Rev. Dr. Michael Thompson, Rector
Dear Friends at St. Jude's,
As August begins, the September horizon gets closer, and with it a number of key events and initiatives in our common life. The Council of Ministries, Ministry Coordinators, wardens, clergy and staff are all working to ensure that opportunities for worship and celebration, learning and growth, fun and friendship are ready for the fall. Here's a brief overview of some of those opportunities:
A celebration of faith and work - Labour Day Sunday As many of you will have heard when Aaron Orear preached on July 22, our new Assistant Curate has a strong sense of how our daily work and our faith are connected. On Sunday, September 2, we will celebrate that connection in the 10 a.m. liturgy, with scripture, song and prayer, including a Eucharistic prayer Aaron has developed for this occasion, and an offertory procession of the symbols of our work.
Elijah! a musical - Sunday, September 9, 9.30 am - This year's Vacation Bible School has a new slant. Much of the focus for participants will be rehearsing a musical that will serve as the "Liturgy of the Word" at the 9.30 celebration on September 9. Come and revel in one of the great stories of the prophets, set to music and enriching our worship.
Stewardship education - September and October "Stewardship" means taking care of something that doesn't belong to us. All too often, we focus only on money. In September, "From the Rector" will offer reflections on four stewardship themes: Care of Self, Care of Relationships, Care of the Earth, and Care of Resources. In October, small group gatherings (like those during Lent 2007) will take place in the homes of facilitator-hosts, and participants will have an opportunity to build friendships, grow in understanding our call to "care for", and pray together.
"Living the Questions" - a twelve-week exploration On Wednesday evenings at 7:30 beginning September 12 and continuing to November 28, we will be "living the questions" of faith and spirit, with weekly themes such as "creativity and the stories of creation", "evil, suffering, and a God of love", "restoring relationships", and "social justice". Using a video that includes such leaders as Tex Sample, John Shelby Spong, Nancy Ammerman and Minerva Caracano (the first Hispanic woman bishop of the United Methodist Church), and Marcus Borg, this is an opportunity to explore questions that sometimes get swept under the ecclesiastical carpet. Exploring such questions is an important part of spiritual formation, and we look forward to a lively, searching and spirited conversation.
Memorial Garden Service - Sunday, September 16 at 2 p.m. - Once more we will gather to remember and give thanks for the lives of those who have died. Though there is a focus on those whose ashes are interred in the Memorial Garden, participation is not restricted to their friends and relatives. All of us remember our dead with thanksgiving as well as with a sense of loss, and this is a time to gather around that memory and loss, and our shared hope, in a special service and reception.
"Come to the Feast - September 28-30 - Continuing the pattern begun last year with Jay Koyle's visit, this year we will welcome Ruth Meyers, Academic Dean and Professor of Liturgy at Seabury Western Theological Seminary (an Episcopal Church seminary in suburban Chicago). Ruth brings remarkable insight into both the principles of good worship and the realities of congregational life, and will continue the work of equipping us to develop liturgy that is both faithful to principles and grounded in the common life of this congregation. Dinner and an after-dinner presentation from Ruth on Friday night, a workshop on Saturday morning, then a 10.00 am joint celebration and a question and answer presentation by Ruth afterwards. A first-rate mind and faithful leader comes to St. Jude's to support our learning and growth.
Oktoberfest - Saturday, October 20 - It's time for even those of us who don't dance well to cut loose and polka! With appropriate Bavarian beverages and food to delight us, we're planning a "cheap and cheerful" evening out for you. Watch for details in the fall. No lederhosen, please!
Youth Group - a mission focus This year, the youth group will focus on how young people can participate in mission, in what God is up to in the world. The group will gather around activities both reflective and active, under the leadership of the adult companions - Julie Dawson, Mike Wharton, Allan Smith and Chris Ball, along with our Assistant Curate, Aaron Orear and cameos from the rector.
Sunday School - The teachers and helpers in the Sunday School, with the leadership of Wendy Hart, are getting ready for another year of learning, friendship and fun. We're here to support parents as well as teach kids, because parents are the primary influence on children's spiritual formation.
