Kitchen News

Dear Kitchen Friends,

Due to major renovations, SouthWest Mission will be closed from June 30th to July 15th. The kitchen, however, will be closed all Summer. We will therefore not be able to prepare and serve our usual Welcome Wednesday community lunches.

THAT’S OK !
That’s ok because we’re never short of ideas, and here is our latest : we will be replacing our 3-course menu with something much easier that we baptized SIMPLE SUMMER.

Every Wed. from July 18th to August 29th, 12 :30 pm, we will be serving salad in the courtyard at the entrance of the Mission.

In preparation, I’m starting to recruit people of good will who would like to participate in the process. The ingredients will be given to you, the food prep kitchen is still to be determined.

This is what the process will look like :

1)   Make salad
2)   Bring salad to Mission by Wednesday noon
3)   Help set up outside for service
4)   Help with service
5)   Help with cleanup.

Ideally, we would have a team of 3 volunteers in each Wednesday.
Is this a project for you ? Do you have free Wednesdays over the Summer?
Please let me know asap, this is the time !

Léonore Pion
Cuisinière communautaire
Coordonnatrice des activités de cuisine, Mission du Sud-Ouest
leonore.pion@gmail.com 

St. Jean Baptiste Mobile Brunch

It seems the road won't be torn up yet, so we are going ahead with this planned collaboration with our Sikh neighbours. On Sunday, June 24th, weather permitting, SouthWest church will be offering sweets and lemonade out on the church lawn at 11:30. If that stimulates your appetite, you can move on at 12:30 to the Guru Nanak Temple just steps away on Ouimet for a savoury buffet! What a delicious way to celebrate the diversity of Quebec in 2018!

Minister's message/ message du pasteur

INVITATION: Soup(e) +

VOIR FRANÇAIS CI-DESSOUS

I loved the idea when our choir director Sarah Fraser would include soup before concerts; I loved that a recent SouthWest conversation led by the worship ad hoc group began with home-made soup. Accompanied by fresh bread, hospitality and human exchange, soup can be a simple and delicious way to feed the body, mind and spirit.

Soup(e) + is an invitation to our francophone neighbours (and anyone who speaks French) to a soup “plus “ conversation with questions, songs and informal prayers. It is a link to the many who come to us and would appreciate a gathering in a spirit of welcome and non- judgment. It is experienced in the radical hospitality of Jesus, where “All are welcome, tous sont les bienvenues”. Sunday June 17th 12:30 at the Mission.

I leave today on a pilgrimage to the land of the faith of my ancestors. I go to taste and experience the Holy Land with my Bible in hand, an open heart and excitement.
I will carry you in my prayers at the many places of pilgrimage I will visit. 
Vous êtres tous dans mes prières pendant ce pèlerinage en Terre Sainte.

Rev. David

INVITATION: Soupe +

Un moment d’échange informel autour d’un bol de soupe maison.
Une rencontre pour nourrir le corps, l’âme et l'esprit par une conversation honnête et franche. Toute question est permise. Nous cherchons à cheminer dans la foi, l'amour et l’espérance.
Au programme : un chant, une prière du cœur, de l’écoute et du soutien.
Et on se quittera avec la connaissance d'autres personnes qui cherchent, elles aussi, la justice en résistant au mal à la manière de Jésus.

Bienvenue à tous et toutes : dimanche le 17 juin 2018, à 12h30
Mission du Sud-Ouest, 631 Melrose, Verdun. 
Contact: Judith judithbricault@videotron.ca
              David   Davidlefneski@me.com

Nouvelles de la cuisine

Chers amis des cuisines !

En raison de rénovations majeures, la Mission du Sud-Ouest sera fermée du 30 juin au 15 juillet. Notre belle cuisine communautaire, cependant, sera fermée tout l’été. Nous ne serons donc plus en mesure de préparer et de servir les repas communautaires du mercredi.

MAIS ! Comme nous ne sommes jamais à court d’une bonne idée, nous avons décidé de remplacer nos menus trois services faits sur place par une formule beaucoup simple, joliment intitulée ÉTÉ SIMPLICITÉ.

Tous les mercredis à 12 h 30, du 18 juillet au 29 août, nous servirons une salade-repas sans prétention dans la cour devant la Mission.

Je suis donc présentement en train de recruter les bonnes volontés qui auraient envie de faire ladite salade, et de participer au reste du travail. Les ingrédients seront fournis, la cuisine reste à trouver.

