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AVONDALE UNITED CHURCH

SPECIAL NEWS BULLETIN #7 ALL IN...Wherever our Faith Journey Takes Us… May 4, 2020

Dear Members and Friends of Avondale United Church Welcome to our weekly news bulletin, another example of Avondale’s efforts to help us all stay connected. It is prepared each week for sharing by email on Mondays. If you have information you wish to include please send to Yvonne Casey @ avondaleuc@wightman.ca by 11:00 a.m. Monday morning. LISTEN LIVE – Please join us this week at 10:00 a.m. via the listen live link on our website (www.avondaleunitedstratford.com) . We had 190 Listeners for the May 3rd Service. Thank you to Heather Herman for providing tech support. To help you follow along with weekly worship you can receive the weekly bulletin; contact Yvonne to be added to this email mailing list. Call the office 519-271-7946 or email Yvonne at: Yvonne.avondaleuc@wightman.ca

From Your Executive TO COUNCIL TEAM CHAIRS AND MEMBERS: Our next Council Meeting is Tuesday, May 12 @ 7:30pm by ZOOM. ZOOM MEETINGS – Our Avondale Zoom Account is a licensed program with security features. Our one Zoom account is available for Team and Council business. Please contact Yvonne to check time availability as you to book a room. Please proceed to book your Team meetings in preparation for our Council Meeting. Remember it is a two step process:

1. Check with Yvonne on the availability of the time you want

2. Chairs/designate to schedule the meeting on ZOOM and send out meeting invites

We continue to be grateful for tech support from David MacLennan and Heather Herman, our own “Zoom Zenners” with the tag line “Bringing peace to a world forced into technology”.

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From Worship Team

FROM OUR OUTREACH TEAM Avondale Foodshelf reminds everyone that while we are closed, please consider supporting

other Stratford Food Banks. Both the House of Blessing and the Salvation Army accept financial donations via mail. Donations to House of Blessing may also be done on line through their website or via credit card over the phone. House of Blessing Link https://www.shob.org/

St. James Anglican Church and St. Vincent de Paul (St. Joseph’s Church) are continuing to

operate their Food Banks.

The Local on Erie Street is another option for donations at this time. They are providing

take-out meals to supplement urgent needs for meal service to the Stratford Community. At

the present time many Stratford Churches have discontinued their Community Meals

programs (including Avondale). The Local has provided more than double their regular

output of meals to meet necessary requirements. The meat purchased for the Avondale

March and April Community Meals has been donated to the Local.

The United Church of Canada traditionally celebrates Christian Family Sunday the second Sunday in May - a universal way to celebrate the ways of mothering which have nurtured, empowered and challenged us (https://www.united-

church.ca)

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Announcements A Big Musical Thank You to Leslie Belland and Dan Van Winden for adding their vocal talents to enhance our worship on Sunday, April 26th and Sunday May 3rd respectively. Singing along at home is so much easier with someone keeping us in key Lunch & Learn– Tuesday, May 5th @ 11:00 a.m. This group will be meeting via zoom. Everyone welcome. If you wish to join this group, contact Rev. Keith keith.avondaleuc@wightman.ca for zoom details. The readings for Sunday May 10th is John 14:1-14

Garage Sale - our annual garage sale planned for June 6 has been postponed till further notice.

Some of Avondale group that looks after the landscaping have started cleaning up the outside grounds as well as preparing the gardens for when it is safe for us all to return. The Scout garden needs some replacement plants so they could use some perennials if you have extra. Please let George Finnigan know or you can let office know and Yvonne will get message to George.

Thanks to George Finnigan, Steve Sealey, Harry Hengeveld, Bill Spears, Brian Pearson & Brian Doughty. They are working on separate parts of property making sure they are following the social distancing guidelines.

Good Stuff!!!!! Recognition to a Stratford Community Superhero ! Local Beaver, Emerson Sealey is working towards his North Star badge and did a Food Drive for the House of Blessing Food Bank. The 25 friends relatives and neighbours donated items that filled 13 boxes.... 320 pounds in total ! It also included a donation for $100, reusable bags and hand-sewn masks to support the Stratford House of Blessing. Thank you Emerson for making a difference this week!

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From Kathi’s Prayers of the People shared on May 3, 2020

Pastoral Prayer Easter 3 – May 3, 2020 Loving God, You whose voice we hear and who’s Way we follow: we come this morning in the assurance that with you, we find hope—hope that will sustain us in our trying times, our lonely times, our doubting times, our times of sorrow. We pray for those in our community who are going through rough times. We pray for those grieving any kind of loss, whether it is a loss of a loved one, a loss of relationship, or a loss of hope We pray for all those who have died, and we seek comfort for their families. We pray for the loved ones of the Canadian service people lost in the military helicopter crash in the Ionian Sea: Abbigail Cowbrough; Brenden MacDonald, Kevin Hagen, Maxime Miron-Morin; Matthew Pyke; and Matthew Cousins. And we pray for all those who have died, who are beloved members of families and communities, near and far. May your presence bring comfort in the days to come. Healer, we pray for those in our community and communities the world over who are facing illness: those who struggle because of this pandemic, and those who are more at risk because of the strain on resources that this pandemic brings to our healthcare systems. We give thanks for the host of workers who keep things running in these times; those whose necessary work puts them at higher risk, and we pray for healthcare workers in our hospitals and healthcare facilities; for emergency service workers and first responders of all kinds. We pray for people around the world, for people, in Canada, for people in this community. Especially in these days, we thank you for the ways that our communities are consistently looking out for one another. Whether it be with a meal, a phone call, a garden spade or a prayer, we thank you for those who put love into action. We know to do this, because you showed us how through Jesus. Good Shepherd, we hear news of possibility for the people of Canada, as each province addresses the days ahead with measured hope. May we find ways to remain safe, while opening up to the possibilities of being more broadly engaged in community. May we follow the lead of informed authorities, to whom we have entrusted the role of leadership within our democratic system. As we head into this week, grant us all the things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind, part of Jesus’ fold. It is in his name that we pray. Thanks, Kathi