Choirs and the church's song - With the leadership and skill of Tom Bell, Wendy Hart, and Andrei Streliaev, we anticipate another year of joy and excellence in the song of our life together in Christ. We have a lineup of "Fourth at Four" events for Sunday afternoons, including another Bach Cantata, a traditional Evensong, and a celebration built around Ralph Vaughn Williams' "Four Mystical Songs", with Mervyn Russell, our new "ecumenical honorary assistant" and "singer of songs". The Gloria Choir - for children, women and men, will start up again in early September.
Song, Space, and Serving- As reported elsewhere in this newsletter, this group has begun work on a possible major initiative renewing three elements of our common life - the space in which we worship, the organ that accompanies the song of the church in that space, and the tradition of serving through outreach that has a long and generous history at St. Jude's. Opportunities to provide input and feedback to this group will emerge over the course of the autumn and winter.
"A community in mission" - God is up to something in and for the world, and we are called, by our baptism and our common life in this place, as well as in our service in daily life, to participate in that work, to join that mission. Our worship and care for one another, our fellowship and outreach, our learning and growing, our songs, our prayers, our care for this place with its bricks and its flowers - all of that discloses a present and purposeful God who is founding a new kingdom in our midst. When we worship with reverence and vitality, when we serve with courage and generosity, when we welcome with open doors, arms, and hearts, when we do our work with a care for those it will serve and with gladness in our capacity to do it, when we are humble enough to learn new truth and loyal to the truths that have shaped us, when we bring one another's gifts to light and honour one another's contribution to our life together - when all that happens, we are taking up our part in God's mission, including offering the world a glimpse - a parable, if you will - of "the world according to God."
I share with you a deep gratitude to those on whose strong foundations we now build, and I share with you a deep conviction that, as we continue to build on those foundations, we fashion a legacy and foundation on which future generations of disciples can build in their time. Let us enjoy the feast that is our life together, and out of that gladness, become more and more deeply, partners in God's mission, God's care for the world.
With every glad blessing, Michael Thompson
NEXT NEWSLETTER - Deadline will be Friday, November 9th. Submissions should be in the office on or before this date for insertion in the Advent Newsletter. Thanks
If you would like to receive this Newsletter via email, please advise the church office (905-844-3972) of your email address. Thank you
Curate Report
What does Sunday morning in church have to do with Monday morning on the job? What connection is there between our gathering in worship and the vocations that occupy a huge chunk of our lives? In short, we're Christians…so what?
As Pierre Burton noted in his famous (some would say infamous) book, The Comfortable Pew, modern Christianity suffers a certain disconnect between creed and culture, between what we say on Sunday and what we do on Monday. Perhaps this disconnect is the influence of Gnosticism, a pre-Christian belief that this world is wicked and must be shed in search of heaven. Perhaps it's vestiges of monastic rejection of the secular world. Or perhaps it's just us missing the point of the Incarnation. Whatever the case, many Christians seem more comfortable with a transcendent God, high up in the clouds and unknowable, than the immanent, living God who infuses our lives with Grace. An immanent God does more than simply create humanity and leave us to muddle along until Judgement Day.
An immanent God is with us, alongside us and in us, giving energy and direction to the creation. As Christians we believe that this immanence was most powerfully found in the life of Jesus Christ, the Word and Son of God, and that Christ is present still within each of us. As members of a church formed by the Holy Spirit, we also believe that God flows in and through creation, helping us to do "infinitely more than we could ask or imagine." Rather than a distant and uncaring judge, an immanent God is personal and intimate.
Certainly Jesus doesn't enter us at the church door and leave us when we depart. Nor does the Spirit only energize us while sitting in a pew or reading the Bible. God is not limited by the walls of our church buildings. In the field, the kitchen, the school and the factory, bidden or unbidden, God is present in every moment of our lives.
So what would that look like on Monday morning? How would an immanent God manifest at the office, or on the construction site? Should Christians think holy thoughts while working, or perhaps attend Bible study after work? While these are certainly blessings, they miss the point that God is not limited to church or church-related activities. What about the car that has just rolled off the assembly line? What about the human resources project that has just come to fruition? How about the freshly washed dishes drying beside the sink? Are these not also part of God's creation?
