1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

SPRING
2015
SEASONAL NEWSLETTER OF
KNOX UNITED CHURCH
PARKSVILLE, BC
Knox
KnoxNews
News
this issue
A Lenten Reflection: Regret P.2
Messy Church Returns P.3
Be Part of Knox Leadership P.5
“The real voyage of
discovery consists not
in seeking new
landscapes, but in
having new eyes.”
Imagine A Future… P.6
Good News From Zambia P.7
Decorating On A Grand Scale P.10
Easter Cookies Recipe P.12
Marcel Proust
our
VISION
Finding Our Way
As followers of Jesus Christ,
we seek to be an open, inclusive
and diverse community of faith
informed by the Christian Gospel
our
by Diane Therriault, Transition Team



Where are we?
How did we get here?
Where do we want to go?
MISSION
We equip ourselves and others
for Christian discipleship, that is:
 faithful to Jesus Christ;
 responsive to the needs of
the local and global
communities;
 inclusive of more than one
way of being a disciple;
 willing to journey with
people of every age, gender,
race, sexual orientation and
gender identity, mental or
physical ability, family
status, economic or cultural
background;
 sensitive to the shifting
realities of an inter-cultural
faith world;
 justice and compassion
seeking.
Being in transition seems a little
like taking a moment in the
middle of a busy day to centre
ourselves.
Knox officially entered into
transition when Jeri arrived in
the summer of 2014, and
unless we apply to extend our
transition period by an optional
third year, we are now one
quarter of the way through our
transition journey. This is illustrated on the timeline displayed
in the lounge.
In our first six months in transiion, we have spent some time
introducing ourselves to and
getting to know Jeri, and continuing with many of our familiar
traditions like Fall Fair and Fowl
Supper. We have also begun a
series of events to answer the
questions:
At our first transition event In
November, Discovering Together, we had lunch together and
then, in small groups, explored
what matters to us about
church. The participants’ written offerings are posted on a
mural in the hallway opposite
the coat rack.
In early January, in response to
a short survey, people shared
how long they had been at
Knox, what they felt were
strengths of Knox, and past
events/experiences that made
them uncomfortable.
Our February event, Discovering Who We Have Been, involved lunch together and then
working in small groups to
share our experiences and perspectives. We described what
Knox and the surrounding com-
munity was like for us when we
each started attending Knox.
We also named important
events in the life of Knox, why
these events are important, and
what we learned. We finished
by naming both a burden we felt
needed to be laid down and a
hope for the future. We each
wrote three hopes for Knox on
cards that are now on display in
a cloud mural in the lounge.
The other results of these two
sessions have also been tabulated and will be made available
to the congregation.
Planning for upcoming events is
under way. On March 14th
there will be a healing and dialogue event led by an experienced facilitator. The following
weekend, there will be an afternoon service on March 22nd,
entitled Discovering God’s
Healing Love. From there, we
hope to be able to move on to
Discovering Our Dreams. 
KnoxNews
is published four times a
year and is distributed to
the Knox congregation in
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formats in full colour.
Copy relevant and appropriate for our congregation
is welcomed and is subject
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DEADLINES
Summer ..... May 10/15
Autumn ....... Aug 10/15
Winter ......... Nov 10/15
Spring ..........Feb 10/15
OFFICE
Knox United Church
345 Pym St
Parksville, BC V9P 1C8
250-248-3927
[email protected]
www.kucparksville.ca
EDITOR
[email protected]
250-954-3883
2
A Lenten Reflection: Regret
by Jeri Bjornson, Interim Minister
Regret. Who among us lives
with no regrets? My guess?
No one. Who among us wishes we lived a life in which there
were nothing to regret? My
guess? Everyone. Of course
we regret things in our lives –
big things and little things.
Some time ago, I came across
a TEDtalk by Kathrine Schultz,
a writer from the US, entitled,
“Don’t Regret Regrets.” The
first image in this TEDtalk is of
Johnny Depp’s shoulder. While
Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder were a couple, he got a tattoo. It read ‘Winona Forever.’
Then they broke up. He, of
course, regretted the tattoo and
had it changed. He now sports
a tattoo that reads ‘Wino Forever.’
Schultz then reveals that she
too has a tattoo that she
regrets and has regretted since
the minute she got it. She
points out that she and Johnny
Depp and about 7 million other
Americans between the ages of
16-50 have tattoos they regret.
What does this have to do with
our regrets? Schultz says of
herself, “I had drunk our great
cultural Kool-Aid about regret,
which is that lamenting things
that occurred in the past is an
absolute waste of time, that we
should always look forward and
not backward, and that one of
the noblest and best things we
can do is strive to live a life free
of regrets.” She then reminds
us that some things are worth
remembering – including some
of our regrets. Why? Because
our regrets can teach us something about ourselves and may
even be a guide to being a
better self. As she says, “Regret doesn’t remind us that we
did badly. It reminds us that we
know we can do better.”
