News ‘n Views

APRIL 2015

Banwell Community Church 2400 Banwell Rd., Windsor, ON N8P 1X9

Phone: 519-735-2654, Email: info@banwellchurch.org

A member of the CBOQ churches

COME JOIN US FOR OUR 2ND ANNUAL ALINA CARERE BOWL-A-THON!

Proceeds to Camp Hermosa Bursary Fund, which provides financial assistance to send kids to camp! April 26th, 2015 from 1-3 p.m. @ Super Bowl Lanes (10000 Tecumseh Rd. E.) We will have Pizza and Pop provided at the church before we head over to the bowling alley. Get a team of 6 together and get some pledges. Come join us for an afternoon of FUN! If you can’t attend, please don’t forget to sponsor one of our youth! For more information, contact Marlee or Christian.

CHURCHevents

Thursday, April 2nd Maundy Thursday Communion 7 p.m.

Friday, April 3rd Combined Good Friday Service at

First Baptist Church Windsor 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 5th Easter Sunday Service 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 8th Age Unlimited Meeting 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 14th Working Committee Meetings 6:45 p.m. Sunday, April 19th Conrad Kwok will speak about his ministry with CBM in Northern Thailand. 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 21st Board of Directors’ Meeting 6:45 p.m. Sunday, April 26th Men’s Ministry Worship Service 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 26th Bowl-a-thon at Superbowl from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, April 27th Men’s Dinner 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 28th Ladies Night Out @ Lumberjack 6:30 p.m.

Faces in the Crowd

The sympathy of the congregation is extended to Tim and Marj Rusling and family upon the passing of Marj’s brother Ed Horton; to Penny Bain and family upon the passing of Penny’s brother William Wayne Jones on Dec. 28th, and to Elizabeth Switzer and family upon the passing of her husband George. We were happy to welcome as a new member, Bob Bromley on Sunday, Feb. 1st. And many thanks to the following folks who facilitated the new Prayer Boxes which have been placed outside the Pastor’s office and the Fireside Room; to Wayne Parson’s for discovering these boxes in rummaging through some of our stuff, to Hal Herzog for refinishing them in a color to match the rest of our woodwork and to Tom Holmes for installing them. Thanks guys!

Some Thanks You’s

From the CBOQ for the $19,460 contributed by Banwell to the General Mission Budget. Executive Minister Tim McCoy writes: “It is with deep gratitude that I write to express appreciation for your church’s partnership with CBOQ through your financial contribution to our collaborative work throughout 2014.”

From the Windsor Youth Centre for the $3,050 we donated through our Thanksgiving offering. We were told through their letter that “the WYC does not receive any ongoing government support, so your contribution...is much appreciated and makes an immediate impact on the lives of local youth.”

RIGHT TO LIFE EVENT

There will be a bus available to take interested folks to the annual March for Life rally in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 13th. Cost of the bus is $85 for adults and $55 for students. Please call the local Right to Life Office at (519) 969-7555 for details.

TEEN CHALLENGE UPDATE

Please check out the bulletin board for an eighth month update on our student Kyle whom we are supporting at Teen Challenge.

Men’s Ministry Update

DON’T FORGET… to pick up your cookies and/or cookie dough to bake your own. Our Pie Sale with the aid of our Rock Solid Gang was such a success we are back with the GREAT CHOCOLATE CHIP PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE SALE. All proceeds from the sale will go to our teens for their projects. We have a great group of teens and this is a wonderful opportunity to support them. Special thanks to Baker Kim Anber for his guidance in preparing the dough and the men and youth who assisted; GET THEM WHILE THEY LAST! MEN’S SUNDAY APRIL 26TH Once again the Men’s Ministry will oversee a very special service with a special message. JUDGE LLOYD DEAN will be our speaker at the Men’s Dinner in April. ALL MEN and YOUTH are encouraged to attend this informative, inspirational presentation. Date: Monday, April 27th Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Menu: Pizza and Salad Cost: Freewill Offering ______________________________________________ A GREAT TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS Twice each month in the past few years this team of men have accepted the responsibility to pick up food from our suppliers and deliver the items to Begley School. The Men of Banwell serving our community are: LINO BRACCIO FRANK BALL TRACY BEVINGTON CLAUDE DANIELS BOB MIDDAUGH HAL HERZOG GEORGE MORRIS RANDY VAN WAGNER *CARL DUMAIS prior to his passing

