From the Staff of News ‘n Views...

We wish you a blessed Christmas!

12.3 Ladies Candlelight Tea

7 p.m.

12.7 Breakfast With Santa

9 a.m.

12.8 Bethlehem Bound Play

6:30 p.m.

12.14 Banwell Family Christmas

Concert 7:30 p.m.

12.24 Christmas Eve Service

7 p.m.

Mark Your Calendar

December 2013/January 2014 | Newsletter for Banwell Community Church

2400 Banwell Road, Windsor, ON N8P 1X9, Phone: 519-735-2654, Email: info@banwellchurch.org Website: www.banwellchurch.org; Banwell is a member of the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec

News ‘n Views

Income Tax Receipts

To be credited for Offerings on your Income Tax Receipt, all monies need to be received by Sunday, December 29th, 2013.

Your 2013 Income Tax Receipt will be ready for pickup the last two weeks of January.

Watch the Sunday Bulletin for exact dates.

Zelma Horvath

Envelope Steward

Christmas Love Offering

The one remaining yellow envelope in your Offering Box is dated December 25th. This year your Finance Commit-tee will direct 100% of the offering received in this enve-lope to First Baptist Church Windsor. Submitted by Zelma Horvath

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

Opportunity for Employment

We look forward to how we may grow through worship in the next few months as we gather together for worship here at Banwell. During the month of December the pastor will continue the Advent series, as well as a New Year’s theme on December 29th. And don’t forget our opportunity to gather together on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24th at 7:00 p.m. During the month of January the pastor will begin a message series on Paul’s letters to the Philippians. We will conclude the month by celebrating our church anniversary with our guest speaker, Rev. Dr. Brian Craig, who works as the Leadership Development Coordinator for our own Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec. May the Lord continue to bless us as we gather together in worship!

Worship Notes

PART-TIME ECE POSITION

Sunflower Childcare Centre, located at 227 Wellesley, has an opening for a part-time ECE teacher. To apply, please contact Barb Wright, Director, at 519-974-8411. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

This winter, why not help the members of the community who need it most? The Snow Angels Program matches volunteers with residents who need help clearing the sidewalks bordering their property. The process is simple, whenever it snows the volunteer will go to their assigned address and remove the snow from city sidewalks within 12 hours of the snowfall. This is a popular program and helps countless elderly and disabled persons avoid unnecessary dangers. In order to continue this program we need more volunteers. Check out www.citywindsor.ca/residents/maintenanceandfieldservices/Snow-Removal or call 311 to learn more about the program and sign up! Students - this is a great way to earn your community hours!

December 1st “A Promise Kept” (Jeremiah 33:14-16)

December 8th “The Way Prepared” (Luke 3:1-6)

December 15th “A People Blessed” (Philippians 4:4-9)

December 22nd “Let There Be Joy” (Luke 1:39-47)

December 29th “A Good Beginning…” (Isaiah 45:18-22)

January 5th “Making a Life and Not Just a Living” (Philippians 1:18b-26)

January 12th “How Disappointment Fits in the Picture” (Philippians 1:27-30)

January 19th “Doing Good in a Bad World” (Philippians 2:14-15)

January 26th “Anniversary with Guest Speaker, Rev. Dr. Brian Craig

Grant is known to many in Banwell as an adult Sunday School teacher, and a member of the recent committee to hire the new Director of Christian Education. He is the son of Lois and Harry Fairley and has two brothers. He is a graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois. He is married to Cari. Grant is also the author of many books including “Up to the Cottage” where he outlined his youth summer holidays in the beautiful Muskoka area of Ontario. Grant is also a principal speaker with Strategic Seminars. The morning will conclude with a delicious lunch which is being catered by Rosemary O’Neil and her staff. She is preparing a prime-rib roast beef meal with all the trimmings: salad, rolls, mashed potatoes with gravy, vegetables and unbelievable desserts. All this for $20.00! A Christmas delicacy. Please pay Madelon Kidd by December 1st and indicate your presence by signing up. We wish you a Christmas that is truly heaven-blessed and a New Year that will be among your very happiest and along with all these wishes comes a special loving prayer that God will bless you every day and keep you in His care! Merry Christmas to everyone!

Age Unlimited Dec. 2013 Henry Nurse, Coordinator, Submitted by Joan Fulmer

“She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in clothes and placed him in a manger.” Luke 2:7 A wonderful fellowship is being planned for our Christmas celebration. It will be held on Wednesday, December 11th at 11:00 a.m. in the church foyer. The devotional thought expresses this event. The birth of our Lord Jesus takes place in a manger. The Lamb is our Christmas gift from God for the Lamb who would be slain for our salvation. Our special program will include singing our favourite Christmas hymns and a delightful presentation “Have You Heard the Bells?” Grant Fairley will be our special guest presenter.