In Genesis 2:5 we read that the garden hadn't grown, there was no life, because "there was no one to till the ground". Humans were created for this, "to till the ground and keep it" (Gen. 2:15), and our modern-day jobs are expansions of that task. Society has become far more complex than simple agriculture, but ultimately we are all tilling and keeping some corner of the garden. We're not just part of God's creation (though we are that, too), we are agents of creation. We carry out God's work in whatever job we are called to do - plumber, accountant, sales clerk, teacher, or janitor.
If God's work is being done through our everyday vocations, the church should celebrate and honour that fact. So on September 2, the Sunday before Labour Day, St. Jude's will do just that in a special liturgy at the 10:00am Eucharist. Please join us to celebrate our labour in creation, a labour shared with the immanent God.
Keeping the focus on our "secular" work, this fall we will launch a small group series to discuss faith in daily life. The object will be to explore together the various ways we encounter God's presence outside the church and other religious structures, especially through our vocations, and to provide a more intimate forum in which to consider and question discipleship in the world. Please contact me if you are interested in joining the conversation.
Peace, The Rev. Aaron Orear curate@stjudeschurch.net
Come to the Feast
A weekend of events to celebrate our communal worship and life at St Jude's
Friday, September 28, 6:00pm - 9:00pm Feast For the body! Dine on bread, wine and other Potluck delights as we gather for a family meal with our dinner guest, Ruth Meyers. We will sing and laugh as we reflect on our life together at St. Jude's.
Saturday, September 29, 9:00am - noon Feast For the mind! Explore the vital relationship of worship and liturgy to our daily lives as our workshop leader, Ruth Meyers, helps us to be "rooted in faith and engaged in the world".
Sunday, September 30 - 8:00 & 10:00 services Feast For the soul! Reflect in worship together as we see afresh, hear good news and act faithfully. Ruth Meyers preaches at 8:00 and at a combined service at 10:00. After the service, Ruth engages us in conversation and answers questions.
Our guest is Rev. Ruth Meyers, Academic Dean and Professor of Liturgics at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. Sign up sheets are posted outside the church office or call the office at 905-844-3972 to register.
Food for the Body and the Soul
ACW FALL RUMMAGE SALE ~ October 13th We are in need of clean seasonal clothing, books, toys and household goods. Please NO luggage, NO computers, monitors, speakers and No large items.
ACW FALL FAIR ~ November 24th Knitters and sewers needed. Aprons, small stuffed woolen toys are especially in demand. Please call Joan Connelly at (905) 842-4550 if materials or wool is needed.
THE CHURCH GARDEN
This is the 25th year since Grace Irvine, Jean Mulholland and John Simkins began the transformation of the "field of dandelions" into the glorious Garden we are now privileged to enjoy. They have passed on to us a wonderful heritage. But, just like us, gardens age. Many of the original plants have outlived their best years: renewal and renovation are a continuing need if we are to preserve the heritage for the next 25 years.
The Garden Guild raises sufficient funds for its ongoing, regular annual maintenance expenses from the spring perennial sale. But new plants (for renovation and renewal) are expensive: for these we are dependent on the generous donations of those who love the Garden. We are most grateful to all who have contributed to the preservation of our heritage by making donations over the past two years to the Garden Renovation Project. If you would like to make a gift towards the ongoing renovation, please contact Julie Hudak in the Church Office. (If cheques are made out to "St. Jude's Church" they are eligible for income tax receipts.) Some donations have been given in memory of loved ones, or to mark special occasions: in such cases, the Garden Guild can designate particular plants as memorials.
The Garden Guild hopes you will take opportunities to enjoy the peace and beauty of the Garden over the late summer and fall.
Wardens' Report August 2007
Things are never quiet at St. Jude's - even in the summer. Over the past months our Ministry Coordinators have been busy creating and formalizing their ministry plans. Based on their initial reports, we are confident the fall will be an exciting time.
