Message from the Pastor - Ken Radant
I trust you’re all having a great week, and that no one has been too badly stuck in the snow. The weather made coming and going (and parking!) a little complicated here at church and set us behind on a few things—including this newsletter. My apologies for being a bit late connecting.
On the other hand, it has certainly been beautiful, hasn’t it?! Most of the windows in our home look out onto a big bank of fir trees and green space, so Diane and I have spent quite a lot of time gazing out at the glistening white blanket on everything, enjoying the quiet, and reflecting on how very blessed we are to live in such a beautiful place—in a home that’s warm and dry.
All this has had me thinking about how important it is to practice the discipline of thankfulness. Of pausing in the midst of my busyness, and even in times when life isn’t entirely convenient, to remember how much God’s goodness fills my life and how blessed I am to enjoy both His gifts and His gracious presence. Maybe that’s one of the reasons He gave us winter.
(It has also prompted me to pray for the many in our community whose circumstances are more difficult, for whom snow and cold is a real problem. May we always have generous hearts to help.)
All the same, I’m happy for a little warmer temperatures now and for the hope that the snow will melt off the side streets—and off our parking lot. It would be great to have clean paths on Sunday morning, so we can all gather without having to tiptoe into the building. On that front, we’re heading back into the book of Acts again this week. We’ll be looking at Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens, from Acts chapter 17, for anyone who wants to read ahead in preparation.
I look forward to joining together with you all in worship. Meanwhile, have a wonderful week. And please stay safe out there!
Missing Security Bank Bags: Once there were 4, but now there is 1. There were 4 black zippered bank bags in the foyer on Sunday, January 14. They were to be picked up and returned to the office. These bank bags are used to carry your gifts, tithes, and donations to the bank each week. They are also used to keep funds that are received during the week. Someone may have thought they were available to take, please return them either to the foyer or put them through the mail slot in the office door.
Year-end Receipts: We are in the process of reconciling your tithe and offerings for your charitable giving to West Vancouver Baptist Church. We will be sending out the official West Vancouver Baptist Church Charitable Tax Receipts for 2023 before the end of February. These will be emailed to you. Please be sure to give us your e-mail address in case we do not have it. You can send it to jthompson@westvanbaptist.com. This saves us the cost of mailing the receipt to you.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: After many years as our trusted and reliable Bookkeeper, Mary Findlay, has reluctantly decided to leave this important role in our church. Of course, ordering our finances and payment processing is not all that Mary does at WVBC, so we trust and hope to continue to have Mary and Ray with us for a long time to come! Mary has graciously offered to continue until a suitable replacement is found - thank you, Mary!
Inquiries for the role of Church Bookkeeper can be directed to our Treasurer, Tom Walker, by email at walkert@shaw.ca or by phone at 604-218-3697. For Key Responsibilities click HERE.
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 NIV
POWERPOINT: We are seeking volunteers to operate the PowerPoint slides on Sunday mornings. We would like to have at least 3 more people who know how to use Microsoft PowerPoint. This would enable serving only once per month. We offer excellent training. The hours are 8:15 am to about 11:20 am on Sunday. Youth are welcome and will be given volunteer hours for their time. The early time is to go through the slides with the Worship team to catch any unforeseen typographical errors or missed slides. If you have worked with PowerPoint this would be an asset. Please contact Judy Thompson or Neil Bell for further information.
CALLING ALL WHO ARE GIFTED WITH HOSPITALITY TRAITS: IT’S COFFEE TIME! We all enjoy our tea and coffee after the service, it is a good time to fellowship together. We can’t serve coffee and tea without helpers. If you have been wondering how you might serve at WVBC, this is the perfect opportunity to step in, we are looking for people to join the coffee service team. Full training would be given and your commitment would typically be once per month from 9 am to 12:40 pm. Please see or email Neil.Bell@westvanbaptist.com for further information.
WELCOME/INFORMATION TABLE: On Sundays, we encourage visitors to visit the welcome table after the service, we are looking for “welcomers” to be at the table for 15-20 after the service. Greet newcomers/visitors, encourage them to complete the information sheet, and answer basic questions about our Church. Contact Tracey at tracey@westvanbaptist.com if you would like to serve here.