Pastor's Message
To commence our Advent season, this Sunday Pastor Bob will look at the story of the birth of Jesus through his mother's eyes. We will be reflecting on Luke 1: 26-38. So why not take a few minutes to reflect on how a 15-year-old girl might respond to the announcement of an angel?
Sadly, I won’t be at the service. A dear Pastor friend is suffering from several ailments, and on Wednesday, he asked me to speak at his church this coming Sunday! But I’m looking forward to hearing the recording of Bob’s message. Have a wonderful day on Sunday - it’s a great time of year.
A general meeting will be held after the morning worship service on Sunday, December 4, 2022, in the Sanctuary to consider and vote on the proposed 2023 church budget. The budget is available at the office, please call Tracey to obtain a copy.
On December 4, 2022, the following motion will be considered “Motion to approve the 2023 budget. Moved by Don Hill and seconded by Tom Walker that the proposed 2023 budget as presented at this meeting be approved. If you will be attending the business meeting on December 4 via Livestream, you may vote on the “Chat” function.
An informal budget chat will be held after the worship service this Sunday, November 27, 2022, in the Sanctuary and everyone is encouraged to attend.
Thank you to Deborah and Kristen who organized the Samaritan’s purse shoebox drive, and thank you to all who participated. You will be pleased to know that the North Shore collected 1,223 shoeboxes this year.
Mark your Calendars: the WVBC Christmas service schedule will be:
- December 11, 7.00 pm : Blue Christmas
- December 24, 7.00 p.m : Christmas Eve service
- December 25, 10.00 a.m. Christmas Day service
Tracey’s new email address Tracey Miller, our Office Administrator’s new email is tracey@westvanbaptist.com
Sound on Sunday: many of you have expressed appreciation for the worship music over the past few months, thank you. However, some have expressed concerns about the music volume being too quiet or too loud; after all, our ears are different (just as our eyesight varies!). The quietest pews are the back row and the first two rows. If the sound is too quiet, please avoid these pews. Conversely, if the sound is too loud, why not sit in these areas? It will make a difference.
Gift card drive: WVBC is partnering with Harvest Project and collecting donations of gift cards to be given to those in need during the Christmas season. Donations of gift cards to grocery stores (e.g. Walmart, Superstore, Save-on-Food) and/or prepaid Visa gift cards would be gratefully received. The suggested amount for the gift cards is $50 maximum, but please give as you are able. You can drop off your gift cards in the collection box in the foyer on Sunday mornings or bring them to the Office during the week. We will be collecting the gift cards until Monday 19 December and then delivering them to Harvest Project. Thank you for supporting this drive.
Technical team: In keeping with the call to serve and assist WVBC on Sunday mornings, we are looking for those who have an interest in video work through our Livestream and/or using PowerPoint. Some computer experience would be helpful. Good training and a step-by-step manual will be provided. Additionally, Christmas is coming soon, and we will need some extra help with Blue Christmas and Christmas Eve Services. Please Contact Don Hill or Judy Thompson for more information.
Baptism classes: There’ll be a baptism service on December 18. Classes started last Sunday at 9am in the Adult Lounge and will run for 2 more weeks (November 27 and December 4). For further information, please call the office for Tom Walker's contact.
Silent auction: The auction for the painting kindly donated by Michael Wei will conclude on November 27. Proceeds will go to the Canadian Red Cross’ Ukraine initiative.