant ing Beagle

Ezekiel 34:15-16a - I myself will tend my sheep and make them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. (NIV) Recently, a beagle wandered into our neighbourhood behaving like a lost dog. Doubtless, in his doggy mind, he was having an adventure. Trailing a chewed-off leash behind him, he was having the time of his doggy life. He saw absolutely no danger in what he was doing as he explored rabbit trails, tore open and feasted upon garbage that awaited pickup, and crossed busy streets with cheerful abandon. But we saw the danger, even if he didn't. A car might have hit him, unable to stop in time. The alluring rabbit trails could have contained snares which might have caught and wounded him. The delicious-smelling garbage certainly contained bacteria which could have made him sick. So my neighbour and I decided to rescue him. We searched until we found his owner. It turned out that the dog lived up the road from us, about a mile away. Although we were concerned for his safety, the dog obviously wasn't. The owner said that he ran away with alarming frequency. Similarly, some believers, who wander from God, likely feel that they are having the time of their lives. To them, it's an adventure. In their minds, they are not lost. They perceive no danger in what they are doing. They gallivant around and play in traffic, morally speaking, that is. They explore dangerous paths which could lead to their ruin, and consume moral garbage with abandon, unaware of sin's festering bacteria just waiting to infect them. Often, they repeatedly offend against the gospel. Every time sin lures them, they gallop away from God. They can't seem to say "no". Wanderlust seeps into their psyche and off they go, gallivanting. The good news is that, like a Good Shepherd, God pledged to seek these wandering sheep until He found them. Jesus said: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11 NIV) To seek those who have wandered away, Jesus laid down His life on Calvary's cross, rose from the dead, never to die again, and lives eternally at God's right hand. Only Jesus can make that claim. No one else can. He is truly the Good Shepherd who seeks and saves those who are plagued by wanderlust. No one need lose heart, nor fear that they have strayed too far for Christ to find them. He never gives up the search. Cassandra Wessel Tionesta, Pennsylvania, USA
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PICTORIAL DIRECTORY FOR OUR CHURCH FAMILY

We are pleased to have obtained the services of IPC Canada Photo Services to print our Church Family Directory. This is a very valuable directory in so many ways and one in which we all will use a great deal throughout the years to come. Our present directory is 5 years old and is now somewhat outdated. This directory helps us connect names with faces, and is a valuable communication reference for our members as well as an excellent tool for potential new members. Pictures will be taken at the church Oct. 25 28 from 2:30pm-8:30pm. We need EVERYONE to make an appointment. Appointments can be made until October 23rd. Each family will receive a FREE directory and a FREE 8x10 portrait. There is absolutely no obligation to purchase anything but the opportunity is there if you wish.

Which Bible character had no parents? Joshua, son of Nun.

Who is the shortest man in the Bible? Bildad, the Shuhite.