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Notices for the Week: Nov 13th - Nov 19th

Parish Council  Council meets Tuesday, November 15th at 7pm in the rector’s office.   

ACW SW Fraser Area Meeting:  will be this Tuesday, November 15, our ACW will host and welcome the Diocesan ACW Board, the Rev. Sue Foley-Currie, and ACW members from Surrey, Langley, and Delta.  They are pleased to have The Most Rev’d. Archbishop Douglas Hambidge as guest speaker.  

Tri-Parish Quiet Morning – In preparation for Advent and Christmas, a quiet morning will be held for the 3 parishes of St. Helen, Epiphany, and St. Michael this Saturday, November 19th at St. Michael’s.  The quiet day leader will be the Venerable Stephen Rowe, rector of the Church of the Epiphany.  Arrival time is 9:30am for coffee. The program runs from 10am to 12:30pm.  So we can plan for the numbers, if you are planning to go, please speak with Father Steve or with Fil Sotana.  

Words and Music for Advent and Christmas Last year we had a wonderful response to this service that featured readings and carols sung in a variety of languages of our congregational members.  On Sunday evening, December 4th, we will pray together in word and music as we enter the Advent season to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Christ Child.  We would like to include as many of the languages of those who call St. Helen’s their spiritual home as we reasonably can on that evening.  If you would like to participate, please speak with Father Steve, our choir director, Lynn Turner, or one of the wardens.  

Lunch Bunch Our lunch in December will be on Monday Dec. 5th at the ABC Restaurant, 15373 Fraser Hwy at 11:30am. Lunch at 12 noon, cost will be $18.00 which includes Turkey Dinner, desert, coffee or tea, gratuity & tax. (The price of the Dinner is gone up to $20.00 and the difference will be paid out of the Lunch Bunch money.) We need to know how many are coming by Nov.27. If attending, please put your money in an envelope with the correct amount and your name on it. Envelope to be given to Joan Hnedish or Pat Nociar.  

Surrey Food Bank – As you all know we at St. Helen’s are trying to make a concerted effort to help the Surrey Food Bank on a very regular basis.  To begin we invite people to make a special effort to bring a donation of food on the Second Sunday of each month.  Of course, you can bring it any Sunday but we would like to make it a focus on the second Sunday.  Each Sunday, when our offering is brought forward, food items that have been donated will be brought forward at that time as well as the bread, wine, and our financial offerings. Please see the poster in the hall for a list of needed items.  

Mission, Ministry, and Outreach Working Group – In order to build on our work in and around the community, it is important for St. Helen’s to have a small working group to keep us up to date on the needs of the community.  This team of people would be able to see how our faith community could be of help in the neighbourhood.  Are you interested in working on such task group?  It is a great way of turning our prayers into action.  Please speak with Father Steve or one of the wardens.  

Surrey Urban Mission – As a follow-up from SUM, Mike Musgrove the executive director has highlighted a few immediate needs:  1/Are you able to help with pick up and deliveries, especially a Cobb’s Bread pick up on Monday nights. This requires a SUV, mini van or a pickup and can be done on a rotating schedule. 2/Volunteers on Tuesdays to lovingly interact with our guests and help with lunch service. Perhaps a group of folks that could come in and just sit, share lunch with our guests and hear their stories once a week  3/Someone with a pickup truck who is available during the day, there are times we need to drive stuff to the dump.  

St. Helen’s Refugee Working Group – It has been a few years since our refugee committee has been in operation.  Now is a great time to re-establish this working group as we continue to wait for Esther from the refugee camp on the Burmese-Thai border.  If you are interested in being a part of this working group, please speak with Father Steve or one of the wardens.  

Dates for Your Calendar

Nov 15 – 7:00pm – Parish Council
Nov 19 – 9:30am – Tri-Parish Quiet Morning at St. Michael’s
Nov 25 – Set up for Christmas Bazaar
Nov 26 – Christmas Bazaar
Dec 4 – 10am – Holy Eucharist – Advent 2              
            7pm – Words and Music for Advent and Christmas  
Dec 5 – (Note: this is a Monday) Lunch Bunch meets at the ABC Restaurant
Dec 6 – 7pm Executive meets
Dec 11 – 10am – Holy Eucharist – Advent 3
Dec 13 – 7pm Parish Council
Dec 18 – 10am -Holy Eucharist – Advent 4 with Bishop Melissa  

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR: Saturday, November 26:  
Do we need your help for our largest fund-raiser? Yes please!  

Still looking for one table lead and several others to help on the tables. This is an equal opportunity endeavour - the men of the parish are quite welcome to volunteer in any capacity. If you have goods for any of the tables, please remember to let the table heads know what you are providing.  
SET-UP will start on Friday, November 25 at 2:00 p.m. running through to approximately 7:30 p.m. Any men that can carry tables upstairs at the earlier time 2:00 pm(ish) would be very much appreciated.  
Please note that all goods must come in on Friday, unless you have made special arrangements with the table lead and if so, your goods must arrive by 9:30 a.m. on Bazaar Day. Please do not arrive with any goods after the doors open at 10:00 a.m. Table leads need time to set up their tables and price and be ready for the opening crowd.  
What else can you do? Sell raffle tickets (from Judy), Invite friends for lunch (tickets from Wendy), BAKE and BAKE some more, KNIT (toques, even socks), if none of these are your abilities, you can donate, any amount, to help offset the expenses incurred and then advertise, promote and encourage people to attend. See Lynn Turner or any of the table leads if you are willing to donate a few hours!   Handmade door wreath or swag made with fresh fir or cedar boughs. Would you like one? If there is any interest this could possibly be a small fund-raiser, sizes and prices are yet to be decided but if you are thinking you would like one please let Lynn Turner know.  

Readings for Sunday, November 20th  – Reign of Christ
Jeremiah 23:1–6;
CANTICLE 19 (LUKE 1:68–79);
Colossians 1:11–20;
Luke 23:33–43