HPC Winter Newsletter 2010

8/8/2019 HPC Winter Newsletter 2010

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Thanks be to God f

His unspeakable Gift-- indescribable inestimable

incomparable inexpressible

precious beyond words.

--Lois Lebar

One in ChristWhat a year this has been! What an incredible journey of faith have weexperienced together!I look back over the year with gratitude for the powerful work of the Lordamong us and for the faithfulness of the congregation.

Things were not so rosy when we started the year in January. There werehopes and expectations, but also uncertainty, anxiety, and diverging views of where the congregation should focus our energy and resources. And, I think itis fair to say, a whole lot of suspicion of one another in the process.

But by the grace of God, we were led to put our trust in the Lord forresources, and to invest ourselves in ministry. We took a step of faith.

From where we are now, I can see a huge difference. There is a stronger senseof unity than we have experienced in a long time, a greater sense of purpose,

willingness and eagerness to work together, goodwill towards one another, andmuch less anxiety. We have also been blessed financially beyond ourexpectations.I thank all of you for your partnership in the gospel.

But above all, I thank God who is among us; who through the Holy Spirit isgrafting us into Christ, re-creating us, reconciling us, strengthening us, andequipping us for faith and good works. God is building us together in Christ tobe a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22).

Like the Psalmist we can say,

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; My God turns my darkness into light.

With your help I can advance against a troop.With my God I can scale a wall.

(Psalm 18:28-29)

As we continue to fight the good fight, may the Lord of peace be with us tolead us in Gods ways.

Christmas blessings.Gerard

HPC Newsletter Winter 2010


2/10

The Kingdom of GodJesus has a way of bringing us back to earth, as demonstrated in an exchange he had with somereligious people recorded in Luke 17:20-12. Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdomof God was coming, and he answered, The Kingdom of God is not coming with things that can beobserved; nor will they say, Look, here it is! or There it is! For in fac t, the kingdom of God is among you. If it was difficult for the religious folk of his day to grasp the significance of what Jesus was about it islittle wonder it is perhaps even more difficult for the religious folk of today. And yet it was for thispurpose that Jesus came, and his message was singular: Strive first for the kingdom of God, and hisrighteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. When he sent out the twelve it was to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. (Matt.9:2)It is unfortunate that the church has placed much more emphasis upon Jesus than on the message he

came to proclaim (Note: the kingdom of heaven is a synonym for the kingdom of God, both haveexactly the same meaning). Noted theologian Krister Stendahl made a telling observation: it remainsa fact worth pondering that Jesus preached the kingdom, while the church preached Jesus. And thus weare faced with a danger: we may so preach Jesus that we lose the vision of the kingdom, the mendedcreation.When Jesus began his earthly ministry he proclaimed: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has comenear. The kingdom of God is a present reality. It is not something we wait for, it is here, it is now. It isGods redemptive power at work in the world, in and through the lives of those seeking to be obedient to his will. Joseph Francovic states: The kingdom of heaven makes contact with humanity through theyielded lives of people who have made obedience to the will of their heavenly Father a priority. Theyhave made God King, a nd he reigns in their lives.

It is sad when people wait for that day when they will at last be with their heavenly Father in hisheavenly kingdom. Countless books have been written about what a wonderful place that will be.When we p ray Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. We are not, or at least we should not be praying for some future event (whether in this world or the next) to take placesooner rather than later. The reality is that, according to Jesus, the kingdom of heaven is here, it isamong us if we would but realize it. Jesus was adamant about this. So when we pray Thy kingdomcome, thy will be done.. we are praying for Gods rule or reign in our lives right now. We are prayingfor God to take charge of our lives from this moment on. Of course that means we need to repent of (cast off) all that would hinder or prevent this from happening. And we know how difficult that is! Welike our comforts, we like our freedom to do what pleases us, we don t like to commit to anything that might restrict our freedom to come and go as we please.As we enter the season of Advent and begin our celebration of the coming of the Messiah we might ask ourselves: How well (do) we receive him? What room do we make for him in our busy lives? Will wewith open hearts allow him to reign over us? Will we allow our self-will to be bent to his will and thusexperience the joy of his kingdom here and now? Make no mistake for how we answer those questionswill go a long way in determining the realization of his kingdom on earth, a very present reality for allwho receive him, not only as Saviour, but as Lord of their lives as well. For where he reigns there ishis Kingdom.Submitted by Dorne Cornish


