St. Mark's Sunday School Closing May 25

St. Mark's held their Sunday School closing on Sunday, May 25th. Certificates were presented as well as bracelets, teachers were given pins in the shape of a cross and the Grade 2 students were given Bibles. Al Fougére, Joyce Oliver-Snair and Rev. LeGrow were given Tim Horton's gift certificates to show the Sunday School's appreciation for their assistance.












A special cake marking the Sunday School closing was served in the hall after the service.

Hey! Who ate all the cake?

Hymns For Sunday, June 1st

Come and Fine the Quiet Centre 374

One More Step Along the Road 639

In Moments Like This printed

Amazing Grace 266

Psalm. 46 #770 Refrain 1

Doxology 542

Choir Practice is changed

There will be no Choir practice tonight (Tuesday May 27) but there will be a Choir Practice on Wednesday, May 28th.

Readings for June 1, 3rd Sunday after Pentecost (First Nations Sunday)

Genesis 6:9-22, 7:24, 8:14-19
Psalm 46 (Voices United Page 770)
Romans 1:16-17, 3:22b-28, (29-31)
Matthew 7:21-29

St. Mark's Walk to Church Sunday June 8th

To celebrate a theme of Environment Week 2008, "Using Less - Living Better", we are having a Walk to Church Sunday on June 8th. We are requesting that you put on your walking shoes, drive your car to within one or two blocks of St. Mark's, park and then walk to church. if there is inclement weather, then car pool with someone. Some exceptions permitted!

Change of Plans

Due to death in the community, L'Arche will not be conducting the service this Sunday, June 1st. Lorna MacRury has agreed to take the service in their place.

Your Contact Online

______________________________________________________The following online version of the printed Contact has the same articles and more photos (and in colour) than the printed version.

The printed Contact will be available for distribution on Sunday, June 1st.

Minister's Message

It’s hard to believe. At the end of May, Chris and I will have been here nine months; almost a year. Autumn has turned to winter and winter to spring. In that time we’ve seen baptisms and funerals in our churches. Life is manifested in physical form and leaves it again.

Life is about transitions. It’s about spiritual growth and evolution; accepting “what is” but also engaging in the process of transformation.

Since we’ve been here Chris and I have visited about 120 members of both pastoral charges. We’re slowly coming to understand some of the commonalities and differences of the two communities. We’re understanding family relationships within the communities and we’re learning some of the history of those relationships as well as learning some of the history of the Strait area.

As we continue to visit we would like to hear about your spiritual journey. When were the times you felt abandoned by God? When were the times you felt God very close to you? How has your faith sustained you through the years? It is a privilege to share time and conversation with you in your homes and we look forward to more visits.

As you read the contact you may notice some photographs of our youth group that I took during their 30 Hour Famine and sleep-over. It was good to have them all present at Christmas and to have them participate in the Earth Day service. We are planning a visit to the nursing home in the near future as well as other activities.

What a wonderful and energetic group! It’s a joy to be around them. Let’s always ensure we make them feel welcome and let them know that they are a special presence within our churches. They have their own ideas as they are start out on their spiritual paths. Though there are things we need to teach them, there are also things we can learn from them. Let us each be open to each other’s ideas. Their energy and spirit is vital to the community.Finally I’d like to say “thank you” to those who serve. If I named you all, I’d miss someone, but I’ll mention all those who serve on committees in various functions; those who prepare lunches for funerals and other receptions, those who have a ministry of music and singing, those who maintain the property, those who serve communion and more.

Everyone plays a part, and I am grateful to be able to serve with you as we minister together.

Blessings and peace,
Rev. Sheldon

Mission to Mexico in Pictures

In November, 2007, Dave and I were invited by our son Alexander and his wife Linda to join them on a week’s mission in Ensenada in Mexico’s Baja California state. We traveled there with a thirty-seven people of all ages, male and female and some families with teens from Wellington Square United, Burlington (where our son lives) and Calvary United, St. Jacob’s, Ontario. We were divided into three groups, each with a house to build for a poor Mexican family. Our home for the week was the Ensenada Outreach Center (YUGO) where the director, Scott Wester (a former Disney executive) organized the work parties, our accomodation and food. The rooms were dormitory-style with comfortable bunk beds and they also had four rooms for married couples, one of which we gratefully accepted. Some ladies opted to stay in the dorm with the rest of the girls to have a respite from their husband’s snoring! The meals served in the cafeteria were good and ample after a hard day’s work.

The facility is not far from the Pacific Ocean, where we held our chapel service each morning on a beautiful beach. Some of the braver souls actually went in for a swim. An evening service was held in a chapel at the center, where we also saw video footage of the day’s work at the three building sites.

The concrete slabs were poured and ready with all the building materials on site when we arrived ready for work. Our family of eight, who had been burned out of their former hovel, pitched right in and worked along with us. The husband took time off from his job as a labourer in the nearby vegetable fields. The houses were basically all the same with a living room and two bedrooms. Cooking is done in an outdoor kitchen and the toilet facilities are pit privies. On the last day of the build our family provided us with a delicious home prepared meal. There may have been fewer chickens strutting around the site that day!

Our family was so happy and grateful to have such a beautiful home of their own. We provided them with basic furnishings: bunk beds, a queen bed and a couch and coffee table as well as some bedding and linen. The house is wired for eventual eletricity, but the poles on the street have no wire on them yet.

It was not all work and no play. We enjoyed a few meals in restaurants and at the local taco stands.We also had a day’s outing at a tourist attraction called La Boufadora, which is frequented by passengers from the many cruise lines that stop in Ensenada. The village is full of street vendors with bargain basement prices for everything.

It was a wonderful experience that I encourage you to try. Anyone interested in this unusual type of vacation can find more about the Center at this website:

http://yugo.org/ministries/ensenada.htm

Camille Chapman
Contact Editor

Scott Wester, the director of YUGO in front of the compound.

One of the ladies dorms that had 3 levels of bunks!

Fountain in the YUGO courtyard

Relaxing in the YUGO courtyard after a hard day's work.

The YUGO cafeteria served good food.

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Church service on a Pacific Ocean beach.

Alexander Chapman & Rev. Drew Maxwell played for the hymns.

The Taco Stand was very popular with great food!

The Beginning of Our House Project

The concrete slab was all ready for us to start building.

Erecting the first wall

Three walls are up and some interior partitions

Painting the exterior wall panels.

The walls are being closed in.

Taking a break

Alexander & Dave measure up for the trim.

The Mudwork

Elgin (roofer) with Dee (plaster sander)

Shingling the roof

Brian enjoyed playing with the chilldren

Is this really mine?

The family with Pastor Rosa (2nd from right)

The Key Ceremony

A real home of their own.

Mission to Mexico - Children on the Building Site