Westminster United Church

Updated September 24th, 200 6

Greeters : As you came into church this morning Bob Burton, Ron Clement, and Teresa and Jim Young greeted you.

Congratulations to Kim Laing and Tom Wojtowicz, Julie Lavergne and André Bouché, and Michelle Long and George Bessas who were married here this weekend. Let us keep them in our prayers.

Belated Congratulations to Eleanor Higham who celebrated her 80th birthday on August 5th.

This week in the Winnipeg Presbytery prayer cycle , please remember the people and work of the St. James United Church.

RE: SAME GENDER MARRIAGE AT WESTMINSTER

At its June 14th Board Meeting, the Board passed a motion stating that a decision as to whether or not same gender marriages may be performed at Westminster United Church will be made by the Board at a special meeting on October 24th, 2006 . Any member or adherent of Westminster who wishes to make representation to the Board prior to the decision being made, may do so by (a) writing to the Chair of the Board c/o the church office by October 13th ; (b) addressing the Board at the October 24th meeting (maximum 3 minute presentation) after registering to speak by contacting the church office by October 13th ; or (c) speaking to a member of the Executive of the Board by October 13th (i.e. K. Love, T. Young, R. Harris, P. Macdonald, Rev. R. Campbell, J. Jarvis).

Would you like to sing and have fun with other children? The Westminster Kids’ Choir (ages 8 – 14) has begun rehearsals. They run from 9:30 to 10:00 upstairs in the concert hall. New members are welcome! For more info, call Mrs. LaRue 832-3448.

The Sacrament of Communion will be celebrated during the service next Sunday, October 1 with the people receiving the elements in the pews. Our Sunday School children and their teachers will not be returning to the sanctuary later in the service on that day. Rather, they will celebrate the Sacrament of Communion with Joan upstairs in the Sunday School area.

A Communion Offering will be received for the work of Agape Table which for more than 25 years has been providing meals and other services to low income people in the West Broadway area of Winnipeg. Agape Table operates in the parish hall of All Saints Anglican Church. If you have a box of weekly offering envelopes, you will find that your Communion offering envelopes have been placed at the front. If not, you will find that envelopes for your use have been placed on tables at various entrances to the sanctuary.

As we begin our fall activities the Outreach Committee invites you once again to offer your support to West Broadway Community Ministry . For the month of September we are collecting donations of dried pasta/spaghetti. Please give generously to this important United Church Inner City Ministry.

In October our thoughts turn to ones of thanksgiving to the God who is generous provider of our needs and giver of a great harvest. We have the opportunity to give thanks in word and song in worship and in deed by bringing gifts of non-perishable foodstuffs to share with those who find themselves in need through the facilities of Winnipeg Harvest. Collection boxes for Winnipeg Harvest will be placed in the narthex on Thanksgiving Sunday, October 8 and also on October 15.

Joining Westminster Church : If there is sufficient interest, an Adult Baptism and Confirmation Class will be organized this fall. Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. from October 12 to November 30 with new members being received at the December 3 worship service. To enquire further about the class or to register for it, please be in touch with the church office.

Broadway-First Baptist Church is holding an Evening of Sacred Music featuring renowned Winnipeg soprano Tracy Dahl on Sunday, October 1 at 7:00 p.m. This concert is being held in conjunction with the celebration of Broadway’s 100th anniversary. Tickets for the concert are $20.00, available at the door or by reserving by phone at 783-4413.

Five Plus Al-Anon Group . Hope for families and friends of alcoholics. Meetings are held here at Westminster Church on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. in the Concert Hall stage room adjacent to the kitchen.

ATHENS, THE SCHOOL OF HELLAS

A LECTURE given by BOB GOLD
Wednesday, October 25th, 7:30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall

“The magnificent temples crowning the Acropolis at Athens look down upon the market place where Socrates, Plato and Aristotle walked, the theatre where western European drama was born, the Hill of Ares where the first murder court in Europe was convened, and where the apostle Paul addressed the leading citizens of the city. In these and in many other artistic and intellectual endeavours, Athens was in fact the school not only of the Greeks, but of all western Europe.” The Worship Committee is sponsoring this fundraiser for Westminster Church. Tickets available soon.

The Good Life on God’s Good Earth is being sponsored by The Canadian Mennonite University, Providence College & Seminary and A. Rocha. The Conference is also generously supported by the C.P. Loewen Family Foundation. Conference date is September 29 and 30 and will be held at 500 Shaftesbury Blvd.. For further information please phone 487-3300. Brochures may be found on the hallway and welcome tables.

St. Andrew's River Heights United Church, 255 Oak Street is holding their Harvest Supper on Sunday, October 1. 4:00 to 6:00 pm (continuous serving). Tickets are available from the office (488-1130). Adults $10.00 Children (5-12) $5.00.

Pentecostal Wisconsin - a solo comedy performance as seen in the 2005 Winnipeg Fringe and in New York, Edinburgh, and across Canada in 2006 will be at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church on Friday, September 29th at 7:30 p.m. In this hilarious tale of love, sex, and religion, Ryan Paulson lets us in on what the religious right is really all about. The performance will be followed by a panel discussing the question: "Given the reality of fundamentalism, is good religion possible?" Panelists: Joseph Aragon (Conclave: The Musical); Sharon Bajer (Molly's Veil); Lesley Harrison, Coordinator of Welcoming Ministries, United Church; barb janes, Minister at Crescent Fort Rouge and Writer/Actor, Ryan Paulson. Admission $10 - tickets available in advance from the church (475-6011) or at McNally Robinson.

We welcome your submissions for Westminster News by the deadline of Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.