Mar 2015, Volume 4, Issue 1

insıde
central
a way to connect
Belonging, Believing, Becoming in Christ
Pertencer, Crer, Tornar-se em Cristo
E d i t o r – E r r o l A n d e r s o n / G r a p h i c D e s i g n – B i l l G o o d b ra n d
• Mid-Winter / Inverno meados de 2015 — Volume 4 Issue 1
340 Rebecca Street, Oak ville, Ontario L6K 1K3 • 905.845.2942 • ww w.cbcoak ville.ca
From the Editor
one into thinking it is
As I write, the bright sunshine teases
mometer quickly justify
Spring, but the calendar and the ther
calling this issue “Mid Winter 2015”.
It has been many weeks since our
Christmas issue and we are still in
the throes of a long cold winter. But
Spring and Easter are just around the
corner!
In this issue, Pastor Michel revisits
our Mission Statement. Pastor
on Romans 8:28. We also
Dine encourages us with his thoughts
tuguese Pastor Emeritus
welcome a contribution from our Por
Pastor João Garcia.
“Personality of the
We introduce Victor Cartagena as our
the Board of Ministry and
Month”. Victor has agreed to serve on
e this wonderful disciple of
Outreach and it is refreshing to welcom
is not attending to our audio/
Christ to serve as a Deacon when he
n.
video needs in the English congregatio
writes about “Camp
Also, as a reminder of Spring, Christy
Kwasind in April”.
Happy reading!
Yours in Christ!!
Errol Anderson
To our visitors. Welcome to the joy of worship
and the warmth of our congregation!
If you are searching for a local church home, we invite you to make
your home with us. If you are a newcomer, please include your
name, address, e-mail address and telephone number on the Contact
Cards. We’re glad you’re here! We encourage you to feel free to
participate in any church activities you read about in this bulletin.
If you have any questions, please speak with an usher.
March/April ’15
Holy Week
Services
Sunday
Monday Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Sunday, March 29th
10:00 am – Palm Sunday Service, English/
Portuguese, with Holy Communion
Pastor Michel - “I Am The Good Shepherd”
(John 10:11-18)
Sunday School - Cup Cake Decorating
Friday, April 3rd
10:00 am – Good Friday Service with
The Last Supper (English); Pastor Michel “The Passion According To John”
3:00 pm – Portuguese Easter Conference
Cambridge, Ontario
Sunday, April 5th
Easter Breakfast (9:30-10:40 a.m.)
Easter Worship Celebration (11:00 a.m.)
Pastor Michel - “I Am The Resurrection
And The Life” (John 11:17-27)
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Sunday, April 12th (Easter II)
10:00 am – 3BC: On This Rock
(Matthew 16:13-20)
Sunday, April 19th (Easter III)
10:00 am – Inspiring Worship: Part 1
(1Corinthians 14:26-33)
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Sunday, April 26th (Easter IV)
10:00 am – Preacher: Rev. Pat Nowlan
Sunday, May 3rd (Easter V)
10:00 am – Inspiring Worship: Part 2 (Luke
22:7-23)
26 27 28 29 30 31
Sunday, May 10th (Easter VI)
10:00 am – Intentional Discipleship:
Part 1 (2Tim 3:16-4:5)
For complete listing please visit
www.cbcoakville.ca/calendar.html
Belonging, Believing, Becoming in Christ
Rethinking Our Mission: 4 Reasons for Being
Our Current Mission Statement: “The mission of Central Baptist Church is to encourage all
people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, to equip them for ministry in the
church and in life, to magnify God’s name in worship, and to care for the needs of the community.
(Church Constitution, Section I, Article II - Mission Statement)”. On Saturday, March 22, 2014
the Board of Ministry and Outreach gathered to reflect on the question: “What kind of church
is God calling us to be?” What emerged was a refinement of our current Mission Statement in
efforts to better reflect what we understand to be our four reasons for being. The proposed Mission
Statement was approved by the Board of Ministry and Outreach (BMO) at its October 2015. It is
our hope and prayer that this mission statement will be embraced by the church membership in the
months to come.
