Today successful faith communities ask the questions, “How do we create an active spiritually charged community in which we all become more connected? How do we create a community that takes responsibility for its life so it can be a spiritual and faith centre in which people feel welcome, valued, and included? How do we create a community where each of us, as we are able, quietly does what needs to be done because there is something for everyone to do in community?” It is well known that when people get involved, they feel more connected to a community and therefore more connected to one another.

The Sacred service program is Fifth Avenue Memorial Church’s way of creating a fellowship and service opportunity through connecting you with a group of people who will share the responsibility to help set up and clean up each Sunday morning activity. It

is a way of sharing the responsibilities so that everyone feels they belong and are contributing.

The purpose of this program is to provide a meaningful way engage in the life of the church, to develop relationships within a small group setting, to oversee the practicalities of the Sunday morning experience, and involve the entire church body in these tasks. Everyone in the church directory will be part of a team that has been carefully chosen to be a mix of generations, identities, and familial situations. This team will be responsible for Sunday morning set up for one month during each year. Decisions on specific dates within that month and responsibilities will be coordinated through your team leader.

There will be a potluck meeting two weeks before you start where you will meet your team leader and your team, as well as learn how to implement the jobs for each Sunday. The regular Sunday jobs will be ushering, greeting, setting up for fellowship time, preparing the sanctuary, and assisting in baptisms and communion. The time commitment will be approximately 9:00-12:00 each Sunday. Over your month, it is our hope that you make new connections, feel a part of the Fifth Avenue Memorial church community, and serve each other in a practical way.

If you want to be involved beyond the one-month commitment, you are most welcome to be part of numerous teams in any capacity for several months over the year! Through this sacred service program, we want to honour your particular gifts while making light the workload.

If you have any questions, please contact Colleen Whidden (Sacred Service team coordinator) at cwhidden@mhc.ab.ca. We are looking forward to this sacred service adventure starting in May 2024.

FAM is in need of a DVD/BlueRay player.  If you have one you are not using anymore and would like to donate it, text or call Piehl at 403-548-0268

FAM’s Freezer is empty for baking and such for Sunday Fellowship.  We ask for people to bring in goodies for Sundays.