HPC Newsletter Winter 2010

One in Christ
What a year this has been! What an incredible journey of faith have we
experienced together!
I look back over the year with gratitude for the powerful work of the Lord
among us and for the faithfulness of the congregation.
Things were not so rosy when we started the year in January. There were
hopes and expectations, but also uncertainty, anxiety, and diverging views of
where the congregation should focus our energy and resources. And, I think it
is fair to say, a whole lot of suspicion of one another in the process.
But by the grace of God, we were led to put our trust in the Lord for
resources, and to invest ourselves in ministry. We took a step of faith.
From where we are now, I can see a huge difference. There is a stronger sense
of unity than we have experienced in a long time, a greater sense of purpose,
willingness and eagerness to work together, goodwill towards one another, and
much less anxiety. We have also been blessed financially beyond our
expectations.
I thank all of you for your partnership in the gospel.
But above all, I thank God who is among us; who through the Holy Spirit is
grafting us into Christ, re-creating us, reconciling us, strengthening us, and
equipping us for faith and good works. God is building us together in Christ to
be a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22).
Like the Psalmist we can say,
“You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning;
Thanks be to God for
My God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop. His unspeakable
With my God I can scale a wall.” Gift--
(Psalm 18:28-29) indescribable
As we continue to fight the good fight, may the Lord of peace be with us to inestimable
lead us in God’s ways. incomparable
Christmas blessings. inexpressible
Gerard precious beyond
words.
--Lois Lebar
 The Kingdom of God
Jesus has a way of bringing us back to earth, as demonstrated in an exchange he had with some
religious people recorded in Luke 17:20-12. “Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom
of God was coming, and he answered, “The Kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be
observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”
If it was difficult for the religious folk of his day to grasp the significance of what Jesus was about it is
little wonder it is perhaps even more difficult for the religious folk of today. And yet it was for this
purpose that Jesus came, and his message was singular: “Strive first for the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When he sent out the twelve it was “to
proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” (Matt.9:2)
It is unfortunate that the church has placed much more emphasis upon Jesus than on the message he
came to proclaim (Note: the kingdom of heaven is a synonym for the kingdom of God, both have
exactly the same meaning). Noted theologian Krister Stendahl made a telling observation: “…it remains
a fact worth pondering that Jesus preached the kingdom, while the church preached Jesus. And thus we
are faced with a danger: we may so preach Jesus that we lose the vision of the kingdom, the mended
creation.”
When Jesus began his earthly ministry he proclaimed: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come
near.” The kingdom of God is a present reality. It is not something we wait for, it is here, it is now. It is
God’s redemptive power at work in the world, in and through the lives of those seeking to be obedient
to his will. Joseph Francovic states: The kingdom of heaven makes contact with humanity through the
yielded lives of people who have made obedience to the will of their heavenly Father a priority. They
have made God King, and he reigns in their lives.”
It is sad when people wait for that day when they will at last be with their heavenly Father in his
heavenly kingdom. Countless books have been written about what a wonderful “place” that will be.
When we pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We are not, or at least
we should not be praying for some future event (whether in this world or the next) to take place
sooner rather than later. The reality is that, according to Jesus, the kingdom of heaven is here, it is
among us if we would but realize it. Jesus was adamant about this. So when we pray “Thy kingdom
come, thy will be done..” we are praying for God’s rule or reign in our lives right now. We are praying
for God to take charge of our lives from this moment on. Of course that means we need to repent of
(cast off) all that would hinder or prevent this from happening. And we know how difficult that is! We
like our comforts, we like our freedom to do what pleases us, we don’t like to commit to anything that
might restrict our freedom to come and go as we please.
As we enter the season of Advent and begin our celebration of the coming of the Messiah we might ask
ourselves: “How well (do) we receive him? What room do we make for him in our busy lives? Will we
with open hearts allow him to reign over us? Will we allow our self-will to be bent to his will and thus
experience the joy of his kingdom here and now? Make no mistake for how we answer those questions
will go a long way in determining the realization of his kingdom on earth, a very present reality for all
who receive him, not only as Saviour, but as Lord of their lives as well. For where he reigns there is
his Kingdom.
Submitted by Dorne Cornish

