- LIFE AND WORK – January
ANNUAL REPORTS It’s time once again to think about our Annual Report. If you are responsible for a committee or group within the church, please submit your report for 2019 by January 27, 2020. Thank you! And following the Annual Reports is. . .
ANNUAL MEETING . . .on Sunday February 23 after service. Mark your calendars for this important event.
THE CARE AND SUPPORT TEAM(CST) is currently recruiting new members. Members of the Care and Support Team receive training in pastoral care, including active listening, and provide a variety of support roles which include visiting folks whose mobility challenges keep them from coming to the church, being on hand to offer caring attention to families at OUC funerals, and visiting with folks in person, by telephone or even with a quick check-in email. CST is there to help bear witness to the challenges and the joyful celebrations such as recovery from illness. If you would be interested in exploring the possibility of joining CST, please be in touch with Rev. Caroline (ouc.carolinepenhale@rogers.com, 613.837.5261).
BAZAAR 2020 – It’s only been 8 weeks since the Christmas Bazaar, but OUC’s team of crafters are already preparing for the next one. This fundraising event has grown so big, it takes us a year to get ready! Starting February 4, crafters will meet in the church Hall on Tuesday mornings. If you like to sew or make handcrafted items, you are most welcome to participate.
You can also help the Bazaar effort by donating supplies and items we can repurpose to make crafts. Please drop off donated items in the church Office (labelled “Bazaar”). The following items are especially needed:
– old wool blankets or 100% wool sweaters ( any size)
– fabric – felt, fleece, terry cloth, 100% cotton and poly cotton, flannelette , faux fur,
canvas/duck or twill
– notions – elastic, zippers, beads, cotton thread
– pillow forms (new, any size)
– batting – 100% cotton or polyester
– yarn – wool or acrylic
– beeswax
Working together, we can make Bazaar 2020 another successful fundraiser for OUC.
SUNDAY SCHOOL NEEDS YOU Our Sunday school is looking for a team teacher to help with our SK/Gr 1/Gr 2 class. We will supply all you need and give you tons of support. You would commit to teaching the most wonderful children every other week (with holiday weekends off) between now and beginning of June (about 8 times total). Please let Rev Molly know if you can help out!
CAMP AWESOME Get ready for summer fun! Camp Awesome dates are here! OUC will host camp the week of July 13-17, 2020 from 10 am – 3 pm daily. We will offer Camp Awesome for ages 4-9 years and, new this year, Camp Awesome Crew for ages 10-12 years. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details!!
FROZEN BERRIES Joan Brockelbank will be taking orders in the Hall after services for the next few weeks. Deadline to order is February 23.
FREE WEBINAR As a faith community we should be front and center in providing support to those facing end of life issues, but often we don’t know what to say or what to do. On January 30 from 7-10 pm there is a free 90 minute webinar designed to give you the tools to feel more comfortable. Register at https://doulagivers.com.
THIS WEEK AT OUC
Sunday January 19 Girls on the Spectrum – Lounge/Nursery, 1 pm
Monday January 20 Property – Room 12, 10 am
Council Executive – Room 12, 1 pm
Outreach – Room 8, 7 pm
Scouting, 6:30 pm
Wednesday January 22 Men’s Breakfast – Gabriel’s on St. Joseph, 7 am
Joyful Yarn – Lounge, 7 pm
Youth Leaders Meeting – Nursery, 7 pm
Thursday January 23 Java Jive – Library, 10 am
Friday January 24 Coffee & Conversation – Room 12, 9 am
LADIES’ NIGHT OUT Connor’s Irish Pub, Wednesday, January 29 at 6:30 pm. Good fun, good food, good friends! All are welcome, but please let Joan know if you plan to attend (613.327.2523).
PRAYER CHAIN Are you or someone you know in need of prayer? Would you like to become a member of the prayer chain and pray for others? Consider joining the Orleans United Church prayer chain – all prayer requests are confidential and by first name only, and if you become a prayer chain member, you pray at the best time for you, wherever and whenever you can. Prayer can be a powerful force to help and support others. Please consider becoming part of the chain. Contact by email at ouc.prayersforall@rogers.com.
