100 Mile House United Church

News Letter

Spring 2010

Ministry:     The whole congregation

             Secretary:    Jane Duncan

Box 224  100 Mile House

Phone     250 395 2932

Fax          250 395 4932

E-Mail: unitedchurch@bcinternet.net

Website  http://www.unitedchurch.100mile.com

 Sunday Services  10:30 am

Handicap Parking:

 The three parking spaces beside the front entrance are reserved for those in need. Please be considerate and leave them open when parking in the lot.

             Thank you. 

 PLEASE REMEMBER TO KEEP THIS BUILDING FRAGRANCE FREE

 For those of you who would like to have this newsletter sent via e-mail (to save costs of printing and mailing) please let the church office know with your e-mail address.

  NEWS TO SHARE

 If you have something to share with your church family—pass it along to the news letter—a book review, a story, an experience that moved you or changed your view on something—etc.

Give a call to Andrea 395-4417 and get your news in the news !!

A Message from Jenny

“Lent is a time to take the time to let the power of our faith story take hold of us…”

Ann Weems Kneeling in Jerusalem

I love this line from the poem Lent, by Ann Weems. It helps me to clarify, and focus on, just what it is that I am supposed to be about during this particular church season.  I grew up in the United Church, and as a small child in the 1960’s I simply don’t remember ever having celebrated Lent. Easter sure, but Lent? Never. When I returned to church as a young adult the Lenten season came as a bit of a surprise to me – yet it has become one of my favorite times in the Christian year. Like poet Ann Weems says, it is a time of year where we get to take the time to let our faith story come alive. It is a time where we can think about where in our own lives we have allowed chaos and clutter to block out life and love, and where in our lives we have allowed grace and mercy to bloom. It is a season rich with the opportunity to clear away the “old and the decaying,” all the while building upon the “fresh and new” so that the new life that God brings can be realized.

Lent is traditionally thought of as a time to prepare for Easter – a time of somber introspection and, some might say, depressing starkness where we get to spend 40 days feeling like hopeless sinners. That is not what Lent is at all. Lent is a season that invites us to look at the grand story of our faith – how even in our wilderness wanderings God is there encouraging us to be the people we were created to be. This season is a time to reassure ourselves that God knows how hard it is to be human, how difficult it is to turn away from things that do not bring life, how tough it can be to rise above our mistakes and failures – yet if we follow the Spirit’s leading we will be able to turn away, rise above and figure out how to be fully human. This is the path that Jesus walked, and this is the path that we are invited to walk as well. This is the path that leads to Easter and the divine promise of new and resurrected life.

The path is good, but it can be hard. We need to be honest with ourselves, and we need to be honest with God. We need to claim our strengths and name our brokenness. There are so many ways to do this kind of Lenten work. The simplest is in prayerful meditation. A number of years ago I began a Lenten practice whereby I meditate each night (since I find not talking hard, I only take about 5 or 10 minutes to do this, and we all know I am not about to give up chocolate or cookies! So meditation it is!). Historically this meditation has been called the “daily examen”. I spend some quiet time reflecting on my day. I think about the good things that happened, as well as the not so good things. I celebrate the times I got things “exactly right” and ask God to help me to continue to grow in these ways. For the things that weren’t so good, I spend some time examining them. What happened? What could I have done differently? What do I need to do now? Once I have my answers then I ask God to give me the wisdom and the strength to do what needs to be done.

If meditation isn’t right for you, then I would encourage you to find something that works for you. Light a candle each morning and pray. Go for a walk outside and let God’s creation work healing in you. Turn up the radio and sing your sadness away. The activity you do doesn’t matter – what matters is that you give yourself a little bit of time to be in the presence of God, and that you give yourself permission to be real while in that presence.

Management Team

 The Management Team is responsible for the day to day operations of the church community as well as the maintenance of the physical plant. The Annual General Meeting has now happened and 2009 is history. As we move deliberately into 2010 the team looks forward to a positive year of congregational initiatives. The approved budget includes redoing the floor covering in the family room and the area near the kitchen. As the municipality changed the church's address (now 49 Dogwood Avenue) we will also have to create a new sign for the front of the building. 

At the moment these are the only two changes we see for the year. 

Thanks to all of you for your financial support as we ended 2009 with all bills paid and $91 on the good side of the ledger!

 Members of the Management Team are Carla Karikstead, Yvonne Craig, Ken Greenwood, Ruth Tupman, Bill Robertson (treasurer), Walt Sherry (property) and Jack Witty  (chairman).

