INSIDE THIS ISSUE: RECTOR`S RUMINATIONS : THE DEFINING

November 2006
St. Hilda’s
Herald
www.sthilda.ca
S t .
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Swaziland and Back
3
Happy 70th St. Hilda’s
4
Holiest of Images
4
Let there be light —
responsibly
5
Archbishop Hambidge
On Stewardship
6
Calendar of Events
7
Help Wanted
8
Watch for this special upcoming event! Childrens Eucharist Service in the new year—our Sunday School children are practicing hard so make sure you attend and support the families of St. Hilda’s!
WANTED: DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
Please e-mail your snapshots of
parish people and events to [email protected], for inclusion in the next St. Hilda’s Herald.
HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS TO
THE ST. HILDA’S HERALD
· Drop off an article or photo in the
folder marked “Laurie McConnell:
Herald contributions,” located in the
hall outside the church office. Please
include your name and phone number,
especially for photos which must be
returned.
· Send submissions by e-mail to [email protected]. Please put “St.
Hilda’s” in the subject line.
H i l d a ’ s
R EC TO R ’ S
b y
t h e
S e a
A n g l i c a n
C h u r c h
RUMINAT IO N S : T HE D EF IN IN G MO M EN T
tend that we are not in the midst
of changes that will have a
huge impact on us and our children. There is no doubt in my
mind that this is a defining moment in the history of the human species and the choices and
actions that we take collectively
over the next few years will
Ervin Laszlo ­
determine our fate.
Paths to Planetary Civilization
After watching Al Gore's
documentary film An InconvenOver the last few months I
ient Truth this Fall, I was
have been watching an unstunned at the enormity of the
precedented groundswell
challenges that are before
of concern emerging in our
us and could not help but ask culture around global climate
What can I do to make a differ­
change. As more and more
ence? Even though the problems
reports come in about the affects facing us as a human family are
of global warming it is becom- global in size I was inspired by
ing increasingly difficult to pre- the power of one man's per" We have arrived at a watershed in
history. The world we have cre­
ated is no longer sustainable: it will
either change or break down. The
question is no longer whether
change will happen, only when it
will happen and at what price."
S T EWA R D S HIP — WHAT
Fall has finally moved on to
the Sunshine Coast, bringing its
invigorating windstorms, tempestial rains, and the
long periods of reflection typical to when
the days grow shorter
and we have more
time for our thoughts
and aspirations for the
coming year.
So, too, do the attentions of St. Hilda’s
By the Sea turn to our
coming year — our
obligations, both at
home and in the larger
diocese, our dreams
for what we envision
in our church community our
sense that we are participating
in something so much larger
than just ourselves.
Over the past month we have
been exploring both within our
congregation and through our
sonal commitment to awaken
awareness to the moment that
we're in and to encourage others
to get involved.
Here at St Hilda's we too are
endeavouring to respond creatively and positively to this defining moment.
As a community of faith we
are becoming increasingly proactive in asking how we too can
make a difference. If there is
anything that we can offer to
one another as we go through
this moment of truth it is to
remember the power of the One
who triumphed over death and
gives us the Spirit to triumph
still.
Rev. Mark Lemon
D O ES IT MEA N ?
guest speakers and visiting dignitaries what it means to be a
Steward of the Church.
bang-up job of putting together
a wonderful evening for all.
As Archbishop Hambidge so
eloquently posed out in his
October 29th sermon to St.
Hilda’s congregation, stewardship really boils down to
three essential questions.
What has God entrusted us
with?
How does God benefit from
it?
Are we doing the most with
it we can?
Over 60 people came out to
celebrate the 70th Anniversary
Fall Stewardship Supper with
guest speaker Archbishop
Hambidge, who dedicated the
current St. Hilda building. The
Stewardship Committee did a
Using the story of the talents,
Archbishop Hambidge illustrated the answers, which are
all in effect the same answer:
we are to do the best we can,
each of us, knowing that our
time, our talents, our treasures
have all been bestowed upon us
by God, and do not ‘belong’ to continued on page 9
Page 2
All there is
V I S I O N P RO JE CT : G E T F I T , K E E P F I T
What a blessing it was to have
Bishop Douglas Hambidge visit
our parish recently. He told us
wonderful stories of his experiences here as we looked back over
the past 70 years as a parish.
One of his most cherished
memories recounted the removal
of the original altar from the Sanctuary as the new Sanctuary was
being built.
