Graduation, Grade 3 Bibles, Hatfield Farms!

Woodlawn Messenger May, 2019 | Monthly Newsletter/Calendar of Woodlawn United Church

Friends of Accessibility

Friends of Nancy Cameron are invited to Woodlawn United Church on Saturday, May 4 to celebrate Nancy’s many years of devotion to her church. A three course turkey dinner will be presented by Woodlawn Friends of Accessibility at a cost of $20.00.

Gathering at 4:00pm in Fellowship Hall we hope will give us time to fellowship with Nancy, enjoy a meal and still get to the opening night of the Keswick Convention. To reserve please contact Ralph Sams AT 902-434-7786 or email ralphsams@ns.sympatico.ca.

SHANNON’S JOURNEY TO ORDINATION

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I cannot imagine being where I am today without the support of the Woodlawn Congregation. You have walked with me every step of this journey. Thank you. Shelley, Ruth, Mary Lynne, Phillip and Bob have been patient and have all challenged and supported me through this process. Thank you.

And to the children, youth, young adults of Woodlawn… it is because of you that I felt brave enough to answer this call at this time in my life. Thank you.

I would like to invite you to come to my graduation. It is being held on May 4th at 11 AM in All Saint’s Anglican 1330 Cathedral Ln, Halifax, NS B3H 2Z1. Please know, I do not expect you to come, but if you happened to be free that day, I would be delighted to see you.

FUNDSCRIP This program is win-win. You get the full value for the gift card you

buy and the church earns 2-10% of each sale.

The next order date is Sunday May 5, 2019.

Complete your order form and post date your cheque for the order date,

and pass in on FundScrip Sunday, and your Gift cards will be available

the following Sunday or you can pick up from the office at any time. Someone from Fundscrip team will be available at the Welcome table

before church if you have any questions.

Thank you for your support.

Diane Avery (902) 433-1610; Teri Giannou (902) 456-3188;

Adelia Holloway (902) 462-6744.

From your Ministry and Personnel (M&P) Committee

While your M&P committee will from time to time make announce-ments from the pulpit, it is our goal to communicate with you on a regular basis via our church newsletter. We will address timely topics and topics that are suggested by members of the congrega-tion. You will notice a strong human resources component to our role as a committee and the topics we address. This month we will focus on Continuing Education and Vacation Time. Continuing Education When we bring staff to Woodlawn we build into their Call or Con-tract certain provisions regarding their continuing education. It is our role as an M&P committee to ensure that our ministry team is availing themselves of those opportunities. Clear direction regard-ing this matter comes from the United Church of Canada. A continuing education and learning resources allowance (of at least the minimum established by the General Council Office) is available to ministry personnel. The focus of the study leave is dis-cussed with us as M&P and it is often connected to new competen-cies that the ministry personnel has identified as required for their ministry context. The study leave could also be focused on spiritual renewal or vocational vitality. Vacation Time Ministry personnel and lay employees consult with the M&P Com-mittee to plan their annual vacation time, and the schedule is then reported to Council. Unless there is a good reason not to grant the request, we support the request. Interestingly enough, vacation time is taken during the ``pastoral year`` which runs from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. The United Church provides time off with pay for statutory holi-days and vacation. Lay employees are entitled to holidays as deter-mined by provincial legislation. Many communities of faith expect their ministry personnel to provide worship leadership on Good Friday, a public holiday. For ministry personnel, this kind of public holiday is a working day. A common practice, when ministry per-sonnel are expected to work on public holidays, is for the M&P Committee to encourage them to take time off at another time. The M&P Committee must ensure that the minimum vacation is taken each year, We are clear with ministry personnel and lay em-ployees about what their vacation allowance is, how much they have taken, and what the process is for going on vacation. Topic for the Next Edition of the Newsletter In the next edition we will highlight our responsibilities for the performance review of staff and how we will proceed with this process this year.

Fare Thee Well for Bob Rushton

Anyone wishing to contribute to a gift for Bob may do so by envelope designated “Bob’s Gift” in the offering plate or by dropping off your contribution to the church office. Thank you kindly.

