3255 Edgemont Blvd. North Vancouver, BC V7R 2P1

Ph: 604-980-6071 churchoffice@highlandsunited.org www.highlandsunited.org Rev. Will Sparks, Lead Minister

Highlights October 8, 2017

Let gratitude grow...

Highlands Upcoming Events and Programs

This list does not include rooms booked for outside rentals (Guides, AA, Alanon etc).

Highlands Event Calendar can be viewed on our web site at: www.highlandsunited.org

Sunday October 8 9:30 am Coffee/Tea in the Welcoming Space 10:00 am Sunday Worship Service, Sanctuary 11:45 am Re:Sound Rehearsal, Choir Room Monday, October 9 – Thanksgiving Monday (Office Closed) 1:00 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry, Choir Room 6:30 pm Healing Hands, Choir Room and Chapel 7:00 pm Guitar for Fun 7:30 pm Badminton, Gym Tuesday, October 10 All-day Flea Market Set-up, Lower Floor 9:30 am ESL/ELL Conversation Class, Room 201 9:30 am ESL/ELL Beginners Conversation Class, Rm 202 7:00 pm Eclipsing Empire, Faith Room Wednesday, October 11 All-day Flea Market Set-up, Lower Floor 7:30 am Men’s Breakfast, Eighties Restaurant Thursday, October 12 All-day Flea Market Set-up, Lower Floor 9:30 am ESL/ELL Conversation Class, Room 201 9:30 am ESL/ELL Beginners Conversation Class, Room 202 12:30 pm ESL/ELL Speakers Group, Room 201

Thursday Dinner - CANCELLED 6:00 pm Leadership Board Meeting, Faith Room 6:00 pm Genesis Too Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary 6:15 pm Living the Questions, Faith Room 6:30 pm God’s Free Spirits Choir Rehearsal, Choir Room 8:00 pm Spirit Singers Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary Friday, October 13 All-day Flea Market Set-up, Lower Floor 10:00 am Fiddle Class, Faith Room 7:30 pm The Great Bake Night & Sleepover Saturday, October 14

9:00 am Flea Market Sale 1:00 pm Saturday Lunch at North Shore Neighbourhood House Sunday October 15 9:30 am Coffee/Tea in the Welcoming Space 10:00 am Sunday Worship Service, Sanctuary 11:45 am Re:Sound Rehearsal, Choir Room

STEWARDSHIP CONNECTION 2017

Our annual Stewardship

Connection kicked off last

Sunday, October 1st.

In this time of new and

expanded ministries at

Highlands, you are invited

to explore future plans

and consider your

support for the church’s

work in the coming year.

Please take time to read

the “Life that Really is Life

– Live Freely”

stewardship brochure

on-line at

www.highlandsunited.org.

Printed copies are also

available in the

Welcoming Space and in

the Church Office.

The amazing Upside Down Lunch is coming up on Sunday, October

29th celebrating Stewardship at Highlands in its many forms. Everyone

is invited and you can “eat dessert first”.

Sign up at the Action Table starting today and let us know you’ll be

there and how you can help out by bringing dessert, setting up,

decorating or cleaning up.

You can also use the easy on-line signup at:

https://

docs.google.comformsde/1FAIpQLSfpOVwjVxmwvkCSs8PoJtuP0h_qj

oc6vMNRVfwCbRtWKxUm5Q/viewform

Thursday Dinner October 12

Friendly reminder that there will be NO Thursday dinner on Oct

12 as we prepare for the Flea Market Sale.

The next dinner will be on October 19 :)

SOCK AND PONCHO APPEAL

FOR FIRST UNITED

There is an ongoing need for men’s and women’s

socks and for ponchos in the Downtown Eastside

community. First United Church offers a foot care

program and the clients receive a new pair of socks

after each treatment. As well, many homeless folks

appeal to First United daily for clean, dry socks.

Highlands Local Connections Committee is again

asking for your support in providing these needed

items. Each year we have exceeded our targeted 1000 pairs of socks.

You can participate by donating socks - men’s and women’s in any

colour and/or light weight vinyl ponchos or by donating money toward

the purchase of these items.

