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The Special Events Committee is selling 20 – 9inch wooden crosses made by Larry Forward, as a fund raiser for NUC. The cost of each cross is $20.00. Contact Larry at 506-450-5144 or larryforward46@gmail.com

We continue our Bible Study this coming Monday at 6:30 PM in the parlour. The Zoom link is available below:

https://zoom.us/j/92733483423?pwd=a0xDOSszTFhScUxXdHI2QjN3ZmV4UT09

Both of these readings are concerned with the church in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9 and 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10), but from two perspectives: before its founding and after.

These readings show us the tension and struggles that come when new ideas are introduced. By some they are well received and by others they are seen as a threat to the already established identity.

They also show us that being the church at any point in history comes with issues that are not dissimilar to our own.

All are welcome to this Bible study, whether you want to attend in person or online. A study guide is available here.

See you Monday evening!

We continue our Bible Study this coming Monday at 6:30 PM in the parlour. The Zoom link is available below:

https://zoom.us/j/92733483423?pwd=a0xDOSszTFhScUxXdHI2QjN3ZmV4UT09

This week we shift from hearing stories of things Jesus said and did, and focus on the things that his disciples did. Before leaving them, Jesus gave the disciples a mission to share the good news, to bring healing to the people, and to spread God’s love to all. In today’s reading, Acts 3:1-10, we hear of one of the most well known disciples, Peter, living fully into the mission that Christ gave to him. When confronted with a man who had been unable to walk since birth, Peter offers him healing and hope.

All are welcome to this Bible study, whether you want to attend in person or online. A study guide is available here.

See you Monday evening!

We continue our Bible Study this coming Easter Monday at 6:30 PM in the parlour. The Zoom link is available below:

https://zoom.us/j/92733483423?pwd=a0xDOSszTFhScUxXdHI2QjN3ZmV4UT09

This week, as we move into the Easter season, we will be following the steps of the disciples in the wake of Jesus’ ascension. After he was raised, he spent several weeks with his disciples, offering them words of encouragement and teachings. In our reading this week, Acts 1:1-14, we hear the opening words of the book, and start that journey with our first century kindred.

All are welcome to this Bible study, whether you want to attend in person or online. A study guide is available here.

See you Monday evening!

Happy Easter!

We are a people born of a miracle. We are raised in a mystery.

Kindred in Christ, 

You don’t know this yet, but soon enough, you come to know that I say these words often. I do so to remind us of the kind of people we as Christians are called to be. As we seek the dawn of Easter, the hope that fills that empty tomb, these words are more significant than they have ever been. In the last year there has been a lot happening to discourage us with wars and conflict continuing to rage around the world. As we look into the tomorrows to come, we need to remind ourselves that hope is part of our DNA as people of faith.

We are a people born of a miracle.

Every year Christians walk the long road to Easter, let loose with cries of joy and celebration, and then move on as though nothing had changed, as though nothing had been made new. We gloss over the miracle of the Resurrection forgetting that this is the story that we have been telling our friends, neighbours and children for centuries. It is a story that promises life made new in Christ. How can we not stand in awe of life winning out over death! How can we not grasp hold of the story that tells us, in no uncertain terms, that as dark as things get, there is always a dawn, that when things feel like they are about to end, a new beginning waits just beyond our vision.

We are raised in a mystery.

As people of faith, as any people of faith, we put our trust in something beyond ourselves. However, that something isn’t just a neighbour or a trusted friend, rather it is an unseen, intangible force that is beyond our full understanding, and yet we know it so well. We have felt God’s hand in our lives. We have seen the work of God in creation and in the power of forgiveness. This great mystery allows us to ask questions when we don’t understand, to say, “I don’t know,” when we don’t have all the answers, but ultimately it reminds us that God is at work in us and in the world in ways we can’t yet imagine, but still pray for.

Ultimately we are a people of Hope. We Hope, that even in darkness, light will shine to lead the way. We Hope, that in death we are afforded the promise of new life. We Hope, that as bad as the world might seem now, tomorrow it can be better so long as we work with God and with each other to make it so. This is what the season of Easter is truly about: celebrating the Good News of Christ’s Resurrection, and living into a world of hope. With hope and the will to make that hope real, lives can be saved, mountains can be moved and worlds can change.

In our little part of the world at Nashwaaksis United Church, we can accomplish much together. As we celebrate Easter, let us carry that joy and that enthusiasm of our faith with us into the following months, bringing new life with us wherever we go.