Il s’agirait donc essentiellement de :

1) faire la salade, idéalement en gang parce que c’est plus drôle ;
2) la ramener à la Mission pour le mercredi midi ;
3) donner un coup de main pour préparer le service à l’extérieur ;
4) assurer le service – très simple : on remplit des bols avec de la salade !
5) aider au ramassage.

Ça nous prendrait une équipe de 3 personnes par mercredi.
Avez-vous des envies ? des disponibilités ?
Faites-le-moi savoir dès maintenant, le processus d’inscription est ouvert !

À bientôt !

Léonore Pion
Cuisinière communautaire
Coordonnatrice des activités de cuisine, Mission du Sud-Ouest
leonore.pion@gmail.com | 514 544-5264

What is Méli-Mélo?

Have you ever eaten the party snack Bits and Bites/ Meli Melo? That bag of mixed pretzles and those squares that look like mini Triscuits, super salty and a little messy?

That's kind of like our monthly community celebrations at the Mission, which we call Messy Church, or Meli-Melo: It’s an informal gathering for all ages mixing faith with our meli melo messy relationships,  questions, schedules and our meli melo messy lives. Meli Melo Messy Church is different way of doing church with good food, good company, good crafts and activities and a good Christian message. First and foremost, it’s about having fun together! A light lunch is provided from the SouthWest Kitchen produce and pantry and donations; our Kitchen Coordinator prepares a menu and provides instructions (when necessary) to the volunteer Meli Melo team to put together on Sunday.

Meli Melo Messy Church provides a vibrant and practical way to engage with our local communities, children and their families. It can be cross-generational, give parents time-out, help to break down barriers and bring something different to a Christian faith based life. Meli Melo Messy Church is a wonderful shop window, but it isn’t a recruitment drive to get children into church. And nor does it need to be; these are seeds that are being planted and can help to encourage families to explore further.

Our next Meli Melo Messy Church is June 24 and exceptionally we will be gathering at the church, 1445 Clemenceau for a special neighbourhood picnic. Join us at 11:30 and be a part of the neighbourhood and community.

For more information and possibly transportation contact the office 514-768-6231.

- Darlene

Minister's message: Spiritual pilgrimage

One of the familiar hymns of my childhood was:

“Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear// scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea, stories of Jesus, tell them to me.” (VU 357, William Parker, 1885).

An opportunity to travel to Israel (June 6-12) on a pilgrimage came my way and I said yes. Yes to explore the places I have only read about in Bible stories: Bethlehem, the river Jordan, Lake of Galilee, Mount of Olives, Calvary, and Jerusalem. Yes to see the Holy Land where Jesus lived, ministered and died. Yes to experience the centuries old presence of Jews, Christians and Muslims in the ruins, the sights and sounds of this both historical and modern day land.

I will hear the names of stories from Sunday school and the Hebrew Scriptures: Ruth, Abraham, Sarah, King David, Moses, Elijah, Deborah. My Christian roots are intertwined with the Jewish faith that birthed the prophets and Jesus, the One I follow.

After the resurrection Thomas wanted proof that Jesus was who he said. Show me the marks of the nails and spear so I can believe, he said. Jesus showed him and said: ‘Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me.’ (John 20: 29).

For all of my life I have believed that the historical Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ of my faith. I do not look for proof of his existence in Israel but rather for the context that birthed him: a revolutionary who took on both the religious status quo and the Empire in a turbulent and chaotic time.

My faith believes that in chaos there is creativity. I believe that God is present in our journey of life and faith, guiding and giving the courage we need in difficult decisions. Jesus’ teaching and example can give courage to SouthWest in these months as we look at our future directions.

I will travel light. The Gospels for reading material, my journal to write observations, insights, questions and prayers, an open heart and mind, and a prayerful spirit. 

I’ll share some of these experiences with you after my return.

- Rev. David 

May the peace of Christ support you,
the love of God surround you
and the Holy Spirit surprise you
with joy and laughter, meaning and hope,
now and always.
Amen.

Que la paix du Christ vous soutienne,
Que l’amour de dieu vous entoure,
Et que le Saint-Esprit vous surprenne
Dans la joie et le rire,
Dans le sens et l’espérance,
Maintenant et pour toujours.
Amen.