Woodlawn Messenger May 2019

2019 GRADS: Do You know someone graduating this June? On June 2nd, we will be celebrating our graduates during worship. Write up a little bio and send a photo to Shannon, if you know someone from our Woodlawn United Family who is graduating from high school, college, or university. You can email this to Shannon.maclean@woodlawnunited.ca

BIBLES FOR GRADE THREE SUNDAY SCHOOL MEMBERS: We have a tradition at Woodlawn to present our Grade 3 students with a Bible! Please con-tact Shannon if you know of a Woodlawn United Grade 3 student who would like to receive a Bible during worship on June 2nd. Please contact Shan-non.maclean@woodlawnunited.ca

COMING SOON: SUNDAY JUNE 2ND, FOLLOWING WORSHIP WOODLAWN UNITED ANNUAL HATFIELD FARMS ADVENTURE

You are all invited to join in the fun at the Annual Congregational Picnic. We will head out to Hatfield farms . Need a drive? Let the Office know! Our time there will be 12:30-3:30 PM. It will include a petting farm, hayride, time in the “rubber rodeo” for the young at heart, time in the ranch house for lunch with ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT hamburgers, veggie burgers, hotdogs, home cut fries & fountain drinks. (GF buns available). There are also outdoor playgrounds. COST is $20 per person, but Woodlawn will subsidize all children and youth so their ticket will cost $10! If this is not financially possible for you, PLEASE talk to Shannon, we want everyone who would like to come to have the chance to join in this congre-gational adventure! We need final numbers and payment by May 28th. Please sign up and pay at the office. We are going rain or shine. Please contact Shannon MacLean shannon.maclean@woodlawnunited.ca if you have any questions.

From Rev. Phillip You may have already heard that I will be leaving on a sabbatical for three months, May, June and July.

Sabbatical is a period of at least three consecutive months set aside by Ministry Personnel in pastoral relationships as an occasion for reflection, recreation and revitalization. Sabbatical finds expression in study, rest, spiritual retreat and prayer. This policy was put into action in 2006 and is a basic term of a call for all ministers in the United Church of Canada.

As the gospel illustrates, Jesus experienced sabbatical when he sought respite from the demands of his ministry. Jesus took time apart to commune with God, to gain perspective, and to strengthen himself spiritually.

The main purpose of this sabbatical is mental and spiritual refreshment. I plan to rest, exercise, pray, read, dream, and think about the future. During this period I plan to make note of my thoughts to share with Woodlawn, undertake research pertaining to home church/cell group churches that could expand our offerings here at Woodlawn, actively participate

in the first Regional Conference the end of May to ensure that Woodlawn’s voice is heard, and to gain an increased understanding of social media and how that can benefit Woodlawn United Church.

Coming Up In May

1 WEDNESDAY MAY 1 9:45 AM Bible Study *A 7:00 PM Worship Committee, *A

2 THURSDAY MAY 2 7:00 PM TGIT—Boston Pizza, Portland St. Join

us for SPIRITed conversation where FAITH is on TAP! Bring your questions, friends and come out to discuss whatever is important to you in a relaxed way.

4 SATURDAY MAY 4 11:00 AM Shannon MacLean’s Graduation. All

Saint’s Anglican 1330 Cathedral Ln, Halifax, NS B3H 2Z1. All Welcome to attend!

5 SUNDAY MAY 5 10:00 AM Worship *S 2:00 PM UCW Spring Fling *BH &K 7:00 PM JLOW *B

6 MONDAY MAY 6 1:30 PM UCW Connie Clarke Unit, *B 1:30 PM UCW Farquharson Unit, *BH/SS 7:00 PM UCW Tabitha Unit, *B

7 TUESDAY MAY 7 10:00 AM Outreach Mtg., *B 1:30 PM UCW Naomi Unit, *84 Regal Road 1:30 PM UCW Marion MacDonald Unit *B 1:30 PM UCW Rebecca Unit, *A (w/Cart) 6:30 PM Stewardship Committee *B 7:00 PM T’ween Tuesday, *A

8 WEDNESDAY MAY 8 9:45 AM Bible Study, *A 11:00 AM Kindred Spirits, *B 1:30 PM Pastoral Care Team, *A 7:00 PM Outreach Committee, *B

9 THURSDAY MAY 9: MOTHER’S DAY CARNATIONS OF HOPE: Mother’s Day weekend is the time of the Annual Carnations of Hope sale on behalf of the M.S. Society. We will be selling these In our parking lot from May 9-11 and in our hall during the chowder on Friday. To pre-order carnations or participate in the sale please contact Ralph Sams @ 902-434-7786.