Our Proposed Mission Statement: “Central Baptist Church Oakville exists to proclaim
and practice belonging, believing and becoming in Christ through inspiring worship, inclusive
fellowship, intentional discipleship, and integral missions”.
Inspiring Worship … We exist to worship God. Without regularly gathering to worship
God as a community of faith it would be impossible for us to be a church. We exist to gather in
God’s presence to worship through songs of praise, prayer, the public reading of Scripture, preaching
and the celebration of the ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism to the glory of God the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit. To quote our current Mission Statement, we exist in part “To magnify God’s name
in worship”. And we do so expecting God to inspire us (literally “breathe” His presence upon us as a
worshipping community).
Inclusive Fellowship … We believe that the church is where believers gather, not only to worship but
to share the Christian life with one another, to pray and encourage one another, to comfort and care for the
spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ. As well, we are to be a place
where the seeker of God can experience Christian community beyond our worship experience. We are a
relational church and as such we believe that our faith is to be lived out not only in our worship of God
but also in our relationships with other believers. Furthermore, we long for our fellowship to be inclusive,
bridging across the societal barriers of age, culture, language, politics and social status. We are one body in
Christ, united in our diversity.
Intentional Discipleship … We believe that the church has a responsibility to nurture, teach and equip
Christ’s disciples in the faith. We are the place where the seeker of God and the disciple of Jesus Christ can
gather in homes, small groups, church facilities, and public spaces to learn more about living out our faith
through the study of Scripture, training in ministry skills, and mentoring believers in Christian life. In the
business of day to day life, this will not happen on its own: We must be intentional in our efforts “to make
disciples of Jesus Christ.”
Integral Missions … We believe that the church exists, not only to take care of its own but to reach
beyond its faith community into a world which knows not the richness of a life lived in Christ. We have a
mandate to reveal God’s presence in the world. We need to witness to the grace, love, forgiveness, justice,
mercy and salvation to be found in a relationship with God in Christ. Furthermore our mission into our
neighbourhoods and the world needs to integrate both Word and deed through the proclamation of the Good
News to a people in need of Christ’s salvation, and a demonstration of God’s love as we strive to alleviate
the hurts and pains of injustice.
If we can do these things well, then a church we shall be. We need all four in equal measure.
Pastor Michel
Belonging, Believing, Becoming in Christ
Winter 2015 — Page 2
Pertencer, Crer, Tornar-se em Cristo
Message from Pastor Dine
Sua vida é um quebra cabeça que
só Deus pode montar
Your Life Is A Puzzle That Only
God Can Put Together
“Sabemos que Deus faz com que
todas as coisas concorram para
o bem daqueles que o amam, dos
que são chamados segundo o seu
propósito.” (Romanos 8:28)
“We know that all things
work together for good
for those who love God,
who are called according
to his purpose” (Romans
Imagina que cada acontecimento
da sua vida seja comparado com
uma pequena peça de um quebra
cabeça. Imagina também que
você reage negativamente diante
daqueles acontecimentos mais
dolorosos, dizendo:
8.28).
- Isso não tem nada a ver com a minha vida... Eu não posso
entender porque Deus permite que isso acontece comigo... Eu
simplesmente não aceito isso, de jeito nenhum.
Imagine that you
compare every event
of your life with a
small piece of a puzzle.
Imagine also that you
react negatively to those
most painful events, saying: “This has nothing to do
with my life..I can’t understand why God allows this to
happen to me..I just can’t accept it.
Já montei vários quebra cabeças. Eu e Leila gostamos muito
de fazer isso. É um excelente entretenimento. Mas, devo
confessar que em alguns momentos eu duvidei que determinadas
peças pertenciam realmente àquele conjunto. Cheguei a imaginar
que poderia ter acontecido um erro do fabricante.
