Weekly Update

 

 

 

10:00am Worship & Livestream at Valleyview

 

Theme: The Church at Pergamum

Focus: Following false teachers with a false message - connected with Luke 12:16-21, the rich fool who sells out.

 

Worship Leader: Linda W
Speaker: Pastor Marv

Song Leader: Derek M

Musician: Rayne D

Reader: Gloria J

Tech Team: Shelley K, Tom P

Ushers: Ben R, Paul W, Lynne W

Counters: Terry Z, Heather P

Coffee Host: Helen D, Ken D

 

Order of Service

Prelude

Announcements

Hymn: VT28 - Come, Christians, Join to Sing

Welcome

Lighting the Christ Candle

Call to Worship & Prayer

Invocational Prayer

Confessional Prayer

Hymn: VT142 - God, Grant Us Mercy and Forgiveness (sing as a refrain x4)

Scripture: Luke 12:13-21; Revelations 2:12 17

Children s Time - The Seven Habits of Happy Kids, Sean Covey

Hymn: VT514 - I Saw a Tree by the Riverside

Message: Pastor Marv

Hymn: Blue Duotang # 29 - What does our God require?

Offering and Offertory Prayer

Congregational Sharing and Prayer

Hymn: VT408 - Crown Him with many Crowns

Benediction

 

11:00am Second Hour

Upstairs: ****Congregational Meeting of the Members Notice****

This is notice of the Congregational Meeting of the Members, on Sunday, January 26^th, 2025, during the second hour (11:00 am). The purpose of this meeting is to accept by membership motion the 2025 Budget, review Capital Improvement Projects, and ask the congregation to affirm/adjust the Board of Director s recommended allocation of the 2024 surplus - required before external auditors start their review.

 

If you are unable to attend and wish to have a proxy represent you, please complete the proxy form and return it to Heather at office@valleyviewmc.ca prior to the meeting.

 

Lower Level: Sunday School Children, Jr Youth, and Youth classes

Snack Host: Susan BP

Children s Sunday School (JK-Gr 4) Teacher: David H
Junior Youth (Gr 5-7) Teacher: Lanette FW

Youth Meetup (Gr 8-12) Leader: Jacob M/Sarah D

 

 

 

Saturday, January 25

10:00am 12 noon ***CONGREGATION EVENT***
Invitation to participate in the MCC's Great Winter Warm Up at Valleyview 

Valleyview is again participating in MCC's Great Winter Warm Up.  This year the event will take place on Saturday January 25th from 10 am to noon at Valleyview.  You are invited to participate by knotting a comforter and contributing to the gift of warm comforters to those in need around the world. Each comforter provides not only warmth but also a tangible reminder to people in vulnerable situations that their needs are not forgotten. Help us in meeting the MCC goal to collect 7,000 comforters.  On January 25, you're invited to participate in a comforter-knotting blitz. Knotters of all skills are welcome, and coffee and muffins will be provided. Learn more at https://mcc.org/get-involved/fundraiser/great-winter-warm-up.

 

Sunday, January 26

12:30pm Sunday Lunch Bunch

The Lunch Bunch gathering is an Open Group all Valleyview attendees are invited to join in. Don and Elenor T will be hosting us this month. Their address was communicated by email on January 16^th (or see back of Jan 26^th paper bulletin).

-The meal is potluck, so please bring something to share. Drinks will be provided.

RSVP: If you plan to attend Lunch Bunch on the 26th, please RSVP to Don and Elenor at elenortaves@gmail.com

 

Tuesday, January 28

5:30-8:00pm: The Art in Recovery Recreation Group (Basement Main Hall)
A free art and recreation group meeting once per month for people in the recovery/recovering stages of addiction (whether substance or process). We encourage positive communication and supports to group members in any stage of recovery. Pre-Registration required, spaces limited. Visit Facebook Link, or contact Emily H: 519-317-1527.

 

Thursday, January 30

7:00pm Male Chorus Rehearsal

 

 

10:00am Worship & Livestream at Valleyview

 

Theme: The Church at Thyatira

Focus: Needing to repent of destructive ways - connected with Luke 13:1-9, the parable of the fig tree.

 

Worship Leader: Shelley K
Speaker: Pastor Marv

Song Leader: Heidi W

Musician: Elenor T

Reader: Elma F

Tech Team: Heather P, Gary G

Ushers: Paul A, Innocent M, Henry J

Counters: Russ S, David H

Coffee Host: David H

 

11:00am Second Hour

Upstairs: Speaking Christian book study #1

 

Lower Level: Sunday School Children, Jr Youth, and Youth classes

Snack Host: Elma F

Children s Sunday School (JK-Gr 4) Teacher: TBD
Junior Youth (Gr 5-7) Teacher: Lanette FW

Youth Meetup (Gr 8-12) Leader: Jacob M/Sarah D

 

 

Revelations Series: Letters to the Seven Churches aligned with Parables from Luke

Our winter worship series looks at two chapters of the biblical book Revelations, written around 96 CE, more than 50 or 60 years after Jesus' death. The author was probably a Christian from Ephesus known as "John the Elder." According to the Book, this John was on the island of Patmos, not far from the coast of Asia Minor. Each week we will look at one of the letters which author John said was revealed to him by Jesus and think about the letter in the context of one of Luke s parables.

Feb 9:  The Church at Sardis

Focus: Being spiritually asleep - connected with Luke 12:35-40, about keeping watch and being alert.

Feb 16:  The Church at Philadelphia

Focus: With little strength, one can still be faithful - connected with Luke 14:25-33, the cost of discipleship: is it worth it?

Feb 23:  The Church at Laodicea

Focus: Arrogance and pride - connected with Luke 18:10-14, thinking you are better than everyone else.