What Fell from the Bible?
A little boy opened the big
family Bible.
He was fascinated as he
fingered through the old
pages.
Suddenly something fell out
of the Bible.
He picked up the object and
looked at it closely.
What he saw was an old
leaf that had been pressed
in between the pages.
"Momma, look what I found,"
the boy called out.
"What have you got there,
dear?" his mother asked.
With astonishment in the
young boy's voice, he
answered: "I think it's
Adam's underwear!"
By the time you read this, I’ll have been at Haney Presbyterian for
just over a month. Although I have met many of you, I’d like to take this
opportunity to introduce myself to you. First of all though I’d like to
thank you for the very warm welcome you have given me and my family! I
am blessed to be working with such a warm and committed Christian
community.
Originally from Ontario, I have lived in the Lower Mainland for virtually all
of my adult life. I am married to Larry and we have three children: Janet
(21), Laura (19) and James (17). Larry is the Supervisor of the Biomedical
Department at Richmond Hospital and our children all live at home while
they continue their education.
My commitment to including children and youth in the life of the Christian
community flows from my experience as a parent, my training as both a
diaconal minister and a minister of word and sacrament and my own faith
journey. I was nurtured in the faith by Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church:
as a child I participated in and later led all the typical programmes that
most congregations offer their children: Church School, Youth Group,
Junior and Senior Choir. However it wasn’t until I was 18 that my eyes
were opened to the nature of the Christian community. Over that last
year of high school I came to see that God was not only working in my life
as an individual, God was also working in the life of the community. In
Christ, I was bound not only to God but to other believers. Most of my
subsequent theological reflections have expanded what I was then
experiencing.
I began to ask questions about the faith and the life to which we are
called. If God has called us to be His people, how then should we live
together? How do we become part of this community? How does faith
grow within the community of faith? Eventually I became convinced that
just as God reaches out to all humans in grace and mercy, so He is wooing
our children. My attention as an educator shifted from “how do we teach
our children about God?” to “how do we help our children experience God
and respond to His call?”
I am eager to explore these questions with you. I believe that our children
experience God as they participate in the life of faith together with
believing adults. Essentially faith is caught, not taught. I hope to look for
opportunities at Haney Presbyterian to include our children and youth in
worship, service, mission, pastoral care, and fellowship.
I am at Haney Presbyterian on most Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Please pop into my office to say hello and feel free to phone me at any
time.
I wish you and all your family a Blessed Christmas, full of the joy and peace
of God.
With love in Christ,
Paddy
 Think Christmas presents? Think books.
This past year I have read some wonderful books that I believe would make great presents for people on your
“What should I give him/her?” list. I”ll share my thoughts about the contents with you. Think of it like an “Oprah’s
top ten” except that this is “Karin’s top five”.
“Take the Risk” by Ben Carson, MD. Dr. Carson, a Christian neurosurgeon at John Hopkins Medical Institutions has
had to deal with taking risks in life and death situations. He believes that we have become a society that, with only
few exceptions, is stuck in risk-avoidance. Using examples from his life and work, Dr. Carson provides the reader
with a sound risk-assessment plan and the encouragement to break from our self-made cocoons to experience life
as God has intended us to experience it—fully. It’s a great book for young people starting out in life or starting to
raise kids as well as grandparents.
“Loving our Kids on Purpose” by Danny Silk is an excellent how-to book for young parents as well as grandparents
and anyone working with children. The easy style of writing makes this book fun-to-read and easy to try. My
daughter loved the suggestions of becoming a “paid professional referee” in the on-going sibling rivalry of her two
sons. My son-in-law was a bit skeptical as she tried it out but had to admit—it worked!
For those on your list (or yourself) who like some meatier fare, there is “Understanding Jesus” by Joe Amaral who
gives us insights into many situations we read about in the Bible concerning the ministry of Jesus and whether he
met the criteria for being the Christ. What are the four messianic miracles that would identify the Christ to the
Jews? How did Jesus fulfill those? How are the Old Testament feasts sign-posts to the life and teaching of Jesus
and what do they say to us today as well as the future kingdom? It is not difficult to read and the print is large—
for those of us who are wearing reading glasses.
Inspired by “Bethel” and “Understanding Jesus” I purchased “Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus” by Ann Spangler
and Lois Tverberg. Now this is an amazing book that you want to read two or three times and talk about with a
buddy before giving it away. Better yet, get a copy for yourself and the buddy so you can give a gift of time as
well—time to talk about the serious adventure of “Becoming a True Disciple of Our Jewish Lord”—the last chapter
in the book. It is not the easiest read but it will challenge the reader and stretch his/her knowledge about the
Biblical Christ.
The last book that really grabbed me this year was “Death by Church” by Mike Erre, sub-titled “Rescuing Jesus
from His Followers; Recapturing God’s Hope for His People”. This book challenges our thinking about church and
ourselves. It is perhaps one of the most theological books that I have read in a long time which dares the reader to
return to the Biblical foundations of church. It is a timely book written to expose our consumer-driven Christianity
that views the church as just another commodity to satisfy our own preferences. Don’t give this to anyone who
wants to sit in the “comfortable pew”.
May God bless you and fill your mind with His presence and His goodness.
Karin Breuer