Mini-market June 6th

Le prochain Mini-marché à la Mission sera mercredi prochain, le 6 juin de 10H30 à 15H30. Pour s'assurer d'avoir les fruits et légumes que vous voulez, vaut mieux pré-commander par téléphone ou courriel en utilisant le formulaire ci-joint. Télécharger la liste de prix ci-dessous pour savoir ce qui sera offert

The next Mini-market is from 10:30 to 3:30 next Wednesday, June 6th. The best way to get the fruit and veggies you want at affordable prices is to pre-order by phone or using the attached form. Your order will be set aside for you on the day. If you can, stay for community lunch at 12:30. Download the pricelist below to see what will be on offer:

Roadwork to affect SouthWest Church

SouthWest has been informed by the Borough of Verdun that the street in front of our church, as well as several other blocks in Crawford Park, will be dug up for at least three months. We are assuming that SouthWest United will not be accessible for at least part of that period, set to begin around June 15th. We are actively looking for alternative spaces to hold worship: church is not cancelled! Below is the text of a letter inviting concerned citizens to an information meeting at the Borough Hall on June 6th. We will keep you updated as we know more.

INVITATION to an information meeting
The Borough of Verdun, Ville de Montréal and the Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys invite you to an information meeting on the road and water main rehabilitation project that will be carried out this summer on several adjacent streets in the Crawford Park sector. 
The streets concerned by these work operations are as follows: Clemenceau, Lloyd-George and Leclair, between Churchill and Ouimet, as well as croissant Foch and rue Churchill along its entire length. The meeting will take place on:
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. 
in the Council Meeting Room of the Borough Hall
4555, rue de Verdun
Given the scope of the work project and the fact that it will be undertaken at the same
time as the construction of the new school (within the Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys), which is already under way, the Borough would like to present its residents
all of the work operations as well as the measures it is taking to reduce their impact. The
Borough would also like to set up a Comité de bon voisinage to promote good relations
among neighbours in the entire sector. This committee will provide you with an
opportunity to voice your concerns and suggestions on reducing the impact of the
various work projects and coordinating them as well. 
If you have any questions regarding this invitation, please call the Borough of
Verdun at 311. 

Ordination accomplished!

Congratulations to newly ordained Reverend Joëlle Leduc. Here she is with Aline - who was one of Joëlle’s mentors - serving communion to Theo Barratt-Lamey at Saturday’s ordination ceremonies at Wyman United Church in Hudson. SouthWest was well represented at these ceremonies. Thank you Shirley Stark for organizing SouthWest’s gift to Joëlle, the beautiful red stole that she is wearing. We are proud of you Joëlle! 

Minister's Message: Happy Birthday Church

At Meli-Melo this Sunday, we will be celebrating the birth of the church at Pentecost  (see below). The coming of the Spirit onto the rag-tag group of early disciples, facing fear and reprisal from established Religion and Empire, was a turbulent and chaotic time. Jesus their Leader was gone and they were alone. As people from many nations gathered in Jerusalem the Spirit descended with 'fire', imbuing Jesus' disciples with the courage and ability to communicate good news to all assembled. They spoke words of gospel and continued Jesus' ministry by healing the sick and building a vibrant community of faith which met in homes. Pentecost 'fire' ignited a movement that continues into our time.

How appropriate that, as we celebrate the birthday of the Christian Church at Pentecost, we also have the opportunity this Saturday to be part of the ministry celebration of Montreal & Ottawa Conference and participate in the ordination of Joëlle Leduc. She will be ordained into the ministry of preaching, sacrament and pastoral care. Her journey of many years is one of growing in faith, learning, leading worship, being an elder and a student. Much work, many joys, great challenges.

Joëlle is 'homegrown': over the years she led our breakfast club, organized our office, was our youth group leader and moved into places of youth ministry in Presbytery, Conference and with the wider United Church. When Joëlle joined us we were still Verdun and Crawford Park. Her arrival coincided with our amalgamation and mission plan. SouthWest, through transition and transformation, birthed vocation and ministry. When she is ordained Saturday there will be great shouts of joy, I anticipate your shouts being added to mine: Alléluia! Alleluia!! Alléluia!!!

The Christian Church is alive and well all around the world as a witness to a living faith; we too are followers of Jesus' way. The apostle Paul writes that while there are many members of the body there is but one Body of Christ. In another passage he says Christ is the Head of the Church.

Wherever God is leading SouthWest we have the assurance of Spirit present in our midst:

Spirit who imbues with courage to face all challenges.
Spirit who calls into ministry Joëlle, Beryl, Marco and so many more.
Spirit who helps us to be a vibrant ministry and church amid transitions and change.

Thanks be to God!
Amen. 

Rev. David

Join us Sunday May 27th at 12:30 at the Mission, 631 Melrose. All are welcome!