Mar 2:  Letter to Valleyview

 

Total donations received in January: $14,783

 

For ways to donate please visit www.valleyviewmc.ca/Give.

 

2024 Donation Receipts: Please collect online by Jan 26th

Happy New Year! Thank-you for your financial contributions to Valleyview in 2024.

 

Your 2024 Tax Receipts are now available for you to download and print. It requires you to login to the Valleyview website, valleyviewmc.ca. We will provide paper copies of tax receipts delivered by January 31 to only those donors that require a paper copy mailed.

 

Please login and indicate your preference by either downloading your tax receipt or selecting to have a paper copy mailed.

 

Any questions about your donation giving statement, please reach out to me.

John Spenler, Treasurer

Announcements

New and updated announcements are marked with purple font.

 

 

Youth Gatherings - Save the Date:

January 31st - 6:30pm
We are planning on having a tobogganing event on Jan. 31st. The plan is to meet at the hill at 6:30. When everyone is done sliding, we will walk back to the Parent house for hot chocolate and snacks. So here are the details:

Where: meet at Doidge Park, across from St. Joseph's hospital (the west hill)

When: 6:30, Jan. 31st until 9:00

Where to pick up: Parent house

What to bring: warm clothes and a favourite toboggan if you have one.

If there is not much snow, we will have a back-up plan and will email you next week about it.  Please let us know if you are able to make it on the 31st, and Good Luck with exams! - Maria & Jacques, Allison & David

Feb. 7th - hang out night at the Parent house - a low key time for the teenagers to hang out together and play games if they wish - we will provide snacks, but there won't be an organized activity

Feb. 21st - next youth night

Second Hour Study Book: Speaking Christian

For those of you who ordered a copy of Speaking Christian, by Marcus Borg focus for our Second Hour book study series - you will find a copy in your church mailbox.

If you would prefer to follow along with an e-book or audiobook, click here to connect with available options from the publisher.

Our first session will be on Sunday, February 2 and you are invited to read the Introduction, along with Chapters 1 & 2 in preparation.

With thanks,

Marv

 

Blessing Bags

The London Community Chaplaincy is once again preparing "blessing bags" as a gesture of caring to single parents living at Limberlost and Southdale Housing complexes. For those who would like to donate one or more blessing bags, we are requested to include a $5 Tim Hortons gift card and other small items, such as chocolates, tea, fuzzy socks, bubble bath, hand cream.

 

Elenor T will be collecting the blessing bags for the next three Sundays, until February 2. Alternative arrangements for pick-up may be made. Please let Elenor know if you plan to donate one or more bags (elenortaves@gmail.com). Thanks!

 

 

Silver Lake Mennonite Camp  (slmc.ca)

Summer Camp: Mark your calendar! Registration for overnight camp and day camp opens February 1 at 8am. Outtrip registration is already open sign up before Jan 30 to get $100 off! Visit slmc.ca/summer-camp to have a look at the 2025 schedule. Excited to see your kids at Silver Lake this summer!

Winter and Spring Retreats registration now open. Go to slmc.ca/retreats for more info. Coming up soon: Women s Retreat (Jan 31-Feb 2) Come, experience the beauty of camp in winter. Be nourished by the relaxed pace, good food and meaningful conversation. Play in the snow, breathe deeply in yoga, read by the fire, cross country ski, go on a snowshoe hike through the woods. Reflection time led by Wendy Janzen. There are still spots available!

MCC

Time is running out...apply today for SALT!
August 2025 - July 2026
Serving and Learning Together (SALT) is a year long service experience with one of MCC s international partners. SALT service opportunities for 2025-2026 include a Refugee Caseworker in Egypt, Nurse and Midwifery Assistant in Bangladesh, Peacebuilder in South Korea and many more. Apply by February 15 for the best assignment selection and to be guaranteed consideration for 2025 placements. Go to mcc.org/salt to learn more.

In This Together presents a webinar series...Faithfully at Variance: Engaging with the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective. Webinar #2 takes place on Sunday February 2, 6pm CT. We will be discussing Queer Relationships to the Confession. Theologian and MCEC Pastor Eliot Chandler Burns will reflect on historical and current impacts of the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective on Queer Mennonites, followed by responses by Anita Fast and Nessa Schattman. For more details and to register, visit inthistogethernetwork.ca/news-and-events

If you missed the first webinar, you can check it out here (not required viewing in order to attend Webinar #2!).

MCEC

Family Day Open House at Hidden Acres

On Mon February 17th from 10am-3:30pm Hidden Acres is hosting a free Family Day Open House. Bring your family for a day of indoor and outdoor activities such as crafts, sledding, snowshoeing, pretzel making, games, and more! Bring a bag lunch or purchase a hot lunch for $6/person. Please RSVP to info@hiddenacres.ca. More information at hiddenacres.ca

 

For the latest news and volunteer opportunities, visit links below:

 

MCC (Mennonite Central Committee): mcccanada.ca

MCEC (Mennonite Church Eastern Canada): mcec.ca

MDS (Mennonite Disaster Service): mds.mennonite.net

January edition of On the Level:  https://conta.cc/3DTzoxh

MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates): www.meda.org

 

Attendance Practices at Valleyview

 

Scent-Free Zone: Severe Scent Allergy

Valleyview is a scent-free zone as many participants have strong reactions to scented products. Please refrain from using all scented products: cologne, perfume, hairspray, hand and body lotion.

No Peanuts: Allergy Alert

Some members in attendance experience serious peanut allergy. Please refrain from bringing, eating, or serving any food labelled as containing peanuts or with warning May contain peanuts .

Masking Policy at Valleyview

Please wear a facemask if you feel more comfortable and remember to stay home if you are not feeling well.

 

This Weekly Update has been sent by the Church Office at Valleyview Mennonite Church (an Ontario Corporation).