Services for Advent/Christmas 2014

Christmas issue 2014
Volume 4 Issue 4
Services for Advent/Christmas 2014
Nov 30th – HOPE - Advent Sunday
Dec 7th – PEACE – Toy Sunday
Dec 14th – JOY – Please bring sox, or undies to help those in need
Dec 14th – 7pm Carol service
Dec 21st – LOVE– please bring food for Hamperville
Dec 24th – Christmas Eve – 4pm Nativity Service for all the family (come dressed
as a Shepherd or an Angel or Mary or Joseph)
11pm – Midnight Mass
Dec 25th – Christmas Day – 10:00
Christmas is coming!
Three words that can create panic in most households,
especially those with small children: “Christmas is coming!”
Depending on who you are, hearing these words can evoke
all sorts of reactions. Most children will respond with
excitement and anticipation, counting down the days (and
even the hours) until Christmas Day. What presents will
they get? What special treats will they be allowed to have?
What special events will they be going to? Adults may react
with much more mixed emotions. Are we going to visit
other members of the family this year or are they coming
to us? Have we got enough food and drink? Can we afford
it all? Where will we find the time to do all the things that
need to be done before the Big Day?
Clergy tend to react to the phrase “Christmas is coming” in
a different way again. We tend to think immediately about all the services and events that
need to be prepared. Have we got everything onto our calendars? Because woe betide us if
we forget to be at an event where we are expected to be! Have all the preparations been
made for the Carol service? Are the bulletins ready? Have we advertised our events as well
as we should have done? And have we girded our loins and got ourselves ready mentally
and physically for the hectic round of activities? No wonder most clergy reach Christmas
Day itself ready to collapse. For years, my family have taken to placing bets on exactly
when I would fall asleep in the afternoon. (Hint – it’s not unknown for me to be gently
snoring BEFORE lunch!) But we wouldn’t change it – because at the end of the day, it’s all
so much fun. There really is nothing like a great carol service, or the magic of a Midnight
Mass on Christmas Eve.
This coming Christmas is going to be extra special for me, because it will be my first in
Lantzville. In fact, it will be the last of my firsts, if you understand me. I’ve had my first
Easter at Lantzville, my first summer, my first Remembrance and so on. This will be my first
Christmas – and then I will have been here a year. I can’t believe that a year can go past so
quickly. Everything still seems very new and exciting. Just a few minutes ago, I was walking
back to the church from the centre of Lantzville, when a bald eagle flew low overhead. I
don’t think I will ever take such sights for granted, no matter how long I live here.
I hope and pray that your Christmas this year may be special and magical. May it not be too
wearing or tiring! In the midst of all the busyness, may there be space for wonder and awe.
May there be laughter and love. And most of all, may the birth of the Christ child bring you,
and all your loved one, peace and joy.
A new arrival at St. Philip’s
She’s here!!
Don & I are thrilled, honoured and
blessed to announce the arrival of our
granddaughter, Ari Marie Moss
Peterson!!
Ari arrived Tuesday, October 14th,
11:39 am into the welcoming arms of
her father.
Ari, Kirsten and Erik are all well, some
sleeping and eating better than others,
but in time, Erik and Kirsten will catch
up.
Ari is the great granddaughter of long
time St Philip’s parishioners Bob Moss
and the late Joan Moss. We are
following the Swedish tradition of Don
being called Farfar (father’s father) and
I will be Farmor (father’s mother).
Our hearts are so full of love,
Roberta & Don
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St Philip’s Ladies Group is having their annual Xmas Lunch on Dec 4, at
11:30 at the ABC Restaurant. We would like to invite all the ladies from St. Philip
and their friends to come and join us. It is a wonderful chance to meet other members of
the parish and share some time together. There is a sign-up sheet on the board in
the multi-purpose room to give us #'s for the restaurant. Thanks… Joy
We
Upcoming Events
Dec. 6th, Sat. Christmas Tea, Bazaar,
Bake Sale
1:30 – 4 p.m.
(Set-up Dec. 5th Helpers needed PLEASE)
We will need the help of a few people able to stack the
chairs in the hall and bring out the tables. This will happen
at 9am on Dec 5. We will also need the same help to
clean-up and put the church back together at about 3:30 on Dec 6 after the Xmas Tea. If
you are able to help please contact Joy at jcshep@shaw.ca or 250-390-2278
Ladies and Gentlemen we will be looking for homemade baking, preserves and goodies for
the bake table as well as baking to serve at the Tea.
