Chinook Winds Regional Meeting - St. Thomas United Church

Sunday, May 9, 2021
                                         Theme: SEEDING HOPE THEME SPEAKER: JEFF CHU

Chinook Winds Regional
Meeting
Information regarding the Seeding
Hope Annual Regional Meeting,
May 7-9, 2021, can be found on the
Chinook Winds Region’s webpage.
During the meeting, the online
stream will be available in the
Chinook Winds YouTube Channel.

Sunday, May 9 Worship Service
Our Sunday worship service will be LIVE—STREAMED from the Chinook Winds Regional Council
worship service at 10:30 am. This service will include a time of communion. You can attend via
the Chinook Winds Facebook Page and YouTube Channel live streams! If you don’t start watch-
ing right at 10:30 am, it’s best to wait until after lunch to watch the recording; otherwise, you
will join mid-way into the service.

Seeding Hope Theme Speaker: Jeff Chu
Through COVID-19, Chinook Winds church leaders have been Seeding
Hope in your communities with tenacious courage. You have continued to
seed possibility and innovation even in times when despair was tempting.
The theme speaker, Jeff Chu, is also one who persists in Seeding Hope. He’s
a journalist, editor, ordination candidate with the Reformed Church in
America, Evolving Faith podcast host and author of Does Jesus Really Love
Me? A Gay Christian’s Pilgrimage in Search of God in America. When the
theme planning committee spoke to Jeff in March, he was already digging his garden – though
he knew more snow would come before seeding time. He believes we all need a robust theolo-
gy of the compost.

“The more time I spend at the compost pile,” says Jeff, “the more I see that death never gets
the last word and the more I ask: Isn’t the story of compost really just the story of God, turning
fear to courage, sorrow to joy, death to life?”
We are seeding the hope of God’s Promise.

Coffee Chat Sunday Morning May 9 Cancelled
Rev.s Justin and Tracy will be away attending the Chinook Winds Regional Council meet-
ings this weekend and we will all be tuning in to their LIVE-streamed worship service,
beginning at 10:30 am. Because of this our Sunday morning coffee chat will not be held.
Look for how to access this service in the Thursday and Sunday Check-in emails on the
front page of the announcements.

Yard Clean-up Day—CANCELLED!
Due to the latest government restrictions, this event, scheduled for May 9 with May 16
as a back-up has had to be cancelled. Stay tuned for future clean-up plans!

Mooshide Campaign
The Moose Hide Campaign (moosehidecampaign.ca) is a grassroots movement of Indig-
enous and non-Indigenous men and boys who are standing up against violence towards
women and children. The campaign was started over 10 years ago by Paul Lacerte & his-
then teenage daughter, Raven, after a conversation while hunting near the Highway of
Tears in northern BC. Moose hide is considered medicine from the land, and is used in
ceremony. Wearing this small piece of hide signifies your commitment to respect & pro-
tect the women and children in your life and in others.
Cards with moose hide (both real and synthetic) are available in the Narthex. There’s no
charge, just start a conversation!

Hospitality Team
Here's a great opportunity to be part of the Hospitality Team. This is a small, well orga-
nized, energetic committee. John Burgess has moved back to the mammoth job of being
the St. Thomas archivist, so we are looking for a new team member. Our mandate is
"welcoming, acknowledging, and connecting with people." During this past year, Hospi-
tality put together the Christmas bags, the Easter basket envelopes, supported the
birthdays & celebrations, conducted interviews of people in our pews, and started the
publication of "THE STUC SPOTLIGHT." When we return to our church building, Hospital-
ity is in charge of Newcomers, Nametags, Ask Me Hosts, Coffee Makers, Child Care,
Birthday Sundays, and Neighborhood Events.
Please contact Wanda Veer at wandaveer47@gmail.com. We welcome ideas, any ques-
tions, and part-time commitments.

St. Thomas Tool Sale
The Hospitality Team has not given up the possibility of holding a TOOL SALE whenever
the opportunity arises. While you are cleaning up your garage and workbench, please
remember to set them aside. This could be a fun event as guys sell, buy, trade, and tell
stories about their tools. Stay tuned for more details!

Zoom Jewelry and Tea Party
Your Hospitality Team is setting up a Zoom Jewelry and Tea Party. Since we can't have a
Strawberry Tea, or a Mother's Day Tea, we've elected to do this via Zoom. Pick your fa-
vorite fancy teacup. Fill it with whatever you wish. Choose one piece of your favorite
jewelry, complete with the story behind it. Did you get it on a trip? Did an old beau give
it to you? Did you inherit it from a wayward aunt? Did you permanently borrow this
from your sister?
Date: Saturday, May 29, 2:00 pm
Limit: 18 participants.
Please let Wanda know if you are interested in this. wandaveer47@gmail.com 403 239-
5964.
**If you would like to participate, and are not a ZOOM user, please let me know. We
have many knowledgeable helpers.**

Youth Group (grades 7-12) meets weekly for social events with a mix of in-person,
physically distanced and virtual meetings. If you would like to join us, please email the
youth leaders at youth@sttomasunited.ca.

Junior Youth Group (grades 4-6) meets virtually through ZOOM every secondweek.
The next meetings are May 14 & May 28. If interested, please email jun-
ioryouth@sttomasunited.ca.