 Jack Witty

February 14, 2010    AGM

 Council executive elections:

 Slate for the 2010:

Chair                     Kevin Seal

Vice chair              Colleen  Cartledge

Treasurer               Bill Robertson

Secretary                Gisela Janzen

 Trustees:    Dennis Tupman,  Marie Monette,  Larry Knutsen,  Jack Witty,  Jim Dunsmuir

 Presbytery Representatives:    Andrea Martin,  Doug Martin

 A proposal was made to set a goal of  $6000.00 for M&S givings in the coming year.

100 Mile United Church                                                                                                     

Operating Budget 2010                                                                                                           

                                                                Budget 2010                             2009 Actual                                                            

Revenue                                                                                                 

                General                                    49300.00                                 48042.55                                                

                Deferred Revenue                     2500.00                                                                

                Building Use                              2700.00                                  2720.00                                                  

                Donations-in-Kind                  1000.00                                    1012.61                                                  

                Fundraising                                8000.00                                  8056.60                                                  

                Miscellaneous                               500.00                                  1210.61                                                  

                                                                    64000.00                                 61042.37                                                

Expenses                                                                                                

                Salaries                                    31000.00                                     29866.00                                                

                Employee Expenses                3400.00                                       3406.85                                                  

                Mileage                                      5300.00                                       5200.00                                                  

                Fundraising                               1500.00                                       1300.03  

                Supplies                                      1800.00                                       1791.68  

                Building Maintenance              6000.00                                       4154.23  

                Utilities                                       4800.00                                       4693.98  

                Taxes/Insurance                         2000.00                                       1890.94  

                Worship                                        3900.00                                      3323.55  

                Emerging Spirit                             300.00                                       289.00    

                Presbytery                                     3500.00                                      3444.00  

                Miscellaneous                                 500.00                                     1590.65  

                                                                       64000.00                                     60950.91

Surplus/Deficit                                                    0.00                                         91.46      

Knitters:

Our faithful knitters are still meeting every Wednesday at 1 pm. Their numbers are small  but their dedication has not wavered the least bit. Think about joining them for a time of knitting, fellowship and a nice cup of tea and a goodie.

 The Blanket project:

For those of you who took a multitude of  knitted squares, rectangles and what have you and were asked to sew them into a blanket  -   you may be interested to know that there were 20 plus blankets made. Half of these blankets went to the street nurse—who was over the moon with thanks and appreciation and the other half went to Loaves and Fished, who also responded with many thanks.

 Many thanks to all who took on the challenge and pulled it off !

 Trees for Jeloucha -  sent with LOVE.

 Fellowship organized a fund raiser for monies for the Jeloucha tree project.  On Feb.13th. A valentine theme dinner was put together  -  food was donated and the cost of dinner was the cost of a tree $6.00. Thanks to all the help and interest a remarkable $550.00 was raised bringing the total up to around $800.00 to $900.00 for Esmat  to start planting trees when he returns to Jeloucha, in the near future.

Thanks Dee Eades for the great idea.!

TAKE NOTE :

The United Church is celebrating 85 years of Church Union.

 100 Mile House United Church celebrating 50 years !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

THE FOUR SEASONS

 Arise Today

I arise today with spring in my eyes :

 clear circling air

shining inspiration

wings of hope

 unfolding buds

 happy roots

blossoms of joy

 necessary storms.

 This is my inheritance in this vibrant new season.

 I arise today in the wings of spring.

The Four Seasons Prayer

 SPRING, GRACEFUL, PLAYGUL CHILD OF CREATION, you never walk; you always leap, skip, or dance. 

 You rush in with baskets full of life, giving us all spring fever.  We promise to multiply the life you bring by planting new seeds.  We will believe in the secret invisible life in each seed as we drop it into the rich soil you have provided.   In this season of rebirth, teach us the steps to your dance.  Encourage us to celebrate the exuberant life rising around us and within us.  Absorb us in the ritual of rising.  Remind us never to be ashamed of the beauty that is ours.  Bless us, awaken us from productive slumbers that we might believe in the fruit born from the womb of darkness.  Your secrets once sleeping in the heart of the earth are stretching toward the sun.  Help us to stretch with them as we reach for all we can be.  Share with us your virtues of joy, rebirth, and hope.  In this season of resurrection, ,may the brokenness of our world be healed by your contagious spirit and energy. 

Taken from The Circle Of Life  copyright 2005 by Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr. Used by permission of Ava Maria Press. All rights reserved.