This weekend is the annual Synod (kind of like an Annual General Meeting) of the Diocese of New Westminster. Please keep the delegates and the bishop in your prayers as we seek to understand how best to participate in God’s mission in this beautiful and lively part of God’s world.

This Sunday at St. Mary’s:
This Sunday we welcome the Reverend S. Andrew Halladay who will preach at our three morning services.
8am Holy Eucharist
9:15 Holy Eucharist and Sunday School.
11:15 Morning Prayer
7:30pm Taize-Style Worship for the season of Easter (the last Taize service until the fall)

Advance Notice:
Cristosal Foundation and the SMK Base Community present: Creating Justice in El Salvador. May 24th in the Parish Hall from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Cristosal Foundation Executive Director Noah Bullock will speak about the work of the Cristosal Foundation and the Los Calix project. There will be pictures from the recent trip by members of our parish family. And there will be Latin music, wine and cheese and door prizes. Tickets are $15 for singles and $25 for couples. They are available from the office.

Quality Family Time presents: Godspell at the Cathedral. May 26th at 1pm and 7pm. Tickets are available through www.brownpapertickets.com. St. Mary’s is pleased to sponsor this production which includes acting by Cameron Gutjahr and Alex Starr, Costumming by Marg Lemire and Musical Direction by David Taylor.

On Pentecost Sunday, May 27th we will host a Community Thank-You Brunch to celebrate the wide variety of people who make up St. Mary’s parish family. Following a combined 10am service, make your way to the gym for a delicious feast sponsored by the Stewardship committee. Through the sharing of food may we all sense that We Belong to this remarkable extension of the Family of God.

Beginning Pentecost Sunday, May 27th, St. Mary’s will move to a two-service summer format. Sunday services will be held each Sunday from Pentecost through the summer at 8am and 10am.

Tell your neighbour and invite your friends to St. Mary’s this summer!

All the best this Week and may the Light and Love of God fill your home with the Peace of God, through Jesus Christ, your Friend and Helper. Amen.

Bishop Michael Ingham has announced that the Reverend Jeremy Clark-King has accepted the position of Incumbent at St. Mary’s, effective August 1, 2012. Jeremy is currently Interim Rector of St. Christopher’s, West Vancouver and prior to that was Rector of St. Martin’s, North Vancouver.

He comes to St. Mary’s with twenty-two years of ordained leadership experience first in the Church of England and since 2005 in the Anglican Church of Canada.

Jeremy has a Bachelor of Divinity degree from King’s College, London and a Certificate in Theology from Ripon College Cuddesdon, University of Oxford. From Heythrop College London, he received a Masters of Arts degree in Christian spirituality. He has also trained in Conflict Transformation and in Management. He’s currently on the teaching staff of the College for Congregational Development in Olympia, south of the border.

He is married to the Venerable Dr. Ellen Clark-King, Associate priest at Christ Church Cathedral and Archdeacon of Burrard.

St. Mary’s is working in partnership with Christ Church Cathedral to put on the musical GODSPELL!

A group of young adults have been practising since November and are excited to announce our shows on May 26th at 1pm and 7pm at Christ Church Cathedral.

Godspell is the story of Jesus as told by the Gospel of Matthew. Our production imagines what it would be like if Jesus was a new member to a youth group. We will be exploring important themes of welcoming, bullying and self-confidence through stories, music and dance.

Tickets can be bought at www.brownpapertickets.com.

Hope to see you there!

Our next service of baptism is Pentecost – the time of year we remember and experience God’s Holy Spirit giving us the energy to love God and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. It is a perfect day to be baptised and welcomed into God’s Great Family, whether you are 11 or 1,100 months old! For information and to register please call the office at 604-261-4225.

Happy May! May is considered by many as the month of Mary. May we find a special sense of God’s presence in our hearts this month and know that God is as near to us as breath.

Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped make the St. Mary’s Rummage Sale a great success. More than $11,500 was collected! Thanks especially to Susan McCallum for her amazing leadership.

This Sunday at St. Mary’s:
This Sunday is Wonder Sunday. Wonder Sunday is an opportunity for the community of St. Mary’s to reflect together on what God’s Spirit is saying to us as a community. The passage we will wonder about is 1 John 4:7-21. Take some time this week to reflect on it and come prepared to share!
8am Holy Eucharist
9:15 Holy Eucharist and Sunday School.
11:15 Holy Eucharist

Coming Events at St. Mary’s:
Out regular Taizé service has been moved to MAY 13th at 7:30pm. Mark your calendars and plan on attending the last Taizé service until the Fall.

Advance Notice:
Quality Family Time presents: Godspell at the Cathedral. May 26th at 1pm and 7pm. Tickets are available through www.brownpapertickets.com. St. Mary’s is pleased to sponsor this production which includes acting by Cameron Gutjahr and Alex Starr, Costumming by Marg Lemire and Musical Direction by David Taylor.

All the best this Week and may the Light and Love of God fill your home with the Peace of God, through Jesus Christ, your Friend and Helper. Amen.

