Around Town: Queen's Garden Party, Métis Youth Role Model, Word of Light

Nova Leaf enjoyed Holy Trinity Anglican Church’s Garden Party and Tea in honour of Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday. Photo by Randy Murray.

Three days were set aside for Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday celebrations in London last weekend (June 10 – 12). Vancouver is a long way away from the centre of activity, but Holy Trinity Anglican Church hosted a Garden Party and Tea so we wouldn’t miss out entirely.

Randy Murray, communications officer for the Diocese of New Westminster, reported on the festivities:

With a good crowd already in place by 1:15 pm, Holy Trinity’s rector, Karl Przywala, resplendent in clericals which featured a morning coat welcomed everyone to the event. He said that Queen Elizabeth actually “gets three birthdays,” her actual day of birth in April, Victoria Day and the official royal birthday celebration appointed for June in order to take advantage of drier weather.

He asked the group if they were aware of the milestone event that was celebrated on June 10, the first day of the official weekend of the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations, and many of the assembled called out that June 10, 2016 was Prince Philip’s 95th birthday. He then took a short walk out onto the green apologizing that Queen Elizabeth couldn’t be in attendance but pointing out that they did have an almost life-sized cardboard model of her placed beside a portable pavilion. . . .

Although sponsored by the Parish of Holy Trinity, this was very much an event presented for the neighbourhood and for the community.

Métis Youth Role Model

Brittney Bertrand was recently recognized as one of the five Metis Youth Role Models in BC for 2016.

Brittney Bertrand was recently recognized as one of five Métis Youth Role Models in BC for 2016.

With National Aboriginal Day coming up early next week (June 21), Keela Keeping of Youth Unlimited sent me an encouraging story of positive changes in the life of a young Métis woman:

Brittney Bertrand, 29, mother of two, was recently recognized by Métis Youth British Columbia as one of the five Métis Youth Role Models in BC for 2016. Brittney is being honoured for her efforts to promote healthy cultural engagement and balanced healthy living in her community. This enormous honour is most remarkable considering Brittney’s journey which has been anything but easy

Until eight years ago Brittney was entrenched in a cycle of poverty. Young Brittney never knew when she’d next get to shower or where her next meal would come from. She tried hard to overcome the proverbial deck of cards stacked against her, but her efforts did not appear to yield any traction.

“I was a mess,” she says. “Before getting connected to Youth Unlimited’s Young Families Program, I was trying really hard to live life well, but I wasn’t succeeding.”

The curveball

Suddenly, at age 21, Brittney’s life hit a curveball. Three months into a new relationship she found out she was pregnant. She simply didn’t have the standard familial resources or safety nets to fall back on.

“I was scared,” she explains. “I had no clue how I would be able to buy things like diapers or a bus pass. And the idea of getting a good job someday? That felt almost impossible.”

The emotional and physical ramifications of Brittney’s difficult upbringing were overwhelming. “Because of this, I had no confidence,” she says. “I had no faith in myself. And I had little faith in the world – I just saw how it ate you up and spat you out so easily.”

Watershed moments

Thankfully, Brittney’s turning point came, and it included the sweet smell of fresh-baked, homemade muffins.

“I don’t even remember how I found out about Young Families,” she says, “But I started coming to Muffin Mornings and the YU staff helped me with diapers. It sounds small, but through that they showed me I wasn’t alone. And then I got introduced to Thrive. That’s when things really changed.”

For the full story go here.

Gospel of John: Word of Light

For several years, Angus Stuart, rector of St.-Francis-in-the-Wood Anglican Church in West Vancouver, has been performing the Gospel of Mark; last year he undertook a 28-date tour of North America performing Mark’s Gospel from coast to coast.

Now he has memorized the Gospel of John and will perform Word of Light: The Gospel of John in the Flesh at his church later this week (June 18). Half of the $25 entrance fee will go to the church’s refugee fund.

Stuart, who is from England, is a man of several talents. He is an active member of the Thomas Merton Society of Canada and has edited two volumes of papers from UK Merton conferences. He also paid homage to Jack Kerouac several years ago, after immersing himself in his writings, by retracing the route Kerouac and Neal Cassady travelled in part two of On the Road.

Jun 2016

GWW: God's Word Written – Biblical Apologetics & Preaching Conference – June 14, 2016 - June 16, 2016 at All Day
EFC Webinar: Youth and Church – Five Years Since the Hemorrhaging Faith Study – June 16, 2016 at 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Seaside Social: A Fundraising Evening for Creative Life – June 16, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Watoto Children's Choir – June 16, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Pink Impact 2016 Women's Conference – June 17, 2016 - June 18, 2016 at 1:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Watoto Children's Choir: Oh, What Love – June 17, 2016 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Refugee Hope Walk – June 18, 2016 at 9:00 am - 11:30 am
Combating Modern Day Slavery – June 18, 2016 at 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Watoto Children's Choir – June 18, 2016 at 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Angus Stuart: Word of Light – The Gospel of John in the Flesh – June 18, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
World Refugee Sunday – June 19, 2016 at All Day
Ecumenical Worship in the Park – June 19, 2016 at 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Watoto Children's Choir – June 19, 2016 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
TRC Challenge Event & National Aboriginal Day – June 20, 2016 at 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
CSSA Golf Tournament for Mission Possible – June 22, 2016 at 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Jazz Evensong: Kelita Haverland – June 22, 2016 at 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Pilar Mehlis: I Belong Here . . . – June 23, 2016 at All Day
Kairos Blanket Exercise – June 23, 2016 at 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Fr. Jacques Philippe: Series of talks on Mercy – June 23, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Men for God Conference – June 24, 2016 - June 25, 2016 at 6:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Chapel: School's Out 2016 - Trilogy – June 24, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 11:55 pm
Tamara Kleinsasser in Concert – June 24, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Watoto Children's Choir – June 24, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Birthright International Walk/Run Day – June 25, 2016 at 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Welcome Centre Opening – June 25, 2016 at 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Vancouver Oratorio Society: The Path of Composition – June 25, 2016 at 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Watoto Children's Choir – June 25, 2016 at 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Aboriginal Day Electronica Liturgy – June 25, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Cathy AJ Hardy Album Release Party: 'And I Heard the Sound of Laughter' – June 25, 2016 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
World Refugee Sunday – June 26, 2016 at All Day
St. Jude's Open House – June 26, 2016 at 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Kairos Course (Cantonese) – June 26, 2016 at 3:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Watoto Children's Choir – June 26, 2016 at 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Mixed Multitude Music Album Release / Listening Party – June 26, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Vancouver Oratorio Society: Silver Jubilee Celebration Concert – June 26, 2016 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Richard Mouw: Why Evangelicals Need Sacred Spaces – June 27, 2016 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Regent Redux: A Good Death? Mercy, Mortality & Medically Assisted Dying – June 28, 2016 at 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Boundaries – June 28, 2016 at 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
The Colour Collective: The View from Here - Opening Reception – June 29, 2016 at 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Philip Ryken: Becoming Like Jesus in His Death – Lessons for Ministry from Shusaku Endo's 'Silence' – June 29, 2016 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Tord Gustavsen Hymns and Visions with Simin Tander and Jarle Vespestad – June 29, 2016 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Jazz Evensong: Original Blend – June 29, 2016 at 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Jul 2016

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Around Town: Queen’s Garden Party, Métis Youth Role Model, Word of Light

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