The Citizen, 2011-09-01, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011. PAGE 13.
Foundation donates to Goderich relief
The fourth meeting of the
Wawanosh Community Cats was
held on Aug. 22 at the Jeffersons’
home.
Maisy Jefferson led the pledge and
asked members to name fundraising
events that they had been involved
in. The members listed golf
tournaments, bake sales and
barbecues. Jolande Oudshoorn gave
out the title page she had made; all
the members were impressed at her
artistic skills.
It was decided that they would
stick with the original plan to clean
up the Port Albert beach unless there
was a change in the need for
volunteers in Goderich. The
members also encouraged each other
to help the community in any way
possible in the upcoming days.
The members then began working
through the material in the book,
learning about building community
partnerships, attracting donations
and recruiting volunteers. The
members brainstormed what
volunteers need to know to be
effective, including what their role
is, why it is important and the overall
goals of the project.
Next, the members discussed
etiquette for approaching people for
donations or assistance with a
project. The members split into two
groups. One group acted out asking
to borrow a church hall and the other
tried to find homes for abandoned
pets.
By Brent KipferBrussels Mennonite Fellowship
If you were driving down
McDaniel Street in Atlanta, Georgia,
you might notice a red brick church
with an unusual name. It is called
The Perfect Church and it has been
around since 1957.
The tagline on the top of its
website (www.theperfectchurch.org)
summarizes its message: “Christians
are perfect!”
I guess they haven’t met me yet!
How would you like to be part of
The Perfect Church?
A woman in south India worked
among the poor next to a huge
slum. For years, she showed love
in practical ways and talked about
the good news of Jesus – especially
with young women who had
fled their homes because they
were afraid of being sold into
prostitution. One night, she was with a group of
them and she was frustrated. She
had poured herself out for these
women, supporting them, loving
them, inviting them to embrace new
life, but few showed any signs of
moving toward faith in Christ. She
was disturbed by their slave-like
mentality. They kept falling into the
same old patterns which held them
back from true freedom.
“After all they had suffered, they
should know better,” she thought.
With emotion in her voice, she said:
“The one thing that will liberate you
from your bondage – the gospel of
Jesus, to it you have shown no
response. What can I say?”
She threw up her hands. The room
was silent. Then one of the young
women timidly put up her hand and
said, “You have been so patient and
so good to us we thought we couldnever hope to be like you. We can
never be good enough to be a
Christian.”
The woman was shocked. So that
was it. They admired her character.
Maybe they even saw a reflection of
Jesus in her – but for them it was a
barrier. How could they ever hope to
make such a big change?
We can never be good enough to
be a Christian. That evening was a
turning point in her ministry and in
the lives of many of the young
women.
No one is worthy to follow Jesus.
“All have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God,” the apostle Paul says
in Romans 3:23.
There’s an old story about a pastor
who was walking home. Near his
house, he saw a group of boys sitting
in a circle with a dog in the middle.
He was curious and a bit concerned,so he went over and asked them,
“What are you doing with that dog?”
One of the boys said, “He is just a
neighbourhood stray. We all want
him, but only one of us can take him
home. We’ve decided that whoever
can tell the biggest lie gets to keep
the dog.”
The pastor said, “I am shocked.
When I was a boy, I would never
have even thought of telling a lie.”
There was dead silence for about a
minute. Just as the pastor started
thinking that they were taking his
words to heart, one the boys gave a
deep sigh and said, “All right, give
him the dog.”
The New Testament often
describes the kingdom of God as a
banquet, a party – but it is not a
masquerade party. The Greek word
hypocrite was used to describe a
stage actor who would wear a mask or hold a mask in front of his
face while playing a part. God
invites the people at “The Perfect
Church” in Atlanta to his party,
along with the women from that
poor community in south India, as
well as you and me – but it is a
mask-free party.
1 John 1:8-9 says, “If we claim to
be without sin, we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us. If
we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all
unrighteousness.”
The perfect church does not exist
on this side of heaven. Jesus has
come to save sinners, so we do not
have to worry that we are not “good
enough” or pretend that we are.
Jesus simply says, “Come, follow
me.”
In a letter sent on Aug. 25, Marcy
McCall MacBain, formerly of the
Seaforth area in Huron County, and
her husband John, both of
Geneva, Switzerland, confirmed a
message of hope and renewal for
the Goderich community with
a pledge of financial support
from The McCall MacBain
Foundation.
“Both my husband John and I
want to provide some assistance in
this time of great need in
Goderich…. I am particularly fond
of Goderich, and I treasure its
wonderful Western Ontario
heritage,” McCall MacBain stated in
her message.
The Foundation wishes to provide
leverage funding to support the
restoration of the built heritage of
Goderich – its wonderful inventory
of treasured architecture – as well as
its natural heritage elements – in
particular, the magnificent treescape
– and, any related undertakings to
recapture that very special essence
of the community that has been lost
in the recent horrific environmental
catastrophe.
An initial lead cash grant of
$100,000 will be made to an
approved organization, with an
additional amount of leverage funds,
up to $200,000, to be matched by
cash, not in kind, donations, to
enable a minimum total of $500,000
to be raised specifically in support of
heritage retention and restoration for
the ‘built’ and ‘natural’ environment
of the community. (Only funds
donated following this
announcement will be eligible for
matching funds.)
Details about the specifics of the
fund, its administration, and its
utilization will be finalized and
announced in the coming days.
This preliminary announcement is
offered as a message of hope,
support and renewal at a difficult
time for so many across this small
community who are facing what
appears to be an insurmountable
challenge.
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
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
September 4 ~ Summer To Do List, The End Is Near
September 11
No worship at BUC, 8:30 am at Emergency Services Training
Centre 9-11 Memorial and/or 9:30 am at Thresher’s Service
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come and worship with us
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
Church Office: 519-357-4883
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, September 4
Rev. Perry Chuipka
www.nabcom.ca/church
Please join us for worship
Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743
www.blythcrc.ca
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
September 4: Lam 3:19-42
“Responding
to Calamity —
Redemptively”
Evangelical Missionary Church
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, September 4
Brussels Legion at 10:30 a.m.
and at various locations at 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age (mornings only)
Childcare provided for infants and toddlers
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
Chris McMichael 519.482.1644
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, September 4
There will be no church service
in Brussels or Ethel this Sunday.
Sunday School will resume on September 11
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
119 John’s Ave., Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
9:30 a.m.
Sunday School
10:30 a.m.
Worship Service
Guest Speakers:
Steve & Krista Campbell will
be speaking about their
time in Papua, New Guinea
as Missionaries.
SOCCER TOURNAMENT,
BBQ & CONCERT
Saturday, September 17th
Huron Chapel is raising funds
to build homes in El Salvador.
If you have a soccer team that
you would like to enter,
please contact Rob Campbell
at 519-526-1131 or visit
www.huronchapel.org
for details.
From the Minister’s StudyFollow Jesus to ‘The Perfect Church’
Community Cats meet again