Minister's Challenge

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here

This week SPPC participated in a game of musical pulpits. Rev. Irwin was at St. Andrew's in Nanaimo, their minister was at Trinity in Vancouver and Byron Knight took over the pulpit at SPPC. Many in the congregation know Byron as a leader of the Dominican Republic mission trips, pie auctioneer extraorinaire, and master chef at Camp Imadene. He also likes to share the gospel from the pulpit. Welcome Byron.

Having a guest preacher is a bit of a wake-up for the congregation. We tend to be so comfortable with our usual routine, we may not even notice its strengths or eaknesses.  

Retailers are encouraged to look at their premises through the eyes of a customer every now and then. They walk down the street and look in the front window. Does it sparkle? Is the display fresh and engaging? Or has familiar clutter built up in the corners and gone unnoticed? We can use the occasion of a guest preacher for a similar review. Are the prayers different? Is the sermon long or short? Who reads the announcements? There are any number of little differences that may catch our attention. And that is a good thing.

On Thursday night, choir practice was cancelled and 3/4 of the choir went to a concert at UVIC. Elizabeth Clarke and Lindsey Hurle both attended SPPC a few years ago and shared their musical talents with us. I especially remember Elizabeth as she filled in at the piano for the Living Flame Choir on occasion. So, when we learned that the two musicians were back in town to give a concert, we had to attend. Elizabeth's skill on the keyboard is remarkable and she had the audience enthralled. 

It was also a bit of an old home week for Fort MacMurray ex-pats. The Cunninghams were there in force, plus we met several people in the parking lot all coming to hear their "home town girls." A testament to friendship.

Stump the Preacher

Just a reminder, we have one week left to meet Rev. Irwin's

challenge of reading the whole Gospel of Luke. He invited us to mark the passages we found difficult and to present them to him. He has promised to preach on the problem passages remarked by the congregation. This is your chance to stump the preacher. Don't miss out. 

DR Connections

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

On Sunday morning we welcomed Pastor Byron Knight to the pulpit. Byron is known to many in our congregation through his work with the House Upon the Rock. He has been leading mission trips to the Dominican Republic since 2009. He has been a youth minister on the peninsula for over thirty years but, in April, he takes up a new position as food manager at  Camp Imadene. Before that, however, he will be leading another mission team to the Dominican Republic, including six members from SPPC.

Speaking of the mission trip, on Saturday afternoon there was a pie auction at Saanichton Bible Fellowship. Proceeds went to support this year's mission team in their travel and work. They leave in just a couple of weeks.

The pies were fresh and delicious looking and commanded prices to make a baker drool. $70 for a gluten free lemon meringue pie, $70 for a carrot cake, and $400 for Peter's pecan pie. Two other pecan pies commanded high prices as well. I guess the bidders were big on nuts. 

In total, the event raised about $5000.00, all of which will go toward supporting our mission to the Dominican Republic.

 

Our team was well-represented with Will, Peter, Joan, and Diane. 

Keeley and Quinn came in later and took a turn as auctioneers.

Notice Diane is modelling her 2020 t-shirt. We had another team ready to depart just when COVID hit. They were commissioned on a Sunday, and on the following Monday in March 2020, travel was shut down. So, the 2023 team is carrying the spirit of the 2020 team as well

I was talking to Peter last week about all the packing required before the group gets on the bus. Everyone is allowed two suitcases. One they fill with stuff they will need for themselves, the other is packed with donated supplies -- mostly medical and school needs. Packing a full suitcase is one thing, but, since getting through DR Customs can be tricky, each item must be listed. All of the supplies the team takes with them are donations and, as such, are duty free. However, it pays to know exactly what is in each suitcase in case any get "lost."

Modern travellers tend to stuff a few t-shirts into a back-pack and off they go. Preparing to travel to Pedregal and House Upon the Rock, is a whole other kettle of fish.

Byron's message on Sunday morning was about the importance of prayer. As members of our congregation ready themselves physically for their mission, let us hold them close in our prayers.