Calgary Alliance for the Common Good (CACG) News
In mid April we had a victory for the city and the Calgary Alliance. The Calgary Police Ser-
vice and AHS have agreed to expand the Police and Crisis Team (PACT) and Mobile Re-
sponse Team (MRT). The PACT teams consist of a mental health professional and a spe-
cially trained police officer. The mobile response teams are made up of mental health
professionals. These teams respond to emergencies when having just a police officer
simply does not make sense.
What’s new?
      The Calgary Police Service with the City of Calgary have added funding to increase
        PACT by 6 more teams.
      They will extend their hours to cover crisis response from 0600 – 0400 every day
        of the year.
      They have also provided funding to expand the hours for the MRT consult lines to
        be available for phone consults 24/7 for Calgary police officers, professionals and
        via the Distress Centre for families and individuals.
These new changes that will help Calgarians where they need it - and when they need it
- with the right people showing up to respond to emergencies. The expansion of the
PACT and MRT teams means when people are in a mental health crisis, when police
officers show up - the right people with the right training will also be there.
Thank you to all the people who participated in listening sessions, Fall Assembly when
CPS made commitment, communications with City councillors during budget time, and
the Mental Health Research Action Team advocacy and leadership. Congratulations to
CPS and AHS for making our communities better.
May 3 – 9 is Mental Health Week // info@calgarycommongood.org

Walking with Grief: Love, Loss, and the Human Experience
The stories and ideas we hold about grief individually and collectively can deeply impact
how we experience and understand the effect of loss in our lives. In this evening ses-
sion, we will explore how we walk alongside grief and how we can enhance the ways in
which we can make sense of our grief experiences. It is especially important during the
pandemic, a time of compounded loss, to reflect on how each of us walks with and car-
ries grief in our own lives and how we can nurture each other and ourselves as we do.
Join us as we gently explore what loss and grief are, current conceptualizations of the
experience, and reflect on how we might best tend to each other.
WHEN: May 13, 2021 at 7:00 - 9:00 pm
To register go to: https://www.calgarycommongood.org/2021_walking_with_grief

Seeking Computer Hardware Donations
Westminster Presbyterian Church is accepting computer hardware (laptops, towers, dis-
plays, cables, tablets, mice, etc.) that can be refurbished and given to those
in need. I have volunteered to help out and will be happy to collect any
hardware that is offered. The first thing I or WPC will do is securely wipe all
information from the hard drive. I can be contacted at: bberges@shaw.ca.

Gift Card Fundraiser
Thank you to those who continue to support our church via this important fundraiser. To
order your Safeway/Sobeys, Co-op, or Superstore gift cards, please email fundrais-
ing@stthomasunited.ca and we will gladly arrange pick up/delivery. Richard
Taylor-Kerr

Veterans Association Foodbank
The Veterans Association has a Thrift Store in the same mall as the
Food Bank? They take everything except mattresses. The store looks huge with a
smaller room at the front for jewelry, china, etc. Deliveries should be made to the
bay beside the Food Bank bay: Bay 12, 640 – 28 Street NE. The phone number is
also the same: 403-367-8387, then Ext. 3. The store is open from
10:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday through Saturday, although drop-offs
end earlier. It would be a good idea to phone before making a deliv-
ery. Thanks everyone for your support of our veterans!

Chinook Winds News and Events
For the latest on what is happening in our United Church region sign up for
their newsletter: https://chinookwindsregion.ca/news-events/subscribe-to-our-
newsletter/

THIS WEEK AT ST. THOMAS                        Upcoming Service Themes:
Sunday, May 9                                         May 9:      Chinook Wind Regional Worship
10 am             Online Worship Service              May 16:     Ascension Sunday
Monday, May 10    no events                           May 23:     Pentecost Sunday
Tuesday, May 11                                       May 30:     Environment Sunday
6 pm              Virtual Outreach Meeting            June 6:     United Church National Pride
7 pm              Virtual Executive Council                       Day
Wed, May 12                                           June 13     Sewing Seeds
7 am              Al-Madinah Eid or the 13th          June 20     Father’s Day
7 pm              Virtual Youth Choir and Strummers   June 27     Jesus Heals by a Touch
Thurs, May 13
7 am              Al-Madinah Eid or the 12th               Each Sunday we acknowledge that we are on
9 am              Worship Filming                          Treaty 7 land, not out of guilt or shame, but
1 pm              Virtual Worship Meeting                  in recognition of the land on which we gath-
5:30 pm           Virtual Children’s Choir                 er. We give thanks for the traditional territo-
                                                           ries and oral practices that have lived on this
evening           Virtual Adult Choir
                                                           land for thousands of years through the
Friday, May 14                                             Indigenous Nations of the Siksika, Kanai,
noon              Al Madinah Islamic Group Prayer          Piikani. Stoney-Nakoda and Tsuut’ina and all
evening           Jr Youth & Youth Virtually               people who make their homes in this, our
Saturday, May 15 no events                                 Treaty 7 region of Alberta, and the Region 3
                                                           Métis Nation.
Ministers: Rev. Tracy Robertson
           Rev. Justin McNeill                            Through our gifts we commit ourselves to
Office Administrator: Jane Wittstock                      live out the mission and ministry of the
                                                          church. Please give generously to the Mis-
Music Team:     Pam Bazinet, Barb Robertson,              sion and Service Fund to make this possi-
                Dick Worton, Erin MacLean-Berko           ble.

Accompanists: Kari Orosz, Kloria Wen
                                                          St. Thomas is an Affirming Ministry within
Youth Leaders: Heather Robertson                          The United Church of Canada. LGBTQ2 peo-
               Caitlin Hornbeck                           ple are whole people and full members in
               Jacqueline Verwaayen                       this community of faith.

Sunday School Coordinator: Erin MacLean-Berko
                                                          The United Church of Canada St. Thomas is
            100 Hawkwood Blvd. NW                         proud to be part of the United Church of
                Calgary AB T3G 2S9                        Canada which ministers to close to 3 million
                                                          people in 3,500 congregations across the
            office@stthomasunited.ca
                                                          country. For more info about the United
             www.stthomasunited.ca                        Church visit www.united-church.ca
                  403-241-0366