Church Chat

Allenford and Park Head United Church

Spring 2016

Its Church!

Ministers message
Its not Sunday School she proclaimed with a big contagious smile,
its church! There are many teachers in life, some meet us through
formal education, others through informal mentoring, some in moments of wisdom shared by another. This spring my teacher was one
of the young girls at Allenford United. We had finished the time for
all ages with our prayer and our blessing. I had told the children to
have a good time in Sunday School when I was gently corrected.
Not Sunday School, church.
My young teacher is of course right. When the children, youth, and teachers leave the sanctuary they are
continuing being church in their Sunday School room. They are worshiping, exploring scripture, and sharing
in community just as we who stay in the sanctuary do. Wisdom comes in many ways sometimes it comes in
the wisdom of a young girl glowing with the joy of Moses coming down the mountain after encountering
God.
That young girls wisdom ties into an important question many churches are re-learning how to answer:
Why are we here and what is our purpose? Both our churches have mission statements. Maybe its time to
dust them off and take a look at them again. At Park Head we have boldly proclaimed: Our mission is to
provide support to our church family and to reach out to the community in which we are situated. In
Allenford we have stated our mission is to worship and share Gods love, to be an accepting community, to nurture and serve the needs of all Gods creation. Allenford also has an essence, a why we exist,
statement: We uplift each other as a family of faith with Gods continual guidance throughout lifes
journey.
Take a careful look at what happens each week as we come together for worship and stick around to share in
community time afterwards. Look at the enrichment groups in our church, our UCW, Book Club, and Drum
Circle Worship. Look at the ways in which work is done through our various committees. There is something very deep and holy happening in our midst. We encourage and support one another in the joyful and
sorrow filled times, we help one another explore our faith and what it means to be disciples of Jesus, we help
fuel one another to share Gods love in our homes, our communities, and our workplaces in our words and
actions.
In church community becomes more than just a gathering of people it becomes something sacred. Together
our lives are drawn together, we are rooted in God, and we find ourselves transformed, strengthened, and empowered to share the love of Christ in word and action. Why are we here and what is our purpose? As we
look around at our church community, at our buildings, at the lives we lead, and ask ourselves this powerful
question I hope our faces beam and our eyes twinkle with the same joy as my young teacher as we talk about
our church. May we share the good news of what it means to be
Allenford and Park Head United and to live our discipleship. Its Stay in touch:
not just a gathering of people, its church! Come, let us be part
www.aphunited.weebly.com
of the amazing things that God is doing.
www.facebook.com/aphunited
Blessings,

Rev. Micol Cottrell

aphunited@gbtel.ca
(519) 373-4184

Allenford Stewards
This year at our BBQ Beef and Pork Supper we
will be holding a silent auction. We are looking for your help in contacting local businesses about donating items or services. If you are able
to help with this please talk with Ron or Barb Kelly or give them a call at
519 934-2893.
Movies
We now have a video licence! This means we can legally show films in
our churches ranging from new releases such as Charlie Brown to older
films like Star Trek and thousands more titles. Films provide a great way
to explore life and faith. We are looking for volunteers to help organize
film nights. If you are interested or have a film suggestion please contact
the church office.

Church News
We want photos and photographers! You may
have noticed that our website and Facebook page
is lacking photos. Which is too bad because what
makes our churches isnt the beautiful buildings or
upcoming events it is the people. We are looking
for people who would be willing to take photos for
the church. A permission form will need to be
filled out by the people in the photos (or their caregivers). Forms are available from the church office.
If you have a digital camera why not help show the
world what a great group of people we are.

Learning opportunity
Ever wanted to know how to create, setup, and use the PowerPoint presentations? What about creating and editing free website on weebly.com? Our church uses both of these to enrich our worship and our community life. Rev. Micol is looking for
people who would like to help with this important work of the church and/or those who simply want to learn how to use these
tools. Please let Micol know if you are interested.
Simply a Bible Study
A time to simply get together, read parts of the
different books of the Bible, learn a little bit about
them, explore how God is speaking to us through
the passage, and enjoy tea, goodies, and
community.
Mondays 3-4 PM at Park Head:
June 6thEzra
June 20thNehemiah
August 8thEsther
August 22ndJob

Drum Circle Worship

Join us as we worship together through drumming, scripture, prayer, storytelling, and poetry. No experience necessary. Extra
drums are available. We will be meeting on Monday June 13th
and Monday August 15th at 7PM in the sanctuary at Allenford.

