The Pastoral Charge annual barbecue will be held on Sunday, September 13th following the 11:00 am service at Ocean View. Please invite family and friends to this event, everyone is welcome. Deadline for tickets is Sept. 7th
Tickets are available at no cost from the following representatives:
Ochre Pit Cove ……………………Violet Gillingham 598-2619
Western Bay North (to Church)….Elvira Glover 598-2833
Western Bay South…………………Sophie White 598-2595
Adams Cove………………………. Loretta Diamond 598-2157
Blackhead & Broad Cove North…George Penney 598-2945
Broad Cove & Small Point……….Eric Slade 598-2949
Please forward items for Church News to Darryl Butt by Thursday of each week.
For information concerning our Food Bank you may contact:
Bonnie Crummey 598-2803 Sophie White 598-2595 Rev. Cole 598-2943.
August 9, 2009
M&S at General Council (for two readers, possibly youngsters)
Props: A suitcase containing a Bible, a copy of Voices United and More Voices, a huge bundle of papers, a wallet, a cushion, an apple or snack, and an M&S logo.
One: Hey! Are you off on vacation?
Two: (dragging a suitcase) Not really. I’m off to a family reunion and a business meeting for 10 days.
One: Business and family?
Two: Yep. It’s called the United Church General Council and all parts of the church across Canada send representatives to visit, worship, and work.
One: I’ve heard of that. It only happens once every three years, right? And isn’t there voting too?
Two: That’s really an exciting part of the whole thing. Everyone votes on what kinds of work we want to do in the next three years, and we even vote in an election to choose a new United Church leader.
One: That’s called the Moderator, right? So what have you got in that suitcase?
Two: (holds up Bible and papers) I have a Bible because there will be lots of worship to help us give thanks and to help us make the right decisions. And I have this huge stack of papers that I have been studying—about the work we want to do.
One: (picks up the hymn books) It looks like there will be lots of singing.
Two: (holds up logo and wallet) You want to believe it. I also have this Mission and Service Fund logo to remind me and everyone at my table that M&S pays for these meetings every three years as well as for the new Moderator’s work and the staff who will actually do all the things we decide that The United Church of Canada should do. And of course I brought my wallet so that I can make a gift too so that our work can continue.
One: (holds up the apple and cushion) And what exactly are these for?
Two: (grabs the cushion and says sheepishly) Have you ever sat on a folding chair for 10 days? And that’s in case they run out of snacks. General Council is hard work, you know. I might need some extra fuel.
At this point in the service, the worship leader might offer a prayer for the work of General Council. For example:
Ever-gracious God, you call United Church people from near and far
into the fellowship of our church at its General Council.
We give you thanks for our United Church,
and especially for its many ministries over the past 84 years.
We give you thanks for all who meet this week in Kelowna.
Loving God, we join together as one church family.
Some gather together at Council, more join with them in spirit and prayer.
Bless all with your Spirit, and bring us together in community.
Watch over the commissioners and guests at Council.
© 2008 The United Church of Canada/L’Église Unie du Canada. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ca. Any copy must include this notice.
Our bulletins today at Ocean View United are donated in honour of George and Jean Burden’s 60th wedding anniversary on August 13th by Glenda & Danny Pike and grandchildren Susan and Josh.