3/10

By the time you read this , Ill have been at Haney Presbyterian for just over a month. Although I have met many of you, Id like to take thisopportunity to introduce myself to you. First of all though Id like tothank you for the very warm welcome you have given me and my family! Iam blessed to be working with such a warm and committed Christiancommunity.Originally from Ontario, I have lived in the Lower Mainland for virtually allof my adult life. I am married to Larry and we have three children: Janet(21), Laura (19) and James (17). Larry is the Supervisor of the BiomedicalDepartment at Richmond Hospital and our children all live at home whilethey continue their education.My commitment to including children and youth in the life of the Christian

community flows from my experience as a parent, my training as both adiaconal minister and a minister of word and sacrament and my own faith journey. I was nurtured in the faith by Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church:as a child I participated in and later led all the typical programmes thatmost congregations offer their children: Church School, Youth Group,Junior and Senior Choir. However it wasnt until I was 18 that my eyeswere opened to the nature of the Christian community. Over that lastyear of high school I came to see that God was not only working in my lifeas an individual, God was also working in the life of the community. InChrist, I was bound not only to God but to other believers. Most of mysubsequent theological reflections have expanded what I was thenexperiencing.I began to ask questions about the faith and the life to which we arecalled. If God has called us to be His people, how then should we livetogether? How do we become part of this community? How does faithgrow within the community of faith? Eventually I became convinced that just as God reaches out to all humans in grace and mercy, so He is wooingour children. My attention as an educator shifted from how do we teachour children about God? to how do we help our c hildren experience Godand respond to His call? I am eager to explore these questions with you. I believe that our childrenexperience God as they participate in the life of faith together withbelieving adults. Essentially faith is caught, not taught. I hope to look foropportunities at Haney Presbyterian to include our children and youth inworship, service, mission, pastoral care, and fellowship.I am at Haney Presbyterian on most Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.Please pop into my office to say hello and feel free to phone me at anytime.I wish you and all your family a Blessed Christmas, full of the joy and peaceof God.With love in Christ,Paddy

What Fell from the Bible?

A little boy opened the bigfamily Bible.

He was fascinated as hefingered through the oldpages.Suddenly something fell outof the Bible.He picked up the object andlooked at it closely.What he saw was an oldleaf that had been pressedin between the pages.

"Momma, look what I found,"the boy called out."What have you got there,dear?" his mother asked.

With astonishment in theyoung boy's voice, heanswered: "I think it'sAdam's underwear!"


4/10

Think Christmas presents? Think books.

This past year I have read some wonderful books that I believe would make great presents for people on yourWhat should I give him/her? list. Ill share my thoughts about the contents with you. Think of it like an Oprahstop ten except that this is Karins top five.

Take the Risk by Ben Carson, MD. Dr. Carson, a Christian neurosurgeon at John Hopkins Medical Institutions hashad to deal with taking risks in life and death situations. He believes that we have become a society that, with onlyfew exceptions, is stuck in risk-avoidance. Using examples from his life and work, Dr. Carson provides the readerwith a sound risk-assessment plan and the encouragement to break from our self-made cocoons to experience lifeas God has intended us to experience it fully. Its a great book for young people starting out in life or starting toraise kids as well as grandparents.

Loving our Kids on Purpose by Danny Silk is an excellent how -to book for young parents as well as grandparentsand anyone working with children. The easy style of writing makes this book fun-to-read and easy to try. Mydaughter loved the suggestions of becoming a paid professional referee in the on -going sibling rivalry of her twosons. My son-in-law was a bit skeptical as she tried it out but had to admit it worked!

