St. John the Baptist Anglican Church Duncan

COVID-19 UPDATE As of today November 19, 2020 Dr. Bonnie Henry has issued a Provincial Health Order cancelling all non-essential activities effective immediately, THIS INCLUDES WORSHIP SERVICES. What does this mean: FOR ST. JOHN’S this means there will be no in-person worship for the next two weeks (including December 6th). This means no Sunday Worship on November 22, 29 and December 6th. This also means we will not hold our much-anticipated Walk Through Christmas Market on N...ovember 28th. WE DO HOPE all being well and the Health Order is removed by December 6th we will be hold our Market on December 12th STAY TUNED. The Office will remain open at the usual hours. We will continue to pre-record our weekly Worship Service and it will be available on Facebook and on our Website and through our Email link. This next week I will plan for a Zoom Coffee gathering. STAY TUNED FOR A DATE AND TIME. Please feel free to contact me on my cell phone if you have any needs or just to talk and share over a cup of coffee. Blessings in Christ, Archdeacon Brian Evans Interim Rector See more

Following the announcement from Dr. Henry today all church services at St. John's Duncan are canceled until after December 6th. Also our Walkthrough Christmas ...Market will be postponed until December 12. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES. STAY SAFE, STAY WELL AND STAY POSITIVE. Blessings from our home, Brian & Flo See more

Greetings to all as we continue on this journey together. Only two Sundays until we begin Advent.

Welcome to St. John's as we hold our Annual Remembrance Day Service. Remembering all those who have served in our Armed Forces and those currently serving including our RCMP, Fire Fighters and EMT workers.

Welcome to All Saints' Worship for Sunday November 1sr, 2020 at St. John the Baptist in Duncan. Blessings to you and your family as you remember your Family Saints at this time.

Thursday Reflection October 29, 2020 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 As Christians listening weekly for the Covid numbers our Scripture reading today places a significant expectation upon us. As God is full of hope and has given us true hope in the... resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are to take this hope and share it in all its abundance in the world. Quite a task. One of the questions we hear repeated at nearly every turn: How are you doing? My answer is I am doing well. My family is doing well, and our parish is doing well. Rather than searching for what may limit us we are celebrating and doing what we can, looking at all the possibilities. I believe we are by example abounding in hope. I believe this is the challenge for all of society, to share the abundance of hope we are given by God. Look for the possibilities rather than the limitations. We, as a society need the positive more than ever. Our children, our seniors, our family’s and our colleagues are all living in extraordinary times. This is not the time for Eeyore moments, we need more Tigger moments. Each time I listen to Dr. Bonnie Henry I hear possibilities. Yes there may limitations to those possibilities. At the same time Dr. Henry encourages us to celebrate what we can do and what we do have. Like Paul in writing to the Philippians says: Again I say may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the poser of the Holy Spirit. The challenge for us as Christians is to express by example how exciting it is to be believe in a God who gives us hope. Blessings in Christ, Archdeacon Brian See more

Welcome to St. Johns this morning. If you are wondering about the location for taping. Flo and I are in Saskatchewan and we taped the service in Biggar with th...e grain elevator in the background. Please excuse the sound effects it was quite windy when we were taping. That afternoon it was 29 C. I hope you enjoy. See more

Welcome to St. Johns Duncan for Sunday September 6, 2020. Due to technology difficulties this week we are coming to you from our home in Nanaimo in the background you will see Duke Point, Gabriola Island and the Coastal Mountains in the distance. Enjoy.

