Lettre de Noël du Pasteur

« Marie mit au monde un fils, son premier-né. Elle l’enveloppa de langes et le coucha dans une crèche, parce qu’il n’y avait pas de place pour eux dans l’abri destiné aux voyageurs. » Luc 2 : 7

La simplicité de cette histoire nous émerveille encore. Le premier-né de Marie est aussi le fils de Dieu. Né humblement, Il est un cadeau d’amour vêtu de notre humanité. Le « pas de place » continue de résonner à l’intérieur de ceux qui entendent l’histoire; y aura-t-il de la place pour ce cadeau dans nos célébrations et festivités?

Que votre temps des Fêtes soit rempli de l’essence de ce message d'amour. Dieu est venu dans notre monde par la naissance d’un bébé. Le visage de Dieu est dans le miracle d’une nouvelle naissance. Dieu incarné donne une tout autre perspective sur mon don de soi. Les relations avec les autres sont au cœur de nos célébrations. L’important n’est pas le prix du cadeau, mais la qualité de la relation, un cadeau qui vient vraiment du cœur.

  Bénédictions sur vous en ce temps de l’avent/Noël et sur vos familles et amis. Puissions-nous faire de la place dans nos coeurs pour la naissance de la Vie et prendre acte de la venue du Don d’Amour de Dieu, Jésus notre Seigneur.

Dans l’espérance, la joie, la paix et l’amour,

Pasteur David Lefneski

The Spirit of Giving and Receiving

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Over 80 children participated in this year’s Christmas Party at SouthWest Mission on Saturday Dec. 2nd. In the spirit of Christmas giving and receiving, children participated in cookie decorating and caroling, made tree decorations, and helped prepare Christmas cards for seniors in our community residences. Each child received a stocking to stuff with a selection of stocking stuffers donated by many sources including Allion Elementary School and Children’s World Academy (Mrs. Civico’s class) and of course Santa Claus himself. Thank you to Head Elf Dorothy and her team: You did an outstanding job in organizing this free community event. Thank- you to Mike LaCroix of LaCroix Music Studio leading caroling with Rev. David and teaching simple piano skills to the children, face painter April-Anna and many others who donated their time, energy and monies to make this annual event a success.
 

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Mini-market December 6th

Our mini-markets continue into the winter, albeit with shortened hours. Fresh fruits and vegetables are for sale at the Mission at low suggested costs from 10:30 AM to 3:30PM every second Wednesday. If you can't make it during those hours, consider sending a friend to pick up your order. Also orders placed with Sheila and Maurice ahead of time can be set aside and delivered to church on the following Sunday. Use the handy order form here.

Christmas by Candlelight/ Chantons Noël

Come join us for our beautiful celebration of Christmas: the candles will be lit, the choir will lift their voices, and we will be wrapped in the magic once more.

Venez nous rejoindre pour notre célébration annuelle à la lumière des bougies et dans une véritable bain de musique : chœur, solistes, et nos voix unies. Noël !

December 17 at 4 o’clock
le 17 décembre à 16 heures

SouthWest United Church/ Église Unie du Sud-Ouest
1445 rue Clémenceau, Verdun

Turkey, turkey, turkey!

Once again this Christmas, we at SouthWest will be putting the emphasis on Community. Community is the focus of everything we do throughout the year, so why would the holiday season be any different? Our annual December 26th turkey meal has been known by many names over the years. Sometimes we borrow the language of retail stores and jokingly call it our Boxing Day Blowout, though obviously our event is about as non-commercial as you can get. 

Like our Meli-Melo celebrations and our Welcome Wednesday lunches, the Community Turkey Dinner is for everyone, regardless of age, race, religion or station in life. Boxing Day dinner is free not because it's "for the poor" but because it's non-commercial. If a friend invites you over during the holidays, you don't have to pay them do you? This meal is for our friends, rich and poor, old and new.

Volunteers will cook and serve the food, and when their work is done they too will sit down and enjoy a good meal. Just like when you go to a friend's house for dinner, you may offer to help and the kitchen boss will decide if you are needed or if the space is already too crowded. Even if you don't have a specific job to do, you can be an ambassador for SouthWest by seeking out another guest who looks a bit lost and starting a conversation. 

At SouthWest we learned a long time ago that relationships blossom around a table laden with good food. Whether you've known us forever or we've yet to meet, please join us in community on December 26th. 

Community Turkey Dinner
Two sittings: 12:30 and 2 PM
RSVP: 514-768-6231

What's Cooking?

SouthWest Kitchens have been busy making savoury pies which are now on offer in our Community Depanneur! The bison tourtières have already sold out, but there are mouth-watering chicken and vegetable pies (pâté au poulet) and vegetarian tourtières made with beans and chickpeas and other secret ingredients. The pies are 9 inches and go for a suggested price of $9 each. 

We also have various home-made preserves that make great stocking stuffers! There is a lime marmalade that is bitter yet delicious. Or what about maple caramelized onions? I hear they are out-of-this world served with goat cheese on crackers. Find all this and more in our Community Depanneur at the Mission.

Advent 1: The Light shines in the darkness

The light shines in the darkness
And the darkness has never put it out.
La lumière brille dans l’obscurité
Mais l'obscurité ne l'a pas reçue. 

John/Jean 1: 5

VOIR FRANÇAIS CI-DESSOUS

The first candle of Advent is Hope. 
The others will follow in the coming weeks: Peace, Joy, Love.