For those on your list (or yourself) who like some meatier f are, there is Understanding Jesus by Joe Amaral whogives us insights into many situations we read about in the Bible concerning the ministry of Jesus and whether hemet the criteria for being the Christ. What are the four messianic miracles that would identify the Christ to theJews? How did Jesus fulfill those? How are the Old Testament feasts sign-posts to the life and teaching of Jesusand what do they say to us today as well as the future kingdom? It is not difficult to read and the print is large for those of us who are wearing reading glasses.

Inspired by Bethel and Understanding Jesus I purchased Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Ann Spangler

and Lois Tverberg. Now this is an amazing book that you want to read two or three times and talk about with abuddy before giving it away. Better yet, get a copy for yourself and the buddy so you can give a gift of time aswell time to talk about the serious adventure of Becoming a True Disciple of Our Jewish Lord the last chapterin the book. It is not the easiest read but it will challenge the reader and stretch his/her knowledge about theBiblical Christ.

The last book that really grabbed me this year was Death by Church by Mike Erre, sub -titled Rescuing Jesusfrom His Followers; Recapturing Gods Hope for His People. This book challenges our thinking about church andourselves. It is perhaps one of the most theological books that I have read in a long time which dares the reader toreturn to the Biblical foundations of church. It is a timely book written to expose our consumer-driven Christianitythat views the church as just another commodity to satisfy our own preferences. Dont give this to anyone whowants to sit in the comfortable pew.

May God bless you and fill your mind with His presence and His goodness.

Karin Breuer


5/10

Embracing AdventPsalm 115:2 - Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?"(NIV)

Q: What's the best way to keep Christ in Christmas?A: Go to church on Sundays.

It always amazes me that so many people complain that Christmas just isn't the same, and yet they never seem to connect theirspiritual emptiness with their lack of attendance at church worship.If we are bombarded with commercial pressure for well over sixty

days, then we are bound to be overwhelmed, especially if we don'ttake time out to be with the Lord and His people during the seasonof Advent.

Over the years, I've sadly watched young parents crucifythemselves emotionally and financially in order to try to makeChristmas perfect for their children. I've seen families get franticand fight over details about who is hosting Christmas dinner thisyear. And I've looked at beleaguered workers and sales peoplepractically killing themselves in order to boost their figures in thelast month of the year. In the midst of so much pressure, it's somuch easier to let go of God and miss the point of the whole

celebration.The church prepares us for Christmas in meaningful, traditional,and time-honoured ways. The four Sundays in Advent are worshipvehicles to bring us closer to God in peaceful, priceless, andprecious ways. Instead of wondering what Christmas is all aboutand turning it into a nightmare, we honestly and simply need to getwith God's program, and make Advent a spiritual adventure wherewe refocus our lives on Christ.

The gospel truth is always this simple. We don't need to put Christback into Christmas; He is already there. We need to put ourselves

back into Christ -- church gives us that wonderful opportunityevery Sunday.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep us from the merciless busy-ness of Christmas and lead us to the stillness of God's kingdom. Protect usfrom going overboard in order to please other people, and enable usto make and take time to please You. Give us a heart to be inworship on Sundays and open our souls to Your holy presence. InYour sacred name, we sincerely pray. Amen.

John StuartReprinted with permission

Does Jesus care when my heartis pained,

Too deeply for mirth and song,As the burdens press, and the

cares distress,And the way grows weary and

long?O yes, He cares; I know He

cares,His heart is touched with my

grief;When the days are weary, the

long nights dreary,I know my Saviour cares.