In the Pentecost edition of our newsletter, Margaret Brockett shared with us a proposed new framework for Pastoral Care at St. Jude's. Since the May 1 meeting, we have established a working group consisting of the Rector, the Wardens and a small group of Sharing in Caring volunteers. The group met in June, to discuss our commitment to care for one another and to consider how the work can evolve under new leadership. This smaller group allowed us to discuss opportunities, challenges and some modifications to the proposed model. We expect to meet again in September and continue discussion as to how we begin organizing ourselves within the context of a new leadership model and build on the strengths of the current Sharing in Caring program.
This significant ministry allows us to "seek and serve Christ in all persons". All are Welcome!
We are pleased to welcome Chris Manning to the Council of the Corporation. As the Ministry Coordinator for Financial Development, Chris will be creating our over-arching strategy for fund development and a more deliberate approach to the use of our trust funds. Stay tuned for more from Chris as he launches this vital Ministry.
As wardens we would be negligent if we didn't update you on the financial operations of the parish. As of June 30th we are showing a $16,000 shortfall in regular support, so we encourage you to keep up with your commitment to St. Jude's so that this number does not increase.
Ross Connell and Cheryl Hudson
Medical Emergencies
Very infrequently, someone feels unwell during a worship service. Normally a greeter is the first point of contact when this happens, but that person may not be equipped to assess the situation properly. We would like to have a list of people upon whom Greeters could call for assistance. Unless it is clearly not necessary, the Greeters will normally call 911 for professional assistance, but it would help to have someone on hand to provide practical advice in the meantime.
If you are a physician, nurse or have first aid or CPR training, we would appreciate having your name on our list. Please call the office and let us know.
A Memorial Garden Remembrance Service (Holy Eucharist) is planned for Sunday, September 16, 2007 at 2:00 pm. Friends and relatives of those interred in the Memorial Garden are invited to share with us in this special event. If you are able to help by providing sweets for a reception afterwards, please contact Jo-Anne Stone at 905-845-3242 or e-mail to rjstone@cogeco.ca
Local Solutions to Local Homelessness: Oakville's First Empty Bowls Event! Home Suite Hope (www.homesuitehope.org) is holding Oakville's first ever Empty Bowls Event on Sunday, October 21st from 1 - 4 p.m. at Appleby College.
Empty Bowls events (www.emptybowls.net) offer a symbolic and literal opportunity to give, helping to fill the bowls of the homeless. Potters donate wonderful bowls, top Oakville chefs donate zesty soups, and local bakeries donate delicious rolls. For a minimum $50 ticket donation, you keep the bowl and contribute to a local solution to local homelessness: Home Suite Hope Shared Living.
Home Suite Hope is a charity that provides seamless, transitional 'made-in-Oakville' housing solutions for individuals and families affected by homelessness in our community. A key component of Halton Region's spectrum of accommodation, HSH offers integrated support that enables residents to acquire additional education and skills that enhance life opportunities and earning power, and increase housing and financial stability.
If you are interested in volunteering at the event or purchasing tickets please contact Dede Hacking (hacking@sympatico.ca).
Congratulations to Isabelle Collins who celebrated her 90th birthday on July 20th.
Congratulations to Dorothy Black who will be celebrating her 90th birthday on August 28th .
Congratulations to Joe and Gert Anderson who will celebrate their 71st wedding anniversary on August 22nd .
Congratulations to Alan and Dorothy Short on their 65th wedding anniversary on August 29th .
ST. JUDE'S BRIDGE CLUB
Mark your calendars! We begin September 20th at 2:00 pm, and thereafter, every third Thursday of the month. Include us in your bridge schedule to make it successful and fun!
Exploring Liturgy
Travel with members of the worship and liturgy committee
2007 Itinerary
1. Taize Night Prayer at St Aidan's Anglican Church, Oakville. 7:30 pm Friday September 21, 2007. Candlelight, songs and prayers from Taize.
2. Evensong and talking Supper at the Sisterhood of St John the Divine Convent. Enjoy an organ recital and evensong at Chapel of St John the Divine, followed by a talking Sunday Supper at the Convent with the Sisters. (Times and dates to be announced late October or November) Look for the registration information in October.