Thursday Reflection September 3,2020 Psalm 9:1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all your marvelous works. The Psalm quote above is from August 31. When I was a young boy going to school, this was the last day of summer holidays. I am sure there were days when I wished summer could just keep... happening. AT the same time I am sure I could hardly wait to return to school. While it may have been the end of summer on the farm it was beginning of one of the busiest seasons of the year, harvest. Thoughts of summer vacations and harvest are real reminder of our need to stop and give thanks. As the Psalmist says, to tell of all the marvelous works of God in our life. This summer with the pandemic people across this country, across the world have been able to take time to look into their back yard to discover the gifts in our own neighbourhood or province. For us on Vancouver Island to find some of the unique gifts from God on this island. Vicariously with the gift of technology many of us have been privileged to travel along. One such travel was with members of St. Johns in their travel to the north part of the island for their annual fishing trip. One picture was that of a man and his dog on the boat with a fishing line in the water. It does not get much better than that. There have been many other gifts from this summer. I encourage you to reflect back on your summer and to give thanks. One of the gifts here at the parish has been our coffee get together in the parking lot. We can give thanks for the pandemic in helping us to see how we can be together without a high degree of organization. All it takes is to set a date and time, then a comfortable chair and you coffee/tea mug. I personally give thanks for these visits over the summer. I am sure we will see this opportunity in future summers. In Philippians 4:4-7 we read: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. This scripture passage reminds us of the commitment we have to giving thanks. Let us offer our prayers of thanks for summer, for harvest and for the safety of all returning to class rooms over the next few weeks and for those who will still remain home. Blessings, Archdeacon Brian+ See more

Welcome to St. Johns Duncan. We are pleased to share with you our worship for August 30, 2020. It is hard to believe we are now entering into back to school. Our prayers are with all those who are returning to class and all parents and guardians. Brian+

Thursday Reflection August 27, 2020 Psalm 46:11 Be still, then and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth. In the late 80s I was afforded the opportunity to participate in a cross cultural spirituality week at Sorrento. Our leaders were a couple sharing from their perspective First Nations... Spirituality. In the opening remarks we were invited to spend the next few days listening to the Creator. This was a new experience. For the next few days we spent more time listening outside of the lecture hall rather than a speaker. (Having jus finished 2 nd year of seminary this was welcome change from the lecture hall.) Truly listening and observing our surroundings. I remember clearly reflecting with a focus on Genesis Chapter 1 and the gift given by the Creator. Today I find myself with these thoughts: - My family background is from people who worked the land, farmers. I have always valued land. In my first vocation in urban government, when subdivisions were created, by statute a percentage was to be dedicated green space. Sadly today developers are permitted to purchase green space with a sum of money paid to the local government. For myself it is like buy carbon offsets, which do little to solve our climate crisis. - I believe if we would spend more time listening to the Creator we would quickly discover the great gift of the Creator. Then to learn the significance of preserving this gift. How do we do this? The first step, prayer without words. Second go outside, out of the so called lecture hall. Then with our eyes, listen and with our ears hear the Creator speak. Then, I believe we will lower the barriers of consumerism making room for the Creator, God, to come into our presence. As many cultures together we will know and respect creation. Then God will be exalted. Blessings for this week, Archdeacon Brian+ See more

https://vimeo.com/450528793

Thursday Reflection August 20, 2020 Reflecting on Abundance We live in a world where abundance is often the measure of success. Recently Flo and I observed a family gathering up the abundance left by their parents at the time of death. As we observed we noticed a small amount being put into their personal vehicles. The balance was being loaded into a cube van to go off to presumably an estate auction. The personal vehicle was very compact, the cube van was average size and... filled to capacity. In Holy Scripture we read, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece -Luke 9:3 (NKJV) Most images we see of Jesus in his travels highlight his simple manner of travel. He is shown with sandals, a robe, and often a prayer shawl. Jesus is not identified by his abundance, neither is he identified by his simplicity. At the same time Jesus is never seen as lacking. Jesus abundance is far greater than material. We live in a world where we see abundance only by our material possessions. Jesus abundance (as reminded in Forward Day by Day) is abundance you can take to the cross. The kind that will carry you through your final agonized moments of life to the abundance of death. -p.21 August-September-October Issue 2020. At the same time, we are a society which stockpiles. Remember the beginning of March and everyone was stockpiling t-paper! Other than the first week or so until the supply chain could catch up there has been a shortage. We are in a similar situation with sanitizer. Now you can purchase it in 5-gallon pails. When I observe the gathered Christian Community I experience, although smaller in number, the understanding I believe wants us to take away from the feeding of the multitudes is total abundance. The people of God sharing from their abundance for the kingdom of God. Returning to my opening paragraph. What is our personal abundance we are hording? Is it so we can carry it to the cross? Personally, I am guilty. I know I WOULD NEED MORE THAN ONE CUBE VAN, and I know that is not what Jesus is expecting. Blessings to all this week. Archdeacon Brian. See more

