Congregational Email
Sept. 17, 2020
Dear Congregants,
It’s great to be able to reconnect with many of you at worship or meetings. I’m also aware that some of you do not yet feel able to come and I look forward to continued connections through email, phone or Zoom. As we begin to resume some of our fall activities within the church and beyond, I appreciate the continued care for the safety of one another.
The wearing of masks contributes to the safety of others. Our Moderator, Richard Bott, has written the following prayer that suggests mask-wearing is a sacred act of thoughtfulness.
A PRAYER AS I PUT ON MY MASK, Moderator Richard Bott
Creator,
as I prepare to go into the world,
help me to see the sacrament
in the wearing of this cloth –
let it be “an outward sign
of an inward grace” –
a tangible and visible way of living
love for my neighbours,
as I love myself.
Christ,
since my lips will be covered,
uncover my heart,
that people would see my smile
in the crinkles around my eyes.
Since my voice may be muffled,
help me to speak clearly,
not only with my words,
but with my actions.
Holy Spirit,
As the elastic touches my ears,
remind me to listen carefully –
and full of care –
to all those I meet.
May this simple piece of cloth be
shield and banner,
and each breath that it holds,
be filled with your love.
In your Name and
in that love,
I pray.
May it be so.
May it be so.
Congregational Zoom Meeting Tonight
The congregational Zoom meeting originally scheduled for Sept 3 has been postponed until Thursday, September 17 at 7 pm. This gives the Safe Re-Opening Committee an opportunity to include the latest Manitoba government and United Church COVID guidelines in the plan, as well as information gained from the Soft Reopening worship service for our church leaders on Sept. 13 and the Usher and Greeter training session. You may connect through the internet or by phone with the following information:
Topic: Re-Opening Church Congregational Discussion
Time: Sep 17, 2020 07:00 PM Winnipeg
Click on the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81929612703
You may be asked for the Passcode:
Meeting ID: 819 2961 2703
Passcode: 371903
If you are phoning in, please call the following local number:
204 272 7920
Public Reopening of Worship this Sunday, Sept. 20 at 10:45 am
This will be our first public in-person worship service since March! Please remember to bring your mask. If you plan to come, please call or email Heather by tomorrow, Sept. 18 to register. From now on, you may register for the Sunday service on the preceding Wed-Fri noon (this is a change) by emailing (preferrable) or phoning the church office. If you email, please indicate that your answer is no to the following questions:
- Do you have a new appearance of any of the COVID -19 symptoms i.e. cold or flu like symptoms such as fever, dry cough, tiredness, headache, sore throat, runny nose and shortness of breath? If someone answers yes, they will be encouraged to call Health Links at (204) 788-8200.
- Have you travelled to places other than Western Canada and North Western Ontario in the last 14 days?
- Have you interacted with anyone experiencing COVID -19 symptoms in the last 14 days?
This Sunday, there will be musicians greeting you both outside and inside the church and there will be an angel awaiting you in your pew. The “Fun Committee” is hard at work, along with the Safe Reopening Committee that is making the building safe with our COVID protocols.
Senior Choir News
Dorothy C. is retiring from her position at Pembina Trails School Division and moving to B.C next month to enjoy her retirement closer to her son’s family and far from Winnipeg’s brutal winters. The senior choir will greatly miss her but wishes her well in this new and exciting phase of her life. On Sunday, Oct. 4, Dorothy will be with us for our in-person worship and will offer a few words. We will be offering her a blessing.
Dorothy faithfully served in senior choir for over 40 years. She sang in the Junior and Intermediate choirs during Winnifred Sim’s tenure, then joined her High School choral director, John Standing, when he replaced Mrs. Sim as senior choir director at Westworth.
Dorothy has always been one of the most consistent attendees and, with her clear strong alto voice and encouragement of those around her, has been the lynchpin of the alto section. She is also our parade marshal who organizes our processing and recessing…sometimes requiring the skill and patience of a herder of cats.
She has served on choir executive more often than not and has been choir president for the last 6 years, where she has provided direction and cohesion to our social well-being as a welcoming and convivial choir and has ensured support to maintain and enhance the music experience at Westworth. You could always count on Dorothy to know what needed doing and to get it done. And Dorothy, your brownies are legendary! Enjoyed at choir executive meetings and potlucks.
We wish you well in your bold new undertaking but will miss you sorely and remember you dearly.
Welcome Back Westworth Kids!
C.E. is very happy to announce we will be running Sunday school in the gym starting Sept 20th so we will have lots of space to socially distance. There are lots of changes so C.E can offer Sunday school, some are the purchasing of special pencil boxes so each child will have their own, labelled with their name. The curriculum and activity sheets/ craft supplies etc will be placed out on Thursday morning. There will be LEGO in the gym but NO Activity bags available due to sanitisation concerns.
I have added an extra story and a craft time to accommodate any extra time needed as the children will be going straight to the gym with a Sunday school teacher after sanitising their hands with a child suitable product upon entry to the church. Children grade 4 and up are required to wear masks. Please note the Nursery/Parents room is unavailable until further notice. Parents with small children can sit in the sanctuary or on the pews behind the glass in the narthex—please bring your own toys etc. Children are to be collected from the gym after the service. Snacks and water are to be provided by the parents Please label all belongings.
YOUTH- join me and your friends from Westworth for a catch-up session on Zoom on Wednesday September 16th at 7.00 p.m.