Does Jesus care when my heart
is pained,
Too deeply for mirth and song,
As the burdens press, and the
cares distress,
And the way grows weary and
long?
O yes, He cares; I know He
cares,
His heart is touched with my
grief;
When the days are weary, the
long nights dreary,
I know my Saviour cares.
- Frank Graeff
Embracing Advent
Psalm 115:2 - Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?"
(NIV)
Q: What's the best way to keep Christ in Christmas?
A: Go to church on Sundays.
It always amazes me that so many people complain that Christmas
just isn't the same, and yet they never seem to connect their
spiritual emptiness with their lack of attendance at church worship.
If we are bombarded with commercial pressure for well over sixty
days, then we are bound to be overwhelmed, especially if we don't
take time out to be with the Lord and His people during the season
of Advent.
Over the years, I've sadly watched young parents crucify
themselves emotionally and financially in order to try to make
Christmas perfect for their children. I've seen families get frantic
and fight over details about who is hosting Christmas dinner this
year. And I've looked at beleaguered workers and sales people
practically killing themselves in order to boost their figures in the
last month of the year. In the midst of so much pressure, it's so
much easier to let go of God and miss the point of the whole
celebration.
The church prepares us for Christmas in meaningful, traditional,
and time-honoured ways. The four Sundays in Advent are worship
vehicles to bring us closer to God in peaceful, priceless, and
precious ways. Instead of wondering what Christmas is all about
and turning it into a nightmare, we honestly and simply need to get
with God's program, and make Advent a spiritual adventure where
we refocus our lives on Christ.
The gospel truth is always this simple. We don't need to put Christ
back into Christmas; He is already there. We need to put ourselves
back into Christ -- church gives us that wonderful opportunity
every Sunday.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep us from the merciless busy-ness of
Christmas and lead us to the stillness of God's kingdom. Protect us
from going overboard in order to please other people, and enable us
to make and take time to please You. Give us a heart to be in
worship on Sundays and open our souls to Your holy presence. In
Your sacred name, we sincerely pray. Amen.
John Stuart
Reprinted with permission
 Reflections on the Bazaar

