NEWS
Camp Duncan
Camp Duncan is in need of directors for their Board. Most churches have representatives on the Board but numbers are declining. The financial status of the camp is very good. Fund raising is not required. Presbytery supports the camp with an annual donation and it is appreciated. The Board meets approximately 6 times a year to make financial decisions re: upkeep, repair and improvements to the site. If you are interested, please contact Doreen.
Presbytery News
The Winter Presbytery Conference
is at Trinity United Church in Thunder Bay, Ontario
on February 23-26, 2012.
Presbytery Youth Forum will be meeting at the same time.
For information on Youth Registration click here
Sept. 2011 - Cambrian Calls Plus! (news with pictures)
Annual Conference News
The Annual Comference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario
is taking place at the University of Winnipeg in Winnipeg, Manitoba
from May 24-27,2012
How To Help Knox Stay Alive
When you are away
or when we worship with other Churches
SIGN UP FOR PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance)
Your regular financial contributions to Knox can be automatically deducted from your bank account monthly, just as other payments are, such as insurance, utilities, tazes, mortgagem etc.
ADVANTAGES FOR YOU:
- Regular support of Knox
- Continual zupport of your church and M&S even when you are away
- You avoid "catch-up" periods
ADVANTAGES FOR KNOX:
- Regular flow of contributions
- Reduction of paperwork and bookkeeping
- Reduction in bank overdrafts, especially during summer months
- Reduction of headaches for the Treasure and Board Members
ONGOING EXPENSES INCLUDE:
- heating
- hydro
- water
- telephone and answering service
- Presbytry assessment
- salaries
- cleaning supplies
- bank charges
- repayment of for new roof
- advertising
To begin the PAR process and help stay open, contact Arlene
- talk to her at coffee time
- Phone her at 622-3433
- Email her at arleleha@tbaytel.net
Good News
Regional Hospital Chaplaincy is now covered 24/7. Daytime Monday-
Friday is covered by the full time chaplains Rev. Wendy Stone and Rev. Merv Wilson. 4:30pm-midnight Monday-Thursday coverage is by volunteer clergy. Weekends, statutory holidays and nights are covered by newly hired part-time chaplains, Rev. Barb Fugelsang and Stefan Bylosky. St. Joseph's Hospital continues to have a team of full-time chaplains.
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Congratulations to Doreen Lankshear-Smith
on her ordination on May 30, 2010
at the Annual Conference in Killarney, Manitoba.
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Congratulations to Joy Cummings
for being appointed Area District Commissioner of Scouting
for Thunder Bay and Area.
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Hi-Tech News
The United Church is now on YouTube - pass on to young people in your family. Find it here
Coffee Hour
UCW would like to set up a coffee hour schedule for Sunday mornings. We need people to host and this entails providing lunch eg, Fruit loaves, muffins, cookies - only 2 or 3 things necessary - plus 1 quart of 3% milk. Helping with clean up. Find a friend to help and share this task. We do need your help!! Sign the sheet in the kitchen today!!
Hospital Visiting
If you are admitted to the hospital you should be asked what your religion is, so that your name will show up on the United clergy list. If you say Protestant you will show not show up on the minister's list. If you are not asked please tell them to list you as United. If it is not your first time to be in the hospital they may not ask your religion, assuming you have been asked and listed before. However, please make sure each time you go in that you are properly listed. There is no other way we can find out you are in the hospital, unless a family member tells us. Before computer lists, church members were used to telling the minister when they knew of someone in the hospital. It is better that the minister is told six times than to miss someone. Please tell your family members about this.
Local Pride In Our Presbytery!
At the Triennial General Council of the United Church of Canada, David Giuiliano, minister at St. John’s United Church, Marathon, was elected as the 39th Moderator of the United Church.
David is
now designated as The Right Reverend for his 3 year term of office.
When the 40th Moderator is installed in 2009 David will become The Very Reverend David Giuiliano for the rest of his life.
The current President of the Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario, George Bott, is also from St. John’s Marathon.
Emerging Spirit
Emerging Spirit is an initiative focused on establishing and nurturing a new relationship between the United Church and Canadians, especially those between the ages of 30-45 who are one of the first Canadian generations to grow up largely outside of the church. Emerging Spirit's provocative national media campaign is now appearing in magazines across the country. This campaign will invite people who are curious about religion, spirituality, and moral issues to explore these topics with others at wondercafe.ca and by visiting a United Church congregation. WonderCafe.ca invites participants to an interactive on-line community where 30-45 year olds and others can explore the questions and issues about faith, spirituality, and other topics that concern and interest them.
Emerging Spirit will hold up to 24 Living the Welcome congregational training events around the country each year to help congregations develop welcoming ministries. In Thunder Bay this event will be held on April 27 and 28. Participants from Knox include Doreen, Margaret Rusnak, Diane Uurainen, Arlene Hardick and Matsy Kenney. Living the Welcome will assist congregations in:
- discovering the key strategies, tactics, and resources for creative and faithful leadership in a welcoming congregation,
- renewing the sense of possibility and joy for local ministries.
Each Living the Welcome event offers:
- Research about Canadians who would be interested in The United Church of Canada.
- Tips, tools, and programs for launching congregational welcoming ministries in your local context.
- Ways your congregation can connect with United Church's national media campaign, WonderCafe.ca*.
- Explorations of the connections between leadership and welcoming ministries.
TAKE A LOOK AT
Planning A Good Send-off
It probably sounds like a dismal thing to think about your own funeral. We all have to leave this life at some point; and while many people plan ahead with a funeral home, it seems that very few think of what kind of service they would like. When visiting with the family of a departed loved one to plan the service, often the adult children do
not know their parent’s favourite hymns or scripture passages, whether they would prefer the service in the church or at the funeral home.
While funerals to a large degree are for those left behind to mourn, I have visions of mothers or fathers looking down from above on the service and thinking “What ever made them chose that hymn? I never did like it very much.” Some will want the old standards like “Rock of Ages” or “Amazing Grace”; others want something a little more lively like “Lord of the Dance” or more contemporary like “In the Bulb There is a Flower”. Others still will want a combination of old and new. Personally, I think I want to go out to “One more step” in which Sydney Carter wrote that wonderful line “And it’s from the old I travel to the new. Keep me traveling along with you.” So it is a good idea to write down your wishes, even if your time to go may be many years in the future. Tell your loved ones you have done this. Tell the Minister and Funeral Director as well. You can, if you wish, put a copy of it in a confidential file at Knox. You can, of course, change these plans down the road, if you wish. But putting your wishes down on paper will make things much easier for your loved ones when your time does come. Doreen
Do You Know If You Are A Member Of Knox?
There are two kinds of church members - members and full members. Only full members can vote at congregational meetings.
You become a member of a United Church congregation at baptism. When,
as an adult, you confirm your baptism, you become a full member. However, many do not understand that in order to vote at a
congregational meeting, you must be a full member of the congregation.
It may be that you are a full member in some other congregation - i.e.
where you were confirmed - and have never transferred your membership.
It is important that you know if you are a full member of Knox. If you are not sure, call Doreen (577-3345) or Arlene (622-3433). If you are a full member your name will be on the Historic Roll of Knox. It is a simple matter to transfer membership from another congregation. For those who have never been confirmed, arrangements can be made for you to become full members of Knox by confirmation. Please contact Doreen about this. It is planned to have a transfer of membership and confirmation day some time soon after Easter for those who wish to do this. This is especially important if you want to be able to vote when crucial issues come up.