Monthly Archives: March 2022
Announcements March 27
THE 4TH SUNDAY IN LENT
27 March 2022
Welcome! We extend a warm welcome to our guests, and invite you to sign the guest book at the back of the sanctuary. Unfortunately, however, we are not yet able to resume our after-service fellowship time in the Church Hall.
Today – We thank Raymond Reichelt for leading today’s service, in John’s absence. John is at Knox Church in Neepawa today, where he serves as interim moderator, so that he can chair their Annual Meeting following the service.
The Greeter this month is Val Pogue.
This Week in First Church:
– Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. – Bible study, by Zoom
Coming Up:
– Sunday, 3 April – Communion Sunday
– Sunday, 10 April – Palm Sunday
Ukraine – PWS&D is accepting donations toward the effort to provide assistance to refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The most urgent needs are for food, water, and shelter. PWS&D provides assistance through its partners, the ACT Alliance (ACT stands for “Action by Churches Together”) and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Donations can be made through our congregation; just mark your cheque or envelope “PWS&D – Ukraine”. If you would like your donation to reach PWS&D faster, you can donate online, using your credit card. Go to www.WeRespond.ca, click on “Ukraine Crisis Appeal”, click on the “Donate Now” button, and follow the prompts. You can check the website also for periodic updates.
Newsletter – The March issue of the Newsletter has been sent out by e-mail, and hard copies will be mailed out this week to those who don’t have e-mail. Many thanks those who contributed material for this issue, to Lisa Sneesby for putting the Newsletter together, and to Mardine Garnham for printing and mailing the hard copies!
Service Scripts – We are continuing to make a script of each Sunday’s service available, for those who would like one. If you would like to receive it each week, please let John know.
Announcements March 20
Announcements for the Bulletin
Welcome! We extend a warm welcome to our guests, and invite you to sign the guest book at the back of the sanctuary. Unfortunately, however, we are not yet able to resume our after-service fellowship time in the Church Hall.
Service Scripts – As of today, we are no longer recording an abbreviated version of our Sunday services and uploading it to YouTube. However, the script for each Sunday’s service will continue to be made available. If you would like to receive it each week, please let John know.
This Week in First Church:
– Today – Deadline for submissions for the March Newsletter
– Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. – Bible study, by Zoom
– Thursday, 7:00 p.m. – Session meeting
Coming Up:
– Sunday, 3 April – Communion Sunday
– Sunday, 10 April – Palm Sunday
Newsletter – If you have something to contribute to the March issue of the congregational Newsletter, please get it to Lisa Sneesby today, if you haven’t already. We hope to have the Newsletter ready for distribution in time for next Sunday, the 27th.
Next Sunday – John needs to be in Neepawa next Sunday (the 27th), to chair that congregation’s Annual Meeting — one of his responsibilities as its interim moderator. Our own service that day will be led by Raymond Reichelt.
Revised Protocols – In view of the easing of pandemic restrictions, the Session has revised our own protocols for Sunday services and other gatherings at the church, as follows:
– Wearing a mask and hand sanitizing are now optional.
– Continue to maintain physical distance (2 meters) from others (except members of your own house-hold).
– Refrain from shaking hands, etc.
– An offering plate is set out at the back of the sanctuary. It may be brought forward for the dedication of the offering by the Greeter (or someone else) if he/she is comfortable doing so.
– We will return to standing for the hymns and other parts of the service for which we stood previously; but will not yet put the hymnbooks and Bibles back into the pews.
– Bring your own cushion and/or Bible each week, if desired.
– There will be no coffee/fellowship hour following the service, yet.
– The names of attenders each Sunday will no longer be recorded.
Announcements March 13
THE 2ND SUNDAY IN LENT
13 March 2022
Welcome! We extend a warm welcome to our guests, and invite you to sign the guest book at the back of the sanctuary. Unfortunately, however, we are not yet able to resume our after-service fellowship time in the Church Hall.
Online Service – Today is the last Sunday that we will be recording an abbreviated version of the service, and uploading it to YouTube. In view of the general easing of pandemic precautions, as well as the small number of people viewing these recorded services, the Session has decided that we will not continue doing this after the 15th of March — unless, of course, new restrictions are put into place sometime in the future. The recorded service can be accessed from this website.
This Week in First Church:
– Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. – Bible study, by Zoom
Coming Up:
– Sunday, 20 March – Deadline for submissions for the March Newsletter
– Sunday, 3 April – Communion Sunday
Ukraine – PWS&D is accepting donations toward the effort to provide assistance to refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The most urgent needs are for food, water, and shelter. PWS&D provides assistance through its partners, the ACT Alliance (ACT stands for “Action by Churches Together”) and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Donations can be made through our congregation; just mark your cheque or envelope “PWS&D – Ukraine”. If you would like your donation to reach PWS&D faster, you can donate online, using your credit card. Go to www.WeRespond.ca, click on “Ukraine Crisis Appeal”, click on the “Donate Now” button, and follow the prompts.
Announcements March 6
THE 1ST SUNDAY IN LENT
6 March 2022
Welcome! We extend a warm welcome to our guests, and invite you to sign the guest book at the back of the sanctuary. Unfortunately, however, we are not yet able to resume our after-service fellowship time in the Church Hall.
Online Services – An abbreviated version of today’s service will be recorded, and uploaded to YouTube. The link to the recorded service will be e-mailed out to those who have requested it. It can also be accessed from our this website. Due to the easing of pandemic restrictions, next Sunday (the 13th) is the last Sunday we will be making a recorded service available — unless new restrictions are imposed sometime in the future.
This Week in First Church:
– Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. – Bible study, by Zoom
– Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. – F&M Committee meeting, by Zoom
Coming Up:
– Sunday, 13 March – Daylight Saving Time begins
– Sunday, 20 March – Deadline for submissions for the March Newsletter
Annual Meeting – Our Annual Meeting was held last Sunday, 27 February. The various reports in the Annual Report were adopted, as was the proposed budget for this year.
Keith Kelly and Lisa Sneesby were re-appointed to the Endowment Committee for a further 3-year term, and Brian Yeo was re-appointed a Congregational Trustee for a further 2-year term. Debbi Miles has allowed her 2-year term as a Trustee to expire, and we thank her for serving in that capacity for the past couple of years.
Following the routine portion of the meeting, a discussion was had on whether the Session should permit same-sex weddings to be held in our church (they are now permitted by the General Assembly of our church, but each Session has the right to set the policy for its own congregation). There wasn’t much discussion, but when an “advisory vote” was taken, the results were four “yes” votes and thirteen “no” votes. The Session will take this into consideration when it finalizes its policy for weddings.
Full announcements here