He lovingly described the tears
of the parishioners as the altar was
gently carried out of the building
through the great doors of the
Narthex – and yet Bishop Hambidge also remembered the sense
of anticipation that everyone held
– anticipation of something “new
– a moving forward”.
As we celebrate our 70th anniversary, we find ourselves once again
in transition – moving through the
doors of what was and what is to
be. Where do we see ourselves
after 70 years of being a parish?
What would we like to see in the
next – say – 5 years? How do we
come together to realize this vision?
Over the past few months a
committee was struck to poll a
percentage of the parish to see
whether they would be interested
in participating in a Vision Project, which would endeavor to
unfold our direction in the next 5
or so years. The response was
overwhelmingly in favour of an
“appreciative inquiry” into our
future at St Hilda’s. Consequently, we approached the Diocesan Office and we are explor-
ing a program called “Get Fit,
Keep Fit”.
What is Get Fit Keep Fit?
It is a new program available to
every parish in the Diocese of
New Westminster that leads towards a new or revised covenant
in Ministry for that parish. It has
three basic steps:
Telling of the Parish Story, gathering materials, and reflecting on
ministry
Mutual assessment of Parish
Ministry, Health and Vision
Crafting and “Celebrating” a
new covenant/Vision for the parish
What will the parish get out of
this process?
St Hilda’s can benefit several
ways:
·Improve/Celebrate parish
health: spiritual, physical, and
economic
·Moving from maintenance to
Vision
·Vitality and renewed energy
·Effective Utilization of Parish
Resources
—by Laurie McConnell
maybe
all it is is
getting up.
could it be that simple? drag
your mostly-water self out
of bed every single day, swimming
in the dream of tempests and vermillion woods,
bent into the gale. as if you are a mouse and your
death coming for you not evil, no –
but more like the impassive omniscient swivel
of the owl’s giblet eyes in the dark,
seeking you.
but your water-self dives down
to the clear, salted places, the vast
reservoir of tears which once seemed to drain
you dry but now have become a river making of you
a voyageur.
maybe it’s just your purposeful swim towards the dry horizon of
morning
each and every day, drawing your body up out of your bed in
liquid metamorphosis from water into bow.
not the elbow of the river with its questions – endless questions!
– around the bend, no,
more like the aspen bow, with your quiver of dreams
and your arrowed exhortation into the face of the sun:
i am ready
·Mutuality: healthy relationships with other parishes and the
Diocese
·Creating Goals, an action plan
and a Vision statement
Please ‘stay tuned’ for more
information on this process. God’s
blessings be with you as we journey forward. Peace, Linda
­ Submitted by Linda Varin
M US IC S C HO L A R S HIP
The value of a music education is tremendous. The value of a music education far far
exceeds its cost. However, the cost is formidable for many people who wish to provide
a music education for their children.
A few years ago, I was approached by a
Catholic parishioner who wanted to provide
piano lessons for two children in her parish
who showed promise and who expressed an
interest but whose family had not the financial resources available.
I still call on this saintly woman when I
have students who need assistance with tuition funding.
For the past two years, St Hilda's has of-
fered an opportunity for people who wish to
donate money to this cause and receive a tax
receipt for their givings to contribute to the
Music Scholars Fund. It has made a significant difference to a few students and they
are very appreciative and grateful. In order
to continue receiving the support, the student must follow through on their commit-
ment to their studies. Please know that this
fund is available to you to pay into and
thereby make a solid difference in the education of a Sunshine Coast student.
Feel free to contact me if you would like
more information.
Your Church Musician, Tom Kellough
Page 3
S WA Z IL A N D
A N D BAC K : A J O URN EY O F S ERV IC E , A BET T ER C HA N C E
This past summer my sister (Tanya) and
friend (Micah Smith) and I visited the Mpumalanga Ministries Primary School which is
run by the Moyeni Orphaned and Vulnerable
Children Project – a small organization that
runs the school and newly opened Safe
House. MMPS is located in Siteki, Swalizand; a small country in the Lubombo
mountains of Southern Africa. We arrived
in Mbabane Swaziland and were driven for
about two hours through some of the most
rural regions of Swaziland’s arid brush land
by two volunteers with the school.
The next morning we arrived at the school
as a few shoeless stragglers ran after us and
others stood curiously milling around as we
were brought to the meeting hall, a brand
new corrugated metal building beside the
original stick and log building that contains
two classrooms and a first aid room. As we
entered, a lively old Gogo (Granny) lead the
250 children (ages 4-17) in some of the most
moving songs I have heard. Small enthusiastic voices singing in harmonies to welcome
the new week and
us, their new visitors. I was invited
to play my violin
for the children,
an honour I could
not decline.
