Treasure Seekers Summer Program

Wednesdays, July 6 - August 24, 6:30-8 pm

Join West Virginia Jones on his quest to find the treasure of Captain Hollis Bibble!  Ages:  Starting Kindergarten to Grade 6.  Fun games and activities such as:  geocaching, orienteering, field trips and more!  This is an expansion of our Sunday School summer curriculum into a fun outreach for children.  All are welcome!

For more information, call 403.243.4304 or email us at summerprograms@altadorebaptistchurch.com

Altadore Baptist Youth

Join us on Friday nights from 7-9:30 pm starting June 17th for fun games and activities such as:  Chuck the Canuck, BBQs, sports & other shenanigans.  Ages:  starting Grade 7 to Grade 12.  All are welcome!

For more information, call or email us at summerprograms@altadorebaptistchurch.com

Or join us for pizza on Sunday, June 5th after the service to find out more of what we will be doing as a youth group this summer!

Spring Faire – Help Needed!

Saturday May 14th from 2-4 pm
This is a way to show the surrounding community that we care, so we would love to have our congregation be a big part of it.  We need :
•    5 to set up on Friday
•    15-20 to man stations
•    3-4 to clean up after
•    2 hosts
•    2 to help cover breaks
•    2 to help in the kitchen
•    5 to provide cookies or baking for the event.
Even if you can only come for an hour, every hand is appreciated!  Donations to cover the cost of putting on this free event will also be gratefully received.  Contact the office for more information and to sign up!

 

Refugee Sponsorship Update

Altadore signed on as cosponsor for an Iraqi refugee family on January 21 with a Calgary man named Aws and his sister, Zinah.  Aws and Zinah's cousin, wife and 2 young children lived in an area in Iraq where life is not good with their ethnic background.  We have been attempting to get this sponsorship signed for over a month.  We required a good contract before entering into the sponsorship.  Roland Rochow has been most helpful and the Leadership Team very supportive of this second sponsorship. In this sponsorship, Aws and Zinah will be looking after all the financial and other needs of the family we are sponsoring.  Glenn Malcolm and Marilyn Kaiser are representing our church with this sponsorship.  After meeting at the bank the other night, Aws sent an email that said, "I would like to thank you on behalf of my big family for the kind of support you are providing." 
Concerning, Peter and Mary, we are still waiting to hear of their arrival date in Calgary and their final acceptance.  We have rented a home for them in Dalhousie trusting that the final approval comes through, and the sponsorship group will be moving the many articles so graciously donated by Altadore, Bonavista and Northmount Baptist Churches into Peter and Mary's new home in the next week.  Thank so much for your support of these two.  Please continue to pray for travel plans to be put together promptly.

2016 Lenten Devotional Booklet

Lent begins Wednesday, February 10th, 2016, and this year marks the tenth edition of Altadore’s Lenten Devotional Booklet.  We are asking folks to host a scripture and prepare a devotional thought to share with your church family.  It is a blessing for all who take part and use the Lenten Booklet.  The passages of scripture are from the New Common Lectionary – Year C. The lectionary readings are used by Christians around the world.  It offers another way for us to be united as believers.  And it offers a way for us at Altadore to share our hearts and beliefs to encourage, challenge and bring hope and light into our spiritual journey together.

You may sign up for a passage on the Google Drive link here: 2016 Lenten Booklet Signup Sheet, or on the printed version on the church bulletin board, or by emailing Wendy F in the office with your choice.  Submissions will be due by Monday, February 1st.  Further instructions and a template will be sent directly to you once you have signed up.

May you enjoy the journey of listening to God through your passage, and may God’s rich blessings be upon you.

Refugee Household Shower Update

Thanks to all of you who selected an item(s) last Sunday for the ‘shower’ of household goods for our refugee family.  There are still a number of ‘gifts’ to be selected from the board in the gym.  If possible, please bring your unwrapped gift on Sunday, January 17th.   There will also be other drop-off opportunities to be determined.  Please do not drop things off ‘randomly’, as we want to be sure to both record the gift and store it appropriately. 

