Coffee break with NUP residents every Thursday at 10am in the 8th floor coffee lounge. Everyone is welcome. Come through Apt. entrance on 54th Street, call *0101 for access.

The new Sunday school session has started up and we will need volunteers beginning today, January 29th. 

A little about our program: we are a one room Sunday school with children varying in age from 2 to 10 or 11.  Older students go to the Youth group.  Our numbers vary from 3 to about 8 per Sunday.  The package is very detailed with a main theme/story and lots of ideas each week for games, activities and prayers.

What you’d need to do/commit to: as little or as much as you’d like.  Last session we had 4 teachers with varied styles.  Some picked a Sunday at a time, some covered a month at a time.  Some spent hours preparing their lessons and crafts, some spent a half hour the night before reading over the lesson.  We have a room at the church with quite a few supplies and anything extra you’d need to purchase (which I’ve never had to do as I can always find things to use from the room) would be reimbursed.  

If you’re interested in signing up or getting more info, please contact me at 669-6353 (home) or by e-mail lindsaychiasson@theedge.ca.  It would be great if we could get more people involved.  Thanks for thinking about it.

Congregational Meeting: The annual financial congregational meeting of Yellowknife United Church will take place following the worship service today. This is when the budget for 2012 will be set and when important decisions about the work of the church in the coming year will be determined. Lunch will be provided.

Affirm Study Group - As of January 2012, there are fifteen congregations, plus St. Stephen's College, in Alberta and Northwest Conference who have made the commitment to become an Affirming Ministry. St, Andrew's United Church in Lacombe is the newest congregation and Southminster Steinhauer United Church in Edmonton is celebrating after their worship service today the 13th anniversary of becoming an affirming ministry. We invite you to check out their church websites for news on what this commitment has meant for their church families.

Kitchen Clean-up:  UCW will be cleaning the kitchen at the church on Monday, Feb. 13 starting at 6:30.   Any help would be greatly appreciated.  You may want to bring a pail, gloves, cleaning solution and cloths.  With lots of help, we’ll be done in no time.  

Readings for next Sunday, February 12th, 2012
Fifth after Epiphany
Isaiah 40: 21-31
Psalm 147: 1-11, 20c
1 Corinthians 9: 16-23
Mark 1: 29-39

Ecumenical Prayer Cycle: This week – January 29th: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway,Sweden
Next week – February 5th: Ireland, United Kingdom

Northern Community Prayer Cycle:
This week – January 29th: Qikiqtarjuaq
Next week – February 5th: Paulatuk

United Church of Canada Prayer Cycle: This week – January 29th: Our French ministries and congregations
Next week – February 5th: Our ethnic ministries

Participating in Today’s Worship Service:
Opening Host: Bruce L.
Closing Hosts: Barb P.
Greeter: Jeannette H.
Candlelighter: Mia M.
Reader: Nancy T.
Musician: Sharon C.
Offering Counters: Lloyd H. & Bruce L.

Stewardship Seconds: Proclaim the good news! Believe in the good news! Let us be good stewards of God’s good news.

Mission and Service supports an award-winning program in Nova Scotia that helps women. Here’s a story about its work.

Lisa has turned to Coverdale several times in her life, first as a young incest survivor and again as the mother of a troubled son.

“At Coverdale, I received emotional and mental support,” says Lisa, “and I made some lifelong friends.”

Lisa has serious issues that make her life an ongoing struggle. She has worked with many of Coverdale’s programs, and today she feels she has her life back. She has her own home, and has learned many life and employment skills. “Coverdale has been there for me and still is.”

Coverdale staff and volunteers provide direct services to women of all ages who appear before the courts, as well as counselling for the issues that have brought them to this point in their lives. Crime prevention, risk reduction, and empowerment programs help women and girls make positive changes in their lives.

Coverdale has been nationally and internationally recognized for its long-standing and exceptional service to female offenders through leadership, support, counselling, and advocacy.

Your Mission and Service gifts are life-giving and life-changing. Please give generously.

Hope for HIV/AIDS Patients

The United Church has a strong history in the struggle against HIV/AIDS. Here’s a story about the ongoing work of a Mission and Service partner in Tanzania.

The Christian Council of Tanzania promotes the spiritual unity of churches in Tanzania and speaks for member churches on the spiritual, moral, and socioeconomic welfare of Tanzanians.

HIV/AIDS strikes hardest at the poorest and most marginalized. For those living on the edge of survival, food is a particular challenge because malnutrition limits the effectiveness of antiretroviral drug therapies. As a result, people in poverty become more seriously ill or die, leaving families at even greater risk.

Through its HIV/AIDS department, the Christian Council of Tanzania has developed income generating programs such as small-scale pig and poultry farming. Such programs, relatively easy to establish and sustain, have very positive results. In the short term, family nutrition is immediately improved. In the long term, there is an opportunity to increase family income

The coordinator of the program reports, “We have witnessed a positive transformation from hopeless men and women to happy families with success and ambitions.”

Your gift to Mission and Service helps people facing hardship and disease. Through Mission and Service we help families and communities in Tanzania find health and hope.

Come to the Table

Mental illness and homelessness are serious problems that the United Church addresses through Mission and Service. Here is one example from Manitoba.

Ed had been homeless for about seven years. His life as a husband, father, and truck driver fell apart because of depression, alcohol, childhood trauma, and a marriage breakup.

In the midst of this turmoil, Ed discovered Oak Table Community Ministry in Augustine United Church, Winnipeg, and started to visit regularly. He became a “street dad” to the kids who showed up homeless, looking out for them, and pointing them toward supports like Oak Table.

Oak Table referred Ed to a research project focused on mental health issues and homelessness. After completing the program, Ed moved into his own, furnished apartment and is looking into becoming an Oak Table volunteer. Ed is absolutely thrilled, transformed, and grateful.

Oak Table serves between 40 and 60 people daily, many of whom are homeless. Some struggle with mental illness; some are kids with addictions fleeing abusive or unhealthy homes. Oak Table offers food, pastoral care, telephone and internet access, and special activities and events. With a local health unit, the ministry also offers workshops on nutrition and healthy living.

The need is great. Oak Table is the only community ministry in its part of Winnipeg. Oak Table counts on Mission and Service to sustain its ministry of hospitality. Your gifts helped Ed regain control of his life, and your continuing gifts to Mission and Service will help many others.

[matched with a companion video View at www.youtube.com/unitedchurchofcanada, or download from www.united-church.ca and search for “minutes for mission.”]