2. RIDE FOR REFUGE – tomorrow, October 5, join cyclists in a fundraising event for the homeless. You can sign up for a 10, 25 or 50 km. route. The Ottawa Mission is one of the beneficiary organizations this year; you can find full details at ottawamission.com/ride-for-refuge or contact Aimee Rae at 613-722-7892.
3. THIS SUNDAY – we welcome Rob Parker Jr. as our guest speaker for both services. Rob will be preaching this Sunday from 1 Timothy 2.
4. LORD, TEACH ME TO PRAY – The focus for St Paul's this year will be "Lord, Teach Me to Pray". As the disciples asked this question to Jesus in Luke 11:1, we also ask the same question to our Lord during this year. Join us this Sunday evening at the Prayer Workshop given by Rob Parker Jr. at 7:00 p.m in the Jubilee Room. As we learn to pray this year, one of the most important prayers to learn is the Lord's Prayer. We invite you and your family to practice the Lord's Prayer regularly with us during this year. We also want to unveil new sanctuary banners reminding us of the focus this year.
5. LORD, TEACH ME TO PRAY… FOR MISSIONARIES – Join us in welcoming Scott and Beth Hurd from October 13 – 27 as our Missionaries in Residence. This time has been set aside to promote missions, ministry abroad and evangelism, and we are encouraging everyone to learn from their experiences and challenges in serving overseas. They will be spending time with our Small Groups and Sunday School classes, and Scott will preach our Sunday message on October 20. We are grateful they are able to dedicate this time to St. Paul's and we pray God will bless us during this special time.
6. GUEST FOR PAUL’S SUNDAY GROUP – Laurie Boschman is a retired NHL hockey player and former captain of the Ottawa Senators. Laurie will be a special guest in Paul’s Discussion Group this Sunday at 9am in the Fireside Room.
7. NEXT FAMILY FELLOWSHIP – Sunday, October 6 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the church. All families with young children are invited to join us for good fellowship, family fun and food. We will play games together and share a potluck supper.
8. FOOD DRIVE – St Paul’s will once again invite you to share your bounty with those in need during the Thanksgiving season. Boxes will be made available in the narthex to collect nonperishables for the local Food Bank. On Thanksgiving Sunday, we will have a special offering collection in which we will invite children to offer up nonperishable food items to the Lord on His table.
9. ST PAUL’S BOOK CIRCLE – The Book Circle meets on the second Monday of every other month. Since our next meeting is scheduled for October 14 (Thanksgiving Day), we have moved it ahead to October 7. We will be discussing the book Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud. We would love to have you join us for our informal discussion and time of sharing thoughts and opinions on the book. It is always an informative and enjoyable evening. For further information please contact Carol Rourke at lovemyptcruiser@rogers.com or 613-884-8535.
10. RATANAK PRAYER MEETING – Tuesday, October 8, 7:00 p.m. Friends from different churches will meet in the Fireside room to pray for the various ministries supported by Ratanak. Come and join us.
11. MISSION CRAFT NEWS – The Mission Craft Team will meet at 10:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room on Saturday, October 19. Anyone who would like to learn how to make a milk bag mat is invited to join us. If you can spare some time to help us cut up bags, please come and enjoy a coffee and a treat. We welcome new ideas for projects. Pillowcase Sundress Update: Patterns for the sundresses made out of pillowcases are available for anyone who would like to make one at home. These dresses are being shipped to Uganda! There is a sample posted on the Mission Crafts bulletin board in the narthex. Mary Anne Marston and Joan Triandafillou
12. SENIORS’ LUNCHEON – October 23 at noon. Our next luncheon will feature Scott and Beth Hurd as the guest speakers. Please mark the date in your calendar. More details will be available, along with a signup sheet next week.
13. A FINANCIAL LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION
Dear Friends in Christ:
Unfortunately the finance team must report the financial position for the year to date ending August 31, 2013 continues to lag behind expectations again.
Giving goal January through August $390,208
Amount given to end of August 374,955
Total expenses 419,630
Shortage – Income to Expenses – 44,676
Contributions are equivalent to the same period last year, yet significantly lower than the recommended “giving goal” trend approach. Weekly contributions improved after the summer, yet still fall short of the $9,270 weekly deposit necessary to sustain mission and outreach programs. The congregation is reminded of the commitment to a $612,091 budget approved by the congregation at its annual meeting February 25, 2013.
Our expenses appear higher than usual, partially due to the purchase of a new copier at a price of approximately $11,000 which will be capitalized later this year. This outright purchase is anticipated to save $8,000+ over the machine’s life span.
We recognize economic limitations of our community during these difficult times and urge the congregation to continue to prayerfully consider their contributions during this period of ministry transition. Program reductions are a “last resort” approach and not the tradition of the people of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church.
Please continue to pray for effective and positive solutions to support the staff and programs of your congregation.
Respectfully,
Mark Ranson
Finance Team