THEY ANSWERED THE CALL The call went out for a new team to join in to serve our new undertaking at Marlborough School. At present our funds make it possible for one delivery of food items each month. We are very appreciative that the following men signed up fro this new opportunity to serve: Mark Daniels Dave Ferrato David McMahon Richard Marshall Peter Mingay Tom Noble Fred Whittaker Thanks to ALL the above gentlemen for serving this special need in our community. Submitted by Jim Wheeler ____________________________ APOLOGY EXTENDED In recent weeks there has been a shortage of parking spaces due to the numerous piles of snow. As a result many of you have been inconvenienced for which we sincerely apologize. As spring arrives, the problems are diminishing. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

BOOK REVIEWS FOR APRIL 2015

TAILORMADE BRIDE Karen Witemeyer Jerico Tucker ignores the new dressmaker in town. He’s seen her kind before - more interested in fashion than true beauty. But she is not what he expected. Hannah Richards is confounded by the liveryman with his ignorant ideas, yet he stirs her heart with acts of kindness. She wonders who the real Jerico Tucker is. BOUND BY GUILT C.J. Darlington Roxi Gold is shuttled from one foster home to the next. She will do anything to have her own fam-ily - including stealing rare books worth a lot of money for her Mom’s cousin Irene. Police officer, Abby Dawson’s brother is killed in his bookstore during a robbery and it changes Roxi’s and Ab-by’s lives forever. PRAIRIE ROMANCE COLLECTION Nine short romance stories of immigrants, pioneers and orphans and their adventures heartaches and romances. SONS OF THUNDER Susan May Warren Sofia is torn between the love of two brothers - hot headed Marcos, and younger, quiet, intelligent Dino. Marcos longs to honor his family. Dino wants to forget the tragedy that drove them from their Greek home to the shores of America. To the WWII Battlefields from Chicago they discover betrayal and finally redemption. DEEPEST WATER Dan Walsh A honeymoon aboard steamship SS Vandervere becomes a nightmare as the ship is lost during hurricane on the Atlantic. Laura is rescued ,but what has happened to John? She still dares to hope for a miracle, but must face the possibility of life alone. ENJOY YOUR BOOK! Maureen & Team

I am so surrounded by prayer it is no wonder that two doctors don't see any sign of my brain tumor! Thanks to the phone calls, emails, cards and prayers from so many of you people, I'm getting stronger too. I have two more chemo treatments, finishing by May, then another MRI. If no change, three months will pass before another MRI will be ordered. After that, it is up to God.