Money Matters

2014 Offering Envelopes

If you requested Offering Envelopes this year, or if you have requested Offering Envelopes in the past,

…they will be ready to be picked up during the month of December.

If you don’t have your own Envelopes or use the Pew Envelopes, why not request a box?

Everyone who gives a gift of money to Banwell is assigned a number in order to receive an In-come Tax Receipt at the end of the year. Requesting envelopes just simplifies the exercise. You do not have to be a member of Banwell or follow any rules and regulations – just ask, and you will receive them…

If you have had envelopes in the past but would prefer using a pew envelope, please let me know that as well.

Available also is the convenient Pre-Authorized Debit way of giving. Simply by filling out a form and giving me a void cheque, your offerings can come directly out of your bank account the first Wednesday of every month and go into the Banwell account. There are no bank charges to you. Eighteen Banwell members now use this service.

If you have any questions about the Pre-Authorized Debit, tithes or offerings, or if you wish to re-quest envelopes, just do one of the following:

-Fill out the yellow connecting card in the pew marking the appropriate box & put it in the offering plate,

-Leave me a note in my mailbox #62, or -E-mail me at gzhorvath@cogeco.ca

Zelma Horvath Envelope Steward

Pay-It-Forward

It’s a great idea and something special happened to Ken and Heather Heuston on ‘the day’ - on Friday, November 1st.

You may have read about it in the Windsor Star “Letters to the Editor” about how Ken and Heather were the recipients of the “Pay-It-Forward” idea.

While celebrating Heather’s birthday at the Red Lobster, two gentlemen became aware of Heather’s birthday and paid for their dinner. But, that wasn’t the end of the story as later when going to the theatre the Heuston’s paid for the tickets of a young man.

What a great idea! Congrats to the Heustons!

J.W.

MEN’S MINISTRY REPORT NEW FOR YOU…

Our usual Breakfast meeting will be changed to a Dinner meeting in January for those of our men who are unable to attend our Saturday events.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

Pastor Alex Moir will be our guest speaker

Monday, January 20, 2014 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. SUPPER AT BANWELL

*You are guaranteed to be home before the kids go to bed*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COMING ATTRACTIONS ANNOUNCED BY BOB MIDDAUGH

*Saturday, February 22, 8:30 a.m. - Frank Ball *Saturday, March 22, 8:30 a.m. - Bill Graham *Saturday, April 26, 8:30 a.m. - Dave Innes *Saturday, May 24, 8:30 a.m. - Dennis Dick

Is Bob organized or what? Indeed he is - with this great line-up of interesting speakers. Details forthcoming. All meetings conclude by 10:00 a.m. leaving time for you to complete your Saturday to-do-list.

WHITE GIFT SERVICE

Our annual White Gift Service will be held on Sunday, December 15th. ALL MEN are encouraged to bring a bag of canned goods that will be forwarded to those in need.

OUR FINANCES

As of November we have $1,517.00 in our bank account. Thanks to you, the majority of our funds come from the Annual Car Wash and go to support the SNACK program at Begley Public School to help fill empty stomachs, as well as other community projects.

MENTORING SKIT

The Banwell Players may not qualify for an Academy Award however, their message was clear at our service on October 27th promoting the new mentoring initiative of our Director of Youth Ministries, Christian Wiley. Let Christian know and support this great idea.

Nominations for Acting Awards go to Lino Braccio, Carson Doyle, Dave Ferrato and Richard Marshall.

PLANS UNDERWAY

… for scheduling next year’s GREAT ESCAPE V. Please pass on your suggestions regarding possible speakers and locations to Lino Braccio as soon as possible. The Holy Family Retreat House is not available in 2014.

NEW EXECUTIVE APPOINTED

With the retirement of Claude Daniels and Wayne Parsons, we are very pleased and fortunate to have two new men join the team - Randy VanWagner and Bruce Rand. Jim Wheeler

DID YOU KNOW?? This fall marks the third year the Men’s Ministry of Banwell have been visiting local suppliers where we purchase and also receive donations of food for the Snack Program. THANKS MEN for making this community project possible.

View From the Pew

Lately I’ve been thinking of the God-given gifts we each have – I’ve also been thinking of the ones I don’t have! Like a passion for cooking. Growing up in a home where simple food was the norm (and a blessing) – meat loaf, mashed potatoes, peas and raisin or apple pie being my father’s favourite meal, my mother never experimented much with food. For instance, if we wanted pasta, it came out of a can… In my large family the small amount of money that did come was used only for necessities so I’ve always known how to cook an egg…

One extravagance was purchasing the ingredients for the Christmas cake. The recipe has been passed down for decades – in fact I still have my Mom’s recipe book dated 1926 with the cake’s ingre-dients written in her hand. Hours of preparation the night before shortened the actual mixing the next day, but the baking would take up to five hours in that old stove of ours. The following day, after the cakes cooled completely, Mom would ice all three layers with the standard white icing, mixing icing sugar with a few drops of milk, and then stacking the layers like a wedding cake – finishing it by placing little silver, edible, balls all around the edges. Weeks later when the cake would start drying out she made a Carmel Sauce to pour over it – that is when I and my siblings actually ate the cake!