I have put together several puzzles. I and Leila enjoy
doing it. It is an excellent entertainment. Sometimes,
though, I have doubted if some pieces belonged to
that set. I wonder what might have happened. Was it a
manufacturer error?
Devo lembrar também que é impossível montar um quebra
cabeça sem ter a figura diante dos olhos. Pegamos uma
pequenina peça e observamos a sua pintura e formato, para
tentar encaixá-la no lugar certo. Para fazer isso, precisamos
sempre olhar para a figura (normalmente na tampa da caixa).
I also remember that it is impossible to put together
a puzzle without having the picture to follow. We take
a tiny piece and look at the picture and try to fit in
the right place. To do this we must always look at the
picture, usually on the cover box.
Você e eu sabemos que só conhecemos a nossa vida de hoje
para trás. Nada sabemos acerca do dia de amanhã, muito menos
do futuro. Só Deus conhece a “figura completa” da nossa vida.
Só Deus tem o quadro diante dos seus olhos. Por isso sua vida é
um quebra cabeça que só Deus pode montar.
You and I know that our life today is only known by
our past. We don’t know about tomorrow, even less
about the future. Only God knows the “full picture” of
our life. Only God has the full picture in front of Him.
That is why your life is a puzzle that only God can put
together.
Quanto fatos tristes e acontecimentos dolorosos acontecem
em sua vida, não os rejeite, nem pense que eles não se
“encaixam” na sua vida, em lugar nenhum. Lembre que só Deus
conhece a figura da sua vida. Se ele permite que algo aconteça
na sua vida é por esse acontecimento encaixará perfeitamente
na figura.
É assim que entendo Romanos 8:28. Deus é soberano para
fazer com que “todas as coisas encaixem perfeitamente” em
nossa vida, visando ao nosso bem maior. Ele nos ama. Ele nos
chamou em sua graça. Ele tem sublimes propósitos para a nossa
existência. Louvado seja o Deus e Pai
Pastor Dine
How many sad an painful things has happened in your
life! Do not reject them or think that they will not “fit”
in your life. Remember that only God knows the picture
of your life. If He allows something to happen in your
life it is because this will fit perfectly in the picture.
This is how we understand Romans 8.28. God is
sovereign to make “all things fit perfectly” in our lives,
towards our greater good. He loves us. He called us in
His grace. He has sublimes purposes for our existence.
Praise our God and Father.
Pastor Dine
Inverno meados de 2015 — Página 3
Belonging, Believing, Becoming in Christ
Senior High Retreat - Blizzard Update
We learned this weekend about the
Body of Christ. One of the texts we
studied was Romans 12 that
says God has given us different
spiritual gifts and we should use
our talents to serve one another
and the church. Our speaker for
the weekend was Tim McCoy and
he illustrated this by saying “If you have
money share, if you know how to serve
then serve…” He reminded us that we are
unable to be connected to the
Avalanche
On Friday, Jan 16 several of our CBC
Jr. High youth, along with myself, Sergio
Simoes and Luciana Braz, boarded a
bus with great excitement and headed to
Muskoka
Woods for
our winter
CBOQ
Youth
retreat
Avalanche.
We were
blessed
with
beautiful,
though
very cold,
winter
weather.
The resort is always beautiful covered in
snow and we settled into our cozy cabins
for a fun and meaningful weekend.
Our worship was lead by the amazing
worship band “Sound of Love” who had
everyone up dancing and praising God
as they shared their musical talents. The
theme of the weekend was “Connected
- Created to Belong”. Our speaker for
the weekend, Chris Tompkins, reminded
each of us that we were uniquely created
to belong to each other, and most
Winter 2015 — Page 4
body of Christ without one another. The
weekend was filled with amazing free to
choice activities but the best part about
the entire weekend was the Bibles Studies
when we learned from God’s Word about
our Saviour. It was an amazing weekend.