Contact Jean Anne Farmilo for more information or transportation (905) 845-5133 2007
Advent photo contest
Deadline for Entries October 19, 2007
Theme: It's Advent - the theme is all about the color BLUE: Be creative! Judges are looking for creativity, originality, and technical proficiency.
Categories: " Kids " High School " College / University " Adult amateurs " Adult professionals
Big Prize: Winners will have their work enlarged and on display December 8th, 2007, and during the Advent season at St. Jude's Anglican Church in Oakville.
More info: Go to www.stjudeschurch.net/ news/whats_new.htm for contest rules.
Entry forms are available from the church office or in the Narthex. 2007
Advent Reflections
Request for Poetry
On Saturday, December 8, we open our church to the community and invite them to enjoy our beautiful space for a time of peace, contemplation, prayers and meditation.
IN 2006, we had community poets submit their work for all of us to share in the Advent Season. This year we would like even more creative people to be able to participate.
Theme: The themes will reflect the symbols of our traditional Advent Wreath: Hope, Joy, Peace and Love.
How to Enter: Submit your poetry to "Advent Poetry" by e-mail to businessmanager@stjudeschurch.net or hard copy to the church office. Make sure to include your name and contact information so that we can reach you.
More Info: By entering, you agree to allow your work to be enlarged and printed in a standard format for display. Entries chosen for display will be picked by members of the congregation. You will be notified if chosen by December 1, 2007. You may pick up the display form of your poem after Dec 30, 2007 at the church office. Go to www.stjudeschurch.net/ news/whats_new.htm for more information or call the church at (905) 844-3972
Deadline: October 31, 2007
Blessing of Animals Service in the Garden Chapel on September 30th at 2:00 pm. Bring your pet(s)!
Parish Lending Library
We have a really interesting group of books and videos/dvds in our library. These have been chosen thoughtfully for the enjoyment and education of our parish.
There are books on evangelism, history, religious studies, spiritual development, self-help, fiction and reference books, as well as a section suitable for teens and young people.
Please sign out the books and return them when read so that others may enjoy them too.
Feedback and suggestions gratefully received.
Anne Weeks Library co-ordinator
Wednesday Questions
As a change of pace from the regular Bible Study, this autumn's Wednesday night adult education will feature the video series, Living the Questions. Each session will consist of a video presentation, followed by open and critical discussion of the themes addressed. Living the Questions challenges us to do just that - to take seriously our faith and the consequences it has for our lives. Please join us for what promises to be an engaging discussion!
Living the Questions will take place on Wednesday nights at 7:30 pm, in the Helen Poole Memorial Library Hall starting Sept. 12th .
Welcome to St. Jude's Sunday School
FALL 2007
We are looking forward to welcoming children and teachers back from Summer holidays and we are excited about continuing with our Summer Sundays Curriculum.
"Seasons of the Spirit"
In the LOGO you see a beautiful, strong, moving outer swirling circle? It represents God, our loving Creator. The inner circle has three intertwining circles which represent wind and the movement of the Holy Spirit in our worship. The leaf swirl represents our learning and growing in faith. The hand swirl represents how we learn to serve and show our faith in community and the world. Together as a Sunday School Teaching Team, we will prayerfully prepare and lead our/your children to see God in our world, learn and grow in faith and show that faith in our own community and learn about our world and our part in it. With lesson plans, song dance, crafts, special activities and events, we will welcome all children who come to St Jude's. Encourage your children to invite friends to attend on Sunday mornings. It will enrich yours and your child's faith formation this year.
In Faith, Wendy Hart and St. Jude's Sunday School Teaching Team 2007
SUMMER SUNDAYS BLESSINGS!
Children who attended St Jude's this summer participated in Sunday School! BLESSINGS! Sometimes five and sometimes twelve children with a teacher and a helper. BLESSINGS! Thank you to all who received these children into a Bible Story Time!
BLESSINGS to: Iain Chalmers, Andrew Brockett, Sue Clark, Helen Sami, Arleigh Hudson, Sue Channen. Janice and Julianna Rock, Carleen Caroll, Amanda Hudson, Isabel Herington, Aubin Havill BLESSINGS!