Thank you for your on-going support, Zelma

AGE UNLIMITED Jesus is speaking to His beloved disciple John. “Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One. I was dead and behold I am alive forever.” Revelation 1:17-18. The Easter Fellowship of Age Unlimited Group - the Seniors’ Ministry will be held on Wednesday, April 8th, 2015 in the Chapel Room. Henry Nurse is the coordinator. He extends a warm welcome to all seniors of Banwell Community Church. At our meeting, Rev. Dr. Alex Moir has an opening prayer/. We sing some of our favourite hymns, have a devotional thought , a special guest speaker. Claude Daniels offers grace before our luncheon. To complete the morning, our hostesses - Yvonne Eberle, Penny Bain, Madelon Kidd, Dorothy Allan and Pam Beemer - plan, purchase and prepare a delicious, nutritious lunch to con-clude our meeting. We ask our members to give a freewill offering to cover food costs. Linda Stevenson will be our special guest speaker. “My Odyssey” is her topic. She has had a most incredible life journey. She is married to Brad, has two adult children. Their son resides in Florida and their daughter, Marlee Page, is Banwell’s Director of Christian Education. She is also an ador-ing grandmother. Linda has an exceptional educational background. She is retired from a dedicat-ed teaching career. She has taught elementary programs for the Essex County District School Board, has been a librarian and took additional courses to specialize in special needs student pro-grams. Linda is gifted and enjoys many leisure activities. She enjoys a good game of golf, reading, swimming, needlework and travel. Linda has been a Sunday School teacher, a youth leader, a community worker for the Cancer Society and a fundraiser member of the Imperial Daughter of the Empire and the Y.M.C.A. She is also an ongoing judge for crafts at the local agricultural fairs. At present Brad and Linda are enjoying a holiday in the magnificent area of Myrtle Beach, South Caro-lina. The resort has numerous groomed golf courses, spectacular shopping, a variety of fine dining areas as well as the Atlantic Beach coastline. Linda said when it is 80 degrees in Florida, we enjoy 70 degrees Fahrenheit in Myrtle Beach. The sun is shining, there’s a breeze, off the Atlantic, so you may need a light jacket. This weather suits me just fine.” Bring a friend and come to enjoy this in-spiring life journey. May each of you enjoy a refreshing, rejuvenating renewal by the Holy Spirit during this Easter Sea-son. May you each receive God’s richest blessings. Happy Easter to All. Henry Nurse, Coordinator Submitted by Joan Fulmer On Wednesday, June 10th, 2015, Age Unlimited Group is planning a day away bus tour. The desti-nation is Uncle Toms Cabin in Dresden and a guided tour of the North Buxton Museum. To help raise funds to cover the expenses, Ellen Doyle is selling Tupperware products. These will be availa-ble prior to our Age Unlimited meeting on Wednesday, April 8th, 2015. These make ideal gifts or a purchase of new bowls or food containers cost less than $5.00. These containers are refrigerator and dishwasher safe. An invitation is extended to all seniors to join us for Easter fellowship, and hear our special guest speaker, Linda Stevenson. An open invitation is extended to join our bus outing.

5 Powerful Benefits of a Small Group Excerpt from Small Group Resources.net

Have you figured this out already? Still arm wrestling with the usual suspects over whether the re-turn on investment is worth the cost? Here are 5 benefits of a thriving small group ministry: 1. Life change happens best in small groups. You might have a killer weekend worship service

with powerful teaching and inspiring worship, but you still need to know that “the optimal envi-ronment for life-change is a small group” because life change happens best in circles, not rows.

2. Small groups make churches personal. Yes, it’s still true that a certain kind of person or a par-

ticular stage in life makes a toe in the water easier when you can be anonymous. But the re-search is in. The desire to find a few good friends is on the rise, and loneliness is increasing.

3. Small groups provide the best opportunity for one-anothering. If you want to be known for

the way you love one another, you need to emphasize being part of a small group. The idea that I can receive or give the kind of personal care commanded in the one-anothers while isolating myself from others isn’t anchored in reality.

4. Small groups can provide a sense of family for many whose biological family lives far away. Unlike generations past, it is increasingly more common for adults to find themselves liv-ing far away from their biological family. A small group—the right kind of small group experi-ence—can play a role in providing a sense of family.

5. I can ask questions in a small group. Dialogue is one of the key ingredients of life change. If

every spiritual experience I have is about listening, if it’s all about one-way communication, then I’m going to miss one of the most important developmental aspects of a growing faith.

Our Small Groups Ministry continues to thrive here at Banwell. We are so thankful to our leaders who faithfully prepare for and lead our group experiences every week!!

In the month of April, we will be launching a new Small Group Campaign themed “STARTING POINT.” What we realize is that sometimes, people who might be interested in a small group, assume they needed to “know” everything about faith and church, in order to participate. STARTING POINT is about creating a safe place for people to begin asking the questions they have about God, life, and matters of faith.