In total 14 youth and leaders attended the
senior high retreat at Muskoka Woods.
Please pray for the Holy Spirit to continue
to work in the lives of the Youth at Central
and in the lives of those that connect to
Central through Wednesday Meetings.
-Senior High Youth Group Members
importantly to belong to God. Chris’s
messages taught us through scripture
and stories, that we are all masterpieces,
not cheap duplicates, created by God
for a special purpose. He stressed the
importance of our connections to our
friends, our families and to the family
of God. The sessions led to some great
small group time in our cabins and we
were able to spend a lot of time bonding
as a youth group. All was not serious
talk though and Saturday afternoon had
everyone out skiing, tubing and playing
all kinds of snow games. Though our
team, The Rockies, did not win the team
competition, we gave it our best try and
maybe next year we’ll take home the
prize.
Muskoka Woods bent over backwards
to provide us with great meals. This
was another time of connection for our
group as we gathered around the table
together. Thank you to everyone who
prayed for safe travel and for God’s Spirit
to be amongst us as we enjoyed this time
together. I pray that we will take the
lessons we learned with us as we continue
to learn and grow in our faith.
Blessings!!!!!
Marcy Scott
Pertencer, Crer, Tornar-se em Cristo
Inside Central’s
Personality of
the Month
This month, Inside Central
is pleased to recognize Victor
Cartagena (Parents: Joao
& Maria Almeida) as its
“Personality of the Month”.
Victor arrives every Sunday and runs the audio/visual for
the English Sunday morning services.
For some time, I have observed, and have been
impressed with his dedication and his demeanour. There
is this aura about him, of a young man who knows who he
is and is serene and secure in that knowledge, and now I
know why! In his own words “Spirituality isn’t always the
easiest thing to display nowadays, but I do believe I am in
a constant conversation with God and that my actions and
way of life can reflect my faith in Him. I view CBC as not
only a community I take pride in being a part of, but also
a family I could never stray away from”. Victor has agreed
to join the Board of Ministry and Outreach and I feel
certain that he will be a valuable addition.
Victor is 24 years old and has been attending Central
Baptist Church since he was 2 years old. He was baptized
at CBC as a youth. He grew up attending church every
Sunday, attending class as well as youth group. He went to
school for Music Production and Entertainment Business.
SPECIAL PRAYERS
“
Prayer List
Therefore I tell you,
whatever you ask for in
prayer, believe that you
have received it, and it
will be yours
Mark 11:24
”
Let us remember our brothers & sisters in our
prayers especially:
Please continue to pray for Marion Austin, Harry
Bircham, Manuel Simao Phyl Munroe, Norm
McPhaden, Ed Austin, Dwight Nowlan and Ruth
Bayley-Mead and Pearline Bynoe-Larrier, Carl
Smith as they deal with their health problems.
2015
Errol Anderson, Editor
Seniors’ Bible Study – Acts
The Second and Fourth Thursdays of each mon
th
- 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Led by Pastor Michel and Pastor Joao Garcia, this
semi-monthly evening English language Bible Study
and Discussion group. We meet in the Anderson
Room
at Central.
rews
Primary Source – Heb
esdays of each month
The First and Third Wedn
- 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
s semi-monthly evening
Led by Pastor Michel, thi
dy and Discussion group
English language Bible Stu
al.
ay School rooms at Centr
meets in one of the Sund
Pastor Jacky will be leading this team
We are looking for a team of 4-8 with
conversational French or Spanish.
We also need a videographer
to document the event.
Contact Pr. Michel or Pr. Jacky
for more information
Inverno meados de 2015 — Página 5
Belonging, Believing, Becoming in Christ
Camp Kwasind Presents: Camp in April
As you know, I am in love...with Camp Kwasind.
