The Citizen, 1993-03-10, Page 16PITCH-IN
CANADA!
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Rev. Cameron McMillan
Church Office 887-6259 Manse 887-9313
11 a.m. Morning Worship Service
"Water"
Church School/Nursery
********
9:30 a.m. Ethel Worship Service
Church School
"All my hope on God is founded"
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
10$4
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111 •,•P
BRUSSELS
Rev. Carolyn McAvoy
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. - Belgrave Service
We welcome you to come
and worship with us.
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
You are welcome this Sunday
March 14 — Lent 3
Morning Prayer
Every Sunday night In Lent a service of Evensong
at 7:30 p.m., Brussels
Trinity, Blyth St. John's, Brussels
9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m.
Rector, The Rev. E. Paul Acton, 887-9273
HURON CHAPEL MISSIONARY
CHURCH
PASTOR JAMES H. CARNE AUBURN 526-7515
Sunday -10 a.m. - Family Bible Hour
11 a.m. - Morning Service
8 p.m. - Evening Service
Wednesday - 8 p.m. - Prayer & Bible Study
Friday - 7:30 p.m. - Youth
7ou are Welcome at
the
BLYTH CHURCH OF GOD
9:45 a.m. - Sunday School for Children and Adults
11 - 12:15 - Morning Worship
Bible Studies - Wednesday 10 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Phone 523-4590 McConnell St., Blyth
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
CH URCH
HIGHWAYIIF 411,3BLYED--52133
GUEST MINISTER:
Rev. Gerrit Heersink
Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
The Church of the "Back to God Hour" and "Faith 20"
Back to God Hour 10:30 a.m. CKNX Sunday
Faith 20 5:00 a.m. Weekdays, Global T.V.
At( Visitors Welcome Wheelchair acce.ssibie
BRUSSELS
MENNONITE FELLOWSHIP
9:25 a.m. Worship Service
Communion
10:30 a.m. Christian Education
March 12, 8 p.m. Anderson University
Wind Ensemble, Blyth Theatre
Come & Enjoy!
Elder Linda Campbell Pastor: Tom Warner
357-1648 887-6388
GUESTS EXPECTED
PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1993.
From the Minister's Study
If your burden's heavy, seek help
By Randy Banks
Walton-Bluevale United Churches
In 1969, my grandfather sold his
century farm and auctioned off his
Minneapolis-Moline tractor and the
rest of his farm machinery. This
farm had served as the carefree,
idyllic refuge where I petted calves,
collected eggs, smelled pigs, rode a
tractor, and jumped around on bales
of hay. A family farm died that
day. Such obituaries are being
written in ever-increasing
frequency today.
Despite having ministered in
farming communities for the last
six years, I confess to a very
limited knowledge of the technical,
administrative, and practical
aspects of farming, I could not
quote grain or livestock prices,
plough in a straight line, or provide
an intelligent explanation of what
G.R.I.P. is. What I do know is that
farm machinery is expensive; input
costs are high; and that prices for
what the farm produces do not
represent anything close to a fair
return for the fanner.
I am, however, conversant with
the biblical perspective on fanning.
The first human being was assigned
to the sacred and honorable
vocation of stewardship of the land.
Rev. Heersink opened the service
at Blyth Christian Reformed Church
on Sunday, March 7, with a Call to
Worship. He then delivered God's
greeting and a welcome to all.
After reading the 10 command-
ments, Rev. Heersink performed
the baptism of little Claire Maxine
Reinink, daughter of Carol and
Bert. The hymn of response to the
baptism was No. 414, "Shepherd of
Tender Youth", chosen by the
parents.
Scripture for the message was
At the annual meeting of
Stratford-Huron Presbyterial of the
Women's Missionary Society,
Jason Fisher of Listowel showed
slides of Nicaragua and gave an
excellent commentary on the work
that he, as part of a youth in
mission, was doing in that Central
American country last summer.
Mrs. Gordon Alexander of
Listowel presided for the meeting
which was held in Knox
Presbyterian Church, Stratford on
Feb. 23. Following her call to
worship, Monkton W.M.S. gave
the devotions with Mrs. Ralph
Adair reading scripture and prayer,
and Mrs. Morris Smith giving the
meditation on the scripture.
"Morning Has Broken" was sung
and Mrs. Lorne Proudfoot
welcomed the ladies on behalf of
the Mary, Martha and Gordon
W.M.S. Helen Chalmers brought
greetings from Knox Session, and
Rev. Chambers of Molesworth
brought greetings from Stratford-
Huron-Perth Presbytery.
Mrs. John McMillan, Atwood,
read the minutes of the last annual
meeting, and Mrs. Alex Nichol
gave the correspondence. A 47-
passenger bus will be going to the
Hamilton and London Synodical in
St. Thomas on Apr.20, and those
wishing to go must have their
names to the phone captains in time
to be forwarded to Mrs. Larry
White, Goderich, by Mar. 29. The
cost will be $30 for the bus, noon
lunch, and evening banquet.
Mrs. John Gibson, St. Marys,
reported on the funds raised for
mission work in 1992. The
Presbyterial objective of $64,700
(Gen. 2.15).
