Christ Church Calgary | This Week at Christ Church

It is our pleasure to receive Harrison William Selby Schlaugat into the company of the faithful by baptism this morning. Pentecost, with its emphasis on the “in-Spirited” life, is one of the Church’s most “natural” occasions for initiating new members into the Christian way of life. By the Spirit comes the power to keep the promises of baptism, and to be God’s agent in the world.

This afternoon at 4.00 p.m., the Reverend Clara King will be ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests, here at Christ Church. We are hosting this service on behalf of the Diocese of Calgary – so many thanks to our corps of volunteers – servers, choir, greeters – for taking time on a busy long weekend to support the ministry of the wider Church, and to do something lovely for Clara. All are most welcome to attend.

Get your tickets now for the Concert of the Christ Churches! On Saturday, May 25 Christ Church Calgary will host the very fine choir of Vancouver’s Christ Church Cathedral in a joint concert. This is the second concert in a three-concert Centennial Series. Tickets are $40 each, and are available in the Crump Room following the service, or from the Church Office. We take plastic!

Prayer Shawl Ministry—Centennial Shawls: To all our “closet "knitters” let’s get our 6-inch squares started - your choice of washable yarn, favourite colour and pattern. It’s quick, easy, only takes an evening or so, and is open to anyone in the congregation - men, women, youth, seniors, experienced or beginner. You don’t need to be a member of the Prayer Shawl group to do this. It is a lovely way to take part in a Centennial project, and to provide warmth and comfort to anyone entering the church for whatever reason by helping create some cosy shawls when the squares are attached together. We would like 100 squares to mark the church’s 100 years. For more information please contact Marleen Morrison. Happy knitting (or crocheting)!

Labyrinth Brick Sales – We have already sold over 200 bricks in the Heritage Pathway. Purchasing an engraved brick is the perfect opportunity to remember a loved one, celebrate a special anniversary, or make a special gift for your family or a friend. They are available for $60, which is fully tax-deductible. Sales will end June 30 or when the bricks are sold out. Brick sales will continue today after the service in the Crump Room or may be purchased in the Church Office on weekdays.

Centennial Golf Tournament– We are proceeding with the planning of the Christ Church Centennial golf tournament to be held on Monday, September 9, at the beautiful Links at Glen Eagles. We are looking for golfers, sponsors, and volunteers. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Bob Baker in the Stewardship Office at 403.243.4680 x 127 or email devofficer@christchurchcalgary.org.

Seniors visit to Rosebud. We have the opportunity to go to the Cotton Patch Gospel on the bus with the Open Door on Thursday, June 20. The cost including bus, lunch and show is $74. Please see details on Notice Board or talk to Suzan in the Church Office who will collect money. Cut off date is June 10. I have reserved 10 tickets - so first come first serve.—Elizabeth Brain

Looking for a way to deepen your understanding of the Christian faith and to enhance the connection between what you believe and how you live your daily life? The Education for Ministry program combines independent study and weekly small group discussions to bring a basic grounding of theological education to Christian laypeople. (Hint: there is more to the Bible than you may have seen on TV lately!) Interested? Please contact Doreen (mkerryp@shaw.ca) for more information.

The Rev’d Canon Dr Herb O’Driscoll will be leading a workshop on May 23 and 24 at St. Laurence Anglican Church in Lakeview. Thursday night’s session “Fashion Me a Church” begins at 7.30 p.m. and Friday’s session “Morning Has Broken – The Re-Enchantment of the Contemporary Christian Quest” will run from 9.00 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. More information and registration is available at www.wisdomcentre.ca

Family reunion – On May 2, Lual Thorpal welcomed his Sudanese family from whom he has been apart for many years to Canada. Christ Church has been instrumental in seeing this reunion through. We have some furniture and housewares in storage, thanks to the generosity of parishioners, and when the family is able to move into larger accommodation, we will have some idea what additional items are needed. Right now it would be great to have some toys appropriate for a 10 year old boy, 6 year old girl, and 3 year old boy. Chol would also like some mixing bowls and pots. Please stay tuned for more information as they settle into their new home!

On Friday June 7 and Saturday June 8 there is an event to help people and churches prepare for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada which will host Community Hearings in Calgary (July 30 & 31, 2013) and a national event in Edmonton (March 27 to 30, 2014). The gathering in June is called: Wisdom on the Journey: Walking to a Sacred Place. Ruth Patterson will be a speaker at this event with other leaders and guests. Registration Fee: $100 (which includes 4 meals). Please note sponsorships are available to cover the fee. This will take place at Indus Recreation Centre just outside the Calgary City Limits. Please visit the website to learn more and register: www.wisdomonthejourney.ca or call 403.698.2523 for further information.

Stewardship Newsletter – You should have received a copy of our new “Stewardship Newsletter” in the mail this week. We would appreciate your comments and feedback on the content of the newsletter. Contact Bob Baker in the Stewardship office at 403.243.4680 x127 or email devofficer@christchurchcalgary.org. The next issue will be mailed in late October.

Legacy Planning Presentation – Richard Tanner will be our guest speaker for an interesting and informative presentation on planning your legacy. The seminar will take place in the Crump Room on Friday, May 31 from 10.00 a.m. – 11.00 a.m. with Q&A to follow. A continental breakfast will be served at 9.45 a.m. This presentation was scheduled as a follow-up to Richard’s presentation at Stewardship 101 in February in response to your requests for a repeat presentation with more time scheduled for more detail, discussion and question and answer.

2013 Annual Budget – Offerings in April were $855 above the budget forecast for the month. We are now just $4,253 behind in our revenue budget forecast after four months. We are in a much stronger financial position than the same time last year when we were $72,113 behind budget at April 30, 2012. Thank you for your generosity. Offering statements will be in the mail next week.

We should be on Facebook! Our weekly Facebook page update arrived following our intensive social media push for the Centennial Homecoming Weekend. Over 525 people “viewed” the page and almost 20 people were “talking” about it! And, our Twitter account messages were “re-tweeted” several times by various outlets and individuals! So yes, we ARE on Facebook.

Rethinking the Narthex: We are now in the process of inviting groups and individuals to assess the narthex against the following questions. 1. If you could start from scratch, what should the welcoming space of this (or any) church be like? 2. What aesthetic comments do you wish to make about the narthex as it is? 3. What is currently working well? 4. What would make the narthex work better? As you think about these issues, please consider your own specific needs, or those of your group. We will gather up people’s input over the next several weeks, and forward it to someone who knows how to make space work!