Southpoint News May 25, 2018

This Sunday: ALL IN and Potluck!

Please bring some food to share, and your own plate/cup/cutlery.

 

If the weather is nice and you prefer to eat outside, bring a blanket or lawn chairs. Hoola-hoops, jump ropes, board games, volleyballs and frisbees are welcome too! The table is one of our 4 core images for Southpoint. So much life happens around a table – belonging, giving, receiving, laughing, crying, sharing, feasting, fighting, forgiving. Each week, we celebrate how God welcomes us home to the table for a feast. We are welcomed not because we are worthy, but because we are loved by Jesus At Southpoint, we want to find ways of welcoming each other to the table, to give and receive and do life together. We are aware that it is hard to live out this ideal in the midst of busy lives. Therefore, we are creating community rhythms that allows us to be at tables with one another. One of these rhythms is our potluck lunches after our ALL IN Sundays. This Sunday is another Potluck. What can you bring to the table? Your favorite food? An open heart and mind? Curiosity about the person sitting next to you? The intention to ask an open-ended question? The choice to sit by someone you don’t know? The courage to share a bit of your story? Maybe, just showing up is the gift you bring to the table. Whatever you bring, even if you forget and come empty-handed, you are wanted and welcome at the table. The table is also a place where all ages can gather. This is another core value of Southpoint. Life is richer and healthier when we make friends across the generations, and at Southpoint we are intentional about creating community rhythms that allow us to build intergenerational connections. ALL IN Sundays provide this opportunity  – everyone, young and old, stay ALL IN. We make things a bit more accessible for our kids. We draw on a few more of our senses. We tell stories. We use our hands. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but still, the temporary discomfort of being outside one’s comfort zone is for a greater good. And whoever said worship should be comfortable? This Sunday is another ALL IN. What can you bring to worship? An open heart and mind? Curiosity about what we will experience together? The intention to engage, even if it is uncomfortable? The choice to interact with someone of a different age group than your own? Maybe, just showing up is the gift you bring to worship. Whatever you bring, even if you come empty-handed, you are wanted and welcomed at the table. See you there!

Pastor Anne Smith

Calendar

Saturday, May 26; 8:30-3:30 pm: Labrinth Prayer Workshop. Toregister: visit Soulstream (soulstream.org)

Sunday, May 27; 10:00 am: Worship at Sunnyside – ALL IN & Family Meeting & Potluck

Tuesday, May 29; 6:00 pm: Youth Mentorship at Pastor Anne’s

Sunday, June 3rd, 10:00 am: Worship at Sunnyside and Piizza Lunch for Newcomers

Sunday, June 10th, 10:00 am: Worship at Sunnyside

Sunday, June 10th, afternoon: Hike at Golden Ears Prov. Park (Lower Falls), with the Junior Youth

Stay Tuned: Something New!
During the first three Sundays of July, we will be experimenting with a new rhythm of worship: worshipping outdoors! We are envisioning a simplified worship under the dappled shade of trees, worshipping on blankets and folding chairs from home, relishing in the goodness of Creation and the beauty of God. We are exploring A Rocha’s Brooksdale Environmental Centre and Kingfisher Farm as possible venues. Stay tuned for more details.

Newcomer Pizza Party!  Sunday, June 3rd
Curious about Southpoint? Want to put names to a few faces? Folks new to Southpoint are warmly welcomed to stay after church to have pizza and salad with the Leadership Team and some of our families. This gives you a chance to connect with us more in depth and ask questions you may harbour; it gives us the chance to get to know you better! Over the course of our conversation we’ll share about who we are becoming at Southpoint and what we value, as well as areas of longing for growth. Children are wanted and welcomed. Interested? Please RSVP to office@southpoint.ca

Hike at Golden Ears Prov. Park Sunday, June 10th
The Junior Youth invite the church to join them after the service for a hike to Lower Falls at Golden Ears Provincial Park.  Bring a bag lunch!

Southpoint for Newcomers
“Chestnuts in the offering basket?!” In this age of electronic interactions, we want to symbolize the act of giving for our children. The nuts are a visible expression of online giving happening behind the scenes. Feel free to put one in the basket if you give on-line”How can I give on-line?” There is a link on our Southpoint webpage for donations. Pre-arranged monthly giving is also available. Simply contact Southpoint’s financial admin wizard, Sarah McEvoy for forms and instructions.
“I’d like prayer.” It is our delight and duty to pray for one another.  If you have a prayer need, you may come up for prayer after the service, or you may pass on your request to John Hardy who heads up our prayer chain.
“I’d like to serve.” We have volunteer teams for almost every aspect of our service (greeting, serving coffee, teaching kids, serving communion, etc). We encourage everyone who attends regularly to join a team. Worship is a communal offering – many hands make glad hearts and light work! To explore how you may get involved, please contact Anne or Angela.
“What are Gathering Groups?” We have six ALL OUT Sundays a year. On these Sundays, we meet in smaller intergenerational gathering groups that help us practice being neighbours to one another. In these groups, we eat, play, swap stories, adventure, pray, and serve. Gathering group members also function as “first responders” should someone in their group have a need. Some gathering groups find times to meet more often. If you are new and would like to join a Gathering Group, please contact Anne.

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