For the next
week we were
given various
tasks including
delivering food
and medical supplies, bought out
of the pockets of
the volunteers
with whom we stayed, to families in need.
One delivery was to six year old Sipo and his
father Simon. Sipo was severely bitten by a
dog three months prior and he and his father
had been away in the hospital for the whole
time. During this time Simon’s small crops
of corn and beans were devoured by roaming
cattle, and his gas burner and fuel stolen
along with some of his few clothes. Sipo’s
leg was not healing well and both father and
son were severely undernourished and ill.
With no crop to sell in the market, let alone
consume himself, Simon was unemployed
and struggling
help his son live.
He came to
MMPS asking for
some help. We
brought sacks of
oranges and cornmeal, cooking oil,
vitamins, antiseptic and clothes for
both. This is just
one of the many
scenarios like its
kind. Keeping up
with the lack of
what we consider
the most basic of human needs is close to
impossible.
We were also asked to help diminish the
line for the first aid room. This included
digging out dirt from deep open sores on
feet. (Many children do not have shoes and
are prone to sores just from walking and not
being able to properly clean the sores). We
also cleaned and put ointment on fungi that
infect the children’s skin, and on sores from
malnutrition. We gave a mild generic medicine for coughs, colds, and sore tummies,
and lastly, to some, we administered generous doses of love and affection. One of the
most instantly rewarding tasks was to spend
some time rummaging through the many
boxes of donated clothing to find some reasonably sized
sweaters as it was
winter and many
lacked warm
clothes. I then
walked around
looking for children who looked
like they could do
with a sweater,
escorted them to
the first aid room,
and helped them
try the sweaters
on. I have never
been in the presence of such humble, understated gratitude.
I could see in their eyes their excitement at
receiving a new sweater, but they would
merely nod, say “thank you” and run out the
door.
We spent a lot of time playing games and
running like crazy around the dusty grounds.
We learned some of their songs and games
and we attempted to teach them some we
knew.
The children eat two meals and a “treat” of
sour milk each day. The meals are usually
not much more than cornmeal, beans and
stewed cabbage
and carrots. For
many this is the
only food they get.
These children are
very special. They
are some of the
most compassionate, generous, and
inspiring people I
have had the pleasure of meeting.
Young Mfanzile
leant one of his
holey shoes to his
friend, Ncozinate,
so he could have a kicking shoe to play soccer with. Fourteen year old Samkile was
always the first to offer the teachers any help,
and would share his food with whoever
needed some more.
Although many of their stories are sad and
desperate they were happy and thankful for
what little they had. Our goal in raising
money for the school, and the Safe House is
to help better the present lives of these children and give them a chance to become a
healthier more advantaged and educated
generation. We believe that MOVC is helping to give them the foundation on which to
become self-empowered critical thinkers, as
well as encouraging them to be proud of
their culture and heritage.
We are in somewhat regular contact with
Damaris, a wonderful Guatemalan volunteer
who has taken on the role of “nurse” and
surrogate mother to those in the Safe House.
We would be happy to forward donors any
updates she can send us.
If you would like to donate to MOVC you
can do so by labeling your collection envelope “Swaziland,” making cheques out to St.
Hilda’s, with a memo: “MOVC,” on the
cheque, or by sending cheques to myself,
Serena Eades. We will then be wiring all
donations together, directly to MOVC.
100% of donations will go directly to
MOVC.
For more information or to make a donation, contact Serena Eades at 604-886-0895
(email [email protected]) or see the
website: http://web.mac.com/floridafloyd/
iweb/moyeni_ovc
Submitted by Serena Eades
Page 4
T HE H O L IES T
OF
A L L I MAGES : E A RT H F L AG For the past several months the Earth Flag has had a predominant place in our Sanctuary. Rev. Mark Lemon refers to it as the
“holiest of all images”. Some reflections on this flag may therefore
be in order. What is its history and significance? Why is it on the
altar? And why can it be referred to as a holy image?
The Earth Flag was designed by John McConnell, Earth Day
founder and early leader of the International Peace movement. He
came up with the idea of the flag
after seeing a Life magazine photo
of earth taken from outer space.
The flag was first flown on the Vernal Equinox (March 21), 1970, on
the very first Earth Day, in San
Francisco.
When a better image was obtained from a later Apollo mission
to the moon, the flag was changed
so that it is now imprinted with
what is known as the Blue Marble photo of earth.
