millwoods community church€¦  · web viewmillwoods community church. march 2018 newsletter....

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Millwoods Community Church March 2018 Newsletter Pastor Milton Liska, Phone #587-335-7585, email [email protected] Pastor Joshua Pantoja, Phone #780-909-1575, email [email protected] Church Administration Melanie Wilcox Phone #780-463-7427, email offi[email protected] It has been observed by many religious leaders that the proliferation of plurality of beliefs in our society is getting popularity. This is true especially here in the West. What is disturbing is that this also leads to relativity of morality. Meaning everyone is free to believe what they want to believe, and exercises moral freedom without Biblical foundation - as long as they “don’t harm other people.” Often we hear various questions about Jesus. Regularly we are bombarded with several reasonings that Jesus is just one of the ways, and that all religions and gods would lead to one good result. The fact is, our society today even tries its very best to diminish the presence of God in our daily living — and exerts efforts to remove the name of God in our public arenas. I would like to encourage and exhort you all, with the authority of the Scripture to “…stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. Because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). As I contemplate on this truth, I remember a story that I believe I’ve shared with you all from the pulpit, when I first preached at MWCC in December of 2016. My brother, Dr. Luis Pantoja Jr., who is now in heaven, was once invited to a birthday party of one of his parishioners, a very affluent family. Many others from their church were invited to attend the party and like any other adult party, the intention was to give everyone a time of their life. So several games with fabulous prizes were prepared for that special evening. One particular game was the Treasure Hunt. The prize? An expensive ladies 24k gold necklace! And like any other game, there were rules to follow in this hunt. The participants were to look for the notes hidden around the house. These notes were to give them sequential hints that would eventually lead them to the treasure which was tucked

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Page 1: Millwoods Community Church€¦  · Web viewMillwoods Community Church. March 2018 Newsletter. Pastor Milton Liska, Phone #587-335-7585, email music@mcchurch.ca. Pastor Joshua Pantoja,

Millwoods Community Church

March 2018 NewsletterPastor Milton Liska, Phone #587-335-7585, email [email protected]

Pastor Joshua Pantoja, Phone #780-909-1575, email [email protected] Administration Melanie Wilcox Phone #780-463-7427, email [email protected]

It has been observed by many religious leaders that the proliferation of plurality of beliefs in our society is getting popularity. This is true especially here in the West. What is disturbing is that this also leads to relativity of morality. Meaning everyone is free to believe what they want to believe, and exercises moral freedom without Biblical foundation - as long as they “don’t harm other people.” Often we hear various questions about Jesus. Regularly we are bombarded with several reasonings that Jesus is just one of the ways, and that all religions and gods would lead to one good result. The fact is, our society today even tries its very best to diminish the presence of God in our daily living — and exerts efforts to remove the name of God in our public arenas.I would like to encourage and exhort you all, with the authority of the Scripture to “…stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. Because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).As I contemplate on this truth, I remember a story that I believe I’ve shared with you all from the pulpit, when I first preached at MWCC in December of 2016.My brother, Dr. Luis Pantoja Jr., who is now in heaven, was once invited to a birthday party of one of his parishioners, a very affluent family. Many others from their church were invited to attend the party and like any other adult party, the intention was to give everyone a time of their life. So several games with fabulous prizes were prepared for that special evening. One particular game was the Treasure Hunt. The prize? An expensive ladies 24k gold necklace! And like any other game, there were rules to follow in this hunt. The participants were to look for the notes hidden around the house. These notes were to give them sequential hints that would eventually lead them to the treasure which was tucked inside an envelope. They were allowed to look everywhere for these hidden notes -- starting in the living room area and then in the other rooms in that huge house. Yes, all the rooms… except the kitchen!

