EMUC   
  Friday Message & 
                       Upcoming Events
 January 22, 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
Friday Message
Upcoming Events
  About EMUC

Vision:
EMUC is a thriving Spirit-filled congregation: Diverse, inclusive,and engaged with the community and creation

Mission:
The mission of Erin Mills United Church is to offer opportunities for all persons to experience the love of God through Jesus Christ.


QUICK LINKS


Welcome to EMUC's weekly message along with information about oingoing events in the life of the congregation.  During this Epiphany Season, green is the designated colour signifying the the ever widening and growing circle of those who are touched by the compassion and teaching of Jesus.  
 

Living with Pressure
 
Pressure!  There's lots of pressure in our lives these days.  I regularly hear from parents and their young adult children alike of the pressure of managing all the course work related to attending a post-secondary institution.  For others there's the pressure of performing at work especially when companies or organizations downsize and the workload is shared among an increasingly smaller staff.  Others of course face the pressure of trying to find work during an economic downturn.  Living in the GTA creates its own kind of pressure - congested highways lead to endless hours commuting in traffic or to uncomfortable rides on public transit as passengers are crowded in like sardines.  Families and households create daily pressures of grocery shopping and meal planning, errands and household maintenance, coordinating the varied schedules and commitments of each member of the household and navigating the pressures of sustaining healthy relationships.   
 
Churches and faith communities are not immune to pressure: creating and sustaining a healthy base of volunteers; managing financial budgets that always seems to be too tight; striving to reach out to the community and to nourish the spiritual life of young and old alike; repairing and attending to the upkeep of a church building and property and taking part in the work of the denomination - all of this adds to the pressure of our life together.
 
'Burn out' is often a consequence of dealing with the pressure in our lives. In an article by Samuel Rahberg, director of the Benedictine Center of St. Paul's Monastery in St. Paul, Minnesota, he writes: It is easy to assume that burnout results from long hours, poor habits of eating and sleeping, and unrelenting tensions -- all contributing factors.
Yet the painful outcome of overwork... is also connected to the condition of our vision. We need an alternative to just trying harder, and we need ways to practice tending the indispensable vision at the core of our callings.
 
In our personal or vocational life or in our life with a community of faith, as we disconnect from God's vision of who we are called to be and do,  we may find that even by working harder, trying harder and prolonging the hours that we dedicate to the tasks and responsibilities at hand, that we are not really effective in achieving what we hope for.
 
As people of faith, sustaining a vision and seeking to be faithful to God's call in our lives means attending to God's voice and presence among us.  And yet so often when we are under pressure, we forgo the very practices that draw us closer into God's presence - the practice of personal prayer, reflection and meditation, the practice of worshipping with a community of faith, the practice of spending time with those who offer us spiritual support, inspiration and wisdom.  We chastise ourselves and promise to try harder.  We make resolutions, only to fail in our commitments.  What to do?
 
Rahberg has found the book Change Anything by Kerry Patterson (and others) to be a source of help.  'In the book, the authors argue that relying on willpower alone inevitably leads to discouraging ends, and they suggest paying attention to what they call "crucial moments" and "vital behaviors," as well as rebound strategies.'
 
For example, in trying to make a commitment to seek out regular opportunities to attend to God's presence and God's wisdom, a 'crucial moment' would be that time of the day or week that best matches our own personal rhythms; the time we are most receptive and attentive to God. In Rahberg's case, he identified his crucial moment for solitude with God in the early morning hours, before the rest of his family was awake. 
 
Vital behaviours are those practices that make it easier for us to be present to God in those crucial moments. Rahberg identified vital behaviors such as keeping a regular bedtime and staying away from his emails and text messages until a certain time of day.
 
Rebound strategies are those practices that help us to begin again when we have missed a crucial moment or neglected vital behaviours.  Rahberg's rebound strategies include giving himself permission to simply start anew the next morning and "turn bad days into good data" by reflecting on what the disappointing experience has to teach him.
 
Rahberg concludes that a healthier and more spiritually balanced and rooted life - both personally and in community, is not ultimately about reducing pressures, improving productivity or increasing our own comfort.  He believes that none of that is ultimately durable.  Rather, Rahberg imagines a church that is bold and hopeful, not because its ranks have hunkered down and fought on headfirst into the wind, but because they slowly and steadily submit to the relentless tenderness of God and cannot resist living out of a sense of their belovedness in Christ.
 
As each of us faces personal pressures in our lives and as EMUC faces the pressures of discerning priorities in mission and of searching for a new minister whose leadership will support this mission, we would do well to 'submit to the relentless tenderness of God' and live out of a sense of our belovedness in Christ.
 
Peace, Kathy Toivanen
  
 
Information Request from the Joint Needs Assessment Committee (JNAC)

With Kathy Toivanen's retirement at the end of September, Halton Presbytery and EMUC have formed a Joint Needs Assessment Committee (JNAC) to determine what the congregation needs in a minister. And we want to hear from you, yes you, whether you attend church regularly or not so regularly.