5 Powerful Benefits of a Small Group (Cont’d) Starting Point is developed to meet people right where they are, to be a conversational environ-ment where people can explore faith and experience community. To help clarify the Starting Point audience, we use three different descriptions: seekers, starters, and returners.

Seekers do not identify as a Christian but are curious about God, Jesus, the Bible, or Christianity. Starters are new to a relationship with Jesus Christ and are looking to build a solid foundation for their faith.

Returners have a church background but have been away for a while.

Starting Point is a place where no question is off limits, conversation is encouraged, and seekers, starters, and returners are empowered to join each other on their faith journey.

If you’re interested in learning more, please don't hesitate to contact us at banwellsmallgroups@gmail.com.

Watch for more information to come.

Dave Page, Small Groups Coordinator

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Women’s Items

Gift Cards (Grocery stores, Walmart, Tim Horton’s, Phone, Gas, etc.) Pajamas Shampoo Conditioner Deodorant Sanitary Pads Tampons Hair Brushes Razors Hand Lotion Women’s Bras Women’s sweatpants T-shirts Socks Non-skid Slippers Women’s underwear Toothbrushes, Toothpaste Soap, Liquid Soap Bus Tickets Journals

Children’s Items:

Diapers - Size 3-6 Baby Wipes Training Pants Sippy Cups Teethers Juice Boxes Gift Cards Baby Soothers Baby Food Baby Formula Baby Bottles (4 oz. and 8 oz.) Socks, Slippers Underwear Pajamas Toys, Games School Supplies

Other Items:

Toilet Paper, Paper Towels Kleenex Towels (Kitchen and Bathroom) Garbage Bags

SUNDAY NIGHT LIVE, MAY 3RD @ 7 PM. AT BANWELL Donations for the Hiatus House appreciated!

CHILDCARE SCHEDULE /// APRIL 2015

Date Nursery Little Lambs

April 6th Christa Braccio Mary Ann Adlam

Suzan Harper Macy Doyle

April 13th Gord Wickham Camryn Stephens

Barb Stephens Camryn Stephens

April 20th Beth Gellner Marlene Wray

Carol Middaugh Gayle Marsh

April 27th Ellen Doyle Heather Doyle

Laurie Beemer Hailey Beemer

Date Children’s Church JK - Gr. 1

Children’s Church Gr. 2 & 3

Children’s Church Gr. 4 & 5

April 6th Linda Moir Marlee Page

Kodi Page Rachel Brown

Christian Wiley

April 13th Linda Moir Macy Doyle

Marianne Wiley Linda Ogea

Aaron Blata Danny Blata

April 20th Beth Adlam Suzan Harper

Kodi Page Carson Doyle

Ali Lalonde

April 27th Marj Rusling Saundra Plummer

Marlee Page Ema Kralik

Children Sit in Church

MOVIE NIGHT SUPPORT

The Men of Courage would like to thank you all for your support of their Movie Nights this year.

They would also like to thank Marlee Page and the Christian

Education Committee, as well as the Youth, for their help with this ministry.

Look for more Movie Nights this fall!

NEW ADDITIONS TO THE USHERING - GREETING TEAM In the past few months a number of very faithful and dedicated members of our Ushering and Greeting Team have retired from their Sunday duties. This is a very important responsibility and we sincerely appreciate their service to our congregation. Please extend a “THANK YOU” when you see the following folks relaxing before the service:

George Bain Dennis Dick Laura Ferguson Bob Kidney Ruth Herzog Hal Herzog Richard Marshall Monica Nurse Lloyd Plummer

We are very appreciative that the following have agreed to join our Team replacing the aforementioned members. You may have noticed a number of our young people have accepted this important respon-sibility:

Emily Andrews Nathan Andrews Bob Bromley Olivia Brown Rachel Brown Braeden Braccio Carson Doyle Kyrn Page Sandra Plummer

- Kim Anber & Jim Wheeler -

As we turn the corner into April, we do so with a sigh of relief as spring is upon us! This will be a special month for worship, incorporating our Easter celebrations. Our pastor will conclude his message series on Bad Girls and Boys of the Bible on April 5 and 12th. Two special worship opportunities are on the schedule as we will welcome a special speaker on April 19th, Rev. Conrad Kwok, who is working along with his wife Fiona, for Canadian Baptist Ministries in Northern Thailand. On April 26th we will be led by our Men’s Ministry in worship. Thanks as always to our musicians under the capable leadership of our Minister of Music Ian McGregor Smith. May the Lord continue to bless us as we gather together!

W o r s h i p N o t e s

Date Message

April 5th

“Bad Boys and Girls of the Bible...A Look at Doubting Thomas” (John 20:24-29)

April 12th “Bad Boys and Girls of the Bible...Rahab and Dealing With Our Past” (Joshua 2:1-18)

(Communion Sunday)

April 19th Guest Speaker: Rev. Conrad Kwok

April 26th Men’s Ministry Sunday

My Back Pages

The envelope came the other day in the mail, with this message clearly printed on the outside … “last notice; your subscription is about to expire.” The magazine in question is Sports Illustrated, that iconic publication that has enhanced the experience of sports fans since the 1950’s. It has been coming to my mailbox on an almost weekly basis for over 35 years, a Christmas gift from Linda’s Mom. It simpli-fied Christmas shopping for her and she knew I enjoyed it, being the sports fan that I am. But it just became too expensive, as is the case with so many print publications. So I didn’t blame her when she delivered the news, that no matter how many tote bags they promised with her subscription renewal it had become too pricey. Ah alas … parting is such sweet sorrow! There’s another old adage that comes to mind at a time like this … “all good things must come to an end.” It’s a wise saying that comes in handy when we consider life and all that it has to offer. At very least it suggests to us that the wisest amongst us know there is a shelf life to the good times … and that we’d be well advised to make provision for the time when things change and adjustments become necessary. Though it may seem an unnecessary “downer” to mention this at a time of year when new life is about to burst forth, there is an expiration date on life as well. Thank goodness we don’t know when that is … but it will happen nonetheless. And the wisest amongst us plan for this as well. The Bible isn’t the only witness to the suggestion that this life isn’t all there is … numerous stories of “near death experi-ences”, often by folks who aren’t religiously inclined, are indicative of the possibility of such reality, wor-thy of some planning as well. Of course, the scriptures give all kinds of encouragement that our Father God is there to meet us after this life ends. In the gospel of John Jesus encourages his disciples to look to the afterlife with confi-dence. “I go to prepare a place for you” he says. And to the thief who hung with him on the cross he promises, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” What kind of life must we live to expect this kind of reward? In the letter read by so many ancient churches entitled “to the Ephesians” Paul writes, “For by grace are you saved through faith. It is a gift of God … not of works, lest anyone should boast.” A gift is something you accept, not earn. This may seem hard to grasp in our achievement oriented culture, but it is what that Bible states as true … God love us so much, that he simply wants us to have salvation. All we have to do is say “yes”. Perhaps that is why, when Martin Luther the great reformer was asked what he would do if he knew that today was his last, it was said that he replied, “I would go on tending my garden.” He knew there was nothing he could do to earn or even enhance his salvation. His future was in God’s hands. So may all of you know such assurance this Easter. Devotedly your pastor … Alex

NEWS TEAM MEMBERS Editor/Journalist: Jim Wheeler;

Journalists: Tracy Bevington, Zelma Horvath & Donna Soper;

Proof-reader: Zelma Horvath; Typist & Designer: Debbie Ebel;

Spiritual Leader: Pastor Alex Moir;

Production Staff: Deborah Bevington