My brother got pretty excited about the game since he was so eager to win the treasure and give the necklace to his wife. So he started looking everywhere for the hidden notes. Several minutes ticked away and he noticed that many of the participants have already found notes here and there. In fact, some of them have even advanced to the other rooms! One of the children of the birthday celebrant sensed that my brother was already panicking that someone else might get to the treasure before him.“Hey, Pastor! Look inside the kitchen!” the child whispered to my brother.“You know that I can’t go in there. We’re not allowed to go inside the kitchen!” my brother replied.“Oh, it’s perfectly alright, Pastor,” the child said, “You’re a pastor anyway, so you should get special treatment! Come on, Pastor, just open one of the drawers in the kitchen and you’ll find the best hint to help you find the treasure!”“Are you sure about this?” my brother asked. The child assured him it was all right, so while no one was looking, he entered the prohibited area and opened one of the drawers. Lo and behold, there it was! He found the note that told him to go straight to the Master bedroom on the second floor. It also instructed him to open the cabinet wherein he will find the envelope with the precious prize.Like a madman, my brother raced to the second floor, fearful that someone else might get to the treasure first. Sure enough, many were already searching in the master bedroom! So he quickly went to the cabinet and looked for the envelope containing the necklace. Sure enough, he found an envelope and knew it contained the treasure because his fingers could feel the necklace through the paper. With much pride and confidence, and wanting for all to see that he had been successful in finding the treasure, he yelled out.Excitedly, my brother said, “The search is over! I have found the treasure so the necklace is mine!”By this time, everyone’s attention was on my brother. They gathered around him as they eagerly anticipated to get a glimpse of the necklace. Carefully opening the envelope, my brother pulled

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out the beautiful 24k gold necklace and found a note attached to it. To his shock and surprise (and embarrassment!), the note read: WHO TOLD YOU TO GO INSIDE THE KITCHEN? Apparently, the joke was on him that night! This is a funny story, but there’s a lesson we can learn from it. Most people think they can achieve in life by listening to all kinds of whispers.

Beware of listening to the whispers of this world. Beware of efforts of taking Jesus out of our lives. Beware of doubting Jesus as our Messiah. Beware of the efforts of influentials in our society who try to remove God in our communities.

Blessings, Pastor Joshua Pantoja

F.Y.I CornerSynod Delegate: MWCC 2018 Synod Delegate is Charlene Adam; Alternate Delegate is Debbie Liska. Thank you for your time and efforts with MWCC.

New Board Members: Welcome to our 2018-2019 Joint Board; Trustees: Larry Goodwin, Keith Wyllie, Leroy Kittlitz, Kendell Davy-Thomas. Elders: Barbara Severyn, Beverly Kadatz, Sonja Taylor, Brenda Jones.

Moravian Sugar Cake: Interested in ordering your Moravian Sugar Cake please sign up in the Sunday binder. Last day for Sugar Cake orders will be March 18, 2018 so don’t be late

WorshipSunday Worship ServiceSoup & Study: Our soup and study worship services will be starting on February 21 at 5:45pm and will continue to Wednesday March 21, 2018. If you are interested in the soup and study, please sign up in the Sunday binder.

Everyone welcome: Join us for our Sunday Worship Service starting @ 10:30am. The first Sunday of each month, is our Communion Sunday Service, and the last Sunday of each month is our Joyful Noise Offering Service. (Note that Communion in February will take place on Ash Wednesday instead.) We have Fellowship @ 11:30am following Worship.

Prayer: If you would like to be prayed for or anointed with oil, please speak to Pastor Milton or Pastor Joshua.

Worship: An important part of our church is volunteering to help during our worship service and fellowship time, your help is appreciated.

Musicians Welcome Praise Band: What will happen if you join our praise band team? Contact Pastor Milton at [email protected]. and find out!

Celebration Choir Choir is every Wednesday @ 7pm (7:15 during Lent). If you love to sing and are interested in joining this fun group, please contact Pastor Milton @ [email protected].

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Sound and Media this is an essential ministry at MWCC. The congregation will love and appreciate your efforts; training is available. Please contact Larry Goodwin @ [email protected]. Thank you for all your time and support!

Christian Education

Women’s Morning OutWe meet every third Saturday of the month. We have discussion on the book we are reading, great laughs, and fellowship time. Everyone is welcome! If you have, any questions feel free to speak with Cheryl Davy-Thomas @ 780-634-0617.

Ladies Tea Time Will be starting another book study on March 7th, 2018 for 8 weeks finishing the end of April. The book is called “Jesus Calling - Receiving Christ’s Hope” by Sarah Young. Have any questions about this group contact Charlene Adam @ 780-955-8065, Free to join.