Is this not a large part of the
Christian message? Does our
God not promise to forgive us,
not matter what we have done?
Are we not reminded, again and
again, that one of the essential
ingredients of a life well lived is
forgiveness – God forgiving us
and our forgiving others? And,
is it not true that many of the
things we regret are not as ugly
as we believe them to be? Just
as Schultz’s tattoo turns out not
to be as ugly as she has let us
to believe.
As you make your Lenten journey, making room for Easter,
consider:
 What do you regret?
 What can you do about it?
 What can you learn from
your regrets with not getting stuck in them?
If you would like to see
Schultz’s TEDtalk, here’s the
link:
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v+=ka8L1YMR88U or
search for Kathrine Schultz
Regrets. 
&
by George Pearson, Chair
had an Ash Wednesday
worship service.
Look for
further details on Easter plans
in the upcoming bulletins.
There have been a few recent
changes in committee membership with Bill & Lynne Ross
leaving and Margaret Warburton joining the committee. We
thank Bill & Lynne for their
contribution to the committee
and wish them well for the
future. We will miss them.
We had a season of great
Advent/Christmas services.
The Longest Night Service
(formerly Blue Christmas) was
attended by about 35 and the
afternoon timing seemed to
attract people who prefer not to
travel in the evening. We were
very pleased with how all three
Christmas services turned out,
with about 305 people
attending the 7 pm service and
about 40 people attending each
of the 4 pm and 11 pm
services. The 7 pm service
included a very lively Christmas
pageant with participation of
many volunteers, along with the
choir, the hand-bell choir and
candle lighting. Joan Paton
played piano and Rheana
Slack was our guest violinist at
all three services.
The Music Leader/Accompanist
position was discussed at a
meeting of the congregation,
and then subsequently approved by Council.
It is
currently being advertised on
the Knox website and through
other media. I am very pleased
that Sandra Veenstra and Joan
Paton have agreed to continue
providing music leadership
through to late spring, pending
arrangements being made to fill
the music leader position.
This committee is currently
dealing with a number of items
including inclusiveness in scripture readings; the shortage of
volunteers for the Oceanside
Care Home ministry, of which
Knox is a participant; Sunday
morning hosting/security; policy
respecting hand-shaking; recording and posting sermons
on the website, sanctuary
aesthetics; signage; and a
planned children’s hand-bell
day camp. 
After a brief hiatus, Messy
Church has returned to
provide a fun-filled family
experience outside of the
usual Sunday worship. Under
the leadership of Brenda
Riley, a group of Knox
volunteers offer a meal that is
shared by all, some fun crafts
& games, and worship all
rolled into one enjoyable
evening.
If you know of any children or
families that might enjoy trying
out this alternative worship,
please let them know that
Messy Church is offered the
first Friday of the month. We
appreciate it if people let the
church office know at least a
few days ahead of time if they
will be attending so that we
know how many to plan the
evening for.
If you would like to volunteer
for this ministry to get a sense
of what Messy Church is all
about, please contact Brenda
Riley at [email protected] or
250-586-4300.
Rev. Dr. Bruce McIntyre agreed
to provide ministerial supply for
February services when Jeri
was away.
Plans are being formulated for
Lent and Easter services. We
3
Renewal season will soon be upon us! Cathy McNeil is Knox’s Observer
Rep and will be getting in touch with current subscribers when dues are
owed. For those not currently receiving this award-winning magazine,
please check it out in our magazine rack in front of the office. You will
more than likely find it an interesting read and will give you a broader
knowledge of the United Church. By being part of our group
subscription, you will only pay $20 for your annual subscription. A
subscription also makes a great gift!
Thanks to our wonderful
Property Chair, Margaret
Warburton, and our handiest
of all men, Les Dabb, the
Prayer Shawl Ministry has now
found a home for all of our
yarn and shawls in Room 5
where we meet once a month.
We want the congregation to
understand that this ministry is
all of us, so if you know of
someone who may benefit
from the comfort of one of our
shawls, you are welcome to
choose one from the cupboard in Room 5 where they
are now all hanging. We ask
that if you do remove a shawl
though, that you fill in the information that we keep for
reporting purposes. There is a
blue duo-tang in the cupboard, which you will fill in.
There are also bags and tissue paper. Please ensure one
of our cards is attached and
please write whatever you
think is appropriate in the card,
naming the Knox congregation as the giver.
