Announcements for the bulletin may be sent to the church office, stjohntheevangelist902@gmail.com or Alana Foster. We would appreciate receiving these by Thursday at 4 pm each week. Thank you!

Rector’s Office Hours: Rev. Nichola is very busy with visits and Christmas preparations this month so office hours are erratic. Please email or call the office phone if you have need of her and leave a message. Regular office hours will resume in January.

Prayer Envelopes Available: Envelopes are located in the rack in the entryway of the church and contain a slip of paper on which to write your request. To ensure confidentiality, seal the envelope and place it on the offering plate
or pass it on to Rev Nichola, Bishop Sue, Marion McKinnon or Jacalyn Roy who will inform other members of the Prayer Team.

Meeting Space Bookings: Bookings for the Hall may be made through Peter Simpkin. Bookings for the Church lower level may be made through Maxine Simpkin.

Announcements  – January 8, 2023  – Epiphany

A Prayer for a new year ~ adapted from https://christianstt.com/

   May our focus be on love, peace and unity within our families and friends, and foster this peace and unity too with our Christian brethren. May we be guided by Your Holy Spirit as we read Your Word and practice the principles of it in our daily life.

   As we could be different from one another, may we always learn to look at our own failings and the depth of our faith before we rebuke another of their faith in You.

   May we be slow to anger and condemnation but be swift to respond in love, peace and forgiveness. May unity be our motto and love for one another be our utmost desire in this new year. In Jesus name, Amen.

Here is a link to a Video of Christmas Carol Songs. This recording is to be sent to the North American diocese of Mar Thoma. https://drive.google.com/file/d/18tNXbaPYaGIhp8-sMh_89IMBoM97wbMJ/view?usp=drivesdk. Those of us who attend the 10:30 service might recognize someone!

Community Care Team: We are asking for volunteers to help at Beacon House in the food bank, cashier in boutique area and sorting. Training is available. For more info contact Iris Horwood -902-865-4449.

   If you would like to volunteer at the Sackville Area Warming Center contact Rachel – 902-789-0764.

Prayer Book of Requests: In order to better include names for prayers we are making a slight change to the Book for Prayer Requests that is in the entry way to the worship space for the day. The page will be laid out with a space for “Ongoing Concerns”. This would include names of folks suffering with long term illnesses, e.g. Parkinson’s, dementia, MS, who need continued prayer and support. There will be a space for “Current Concerns” which would include short term things like going for surgery, quick recovery from flu or a fall. Some weeks there will be a space to put names for a specific illness, e.g. cancer. There will be space for celebrations and news of recoveries. There will also be space for remembering those who have died either at the time of death or on an anniversary.  Please be sure you have asked permission before you put someone’s name on the public list.

The Prayer Team will pray for those who want prayers but do not want their name on the public list. For more information, please speak to team leader Marion McKinnon or Bishop Sue.

Altar Guild will meet Sunday, Jan. 29, in the lower level of the church immediately after the 10:30am service.

Community Breakfast:  Pancake and bean breakfast, Saturday Jan 21st, 8 to 10am.  Adults $8, children $5.  St. John the Evangelist Hall. 

We are collecting clear prescription pill bottles with tops – labels removed – for a young boy who is a member of 1st Sackville Cub Pack.  These bottles will be sent to Matthews Mission – located in the USA – for distribution in 3rd world countries. This is an ongoing mission. Please continue to bring them to church. Sheila King or Lois Whynot will collect them on a regular basis. Thank you.

Take out Lunch: Thank you for the great support given over the last year! There will be no take out in January but watch for news of one for February!

“Heart Rock Cafe Alpha on-line”: A chance to participate in an Alpha Course online. Please check out and share our public Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/2056371691218410 which includes promotional videos, the link to registration, and a place to ask questions about the program. It is free, there are no obligations, and it can be done from the privacy of your home (every Wednesday evening from 6:45-8:30 pm). The Alpha Course is created to outline the core principles of the Christian faith that all denominations agree on. 

   If you have not done Alpha yourself, please consider joining us as a participant, as it is a wonderful place to meet others who are on a similar journey of discovery. We also ask for your prayers, to draw in the right people and to run a successful program. 

SENIORS SOCIAL will resume meeting in the Hall on Friday mornings from 9.30 am to 11.30 am starting on January 13th.  All are welcome to drop in!

Ukrainian support Store in Bayers Rd Centre today – beside the YMCA/Immigrant Settlement facility. This supports over 2000 Ukranian families who are trying to settle in mostly the Halifax/Dartmouth area. Five new families off the plane in the last few days!?

One of their biggest needs is dish sets and cutlery. Most of what is being brought in are not whole sets and most are chipped and damaged. They are in need of funds that they can use to purchase whole dish sets and cutlery.

The contact information for donations or contributions is as follows:

Mollie Thompson

Ukrainian Store Volunteer – Logistics Manager       902-802-1115

theukrainianstore@gmail.com             https://www.halifax-ukrainian-store.ca/          

Opportunity Place – Nova Scotia Works is proud to share they are hosting one of the first hiring events in 2023, the Bedford – Sackville ‘Kick Off the Year Right’ Job Fair. This is a great opportunity on Monday, January 16th, 2023 to connect with the following actively hiring employers: –

 Executive Aviation (EA)                     Commissionaires Nova Scotia
Sysco                                                   Student Transportation of Canada (STC)
Public Service Commission of Canada Rentokil
Paladin Security                                   YACRO Metro
Irving Sawmill Division                      VistaCare Communications
Municipal Group of Companies           Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) 

The job fair open to all job seekers, as well as those working with them, will run from 9:00 a.m. to noon in the Fenerty Room at the Sackville Public Library, 636 Sackville Drive, Lower Sackville, NS, B4C 2S4.

Probus Talk: The MAID program (Medical Assistance in Dying)  is a program for the elderly who are facing their final stages of life. The Probus group which meets in the hall on a monthly basis for a presentation, felt that it would a topic of interest to our members as we are an aging group.
  Dr. Gubitz presentation on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) will take place on  Feb 9, 2023, 10am, weather permitting, in our hall for our members and guests. Members of our congregation, who may have an interest in the program either for themselves of someone they know, are invited to attend. Dr. Gubitz has requested that a short questionnaire be submitted by interested parties. The responses would be confidential to Dr. Gubitz only.

Please answer the following questions, and send your answers directly to Dr. Gubitz at Gordon Gubitz <G.Gubitz@dal.ca>  .
Identify yourself in your email as ‘Probus Club of Cobequid,’ so that Dr. Gubitz will know that it is his presentation to us (or St John’s Church member if that applies).
Dr. Gubitz’ questions follow and note that all responses will be treated anonymously:

1. Are there specific topics within MAID that you would like for me to focus on during our discussion?
2. Are there aspects of MAID that you find challenging or difficult?
3. Based on your present understanding of MAID, is Canada heading in the right direction?
4. Anything else?
Upcoming:

Tues. Jan. 10, 1pm – Book Club – All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews, Hall                         2pm – Vision & Planning, Lower Level

Wed., Jan. 11, 10:30am, Worship Committee, Hall

Friday, Jan 13   9:30am, Sr. Social, Hall

Sun., Jan 15, 1pm, Finance Committee, Lower Level

                       2:30 pm, Mothers’ Union, Hall

Mon., Jan 16, 1pm, Prayer Team, Hall

Sun., Jan 22, 1pm, Parish Council, Hall

Sun., Jan. 29, 12:00 pm, Altar Guild, Lower Level