Congregational Email Update
June 19, 2020
Dear Congregants,
On my study leave last week, I continued contacting the thriving United Church congregations I visited last year on my sabbatical. Shortly, I will share a followup report from this research. In the meantime, I recommend a series of four youtubes entitled Pandemic Practicums that many of these churches are watching. Rev. Diane Strickland, traumatologist and compassion fatigue therapist, has made 4 brief youtubes that offer us tools and tips in how to survive the emotional roller coaster of this pandemic both personally and as a church. I would like to offer a 4 week discussion group on these videos on Wednesdays from 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom, beginning this coming Wednesday June 24. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82522004784 .
Please watch the first video prior to our Zoom discussion. Each video is about 20 minutes long. They can be viewed from the following website. http://www.knox-united.com/videos—pandemic-practicums-1-4.html
We offer our deep condolences and heartfelt prayers for Tim and Pat S. and family on the passing of Tim’s mother Doreen S. She was a vital part of our congregation and choir, whose compassion was felt by all who knew her.
Special Appeals
Our Specials Appeals for this year has taken some twists on the road. Because the UCW are not able to hold their Rummage Sale and Bazaar for 2020, they have not been able to contribute their usual $1800 to Special Appeals. However, the congregation stepped up in a mighty way, giving approximately $1,000 more than they usually give. This allowed us to distribute $2,650 this year to the following organizations. We gave more than usual to the Centre for Christian Studies as a thank you for helping us learn how to use Zoom technology. They have given free webinar instruction to the churches and staff person Scott D. has personally helped Westworth through its technological bumps on a number of occasions.
2020 Special Appeals Fund disbursement:
| Theological education | Prairie to Pine Regional Council Bursary Fund | 200. |
| St. Andrews College | 200. | |
| Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre | 200. | |
| Centre for Christian Studies | 400. | |
| Local social justice | Willow Place | 200. |
| West Broadway Community Ministry | 500. | |
| 1 Just City | 200. | |
| L.I.T.E. (local investment towards employment) | 200. | |
| Rossbrook House | 200. | |
| Jubilee Fund | 150. | |
| Youth support | Rock Lake United Church Camp | 200. |
| Total | 2650. |
After Church Café
Click on this link at 1:00 pm on Sunday to join the After Church Café. Question for discussion: Have you been visited by an angel, or been led by God to be an angel for someone else?
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/92223649526?pwd=NTdKRlUvdy9qbWhVTG1RNCtYRnBydz09
Meeting ID: 922 2364 9526 Password: 073982
You may also dial any of the following long-distance numbers:
+1 778 907 2071 Canada
+1 438 809 7799 Canada
+1 587 328 1099 Canada
+1 647 374 4685 Canada
+1 647 558 0588 Canada
Loraine
Sunday Church Porch Serenades
Our 10:45 am Sunday church porch serenades will be continuing until the end of June -this coming Sunday the 21st and next Sunday the 28th). We hope to see you there. If you plan to come, please remember to keep 6 feet from each other. To date, our turnout has been great, and within all guidelines. We will continue to monitor our numbers to keep them to a maximum of 50.
From Sunday School:
Join Julia and Maggie for Zoom VBS 2020, August 24-August 28th We will be having fun with ‘Avengers-God’s Game’: Superheroes of the Bible. We will be online with Zoom from 10.00am-noon each day. Contact Heather at office@westworth.ca to register.
Prayer Vigil for North and South Korea
You are invited to join A Light of Peace, an online prayer vigil with our Moderator and Korean partners as we pray for healing, reunification, and an end to war on the Korean Peninsula. This vigil will be livestreamed on The United Church of Canada’s YouTube channel at 7:00 pm Central Standard Time Thursday, June 25.