Pastor’s Prayer Group This Group will recommence after Easter. All welcome to join us Wednesdays at 10am for a time of study, fellowship and prayer; we meet in the fireside room. Tea, Coffee provided.

Community Care & Connection

Millwoods Prayer ListClem Adam, Velma Seutter, Elizabeth & Audie Schotte, Carol Martin, Barb Severyn, Larry & Donna Goodwin, Mike & Pat Neitsch, Leonard, Bernie & Laurie Neuman, , the New Joint Board of MWCC.

VisitationsIf you or someone you care about would appreciate a pastoral visit either at home or in the hospital, please give Pastor Milton a call at 587-335-7585 or Pastor Joshua Pantoja at 780-909-1575 Any Time!

Mission & Outreach

Joyful Noise CollectionThe last Sunday of every month, will be a Joyful Noise Collection so fill your pockets with your loose change. This collection is for upcoming meal ministries for Edmonton homeless population, through volunteer work at Mustard Seed, and work with our neighbour hood centre and other projects throughout the year.

Leadership & Administration

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Trustee (“Trusty”) CornerNext Joint Board meeting will be February 26, 2018 @ 6:30pm

Moravian Unity Mission Conference: November 15-20th, 2017

“Mission is who we are.”These powerful words began the Third Unity Mission Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. Two hundred Moravians attended, and we gathered from thirty-five nations, spoke eleven different languages and were the largest and most diverse Unity gathering to date. Bishop Abrahams, of South Africa proclaimed with joy, “We are the United Nations of Moravians.” The diversity of experience and culture in itself was inspiring but became just one of the many dimensions of insight and inspiration felt during the full four days of the conference. It was an honour for me to attend representing Canada, our small corner of the Moravian Unity. Each morning began with worship led by one of the countries. It was a visceral experience of God’s multi-coloured presence and our church’s faith and diversity: to sing hymns in eleven different languages; to see the tapestry of colourful garb; to share silent and spoken prayers of concern and hope; to sit beside and among sisters and brothers so different yet at the same time similar to me. After grounding ourselves in worship, we listened to keynote papers on topics with an academic focus, and were thought provoking: Congregational Mission in a Globalized Moravian Church; Spirituality of Mission, Mission and Culture; to name a few. In the afternoons, we attended workshops and then met in our small groups. As many of us in Edmonton and Calgary have been personally involved with Canada’s welcoming of refugees from Syria, I felt compelled to attend the workshop on refugees led by representatives from Tanzania and Burundi. However, I was not prepared for the emotional impact when hearing about the displacement of people fleeing war in Angola, Burundi, Rwanda and the Congo, in the past few years. It is difficult to absorb the numbers, but to help put it in perspective here is one comparison: Worldwide there are 65.5 million refugees. Canada opened its doors to 25,000 refugees in 2016, while during the same year 364,276 refugees fled to Tanzania! Tanzania has accepted more refugees than any other country, and the Moravian church has responded; Moravians have been at the center of welcoming those in need, working along with the UNCHR to bring hope, where there is despair. Many refugees have

found themselves spiritually transformed by the welcoming spirit of God demonstrated by the Tanzanian churches, becoming Moravians through the process. Today, after being able to return to their own country, there are 20,000 Moravians in Burundi, because of the support the Moravians in Tanzania have provided. One man, previously from Burundi, and now a Moravian pastor, proclaimed to the attendees: “When I was a refugee, I was nothing. Then God made me something – I was transformed.” Rev. Edward, Burundi. There is a large white Moravian Church that sits on a hill overlooking Cape Town– the only building somehow spared by the bulldozers that tore through the black area known as District 6 during the time of Apartheid. Having walked through the museum that stands as a reminder of the horrors, and injustices of those times, just around the corner from the church, it was profound to be together in worship there. Later Brass bands and choirs from all over the Unity joined the attendees – adding to the spirit of hope and joy we felt knowing that change is possible, and that God’s spirit is alive as we move into future relationships of understanding, mutuality, and respect, together.On a more personal note, it was heartwarming to reconnect with dear brothers & sisters from around the world. Rev. Judy Ganz, who served at Edmonton Moravian and began her retirement in January, was making her last official trip as the Executive Director for the Board of World Mission. Clearly, her call from EMC to serve the church in this way was confirmed, as there were many expressions of warmth and appreciation from all the many people and countries she has connected with through her work. It was good to see Rev. Mary Kategile, one of the first women ordained in Tanzania, whom RTC supported through seminary. Mary sent warm greetings to Canada, and especially to the Rio Terrace Congregation. It was a delight to reconnect with Rev. Bob Hopcroft, from the British Province, as we worked together in the small group and again shared our deep interest in the Moravian school in Rajpur India. I met so many wonderful people, including Rev. Beatrice Hope, an amazing woman and the first ordained woman in Labrador.

