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St. Cuthbert Anglican Church | "Growing, Knowing & Sharing God's Love" | |
St. Cuthbert's, here is your weekly focus on things that are
happening in the parish. Read and stay connected.
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Pastoral Musings
The Five Cs
The “Five Cs” provide a practical, Bible-based framework for discerning God's will in everyday life and major decisions. Popularized by Christian leaders like Nicky Gumbel, they include Commanding Scripture, Compelling Spirit, Common Sense, Counsel of the Saints, and Circumstantial Signs.
The 5 Cs of Guidance
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Commanding Scripture: God’s will is primarily revealed through the Bible. The scriptures establish moral boundaries and general principles for living. A guiding rule is that the Holy Spirit will never lead you to do anything that contradicts the Bible.
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Compelling Spirit: God often speaks to believers internally through prayer. This can manifest as an inner peace (often called the “peace of God”), a persistent sense of direction, or an individual verse that stands out to you while reading.
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Common Sense: God created us to be thinking beings and gave us the ability to reason. He guides our minds to make rational, wise choices by weighing pros and cons, evaluating consequences, and acting prudently.
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Counsel of the Saints: This involves seeking the advice, wisdom, and prayers of mature, trusted Christians. Other believers can offer objective perspectives, spot blind spots, and confirm what you are hearing from God.
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Circumstantial Signs: God is sovereign over the circumstances of our lives. He can guide and confirm His will by opening doors (creating opportunities) or closing doors (providing roadblocks that prevent a certain path).
Therefore, we have the summary as follows of the five main ways in which God guides us:
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Commanding Scripture (the Bible)
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Compelling Spirit (the Holy Spirit)
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Counsel of the Saints (the church)
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Common Sense (reason)
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Circumstantial Signs (providence).
The goal of this framework is to seek alignment across all five areas rather than relying on just one. When the Bible, the Holy Spirit, wise advice, practical logic, and your circumstances all point in the same direction, you can have strong confidence in God's leading.
If you want to explore this further, tell me:
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Are you currently trying to make a specific decision (e.g., job, move, relationship)?
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Which of the 5 Cs do you feel strongest or most confused about right now?
Talk to your ministers, Rev. Monte and Rev. Steve Laskey, to help you break down your situation using these principles.
Rev. Monte
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Bowling Night:
This Saturday, we'll be joining together with the Community of Hope youth group located on 124th street for a special evening of fellowship and fun.
Keep an eye out for photos posted in the narthex behind the coffee table and the St. Cuthbert Hall this Sunday!
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Quiet Room Update:
Last Friday, the young adults met at the church to paint the Quiet Room as part of a plan to "revamp" the space once called the "Crying Room."
In doing this I hope to foster a sense of belonging among them as they will be leaving a legacy. When we peer into that room parishioners can be reminded that the youth of 2026 designed it.
We will be meeting again this Friday to to give the walls a second coat, paint the trim and make any final touches.
The next step will occur with the first two weeks of June, where the teens will have an outing to Ikea in Richmond before returning to the church to put the furniture together.
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Trinity Sunday - Youth Sunday
Trinity Sunday will be our third youth-led service. Tasks the young adults and teens may have include...
- Av/Tech
- Crucifer
- Lay Assistant
- Reading
- Praise Band
- Sidespeople
- Server
May the Lord continue to watch over them as they serve within our parish and find their calling.
Blessings,
Rainoa Lonogan
| Billeting Request From Hakuna Matata Children's Choir | |
A request for billeting came from Hakuna Matata Children's Choir from Kenya as follows:
When we say “host the choir,” it means:
Full Hosting (Week Visit) If we are scheduled to stay in your area for a week, hosting would typically include:
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Accommodation (Monday to Monday) for approximately 15 children and 5 adult leaders. Usually through church members hosting small groups of children (2–3 per home), sometimes together with an adult
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Meals, with breakfast and dinner provided by host families, and simple lunch arrangements during the day
This model allows for deeper connection, cultural exchange, and additional ministry opportunities during the week.
We do not charge a performance fee
We usually request a love offering during the service/event to support our work with vulnerable children in Kenya
We are very flexible and happy to work within what is most comfortable and manageable for your church.
