Hi, everyone, and Happy Pentecost!

Here is the link to today’s service:

The transcript of the service is here

We continue our pandemic-style worship for another week, as we wait for conditions to improve.  We will resume our regular services and activities as soon as the government determines that it is safe to do so.  The Communion service originally scheduled for Sunday, 7 June, has formally been canceled, as has our annual Outdoor Service and Barbecue on Sunday the 14th.  Our next regular Communion service is scheduled for Sunday, 4 October. John is producing an abbreviated service video, approximately 30 minutes in length, every Sunday.  Each Sunday morning, he sends out, by e-mail, the link that you need in order to access the video on YouTube, normally between 10:15 and 10:30.  Attached to that e-mail is a full script of the service, which can be printed for any relative or friend who doesn’t have access to the internet.  You can access the current Sunday’s service also through this website. It is usually posted here before 1:00 PM.

The Christian Year – Sunday May 31 is Pentecost, the fourth of the four landmark festivals that give the Christian Year its shape (the others being Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter).  Pentecost celebrates the giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples and followers of Jesus, 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection (and 10 days after his ascension), as narrated in Acts 2.1-41.  The Holy Spirit was given to the community of Jesus’ disciples and followers to take Jesus’ place as their teacher and leader, and to empower them to continue his ministry in the world.  The Holy Spirit continues to be given today to everyone who believes in Jesus as his/her Savior and Lord.

 Pentecost is the Greek name for a Jewish festival which in the Old Testament is called the “Festival of Weeks”.  It celebrated the wheat harvest, and came fifty days after the Passover festival; in fact, “pentecost” is the Greek word for “fiftieth”.  On that day, offerings of the “first fruits” of the wheat harvest were presented to God.  By the First Century, it was also celebrated as the anniversary of God’s giving the Law to Israel at Mt. Sinai, during the Exodus.  Thousands of Jews from all over the Roman Empire and beyond traveled to Jerusalem for this festival every year.  It was in the midst of this international gathering that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Jesus, and that they were enabled to speak in various languages — and were therefore understood by “Jews from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2.5).

The symbolic color for Pentecost is red, recalling the “tongues of fire” that appeared to Jesus’ disciples in the Pentecost event (Acts 2.3).

Day of Prayer – The Session has decided to designate this Thursday, 4 June, as another Congregational Day of Prayer.  Everyone is encouraged to spend time in prayer at 1:30 p.m. that day — or at some other time of the day.  You are encouraged to pray for concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as our congregation, family, and friends.  John will again send out a sheet of prayer suggestions by e-mail in advance.

The full announcements are here

The June Newsletter is here

Regular Sunday services and most congregational activities continue to be suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We will resume our regular activities as soon as the government determines that it is safe to do so. John is producing an abbreviated service video every Sunday, approximately 30 minutes in length.  Each Sunday morning, he sends out, by e-mail, the link that you need in order to access the video on YouTube, normally between 10:15 and 10:30.  Attached to that e-mail is a full script of the service, which can be printed for any relative or friend who doesn’t have access to the internet.  You can access the current Sunday’s service also through this website

Sunday – Charlie Clifford is preaching the sermon in Sunday’s service.  We had decided last fall to give our lay preachers opportunities to preach more often; not just when John is away, but also on Sundays when he is here.  Charlie was therefore scheduled to preach on the 24th of May, and he and John have decided to stick with that date, even though our normal worship format is on hold due to the pandemic.  We thank Charlie for his major contribution to today’s service!

The Bible study group will meet by Zoom on Tuesday evening at 7:00.

The Session will meet by Zoom on Thursday evening at 7:00

Newsletter – The May issue of the Newsletter has been published and sent out.  Those who don’t have e-mail will receive their copies in the mail this time; the elders don’t need to worry about delivering them.  Many thanks again to Lisa Sneesby for putting the Newsletter together, to Gwen Henwood for printing the hard copies, and to Mardine Garnham for preparing the envelopes for mailing!

Full announcements here

Regular Sunday services and most congregational activities continue to be suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We will resume our regular activities as soon as the government determines that it is safe to do so. John is producing an abbreviated service video every Sunday, approximately 30 minutes in length.  Each Sunday morning, he sends out, by e-mail, the link that you need in order to access the video on YouTube, normally between 10:15 and 10:30.  Attached to that e-mail is a full script of the service, which can be printed for any relative or friend who doesn’t have access to the internet.  You can access the current Sunday’s service also through this website

The Bible study group will meet online by Zoom on Tuesday evening at 7:00.