You can drop it off Mon, Wed, Thurs in the morning at the church or Fri
from 9 until about 2. Sat from 9 to 11.
Also if you are able to help at all please contact Joy at jcshep@shaw.ca or 250-390-2278
Special rates to members of St.
Philip’s
On November 8, 2013, the most powerful
typhoon to ever make landfall struck the
Visayas region of the Philippines. With
sustained winds at over 230kph whipping up a
storm surge as high as 6m, the damage was
devastating. Millions were displaced,
thousands were killed. Entire communities lost
their homes, their crops, their schools.
Around the world, people watched the
newscasts, and Anglicans in Canada
responded with compassion and generosity
through PWRDF to provide relief. Over the
ensuing weeks, over $800,000 was donated to PWRDF for our work through the ACT Alliance and
through our Philippine partners who were already providing food, water, shelter, sanitation and more
to affected communities.
It is now one year later, and the work of rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan continues. The work of
distributing food and water, medicine and tents has ended. Now, the focus is on rebuilding homes,
jobs, and communities.
Communities like Kampingganon, where over 90% of the houses were damaged or destroyed in the
typhoon, where 61 people have joined together to form a people’s organization working with the
Farmer’s Development Center (FARDEC), a PWRDF partner already active in the region. The
members of the organization are working together to repair each other’s houses with supplies
provided by FARDEC. By working together, they can repair a house in about a week.
FARDEC is also paying the organization members when they are working on the houses so they can
continue to support their families while they work together to rebuild their homes. The organization
members are also putting some of their pay into a fund which they use to give micro-credit loans out
to members of the group, which are repaid with interest rates substantially lower than what money
lenders charge in the area.
Many of the mangrove trees near Obo-ob barangay were damaged or destroyed in Typhoon
Haiyan, thus reducing the spawning grounds of the local fish. The fishermen who relied on
catching these fish now only catch 33-50% of what they used to before the storm.
In Sillion, PWRDF has worked with Lutheran World Relief (LWR) to provide housing to
families who were told they were ineligible for government-funded reconstruction
efforts. LWR focused its work on the most vulnerable people in the community: seniors,
widows, people living with disabilities, nursing mothers, and fisher folk and farmers who are
the poorest people in the community. LWR’s generosity inspired people like Amalite Batilo
to become volunteers with the project, helping to build many more houses in Sillion and
other villages. “I want to help my neighbours,” Amalite said. “I find contentment in helping
others. “A longer-term problem facing the fisher folk of Sillion and other communities is the
damage to spawning grounds. Many mangrove trees, which provided shelter to spawning
fish, were destroyed by Haiyan. The sandy seabed was also altered by the storm. Today,
fisher folk catch 2-3kg of fish per day when before Haiyan they could catch 5-10kg. They
do not know when the fish populations will recover. In order to supplement their income,
many women from the community now make seashell necklaces to sell to merchants or to
the nearby tourist resort. The work of recovering will continue for years in the Philippines,
and PWRDF will be there alongside its partners, working with and supporting the Filipino
people in rebuilding their lives, their communities, and their future.
The Most Reverend Fredrick James Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of
Canada and President of the PWRDF Board of Directors, admits that some
people call him “Your Grace.” But he much prefers simply to be called
“Fred.”
The new “Fred Says” fredism is “Rice is Nice” These Fredisms are part of a PWRDF Campaign to
teach Anglicans about food security especially with our partners around the world. “Have you
eaten today?” Fred Says, which now has a dedicated website, fredsays.ca.
In the Philippines PWRDF partners with
FARDEC, the Farmers Development
Centre. Fardec was created in 1989 in central
Visayas Region of the Philippines in the midst of
a growing clamour from farmers for land and
human rights. It is a regional peasant support
network that focuses on policy research,
agrarian issues and farmers’ communications
and has been in partnership with PWRDF since
1990.
Rice farmers in the Philippines often make so little money from their crops that they cannot
afford sufficient food to eat or pay for their children’s schooling. PWRDF’s partner FARDEC
operates a rice mill which pays farmers more for their rice and charges less to mill it. The extra
income farmers receive allows their children to go to school and to eat better. It costs $100
to keep the mill open for one week.
