HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-03-05, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015.
By Pastor Perry Chuipka
St. John’s and Trinity Anglican
Churches
Every church and organization
needs healthy relationships in order
to survive. Jesus believed that
relationships are the cornerstone of
any community. This is why he
established relationships wherever
he went. One of the things that I do
besides being a minister in a church
is to be a part of a coaching team
that helps other churches.
As coaches, we try to encourage
congregations to see the value of
relational ministries. Let me explain
this after sharing some of the
responses from congregations that
have participated in a coaching
experience.
• “The group work was so
beneficial in educating us, but also
developing more community in our
parish.”
• “I valued the way that you
encouraged the group to get to know
each other by sharing a bit of their
story.”
• “You got us to look outside the
box of our own church walls to see
the many potential relationships in
our community.”
• “I got to know more people in
my parish family and understood
more of their concerns about
ministry.
• “Thank you for challenging us to
step out and see God in relationships
that we have yet to explore.”
Notice how those comments from
parishioners illustrated the value
they see in building relationships.
Relational ministries is about
sustaining the relationships we have
in our parish life and creating new
ones in the community we live in.
Let me state a few words from Eric
Law, the author of Holy Currencies,
who explains relational ministry
better than I.
Eric says, “In the last 60 years, the
North American norm has shifted.
Sunday morning is no longer set
aside exclusively for church or any
kind of faith community gathering.
People no longer are necessarily
expected to go to church. One of the
determining factors for whether one
goes to church is relationships.
Today, people go to church because
they have relationships with people
there, and these relationships are
what sustains them in their lives.” He
goes on to say, “many have not
learned to move from ‘doing church’
to ‘being a church’ with people who
relate to people. And 60 years later,
many churches are shrinking in
attendance and financial resources.
We need to refocus our churches
ministries on being relational.”
On our coaching visits with
parishioners, we get them to
experience relational ministry
through our group work which
emphasizes building relationships
among one another. We also spend
quality time giving them permission
to share some of their story. Another
way that we emphasize building
relationships is to get them to see
new ways of developing their
relationships, not just at coffee or tea
time, but in their worship. For
example, look at these ways of
nourishing relationships as they
worship on Sunday morning.
• Making a conscious effort to sit
with someone new, not just our
friends
• Don’t leave the greeting to
specific people, greet others in the
pew
• Waiting together as a group at the
Communion rail before getting up to
leave
• Different people serving others at
coffee and tea hour
• Remembering at the Peace that
it is quality not quantity (taking time
to pause as we look people in the eye
and allow them to absorb the Peace
of Christ)
• At coffee and tea time go to
someone you don’t know and do
some intentional listening.
The ways that we encounter
people throughout our time with
them illustrates the value we put on
our relationships. Jesus knew this
and practised it everyday. It is also
something I need to practise
everyday because the value I put on
my relationships not only benefits
my life but it will also benefit the
organization as a whole. So the next
time you say, I am not going to that
function today because they don’t
need me anyway, remember that’s
not true because you are an
important part of your church or
organization even if nobody tells you
that you are. You are important
because as Jesus said, you are an
important part of the cornerstone of
God. You are a living stone that
connects and supports a network of
relationships. All these relationships
together make up your church or
organization.
By Colin Dobson
Semester two is in full swing at St.
Anne’s Catholic Secondary School
and everyone is making the best of a
cold and snowy winter. Winterfest
will be rescheduled to Wednesday,
March 11. The event, which was
originally set to take place on Feb.
19 had to be rescheduled due to
extreme cold conditions and bus
cancellations.
The Bear Necessities donation
campaign began on Monday, Feb.
23. This fundraiser aims to collect a
variety of toys for the Ronald
McDonald Foundation to distribute
to children and their families.
Friday, Feb. 27 was Solidarity
Day at St. Anne’s where each
homeroom was assigned a country
from the developing world.
Students were asked to pay $2 to
dress in the colours of the country
that their homeroom was assigned.
All money raised went towards the
Development in Peace Foundation
to support their Sow Much Love
campaign.
Our Agents of Change are excited
Winterfest
rescheduled
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph’s
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS
MINISTER
Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
All Welcome
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224
Sunday, March 8 ~ Lent 3 – “Jesus Cares...”
Sunday, March 15 ~ Lent 4 – “Facing The Storm”
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.
Children
Welcome
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, March 8
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and
preschoolers during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, MARCH 8
Nursery care available
519-887-9017
Worship & Sunday School - 10 am
Coffee & Snacks - 11 am
We invite you to join our church family in:
Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm ~ Soup & More 2
- a free community meal held in Melville’s basement, and
made possible by the Brussels churches working together.
COULD YOU USE A “PICK-ME-UP”?
At Huron Chapel there is always a place for you
huronchapel.com
BRUSSELS
WORSHIP SERVICE
AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00 am
All Welcome
United Church
Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div.
Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224
blythunited@tcc.on.ca
Church bookings: 519-887-6377
Other concerns: 226-963-1175
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
getlivingwater.org
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
James 1: 2-4
“Fight Fair”
Evangelical Missionary Church
Small Groups Weekly in Blyth & Wingham
From the Minister’s Study
Benefit organizations through relationships
Continued on page 19