Attitude
by Gerry Garnett, Council Chair
First the guy trips me, then I get
hacked on the ankles. Doesn’t
that guy know this is a group of
men playing shinny for fun? He
better smarten up!
Don, the organizer of the group,
a Mennonite, kept reminding us
that it’s our attitude that’s impor
-tant, so I kept hoping that guy
was listening and would shape
up. One evening when we arrived at the rink, we heard that
our young friend, Don, had suddenly passed away.
We are also happy to announce that Lesley Lauzer is
the new Coordinator for this
ministry. She does not own a
computer, so you have to
contact her ‘old-style’ by calling her at 250-248-2599 if you
have any questions.
That led me to think about the
life he had shared with us and it
was only then that I realized
that the message about attitude
was for me. It was MY attitude
that mattered. I need to be
open, accepting and forgiving.
Sometimes it takes a while for
things to sink in.
Join us the last Monday of the
month from 1-2 pm for fun and
fellowship (guys are allowed,
too)!
Last December, my wife (Kathleen) and I attended a concert
and heard Don Amero sing his
song “Forever Young”. He was
4
featured in a documentary
“Canada Heart & Soul” and
spoke of his inspiration for that
song. “I’m fine with the exterior
getting older and wrinkles and
getting grey hair, but I’m not
okay with the idea that I can’t
stay young on the inside. I
believe that you can.”
His beautiful lyrics are the
words of a grandpa speaking to
his grandson in a dream about
his own experience.
The young man inside will
always be with you.
Don’t let the young man
fade away.
Don’t let him fall asleep.
He wants to stay awake,
Live to fight another day.
Don’t let the young man
fade away.
How are we approaching our
life as we age and the world
around us that continues to
change? I can’t run like I used
to. My hair is no longer dark
brown.
But what about my
mind? My attitude? Am I still
seeking peace in the world inclusiveness, forgiveness, care
for the earth and my neighbour,
like I dreamed of many years
ago? I hope so.
There will always be a way that
our youthful vision can stay alive and make a difference.
Perhaps we can no longer protest in front of an embassy,
write essays or go on an overseas mission, but we can still
share our spiritual gifts with
others and pass on our personal experiences and our vision, if
only with one other person.
Attitude.
Before we realize it, we will be
at the mid-way point on our
journey of transition. We are
working together to set the
future direction for our community of faith. On June 17th, we
will have our next annual
meeting, and over the next few
months we will be looking for
leadership for the coming year.
Let us continue to share our
energy, our experiences, our
knowledge and our vision as we
travel hand-in-hand, side-byside. 
W IN
BLE NO FICE!
A
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$3
Be Part of Knox Leadership
by Lynne Pearson, Nominating Committee Chair
Have you ever wondered how
people become chairs of committees or part of the Knox
United Church Council? It’s
easy – just let the Nominations
Committee know you are interested. The Nominating Committee is responsible for finding
people for positions on Council,
Trustees and Ministry & Personnel Committee, and then
recommending the names to
the congregation for approval.
At the congregational meeting
in June 2014, the members of
this year’s Nominations Committee were elected by the congregation. They are Ken Fanning, Wayne Larson, Marilou
Paterson, and Lynne Pearson.
Knox United Church is governed by a Council, which provides
leadership in the care and oversight of the life of the congregation. It is elected by and reports to the congregation. Mem
-bership consists of a Chair,
Vice-Chair or Past Chair,
Treasurer, Secretary, Chairs of
Committees, four Presbytery
Representatives, men’s and
women’s groups representatives, as well as the Minister.
The Council meets monthly,
except for July and August, and
may have special meetings if
required.
Currently, the Council has two
vacancies – Chair of Communications and one Presbytery Representative.
The Chair of Communications
helps inform the congregation
and the wider community about
the life and work of Knox. We
currently have excellent people
who do the newsletter, manage
the website, coordinate posters,
and oversee Observer subscriptions. The Office Administrator does the Knox Weekly eblast, Sunday’s bulletin, Annual
Report, newspaper ads and
looks after the bulletin board.
What we need is a Chair who
can seek the advice of these
people and help Council make
our internal and external communications even more effective.
Presbytery Representatives
are responsible for maintaining
regular communication between
Presbytery and the congrega-
tion by attending Presbytery
meetings and Church Council
meetings. Knox is allowed four
representatives and three of the
positions are filled. We require
a fourth representative.
Trustees play an important
leadership role in all United
churches. Two of our seven
Trustees have recently had to
resign due to moving and work
load. Trustees oversee Knox’s
legal obligations. They meet as
required and report to the
Council. One of the Trustees
serves on Council.
If you are interested in any of
the above four positions, or
would just like more information, please contact Lynne
Pearson at 250-951-2353 or
[email protected].