A PERFECT DAY, A PERFECT PICNIC, PERFECT MUSIC OF FAITH, PERFECT FUN,
A Perfect ST JUDE'S 2007 Parish Picnic! Thank you to all who contributed and attended.
Stewardship Message
Working together to use the gifts God has given us to do the work God is calling us to do.
This fall we will have many opportunities to learn about how to be better stewards of our resources. We are in the planning stages of a Stewardship Program which will focus on four areas - care of self, care of relationships, care of the earth, and care of our resources.
At the end of September, another "Come to the Feast" weekend will take place on September 28, 29 and 30 with Dr. Ruth Meyers as our guest speaker. This event will again include a pot luck supper on Friday evening, a Workshop Saturday morning and a 10:00 a.m. service on Sunday morning with Dr. Meyers as our guest preacher.
In October we hope to offer a small-group experience like this past year's Lenten programme, meeting in people's homes to explore and reflect on the four elements of stewardship - of self, of relationships, of the earth, of our resources. More information will be available by mid-September about this opportunity to meet in small groups for prayer, fellowship, and learning.
As part of the annual campaign, parishioners will be asked to consider their financial participation in the ministry we share, and to make a financial commitment. At the same time, we will be asking each parishioner to identify one of the five ministries (see below) that you would like to learn more about. Over the winter, we plan to offer one "workshop" to introduce parishioners to the priorities, principles, dreams and activities of those ministry areas: - Communication and Public Witness - Christian Formation - Liturgy and Worship - Justice and Servant Ministries - Stewardship Development
The annual stewardship package will be mailed in late October, and we hope to have people's responses by the end of November.
Did you know that the 2007 budget is divided into three major areas? Bearing Witness, Mission, and Pastoral Care.
Thank you for your continued support of St. Jude's and God's ministry with your time, talents and financial gifts.
Judy McCracken Chair, Stewardship
Song, Space and Serving
As you will have read in earlier bulletins from Don Pangman, Song, Space and Serving (S-3) is a new initiative that is founded on our call as members of St. Jude's Church. It is building on the efforts of earlier groups convened by my predecessor, the Venerable Alex Hewitt.
Our electronic organ is dying and, clearly, issues of where and how a new organ might be installed have a bearing on the ordering of our space within the nave and sanctuary. It seems wise that we consider how the space and a new instrument might complement each other, and so the small group is also considering the possible arrangement of and enhancements to our space.
The song and the space support our common worship, in which we receive the presence of Christ, "This is my body, given for you," so that God may offer us to the world as servants with those same words: "This (the members of St. Jude's Church) is my body, given for you." It is part of the corporation's mandate to this small group that they consider how we might strengthen the tradition of generous service at St. Jude's.
All of this comes together as a vision for St. Jude's - Song, Space, and Serving. It is early days, and there will be many opportunities for us all, as members of this body at St. Jude's, to participate in discerning and deciding what we will do together.
The members of the Song, Space, and Serving small group are: Don Pangman Douglas Field Dan Tregunno Allan Smith Judy McCracken Michael Thompson
This group is working together to fashion a process by which the congregation can respond to an invitation, a call to build further on the excellent foundations entrusted to us by our ancestors in this place. Part of that process will involve a Town Hall Meeting, probably in January 2008, so that members can adequately explore the proposal's broad outlines, in preparation for a vestry discussion and resolution as to whether and how the work should proceed.
That call has three dimensions, and Song, Space, and Serving:
1. A call to support the song of the church with an excellent instrument. The current organ, a 1969 Allen Electronic Organ, has significant flaws and limitations. Taking up the work begun under the previous rector during the latter part of his tenure, Song, Space and Serving will consider the musical needs and capacity of the congregation, gathering insight from parishioners and experts alike, to help the Vestry to come to the best possible response to our call - to support the song of the church with an excellent instrument.