The following description of the Blue Marble is from Wikipedia,
the on-line encyclopedia.
is the first time the Apollo trajectory made it possible to photograph the
south polar ice cap. Note the heavy cloud cover in the Southern Hemi­
sphere. Almost the entire coastline of Africa is clearly visible. The Arabian
Peninsula can be seen at the northeastern edge of Africa. The large island
off the coast of Africa is the Malagasy Republic. The Asian mainland is on
the horizon toward the northeast”.
It is interesting to note that the
photo on the flag is upside-down; in
the original photo the south pole is
at the top.
Last Spring the Diocese of New
Westminster held its first green
synod. With some urgency, the
global environmental crisis was
brought to the church’s attention.
By having the earth flag “front and
center” on the altar we are carrying
forth the synod’s concerns about our
planet’s fragility and of our ongoing need to care for creation. The
flag can serve as a reminder that as individuals and as a church we
have a mutual responsibility to act as Stewards of the Earth, seeking the choices in ecology, economics, and ethics that will elimi“The Blue Marble is a famous photograph of the Earth taken on nate pollution, poverty and violence, foster peaceful progress,
awaken the wonder of life and realize the best potential for the fu7 December 1972 by the crew of the Apollo 17 spacecraft at a distance of about 45,000 kilometers or about 28,000 miles. It is one of ture of our children and our children’s children.
That is why this is truly a holy image. It is simple yet compelling.
the most widely distributed photographic images in existence. The
Its stirs within us reflections on many levels and it quietly beckons
image is one of the few to show a fully lit Earth, as the astronauts
had the Sun behind them when they took the image. To the astro- us towards a deeper insight into the universal themes of unity and
nauts, who were 28,000 miles distant, Earth had the appearance of peace. It awakens us to a new commonality, one never known
before, – an awareness of our planet and our responsibility to take
a child's glass marble (hence the name).
care of it.
The photo’s caption read: “This translunar coast photograph extends
Submitted by David Moul
from the Mediterranean Sea area to the Antarctica south polar ice cap. This
HAPPY 7 0 TH
TO
S T . H IL DA ’ S …
I first began attending St. Hilda’s Church in the summer of 1947 when I arrived from England with my parents. Early on I heard the story of how Archbishop DePencier, after preaching in Durham Cathedral, pointed to one of the Norman pillars and said, “For the cost of one of those pillars, I could build two churches in my Diocese.” Thus St. Aiden’s and St. Hilda’s were built. A great story, but I had nagging doubts that maybe the cathedral roof might sag without a pillar, or collapse entirely, and was there really a market for a pillar? Quite recently I learned that the money had been raised in customary ways and not through the sale of a pillar. (Made sense but I liked my version better!) The original churches were mere shells but served the purpose. St. Hilda’s was consecrated on November 15, 1936 by the Archbishop. Builders were Francis A N D A LO O K BAC K
French and Nels J. Nelson. Son Harold Nelson recalls receiving a day’s pay of 10 cents for helping his father who likely received 25 or 35 cents an hour. Siding outside and paneling inside were added as funds became available. In 1940 the little church was wired and acquired a heater – what a difference that must have made! The need for a hall became evident and in 1949 a building committee was formed. Many teas, whist drives and other money­raising ventures were recorded in The Coast News. Some of the girls in the choir, who were also Brownies, held their own events: there was a dolls fancy dress contest ($3 raised), a puppet show ($3.30) and then a grab­box, bake sale and tea brought in an amazing $8. At the annual meeting Mr. W.B. Billingsley reported $400 had been raise for the Parish Hall and work was ex­ pected to start in March. The hall was officially opened July 16, 1950 by Rev. H.U. Oswald with a party: visitors, refreshments, congregation, choir (who sang ‘Bless This House’), and solo­ ist Roger Lucken singing the 23 rd Psalm. A chimney was donated so apparently there was cheat. Rev. Oswald was an eld­ erly gentleman but full of energy when we sang his favourite hymn, ‘Stand up, stand up for Jesus’. He sang with gusto and erratic tempo so organist, choir, and congregation were seldom in sync – but it was a joyful noise! In 1953 it was decided to enlarge the hall. It was dedicated by Bishop Gower later in that year. In 1974 the bell from St. Mary’s chapel was installed in the bell tower which had been built by students of Bruno Dom­ broski’s wood­working class. A building fund for the new church was begun in 1981. continued on page 7 Page 7
Calendar of Events: Environment, QC & Advent/Services
“An Inconvenient Truth” November 22
A film by Al Gore on Global Warming. Presented at St. Hilda’s as
part of the Quantum Consciousness Forum. 7:00 PM
Green Gala (Annual Fundraiser and Celebration of Conservation) presented by the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association
(of which St. Hilda’s is a member).
