Canadian Memorial - What's Happening
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JNAC
The "Joint Needs Assessment Committee" for Canadian Memorial
met for the first time last Sunday, May 4th to begin the job of discernment
around two central issues facing our congregation: the future of Children's
Church at CMUC and our minister, Bruce Sanguin's increasing need to spend time
in the wider community in response to his recently published books.
The committee members from our congregation are Anne Beer, Dorothy Buckland,
Linda Denham, Linda Gunn, Natalie Hall, Lee Kornder, Andy Maton, Ray McGinnis,
Rhiannon Morgan, Russ Quinn and Karen Vanderheyden. In addition, we are also
pleased to have two members of presbytery on our committee: Rev. David Ewart and
Sue Parker. We are planning to meet weekly, whenever possible, and welcome any
input from the members of this congregation as we engage in this exciting
process!
"The Old Lady Needs
a New Hat"
The Sanctuary of Canadian Memorial is 80 years old this year, and
the roof is, too! Imagine the stories this roof could tell from all those years;
imagine all the thousands of people that have been protected by her over that
time span, and imagine any modern roof lasting that long!
We are gearing up for the replacement of the roof (in about 2010-11) by
initiating a capital fundraising campaign. Over the next couple of months, a
roof committee will be struck to steward the project and to kick fundraising
into high gear. In the meantime, people have been generously donating to the
fund through supporting efforts such as the Raise The Roof rock/gospel concert
at the church back in March (and if you missed it, you should be kicking
yourself), as well as the ongoing, "Thunderbird mobile" campaign.
Join the Flock - Buy a Thunderbird!
The Thunderbird, in Native lore, is a spiritual icon given to all of us by the
Creator. It is a symbol of strength, power, and fertility...and appropriate for
our community initiatives at C.M.U.C.
Our beautiful Thunderbird mobiles can be purchased through the office or after
church on most Sundays. Your name will be put on yours, and Tax receipts will be
issued. These birds are spectacular! If you want to see them, check out the
ever-expanding flock flying in the East Transept of the Sanctuary.
IN FROM THE COLD
In From The Cold - May 9th
is the next scheduled dinner for our friends in the downtown eastside.
(The next date is, June 13th.) This
means stew and cakes...once again. Please pick up an ice cream pail after the
service today, fill it with stew and drop it off at the Center for Peace by noon
on May 9th. For those of you who are baking chocolate cake, please have
the cake at the Center by noon on that date as well. If you can help with set
up, serving and /or clean up, please contact Anita Kilberg.
On December 14, 2007 a crew of about twenty volunteers from Canadian
Memorial Church led by Anita Kilberg arrived to feed
the hungry street people who gathered at First United Church in Downtown
Eastside Vancouver. It was a wet, cold night and more than ten dozen hungry
people arrived to be fed with stews lovingly prepared by caring people from
Canadian Memorial. I could tell that the diners were very grateful to get a cup
of coffee, a hot meal and dessert (with ice cream)
more...
Giant Garage Sale
There will be a giant garage sale, Saturday,
May 10, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm in the 1900 block of West 13th Ave.,
between Maple and Cypress.
All proceeds go to the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s African
Grandmothers to Grandmothers GOGO campaign to assist them in caring for their
orphan grandchildren and people living with HIV/AIDS.
Needed are good quality toys, furniture, garden tools, small
household appliances, DVDs, CDs, jewellery, china, linens, pictures, glassware,
and pottery. No clothing. Call 604-731-2080 for pick-up or drop-off by May 3.
Please support this worthy cause.
Newcomers Lunch
It doesn’t matter if you have been coming to Canadian Memorial for a few years
or if this is your first visit. As long as you feel like a newcomer, you are
welcome to join us. Newcomers Lunch is a chance to meet the staff and learn more
about what makes Canadian Memorial tick. There is a chance to chat with staff
and with other newcomers before lunch. While we are eating, you have an
opportunity to hear how others have found their way to Canadian Memorial. In
addition, people from the congregation are there to talk about various programs
available at the church. The food and conversation are always great, and it’s an
easy, casual way to learn more and meet others. There’s no need to prepare—just
bring yourself and your appetite. All are welcome. The next luncheon is on
May 23, in the Fireside Room after the Sunday service.