Refugee Sponsorship Household Shower

The Canadian Baptists For Refugees team has put together a detailed list of household goods to ‘shower’ our family with a completely stocked apartment.  Each of the churches has a partial list of these items.  Altadore’s list is posted on an easel in the gym.  If you can participate, please review the list, select the item(s) you would like to contribute, take the yellow sticky and print your name and phone number on the poster board under the sticky.  Please plan to bring your item(s) to a ‘shower’ day.  The first one will be held Sunday morning, January 17th.

There is also a list of furniture requests.  Because there are 3 churches involved, we will be reviewing furniture donation offers to confirm ‘the fit’ and to avoid duplication.  If you have furniture to donate or questions, please contact Marilyn at 403.474.1742 or Steve Hill (weekends) at 587.777.2921.  Steve is heading up a ‘transportation & pick-up team’ and could use some more volunteers when the accommodation is ready.  Thank you for your continued support and prayers for the refugee program.

Refugee Sponsorship Update

Calgary Baptists For Refugees, a partnership between Northmount, Bonavista and Altadore Baptist churches, has commenced a private sponsorship for a mother and adult son from Aleppo, Syria.  Mary and Peter are Christians who have friends in Calgary at an Arabic speaking church in northwest Calgary. 

We would appreciate your prayers that this application would be approved by the Canadian government and for our churches as we plan for the many details for Peter's and Mary's arrival.  If you would like to be involved in any way in this process, please contact those in our church who are working with this sponsorship:  Marilyn Kaiser, Steve Hill or Wendy Burnham.   We will be able to be more specific about areas where help is needed after our next meeting
in the middle of December.

Thank you for your support in sponsoring refugees.  At Christmas, when we think of Joseph and Mary arriving in Bethlehem with no welcome, it is a joy to think of being able to welcome two people who presently are not welcomed in either their own country or in refugee camps and who are unable to make a life in the country in which they are living.

2015 Thanksgiving Offering

In Lebanon, 1 in 4 people are refugees received as a result of the war in Syria.

In Canada, the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada are hoping to sponsor 30 refugee families in 2015.  Settlement Costs For Year One (Minimum)

· Family of 3 $23,000

· Family of 4 $27,000

· Family of 6 $32,500

Our Thanksgiving offering this year will go to enable sponsorship of refugee families through Canadian Baptists of Western Canada.

As we give thanks this year for all our many blessings, let's join with other churches in western Canada as they help our Syrian or other needy brothers and sisters find new life in Canada.

Please use the special Thanksgiving envelopes provided in your bulletin any Sunday in the month of October

Leadership Team News

Lunch is on us for the month of October! Please stay after church for lunch in the gym, hosted by the Leadership Team (Thanksgiving Sunday, pumpkin pie dessert served in lieu of a full lunch). The focus for Sunday October 18th will be to talk about how we can "Live out Our Faith in Our Community".  Come with your ideas of how we can be an effective presence in our community.

The Fall Congregational Meeting will take place on Sunday, October 25th after the morning service. Come hear the updates from your Leadership Team. 

We have a pastoral candidate coming the weekend of November 8th! Watch for schedule of events coming in the next few weeks.  If you have any questions, please talk to anyone on the Leadership Team.

Pastor Paul and Moreen will finish their Ministry with us at the end of November. They have accepted an interim position in Prince George with First Baptist Church starting in January.

Please continue to pray for the candidate, the LT, and our church as we "Live Out Our Faith In Our Community."

Altadore Announcements

It was an eventful summer at Altadore!  Please take the time to read the Flashback Sunday Altadore Historical Summary by Marilyn K, and What We Learned From Visiting Other Churches by Moreen S.  (Ask Wendy in the office for a copy!)