FundScrip
Buy gift cards and help support Allenford United. Thats the whole
idea of Fundscrip. You can purchase your gift cards at the church or
online at www.fundscrip.com. For online purchases our invitation
code is F4364k.

Please note that you do not have to read the whole

books of the Bible before our gatherings.
Thank you to everyone who helped make our yard and bake
sale a huge success. With your support we raised over $1,200.
- Allenford United Stewards.

Have an event you want shared.

E-mail Natalie at aphbulletin@yahoo.ca
for the bulletin announcements
and aphunited@gbtel.ca to have an event added
to the websites coming events page and calendar.

Readers Club
Looking for a Book to Read this Summer?
The Readers Club has picked a few titles and set up a lending library on the window sill downstairs. Everyone is invited to browse and sign out any book/bag that perks their interest. Many of the books (with the exception of the last 2)
are also available from Bruce County Library system. We plan to discuss some of the books on Monday evenings
starting in the Fall.
Our Summer Reading List includes:

Sarahs Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos
and silence that surround this painful episode.
The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
Readers will travel the world with Aminata Diallo, from a West African village to an indigo plantation in South Carolina,
through the tough streets of New York City and the harsh climate of Nova Scotia to the coast of Sierra Leone, and finally to an abolitionists home in London.
The Language of God by Frances S. Collins
It has long been believed that science and faith cannot mingle. Faith rejects the rational, while science restricts us to a
life with no meaning beyond the physical. It is an irreconcilable war between two polar-opposite ways of thinking and
living. Written for believers, agnostics, and atheists alike, The Language of God provides a testament to the power of
faith in the midst of suffering without faltering from its logical stride. Readers will be inspired by Collins personal story
of struggling with doubt, as well as the many revelations of the wonder of Gods creation that will forever shape the
way they view the world around them.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
What makes life worth living in the face of death? What do you do when the future, no longer a ladder toward your
goals in life, flattens out into a perpetual present? What does it mean to have a child, to nurture a new life as another
fades away? These are some of the questions Kalanithi wrestles with in this profoundly moving, exquisitely observed
memoir.
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
Mitch Albom creates his most unforgettable fictional characterFrankie Presto, the greatest guitarist to ever walk the
earthin this magical novel about the bands we join in life and the power of talent to change our lives.
The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World
by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Chair of The Elders, and Chair of South Africas Truth and Reconciliation Commission, along with his daughter, the Reverend Mpho Tutu, offer a manual on the art of forgiveness
helping us to realize that we are all capable of healing and transformation. The Book of Forgiving is both a touchstone
and a tool, offering Tutu's wise advice and showing the way to experience forgiveness. Ultimately, forgiving is the only
means we have to heal ourselves and our aching world.
Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life
by Richard Rohr
In Falling Upward, Fr. Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show
them that those who have fallen, failed, or "gone down" are the only ones who understand "up." Most of us tend to
think of the second half of life as largely about getting old, dealing with health issues, and letting go of life, but the
whole thesis of this book is exactly the opposite. What looks like falling down can largely be experienced as "falling
upward." In fact, it is not a loss but somehow actually a gain, as we have all seen with elders who have come to their
fullness. This important book explores the counterintuitive message that we grow spiritually much more by doing
wrong than by doing right--a fresh way of thinking about spirituality that grows throughout life.

Coming Events
June
June 18th

July
July 2nd to July 30th

Park Head United Roast Beef Dinner from 5-7PM at the Park Head
Hall. Cost is $15 for adults and $6 for children age 12 and under.
For advance tickets please call Donna at 935-2246 or Marlene at 935-2368.

Rev. Micol is on holidays and study leave

July 3rd and 10th

No service at Allenford or Park Head.

You are invited to attend worship with a neighbouring congregation.

July 17th

Joint service in Allenford at 10:30 AM

July 23rd

Allenford United Churchs BBQ Beef and Pork Supper and Silent Auction at
the Allenford Curling Club from 5-7 PM. Cost is $16 for adults, $5 for
children 12 and under, and $42 for families.

July 24th

Joint service in Park Head at 10:30 AM

August
August 28th

Holy Communion Sunday

September
September 11th

Outdoor Worship Service at Allenford Ball Park 10:30 AM

September 25th

Park Head United Anniversary service (Joint worship) 11:00 AM

October
October 2nd

World Wide Communion Sunday

October 16th

Allenford United Anniversary Service (Joint worship) 11:00AM

November
November 5th

Park Head United Bazaar (tentative date)

November 20th

Holy Communion Sunday

December
December 4th

White Gift Sunday Park Head (tentative date)

December 24th

Christmas Eve Service at Allenford United