So far we have about three households that have offered to "host" billet the children and their adult chaperone. For this to work, we need more families from St. Cuthbert to offer their homes and hosting a.k.a. billeting.
If your house is open for this please let Rev. Monte (revmonte@stcuthbert.ca) know as we expect them to be here in September 2026.
| Children's Ministries Focus | |
Sunday School, Nursery and Life in Eucharist
At St. Cuthbert Anglican Church, we are passionate about nurturing children and youth in faith and creating a welcoming environment for families to grow spiritually together.
We are blessed to have ongoing children and youth formation opportunities within the parish, including:
- Sunday School classes designed to help children grow in their understanding of Scripture, prayer, faith, and Christian values in an engaging and age-appropriate environment.
- Life in the Eucharist classes, where children and youth are guided in learning more deeply about the Anglican faith, worship, sacraments, and life within the Church community.
- A functioning nursery available during services, providing parents with a safe, caring, and supportive space for younger children while families participate in worship with peace of mind.
Our desire is to continue building a strong, vibrant, and Christ-centered children’s ministry where every child feels welcomed, supported, encouraged, and connected within the life of the Church.
We warmly welcome families to participate and grow alongside us in faith and community.
Confirmation
St. Cuthbert Anglican Church is pleased to announce that we are preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation scheduled for December 2026.
Confirmation is an important step in the Christian journey, where individuals publicly affirm their faith, deepen their relationship with God, and strengthen their commitment to life within the Church community.
We are currently seeking children and youth who may be interested in preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Preparation classes will provide opportunities for participants to:
- grow in their understanding of the Christian faith,
- learn more deeply about the Anglican tradition and sacraments,
- ask questions and explore their faith,
- and develop spiritually within a supportive church community.
Parents and guardians who are interested in having their child participate are encouraged to express interest or reach out for additional information regarding eligibility, class schedules, and preparation timelines.
We look forward to walking alongside our children and youth as they continue growing in faith, leadership, and discipleship.
For additional information or to register interest, please contact the Children’s Ministry Team or speak with church leadership.
St. Cuthbert's Children Summer Day Camp
Our 2026 St. Cuthbert’s Summer Bible Camp, themed Powered Together by God, is quickly approaching, and we are incredibly excited for what promises to be a meaningful, faith-filled, and engaging experience for our children and youth.
This camp is more than just a week of activities — it is an opportunity to pour into the next generation, help children grow in their faith, build friendships, discover leadership, and experience the love of Christ in a joyful and welcoming environment.
As preparations continue, we are still seeking volunteers to support various areas of camp ministry, including:
- Small group leaders
- Camp counsellors
- Games & activities
- Crafts
- Worship/music support
- Kitchen & snack preparation
- Registration & greeting
- Setup & cleanup
- General camper support & supervision
We especially encourage parents to consider allowing and encouraging their youth children (Grades 7+) to volunteer. Camp volunteering is a wonderful opportunity for youth to:
- build leadership skills,
- serve the church community,
- develop confidence and responsibility,
- form meaningful friendships,
- and grow spiritually through service and mentorship.
At the same time, we are also in need of adult volunteers to help provide guidance, supervision, support, and stability throughout the week. Whether you are available for the full week, a single day, or a few hours, every contribution makes a difference and is deeply appreciated.
We also kindly ask that members of the parish continue sharing camp information with friends, neighbours, and family members who may be interested in registering their children. Our hope is to continue building a welcoming and vibrant children’s ministry community where every child feels seen, encouraged, and connected.
Thank you for your continued support, prayers, and willingness to invest in the spiritual growth of our children and youth. Together, we are helping build the next generation in faith, courage, leadership, and community.
Obie,
Director Children Formation
For more information, contact: obiea@stcuthbert.ca
| Seniors' Ministries Focus | | |
Thursday, May 28, 2026 @ 10:00am
John Charles Roper, Archbishop of Ottawa, 1940
Readings: Micah 6:6-8; Psalm 73:23-28; Matthew 25:31-40
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Men's Breakfast
Saturday, May 30 at 8:30 am
Breakfast & Fellowship
Please RSVP to Philip at philipaskenny@hotmail.com
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Anglican Church Women (A.C.W.)