Please visit PWRDF.org to learn more about the work of the Primate’s World Relief and
Development Fund, the official development and relief agency of the Anglican Church
of Canada View more stories on: Asia Pacific Stories, Emergency Response Stories
On-line
Go to http://pwrdf.org/donate
Or, You can put them in the church collection, made out to PWRDF By Mail
please make cheques payable to PWRDF, and send to:
The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund
The Anglican Church of Canada
80 Hayden Street
Toronto, Ontario M4Y 3G2
Impressions of Lightfoot
Jazz interpretation of Gordon Lightfoot music
and of course... some seasonal Christmas jazz
Patrick Courtin – piano
Marisha Devoin - bass
James McRae – drums
Tickets to these events $10
Friday Dec 26th 8-11pm
Hermann’s Jazz Club
753 View St, Victoria (388-9166)
Saturday Dec 27th 730- 10pm
Acme Downstairs Room
14 Commercial St, Nanaimo (753-0042)
Sunday Dec 28th. 230- 430pm
St. Philips by the Sea
(390-3641)
7113 Lantzville Road, Lantzville
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2014's FINANCIAL SITUATION – WHY THE STRUGGLE?
The life of a Treasurer in any parish in our diocese, or for that matter in any diocese, is
normally quite predictable; we prepare a budget, have that budget approved at the Annual
Vestry Meeting, and then pray that the congregation lives up to our expectations and
provides sufficient donations to meet the budget. In the past 6 years as your Treasurer I
have been very fortunate to have had the pleasure of not worrying about cash flow as you,
the people of St. Philip's, have always been very generous and we have always remained on
the positive side of the ledger and met all our financial goals. We may not have set any
records, but we have been considered one of the more healthy parishes in the Diocese, and
whenever a challenge presented itself, we stepped up and met that challenge. However,
2014 has been different. This year we have seen a decline in our contributions, a decline
that cannot be attributed to any significant decline in attendance, as attendance has
remained quite constant compared to previous years. At first I thought that maybe our
undertaking to sponsor Feras and his family had diverted our attention, but on careful
analysis our contributions to Outreach have not varied over several years. The funds
generated for specific outreach projects through the Salmon BBQ have increased; the funds
we generate from other sources, such as donations from community groups that use our
facilities, interest on our Rectory Trust Fund, and investments have increased.
So what has changed?
Since 2012 we have survived an extended period of interregnum, having had three different
priests, and at one point were covering two full-time salaries, and still managed to meet our
budget and end those years with small surpluses. In 2014 we have welcomed the Rev.
David as our Rector, and he has brought stability to the leadership of the parish, which
should have been reflected in the level of contributions, given that the level of attendance
has not seen any dramatic changes.
In 2013 we had 121 identified donors, and the average contribution per month (not
including Outreach donations) was $1056, which was up from 2012 when the average was
$977. In 2014 (for the first 10 months to date) that average has dropped dramatically to
$847, and I have been forced to hold off paying out our Outreach Donations in order to
meet our monthly expenses. However, these Outreach Donations have to be paid by the
end of the year, hence my appeal over the past few weeks.
If you haven't already considered doing so, I am appealing to each of you to consider an
increase in your weekly donation; just an extra $5/week would certainly help rectify things.
If you are able to provide more, all the better. If you are already at your limit, then add
your prayers that others will step up with the necessary assistance.
God bless you all
Tony Davis
Treasurer
WORSHIP LEADER SCHEDULE
I am currently arranging responsibilities for the months of January, February
March 2015.
As soon as you receive the completed schedule and have allocated your times it is very
important that you either print a copy or immediately transfer your times to
diary/calendar/paper/papyrus/slate or whatever works for you. There will NO LONGER be
weekly reminders sent out.
If, for whatever reason, you are unable to fulfill a specific time it is your responsibility to find a
kind soul to help out and maybe switch days. Please make the alteration on the schedule on
the bulletin board.
If at any time there is an unfilled job, maybe the absentee(s) would consider a donation to the
Church…..?
Don’t forget you can always check the schedule on the Church bulletin board.
We are always looking for more volunteers to help in any of the areas. Don’t be shy, training
will be given and you can offer as much or as little of your time as you feel able. If you are
interested please talk to David, Yvonne or myself.