Agriculture today is obviously no
Garden of Eden experience. It is in
a seemingly perpetual state of crisis
owing to a perplexing array of
inter-related factors having to do
with international trade policies,
subsidy wars, agricultural
surpluses, debt loads, high interest
rates, low commodity prices, and
the vagaries of weather.
A farmer of agricultural expert I
may not be, but as one who has
worked closely with people through
life's vicissitudes, I know that farm
families have for too long been
under tremendous stress. Fear and
uncertainty can become
unmanageable and give rise to
family violence, marriage break-up,
substance and alcohol abuse, and
even suicidal tendencies or actions.
The problems on the farm send
negative ripple effects throughout
the surrounding service and
commercial centres. What will our
once-thriving towns and villages
look like in five - ten years, we
wonder?
-What is ultimately at stake is the
overall physical, emotional, and
spiritual well-being of people.
Human beings who hurt have a
tendency to privatize and
taken from Isaiah 52. The sermon
title was, "I Have Heard That
Before". The gist of the message
was that although objects age over
time as people obviously do, the
Bible's message stays the same
forever. The theme of "Salvation"
is repeated intensively through the
Old Testament as well as the New.
Rev. Heersink pointed out that we
need to strive to avoid allowing the
great and wonderful message of
truth to become commonplace and
mundane in our lives.
internalize their grief and despair. It
is as if to seek help is a shameful
admission of failure. It is not.
There are organizations and
professionally-trained people that
offer counselling services and
support. The church is surely one
place where one can always count
on caring, support, and
understanding. The church may not
be able to provide technical
expertise or financial solutions, but
it does offer the sustaining presence
of God to people in their hours of
greatest need. It is, after all, the
mandate of the Christian church to
"bear one another's burdens and so
fulfill the law of Christ." (Gal. 5.2).
With the ongoing crisis in rural
communities in mind, I am drawn
to one of the apostle Paul's most
valuable insights about the church
which we can apply to the
community as a whole: "If one
member suffers, all suffer together.
If one member is honoured, all
rejoice together."
If your burden is too heavy to
bear, do not be ashamed to seek
help, whether from your church, a
support group,• and professional
counsellor, or a trusted friend.
In bearing one another's burdens,
in caring for our neighbours at the
Hymn No. 328, "My God How
Wonderful Thou Art", was chosen
by Mr. and Mrs. Hamming, who
just celebrated their 55th wedding
anniversary.
This coming week Ruth
Vanderlei, Mrs. Thalen and Diana
Sjaarda will be kept in our prayers.
The congregation was reminded
of the upcoming Open House of
Fritz and Grace Datema as well as
Anton and Janny Passchier. Both
couples will celebrate 40th anniver-
saries this coming Saturday.
Scott, Stratford; historian, Mrs.
Leslie Knight, Brussels; without
portfolio, Mrs. Shirley Aitcheson,
Stratford and Mrs. Stuart
Stevenson, Stratford; auditors, Mrs.
Fred Kipfer, Stratford and Mrs.
Gerald Richards, Stratford.
Canvass
nets
$1,090
The recent canvass for the Heart
and Stroke Foundation in the five
southern concessions of East
Wawanosh, yielded a record in
donations.
Organizers say, every year since
the canvass began the amount
collected has increased over the
previous year. This year the total
was $1,090 for cardiac research.
For some donors it may be a
donation towards saving their own
life.
critical moments, the resiliency of
our rural communities which
already exists will be greatly
enhanced. We all benefit from
belonging to a strong, caring,
supportive community.
for 1993 was accepted.
The Area Education Consultant,
Margaret Greig, explained the
movement of clothing companies
to close factories and use cheap
home labour to sew garments. She
led a discussion on the pamphlet,
Concerns of Garment Workers'
Working Conditions in Canada,
which is being distributed to
W.M.S. groups as part of the study
material this year.
The afternoon programme began
with a sing-song led by Mrs.
Evelyn Matthison and Mrs. Alex
Strathdee, Avonton, with Mrs.
Margaret McIntyre at the piano.
Following the call to worship,
Mrs. James Evans, Mrs. Alister
McIntosh and Mrs. Oliver
McIntosh, of Motherwell-
Avonbank, gave the afternoon
devotions. "Who Is on The Lord's
Side?" was sung.
Margaret Greig installed the
following slate of officers for 1992:
past president, Mrs. Stuart
Stevenson, Brussels; president,
Mrs. Gordon Alexander, Listowel;
first vice-president, Mrs. Robert
Edmunds, Mitchell; second vice
president, Mrs. Larry White,
Goderich; recording secretary, Mrs.
John McMillan, Atwood;
corresponding secretary, Mrs. Alex
Nichol, Atwood; treasurer, Mrs.
John Gibson, St. Marys; secretaries
- press, Mrs. Robert Laing,
Mitchell; adult groups, Mrs. Hugh
McKay, Stratford; children's
groups, Miss Jeanette Laing, New
Hamburg; youth, Mrs. Oliver
McIntosh, St. Marys; friendship
and service, Mrs. Chester Earl,
Atwood; glad tidings, Mrs. Pat
CRC pastor baptizes infant
Presbyterial elects officers