Hymns for Sunday November 2

Because He Lives printed

I’m Gonna Live so God Can Use Me 575

Holy Ground printed

Great is Thy Faithfulness 288

Psalm 107, #831 and 832, Parts 1 and 4

Doxology 542

Choir Practice

There will be a choir practice on Tuesday at 5:50 p.m. at St. Mark's. We will be learning a new version of "In Flanders Fields" -  music composed by Al to be sung during the Service of Remembrance on November 9th.

Congregational Meeting November 9

There will be short Congregational meeting immediately following the Service at St. Mark's on November 9th.

Ten Thousand Villages Sale –Another Huge Success

The St. Mark's Mission and Outreach Committee, again, hosted the Ten Thousand Villages Sale on Saturday, October 24th, 2008. The total sales figure for the day was $12,050.00 before taxes. This was a small increase over last year which had been $11,800.00 in sales. Our volunteer sale coordinators, John and Louise, visiting from Burlington, Ontario (although Louise grew up in Bras D'or, Cape Breton!), told us that the proceeds from $3,500 in sales would feed and provide for a family of four for one year. We were able to assist in the care of 3.4 families for the next year. That feels good to me!

"Many hands make light work". Thanks to Carol Ann who got a key to open the Church when she say our Ten Thousand Villages people had arrived a bit early. Thanks to all the men who helped unload the truck and the many volunteers who helped to unpack and set up the merchandise on the Friday evening. We had a few sales Friday evening to practise our skills on the computer and get us off to a great start! Special thanks to Jean Wilson who hosted John and Louise for the night. She has done this many times and we appreciate her opening her home this way. She picked them up and dropped them off and fed them supper on Friday night!

Saturday was a glorious sunny day -  just right for lots of shoppers to come out and start their Christmas shopping. We were even more efficient with three checkouts - one for cash only and the others were connected to debit and credit card lines. Thus meant that we didn't have the massive lineups as in other years and made for a more relaxed shopping atmosphere and happier customers. Thanks to all the computer operators, the wrappers and cash/change makers. Thanks especially to Barb who came and made the debit and credit transactions so smooth!

Lunch was provided for the workers with yummy homemade chilli, rolls and chocolate chip cookies. The Beavers were in the Narthex providing a healthy snack as they held their Apple Day.

At 3:30 p.m. there were still people shopping and it was a very welcome sight to see FIVE men waiting to help us pack up! They were so efficient that at one point we had to get a box of packing material off the truck to finish up the last table of dishes. The floor was swept and all the goods were packed and on the truck by 5 p.m.-  a record cleanup! Our Ten Thousand Villages team were very complimentary that we really knew what we were doing and very pleased about all aspects of the sale. Needless to say, so were we!

There were lots of people who helped to make the event a success and a fun couple of days! Most importantly, we all did a bit to help people in far away lands.

Be sure to mark your calendar for the same weekend next year!

Lana MacLean

Coordinator

Choir Gowns

The choir has asked St. Mark's Congregational Board for new gowns and suggested that the funds for this purchase should come from the Memorial Fund. This requires a vote by the members of the of the congregation, which should take place soon. The choir would like to wear their new gowns for the Christmas service.

Lectionary Readings for Sunday, October 26th

Deuteronomy 34:1-12
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17, Voices United 805-806
Matthew 22:34-46

Hymns for Sunday, October 26th - 24th Sunday after Pentecost

Would You Bless Our Homes and Families 556

Make Me a Channel 684

The Gift of Love 372

God Be With You Till We Meet Again 422

Psalm 90 # 805 Part 3

Doxology 541

Calling All Graduates!

We are looking for photos of high school, college and university graduates from St. David's and St. Mark's to include in the Advent issue of the CONTACT. Please call Camille at 787-2610 and arrange for a pick-up of the photo or leave it with Jane during office hours. Post secondary graduates: please include the faculty, date of graduation and the institution's name. I prefer not to have photos emailed, I like to scan them myself so that I have the correct resolution for the picture. I'll get them back to you as soon as I scan them. Thanks

Covenanting Service at West Bay for Wayne Yorke

It was a celebration of a New Ministry at West Bay United Church on Sunday, October 19th. K.Wayne Yorke was presented to the West Bay Pastoral Charge during a service presided over by Rev. Donna Tourneur. Rev. Sheldon LeGrow delivered the message, Kay Horton played the organ and Ray Horton conducted the choir. There was a delicious lunch served in the hall after the service. We wish Wayne and his wife many happy years here in Cape Breton.

St. David's 123rd Anniversary

St. David's 123rd Anniversary was held on Sunday, October 19th

The guest speaker was Tina Bernard, co-ordinator of the Aboriginal Peace and Friendship Project which is a partnership project of Tatamagouche Centre and the Mennonite Central Committee, in association with the Aboriginal Rights Coalition – Atlantic and the Task Group on Aboriginal Relationships and Concerns of Maritime Conference, United Church of Canada. Building on the foundational work of Lnapskuk from 2002 to 2005, this project works toward further efforts of peace, justice and mutuality among First Nations and non-Aboriginal people and groups in the Maritime region.

Tina is from We'koqma'q First Nation, Cape Breton. She has a BA in Sociology/Anthropology, and also has conflict transformation and program development training. She has an eclectic approach to spiritual matters and is deeply committed to the realization of healing for her Mi'kmaq people. Having trained and worked in the field of healing family violence from an Aboriginal perspective, she carries a deep belief in "walking one's talk" and living in balance: spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. Tina has an especially valuable role to play today, as Canadian society embarks on the healing and reconciliation required, out of our legacy of Indian Residential Schools.

http://www.fundybiz.com/sbx1/tatacentre.ca/partnerships/apfp

Visitors from Regina, Saskatchewan joined in our the celebration.
They were here for Celtic Colours.

Some of the Bernard family with Sheldon & Christene.

Tina is a most moving speaker.

St. Mark's Men's Group

St. Mark's Men's Group will be holding their monthly breakfast meeting on October 26th.
*Please note this change of the usual date for this month only, due to St. David's Anniversary.

St. Mark's Special Events Group (U.C.W.)

St. Mark's Special Events Group (U.C.W) will be meeting at 12 noon on October 23rd.

October 21st, St. Mark's Congregational Meeting

St. Mark's Congregational Board will meet on Tuesday, October 21st
Executive: 6:30 p.m.
Committees: 7:15 p.m.
Combined Board: 8:15 p.m.

Thanksgiving Sunday at St. Mark's

It was a beautiful Thanksgiving Sunday service at St. Mark's. The music was great, Lana's sermon was very well done, the decorations were stunning, some of graduates were home for the holiday and Wilf and Melita stopped in to attend church enroute to their home from a visit to Newfoundland.