As usual, our famous annual bazaar was a great

success! The whole congregation got behind
the effort and the result was a breathtaking
display of many beautiful and useful things.
The tables laden with tempting baked goods,
and other wonderful things to eat were a treat
even to look at!
Everything was done tastefully. We all enjoyed
the fellowship of working together and eating
the delicious lunch with friends or members of
our family.
However, quite apart from the financial success
of the day, was the affect it had on the folk
from outside of our church family who
attended. It was a great outreach and gave
many people joy and a lot of fun. At lunchtime
Christmas Gift I sat next to a couple from one of the local
Roman Catholic Churches who told me that
Suggestions: they come to our bazaar every year. They said,
always, as soon as they enter the room, they
feel the warmth and friendship surrounding
To your enemy, forgiveness.
them there. Friends of mine from Mission
To an opponent, tolerance.
were so excited by it that they want to do
To a friend, your heart.
something like it in their church. They were
To a customer, service.
delighted with their purchases and the prices
To all, charity.
they paid.
To every child, a good
example. As a fairly newcomer to HPC, I have been
To yourself, respect. blessed to be part of such a friendly
congregation which has so many wonderful,
Oren Arnold gifted people! May we all endeavor to be
instruments of God’s love to all those who
enter the doors of our beautiful church
building.

Submitted by Alice Chambers

 Dear Friends,

As a project of Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas

Child has become the world’s largest children’s Christmas
project and is now entering its 18th season. Over these
years, we have learned that the joy of giving is a central
part of the foundation upon which Operation Christmas
Child is built. We want you to know how important your
role has been in building this foundation, because without
your efforts it would not be possible to make a lasting
impact in the lives of so many needy children around the
Operation Christmas Child world each year.
2010 The shoeboxes will be soon on their way to Guatemala,
3015 Shoeboxes Venezuela, Paraguay, Chile, Cote d’ Ivoire and Sierra
Leone, and on-line shoeboxes to Haiti. Please continue to
pray as these shoeboxes travel to children, bring joy,
renew hope, and open doors for further ministry.

From PWS&D The total amount for Ridge Meadows was 3015
shoeboxes! Thank you for your willingness to be part of a
Thank you for your donations in support of worldwide effort to see needy children receive
victims of Haiti’s earthquake. Your shoeboxes.
donations were part of a tremendous Have a wonderful Christmas season celebrating the
response- over 1.5 million was raised to greatest gift of all, God’s gift of Jesus. And, may you
know His love and peace throughout 2011.
provide food, water, shelter and psychosocial
support to the millions of people affected by See you next November for Operation Christmas Child!
Blessings,
this terrible disaster. Barb Gustafson
Your donations have been used as part of a Operation Christmas Child Local Coordinator
large-scale response, working in partnership
with other churches and organizations to
reach people who lost family member, homes
and livelihoods, or were injured, without
access to education or jobs.
We are proud of the many accomplishments
we have made for earthquake victims in
Haiti, but of course there is still much work
to do. Your contributions ensure this work
continues.
Thank you for your generosity in response to
great need.

Ken Kim
PWS&D Director
 Youth and Young Adults
You’re invited to join our newly formed sermon discussion group. Just bring a bag
lunch on Sunday. We study the Scripture together, learning new bible study
techniques and approaches so that we develop our own ability to understand God’s
Word and then discuss the sermon together. We finish up around 1.30. About once
a month we do something fun, usually with young people from other congregations.
In November we went to Calvin Abbotsford for “Rally in the Valley” with the youth
from St Aidan’s and Richmond. This month we are hosting a lock-in here at Haney on
Dec 18 & 19. In January, we’re going to MissionFest and in March, we’ll join LinXus’
30 hour famine lock-in. We are a new group – come and join us, let us know what
you’d like for the youth at HPC. For more information, phone Paddy Eastwood 604
467-1715.