We had 98 fabulous volunteers devote their time and energy to this event: Ainsley Dunbar, Alan Mitchell, Alice Ko, Andrea Neild, Ann McLeod, Anne Grierson, Barbara Farmer, Barbara Ann Milroy, Beryl Mitchell, Beth, Betsy Marler, Brenda Rasta, Brian Crooks, Carla, Catherine Zhang, Celia Grigg, Charlotte Dunbar, Chick Bachop, Chris Dallin, Christine Eng, Christine Mitchell, Claire Wanhella, Cliff Lemire, David Barnhill, Diane Collins, Don Yule, Effie Auchinleck, Elspeth Helmcken, Erin Davis, Eva Waterton, Evie Byrne, Faye Dunn, Fran Walpole, Garry Wanhella, Glen Mitchell, Graeme Wanhella, Hazel Small, Heather, Hope Sealy, Ian Wanhella, Jan Rups Levett, Janie Jones, Jean Boyd, Jen Buchwald, Jill Ker, Jim Hilton, Jim Thomas, Joan Hilton, Jocelyn Noel, Johanna Finlay, John Cartmel, John Rosenthall, John Taylor, Judy Thomas, June Faviell, Kathleen Hachey, Ken Affolder, Lauren Byrne, Liam Butler, Lillian Keen, Lindsay Wong, Liza Venezuela, Lois Barclay, Lucy Gibson, Lynne Waters, Marg Lemire, Margaret Briscall, Mary Day, Mary Martin, Mary Reitsma, Mary Wushke, Mary-Ann Bethune, Maureen Simms, Meredith Twaites, Merilyn McPherson, Minke Armstrong, Miranda Butler, Moya Bryce-Buchanan, Naoko Scherb, Nora Harrison, Pam Niblock, Pat Fredrickson, Penny Karamosis, Peter Niblock, Ping, Ralph Pearsall, Robyn Morris, Rodan Gopaul Singh, Rona Hatherall, Ruth Nichol, Sally Tynan, Sara Rowe, Sheila Johnston, Shurl Nichols, Steve Dunbar, Susan Willows-Yule, Tony Wallinger, and William. Thanks for all of your help; we couldn’t have done it without you!

There will be a short meeting this Sunday, May 6th, at 10:30 in the Heritage Lounge to debrief, and to talk about what worked and what could be tweaked. Please join us to give your input so that we can make the 2013 Rummage Sale an even bigger success!

Finally, if you still have one of the Rummage Sale lawn signs, please return it to the Church office with your name on it so we know which one that we got back. We want to use them again for the sale next year as well.

The service at St. Mary’s has two readings and periods of silence for private prayer. We dim the lights in the church and enjoy the ambience of candles while we pray together in musical harmony.

Taizé is a small village not far from the town of Cluny in the Burgundy region of France. It is an international ecumenical community founded during the second world war by Brother Roger to offer shelter to political refugees and to create a community where “goodness of heart and simplicity would be at the centre of everything.”

The Taizé Community is composed of brothers, from different religious upbringings and countries. Visitors of all ages and backgrounds come to join the brothers in prayer and reflection.

Singing is an important form of prayer. About 200 pieces of music have been composed in a simple repetitive style using short texts from the bible. The songs are meant as a help to “taking time” in God’s presence.

This contemplative style of worship has now found its way to Christian communities around the world and is often used in our Sunday services.

For more information pick up one of the handouts in the Narthex or go to www.taize.fr.

Fundación Cristosal and St. Mary’s Base Community and the Diocese of El Salvador are walking with the people of El Salvador to create society based on social justice principals.

Please join us to hear directly from Cristosal’s Executive Director Noah Bullock about the work goin on there. The Mission Team will also report on their trip in March 2012.

El Salvadoran music will entertain you as you enjoy wine, cheese, sals and the energy that marks St. Mary’s passion for mission and ministry in El Salvador.

Please join us ans support the work of Fundación Cristosal and the St. Mary’s Base Community.

TICKETS: $15 single, $25 per couple (include one beverage and door prize opportunity)
Available at the Church Office or from Mission Team members

Save the date – more info coming soon!

As we come to the end of April let us think about those members of our parish family who are finishing up college or university classes. We pray for jobs and their continued success over the summer. Congratulations to those who have finished degrees and encouragement for those who will continue in the fall!!

This Sunday at St. Mary’s:

This Sunday we welcome the Reverend S. Andrew Halladay who will preside at our three services. We give thanks for the ministry of the readers, pray-ers, greeters, ushers, servers and everyone else who helps make these services a beautiful part of our community’s life!
8am Holy Eucharist
9:15 Holy Eucharist and Sunday School.
11:15 Morning Prayer

Coming Events at St. Mary’s:

Friday, April 27th (5pm to 8pm) to Saturday, April 28th (9am to 1pm) is St. Mary’s Rummage Sale. Volunteers are still needed for this exciting event. Soup and Sandwiches are provided to volunteers at 4pm on Friday and at 11:30 to 12:30 on Saturday!! Volunteers are especially needed to prepare the unsold items for pickup by Big Brothers at 2pm. Please consider donating your time to this important event. If you have checked a Rummage Sale sign out, please bring them back to the office as soon as you are able.

On Saturday, May 5th Paul Borthistle will lead a morning retreat called Yes3. Please register for this no-cost retreat with the office by Wednesday, May 2 to imagine a life in which we can say ‘yes’ to God, our neighbour and our self.

Advance Notice:

Cristosal Foundation and the SMK Base Community present: Creating Justice in El Salvador. May 24th in the Parish Hall from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Cristosal Foundation Executive Director Noah Bullock will speak about the work of the Cristosal Foundation and the Los Calix project. There will be pictures from the recent trip by members of our parish family. And there will be Latin music, wine and cheese and door prizes. Tickets are $15 for singles and $25 for couples. They are available from the office.

All the best this Week and may the Light and Love of God fill your home with the Peace of God, through Jesus Christ, your Friend and Helper. Amen.