Saturday, November 25 at 7:00 PM. $10 Seaside Centre, Sechelt.
Quantum Consciousness:
Dec. 13 - Interfaith Celebration of Light 7pm
PREVIEW:
Palm Sunday Weekend with Michael Morwood, March 30 & 31
and April 1 at St. Hilda’s by the Sea.
ADVENT SCHEDULE
Pre-Advent Evensong Service with Special Guests
A Cappella Strait Sunday November 26, 7pm
First Sunday of Advent - December 3rd Taize 7pm
Christmas Decorating Party - December 8th at 6pm.
A family affair!
Second Sunday of Advent - December 10th
Primate Andrew Hutchison here at St. Hilda's
Third Sunday of Advent - December 17th Taize 7pm
Fourth Sunday of Advent - December 24th
Service of Lessons and Carols - Combined 8:30 and 10 at 10am
Christmas Eve - December 24th
7pm Family Pageant, 11pm Midnight Mass
Sunday December 31st
regular 8:30 and 10am services Traditional Evensong 7pm St. Hilda’s members singing in A Capella Strait Concert
The popular local choirs A Cappella
Strait, and School District 46 Choralations
Children’s Choir will be joined by Sylvain
Brochu’s Coast Contemporary Dancers for
their Christmas concert this year.
St Hilda’s is well represented in this concert as five parish members are singing in A
Cappella Strait. Tom Kellough, Tina Wamsteeker, Sylvain, Bruce Morris, and Janet
Tufnall are all enjoying being part of the
choir, led by Janice Brunson.
As well, Sylvain’s dance group will dance
to excerpts from Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, sung by Choralations.
The title of the Concert is ‘O Great Mys-
tery’ and this comes from the text often used
by composers, O Magnum Mysterium,
which tells of the mystery and wonder that
animals were present at the birth of Jesus in
the stable.
A Cappella strait will perform four hauntingly beautiful versions of this piece, two
written in the 16th Century, and two from
the 20th century.
In addition to the Britten, Choralations
Children’s choir, who were invited to be
part of the Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa this last summer, will perform an O
Magnum Mysterium as well as some carols.
The concert, on Saturday Dec 2nd, 8pm at
St. Hilda’s 70th, continued from page 4 It was a sad day when the original St. Hilda’s church was ‘undedicated’ and scheduled to be torn down. We all had memories of personal special events we had celebrated there as well as the ‘ordinary’ Sundays and festivals. Archbishop Hambridge gently chided us, “The church is so much more than the building,” he said. “It’s the spirit and love of the Church family. That remains con­ stant.” All furnishings and recyclable materials were removed and it was thought that dy­ namite would probably separate the wood and nails so the wood could be salvaged. Garry Foxall sadly set the dynamite but the effect was not as hoped. Kindling was the actual result! Our beautiful new church was com­ pleted and the first service was held June 15, 1986. It was dedicated on Dec. 14. St. Hilda’s along with the rest of the Anglican communion has wrestled with many problems over the years: women were not wearing hats in Church, divorce and remarriage, women priests and bish­ ops, more recently gay priests and bishops and blessings of committed couples, and also the Labyrinth! These are difficult issues but with I Corinthians 13:13 in mind we move beyond them. “Now abi­ deth faith, hope, love. But the greatest of these is love.” Our churchyard contains the graves of many pioneers and parishioners. It is pro­ foundly moving to walk among them and remember – Redmans, Claytons, Bill­ ingsleys, and Jimmy Mowat, who wished to be close to the Church “so he could listen to the music”. And Georgina Mac­ Arthur, a war bride who was married from her home in England but who died a few months after arriving here. the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons, promises to be a wonderful way to take a break
from the pressures of Christmas preparations and reconnect with the wonder and
mystery of the Christmas story.
Tickets, at $12, and $10 students and seniors, are available at Gaia’s Fair Trade Gifts
in Gibsons, and Talewinds in Sechelt, and
from choir members.
A Cappella Strait will also be singing at
the St Hilda’s Evensong on Nov 26th, and at
the St Bart’s Advent Concert on Dec 3rd,
2pm.