Please remember to register with Heather 204-489-6974 ext 20 if you plan to attend Sunday service. Hope to see you all.
Maggie Barnett
New Windows
The new protective glass over the south Leo Mol windows is now in place. The Leo Mol windows have also been washed and the colour is more vibrant. The north windows are also in place, as you can see in this photo, and we are deciding whether or not to add vinyl tinting to all or part of the north windows. We are now only $3,000 short of our goal of $51,000 for the windows. If anyone is interested in contributing or buying the leftover panes of the old, tinted glass, please contact our church office. Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept 22 and 23 are the days for glass pickup then any leftover glass will be taken to Prairie Stained Glass.
Broadview Subscription (formerly called the Observer) The yearly fee is $25.00, cash or cheques made out to Westworth, should be in the office by the end of September. Please contact Rochelle B, at 204 479-1655 or email aandrbaker@shaw.ca or Heather at the office with any changes or questions you may have. The deadline is Oct. 4 for your renewals. Thank you for your support.
OUTREACH
- West Broadway Community Ministry: The rapidly changing weather continues to new challenges for the staff and volunteers at West Broadway. Presently, coffee and muffins are served to members of the community in the morning and lunches are served at 12:30 am. All food is delivered via a “drive-through” window located at the Broadway entrance as no one but staff and a limited number of volunteers are allowed in the building. Westworth provided the first of our famous “meatball subs” lunches on Thursday September 17, but the delivery looked very different. The McKays and the Wiwchars will purchased the food, prepared the meal in the Westworth kitchen, bagged the subs together with fruit and cookies at the West Broadway site, and WB volunteers served the meal via the window. The Outreach Team, together with our “Lunch Hosts” will decide how to proceed going forward. Meanwhile, donations of dollars to assist with the lunch program are gratefully received! Cheques may be sent to the Westworth office with the memo line indicating “WBCM lunches”.
- West Broadway Community Ministry (WBCM) Pantry: Your donations over the past seven months have helped put thousands of dollars of food in the emergency pantry at West Broadway. The Outreach Team us once again providing the bins in the Narthex for you to place your donations for the pantry. Most needed is protein: tins of meat, chili, stews, fish, beans, and small jars of peanut butter.
- Orange Shirt Day On September 30, people all across Canada will wear orange shirts to remember and honour Indigenous children who attended Residential Schools. Indigenous Ministries and Justice at The United Church of Canada asks you to participate in Orange Shirt Day! Why orange? Because of Phyllis Jack Webstad from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation, who went to St. Joseph Mission Residential School. On her first day of school, Phyllis wore an orange shirt that her grandmother had given her. It was immediately taken away, and that marked the beginning of Phyllis’s long separation from her family and community, a separation caused by actions of the church and the federal government. Orange Shirt Day is a time for us all to remember those events, their ongoing impact, and just as importantly, the continuing strength and resilience of Indigenous peoples.
- Canadian Foodgrains Bank Virtual “Singin’ in the Grain” Friday, October 16th, 8:00 pm: Canadian Foodgrains Bank continues its work worldwide, as food security around the world is threatened more profoundly during these uncertain times. You are invited to attend a virtual fundraising concert that will feature the fine music of the Quonset Brothers from Winkler, sister-brother duo Kristel Peters and Korey Peters from Steinbach, and Steve Bell from Winnipeg. Donations will support food security programs of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) as it responds to the COVID-19 pandemic. More details online at www.foodgrainsbank.ca/singinPlease share this invitation and join the virtual concert on Oct. 16thevening.
- Guaranteed Livable Wage: You will recall that in late spring, Westworth led our Region in encouraging the National Church to join Senators and interest groups from all political parties across the country to encourage the government of Canada to move toward establishing a guaranteed livable wage for all Canadians. This is not a new proposal. Dauphin Manitoba was chosen in the 1970s to partake in a study to determine how a guaranteed minimum wage (“mincom”) would affect a community. The following link provides some information for you to read. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment. How can you help make this proposal a reality? The United Church has formulated a plan of action that you will find here. https://www.united-church.ca/social-action/act-now/create-universal-basic-income-program?mc_cid=ff79e1b829&mc_eid=a1ff1c3065. Together we can truly make a difference in the lives of all Canadians!
- Racism: Reject and Respond: A 2-day Professional Development training initiative will be held September 24-25, October 29-30 and November 5-6. Presenters include Shahina Saddiqui and Niigan Sinclair. Registration fee is $ 400.00. For more information call Sarah at 204-944-1560, or go to issacanada.com.
- The 4th “Annual We are All Treaty People” Celebration: We cannot meet at the Forks this year, but we can still gather together by sharing a broadcast on September 27 via UofM radio! Tune in on the 27th from 3-5 pm on 105.5 FM or by accessing the station at umfm.com.
Community News
Christian Meditation
An old way of prayer for our new reality. In stressful times our relationship with God becomes more important. Learn how to “be still and know that I am God” by attending an on-line 6 week Introduction to Christian Meditation course beginning on Monday October 19th at 7:30 pm. For more information and to register contact Gail Brooks at rgbrooks2@shaw.ca
Islamic Social Services presents Racism Reject & Respond, a 2 day Professional Development Anti-Racism Training Initiative Registration fee $400 Sept. 24-25, Oct. 29-30 or Nov. 5-6.