Last Sunday at the Meet 'n' Mix Meli-Melo gathering we gathered around the tradition of the Advent wreath and spoke the word Hope for every child and family, those present and around our world needing its light.

At your home you are invited to use a simple weekly liturgy that Judith Bricault created to accompany the lighting of the wreath (or in simplicity a series of candles you already have at home). Choose an appropriate moment and focus on the ritual, the lighting, the prayer. Read one of the scriptures provided. Let the light of God fill you and yours with much needed resolve to live the message of Christmas every day of Advent.

 

La première bougie de l'Avent est l'Espoir.
Celles qui suivent: de la Paix, Joie et l'Amour.

Dimanche passée nous avons allumé cette bougie sur la couronne de l'Avent en présence de nos enfants à Méli-Mélo. Nous avons prié de la lumière de l'espoir pour touts les enfants et familles chez nous et dans notre monde.

Chez vous, vous êtes invités à suivre une liturgie crée par Judith Bricault pour l'Avent. Une bougie est allumée à chaque semaine, un texte de la Bible peut être lu et une prière offerte.

Que la lumière de Dieu vous touche dans vos besoins personnels, pour que vous puissiez vivre le message de Noël dans votre quotidien. 

 

We journey towards Bethlehem together.

Nous cheminons vers Bethléem ensemble. 

Rev. David

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ADVENT 1 – THE CANDLE OF HOPE 

Today we light the candle of HOPE. We hope that Jesus’ light will come again and again into our world. So let us go inward, let us be quiet and find the hope that is inside. If you can’t find it today, ask God to help you find it. Sit quietly and notice the hope.

 

1er DIMANCHE DE L’AVENT – LA BOUGIE DE L’ESPOIR

Aujourd’hui, nous allumons la bougie de l’ESPOIR. Nous espérons que la lumière de Jésus viendra toujours éclairer notre monde. Pensons à l’espoir qui se trouve en nous. Si vous n’avez pas d’espoir aujourd’hui, demandez à Dieu de vous aider à le découvrir.

 

Prophets!  Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Joel, prophets of old, what gift do you bring to us this Advent season?  We bring the gift of dreams, dreams of peace and justice, dream of a child born who would change the world. The first candle is lit.

Prayer: “Jesus, help your light to shine in us as hope.”

 

Les prophètes!  Ésaïe, Jérémie, Ézéchiel, Amos, Joël, vous, les prophètes d’autrefois, quel cadeau nous offrez-vous en ce temps de l’Avent ? Nous vous  apportons le don des rêves. Rêves de paix et de justice. Rêve d’un enfant né pour changer le monde. La première bougie est allumée.

Prière : « Jésus, que ta lumière fasse briller l’espoir en nous. »

 

Scriptures: December 3
Isaiah 64 :1-9 (p. 726)
Psalm 80 (VU 794)
Mark 13 : 24-37 (p. 65)

Écritures 3 decembre
Ésaïe 64.1-9 (p. 937)
Psaume 80 (VU 794)
Marc 13.24-37 (p. 70)

Minister's Message: Advent

In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, 
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

- Isaiah 40:3

 

Black Friday, what a negative name! Is spending money and giving gifts the meaning of Christmas?  

Sunday, December 3rd, 2017 will begin the Christian Alternative: Advent, a non commercial Christmas.

Children will receive a particular attention, from this Sunday’s Meet 'n' Mix/ Méli-Mèlo, to the old fashioned Children’s Party a week Saturday, to a liturgy of weekly candle lighting at home (download the bilingual one prepared by Judith Bricault). They remind us of the wonder we all once knew and can still discover when we live in the simplicity of the wilderness, a voluntary God-centred simplicity. 

We hold in our hearts our children who are facing intrusive medical treatments, their parents and families. We pray for children who have lost a parent. We hold all children in our prayers and care!

Get ready for wonder. 

Get ready to meet God in the desert.

Get ready for a more radical non-commercial preparation of Christmas.  

 

Advent summons us
with the exuberant hopefulness of a child.
Advent holds us spellbound with child-like wonder.
Advent challenges us to care for the littlest child.
Advent amazes us, for God was made known in a tiny child. (CGP)

Rev. David

Order Christmas Plants and Lights

Once again this Christmas, SouthWest United will have poinsettias for sale with proceeds going to the Memorial fund. Order for yourself or as a gift for someone else. The cost is a very reasonable $8 per plant.

You can also choose to pay tribute to a loved one with a memorial tree light. For a $5 donation, a special light will be placed on the Christmas tree in front of the church.

Shirley Stark is taking orders for both as of now. The plants will adorn the inside of the church in the lead-up to Christmas, and must be taken home by Christmas Eve. The memorial lights will be lit for the first time on December 17th at the Candlelight carol service. Orders must be in by Dec. 13th. 

Please see Shirley Stark at church or contact the office for more information.

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Good News

At our Remembrance and Hope service on November 5th, there was a soup lunch and a raffle that raised $400. Thank you Sarah and all the worker bees!

Saturday Bingo on November 4th raised $329.

Last Sunday's Craft and Bake Sale at the church raised over $500. Final numbers are not yet in. Thank-you cake and cookie makers, setter-uppers, taker-downers, money counters.

This last Welcome Wednesday, a gift basket created by Kathy O'Halloran was raffled off. The $117.25 that was raised will  help fund the upcoming Children's  Christmas party.

Thanks to everyone who works so hard to make these events happen, and everyone who bought something!

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