­ Submitted by Janet Tufnall
We feel deep gratitude to Mr. T.J. Cook who in 1930 donated property for our church. We now find ourselves in the cen­ tre of exciting developments and with a great many ideas for an expanded role in Sechelt and beyond. I have a friend in Saskatchewan who has attended churches before and after St. Hilda’s. “But St. Hilda’s,” she says, “will always be my spiritual home.” Mine too. ­ Submitted by Margaret Webb Page 8
PRAYER SHAWLS
Several members of St.
Hilda’s have been knitting
cozy warm prayer shawls.
These shawls are for
members of our congregation
who are not well and in need
of prayer, also for friends in
our community.
Eight shawls have been given
out. If you would like to knit
a shawl or know of someone
in need please contact
Roberta Foxall at
604.885.9440
ST. HILDA’S BY THE SEA
RAFFLE
A queen sized quilt, a
homemade folding
Andirondack chair and a
handwoven painted pillow
are the prizes for the raffle.
The money made from this
raffle will go to a need in the
community and a need in our
Church. The draw will be
made during Coffee time
after the 10:30 service on
December 3. So there is only
a short time left to purchase
or help sell tickets. Contact
Roberta Foxall at
604.885.9440.
STONE SOUP SOCIETY
Stone Soup is a group of
ladies from St. John’s United,
the Lutheran Church, St.
Hilda’s and Holy Family
Catholic Churches. The
purpose of this group is to
support those in need in the
community who need to use
the Food Bank. Stone Soup
meets on the 3rd Monday of
each month at St. John’s
United Church in Davis Bay.
They meet at 9:30 to prepare
sandwiches and bags of
ingredients with a simple
recipe so a simple soup can
be made. Stone Soup is
always in need of more help.
If you would like to give 2
hours of help you would be
very welcome. For more
information, please contact
Laurelle Findler, Chris
Hunter, or Roberta Foxall.
Monetary donations are
always in need and greatly
appreciated.
G R EAT
R EA D S IN T HE L IBR A RY
Can you take a few minutes the next time you
are in St. Hilda’s by the Sea to browse the eclectic
library collection in the Gathering Room?
Did you know that your church library collection is online to browse? Thank you, Laurie!
The library now has a copy of the recentlypublished Sing a New Song [283.092 FER] which
is both a biography and history of four B.C. bishops; The Right Rev. George Hills, Archbishop
David Somerville, Archbishop Douglas Hambidge, and The Right Reverend Michael Ingham.
To cite Canon Herbert O’Driscoll; “The author
(Julie Ferguson) has shown us what the Episcopal office can achieve when it is held by people of
deep faith, rich inner resources and great courage.” We thank Janet Tufnall and Jill Halliwell
for this contribution.
If you are seeking inspiration and resource tools
as a continuing care provider check out The Tiny
Red Bathing Suit of Mr. July. [259 CLA] It addresses issues for the chronically ill, provides
­ by Diane Kozoris
non-technical descriptions of illnesses and disabilities in a practical way with both sensitivity
and humour.
Take a Deep Breath [242 FOR] uses the Japanese
poetic form of haiku to demonstrate the natural
rhythm of your breath and the experience of quiet
meditation. Thank you, Irene Jones, for this
donation.
Wrestling With the Prophets is a collection of essays on Creation Spirituality and everyday life
written by Matthew Fox addressing such topics
as; the environmental revolution, Christian mysticism, homosexuality, spiritual feminism, and
AIDS. Thank you, Mark, for this donation.
Please help locate some missing books which
have not been signed out.
A list of these 16 books can be found in the
church hall and on the library bulletin board.
Books can be placed in one of the book return
boxes.
Thank you.
H E LP W A N T E D
HOSPITALITY MINISTRY
This is a very important part of the life of the
parish, and the people it serves.
We are looking for a person with good organizational skills to fill the position of Hospitality
Coordinator. Since Michele Beaudry retired, this
position has been left vacant. We thank Michele
for all the time and effort she put into the Hospitality Ministry.
The job of the members of this ministry is to
keep absent parishioners informed on what is
happening in the church and things in general.
Each member has a list of names and telephone
numbers to call to let the parishioners know of
any special events that are going on at the church
and else where. This usually happens every 4 to 6
weeks, especially for those parishioners who are
no longer able to get to church, to bring them up
to date and to ask if they would like a visit from a
clergy member.
We are also looking for new members to help
with this very important ministry It only takes a
few minutes of your time each month to call the
ones that are on your list. The more volunteers
there are the least amount of people you have to
call. Many hands make light work. If you are
interested and have a few minutes to spare each
month we would love to have you on board.