Members of the Local Connections committee will be at the Action

Table each Sunday until November 5th to receive and record your

donations (which will be included for tax purposes with your annual

statement). Contribution cheques can be made out to Highlands United

Church – please note “Sock and Poncho Appeal” on the memo line.

Thank you for considering this appeal.

Newcomers Gathering

Are you new to Highlands in the past year? Do you

know where the bunker is? How about the Flea Hive?

Did you know that Highlands was built on a potential

NSF cheque?

Come join Will, Sandi and a few special guests during

coffee time to meet other new folk, get the real story

of Highlands life and ministry, and learn everything

you wanted to know but were afraid to ask.

Membership at Highlands United Church

Sunday October 29th is a Membership Transfer Sunday. If you have

come to Highlands and would like to become a member, please call

Will at the office.

Highlands Saturday Lunch Program Saturday Lunch has been a Highlands United Church Outreach

program for 8 1/2 years. We partner with North Shore

Neighbourhood House, where we cook and serve the lunch. Each

Saturday, year round, we feed 45 to 60 people who are living on

limited incomes. The program costs about $10,000 annually.

Over the past 8 years, Saturday Lunch has been funded largely by

grants from North Vancouver City and District, and for the past 3

years, by a generous bequest from the estate of the late Jill

Ashdown, who was a valued volunteer in the program.

We also receive donations from members of the congregation. One

of Highland's teens, Emily Anderson, asked friends not to bring gifts

to her birthday party, but rather to give her money for Saturday

Lunch. Emily's birthday money not only paid for one entire meal, it

was a source of encouragement to the volunteers in the program.

When the bank balance for Saturday Lunch hit $2,786 this week, we

took this pressing issue to the Local Connections Committee. This

balance included our latest grant of $2,700 recently received from

North Vancouver City. At our current cost of $175 per week, we

have enough money to last until the end of December 2017. The

Local Connections team was aware of a surplus of donations for last

year's Christmas dinner and asked that $2000 be transferred to

Saturday Lunch from this fund. That has now happened and will

cover another 10 to 11 weeks of groceries, which secures the

program until mid-March 2018. So money, given to feed people at

Christmas, is also feeding our guests during the year. For this we

are very grateful.

We will continue to apply for grants knowing that if we are not as

successful as we have been in the past, we will need to rely on the

generosity of the congregation to continue this vital program.

If you would like more information about Saturday Lunch, would like

to volunteer, or have ideas that would support this ministry, please

talk to Ruth Kershaw or any of the wonderful volunteers.

Cookies for the Flea Market

Hello everyone! It must be fall, the Flea Market is

almost here!

Every year in the history of the Highlands Flea

Market we have been in need of wonderful

homemade cookies! The delicious sweets that

accompany the sandwiches devoured by all the hard working volunteers

who are giving of their time to lead the various departments that make

up our much loved and successful Flea Market.

Therefore, to all the bakers in the Highlands congregation, I am

requesting dozens and dozens of cookies be made and brought to the

Church. The cookies should be labelled for the Flea Market, and

delivered to Room 201. Please deliver your cookies either Friday,

October 13th, or early Saturday morning, October 14th.

We have so many talented bakers, and the cookies are always a hit!

Truly, for many the cookies are the best part of the lunch!

Thank you so much—see you all at the Flea Market!!

Doreen Banning

Update on our Newcomer Families

and Celtic Fundraiser at Highlands

From the North Shore United Refugee Response Team

Six months since arrival of our Newcomer families!

Both families are settled in Burnaby, near relatives. Children

returned to school in September and are enthusiastically engaged in

learning and playing catch up for lost years of education. The eldest

daughter in one family is attending Coquitlam College on a full

scholarship to re-sit her high school diploma and earn credits for

university entrance, with her sister likely to follow the same path. We

hope all of the other children will graduate from High School with

their peers, but it will take hard work and perseverance to make up

for 2+ years of lost schooling.

Parents are once more engaged in attending their own English

classes and are slowly becoming more confident in speaking short

simple sentences. As yet their English is inadequate for job

searching or taking courses to help secure better paid work.

