From the Rector's Desk

I wonder if anyone has noticed the first signs of spring poking out of the ground in the last few days. The last few days at my house I have been watching in wonder as green shoots have emerged from dark, muddy earth that for too long were hidden under snow. It always amazes me how hard, papery little bulbs which spend months in cold darkness unseen, quietly break through the surface to produce new life - colourful, fresh and full of hope. 

It is a process that I have been fascinated by since I was a child, and admittedly I still don't know all the science behind it (and in all honesty I don't care to, in case it takes away from the wonder!) But I do think that this process can say a lot about our faith journey, especially as we look toward the season of Lent. 

There are times in our lives when our faith is a little harder, where we find ourselves dried up and feeling dormant. And often the season of Lent is seen as a dormant season - a time when we look inward, when we spend time in prayer and contemplation, when we examine our hearts and our lives as we walk with Christ towards the Cross. It is a time when church life is a little quieter, a little more somber, a little more reflective, and we wait for new life to meet us on the other side of Holy Week. 

So as we look ahead to the season of Lent, I invite you to keep your eyes and your heart open to seek signs of hope. Keep looking for reminders of new life to come as we prepare for our dormant time of prayer and reflection, while we walk through the wilderness of Lent together. 

Blessings,

Kirsten +

 

New Office Hours

Our new office administrator, Linda Chad, officially begins working in the office next week! Linda comes to us with a whole host of skills but it will take her some time to get up to speed on how our church office operates, as the Anglican world is a complicated one to jump into. The coming weeks will be a steep learning curve, so please be gentle and forgiving as Linda finds her feet with us. Starting March 4th, our new office hours will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10am to 3pm.

Linda will be joining us on Sunday March 2nd to get a feel for our service and to meet everyone – so please come ready to welcome Linda to our community of faith.

 

Parish Council 

The first meeting of our newly elected Parish Council will be held on Wednesday March 12th at 1pm. Members, please mark your calendars. I invite prayers from the community as we prepare for our first meeting together and discuss plans for the year ahead.

 

Using your Gifts

Please consider stepping up to support the various ministries in our community, as we cannot do the work of this place alone. If you can count, use a cell phone, greet people at the door, read scripture or prayers, arrange flowers, make coffee and more… we can find a place for you to help support the work of our community! Let us know if you are interested in helping out.

 

Pancakes and Ashes

This year we are combining forces with St. Anne and St. Edmund, Parksville for our pre-Lenten preparations of Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. On Tuesday March 4th we will be gathering at St. Edmund's hall for a feast of pancakes, sausages and more! The event will take place from 4pm -6pm and entry will be by donation. Then on Wednesday March 5th we will all come to St. Mary’s for our Ash Wednesday Service; a time of prayer, sharing of Holy Eucharist and imposition of ashes. Bringing our communities together to share in these special Holy Days is one of the ways we can share resources, boost our numbers and share in the Kingdom of God as Anglicans in Oceanside – so be sure to join us as you can.

 

Safe Church Training

On Thursday March 6 at 2pm there Val will be leading a showing of the Safe Church Video for our new admin and we are inviting anyone who may need/want to be Safe Church certified to come along and watch the 34-minute video at that time. If you are interested in attending, please register with Val ahead of time so she can be sure to put your name on the list.

 

 Lenten Bible Study 

Rev. Kirsten will be offering a 5-week bible study for the season of Lent. We will gather on Tuesdays from 10am to 12pm beginning March 11th (after Ash Wednesday). This year, the theme of the study will be a little bit different: instead of focusing on the last days of Jesus or elements of lent or holy week, we will focusing on the stories of 5 of Jesus's followers. These are people who encountered Jesus at key moments in their life and who were transformed, some of whom were there through to the cross and beyond. Together we will explore these lives and discuss how our lives are impacted as we too encounter Jesus with the Cross heavy on the horizon. 

 

 Dates of Note

There are lots of things coming up in the next few months so to help us keep track, here are some dates to note:

Sunday March 2 – Service of Holy Eucharist with Rev. Kirsten

Tuesday March 4 – Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at St. Edmunds 4pm to 6pm (by donation)

Wednesday March 5 – Ash Wednesday Service at St. Mary’s at 11am

Sunday March 9 – Service of the Word with Rev. Lynn Cawthra – Deacon of the Diocese

Tuesday March 11 @ 10am – Lent Bible Study starts. All are welcome to attend

Wednesday March 12 – Parish Council meeting at 1pm in the Church

Sunday March 23 – Combined service at St. Mary’s with Guest Preacher Rev. Jenny Reploge, Canon for Lay Led Parishes and Parishes in Transition.

 

PWRDF Mapping The Ground We Stand On

We have been invited by the PWRDF representative at St. Paul’s in Nanaimo to join them for the “Mapping Exercise” on Friday March 7th at 12-3pm, with coffee being served at 11am. This workshop is led by skilled facilitators and invites us to enter into the story of settlement of our lands as an act of raising awareness of the interaction between indigenous presence and settler arrival across Canada. More information about the program can be found https://pwrdf.org/mapping-exercise/

If you are interested in attending, please register by contacting Julie Foster either by text 250-527-3001 or email fosterdj57@gmail.com.