Newsletter – Today is the deadline for submissions for the June issue of the Newsletter.  Please send your items to Lisa Sneesby (bsneesby@mymts.net).  Photos of congregational events are welcome.  We plan to have the newsletter ready for distribution in time for next Sunday, the 24th.

Office Hours – John is continuing to observe regular office hours at the church (9:00-12:00 and 1:00-5:00, Tuesday to Saturday), since, most of the time, he’s the only person in the building, anyway.  He keeps the door locked most of the time, so if you need to get in and don’t have the code for the lock, just ring the doorbell at the office entrance.  Since Monday the 18th is a holiday, he won’t be in the church office this week until Wednesday.  However, if a pastoral need should arise, please call him at home.

The full announcements are here

Services and most congregational activities continue to be canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We will resume our regular activities as soon as the government determines that it is safe to do so. John is producing an abbreviated service video every Sunday, approximately 30 minutes in length.  Each Sunday morning, he sends out, by e-mail, the link that you need in order to access the video on YouTube, normally between 10:15 and 10:30.  Attached to that e-mail is a full script of the service, which can be printed for any relative or friend who doesn’t have access to the internet.  You can access the current Sunday’s service also through this website.

Full announcements here

Services and most congregational activities continue to be canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Unfortunately, the Spring Dinner (originally scheduled for May 3rd) is now canceled also.  We will resume our regular activities as soon as the government determines that it is safe to do so. John is producing an abbreviated service video every Sunday, approximately 30 minutes in length.  Each Sunday morning, he sends out, by e-mail, the link that you need in order to access the video on YouTube, normally between 10:15 and 10:30.  Attached to that e-mail is a full script of the service, which can be printed for any relative or friend who doesn’t have access to the internet.  You can access the current Sunday’s service also on this website

Full announcements here

THE 3RD SUNDAY OF EASTER

26 April 2020

Services and most congregational activities continue to be canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Unfortunately, the Spring Dinner (originally scheduled for Sunday, 3 May) is now canceled also.  We will resume our regular activities as soon as the government determines that it is safe to do so. John is producing an abbreviated service video every Sunday, approximately 30 minutes in length.  Each Sunday morning, he sends out, by e-mail, the link that you need in order to access the video on YouTube, normally between 10:15 and 10:30.  Attached to that e-mail is a full script of the service, which can be printed for any relative or friend who doesn’t have access to the internet.  John is making the service video available to the members and adherents of Knox Church in Neepawa as well, since he’s serving as their interim moderator. The link to the service will also be published on this website.

Full announcements here

Services and most congregational activities continue to be canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We will resume our regular activities as soon as the government decides it is safe to do so.

John is now producing an abbreviated service video, approximately 30 minutes in length, each Sunday.  Each Sunday morning, he will send out, by e-mail, the link that you need to access the video on YouTube, between 10:15 and 10:30.  Attached to that e-mail will be a full script of the service, which can be printed for any relative or friend who doesn’t have access to the internet.  John is making this available to the members and adherents of Knox Church in Neepawa as well, since he’s serving as interim moderator for their congregation.

Full announcements here

Happy Easter! Services and most congregational activities continue to be canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will resume our regular activities as soon as the government decides it is safe to do so. John is planning to create a YouTube video of Sunday’s service and all future services, until we can start getting together again. He will send out the link that you need to access the video by e-mail each Sunday morning, hopefully by 10:30. Believe it or not, it takes a good hour-and-a-half to upload a half-hour service to YouTube! He will also send out the full script of the service, which can be printed for any relative or friend who doesn’t have access to the internet.

The Christian Year – April 12 is Easter Sunday, the third of the four major annual festivals around which the Christian Year is structured (the others being Christmas, Epiphany, and Pentecost). Easter is the joyful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 28.1-20, and parallel passages). On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the power and love of God, which triumphed over the forces of evil and death, reversing the tragic events of Good Friday. We also re-live the joy of Jesus’ first disciples, as they learned that Jesus was indeed alive again. As well, we celebrate the promise that all who believe in Jesus will themselves be raised from death to eternal life, just as he was. Easter is the oldest and greatest of our Christian festivals. The date of Easter Sunday is “movable”, which means that it changes every year. However, the season of Easter is of fixed length, comprising 50 days (eight Sundays), beginning on Easter Sunday and ending on Pentecost, the festival celebrating the giving of the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ followers. The symbolic color for Easter is white, signifying joy and celebration.

Full announcements here