Westworth United Church

MINISTER’S MESSAGE

Although I began this fall with a heavy heart because of the increasing anger and polarization in our country, this week has brought me cautious hope because of what is happening at Westworth. We are a flurry of activity as we prepare to be a polling station, offer an in-person and live-streamed funeral for Mike Dobbin this Saturday and plan to resume in-person worship in stages. We have arranged for two baptisms, as mentioned below in upcoming worship services, with a third in progress. Small groups will be able to meet in person. Opera will be returning to rehearse this fall in the gym and Guides and Sparks will be retuning. All will be done cautiously within provincial regulations.

We are slowly leaving the cocoons of our homes and returning to community. This brings me hope. We also need to keep our guard up, wear masks in public, indoor places and encourage everyone who is able to be vaccinated. This makes me cautious. While I would normally be bursting with excitement at seeing people again, a cautious hope will help me stay within the boundaries of safety.

I am reminded of Paul’s introduction in his letter to the Philippians. He writes from prison and feels the distance from the church in Philippi. But he lives in hope of seeing them again, longing for that sweet communion: “…all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best…”

We continue to discern what is best as regulations continue to change according to the virus outbreaks. May we all proceed with cautious hope in our reunions with family, friends and community. Let us keep educators in our prayers as schools begin again. Let us also keep health care workers in our hearts and let them know that the vast majority of our population deeply honours them as they continue to serve long hours on the frontline.

With cautious hope,

Loraine

UPCOMING WORSHIP SERVICES

Sept 12

Live-stream service at Westworth at 10:45 am with our new Music Director Bill Quinn on guitar singing a duet with his wife Heather. We will also be celebrating the baptism of Stacey and Adam B’s son Beau.

Sept 19

Outdoor service at Assiniboine Park. This service will NOT be recorded and only available in-person. We have site 20, across from the Pavilion, booked from 9:00 am-1:00 pm. (see park map link below) Worship will begin at 10:30 am. Parking is nearby. Please bring your own chair. We will have a few extra chairs for those who don’t have one. Worship will include the baptism of Debra and Andrew McKay’s son Deckard. One of our new choral scholars, Keely McPeek, will be singing. Seating capacity is 100, but we still need to keep 2 meters between households and ask that people still wear masks, as we will have opportunity for masked congregational singing. We hope that families with children will be able to come, as the outdoor setting is safer for children and they can run around! Please note that the service will be cancelled if it is raining (if unsure, call Loraine at home before 9:00 am on Sunday: 204-775-8817). https://www.assiniboinepark.ca/uploads/public/documents/map-picnic-sites-2020.pdf

Sept 26

Live-streamed worship at 10:45 am. This will be a soft reopening service for Leadership Team and families present. Max Fingerote, another of our new choral scholars, will be singing. We need to maintain 2 meters distance between households. Regulations state that everyone, including worship leaders, need to be masked. If the leaders are behind a non-permeable barrier, they may be able to remove their masks. We are considering various options to meet these latest regulations. The good news is that we will now be able to have congregational singing if everyone is masked. We request that everyone attending the service be doubly vaccinated unless ineligible due to age (under 12) or medical condition.

Oct 2

In-person and live-streamed worship at 10:45 am. This will be our first service open to the public. We ask everyone to maintain 2 meters between households and wear a mask while inside the building. This service will include communion and packages of communion elements will be available to take your seat. You may remove your mask briefly to partake of the elements while remaining seated, and then put the mask back on again. We request that everyone attending the service be doubly vaccinated, unless ineligible due to age (under 12) or medical condition.

WESTWORTH POLLING STATION

Westworth United Church is a polling station for:

Advance Voting:               Friday, September 10^th to Monday, September 13^th

Election Day:                      Monday September 20th

 AFTER CHURCH ZOOM CAFÉ

Conversation Topic: Upholding Health Restrictions while Offering Compassion

Time: Sep 12, 2021

12:00-12:45 PM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86803955747

Meeting ID: 868 0395 5747

Passcode: 709662

If you can’t join by computer, you can join by phone: 204 272 7920.

FUNERAL SERVICE FOR MIKE D

Will be held in-person and live-streamed through Zoom at Westworth on Saturday, Sept. 11, at 2 pm.

If you are attending the funeral in person, please register online by clicking on this link:

In-person registration will be closed as of Friday at 10 a.m. Since Westworth is an advance polling station at this time, please do NOT enter through the main door, but come in through the NE emergency exit door into the front of the sanctuary. Signs will be posted. Masks and physical distancing are required. We request that only those who are fully vaccinated attend in person unless you are ineligible due to a medical condition or age (under 12).