Ever wonder what would happen if we
treated our Bible like we treat our cell
phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses
or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times
a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we
forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages
from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live
without it?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you
go....hmm...where is my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing.
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to
worry about our Bible being
disconnected because Jesus already paid
the bill.
Things You Never Hear in Church
Hey! It's MY turn to sit on the front pew!
I was so enthralled, I never noticed your
sermon went over time 25 minutes.
Personally, I find witnessing much more
enjoyable than golf.
I've decided to give our church the $500.00
a month I used to send to TV evangelists.
I volunteer to be the permanent teacher for
the Junior High Sunday School class.
Forget the denominational minimum
salary: let's pay our pastor so she/he can
live like we do.
I love it when we sing hymns I've never
heard before!
Since we're all here, let's start the worship
service early!
Pastor, we'd like to send you to this Bible
seminar in the Bahamas

Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
A: Snowflakes.
What do you have in December that you
don’t have in any other month ?
The letter “D” !
Q. Why does Santa Claus go down the
chimney on Christmas Eve?
A. Because it soots him.
Girls?
Are you looking for something fun to do on
Friday night? Come on out to “God’s Girls”
for a fun evening of bible learning, games,
and crafts with Ricky and Laura Newberry.
We meet every Friday 5-6.30. It’s a
wonderful chance for girls aged 8-12 to get
to know each other better and enjoy
growing up together. We are starting up
again for the New Year on Friday January
7th. Grandparents – feel free to bring your
granddaughters! Phone Paddy Eastwood
(604 467-1715) or Laura Newberry (604
465-7065) for more information.
Attention!
all boys aged 10 – 15! Come join Junior Boys
on Friday nights at the church, 5-7pm. Our
night starts with a relatively quiet game,
followed by a short bible study and
discussion, and ends with VERY ACTIVE
games. If you like knuckleball, three-way
soccer or anything weird and wonderful we
can possibly dream up, come on out. Phone
Regard Booy 604 465-6533 or Paddy
Eastwood 604 467 1715 for more info. We
are starting up in the New Year on January
7th. See you there!
Help the shepherds find the way to Jesus
Don't Try This at Home!
Pastor Tony is walking down the street on Christmas Eve when he
notices a Larry, a small boy, trying to press the doorbell of a house
across the street. However, Larry is very small and the doorbell is
too high for him to reach. After watching the boy's efforts for some
time, Pastor Tony moves closer to Larry's position. He steps smartly
across the street, walks up behind the little fellow and, placing his
hand kindly on the child's shoulder, leans over and gives the
doorbell a solid ring.
Crouching down to Larry's level, Pastor Tony smiles benevolently
and asks, 'And now what, my little man?'
To which Larry replies with a beaming grin,
'Now we run!'
Dec. 1 8 -1 9 H P C You t h Lock -in
Dec. 1 9 H P C Ca n t a t a
Dec. 2 2 Sw eet Sou l Gos p el Ch r is t m a s
(St . An d r ew ’s Wes ley Ch u r ch , Va n c.)
Dec. 2 4 Ch r is t m a s E ve F a m ily Ser vice
Ch r is t m a s E ve Ca n d lelig h t Ser vice
Dec. 2 5 Ch r is t m a s Da y Wor s h ip Ser vice
J an . 6 Bet h el St u d ies r es u m es
J an . 27 Toby Ma c’s Win t er w on d er Sla m Tou r
(Abbot s for d E n t . & Sp or t Cen t r e)
J an . 28 – 30 Mis s ion F es t (Va n c. Con ven t ion Cen t r e)
J an . 30 H P C Mem ber s h ip Su n d a y
F eb. 2 3 H ills on g Un it ed Aft er m a t h Tou r
(Abbot s for d )
Ap r . 8 St even Cu r t is Ch a p m a n (Va n cou ver )
Ap r . 1 6 “An d if Ou r God is F or Us ” Tou r w it h
Ch r is Tom lin a n d Lou ie Gig lio
(R ed m on d , Wa s h in g t on )

God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith;

the warmth of Christmas, which is love;
the radiance of Christmas, which is purity;
the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;
the belief in Christmas, which is truth;
the all of Christmas, which is Christ.
--Wilda English