Parishioners interested in any part of this ministry may do so by contacting one of the wardens.
­ Submitted by Bill Stacey
GREETERS AND USHERS
The table is set—the candles are lit—flowers
arranged ---the choir and organist are ready to
make beautiful music. What a wonderful place to
worship our Lord! So many people have come
together to create this setting. It just didn’t
‘happen’.
The first people you meet as you come through
the door often make a difference as to how you
approach the service. A warm welcome, a helping hand can be very meaningful.
Such is the ministry of the greeters and ushers. I
am very lucky to be associated with such a good
group of faithful workers.
However this year our numbers have dwindled
and we are in a position of not being able to be at
the door at every service over Christmas.
I feel it is so important that new people be
greeted and offered assistance that I am appealing
to all who read this to please make an effort to
welcome your brothers and sisters in Christ,
whether they be new to us or old friends. Thank
you.
­ Submitted by Margaret Brock
Page 9
St. Hilda’s Herald
N EWC O M ER S L UN C HEO N : F EED
On September 17th, the Stewardship Committee invited newcomers to St. Hilda’s to
join with them and members of the Church
Committee at a brunch in the Church Hall.
It was a time of good fellowship, good food
(which nearly didn’t happen) and some
serious discussion.
In small table groups we discussed what
had brought us to St. Hilda’s, and what kept
us coming back.
The answers ranged from proximity to the
church, to the openness of the congregation
and warmth of the welcome, to the inclusive theology.
We left feeling we had made new friends,
S T EWA R D S HIP :
S O UL ,
A N D T HE
and had been nourished both physically and
spiritually.
As for the near disaster, when pans of the
planned Cheese Strata were put in the oven
in the Church hall at 10:30 am the time had
been carefully chosen so that they would be
baked and ready by noon. What we didn't
know was that the oven thermostat was
broken. The oven was set for 350º”F, but
later tests showed that it went to over
450ºF. Luckily some of the helpers noticed
that there was a problem, and the pans were
pulled out - with some over-cooking for
those on the bottom rack Probably few, if
any, of the guests realized what had hap-
B O DY
pened, and the meal was delicious.
As a result of this, a member of the congregation has come forward to the Stewardship committee and echoed what we have
heard before: "we need a new stove". This
person has said that he/she will match any
donations others make to the church for a
new stove, up to $500. So the church could
buy a $1000 stove (with self cleaning oven!)
if others are interested in donating. If you
would like to contribute, you can do so
through your offertory envelope with the
amount designated “New Stove” on the
Other line.
­ Anne Connor and Stan Barker
HOW D O WE BEC O ME B ET T ER S T EWA R D S ?
continued from page 1
us, but rather we have the use of them in
this lifetime for the bettering of everyone
and not just ourselves.
God has provided us these gifts so that we
may share and grow them, in community
with each other, and in faith with God. The
eucharist is a symbol that Jesus is here and
has given everything to us. We put our offering on the altar beside the bread and wine
to symbolize that we are giving everything
we have.
Hambidge shared the story of an African
woman, who upon seeing the plight of hundreds of thousands of children orphaned by
AIDS, adopted 10 children into her own
home. She realized she could not save all of
the children she saw and heard about, but
she could do something so that’s what she
did. Too often we do nothing because we
feel it is too little, inconsequential, unlikely
T HE
T HE
EL I MINAT IO N O F
to make a difference. When instead, collectively, with each doing the part we can, we
can accomplish much.
Ways in which we can be effective stewards can be arrived at by asking ourselves
the following questions according to
Archbishop Hambidge:
What motivates the people of our parish
to give?
What are some ways to change negative
attitudes to giving?
How do we separate giving and need? We
give because of what we have been given.
Finally, we must ask: what is God calling
us to do and give? What is our faith challenging us to do?
Stewardship should be an ongoing part of
our parish life. It is an expression of our
faith. It is a recognition that St. Hilda’s ex-
C A P ITA L G A IN S T A X ES
The elimination of capital gains taxes on
the donation of publicly listed securities,
anounced in the May Federal Budget, could
greatly benefit both you, the donor, and St.
Hilda’s. This new provision became effective immediately.
What this means to some of you who are
blessed with having publicly listed securities
amongst your assets, is that you can now
donate shares which have increased in value
since you purchased them and pay no capital gains tax. Previously, if you donated
shares, 25% of the capital gain would have
been taxable, or if you simply sold the
shares, 50% of the capital gain would have
been taxable. But the trick is that you have to
ists — the building, the faith community,
the programs — because others before us
have made the commitment of their time,
talents and treasures, in joyful recognition of
God’s many blessings we have been entrusted with.