FOOD BANK FOCUS FOR JANUARY: Clean-up/storage: dish and laundry soap, paper towels, garbage bags, plastic wrap, storage bags. Protein: canned meat, fish, peanut butter. Other: Olive oil, baby food and diapers; canned soups, pasta.
CENTRE 507 is a drop-in program for women and men in downtown Ottawa. Donations of white socks and underwear, as well as jam, regular ground coffee, soap, razors, toothbrushes and other personal supplies for the Centre are always needed and may be put in the marked container in the main entrance.
JOYFUL YARN meets every second Wednesday, 7 pm in the Lounge. Open to all. The next meeting will be on January 22.
VIDEOS OF OUC SERMONS In an attempt to further share God’s goodness and reach some of our congregation who are not able to be present in worship, we are posting sermon videos on our OUC YouTube channel. Go to http://orleansunitedchurch.com/sermons-2. Please note that the videos do not contain images of anyone in the pews attending the services.
HEALING PATHWAY Are you experiencing anxiety, pain, weariness, or just need a little pick-me-up? A session of Healing Touch could prove very beneficial. Each session is approximately ¾ hour in length. The schedule for January is as follows: Wednesday, Jan. 22 7-9 pm – Room 12
To book a session, send an email to orleanshealingpathway@gmail.com with your name, preferred date and time. Please submit any questions you might have to this email, as well. The practitioners look forward to providing you with peace, calmness, and tranquility. God’s blessings to you.
PARKING is allowed on Orleans Blvd. (in front of the Church) on Sunday mornings.
ASSISTED LISTENING A portable FM radio with headphones allows you to listen on 101.1 Mhz.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
- Welcome Team: We are looking for people to join our Welcome Team, making OUC a friendlier place through serving as a greeter or at our welcome table or coffee hour on Sunday morning. If you are interested in helping out with any of these vital ministries, please contact the Office.
- Drivers: C.S.T. is looking for individuals who are willing to pick up congregants on Sunday morning for church on an occasional basis. Contact the Office if you can help.
- Ushers: We are looking for people to join our ushering team. If you are interested in this important welcoming ministry, please email Mark (mpogue@orleans-optometry.com).
- Audio-visual Presentations: We are looking for persons who would like to learn how to operate the audio, video and PowerPoint systems used every Sunday morning and on special events such as weddings. Training will be provided. Come and make use of your creative skills. Contact David Patterson (david.patterson@consultant.com ).
- Photographers: We are looking for scenic pictures around Orleans that we can project on Sunday morning as part of the service PowerPoint presentation. Please email large picture files directly to David (david.patterson@consultant.com).
SUPPORT OUC FINANCIALLY:
- Connor’s Irish Pub on St. Joseph Blvd. has made the following arrangement with OUC: when you dine there, write “Orleans United Church” on your bill and give back to your server (there is no box to put them in). OUC will receive 10% refund on these. On the last Sunday of the month we will receive a 15% refund.
- Gift Cards Shopper’s Drug Mart; Tim Hortons; Superstore/Independent/No Frills/ Loblaws; Metro/Food Basics; Farm Boy and Sobeys gift cards are available each Sunday in the Hall or during Office hours. There is no cost to you. OUC receives a percentage for each card we sell. Empty Farm Boy cards can be returned to the church to earn an additional 1%.
- Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR) Your weekly givings can be offered through an automatic withdrawal by contacting Winston Babin (babin.a.w@bell.net). A tax receipt will be issued at the end of the year.
- Envelopes If you wish to use church envelopes to record your offerings and ensure that you receive tax credit, contact Winston Babin (babin.a.w@bell.net).
OUC is very active. Come out and get involved in one or more of our many events, whether it be joining the book club, participating in a social, volunteering, attending a retreat, the men’s weekly breakfast, one of our many scrumptious dinners, soup lunches, knitting, sewing, crafting, bible studies, joining the youth group, and yes, the list goes on!