Prayer 20/20

by Diane Cunningham



Over the past months, various teams in our church have been meeting and discussing our vision for the coming year. One of these teams is focusing on prayer.

“When Billy Graham was asked about the most important steps in preparing for an evangelistic outreach, he always answered that there were three things that mattered most: Prayer, prayer and prayer.” —Cliff Barrows

With this in mind, prayer is essential in determining where we are being led in ministry.

A series of prayers have been placed in the bulletins, for some months now, for people to use to guide them in their praying for SPPC. We have reached a point where we would like to have people express some of their own prayers for our church and share them with our fellowship.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be looking for input from members of the congregation through a series of response cards inserted in the bulletin. We are hoping to create community prayers that will emerge from the hearts of all who wish to contribute to this Life bringing, Spirit guided ministry.

We will be looking for topics for prayers that are close to people’s hearts. This will then guide us to create specific prayers that will become part of a collective response.

For your summer reading and growth, we have a table set up with many books about prayer. Please take a look at them. As Bible Study takes a break over the summer, this could be a terrific way to add to your knowledge and increase your awareness of the power of prayer. Talk with your friends, at coffee hour or Friendship Coffee about what you have learned, the books that you have enjoyed and found helpful.

We would welcome any feedback or possible book reviews of the material covered!

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

Out to Lunch Bunch

As part of the Beyond 20/20 in-reach initiative, we've started an out-to-lunch bunch. The idea is for people to meet up at a local restaurant for lunch on the first Thursday of the month. We chose Smitty's in Sidney for our first date.
Turned out fifteen people thought going out for lunch was a good idea. 
It seemed many of the people who came were regulars at this particular restaurant and well-acquainted with our server. She did a terrific job in keeping everyone's order straight, getting the right bill to the right people, and putting food on the table in good time so we all ate together. Kudos to her and the restaurant.
Next month we will meet at the Spitfire Grill on the airport. Same time, 1:00 pm on the first Thursday of July, which turns out to be July 4. In deference to our American friends, it was proposed we wear red, white and blue.
With all the social events at the church, it might seem odd that we'd organize another social (eating) event during the week. One aspect belonging to a congregation is being part of a community. We are social creatures. We need to hear each other's voices. We need to share laughter. We need to support each other in tough times. Spending time together, strengthens our relationships and our sense of community.
Last Sunday was Pentecost, a date many consider the birth of the Christian church. On that day, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples and they began speaking in tongues. Three thousand were added to the church that day. Acts 2: 46-47 makes special mention of the new community meeting daily in the temple and breaking bread together in each other's houses, with a glad heart. 
Come join us on the first Thursday of July. We'll break bread together with a glad heart. The sign-up sheet is in the narthex.

Workers Unite!

by Janet Smith

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 4:9

Well now, on Tuesday 4^th June, we had 5 ladies come together to Spring clean the church kitchen and after 2 hours of cleaning and scrubbing, the kitchen gleamed and indeed we saw a good return for our labour!

Working together brings fun and fellowship. Age is no barrier either, one of our workers is in her 90s and still she came and worked along side us, (missing from the pictures!)

We read in the scriptures of the many who were blest with a long life and kept working for the Lord.

Here is a short list of them:

Abraham and Sarah, Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David, Job, Elizabeth and Paul just to name a few, there were many, many more and God blessed them.

Remember that God will use you at any age, and any stage. There is no age limit to the way He works in us or through us, His love never grows old and He never stops caring for us.

Work, for the night is coming,

Work through the morning hours;

Work while the dew is sparkling,

Work ’mid springing flow’rs.

Work when the day grows brighter,

Work in the glowing sun;

Work, for the night is coming,

When man’s work is done.

Work, for the night is coming,

Work through the sunny noon;

Fill brightest hours with labor,

Rest comes sure and soon.

Give every flying minute

Something to keep in store;

Work, for the night is coming,

When man works no more

Work, for the night is coming,

Under the sunset skies;

While their bright tints are glowing,

Work, for daylight flies.

Work till the last beam fadeth,

Fadeth to shine no more;

Work, while the night is dark’ning,

When man’s work is o’er

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In the Presbyterian church we don't have a lot of saints days or other holy days to mark the Sundays of our calendar, but June has a goodly share of high Sundays this year.

On June 2 we celebrated our littlest "saint" with a birthday cake. Our denomination holds that all members of the body of Christ, His church, are saints so happy birthday to Saint Abigail and all the other June birthday celebrants.

Our bulletin marked this week as "General Assembly Sunday."  Our representative elder, Roy is attending the annual conference of the whole Presbyterian Church in Canada in Waterloo, Ontario. The assembly meets from June 2 to June 6.  Please keep commissioners in your prayers. They will receive reports from various committees and individuals that will direct our church into the coming years.

Next Sunday, is Pentecost Sunday. Many consider this day the birthdate of the Christian church. It marks the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples and they began speaking in tongues. Three thousand people became Christians on that single day.  We don't celebrate Pentecost with all the fanfare of  Christmas, but next week you can mark the day by wearing red to church. Whatever you wear, a tie, a hat, blue jeans, shorts or a party dress, the Holy Spirit continues to dwell among us and welcomes you into the fellowship of SPPC any time.

The following Sunday, June 16 is Father's day and our annual church picnic.

Sunday, June 23 we'll celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion.

As I said at the top of this post, June has more red letter Sundays than most of the other months of the year. I guess we're gearing up for summer holidays.