Greetings from St. Johns this morning. We are enjoying this warm summer weather. Take care everyone and stay safe. This morning we send special prayers to our friends at Holy Trinity Yorkton. -Fr. Brian & Flo

Thursday Reflection August 12, 2020 I will call them my people who are not my people; and I will call her my beloved one who is not my beloved. -Romans 9:25 (NIV) In my ordained years in ministry I have spent a fair amount of time within Corrections and with 12 Step Groups. My first was in the Federal Corrections Institution in Prince Albert Saskatchewan. In that same city was the maximum security for Provincial Corrections along with the Provincial Corrections Institu...tion for women. Each had their own significant needs for pastoral care. This has remained true for all the institutions I have served (volunteered) in. What was in common is each individual, either in corrections or a 12 Step recovery program, not unlike each one of us, had one similar revelation; knowing the danger of life coming in between the soul and God. Each have come up against the dark night of the soul. Or as some would say knowing or feeling of being distant from God. It is in those moments we feel defeat and forsaken, abandoned and rejected. It is in those moments we sometimes question the realness of God. It is in those moments we feel as if God has left us. This is when we are tempted to give up belief in God. At the same time our very presence as the carriers of the faith in God through Jesus Christ bring faith and often provide an avenue to renewal in faith or the possibly of becoming a person of faith. Two incidents: A moment in the highest security section of the penitentiary, having been summoned to visit a gentleman. His understanding of God and my presence was that God would protect him from doing more harm. God was truly in his presence and knew that. The second was a man who in a minimum-security situation stating there must be something about this God you bring with you faithfully each time, and for that I can believe. We, the faith bearers, are by our very presence, transmitting the certainty of Gods love. We need to know, believe, and conduct ourselves accordingly. What ever our experience, our situation, our present-day moment, we need to be assured of Gods continuing love for the world for in doing the world will be a better place. It is not for us to judge, rather to be present. Blessings to you today, Archdeacon Brian+ See more

https://vimeo.com/445881034

Greetings to all our (my) friends who have enjoyed or are enjoying joining us in worship at St. John the Baptist in Duncan. This week my two assistants are two generations from the same family, Christina McKinley and her grandson Ben.

Thursday Reflection July 30, 2020 July 28 th the Anglican Church of Canada commemorates the gift of music from three of the greats: Johann Sabastian Bach, Heinrich Schutz, George Frederick Handle. While no one can debate their genius of music to the passion narrative and their relentless pursuit of harmonious structure within the church. Often little is known or shared of their... sacrifice to bring this gift to life in the church. It is reported Bach at one time was the director of music in four parishes at the same time in Leipzig. One of his main complaints was about penny pinching measures he felt were detrimental to his ministry of music. I share this, not to suggest the church continues in this manner today. At the same time I often believe we are not always that harmonious (pun intended) in showing our gratitude and our respect for the sacrifice musicians have given so our parish churches can have music in our sacred space. As we have returned to worship in the church my personal awareness of this gift has grown ten-fold. We have been given the opportunity to listen and reflect on this gift in our worship time. I find this opportunity to hear without words the gift of music. As one writer recently stated; these saints of God have given voice to prayers and praises in our hearts. Painting with harmonies, counterpoints, fugues and modals, masses and psalm settings, these saints have filled the church with the music of heaven. This week I tip my hat to all those who have filled our churches over the years with the music of heaven. We may want to take an opportunity this week to send a note, make a phone call, or Email a church musician who has touched your life over the years. Thank you to all those who have contributed to this music of heaven here at St. John the Baptist. Blessings, Brian+ See more

https://vimeo.com/437482145

https://vimeo.com/user12422383/review/435405118/17c14800b4

The article below comes from the Brothers at Society of Saint John the Evangelist in Boston. A priest of this diocese Brother James Koester is presently their Superior. In these times a focus on peacemakers is so appropriate. Dear Brian,...Continue reading