Both families (along with the family being sponsored by West

Vancouver United and NSURR team volunteers) enjoyed an outing

to Fort Langley on September 9th. A great time was had by all and

friendships were born as the children interacted.

While budgets are healthy, we want to ensure that neither family is

burdened with their travel loan debt -- $10,000 each. Our finances

are several thousand dollars short.

So we are going to host a fundraiser at Highlands United Church on

November 4th at 6pm. The theme will be Celtic,

with performances by the Vancouver Fiddle Orchestra, the Docs n

Socs fun pipes and drums and the Black Bear Rebels Ceilidh band.

We also hope to arrange a Highland Dancer as well as an Irish

Dance display. A simple meal will be included and a Cash Bar.

Tickets are available from any North Shore United Church. Hope to

see you there!

Highlands Flea Market Week

October 11- 14

250 Volunteers are Needed!

WE NEED YOU!

The Flea Market started in 1976 and 40+ years

later is now a wonderful community builder in

addition to raising over $30,000 annually for

Highlands. Nothing goes to waste, since anything

not sold goes to other non-profit organizations.

While the sorting and pricing happens on Tuesdays from January-

September, about 250 people are needed to set up the 35 departments

the week before, then staff Flea Market Day - so new volunteers are

always needed!

Tuesday, October 10: 6:30 – 9:00 pm – Join the chain gang as we

unload the mountains of accumulated stuff from storage throughout the

church into the gym, lower hall, narthex and welcome space. How

many volunteers are needed? Lots!

Wednesday & Thursday, October 11-12: Join the core staff to

help unpack and organize everything onto tables and displays at most

of the departments. Folks also needed to pass out flyers and

posters. Volunteer time is flexible.

Thursday, October 12 from 3:45-6:00 pm: Join another group

effort to move all the boxes of toys, children’s books and electronics

from storage into the preschool area.

Friday, October 13 – This is the final day to set up for the Flea

Market. Volunteer helping hands appreciated at all tables, especially in

the pre-school area rooms.

Saturday – October 14 – the SALE DAY! Many volunteers return

year after year, but new faces always needed:

8:30-11:30 AM – Flea Market first shift staff.

11:30-2:30 AM – Flea Market second shift staff.

2-4 PM - A crew specifically for Clean Up as many folks are

exhausted from working all day – or all week.

As you can see, there’s a place for all – no matter what your schedule

or age! To volunteer: sign up at the Action Table or contact Bonny Ball

NEWS

Shelter to Home recently took part in the Community

Clean Up event organized by North Vancouver Homes

Realty. The Montroyal community was invited to

“declutter” and bring their unwanted items to the

Community Cleanup. Shelter to Home received a

number of good pieces of furniture, and household items, some of

which have already gone to our client’s new homes. We’re grateful

to North Vancouver Homes for inviting us to be part of the Clean Up

for the second time, for connecting us to our new friends at Urban

RePurpose and Greencoast Rubbish, and for spreading the word

about the work we do; all valuable connections in the wider

community.

Thanks to the Shelter to Home Community Clean Up team members,

Stephen, Marguerite, Debbie, George, and Hannah.

In September, Shelter to Home received a grant from the United

Church of Canada’s Embracing the Spirit Fund for Innovation, for a

pilot project to hire a Storage Manager. This position will be available

to an individual who needs supportive employment, and meets the

requirements to do the work. For further information, or if you know

of someone who might fit this description, please contact Ardis

Nelson, ardisjulian@hotmail.com.

A big thank you to Sandi Parker for her good work on the grant

application, and to the United Church of Canada, Embracing the

Spirit Fund for their support! The Embracing the Spirit Fund is

supported by Mission and Service givings; thanks to the congregation

of Highlands United Church for its ongoing support to M&S

Donations for Flea Market

We are no longer accepting donations for this year’s

Flea Market Sale.

Donation receiving will start up again on January 8th, 2018.

Highlands Book Circle

This drop-in book discussion group provides a

small group setting in which to get to know some

fellow congregational members in more depth

while sharing thoughts and reactions to both

current and classic novels.

