AGM Sunday
November 29, 2020
Reverend Nam Ok Yoo
* Please rise in body or spirit.
Gathering
Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Lighting the first Advent Candle - Hope
Our Advent journey has begun. We prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth.
We come to embrace the good news of the Light of the World.
It is within the hidden mysteries of life we discover vulnerability. Within the dancing shadows cast by a flickering candle flame we discover the promise of hope and of new possibilities.
We come to be transformed despite and because of our weakness.
We light a candle reminding us of the way of hope.
(The first Advent candle is lit.)
Advent Hymn: VU 6 A Candle is Burning (v. 1)
Let us join as one community of faith in prayer:
We come to worship with the image of flickering seared in our minds. It dances as your Spirit dances within our hearts, gracious God, drumming the rhythm of hope that enlivens us all. As you bless us with the Way of Jesus, may we invite others to Christ’s dance of transformation.
Amen.
Call to Worship
For the beginnings and the endings, and the in-between times –
We thank you, God!
For the questions and the answers, and the searching we do –
We thank you, God!
For the baptism and the memorials, and the communion times, too
We thank you God!
We thank you that you have been with us.
We thank you that you are with us.
We thank you that you will be with us –
in this time of annual meeting,
and in all our times to come!
Amen.
Opening Prayer
It’s part of the rhythm of our congregation’s life, Loving God, to gather taking stock of how we have answered your call into the world. You call us to love one another as you have loved us. You call us to love our neighbour as we love ourselves—even if that neighbour is a stranger to us or just strange in our perception. You call us to love our enemies and even those who persecute us— despite how painful that may become. You call us to shepherd your good creation by paying attention to the intricacies, the interdependence, the interconnectedness, and the wonder of life in our loving. You call us to your mission and your ministry in this place as people who faith. May you bless what we do this day as we meet, guiding our deliberations, informing our debates, and affirming our discipleship.
Journey with us in all we express and choose.
Amen.
(Gord Dunbar, gathering ACE 2019-20)
* Opening Hymn: VU 412 This Is the Day
In Memoriam
Fred Tanaja (died in 2018); Barbara Copan (died in 2017)
* Response: VU 494 Those Hearts That We Have Treasured
Sharing the Peace
The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
Word
Scripture
Gospel Luke 24:13-35
Herein is Good News. Praise be to Christ!
Memories of 2019 Rev. Nam Ok Yoo
* Hymn: VU 510 We Have This Ministry
Annual General Meeting
Call to Order & Prayer to open the Meeting
You have blessed us, O God, from the time of our beginning as a congregation of your people 68 years ago since 1952 until now. For times of joy and times of sorrow, for times of triumph and times of discouragement, for times of ease and times of trial, we give you thanks. Make us strong in our faith, wise in our thinking, worthy in our worshipping, and courageous in our action as we give our praise to you, O God.
Amen.
(Jean Leckie, gathering ACE 2018-19)
Election of Recording Secretary for the Annual Meeting
Election of Chair for the Annual Meeting
Approval of Agenda
Extension of Vote to Adherents
- that all those present who are not members of Willingdon Heights United Church be given the chance to speak to the meeting and to vote on temporal matters (All matters that do not apply to the hiring of the minister).
Approval of Minutes from last Congregational Meeting on July 28, 2019
Receiving Reports (except the Finance Report)
- Chair/ Minister/ Building & Grounds Coordinator/ Faith Formation/ Treasurer:
Motion to accept all reports:
- Financial Report
Motion to accept Financial Report & Financial Statements:
New Business:
-Nomination of new Board Members:
-Nomination of Committee Members:
-Election of Pacific Mountain Regional Council Rep.
Presentation & Approval of Budget for 2020
Next Meeting: Sunday, Feb 28, 2021
Adjournment
Closing Prayer
May we find the strength to work together in Willingdon Heights United Church.
We pray for the will and the faith to be creative and kind in our relationships with one another.
In conflict and violence, when dreams are destroyed and justice is ignored, help us to not give up O God.
In sickness and as we age,
when the vulnerability of our bodies is evident,
help us to honour the gifts we are and have.
God calls and equips us to care for one another;
may we step forward in faith: faith in God, faith in our community, faith in ourselves, to do the right thing.
Let us gather our prayers together as we say the prayer that Jesus left for us:
Alternate version of the Prayer of Jesus (VU 916)
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be.
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by people of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Invitation to Offering
* Hymn: MV 191 What can I do?
* Offering Prayer
God of many names, God of our ancestors and of our descendants, God of love and peace and justice, accept what we do and what we give this day. Accept the sacrifices we make, big and little, of our time, our energy, our resources. Bless what we offer, we pray, for the life-changing ministry of Jesus Christ.
We ask it in his holy name.
Amen.
(Robin Waldlaw, gathering ACE 2019-20)
Sending Forth
* Closing Hymn: VU 651 Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
* Commissioning & Blessing
As for us, in this house of worship
called Willingdon Heights United Church, we will serve God.
Make this your watchword;
make this your touchstone.
Make this your guiding light.
(Kate Crawford, gathering ACE 2019-20)
* Response: VU 967 Amen (Danish)
Closing Piano Music
End of AGM Sunday Worship
Beginning of Service in the Community