Be sure to join us next Sunday for our annual Welcome Back Service and Family Picnic.  The picnic will be held at Sandy Beach following the service, $3 per person or $10 per family.  Bring your own chairs, games and something to drink!  All are welcome to attend!

Note that the last newsletter incorrectly said the Good Friends concert was Saturday, Sept 25th.  The correct date is Friday, Sept 25th.

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Eva W on September 2nd in Black Diamond.  Eva was a long-time member here at Altadore as well as our former Envelope Steward for many years.  Archie and Carol M were blessed to have had a very nice visit and lunch with her just last week.

If you are interested in reading more about Christians living in a society where they are a minority, please see the most recent blog posting by Rupen Das at dasworld.wordpress.com.

Sharon L would like to remind you that if you plan to attend the Alberta Women in Focus Retreat in Jasper from Oct 16-18, to book your hotel room at the Sawridge Inn prior to Sept 15th!

Note that bags will be available at the church starting this Sunday for the MCC School Kits.

Level Up Youth Initiative

We have a fun and exciting School program each Sunday for our kids, and it is time for the few kids we have in the over 12 age group to Level Up to new challenges, responsibilities and service opportunities!  We are initiating a three part plan this fall:

1.     Study: We are looking for an adult to teach a 3-4 week Sunday Morning Study (during the service) starting mid-September.  We would like to do this 3 times throughout the year (Jan and April).

2.     Service:  Encouragement and opportunity will be given so they can develop skills to serve here in their church and in the wider community.  We want to provide them with occasional specific duties which may include participating in worship through music or drama, helping out with the facility, volunteering in Sunday School, Nursery or Ushering, and Outreach Programs.  Of course, we are excited to hear where they would like to help, but we would also love suggestions from the church family if you have a place where a youth’s help would be welcome. 

3.     Social:  Last, but certainly not least, we want to give this little group the opportunity to enjoy monthly fun activities where they can get to know each other and their church family better.  We are looking for volunteers to host the youth on the following dates:  Oct 2, Nov 6, Dec 4,  Jan 15, Feb 12, Mar 4, Apr 1, May 6.  As host, you pick what to do – some suggestions are a movie night, a games night, skating, Laser Tag, a craft night, baking night, video game challenge, a musical jam session.  Again, because the numbers are small, it seems best to have the kids go to people’s homes (or a fun venue) – cozier and hopefully easier for the volunteers.

If you can help, have suggestions, or just want to offer some encouragement please give me a call or an email! 

Lara Peters               lcpeters@ymail.com              403-249-6766

MCC Canada School Kits

For several autumns now, Bernice Cass has been coordinating Altadoreans to assemble and donate School Kits for MCC Canada and Ten Thousand Villages.  You can learn more about this worthwhile initiative at:

http://mcccanada.ca/get-involved/kits/school

Bernice will be providing the bags to fill in the coming weeks, but if you would like to shop now while supplies are easily available, here is the list (each kit should contain these same items):

·        4 spiral notebooks (140 pages each)

·        8 unsharpened pencils (2B preferred)

·        1 ruler (flat flexible plastic, 12 in/30 cm)

·        12 coloured pencils (in package)

·        1 large pencil eraser

We hope you will support this project again this fall!  Bags must be in by Sunday, September 27th.

Book Study

The Leadership Team is encouraging as many as possible to read and reflect on the book “Who Stole My Church” by Gordon MacDonald. 

It could be read individually or as part of a 4-6 week group book study. Please think and pray about taking time for this in the fall. Look for more information to follow and a sign-up opportunity.

Cuba Trip

Thank you to all who prayed and/or helped financially with the Pastors Education Mission Trip to Cuba last month. It was a very busy and somewhat tiring trip, but very worthwhile. God richly blessed our public and business meetings. CBM signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding for the next 5 years with the Fraternity of Baptist Churches of Cuba. It was very encouraging to meet God’s people who are faithfully serving him with enthusiasm!

Pastor Paul