The Citizen, 2011-05-05, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011.
WMS holds annual meeting
On April 12 and 13 the
Southwestern Ontario Synodical of
the Women’s Missionary Society
met at Goderich Presbyterian
Church for its 64th annual meeting.
Members came from an area
bounded by Windsor, Goderich,
Owen Sound, Hamilton and Niagara
Falls with an attendance of 204
ladies.
The meeting was constituted by
President Bonnie Arbour of Sarnia.
The theme was “Salt of the Earth”.
Everyone was welcomed by Lois
Horne, president of the host
presbyterial, Huron-Perth, Margaret
McGillivray, President of Goderich
Arthur Circle, and Rev. Bill
Vandersteldt, Minister of Knox
Church.
The worship service and
communion was conducted by Rev.
Bill Vandersteldt and the Goderich
ladies. Each session began with a
sing-song led by Susie Strickler and
Helen Hart of Embro and always
ended with the theme song, “Salt of
the World.”
The roll call showed an attendance
of 67 from Huron-Perth
Presbyterial.
The guest speaker on Tuesday
afternoon Colleen Maguire spoke on
laughter, pointing out the difference
between laughter and joy. There are
40 references to laughter in the
Bible, but only six in the New
Testament.
Spencer Edwards gave a report on
his work as youth consultant.
Following the 100 Mile Dinner,
Shirley Aitcheson, Stratford,
introduced the head table guests
and the group moved to the
sanctuary for a program of musical
entertainment. Vespers by Niagara
Presbyterial concluded Tuesday’s
program.
Wednesday’s program began with
a worship service and In Memorial
led by Sarnia Presbyterial. Three
workshops were held: the ABCs of
Great Meetings, Cooking for one or
two, and WMS projects for 2011.
On Wednesday afternoon, reports
were given by AEC Rev. Anne Yee-
Hibbs and Kintail Camp Director
By Rev. Gary ClarkBlyth United Church
By the time most of you read this
article, the week will be half over.
Which is too bad because this is a
special week.
It is Mental Health Week and I
believe this should be important to
all of us. We need to hear about
mental health from our pulpits and
around our kitchen tables.
The Canadian Mental Health
Association claims that 90 per
cent of all illness can be traced to
mental health. And as I said in
my sermon this past week, “if
that doesn’t make you sit up in
your pew, then how about the reality
that three bus loads of our kids,
over 100 of them, in Ontario alone
will try to commit suicide this
year.”
Mental health is a life-and-death
issue that hurts us today and must
be tackled at home, at work, at
church and at school. A majorstumbling block is the issue of “the
stigma”.
Our society continues to talk about
mental illness as if it was a character
flaw or worse that people could
simply “choose to pull themselves
up by their own boot straps”. Well
it’s been many years since I have
seen boot straps so maybe our ideas
around mental health ought to
change as well.
Here is how the Canadian Mental
Health Association thinks we can
help. They propose that the key to
mental health is ‘resiliency’. This is
defined as a combination of skills
and positive attributes that people
gain from life experience and
relationships.
As I said in this week’s sermon,
young people often don’t have the
life experience and have not been
offered opportunities to develop the
skills needed to be resilient.
Let’s break resiliency down intothree pillars called emotional skills,
competence, and optimism.
Emotional skills are: having
positive self esteem, the ability to
share feelings, the ability to calm
oneself and the ability to see a
hopeful side.
Secondly, competence involves
abilities in: goal setting, problem
solving, and the practical skills like
cooking, cleaning and budgeting.
Lastly, resiliency involves
optimism: which is confidence in
one’s own skill and abilities, leading
us to be generous and supportive of
others.
When I look at this list, I see
where family, religious
organizations, service groups
like the Lions, the fire department
and our places of schooling or
work, play major roles in developing
(or destroying) mental health.
Nobody comes out of their mother
knowing how to budget. We all havethat the ability to problem solve, but
we must be taught that we actually
can do it.
Almost all of the learning and
personal development is not
something you can find in a book.
We, as humans, usually learn best
from watching and them being
mentored into the skills that we
need.
Next week I have the opportunity
to continue this discussion and to
talk about how each one of us can
build up the mental health of our
families, or churches and even our
places of play.
Next week Mental Health Week
will be over, but the need to foster
mental health will continue. Talk to
you then!
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
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, May 8
Brussels Public School
at 10:30 a.m. and 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:
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Chris McMichael 519.482.1644
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
May 8th ~ The Commandments and You
- Doing More With Less Time
May 15th ~ The Commandments and You
- Watch the Speed Bumps
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
Church Office: 519-357-4883
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Rev. Perry Chuipka
www.nabcom.ca/church
Trinity, Blyth and St. John’s, Brussels
will be worshipping May 8
with their sister congregations
in the Parish of New Beginnings at 10:30 a.m.
at St. Peter’s, Lucknow.
Bishop Terry Dance will be the Guest Celebrant.
All are welcome.
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - beunitedchurch@gmail.com
Sunday, May 8
Mother’s Day and Baptism
Ethel United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, MAY 8
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
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
Tuesdays 7:30 pm - Wingham Small Group
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women’s Ministry
Fridays 7:00 pm - Youth Group
May 8: Acts 5:12ff
“The Church You’ve
Always Longed For-
-Captures the Heart
of the Community”
MOTHER’S DAY -
Guest speaker
Gary Lisle
Evangelical Missionary 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
119 John’s Ave., Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
9:30 a.m.
Sunday School
10:30 a.m.
Morning Worship Service
Guest Speaker: Rev. Gerry Wilson
Every Mother in attendance
will receive a gift!
Auburn
Friday, May 6th 4 pm-8 pm
Saturday, May 7th 9 am-3:30 pm
Hosted by the HIV/AIDs Network
Vendors from all over will be selling
their items.
Entry is $2 or FREE if you bring an
item for the Food Bank.
at Huron Chapel
From the Minister’s StudyMental Health Week affects everyone
Continued on page 27