­ Stan Barker & Laurie McConnell
donate the actual shares, not sell them and donate
the proceeds. The implication of this is that,
for example, if your annual gift to St. Hilda’s’s was $5,000 it would cost you less to
make the gift with a donation of appreciated
securities (by transferring them to St.
Hilda’s) than to write out $5,000 in periodic
cheques.
As an example:
Matthew has a choice of making his annual contribution with $5,000 in cash or
$5,000 in stock which he paid $3,000 for. If
Matthew were to cash in the stock, he
would have a tax bill (50% of the $2,000
capital gain = $1,000 x 44%, which is his
marginal tax rate) of $440. So his $5,000 of
AN D WHAT IT ME A N S
appreciated stock is actually (after taxes)
worth $4560. If he donates the stock it is
worth the full $5,000 and Matthew receives
a tax receipt for that amount. With the tax
credit for the gift added, the total cost of the
gift is only $2360, compared to a cost of
$2800 for a cash gift of $5,000.
While this new tax provision doesn’t apply to all of us, it is applicable to some and,
therefore worthy of explanation and note. If
you are interested in using this method you
can speak to me or to the Parish Treasurer
or call Glen Mitchell at the Diocesan Office
(604 684 6306 local 218).
Submitted by David Rushton
St. Hilda’s by the Sea Anglican Church
5838 Barnacle St.
PO Box 302
Sechelt, B.C.
Phone: 604-885-5019
Fax: 604-885-0759
Web site: www.sthilda.ca
E-mail: [email protected]
Direct Outreach: Did you know...
...that St. Hilda's is there for people in crises? Every month
our office assists people in need with food vouchers and an
open heart. Our church is known in the community for it's
care for those who have nowhere else to turn.
Although our ability to assist people is limited, our willingness to be there for people makes a huge difference in their
lives. Rather than indifference they receive compassion and
hospitality.
Your contributions to this Direct Outreach ministry touches
many and is deeply appreciated throughout the community.
God bless you during this Christmas season!
­ Submitted by Tina Wamsteeker
Colour for this issue was sponsored by
Rev. Mark Lemon.
St. Hilda's Anglican Church
Financial Snapshot
at 31 Oct 2006
Anyone wishing to sponsor color for future
editions should contact Tina Wamsteeker in
the Church Office. A vibrant thank you to Mark!
Income Operating Fund
Expenses Operating Funds
Operating Deficit
$156,575
169,646
(13,071)
Donations to other funds
$29,107 (incl. HOC)
Please support the Cards Fundraiser
Honouring Our Commitment
2006 Target
$12,654
October 31
$10,588
CONGRATULATIONS! RIGHT ON TARGET.
You may have noticed a stand on the table in the breezeway filled
with greeting cards. Please consider these when you need a card
as ALL monies received from the sale of these cards is going into
our NEW HALL fund. It’s just a small start—but start it is.
Christmas Cards are now also available.
Cost: $2.95 each or 2 for $5.
— Corinne Newman
C O N T AC T S
Rector
Deacon
Deacon/Hosp. Chap.
Music Director
People’s Warden
Rector’s Warden
Administrator
ACW President
Prayer Chain
Librarian
Sunday school
St. Hilda’s Herald
and Web Site
Healing Touch
Mark Lemon
Bruce Morris
Linda Varin
Tom Kellough
Bill Stacey
Bonnie Paetkau
Tina Wamsteeker
Joan Slater
Isabel Benson
Diane Kozoris
Carol Eades
Bev Dall
Laurie McConnell
Jill Diespecker
885-5019
885-4797
740-9897
886-7389
885-7791
885-5636
885-5019
885-7205
885-0652
740-5968
886-9646
885-2078
Building Committee
Upper Deck Crew
Altar Guild
Servers’ Guild
Environmental Steward
Keith Stevens
Eric Paetkau
Patsi Minnes
Barbara Carver
Dave Moul
885-0399
885-5636
885-2084
885-5487
886-7458
House Groups:
Selma Park group meets at 7:30 p.m. every second
Wednesday at Bonnie Paetkau’s: 885-5636
Sechelt group meets at 1 p.m. on the second and fourth
Tuesday of the month. Contact Margaret Brock (885-7370)
or Cay Nelson (885-2577).
885-5913
If you are interested in forming another daytime group call
885-2958 Anne Connor (885-6047).