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Another highlight for me was to reconnect with dear friends from Tanzania, some from the HUKWAFA project, which has been strongly supported by the Moravians in Canada. The Tanzanians blessed us with their dancing, praising God, as a whole body experience: a cappella voices raised in song, bodies swaying and hands clapping to the beat. They brought their enthusiastic singing everywhere – to the church, the conference rooms, and even the hotel lobby. The sound of their joyous voices made our heads turn and our hearts sing!Rev. Mary Kategile was recently consecrated a Presbyter, confirming her ministry as an ordained servant of Christ. She preached the final sermon at the conference, and reaffirmed that mission is

not only who we are as Moravian Christians, but also something, we do holistically and wholeheartedly: “Jesus said ‘GO’. Go next door. Go across the street. Go across the ocean. Go to other cultures. Go is a verb. Jesus said, ‘Go.” As the conference concluded, I was filled with gratitude, for God whose spirit moves us in such powerful and varied ways; and for the Moravian church, through which we can share our faith, connect with brothers and sisters around the world, and find our courage and inspiration to be people of mission.

Alice Sears, Rio Terrace Church

2018 March Event CalendarSUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 3

4 CommunionWorship Sunday 10:30am Guest speaker Betsy MillerPre Synod Meeting @ MWCC 1-4pm

5 6 7Soup & Study 5:45pm

Choir Practice 7:15pm

8 9 10

11 Worship Sunday 10:30am

12 13 14 Ladies Tea Time 2-3:30pm

Soup & Study 5:45pm

Choir Practice 7:15pm

15 16 17 Women’s Morning Out

18 Worship Sunday 10:30am

Last Chance to order Sugar Cakes for Easter

19 20 Last day for

Newsletter submissions

21Ladies Tea Time 2-3:30pm

Soup & Study5:45pm

Choir 7:15pm

22 23 24

25 Palm Worship

Sunday Joyful Noise Offering 10:30am

26 27 28 Ladies Tea Time 2-3:30pm

Soup & Study 5:45pm

Choir 7:15pm

29 Maundy

ThursdayWorship 7pm(Pick up Easter Lilies)

30 Good Friday

Worship 7pm

31 Great

Sabbath

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Millwoods Punjabi

Church Worship

2-4pm

Punjabi Folk Dance

from 3-8pm

Kindermusik

2-3pm,

4-5pm

Punjabi Folk Dance

from 6-8pm.

Kindermusik

9:45-10:30am

Wow Dance Studio

10-11am

Punjabi Folk Dance

from 6-8pm

Ritchie Trombone

Choir 7-9:30pm

Wow Dance Studio6-7pm

Kindermusik9:30-11:30am

Wow Dance Studio 10-11am

Kindermusik9:30-11:30am

Wow Dance studio

6-7pm

Kindermusik9:30-12:30pm

2018 March Worship Support4 11 18 25 29

Maundy Thursday

30Good

Friday

Greeters

Ushers Randy/Armand Sherry/Armand Kevin/Keith Ron/Sonja

Music Deb L Lorraine K Elaine W Bev K Deb L All Pianists

Readers

Sound Kendell Colin Regan Kendell Larry Kendell

Media Bob & Ruth Freeman Carter Bob & Ruth Donna Freeman

Coffee

Elder

Children’s Message

Yes No Yes No No No

Children’s Church

No Febe No Febe No No

Concert Band

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Thank you for volunteering!