Thank you so much for all of you already signed up for these worthwhile and rewarding
positions.
Julie
juliemar@shaw.ca
News & Views
Many thanks go to Jane Deck for her years of scheduling, and a
big “Hello” to Julie Baldock for
jumping in with both feet to take
over, already Julie has taken on an
extra task and created a wonderful
poster for the Christmas season.
Please remember Julie’s job is to
do scheduling, not make changes

ST. PHILIPS GARDEN GROUP REPORT
DEC 2014
We continue to have a very active, committed group of gardeners who come in regularly to
work on our garden spaces at the church. Several people have committed themselves to
looking after a specific space or a special garden area , whereas others work wherever
they are needed.
The gardens have brightened up our church and we get lots of comments from visitors and
parishioners alike. We always welcome new people who love to garden, or who just want to
help. All levels of volunteers are needed!
Early next spring, we will have a parish morning on a Saturday to get things rolling, and will
put everyone to work that can come out. Watch for an announcement sometime in April or
May. A major area we are planning to improve on will be the various memorial gardens
and trees we have on our grounds. Many of these have been neglected, and we hope to use
some large rocks to shape these up. Come and help us be creative! In addition to these
garden plots, we have continual pruning, weeding and re-planting. Additional soli is added
every year as well. Come join the group. Contact Anne Tennant or Alex Guy for more
details. Watch also for the plant sale which may come alive again in early May. This is a
great fund-raiser for both the church and the gardens as well.
Merry Christmas
Alex - on behalf of the 15-20 hard working gardeners!)
Salmon BBQ - 2014
St Philip’s 9th annual salmon barbecue was it’s usual resounding
success. This year’s focus of the popular fundraiser was the
Hope for Youth Uganda project, a cause that parishioners Ian
Montgomery, Kirsty McIlwaine and their family have supported
for a number of years.
The dinner was hosted by the Duddridge, Guy and Stuart families with the support of the
Peterson family, Kathy Sullivan and other close friends. The event was sold out to 117
guests plus the workers, for a total of 130 in attendance.
Don Duddridge was in good form again as emcee for the night and kept everyone
entertained with his corny jokes and challenging quizzes, as was evidenced by all the smiles
and happy conversation in the church. Jerry Bryant came up from Victoria to entertain the
crowd once more with his skills at the keyboard, while Ian and Kirsty gave an informative
presentation on the Hope for Youth Uganda
project.
From all comments and indications, the cedar
plank salmon and meal was well received. St
Philip’s congregation came through again with
a generous donation of $3875 through ticket
sales, wine sales, the raffle and the silent
auction. Added to that was a further $1000
from our Outreach funds for a total donation of
$4875 to Ian and Kirsty and the Hope for Youth
Uganda project.
Thanks to the fishermen and women who
provided the salmon feast; to the women in the kitchen who turned out their usual delicious
fare; to the smoke eaters on the barbecues cooking the fish; the helpers on wine and ticket
sales; the servers; and everyone else who helped set up, organize and run this event.
Thanks mostly though to our generous
congregation for their donation and to
Ian and Kirsty for their efforts in support
of people in need.
We were glad you could come and wish
you all fair weather and tight lines from
the St Philips Phishers.
Over the last 10 years Hamperville has been a very successful partnership between Loaves
and Fishes and the Salvation Army. This successful partnership has only been possible
because of the tremendous amount of work put in by you the volunteers. Through your
efforts, Hamperville has been able to ensure some of the most vulnerable people in our
community have access to an abundance of food over the Christmas Season.
As you may have heard, Alex Guy who coordinated the Hamperville program is taking a
well-deserved break. I think you will all agree Alex did a fantastic job! As we made plans
for Hamperville 2014 we realized there were some pretty big shoes to fill with Alex’s
departure. Rather than find one person to fill those shoes, we have delegated key
leadership roles to leaders within the Salvation Army and Loaves and Fishes.
At the present time there are no plans to hold a St. Philip’s Day this year but these are the
basic items that are most needed: Plus, of course our usual donation of toys and
underwear
Peanut Butter - 500 gm or 1 Kg Jam (500 ml or 1 Litre)
Ground Coffee
Canned Beans with pork
Juice (1 litre)
Sugar
Pancake Mix
Kraft Dinner & Pasta Meals
Canned Salmon or Tuna
Dry Cereal