We would like to know 1) what you feel are the most important ministries at EMUC and, 2) what expectations you have of a new minister. A brief questionnaire will be sent to all households on the congregational list either by mail or via email in the next 2-3 weeks. We would like a response by Feb. 5th since a fair amount of time will be required to summarize the responses.
 
Please give some thought to these 2 questions. Look for the questionnaire either in the mail or via email and please respond as quickly as possible.

Barbara Jennings
Chair, JNAC
This Week at EMUC

Sunday at 10 am:  Worship with Leadership by the Refugee Sponsorship Task Group.  
Following worship all are invited to stay for a light lunch with a Middleastern Menu.  There is no charge for lunch; however freewill offerings to support the Refugee Sponsorship are gratefully received.

Sunday at 11:30 pm:  Meeting of Joint Needs Assessment Committee

Sunday at 12:15 pm:  Confirmation program

Wednesday at 2 pm:  Circle of Friends Women's Group

Wednesday at 6:45 pm:  Communion and Prayers Worship Service


Upcoming Events


End of Life Planning Workshop
A panel discussion focusing on end-of-life care, facing death and planning for funerals and memorial services will take place at EMUC on Saturday, January 30, from 9:30 a.m. until noon.  Cathy Kiteley, Advance Practice Nurse: Clinical Nurse Specialist at Trillium Health Partners will speak about palliative care and caring for people at the end of life.  Kathy Toivanen will reflect on the Christian perspective on death and dying and the key elements of a Christian funeral. John Wittingstall, Director, Turner & Porter, Neweduk- Erin Mills Chapel, will address issues of planning for a funeral or memorial service. Time will be allotted for questions following the panel presentation.  Materials for end-of-life planning will also be available.  Please register by signing up on bulletin board or by emailing kathy@emuc.ca.  This event is open to the wider community.

'Bunch for Lunch'
You are invited to join interested EMUC folk for lunch after worship on Sunday January 31, at Symposium, located at 3055 Dundas Street West, in the Starsky Plaza. Each person pays for their lunch. We will have an area reserved for us and plan on meeting there for 11:45. To facilitate reserving seats, please sign-up on the bulletin board at EMUC and indicate if you require transportation. These lunches, at different venues near the church, will take place every four to six or so weeks. Questions?? Contact Sandy Hayes @ 905 820 4437.
Refugee Sponsorship
Erin Mills United Church, in partnership with Erindale United and Streetsville United will be sponsoring a refugee family under the guidance and direction of the United Church of Canada. The EMUC refugee sponsorship team will lead morning worship on Sunday January 17th offering inspiration and providing information on sponsoring a refugee family. Following worship, a light lunch featuring Middle Eastern food will be shared. There is no charge for the lunch; however freewill donations toward the refugee sponsorship will be gratefully received. The three churches have committed to raising a total of $40,000 and the portion committed to by Erin Mills United is $15,000. The appeal will be officially launched next Sunday. To contribute, please make a cheque payable to Erin Mills United Church and clearly indicate that it is for refugee sponsorship.
For more information contact the EMUC Refugee Sponsorship task force: Hermine Bingham, Muriel Hamdani, Debby Sturgeon, Dianne Hope, Catharine Watts or Lorraine Brignall.

Planning for Black History Month
Anyone who wishes to help plan for this special worship service on Sunday February 28th is invited to a planning meeting on Friday February 5th at 2 pm.  Contacts are Hermine Bingham and Dianne Hope.

Pancake Dinner
EMUC's annual pancake dinner always marks the transition into the Lenten Season.  Come for dinner on Tursday February 9th at 6 pm.  Stay for a worship service at 7 pm to lead us into Lent.  To help with the dinner either by setting up and cleaning up, preparing food or serving the meal, please sign up at EMUC or contact the church office.

Calling All Euchre Players
Save the date Saturday March 5 for an evening of progressive euchre and yummy desserts. Arrival time is 6:30. Games start 7 p.m. sharp. Cost $10.00 To reserve a seat and number attending contact maryanna.williams10@gmail.com 
Pair and single players welcomed. 

Comfort Kits
It's time to start bringing in all those travel-sized hygiene products, tissues, pens/pencils/small notepads, socks, etc. for our annual Comfort Kits campaign.  As well, we are asking for small, generic (non-holiday) gift bags to fill with the items.  Please bring in your items by Sunday, Feb. 21. This effort supports the outreach ministry of the Open Door at Square One. 

The Deacon's Cupboard
With the recent spike in the cost of groceries, please remember to be generous in your contributions to the cupboard.  In Janauray, you are invited to donate canned fruit (preferably fruit in its own juice) 
 



Contact Us:

Peter Kiteley, Office Administrator
office@emuc.ca
Erin Mills United Church