Marrying into a Hungarian family, I learned the art of making cabbage rolls, goulash and bacon-wrapped chicken livers from one of the best chefs around, my mother-in-law, and when my daughter married an Italian – I created a pasta sauce that my grandsons say could rival Nona’s! So I do cook, it just isn’t my passion nor my gift.

I have continued the ritual of making the cake yearly but do not ice it nor do I use it for gift giving. You know how the jokes fly around about fruit cake – one Windsor Star comic, titled ‘B.C.’, has a character sending a message across the water with the note saying “Please accept this fruitcake as a token of our sincere best wishes”. Three frames later the answer comes back “If it’s war you want, bring it on!”

I’ll use my gift of counting money, continue to be your Envelope Steward for as long as needed, and eat the cake myself…

And that’s my view…

Zelma Horvath

Christmas Cake Recipe Zelma’s Mom’s Recipe Book

THE SILENT ORDER MELANIE DOBSON

It’s 1928 and dark secrets control this family of mobsters, the Cardanos together in fear of each other. Rollin Wells has vowed to end their fearsome control and they want him dead. He meets Amish woman, Katie and her son and he knows she is hiding something she knows about the Cardanos. HELD HOSTAGE KEN COOPER

The story of one man’s double life. He was the perfect citizen to his family and friends, had a great job at a Christian college, but to the police he was known as the “gentleman bank robber. This is the true story of his remarkable redemption. SONS OF THUNDER SUSAN MAY WARREN

Sofia is loved by two brothers, one offers the past she loves, the other a future from Chicago jazz clubs to WW2 battlefields. A story of betrayal, sacrifice and redemption. THE COOL WOMAN JOHN A. ANDERSON

Vietnam combat pilot Lieutenant Bill Mann moves from one situation to another, ranging from death-defying and dangerous to downright hilarious. You have to keep turning pages to see what kind of a mess he will get himself into next and whether he will be reunited with his wife. FEAR HAS A NAME CRESTON MAPES

Journalist Jack Crittendon’s wife and daughter have been targeted by a stalker. As he investigates to find the culprit, he uncovers secrets that will put his own life in danger. He tries not to give in to fear as he also searches for a missing pastor. THE GUARDIAN R. CHEVRONT & E. REED

Anna Riley stumbles across a family secret. Her ancestors have been keepers of an ancient scroll that is said to have been given to the disciple John by God and now it belongs to her. But will being keeper of the scroll put her life in danger?

BOOK REVIEWS By Maureen Church, Librarian

Faces in the Crowd

A thank you to the following individuals who helped repair the fence that surrounds our garbage dumpster: Tom Holmes, Dave Wickham, Chris Wickham, George Morris, Daniel Blata and Richard Marshall.

The sympathy of the congregation is extended to Renee Duffy upon the passing of her father, William Duffy, on November 3rd in Glasgow, Scotland; and to Fred and Deborah Falkner upon the passing of Deborah’s brother Cliff Ford Jr. on November 9th.

Thanksgiving Offering

This year’s offering went to the Canadian Baptist’s Annual Campaign entitled “Good Health, Hopeful Living”. The Banwell offering of over $3000 went to HIV/Aids Programs in Kenya, Rwanda and India; the treatment and prevention of a unique disease called Chagas in Bolivia; and the support of a mother and child care center in India. Thanks folks for your generosity!

Mission Trip Update (Cont’d)

Children’s Home, where we ran a VBS for the 50 children there. We taught on the life of Joseph, learned Bible verses and sang songs. I have never met kids who love to sing so much and it always comes from their heart. I also got to meet Paul, a local man and former street child and his American wife Laurie. Both Paul and Laurie run a home for boys who have been living on the street. We were able to walk the streets of downtown Mwanza, Tanzania one evening and meet some of the children that are sleeping there. We handed out bread to those in need and just visited, listening to many stories, all of which blew me away. We are SO blessed here in Canada. My entire experience while away was amazing. God taught me many lessons of gratitude, patience and thankfulness. I want to thank you all for your prayers and support over the summer, it means a lot to me.