- Frank Graeff


6/10

Reflections on the Bazaar

As usual, our famous annual bazaar was a greatsuccess! The whole congregation got behindthe effort and the result was a breathtakingdisplay of many beautiful and useful things.The tables laden with tempting baked goods,and other wonderful things to eat were a treat

even to look at!Everything was done tastefully. We all enjoyedthe fellowship of working together and eatingthe delicious lunch with friends or members of our family.However, quite apart from the financial successof the day, was the affect it had on the folkfrom outside of our church family whoattended. It was a great outreach and gavemany people joy and a lot of fun. At lunchtime

I sat next to a couple from one of the localRoman Catholic Churches who told me thatthey come to our bazaar every year. They said,always, as soon as they enter the room, they feel the warmth and friendship surroundingthem there. Friends of mine from Mission

were so excited by it that they want to dosomething like it in their church. They weredelighted with their purchases and the pricesthey paid.

As a fairly newcomer to HPC, I have beenblessed to be part of such a friendly congregation which has so many wonderful,gifted people! May we all endeavor to beinstruments of Gods love t o all those whoenter the doors of our beautiful churchbuilding.

Submitted by Alice Chambers

Christmas Gift Suggestions:

To your enemy, forgiveness.To an opponent, tolerance.

To a friend, your heart.To a customer, service.

To all, charity.To every child, a good

example.To yourself, respect.

Oren Arnold


7/10

Dear Friends,As a project of Samaritans Purse, Operation ChristmasChild has become the worlds largest childrens Christmasproject and is now entering its 18 th season. Over these

years, we have learned that the joy of giving is a centralpart of the foundation upon which Operation ChristmasChild is built. We want you to know how important yourrole has been in building this foundation, because without

your efforts it would not be possible to make a lastingimpact in the lives of so many needy children around theworld each year.

The shoeboxes will be soon on their way to Guatemala,Venezuela, Paraguay, Chile, Cote d Ivoire and SierraLeone, and on-line shoeboxes to Haiti. Please continue topray as these shoeboxes travel to children, bring joy,renew hope, and open doors for further ministry.

The total amount for Ridge Meadows was 3015shoeboxes! Thank you for your willingness to be part of aworldwide effort to see needy children receiveshoeboxes.

Have a wonderful Christmas season celebrating thegreatest gift of all, Gods gift of Jesus. And, may youknow His love and peace throughout 2011.

See you next November for Operation Christmas Child!Blessings,Barb GustafsonOperation Christmas Child Local Coordinator

Operation Christmas Child2010

3015 Shoeboxes

From PWS&D

Thank you for your donations in support of victims of Ha itis earthquake. Your donations were part of a tremendous response- over 1.5 million was raised to provide food, water, shelter and psychosocial support to the millions of people affected by this terrible disaster.Your donations have been used as part of a large-scale response, working in partnership with other churches and organizations to reach people who lost family member, homes and livelihoods, or were injured, without access to education or jobs.We are proud of the many accomplishments we have made for earthquake victims in Haiti, but of course there is still much work to do. Your contributions ensure this work continues.Thank you for your generosity in response to great need.

Ken Kim PWS&D Director


8/10

Youth and Young Adults Youre invited to join our newly formed serm on discussion group. Just bring a baglunch on Sunday. We study the Scripture together, learning new bible studytechniques and approaches so that we develop our own ability to understand GodsWord and then discuss the sermon together. We finish up around 1.30. About oncea month we do something fun, usually with young people from other congregations.In November we went to Calvin Abbotsford for Rally in the Valley with the youthfrom St Aidans and Richmond. This month we are hosting a lock -in here at Haney onDec 18 & 19. In January, were going to MissionFest and in March, well join LinXus

30 hour famine lock-in. We are a new group come and join us, let us know whatyoud like for the youth at HPC. For more information, phone Paddy Eastwo od 604467-1715.

Ever wonder what would happen if wetreated our Bible like we treat our cell

phone?What if we carried it around in our purses

or pockets?What if we flipped through it several times

a day?What if we turned back to go get it if weforgot it?

What if we used it to receive messagesfrom the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't livewithout it?