2. A call to support the worship of the church in an excellent space. Since 1883, the space in which we worship has changed significantly and on several occasions. The additional space (from the tower doors to the back of the church) provided by the 1956 renovations is the only one that changed the exterior dimensions of the church. Through a process of education and reflection such as "Come to the Feast" both last year (with Jay Koyle) and this fall, (with Ruth Meyers from Seabury Western Seminary in Chicago) all members have an opportunity to learn about worship practices and the spaces that shelter our worship. Song, Space, and Serving will consider the space in which we worship, how it functions, and how it might be enhanced, gathering insight from parishioners and experts alike, to help the Vestry come to the best possible response to our call - to support the worship of the church in an excellent space.
3. A call to support the mission of God to the world with a strong and growing serving endowment. The ability to support initiatives that serve human need with effective and strategic sharing of the income from a significant endowment would strengthen our witness to the servant ministry of Jesus. The recent visit of Eugene and Stella Ibe, a Nigerian couple married at St. Jude's forty years ago, reminds us of the difference we can make. Stella came to Canada to study at university, sponsored financially by this parish. While here, she met Eugene, and this parish hosted their wedding celebration on June 10, 1967, from the beginning of the bridal procession to the end of the feast that followed. Now they are committed to saying thank you, not only by being with us on June 10, 2007, but through "St. Jude's Widows", an organization in their own town in Nigeria that provides small loans to widows who want to begin small home-based businesses. St. Jude's has a long habit of serving, and we need now to consolidate the resources to do so in a continuing and effective way. With such resources, the Vestry will be able, not just this year, but every year, to come to the best possible decision about how to use those resources, how to respond to our call - to support the mission of God to the world with a strong and growing endowment for serving (outreach).
We are excited by the prospect that this work will strengthen the witness of our household of faith to the living presence and loving purposes of God in our midst and in the world. Along the way, the work will grow. It will need your commitment, not only down the road when there is a need to marshal the resources it will call for, but all along the road, so that it may be truly our work in common for our common life and purpose.
Yours gladly, Michael Thompson
ST. JUDE'S TRUST FUNDS
The mission of the St. Jude's Trust Funds is to enable parishioners to advance the work of stewardship and ministry, both within the parish and in the community at large. The Trust Funds are supported entirely by contributions from parishioners who share the vision of a better world.
There are six trust funds, the income from which is used:
1. To promote parish programs and ministry development.
2. For outreach or mission work.
3. For the restoration and improvement of St. Jude's Church.
4. For the care and maintenance of the Memorial Garden.
5. To develop music programs and procure a new organ.
6. For general purposes.
The Trust Funds currently total $1.4 million. Our vision is to significantly increase that amount, such that the total reaches $5 million in five years and $10 million in ten years ("Five in Five and Ten in Ten").
A planned gift will honour your desires, values and commitments. Gifts can be tailored to meet your current and future goals. There are many benefits to a planned gift, including tax advantages.
Planned gift options include:
1. An outright gift of cash or securities.
2. A simple bequest in your will or trust.
3. A life insurance policy.
4. A life tenancy.
5. Naming one of the Trust Funds as the beneficiary of your RRSP or RRIF.
6. Creating an endowment.
The Trust Funds are the means by which you can extend the work of the Church. By making a planned gift, you can help to ensure that this work is carried out now and in the years to come.
A gift of any size will be the mark of your personal ministry and stewardship.
For information on how you can make a gift to any of the Trust Funds, please contact Chris Manning at (905) 337-0322 (business), (905) 339-2715 (home) or chris.manning@nbpcd.com
St. Jude's Celebration of the Arts
Presents
The Reverence of the Masters
Andrei Streliaev Quintet
We are proud to present St. Jude's very own Andrei Streliaev and his Piano Quintet for an evening of the Masters; Bach, Mozart, Ravel and Chopin. Our concert highlight is the performance of Cesar Franck's Piano Quintet in f minor. From its passionate opening measures to its intensely driven final movement, the composition is a masterpiece of chamber music that was clearly ahead of its time.
8:00 PM - SATURDAY OCTOBER 13-2007
ST. JUDE'S CHURCH
TICKETS JUST $28 Call St. Jude's Church - 905-844-3972 - also available at L'Atelier Grigorian