Year End Pot-Luck
Monday, June 1 at 6:00 pm
At the home of Gail Revitt:604-584-8696
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Monthly Luncheon
Monday, June 8 at 12:00 noon
St. Cuthbert Hall. Cost $6.00/ person.
All welcome!
Contact Jan Wilmot: 604-584-0710
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Committees & Ministries Spotlight Months Focus | |
This week, the Children, Youth & Families Ministries Committee highlights our Youths & Young Adults Ministry, ably led by Rainoa Lonogan.
Youth Group:
Our motto for youth group is UNO:
Uplift
Nurture
Outreach.
We strive to provide opportunities for teens and young adults aged 13-25 to grow, lead, socialize and connect in faith!
Several social events are hosted each year. Whether it’s visiting a corn maze in the fall, cookie decorating in winter or a barbeque in summer, we’re happy to be together.
Youth Sundays:
Every 5th week of the month, teens participate and lead the service through song, speech and other contributions, and come this Sunday, the 31st of May, on Trinity Sunday to see the youth in action.
Young Adults:
St. Cuthbert’s is intentional in the formation of young adults in seven ministry factors of:
- Worship
- Innovation/Communication
- Hospitality
- Outreach
- Investment
- Leadership
- Congregational Particulars
For us the young adult stage of life encompasses the decades of the 20s and 30s and has a great deal of lifestyle diversity. At St. Cuthbert’s we believe that Young Adults have reached a life stage that calls for a lot of sorting. They have had twenty plus years of rules, roles, and responsibilities provided by parents, teachers, friends, media, pastors, and other key influencers. As they launch into adulthood, we endeavour to help them sort through all of that and decide what to take with them and what to leave behind, what to keep just as it is and what to reshape to suit their individual Christ-centered identities. Our key question as we seek to form them informed by Christ are these:
- Where does faith and religious practice fit in their sorting process?
- What factors lead to holistic integration of religious faith into our young adults’ identify, and life?
- What factors prompt them to leave religious faith and practice behind?
The spirituality of the young adults can be characterized by such words as exploratory, individualistic, personal, consequential (or not), meaningful (or not). The teenage years are predictive of their faith and religious practice. We believe that there are a host of reasons why participation in religious communities declines at this stage. There are many reasons why young adults disidentify with religion; and fall into these six separate profiles, or “Tribes.”
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Transitioning Believers: taking it with them.
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Wavering Believers: faith is unstable and fragile.
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Seekers: exploring something different from how they were raised.
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Unreached: have little or no experience with church.
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Indifferent: don’t see the relevance or feel the need.
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Alienated: suspicious of church and skeptical of Christian beliefs (Bergler).
Our hope is that as we walk with them we will get them to full maturity in Christ such that they become full partners in our walk with Christ.
| | ...........Adopt Newcomers Ministry now has a new Coordinator, has a revamped newcomers card, and is working on getting a newcomers package in place. | ...........Bereavement & Resilience Group meets twice a month, on the second and fourth Tuesdays. This ministry is still downloading. We have not yet set the start date. We will let you know as soon as we have set the date. |
Mission Conference 2026: Registration Open
Mission Conference 2026 takes place Saturday, May 30. The theme is “Moving in Mission, Guided by Spirit.” Archbishop Michael Curry, former presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, is the keynote speaker. Full conference details, including breakout session presenters, are available here.
All are welcome to register for this free conference. Register HERE.
Please find the Mission Conference PDF with extra details here.
| Our mail cubicles are overflowing. We still have Easter mail and other mail in the cubicles. Please take time to check your mail that is in the cubicles. They are sorted out in alphabetical order by the first letter of our last names. | | Thanks to Fraser Health, Barb Steele asked for more material from the immensely popular session on My Greensleeve and we got these extra material. If you need some for yourself please get in touch with Rev. Monte (revmonte@stcuthbert.ca). | |
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Our Mission Statement
“To seek and encourage growth as a Christ–Centred community, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to know God and to make God known
in word and deed.”
| | Community ~ Connection ~ Communication ~ Continuity ~ Compassion | | | | |