What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?This is something to make you

go....hmm...where is my Bible?Oh, and one more thing.Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to

worry about our Bible beingdisconnected because Jesus already paid

the bill.

Things You Never Hear in Church

Hey! It's MY turn to sit on the front pew!

I was so enthralled, I never noticed yoursermon went over time 25 minutes.

Personally, I find witnessing much moreenjoyable than golf.

I've decided to give our church the $500.00a month I used to send to TV evangelists.

I volunteer to be the permanent teacher forthe Junior High Sunday School class.

Forget the denominational minimumsalary: let's pay our pastor so she/he canlive like we do.

I love it when we sing hymns I've neverheard before!

Since we're all here, let's start the worshipservice early!

Pastor, we'd like to send you to this Bibleseminar in the Bahamas


9/10

Attention!all boys aged 10 15! Come join Junior Boyson Friday nights at the church, 5-7pm. Ournight starts with a relatively quiet game,followed by a short bible study anddiscussion, and ends with VERY ACTIVEgames. If you like knuckleball, three-waysoccer or anything weird and wonderful wecan possibly dream up, come on out. PhoneRegard Booy 604 465-6533 or Paddy

Eastwood 604 467 1715 for more info. Weare starting up in the New Year on January7 th . See you there!

Girls? Are you looking for something fun to do onFriday night? Come on out to Gods Girlsfor a fun evening of bible learning, games,and crafts with Ricky and Laura Newberry.We meet every Friday 5- 6.30. Its awonderful chance for girls aged 8-12 to getto know each other better and enjoygrowing up together. We are starting up

again for the New Year on Friday January7 th . Grandparents feel free to bring yourgranddaughters! Phone Paddy Eastwood(604 467-1715) or Laura Newberry (604465-7065) for more information.

Help the shepherds find the way to Jesus

Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?A: Snowflakes.

What do you have in December that youdont have in any other month ?The letter D !

Q. Why does Santa Claus go down thechimney on Christmas Eve?A. Because it soots him.

Don't Try This at Home!Pastor Tony is walking down the street on Christmas Eve when henotices a Larry, a small boy, trying to press the doorbell of a houseacross the street. However, Larry is very small and the doorbell istoo high for him to reach. After watching the boy's efforts for sometime, Pastor Tony moves closer to Larry's position. He steps smartlyacross the street, walks up behind the little fellow and, placing hishand kindly on the child's shoulder, leans over and gives thedoorbell a solid ring.Crouching down to Larry's level, Pastor Tony smiles benevolentlyand asks, 'And now what, my little man?'To which Larry replies with a beaming grin,'Now we run!'


10/10

Dec. 18 -19 HP C You th Lock -inDec. 19 HP C Can ta taDec. 22 Sweet Sou l Gospel Ch r istm as

(St . Andr ew s Wesley Ch u r ch, Van c.)

Dec. 24 Ch r is tm as Eve Fam ily Ser viceCh r is tm as E ve Can dlel ig h t Ser vice

Dec. 25 Ch r is tm as Day Wor sh ip Ser viceJ an . 6 Beth el Stu d ies r esum esJ an . 27 TobyMac s Win te rwon der S lam Tou r

(Abbotsford E n t. & Sport Cen tr e)J a n . 2 8 30 Miss ion Fest (Van c. Con ven tion Cen tr e)

J an . 30 HPC Mem ber sh ip Su n dayFeb. 23 Hi llson g Uni ted After m ath Tou r(Abbotsford)

Apr . 8 Steven Cu r t i s Ch apm an (Van cou ver )Apr . 16 And i f Ou r God is For Us Tou r wi th

Ch r is Tomlin an d Lou ie Gig l io(Redm on d , Wash ing ton )

God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith;the warmth of Christmas, which is love;

the radiance of Christmas, which is purity;the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;

the belief in Christmas, which is truth;the all of Christmas, which is Christ.

--Wilda English

HPC Winter Newsletter 2010

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