https://vimeo.com/433182522

Thursday Reflections :) I am sure those who read closely will note I have June 24 th and not the 25 th . The reason being June 24 th is the Feast Day of The Nativity of St. John the Baptist. This morning we read the account of the Nativity of John in Lukes Gospel. Within this narrative is Zacharias Prophecy: And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to... prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. What if we were to read like this: And you Brian, Tina, Brenda (or insert your own name) will go out into the world to prepare the way of salvation for my people. The realization God has called me and you to tell the Good News of Jesus Christ. When I look at this Gospel from this angle, I hear a very demanding task which has been prepared for myself. The REAL GOOD NEWS I like to share is the excitement I know by the witness I have of parishes and parishioners who share this good news faithfully in their daily life. I see it, you see it. At the same time we can be relentless in saying, I should do more. I think of the bumper sticker in the 70s which read Dont Just Pray, Do Something. Each day I witness Christians Doing Something. And as the saying goes: Good On You. As a parish over the past three months some of what we have done or are doing has been: -Supporting PWRDF -Supporting the Local Food Bank with cash donations and Girl Guide Cookies -Sending person Prayer Letters to member households -Our Pastoral Care Group calling members of the parish -Preparing and posting on-line copies of a Morning Prayer Service. (This past week our Service reached over 100 people) Many of these contacts are from across Canada. We use our Website, Facebook, and Email. I have been so excited by our Vimeo feed to the world. St. Johns as we prepare to return to Regular Worship let us not forget to continue our work of sharing the knowledge of salvation. Blessings to you, Archdeacon Brian+ See more

Sunday service! :) https://vimeo.com/431124376

Thursday Reflection June 18, 2020 In Psalm 80 we read: 1-2, Psalm 80:1-2 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim. In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up your strength and come to help us. In the Book of Common Prayer many grew up knowing the Sunday Next before Advent as Stir Up Sunday. This Collect often was a reminder if the Plum Pudding and the Christmas Cake was not already agi...ng in the coolness of the cellar, it was time to get made. When the Book of Alternative Services was created this Collect moved to the Sunday between 4 10 of September. Certainly, we were not about to bake our Christmas Cakes in September. What then is this Stir Up Collect about and why would we be reading about it on June 15, 2020. First it is assigned in the Daily Readings of the Common Lectionary for this day. Second it is a reminder for us of our need to have our faith stirred up within our conscious. Third this is likely even more important currently in our history. If there has a been a benefit for the Christian Church in this time over the past three months, it has in my experience been the number of people being reached through electronic communication. I would estimate on any given week there about 150 +/- people checking out our postings. Even some are sharing our postings within their circle. Who knows how far the message is travelling? For ourselves in our parish let me return to this Stir Up collect. In the Book of Common Prayer it comes just as we are about to give praise to God in our Hymns during Advent. Here are some of those titles: Come, Though Long-expected Jesus; O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, People; Look East! The Time is Near; Jesus Came, the Heavens Adoring; Hark the Glad Sound! The Saviour Comes; Comfort, Comfort Ye My People; Hail to the Lords Anointed; Theres a Voice in the Wilderness. Along with many others these Hymns have a message of longing for God. As we begin this longest season of the Christian year, from Pentecost to the beginning of Advent to have Psalm 80 to remind us of our need to continually renew our faith, then again in September and as we end the Season of Pentecost. May we be strengthen in our faith over this time in our lives. I encourage you to read through some of the great Advent Hymns over the next few weeks, they are filled with encouragement and prayer. (If you do not have a Hymnal at home drop by the church and we will lend you one. Please phone ahead.) Over the summer Hymns may not be on your reading list, at the same time I know they will serve to stir within us the Holy Spirit we have recently celebrated at Pentecost. Blessings this week, Archdeacon Brian+ See more