May your days be filled with miracles from the mundane to the magnificent. 
May you find new strength and new courage to live out Christ’s call for you. 
As we seek the risen Christ, may he be found risen anew within us. AMEN

Yours in Christ,

The Reverend Richard Bowley

Ways to Worship During Holy Week

• Maundy Thursday: We gather with our kindred in Christ at St. John the Evangelist on Thursday, March 28th at 7 PM to remember the Last Supper, and to share in the story.
• Good Friday: At Nashwaaksis United Church on Friday, March 29th at 10:30 AM, we will gather at the foot of the cross to hear the story of Christ’s final moments. Bring your stones as we come to the end of our journey with them.
• Easter Sunday Sunrise: At 7 AM we will come together with our kindred in Christ from St. John the Evangelist and Nashwaaksis Baptist Church at the Killarney Lake beach (or as close as we can get) as together we greet the risen son and rising sun.
• Easter Sunday Communion Service: Later on Sunday morning we will have our regular 10:30 AM worship service, as we hear again of the mystery that has drawn us together in faith, and share in the feast that feeds our souls.

The Lenten season is coming to a close, and that means that Easter is right around the corner. As we prepare to journey together to the empty tomb and beyond, we will have an opportunity to explore the text more deeply!

Starting on Monday, March 25th at 6:30 PM, we will have weekly Bible Study sessions to explore the coming Sunday’s text. We will start that journey with some of the women in Jesus’ life at the empty tomb as we read Mark 16:1-8. Along with being one of the earliest Gospel accounts of the resurrection, it is also one of the shortest.

You are invited to join in this study either in-person in the parlour at the church or on Zoom by following the link below:

https://zoom.us/j/92733483423?pwd=a0xDOSszTFhScUxXdHI2QjN3ZmV4UT09

All are welcome to come along on this journey through the season of Easter, whether you have every verse memorized, or you have trouble knowing where to find the Gospels. All questions, perspectives, and ideas are welcome as together we explore the Word.

To aid in the conversation, a conversation guide is available for download. We may or may not cover the questions outlined here, but they may help as you explore the reading on your own or with others. You can download it by following this link.

EASTER MESSAGE – Throughout this time of Lent, we have been reminded to act generously, express gratitude, pray for those who challenge us, share our faith, lean into loneliness, and finally to sacrifice – give what we cherish. As you reflect on the Easter message and the joy and hope that comes through the resurrection, we encourage you to be mindful of the struggles, challenges, and sacrifices that many in our community and beyond have to face along with the hope, joy, and inspiration they receive through the programs, services, and support by the work of many people in our church. 

Our mission states “we are a community of believers in Jesus Christ…a caring people reaching out to each other, our neighbors, and all Gods people”. On the following dates: Mar 17, Mar 24 ( Palm Sunday), and 31 March ( Easter Sunday), you will find special Easter Offering envelopes available for pick up (if you choose), located on the tables in the vestibule. Envelopes may also be picked up from the office during scheduled hours. We invite you to use this envelope to make an Easter offering as an expression of support to our church, programs, and services provided to the congregation, our community, and beyond. Your envelope can be placed in the offering plate next week or returned to the church office. Thank you for your generosity. 

Rob Burton, Chair Finance

Good Morning Friends!

Judy is away on vacation, so this is Rev. Richard reaching out to you. Please the link for the announcements for this week at the end of this note. Of special note are the following:

• we have found a Finance Committee Chair (hurray!)
• we welcome two new members to our family
• our AGM is this Sunday following worship
• don’t forget your stone (you can get one Sunday morning if you don’t have one yet)

For other announcements, have a read by clicking the button below!

Blessings,
Rev. Richard Bowley (he/him)
rev.bowley@outlook.com

This coming week on Monday, February 5th, we will have our final Bible Study Session before Lent. Our text is Mark 8:27-9:8, and it finds Christ in conversation with his disciples. They talk about who Christ is to them, and what Jesus must face. We – along with Peter, James, and John – are then treated to an amazing scene on a mountain-top!

The Zoom link is: https://zoom.us/j/94040982155?pwd=aFkzSVg0dElvVy9aanZMQnlOYVRNQT09

You can access the study guide by following this link: https://nashwaaksisunited.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/feb05-epiphany-study-2024.pdf.

All are welcome to join in this study! Just bring your curiosity, questions, and perspectives to share.

If you have been trying to connect but have had issues, try joining a few minutes early, and Rev. Richard will help as best he can.

This coming week on Monday, January 29th, we will be exploring Mark 6:1-29, a story of rejection, commissioning, and bad decisions.

The Zoom link is: https://zoom.us/j/94040982155?pwd=aFkzSVg0dElvVy9aanZMQnlOYVRNQT09

You can access the study guide by following this link: https://nashwaaksisunited.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/jan29-epiphany-study-2024.pdf.

All are welcome to join in this study! Just bring your curiosity, questions, and perspectives to share.

If you have been trying to connect but have had issues, try joining a few minutes early, and Rev. Richard will help as best he can.