SUMMER SERVICE SCHEDULE
The schedule for our joint summer services with the two United Church congregations has been finalized. The overall theme will be “Three Powerful Words”, and the locations, worship leaders, and weekly themes, will be as follows:

22 July McKenzie Church Beth Kerr “Nobody Is Perfect”
29 July McKenzie Church Beth Kerr “You Belong Here”
5 August McKenzie Church John Zondag “God Is Love”
12 August Trinity Church John Zondag “I Choose You”
19 August Trinity Church Julie Baker “Against All Odds”
26 August Trinity Church Kathy Platt “Let It Go”

The service time will be 10:30 a.m. in all three locations. Regular services here at First Church will resume on the 2nd of September.

This Week:

• Sunday evening, 7:00 p.m. – Induction service, First Church, Brandon

Coming Up:

– Joint summer services begin – Sunday, 1 July

– Vacation Bible School – 6-10 August (Monday-Friday), 2:00-4:00 p.m.

– Regular services resume – Sunday, 2 September

COMFORT PROJECT –UPDATE

At the end of May, 112 Dolls and 120 Infant Caps were shipped to Compassionate Resource Warehouse. Part of this shipment included a large number of caps knit by Arline Davey, an interested member of the community. Thank You to everyone who supports this project to bring joy to needy children.

This Week in First Church:

Wednesday, 12:00 noon: – W.M.S. will meet at Gwen’s place.  Remember to bring something for the potluck lunch and a tin of coffee for the CMHA Clubhouse.  The meeting will follow the lunch.

Coming Up:

– Joint summer services begin – Sunday, 1 July

Congregational Meeting – A congregational meeting will be held immediately following today’s service.  The purpose of the meeting will be to consider recommendations from the Finance and Maintenance Committee with regard to applying for a loan from the national church’s Lending Fund, to help finance the Heating System project.  We received word recently that a grant of $7,750 from the Chisholm Fund had been approved for the project — which is wonderful, however it’s not enough to cover the cost; so we will need to borrow some money, as well.  The F&M Committee recommends that we apply for a loan of $6,000.

Run – The group that organizes the annual Terry Fox Run is currently seeking committee members to organize the local run, to be held on September 16.  If anyone is interested, or has questions, please contact Heather at heather.mackenzie@terryfoxrun.org, or call 306-757-1662 (in Regina).  See also the flyer posted on the bulletin board in the Church Hall.

This Week in First Church:

– Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. – Finance & Maintenance Committee meeting

– Thursday, 1:30 p.m. – Prayer Time

Coming Up:

– Outdoor Service and Barbecue – Sunday, 10 June

The Christian Year – Today, the First Sunday after Pentecost, is Trinity Sunday, a festival that highlights our unique Christian understanding of God as a “Trinity”.

This understanding of God arose in the first five centuries of church history, in response to the question, “Who are God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in relation to each other?”, the answer to which is not clearly explained in the Bible.  There were a wide variety of opinions on this question (and a lot of heated debate!).  There were those who believed that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were lesser beings than God, for example; while others believed that that view contradicted certain statements found in the Gospel of John.  At the same time, Christian teachers wanted to uphold the Old Testament teaching that there is only one God.

In the end, the official doctrine (teaching) of the church became the doctrine that God is a “Trinity” — three “persons” (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in one (God).  The word “trinity”, by the way, is not used in the Bible at all.

The doctrine of the Trinity remains a fundamental element of Christian teaching today, in Christian churches of all denominations.  It is so fundamental that churches that do not accept it are not considered true Christian churches by those that do.  It is a very difficult doctrine to understand, reminding us perhaps that God is greater than our human capacity to comprehend.

The symbolic color for Trinity Sunday is white, signifying joy and celebration.

The new newsletter is here

This Week in First Church:

– Wednesday, 5:00 p.m. – Meal-in-a-Bowl Supper

– Thursday, 7:00 p.m. – Session meeting

Coming Up:

– Communion Sunday – 3 June

– Outdoor Service and Barbecue – Sunday, 10 June

This Week in First Church:

– Sunday May 13 – Deadline for submissions for the June Newsletter

– Thursday, 17 May, 7:00 p.m. – Sharpe Sisters concert

Coming Up:

– Meal-in-a-Bowl Supper – Wednesday, 23 May, 5:00 p.m.

– Communion Sunday – 3 June

– Outdoor Service and Barbecue – Sunday, 10 June

This Week in First Church:

– Sunday. following the service – Lunch in the Church Hall

– Tuesday, 7 p.m. Bible Study at Gwen Henwood’s home.  This will be the last study until the fall.

– Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. Women’s Missionary Society (WMS).  Please bring a tin of coffee for the CMHA Clubhouse.

– Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. – Finance & Maintenance Committee meeting

– Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – Spring Cleanup

– Saturday, 7:00 p.m. – Saturday Evening service

Coming Up:

– Newsletter deadline – Sunday, 13 May

– Sharpe Sisters concert – Thursday, 17 May, 7:00 p.m.

– Communion Sunday – 3 June

– Outdoor Service and Barbecue – Sunday, 10 June

June Newsletter – Submissions for the June issue of the Newsletter need to be either given or sent to Lisa Sneesby by next Sunday (the 13th).  Her e-mail address is bsneesby@mymts.net.  The Newsletter will be ready for distribution the following Sunday, the 20th.

Sharpe Sisters Concert – Our fourth annual Sharpe Sisters concert will be held on Thursday, 17 May, at 7:00 p.m., in the sanctuary.  Tickets are $15, and are available from Lisa Sneesby, and also from the church office during the week (Tuesday to Saturday).  Last year, we had a full house; don’t wait to buy your ticket at the door!