If you are attending via Zoom, please use the link below:

September 11, 2021

2 p.m.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81206477826

Meeting ID: 812 0647 7826

Passcode: 812860

204 272 7920

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Registration

This year, Sunday School will be in person (held in the gym) and on Zoom starting on October 2^nd.
Use the registration link below to access the online registration form. Registration is open until September 26^th.
Please fill out all the fields in the registration form.The form can only register one child at a time. If you have more than one child to register, just re-click on the registration link below and a new, blank form will open. Repeat for as many children as you need to register.

Click here to register your child for Westworth United Sunday School:
https://us19.list-manage.com/survey?u=32b15a821abb6262d6b562731&id=6930b4d0da&e=*|UNIQID|*

Thanks,
Maggie

Bible Story:

This week’s Bible story is The First Sin.

The bible story is  read by Julia,  and The Lord’s Prayer is read by Danielle. Your Sunday school teachers are on the Westworth Face Book page for you to view.

Maggie

Assiniboine Park Service:

Sunday School Families are invited to our outdoor service on September 19, 2021 at Assiniboine Park.

Service is at 10:30 a.m. at:

Site 20, across from the Pavilion,

Please bring your own chairs.

https://www.assiniboinepark.ca/uploads/public/documents/map-picnic-sites-2020.pdf

CONDOLENCES

Our prayers are with Shirley W on the loss of “dear Donna”, her sister, on August 31.

AFFIRMING MINISTRY OF WESTWORTH UNITED CHURCH PRIDE WINNIPEG  2021 – VIRTUAL PRIDE. SEPTEMBER 3-12 Pride Winnipeg is traditionally celebrated at the end of May, when our GSRD (Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diverse) community and our allies get together for a series of Pride event Pride Winnipeg has  decided to create this year’s theme around our continuing current reality. So, with this in mind, together let’s celebrate VIRTUAL PRIDE! Pride Winnipeg is pleased to officially kick-off to this year’s events and programming, which will take place between September 3 to 12, 2021. The 2021 theme, “Virtual Pride,” was decided after long reflection on the continuing global pandemic. We realized that the best way to care for our community and celebrate Pride is embracing the fact that we need to maintain social distance but can still connect with each other through digital platforms. This theme refers not only to how we will deliver our events (virtually), but also how we want to engage and get together with the GSRD (Gender, Social and Relationship Diverse) community. In this time of uncertainties and overwhelming challenges to our community, we want to show our true colours and increase our presence on digital platforms to ensure our communities needs, rights, and fights are seen and heard. The VIRTUAL PARADE will be on YouTube on Sunday September 12, at noon and will also be available as long as other virtual events until the end of September. Wear your PRIDE all year long. #VirtualPrideWPG *used with permission from Pride Winnipeg. Making a Difference at Home …..  OUTREACH 1. West Broadway Community Ministry  Lunches Here we are in the month of September, and hopes of being “back to normal” (whatever that may mean” are not yet being realized.  The Outreach Team is committed to providing monthly lunches to West Broadway, as we have done for many years! We will deliver meatballs, sauce, buns, fruit and cookies for the staff and volunteers at WBCM to prepare and serve the guests at lunchtime on Thursday, September 16. . We are grateful to all of you who continue to support this vital ministry. Cheques may be sent to the Westworth office with the memo line indicating “WBCM lunches”. Emergency Pantry Thank you for your support for the folks in the West Broadway area. We were able to transfer another $485.00 to WBCM for the emergency food needs of the community. Cheques to Westworth with “WBCM Pantry” on the memo line are gratefully received! 2. Orange Shirt Day! Westworth Community of Faith will be observe Orange Shirt Day on Sunday, September 26.  The “orange shirt” in Orange Shirt Day refers to the new shirt that Phyllis Webstad was given to her by her grandmother for her first day of school at St. Joseph’s Mission residential school in British Columbia. When Phyllis got to school, they took away her clothes, including her new shirt. It was never returned. To Phyllis, the colour orange has always reminded her of her experiences at residential school and, as she has said, “how my feelings didn’t matter, how no one cared and I felt like I was worth nothing. All of us little children were crying and no one cared.” The message that Phyllis wants to pass along on Orange Shirt Day — and every day — is that every child matters. Orange Shirt Day was started by Phyllis to educate people about residential schools and to fight racism and bullying. The Outreach Team encourages you to wear an Orange Shirt on September 26, as well as on September 30 with all Canadians! Please see poster below regarding purchase of Orange Shirt Day item. You are invited to attend the Orange Shirt Day Pow Pow! Ted Fontaine’s life and work will be honoured that day. Please see details below on the poster.