To me, this is such a special place, since it offers kids
an opportunity to learn about God, while surrounded
by nature, and friends. They find out how much fun
Christianity can be. But getting new kids to come to camp
every summer can be a challenge, especially when it is so
far away from home.
Every year we look for ways to promote camp to kids
and families who may never have been to Kwasind before.
Last year we ran a day called Camp in April, and it was a
hit. Camp enrolment jumped by 30% for last summer!
This year, we are doing the same thing. On Saturday
April 11, we will be running a day here at the church that
shows kids what Camp Kwasind is all about. It will be a
day of games, Worship, sports, crafts, vespers, campfire,
and lots of laughs; all with a Christian focus. It’s FREE
for kids aged 7-17, and for anyone who is interested
in finding out what Camp Kwasind is like, without
trekking up to Muskoka for the day! It’s run by myself,
along with the Camp Kwasind Management Team, a
bunch of my Camp Alumni friends, and a lot of the
Staff who will be at camp this summer. We will even
provide lunch and a snack!
Please take the insert in your bulletin, and pass the
information along to anyone you know who might be
interested: your grandchildren, your children, your
neighbours, your friends. Then ask them to sign up at
our website, www.kwasind.com.
Christy Laing
Book of Poetry
“Spirit Whispers”
r
Spirit
Whispers
by Eunice Perneel
Spirit Whisp ers
1
Cooke
by Eunice Perneel
Cooke
I have put together a small book
featuring a collection of several
poems written over the ears. They
are poems based on Bible passages,
tributes and nature. There are
elements of sorrow and despair,
but also of love and hope. The last
poem is in memory of Joe.
You can obtain this book from
me for the amount of $10. Bill Goodbrand helped me with the
design, setup and printing.
Eunice Cooke
Winter 2015 — Page 6
Pertencer, Crer, Tornar-se em Cristo
MISSION
m o m e n t
This article is
condensed from the
Arab Baptist Theological
Seminary Newsletter,
February, 2015
ABTS - the seminary where our Partners in Mission, the
Haddads are engaged - is pleased to announce that Emad
Botros will be joining their theological faculty this summer. He,
his wife Almess and his family are currently living in Ontario,
hoping to join ABTS in the summer if they can raise the
necessary support.
Raised in Lebanon, Emad went to study at ABTS where he met
his wife to be, and they both graduated with their BTh in 2003.
They came to McMaster Divinity College and he completed his
Master’s degree in Christian Studies in 2013. As visiting faculty,
he has recently taught several courses at ABTS. “Lebanon, and
particularly ABTS has a special place in our hearts, as we met
there, and our love story began there. It was also a place where
God transformed our lives, shaped our vision and developed
our skills. We know that it is time to go back and make a
difference in the lives of students, mentoring them in ministry
and leadership skills.” They are slated to work as well with Iraqi
and Syrian refugees.
Emad’s major academic interest has been in the Old Testament,
Biblical Theology and Islam. At Mac Div College, his research
focused on the intersection of the book of Exodus and the
Qur’an, with a particular interest in the Golden Calf narrative in
the two books. In his current doctoral studies, he is focusing on
the parallels in the book of Jonah and the Qur’an.
Emad is looking forward to lecturing in Old Testament and
Islamic studies, an area he first fell in love with at ABTS. “My
dream is to revive the message of the Old Testament in the life
of the theology students and the church, and to help Christians
as they make the message of the Old Testament relevant to our
Middle Eastern context today.”
Barb Keys told us at CBC about Emad several weeks ago, and
we wanted to introduce him to you as there is a possibility that
he will be coming to speak at CBC sometime in the spring.