Mission Trip Update by Claire Cameron

To my Banwell Family, This past summer I spent an amazing six weeks across the world in Tanzania, Africa. I lived with long-time friends and missionaries, Dale and Chris Hamilton. Dale is a pastor, who helps and supports new pastors in the islands surrounding Lake Victoria and Chris is a nurse who specializes in tropical diseases. Chris has helped start three clinics on the same islands that Dale works in. I was able to see the work that they did there as well as visits with a local pastor on the island of Ikuza. Dale and Chris introduced me to their friends; Beth and Lisa who are both missionaries in Tanzania. Beth is the director at Tumaini (Hope)

The Sweet Ladies are at it again… Believe it or not, this is the 33rd year that the Laura-Secord-rival peanut-butter chocolates will be available for sale. That is the good news. The other good news is the price is still the same decades later - $6.00 for a half-pound. Chocolate Fruit and Nut Clusters will also be available for the same price. You may purchase them before and after the December 8th and 15th services. The Bad News is if you don’t act fast, you won’t get any because when they are gone… they are gone…

Child Care Worker Schedules for December 2013 and January 2014

Date Nursery

Dec. 1st Christa Braccio Mary Ann Adlam

Dec. 8th Gord Wickham Camryn Stephens

Dec. 15th Beth Gellner Marlene Wray

Dec. 22nd Ellen Doyle Heather Doyle

Jan. 5th Christa Braccio Mary Ann Adlam

Jan. 12th Gord Wickham Camryn Stephens

Jan. 19th Beth Gellner Marlene Wray

Jan. 26th Ellen Doyle Heather Doyle

Dec. 29th Deborah Martel Hailey Beemer

Little Lambs

Suzan Harper Carol Sipila

Carol Middaugh Taylor Cabana

Gayle Marsh Taylor Cabana

Patty Moroz Cheryl Lovell

Barb Stephens Camryn Stephens

Laurie Beemer Hailey Beemer

Suzan Harper Carol Sipila

Carol Middaugh Taylor Cabana

Gayle Marsh Taylor Cabana

Children’s Church

Marjorie Rusling Saundra Plummer

Terri Prevett Amy Lemmon Carson Doyle

Bonnie Hammond Kyrn Page Betty Ann Brown

Meryl Lynn Linda Trojand Carol Sipila

Marlee Page Kyrn Page

Terri Prevett Amy Lemmon Carson Doyle

Meryl Lynn Linda Trojand

Beth Adlam Claire Cameron

Terri Prevett Danijela Kralik Max Rolle

CHRISTMAS CHANGES IN PROGRAMMING

Christian Education Hour will not meet on Sunday, Dec. 29th and Sunday, Jan. 5th, but will resume on Jan. 12th.

Kids Zone will not meet on Dec. 12th, Dec. 19th, Dec. 26th, Jan. 2nd, and Jan. 9th, but will resume on Jan. 16th. There will be a Kids Zone Leaders Meeting on Jan. 9th at 6:30 p.m.

“My Back Pages”

As the autumn season is about to end I find myself looking back over these past few weeks in an effort to sum up what this fall has been like. I think for me one of the highlights was the men’s retreat back in the first weekend of October. The guys took a real risk this year by inviting their pastor to be their “input person” (aka guest speaker). Only they can answer whether they made the right choice … but for me it was a real eye-opener. Our subject for the event had to do with living our faith in a world where it is often hard to do so. I gave a little bit of input in each of our sessions, but we spent two specific times in “break-away” groups, responding to some prepared questions. One of the questions had to do with when each of the guys began to consider faith in God … and what led to that development. As I walked around listening in to the discussion, I was fascinated by the answers. First, I found the men to be remarkably candid. I had gone into the weekend just wondering how the discussion period would “fly” as we sometimes say, but after just a little bit I caught myself breathing a huge sigh of relief. It was as if they were just waiting for an opportunity to share their story. This got me thinking about the hurried world in which we live. The opportunity

to share something on the personal side when we fly from one event to the other is just so rare. In spite of all the things I had to set aside to attend this event on a Saturday, I was instantly grateful that I had done so. If this investment of time allowed a group of guys to hear an honest word and maybe give one themselves, it was indeed worth it. But it was the depth of the sharing that impressed me as well. I’ve read a lot of pretty deep stuff over the years about faith and discipleship and this level of writing has its place. But the things these guys were saying about how they had come to faith were so fresh and authentic … and personal. Each story was different and I marvelled at the variety. It made me realize that the God we love and believe in draws people to Him in such different ways. We all were talking about the same God … but He seems to use our unique personalities, experiences, gifts, network of contacts and so many other things to lead us to Him. The weekend was such an encouragement to me, and I hope it was to the guys as well. It got me thinking of how valuable a church family can be. If we do “church” right, we ought to afford people opportunities to tell their story in Christ. I know we’re a busy congregation, buzzing around doing all kinds of good things. But events like a retreat or our small group gatherings allow folks to process life … without the clock ticking! May God grant us the patience to listen … and the presence of mind to ask questions of each other. If so, you may be surprised like I was … and be encouraged in our faith in the process! Devotedly your pastor … Alex