Southpoint News June 9, 2017

Feasting

Imagine two huge steaming casserole dishes full of lasagne, plates of fudge brownies, oatmeal cookies, and raspberry rhubarb bars; bowls heaping with cut-up watermelon, cucumber, and carrots. Image thick slabs of warm chicken frittata for breakfast, hearty lentil soup for lunch, and a Mexican feast for dinner. Are you hungry yet? This weekend Jen and I took our youth up Sumas Mountain for a retreat. Thinking very much INSIDE the box, we had asked Karin and Alain if they would be willing to come and be the chief cooks and bottle washers for the retreat. But Karin had an even better idea: “Why don’t we ask folk within the church to contribute food, lowering the cost for each family and spreading out the work? I’ll organize it!” On Friday, when we drove away with kids and sleeping bags packed into the car, we also took up a bountiful supply of food made or purchased by families in our church. Katie made the lasagne. Yvonne provided yoghurt and blueberries, and Evelyn the melons. Dorothy pitched in chips, lime wedges, and dip for the veggies while Leah made the beans and shredded the cheese. Anne Hartnell made the soup; Denise, Crista, Shauna and Etienne made the desserts, and so on until all the meals were complete. Karin even drove up Sunday morning to serve us warm chicken frittata, straight from the oven. The plan was a splendid success, and during each meal we marveled collectively at the sufficiency and delight of the feast. By sharing the load around and by inviting each person to contribute a small portion, the quality and abundance of our feasting improved, and our experience of gratitude increased in equal measure. This past Sunday we celebrated Pentecost. In 1 Cor. 12:4-11, Paul talks about how the Spirit gives different gifts to people within the church. Some are given wisdom, some the gift of healing, some the ability to speak in tongues, some the gift of faith, and so on. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good”, he explains in verse 7. These gifts given were meant to be shared, not hoarded. They were given to strengthen and nourish the whole church, not the individual. As each person offered what they had been given to the wider family of God, the quality and abundance of the feast increased. I suppose God could have organized it differently. I suppose God could give all the gifts to just one person and ask them to do all the feeding. But God wants the tastiest possible feast, and God wants each of us involved in the joy of sharing and serving. I wonder what gift you’ve been given for the common good? Thanks to Karin for coming up with a great idea, and thanks to all of you who shared the gift of food with us this weekend. I want to also take this opportunity to thank all of you who share in creating this feast we call Southpoint. By taking what God has given you and offering it up for the common good, you are helping to create a nourishing community where people can come to the table and experience God. Whatever your contribution, big or small, it matters. It helps make the feast complete. Thank you.
– Pastor Anne Smith

June Events

Parents of Kids Entering Grades 6, 7 &8: Friday, 16 June  ?Shelter at Kingfisher Farm. Come without kids (please) to hear/participate in plans for this group in the autumn

+13 Youth Group Friday, 9 & 23 June, 6:00 – 8:00 pm Jen & Andrew Hubbard’s home

Last baptism class with Anne Monday, 19 June, 5:00 pm Kingfisher Farm (No class 12 June)

Camp-Out Weekend: Time to make payment! See full item at the bottom

Sundays Ahead

11 June – Regular service at Sunnyside

18 June – ALL OUT: Meet in Gathering Groups rather than at Sunnyside. (Also Father’s Day!)

25 June – Baptism service at Brooksdale (1620 192 Street, Surrey) Bring picnic lunch items for yourself and to share. BYO (plates, cups, forks) to reduce the load on our Brooksdale hosts.

2 July – Camp-out Weekend Regular service at Sunnyside

Post script to ‘Feasting’

Family Dinners Research over the past 15 years show that sharing fun family meal times increases resiliency, emotional health, and even school performance in children. Interested in strengthening your own family dinners? Check out the Family Dinner Project, a growing movement of food, fun and conversation about things that matter. This project seeks to equip families with practical tools to build stronger family time around meals. Summer can be a good time to reclaim the connections that get frayed during the busy pace of a school year. https://thefamilydinnerproject.org/  for more ideas and information.

Southpoint Camp-Out

Friday June 30 – Monday July 3 at Hazelmere Campground 18843 8 Avenue. It’s time to ante up with camp fees this weekend to provide advance payment to the campground. We’ll be unable to offer refunds. Cheques can be made out to The Church at Southpoint; please note “Hazelmere Camping” in the item line. Cost is $40/night per family (meaning 3 nights is $120). For those who don’t enjoy roughing it, we invite you to join us as day guests. (The campground charges $8/day for day guests who visit the campground.). Friday at 6:00 pm drop in for our Hot Dog Roast! Saturday we’ll picnic at Peace Arch and watch our neighbours’ July 1st fireworks. Sunday at 4:00 pm drop in for a ‘tea party’!
As summer approaches many of Southpoint’s young people and the teachers amongst us face school-related choices and transitions. Let’s acknowledge those journeys and bless our friends with rest.