12:30 PM Chowder Prep, *BH/K 7:00 PM TGIT *A&B (Season Finale) Join us for

pizza , lively discussion, feedback, and bring your ideas for next year’s TGITs!

10 FRIDAY MAY 10 Carnations of Hope Campaign *Parking Lot 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM *BH/K, Woodlawn’s Famous

Chowder Lunch. Woodlawn United knows Chowder!! Join us on Friday May 10th for our famous Woodlawn Chowder! Hosted by Friends of Accessibility $10.00

11 SATURDAY MAY 11 Carnations of Hope Campaign *Parking Lot

12 SUNDAY MAY 12 - MOTHER’S DAY 10:00 AM Worship, *S

14 TUESDAY MAY 14 7:00 PM A&M Meeting, *A

15 WEDNESDAY MAY 15 9:45 AM Bible Study, *A

19 SUNDAY MAY 19 10:00 AM Worship, *S

21 TUESDAY MAY 21 9:00 AM UCW Marion MacDonald Unit (FOOD) *K 7:00 PM Junior Youth Group *HC YR 7:00 PM Church Council Mtg., *B

26 SUNDAY MAY 26 10:00 AM Worship *S 11:00 AM Newcomers Social *B

30 THURSDAY MAY 30 7:00 PM A&B Send Off Party in honour of Bob

Rushton!! Bob will be resigning from Woodlawn United as of May 31 to join many of us in a bit of leisure time. There will be a reception for him on Thursday May 30 at 7pm in Rooms A and B. All are invited to attend.

31 FRIDAY MAY 31 12:00 - ONWARD Couples Club *K/BH

May’s Events (cont’d) In the letters of Paul to the Corinthians, it says that the church is the body of Christ and we, as the different parts of this body, all have our distinctive role to play. Some people know what their part is early in life and they follow a very straight path. Others feel a little lost, wandering around for a while looking for their way. Still others, and this is the category I feel best describes my journey, take the scenic route. There have been many stops along the way, detours and changes in directions and the many stories created make me who I am today.

I feel called to ordained ministry. It took much prayerful discernment for me to accept this call. I understand it as a new way to try to fulfill my role as one of the diverse parts of the body of Christ. It isn’t my first time I felt called by God, and don’t believe it is actually more important than any of my other calls … it is just different. To hear the rest of my call stories, you will need to join me for worship on May 5th when I will preach on this.

Accepting God’s call was a huge step, but it was only the first one in what became a very long journey. Over the next 7 years I took courses from the Atlantic School of Theology (AST) towards my Masters of Divinity (MDiv). I finished the last of my 30 courses in mid-April and will receive my MDiv on May 4th. While I will not deny doing the happy-dance when I finished my studies, I have enjoyed almost every moment of it. I loved learning about the bible, pastoral ministry, theology and worship leadership. I felt privileged to be attending such a great theology school under the tutelage of so many amazing professors. The goal of that time was not to teach me everything I needed to know, but give me the tools to be able to minister in a new way and a thirst for life-long learning. AST strives to “serve Christ's mission by shaping effective and faithful ordained and lay leaders.” My hope is to live into this mission.

So, with the MDiv completed, I am done with my work for AST. However, before ordination, I must complete the requirements of the General Council of the United Church of Canada. This includes doing an Internship (now officially called Supervised Ministry Education or SME). As such, I will be filling in for Rev. Phillip while he is on Sabbatical and vacation from May 1st – August 31st. During this time Woodlawn will not have a Youth Minister but I will do my very best and work hard to make sure the ministries for children and youth do not suffer too much. Kelly MacNeil and Grace Bowen-MacLean will be taking over the facilitat-ing of Sunday AM Youth Group for May Thanks Kelly and Grace.

Sept 1st I will be back in the role of Youth Minister full time but will still be working on my learning goals for ordination (so you may see me doing some extra things above and beyond my normal responsibilities). Then, all going well, I will be rec-ommended for ordination in May 2020 and become (the Rev-erend) Shannon MacLean.

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Shannon’s Journey To Ordination