OF RECENT INTEREST

Capital Campaign Update

Campaign target = $220,000

Pledges given = $134,309

Pledges given from : 85 parishioners

Balance to target = $85,691

Of Stewardship and keeping our house in order for the future Rev. Canon Rod Gillis

The theme of my thanksgiving letter is "scarcity and abundance". These days Anglicans in our part of the world find themselves with an abundance of church buildings. Many of our buildings, their size and construction, are built for the needs of a previous era. This situation presents the church as a whole with a number of stewardship challenges that have both financial and moral components. However, it is not a question of simply moving from too many buildings to no buildings. The buildings at St. James require some age related refitting. However, St. James' buildings are in an excellent location and are of comparatively recent construction. They have been well maintained over the years. While it is true that services may be held in just about any location, the sacred space offered by our churches provides us with a rich environment for prayer, reflection and community praise. The environment provided by churches is to a large degree unique. In some cases, the church is sought after as a location for cultural events. The loss of churches from our communities would be as unfortunate as the loss of museums, parks, libraries or concert halls. Church hall houses activities and programs for both the congregation and the wider community. They are a resource for building up the congregation. They are used for both fellowship and outreach. In this respect, there is no essential distinction between sacred and secular. Like any resource, the church buildings require good Christian stewardship to maintain and operate.

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Rector's Thanksgiving message

The Maritimes are experiencing a shortage of skilled workers at the moment. Many skilled people are out in the Alberta oil patch. Plenty of employment in one place means fewer workers elsewhere. It's one example of the tension that exists between abundance and scarcity.

Biblical scholars often refer to Jesus as an itinerant preacher. It means that Jesus walked a lot--from one end of Palestine to another. As he traveled he preached about the kingdom of God. In his travels, during the several harvest seasons of Palestine, Jesus would pass by fields rich with grapes, olives, grains and the like. Ancient Palestine had only the most basic tools for harvesting. Harvest time was labor intensive. It was important to get the crop out of the field as quickly as possible. A shortage of workers meant a slow harvest with an increased risk to the valuable crop. "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few..." Abundance in the field might be compromised by a scarcity of workers. Jesus used this serious situation as a metaphor for mission. There are so many opportunities to bring in the kingdom of God. Will too few disciples compromise the abundance of God's kingdom?

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Social club news

At an executive meeting on Monday, September 22, 2008, it was determined that in view of declining attendance, some new arrangements should be made for the coming season. For the 2008-2009 season, meetings will be held when special Social Club activities are planned. read more