The
Poetry of Meister Eckhart and Hafez and the Mystery of Life,
led by Ray McGinnis
Meister Eckhart and Hafez were mystics in the 13th and 14th
centuries. Their innovative, playful, and timeless poetry is like a distant
mirror. Their poetry helps us see images we hold of ourselves, our world, and
our God, in new and liberating ways. Meister Eckhart and Hafez lived in times of
social chaos, war, and disease. Yet their poetry offered their contemporaries
and offers us today clues to providing a meaningful way to celebrate ourselves
and our world in this new century of trouble and beauty. In this workshop you
will hear selected readings of the poetry of Eckhart and Hafez, have time
for conversation, and be gently led to write new poems in response to what has
opened in you. Come and have a fresh encounter with poetry’s potential to be a
companion on your own spiritual journey.
Saturday, May 24, 9:30 am–4:00 pm
Cost: $40
Street Meals Ministry
Street meals will meet
on Saturday, May 31, to make lunch bags for working street youth and
sandwiches for youth who drop in to the Directions Youth Centre on Burrard
Street between Helmecken and Davie. Please join our congenial group and help to
feed the hungry. Our goal is to make 400 sandwiches, about 40 loaves, so
contributions of bread and fillings are welcome as well. Donations can also be
made to the CMUC Streetmeals Fund. This month we are also collecting
bedding—blankets, sleeping bags and tarps—as it continues to be wet and cold
outside on the street. For more information, please contact
Joanne Hausch
Techie Opportunity
Are you interested in technology? Or maybe it
scares you and you want to learn more about it. Either way, we are interested in
“drawing the circle wider” regarding our Sound System Team. We are the ones who
make sure that on Sunday mornings you hear every word that’s spoken or sung. The
board may look complex, but only a few of the buttons are used. It’s very
interesting, fun, and a great way to serve our community. All that is required
is one day per month. If this sounds like you, contact Neil Weisensel, Minister
of Music, by phone at 604-731-6819, or by
e-mail.
tapestry
Listen to Mary Hynes' interview with Rev.
Bruce Sanguin on CBC's
Tapestry
Choir
Our wonderful choir help
us celebrate on Sundays. We're offering Mozart, gospel, and
everything in between. If you would like to get more information about
participating in the choir, please contact the Minister of Music,
Neil Weisensel. Rehearsals are on
Thursday evenings. For more on the choir,
see the Music page.
Photo gallery
You're invited to view some recent photographs from Mary Lou.
Meditation
It’s easy and there are many benefits. Join us
Tuesday evenings in the Meditation Room at the Centre for Peace. From
7:00 to 7:30 pm, Sam Wyatt briefly teaches meditation techniques and theory.
From 7:30 to 8:30 pm, we meditate silently as a group, using different
forms of mediation, and share inspirational readings.
United for Peace Campaign
The United Church of Canada has started an
initiative called United for Peace Campaign. They are inviting us to buy and
then resell one-of-a-kind olivewood pins made in Bethlehem. If you are
interested please talk to Bruce or to Jean
Moore.
LIBRARY
The library is located in room 202 of the Centre for Peace. It
is open whenever the office is staffed and the room is not occupied. Books may
be borrowed for four weeks. Sign the book card in the front of the book with
your name and telephone number, and leave the card in the book card box in the
library
The church library has the following new books:
The Emerging Church,
Bruce’s newest book. We also have some of the books listed in his bibliography.
Their Jihad…not my Jihad
Donated by the author, Raheel Raza, who preached here three weeks ago
Lifting the Stone,
Donated by the author, poet Susan McCaslin
Mystery of the White Lions
A tale of shamans and folklore in South Africa, donated by Beverley Straight
Simply Pray
A very helpful book donated by Carol Zhong
Voices of the Heart
A beautifully illustrated book of Chinese symbols for many human emotions,
suggested by Donna Nansen
The Monarch’s Progress
A children’s book about the monarch butterfly, written and illustrated by
Vancouver poet Avis Hartley. Each of the eighteen poems is written in a
different poetic form so that children can learn how a sonnet, haiku, limerick,
or cinquain, for example, is constructed. Donated by C. McPherson
A New Climate for Theology by Sallie McFague -
The author of "Life Abundant"- brings us up to date on changes in the world and
on her thinking about God, the World and Global Warming.
Dreaming the Divine -Bonnelle Lewis Strickling ,
Suggested by Carol Zhong. Strickling suggests that "people dream about the
divine in forms that fit their current emotional and spiritual condition
Darwin, Divinity, And The Dance Of The Cosmos
Bruce Sanguin integrates modern science and theolgical tradition in a way
that gives me hope for our planet's future".