https://vimeo.com/428914843

Thursday Reflections from Archdeacon Brian. Thursday Reflection 11/06/20 Psalm 42 is one of the great Psalms of yearning. A time for yearning in the midst of distress. We have no way of knowing what distress the Psalmist was experiencing at the moment. At the same time many in this world continue to experience distress in their lives. We are all in a season of our life in which we are longing for the physical presence of Christ in our lives as experienced within community. ...We wait. We wait while the world is waiting with us. We all hunger for a time of what we remember as normal. We will all rejoice when we hear the news that we will be able to return to public worship on July 12. DONT GET OVER EXCITED THOUGH. It will be slow. In many ways it is like our spiritual growth. It is like the spiritual growth we have witness to through the Scriptures of the disciples. Often Jesus had to take them aside for a small teaching moment. We to will have some teaching moments when we return to our church for worship. At this time we are in the very early process of putting together a working system. We must be patient. At the same time I am as excited as a child and I know the reaction of a child when you say, just be patient. Our Lord is patient with us in our growth and we will be called to be as patient as our Lord is with us in the experience of gathering for worship in a very different way than before. As Jesus is patient with us, so to we will be required to be patient with each other. We will grow into new ways of worship with kindness and generosity toward one another. In Verse 2 we read: My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Then in verse 11 the Psalmist reminds the soul: Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me. Hope in God for; For I shall yet praise him. The help of my countenance and my God. One contemporary hymn reflecting this Psalm is titled As The Deer released by Joel Engle and Martin J. Nystrom. I have copied it below. Should you wish you can listen and sing along on You Tube. As the Deer You alone are my strength, my shieldTo You alone may my spirit yieldYou alone are my hearts desireAnd I long to worship Thee As the deer panteth for the waterSo my soul longeth after TheeYou alone are my hearts desireAnd I long to worship Thee Blessings to you this week. Archdeacon Brian

Sunday service!

Thursday message from Archdeacon Brian. :) THURSDAY REFLECTION June 4, 2020 Greetings all, Luke 12:6-7. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in Gods sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.... This scripture reference is from Forward Day by Day for this Thursday. I know for myself and each one of us our focus of concern this week has moved from Covid-19 to Black Lives Matter. With reference to Black Lives Matter our thoughts are focused on all manners of discrimination, bigotry, intolerance, and prejudice. When an injustice happens in the world today it is instant news and I believe rightly so. It is simply just wrong. When there is wrong there is always a backlash. Or as the saying for every action there is a reaction. As we travel through the jungle of life there are often many stopping places filled with fear. These moments find us looking over our shoulder, or around the corner for the fear of the unknown. As I watch the news broadcasts this week the fear among people as overwhelming. Listening to some of our leaders in religion it is obvious people are asking????? What is our place? Our place is not to run in fear. Our place is to be there and be counted. Our place is to be a counter response of one from the words of the great Hear, O Israel. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first and the great commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. Jesus said, be not afraid. This is a time for each of us as Christians not to show fear, rather to show hope and to be healers and reconcilers. Blessings to you this week, Archdeacon Brian+ See more

https://vimeo.com/user12422383/review/424427433/42acfd7b70

Drive by blessings for Pentecost at St John the Baptist Duncan tomorrow 9:30 am to 10:30 pm in the church parking lot. Follow dirctions of traffic director. An opportunity to greet Brian & Flo. Looking forward to seeing you all.

Welcome to St. Johns Duncan liturgy for May 24, 2020. This week we are keeping Ascension Day. Also this week I have our Deacon Rev. Heather Cutten assisting in leadership. Brian Evans

https://vimeo.com/user12422383/review/419458029/70169b0279

peace camp video :)

games, singing and drumming

games at peace camp

a few more videos from peace camp day

some video clips from peace camp day.

We laughed and played and learned about peace and sharing and most of all loving each other. Thanks to Stella Johnny for teaching us some traditional ways and being a loving peaceful presence. Thanks to all the volunteers for all their hard work to make the day special, Rev Ted for his good sense of humour, and to Michael B Coleman for his positive energy and fun games and especially thanks to the children who showed me what peace looks like. As Stella said. The drumming, the sunshine and the children are medicine.

Karaoke night loads of fun Friday June 21 at 7 pm. Great turn out. Check back to this space for future Karaoke nights at St Johns!!

Already for karaoke fun tonight

Two days left to register 250-510-5454

We have 6 remaining spots for our free kids peace day camp. Please email [email protected] or phone 250-510-5454 to secure a spot. ages 6-12 times are 9-4 thanks If you have not registered you need to phone before Friday many have said they are interested please dont leave this last minute to avoid disappointment!

We have a few remaining spots for our free kids peace day camp. Please email [email protected] or phone 250-510-5454 to secure a spot. ages 6-12 times are 9-4 thanks