Warren & June McBurney
Inverno meados de 2015 — Página 7
Belonging, Believing, Becoming in Christ
As Jesus was
walking along,
he said to his
disciples: “As
long as it is
day, we must
do the work of
him who sent
me; night is coming when no one can work” (John 9.4). It
is urgent that we understand that “the time is now”. If we do
not pay attention to this teaching of Jesus, it may become too
late. I had the wonderful privilege of travelling to Cuba several
times to supervise the mission work of the World Mission
Board of the Brazilian Baptist Convention, and preach in the
several churches, in Spanish. At every Church I visited I saw a
poster that said: “The time is now”. And the Bible verse that
our brothers in Cuba used, are the words of Jesus registered in
the Gospel of John. They kept on repeating that there was an
urgency, to do the work of Him who called them. They have
to preach, at this time, in the situation in which Cuba is going
through. God is raising many young people to spread the gospel
in that Island, because the time is now. There are several groups
of people, all over the country, who meet weekly in houses
to study the Bible and pray. There is a desire, a hope, spread
amongst hundreds of young people, to show that Jesus is the
only saviour. I was very touched by those brethren, living in
very difficult circumstances, who kept telling me: “Brother, we
preach the love of God”.
A HORA É AGORA
Quando Jesus ia passando, ele disse aos seus discipulos:
“Precisamos trabalhar enquanto é dia, para fazer as obras
daquele que me mandou. Pois está chegando a noite,
quando ninguém pode trabalhar” (João 9.4). É urgente
que entendamos que “a hora é agora”. Se não atentarmos
para esse ensino de Jesus, pode ficar muito tarde. Tive
o maravilhoso privilégio de ir a Cuba várias vezes, para
superviosar o trabalho missionário realizado naquele país,
pela Junta de Missões Mundiais, da Convenção Batista
Brasileira. Em todas as Igrejas e Missões as quais visitei e
preguei, em Espanhol, vi um cartaz afixado na parede, bem
visível, que dizia: “EL TIEMPO ES AHORA” cuja tradução
é “A HORA É AGORA”. O verso bíblico, usado por
nossos irmãos em Cuba, são as palavras de Jesus registradas
no Evangelho de João, acima citadas: “Enquanto é dia
precisamos fazer o obra daquele me mandou”. Deus está
levantando jovens missionários cubanos, para anunciar o
Evangelho, porque a hora é agora. Há grupos de pessoas, em
todo país, que se reúnem semanalmente em casas, a fim de
estudarem a Bíblia. Há um desejo, uma esperança, espalhada
no meio de centenas de jovens cubanos, de mostrat que .
Jesus é o único salvador. Fiquei emocionado quando aqueles
irmãos, em circunstancias difíceis, me disseram: “Irmão,
pregamos o amor de Cristo”.
The Book of Acts, Chapter four, records Peter and John
preaching in Jerusalem that Jesus had risen from the dead and
that salvation would come only through him (4.12). They knew
that was the time. They had to proclaim Jesus. The authorities
wanted to silence them. But even if they were to be put in prison,
they could not stop telling people what they had seen and heard.
They walked three years with Jesus and knew exactly who He
was; the Messiah promised in the Scriptures, therefore, they had
to obey God. They were courageous and bold!
Atos capitulo quatro registra Pedro e João pregando em
Jerusalém, que Jesus tinha ressuscitado. Eles sabiam que a
hora era aquela, por isso estavam proclamando Jesus, e que
a salvação era possível somente através dEle (Atos 4.112).
A cura do homem aleijado, que estava na porta do Templo,
era a demonstração do poder de Jesus Cristo, o Nazareno
(4.10). A qualquer momento as autoridades tentariam fazer
que se calassem. E mesmo que os prendessem, não podiam
deixar de falar do que tinham visto e ouvido. Durante três
anos caminharam com Jesus e sabiam exatamente, que Ele
era o Messias prometido nas Escrituras. E, portanto, tinham
que obedecer a Deus e não aos homens (Atos 4.18). Foram
corajosos e ousados!