Award winning editor James Taylor
JOBS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Check out jobs page for something that might
appeal to you. Or contact our Coordinator of Lay Ministry,
Mary Lou Whittaker.
Healing Ministry
The Reiki ministry is ongoing upstairs at the
Centre for Peace, most Sundays after the service. To book a session at other
times, please call Peggy
Muncaster
Knitting Ministry
The Knitting Ministry meets on the first Sunday of each month in room 201 in the
Centre for Peace. All knitters, crocheters, and those wanting to learn are
welcome. Bring the items you are working on now; yarn and needles are available
for new projects. Speed of creation is not a requirement. Meetings usually last
an hour or so. For information, please contact
Katherine
Mansfield
Companion Animal
Pastoral Care Ministry
Kathy Gibson and Morva Gowans are initiating
this new Pastoral Care Ministry. Kathy and Morva, people who share their lives
with companion animals, are available to provide caring and understanding
support for others who also live with companion animals. They will offer prayers
and a listening ear to comfort and support you when your companion animal is
sick or injured, elderly or has passed on. Contact
Kathy at 604-294-3294
and Morva at 604-738-8026
DAYTIME Bible Study
The Bible Study
group on Tuesday afternoons (previously Wednesday mornings) in the Centre for Peace.
Community Events:
The historical Jesus and his authentic message
Banyen Books presents Rex Weyler, talking about
the historical Jesus and about his new book, The Jesus Sayings: The Quest for
his Authentic Message. Weyler will discuss his research of the earliest ancient
record, including the gospels of Thomas, Mary, Philip, and the Gnostic writers,
revealing the Jesus message of self-awareness and public service. Lutheran
author Matthew Fox says: “Weyler liberates the historical Jesus. There is
honesty and trustworthiness in this book and in this author.” Douglas Todd
wrote in The Vancouver Sun, “a compelling overview of the scholarly search
for the flesh-and-blood historical Jesus. The critically acclaimed author writes
with warmth, insight and integrity.”
Saturday, May 10, 7:30 pm,
Canadian Memorial United Church, 16th and Burrard.
Hatha Yoga Classes, April 29–May 20
Enjoy practicing a flow style of yoga suitable
for all levels, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am to 10:30 am, in the
Great Hall at the Centre for Peace. The style taught is based on the flow of
life, one asana (posture) dissolving into the next effortlessly, encouraging the
student to move beyond the mind. Experience clarity, calm, and inner balance,
with a focus on safety and alignment.
*Please bring your own mat, $10 cash,
and come on an empty stomach. Namaste.
Prana Yoga College
Moves into the Centre for Peace
The Prana Yoga College
has moved the main operation into the
Centre for Peace and will be
with us five months a year. There are 200-hour one-month programs, on Wednesday
and Friday mornings from 9:30 to 11:00.
200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at the Centre for Peace
April 28–May 25 and July 14–August 10
Beginning April 28, Prana Yoga Teacher College will be
offering 200-hour yoga teacher training programs at the Centre for Peace. Fully
accredited by PCTIA (Private Career Training Institute Agency), and registered
with the national Yoga Alliance, Prana Yoga College has been offering
comprehensive teacher training programs around the world since 1982, and has
hundreds of successful graduates. Founder Shakti Mhi’s unique integration of
safety-oriented injury-preventative teaching instructions, yoga philosophy,
human anatomy, and grounded approach to discovering the essence of yoga provides
students with the opportunity to learn to teach yoga in a supportive,
non-competitive environment. This program enables you to explore your unique and
personal relationship to yoga, as well as hone your abilities to become an
intuitive and concise teacher.
For more information please visit our website:
www.pranayogacollege.com
Contact us directly at:
Telephone: 604-682-2121 or 604-676-8812
E-mail:
teachertraining@pranayoga.com
Regular Events:
Canadian Memorial Church and the Centre for Peace are busy
places, and this page will guide you to some of our many activities and events.
Below is a short summary of our ongoing activities and Ministry Teams, with contact information.
Click on Calendar ;
this will take you to our web based calendar which lists room bookings, times
and dates for all activities using the Church or Centre for Peace.
Click on Teach
Christian Faith to see the many opportunities to learn a
progressive Christian faith, including:
Clicking on Nurture loving
community takes you to some photos and
general information on our vibrant church community groups, including:
Click on Act for peace
and see the many ways we carry out this vision.
Clicking Ministry for
Seniors (also known as "Pastoral Care") will lead you to a long
listing of activities for and by the senior members in the congregation.
A directory of Ministry Teams, Committees and
Trustees is found on the Groups page
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