We meet from 7:00pm to approximately 8:30pm.

Tuesday, October 24th: “Big Little Lies” (2014) by Liane

Moriarty

- 'a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers

and daughters, school-yard scandal, and the dangerous little lies

we tell ourselves just to survive'

- an annual Trivia Night fund-raiser at a primary school in

Australia ends in a riot.........and one dead parent

Tuesday, Nov. 28th: “Barometer Rising” (1941) by Hugh

MacLennan

- a romance set at the time of the Halifax Explosion of 1917

which the author survived when a ten-year-old boy

- an early attempt to define Canada for Canadians through a

national novel

Families with children & youth of all ages are invited to come to a

PARTY at Highlands on Sat, Oct. 28 at 5:30pm.

Kids and adults are invited to wear costumes, we’ll play some

traditional games, share a POTLUCK dinner together and finish off

the evening with a ‘darkness to light’ walk.

This is a fun and casual opportunity for families to get to know

each other. Please bring something to share for the potluck (salads,

veggies, casseroles, pasta, dessert etc.) Beverages provided.

RSVP to Allie Keir: cyaya@highlandsunited.org

with the number in your family attending

Highlands Local Connections Outreach NEWS

As many of you know, our partners on the DTES & other areas on the

Lower Mainland are suffering with homelessness, hunger & the opioid

crisis & putting many frontline workers & volunteers under more stress

than ever before. Their budgets are thin & food costs are rising

continually, as winter weather is approaching. WISH Drop-In has had to

close its drop-in one day per week & close 1 ½ hours earlier each

morning. Their safety van does not go out one day per week & many

programs have been scaled back. They ask us all to dig deep for more

funding.

FIRST UNITED offers many programs to the DTES folks such as Foot

Care, Advocacy, Hospitality, Healing, Storage, Clinics, Seniors Drop-in,

spiritual sessions etc. An average of 9,200 meals are served per

month & 527 food bags are distributed throughout the year.

CAPILANO COMMUNITY SERVICE SOCIETY of the North Shore

offers programs for isolated seniors such as socials, medical rides,

telephone visits & shopping trips. Youth counsellors from C.C.S.S.

meet with youth at risk in 3 secondary schools & 2 elementary schools.

They offer counselling, discussions, music jam sessions & field trips in

the secondary schools & after-school programs & snacks in the 2

elementary schools.

Bus passes are needed at the LOOKOUT SHELTER NORTH SHORE

for clients to get to job interviews, medical appointments, etc. This

quarter HIGHLANDS UNITED has given $4300 to our partners in the

community as follows:

FIRST UNITED has received this quarter $2400. ($2000 for programs +

$400 for community meals)

WISH DROP-IN SOCIETY…………………………$800.

CAPILANO COMMUNITY SERVICES ……..$1000.

LOOKOUT SHELTER NORTH SHORE………..$100.

Total $4300 July-Sept. quarter

Thank you to Highlands members for your generosity and for reaching

out into our community, to those in need.

Your Local Connections Committee

A Message from First United Church in

Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside

A Thanksgiving message from The Rev. Dr. Carmen

Lansdowne – Executive Director, First United Church

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. The seasons are shifting

- the weather is cooling and the days are getting shorter - but there

is a warmth in the air as many of us gather with family and friends

for Thanksgiving. As you may have recently read in our

Thanksgiving appeal letter, many in our community consider First

United their place to share a hot meal with family and friends since

this is a place that treats everyone as the special individual that

they are. It is the support of congregations like yours and

individuals like you that help to keep our doors open and the sense

of home we are able to generate. We could not treat each person

who walks through our doors with dignity and love without our wider

church family – so on this day of Thanksgiving, First United says

we are thankful for each and every one of you.

And a special blessing to Heidi Morgan, our Volunteer and

Community Outreach Coordinator who has been our link to

churches for the past year. We are grateful for her love and service

– and wish her the very best on her new role that starting this week

with the Mood Disorder Association of BC!

COMMUNITY EVENTS