What most impressed me about those young Cubans was
their courage and boldness to proclaim the message of the
Gospel. They know in whom they believe, and even in adverse
circumstances, they let themselves be used by God. This is
precisely what we, as Christians, in our community, are called to
be in serving Him: courageous and bold. There is a saying “we
should not leave for tomorrow what we can do today”. It is
urgent to announce that Jesus is alive, that salvation is through
Him alone and He will come back again. Tomorrow is doubtful,
the time is now!
O que mais me impressionou naqueles jovens em Cuba, foi
essa couragem e ousadia na proclamação da Palavra. Eles
sabem em quem creem, e numa situação adversa, se deixam
usar por Deus. E é exatamente essa couragaem e ousadia que
devemos ter, todos nós cristãos, servindo a Jesus em nossa
comunidade. Há um ditado popular que diz que não devemos
deixar para amanhã, o que se pode realizar hoje. É urgente,
pois, anunciar que Jesus está vivo, e há de voltar. Aleluia!
Ele é o poder de Deus para a salvação de todo aquele que
crê. O amanhã é incerto, a hora é agora.
Rev. Joao Garcia
Winter 2015 — Page 8
Pastor João Garcia
Pertencer, Crer, Tornar-se em Cristo
World Day of Prayer, March 6, 2015
of warmth and colour within the
sanctuary. Women from the various
denominations represented, led the
large gathering in a meaningful
service. Marianne Hallford, President
of Central’s Women’s Mission Group,
participated on behalf of Central
Baptist Church.
I
n spite of the bitterly cold weather
outside, there was a feeling of
Christian warmth inside St. Dominic’s
church on Rebecca Street as several
hundred Christians, representing
eighteen Oakville churches, gathered
for our annual World Day of Prayer
service. The first feature of the church
that we noticed as we entered was
the magnificent stained glass window
that takes up most of the west wall.
The sun bathing the sanctuary,
and the friendliness of those in the
congregation added to the feeling
The service this year was written
by the women of the Bahamas. The
various islands in the archipelago
had contributed prayers reflecting
the characteristics of the island.
From Bimini came appreciation of
the brightness of the sun, the beauty
of waters, the face of a baby and
the smiling eyes of an aged woman.
From Acklins came praise for the
medicines God has poured into the
leaves of plants for our healing.
Long Island’s reflection painted a
picture of the chains of tyranny,
oppression and enslavement in this
former slave colony. New Providence
acknowledged the coming of visitors
(including many of us) who have
travelled there to enjoy the turquoise
waters and their friendly people. A
most thought-provoking homily was
brought by St. Dominic’s priest, who
reminded us of our responsibility
to bring Christ’s commands of love
and compassion to all. We closed the
service, asking for a blessing on all
our Christian sisters and brothers in
the countries around the world and
remembering especially those who had
prepared our service, and their beloved
Bahamas Islands.
Offerings from these Day of Prayer
services are used to help a variety of
good causes around the world. Several
typical ones include help for Ugandan
women through active engagement
in modern piggery practice and
acquisition of entrepreneurship;
for Haitian immigrant women in
Dominican Republic who are without
access to basic services because
they are undocumented; for the D.R.
Congo, empowerment for indigenous
women through bee keeping. Closer to
home, there is provision of nutritious
meals every week for marginalized
women and their children in
Kamloops; and to our own Canadian
Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec
for help in supporting literature on
“Buying Sex is Not a Sport” during
the 2015 Pan Am Games.
After the ecumenical service, we
- including our pastor Michel and a
dozen of us from Central - met in the
Parish Hall for tea and refreshments,
sharing good conversation as we met
other Christians – some of whom we
had not seen since the last World Day
of Prayer a year ago. Watch for next
year’s date – always in early March –
for your opportunity to participate in
this world-wide time of prayer.
June McBurney
And Finally…
Thank you to all who have contributed to this issue. We would love to have more participation,
especially from the Portuguese congregation. Do let the church office know if you have any items,
family news, ministry interests etc. Also, if you would like to receive this Newsletter by e-mail, please
also let the church office know.
Inverno meados de 2015 — Página 9