At the end of June, several
additional positions may become vacant. In a few weeks,
the Nominating Committee will
begin identifying future vacant
positions and searching for
people who can fill those positions. Information about the
positions to be filled will be in
future bulletins and the Knox
Weekly e-blast. 
DIRECTORY CHANGES
If you bought the first edition
of the 2015 directory, these
are the changes you will need
to make. We will bring you
updates/corrections so you
can keep up to date.
Sandy Dunn
Cell: 250 927-1146
Jim & Anne George
[email protected]
David Gooden
[email protected]
Gordon & Kathy Grand
delete cell #
Pat & Sharon Ives
(remove current email)
[email protected]
[email protected]
Judith Koeleman
wrong picture (sorry Judith!)
Marge Leffler
new address
Stanford Place
250 Craig St
Parksville, BC V9P 0A7
(no longer has email access)
Garth Martin
Cell (Mr.) 250-927-6400
Bill & Alison Stewart
Since printing, Bill has died.
Jenn (not Jennie) Warburton
Both 1st & 2nd editions
have these incorrect.
Adele Paruk
[email protected]
Beth Richards
Incorrect surname with picture
under Bob Strother.
Under Ministries & Contacts
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Lesley Lauzer
United Church Women
Brenda Carvell
5
TEAM KNOX: Allen Brown, Norma Emerson, Jenn Warburton, June McIntyre, Betty Harrower, Brenda & Dennis Riley,
Phyllis Fanning, Mary Allison Bell, Pat Cousins, Ken Fanning, Marilou Paterson, Karon Wilson.
Coldest Night Team Knox
collected around $600 in
donations - yeah team! (See
their picture on right). This
was Parksville’s first event and
as a city, we raised around
$25,000. Knox was the start
and finish line, with about 150
walkers and 30 volunteers
taking part in the 2, 5 & 10 km
options. It’s wonderful that the
money raised stays in the
community it’s raised in to
support homelessness efforts.

Imagine a Future for
Israel & Palestine
Beyond Fear and Violence
by Sallie Dabb, Outreach Co-Chair
New Face in
the Office
Kathleen Howard has been
hired as the Relief Administrator and will be working every
Friday starting March 1st.
Kathleen has been a church
secretary for three different
churches in the Victoria area
for 10+ years, so she brings a
wealth of knowledge to the job
and will be a great support for
Brigitte!
6
Professor Jeff Halper, a Jewish
-American Israeli, recently
made a cross-Canada tour
under the sponsorship of the
United and Anglican Churches
of Canada, The Canadian
Friends of Sabeel, and The
Canadian Friends Service
Committee.
Dr. Halper has been an Israeli
citizen for 40+ years. Now
retired, he taught anthropology
at the Ben Gurion and Haifa
Universities in Israel. In 2006
he was nominated for the Nobel
Peace Prize.
He founded and is still a very
active member of the Israeli
Committee Against House
Demolitions (ICAHD) and his
recent talk in Nanaimo was how
this organization helps Palestinians whose homes have been
demolished.
So far 48,000
homes have been demolished
since 1967 for security reasons.
Dr. Halper believes that only
1% had anything to do with
security.
One family, a couple with 7 children, were given just 15 minutes to take their possessions
out of their house before it was
destroyed. Because the father
protested, he was beaten. The
ICAHD decided to rebuild this
house, but just before the new
roof was installed, the soldiers
came again to demolish it.
Since then it has been rebuilt
and demolished six times.
Rebuilding may seem like a
futile operation, but there are
still 185 homes standing that
were rebuilt, and the organization wants the world to know
they will not give up!
Dr. Halper also spoke of a solu-
tion to the Israeli/Palestinian
conflict. He believes that the
idea of two separate states has
passed. There are 200 Jewish
settlements and 600,000
Israelis already living in the
occupied territory. The answer
could be one State where
Arabs and Jews have equal
rights. No more fighting. A
democratic state. Around the
world there is a movement
named BDS meaning Boycott,
Divestment and Sanctions regarding Israel.
Dr. Halper
would like BDS to mean Binational Democratic State.
I could write so much more
about Dr. Halper’s talk. If you
would like more information on
the ICAHD or Jeff Halper, go to
www.icahd.org. You could sign
up to join the organization in its
rebuilding efforts in Palestine!

Our United Church Creed
asks us to “Live with respect
in Creation”.
Saturday, March 28th
9:30 to noon
Many hands make quick work of
what needs to be done in the
church garden and yard.
Bring your favourite tools.
Come when you are able
during the time frame, but
plan to stay for a soup lunch!
Several tasks were completed in the Fall.
Stan
Nestibo pruned shrubs and
hedges. Linda Mergens has
taken on care of the Meditation Garden and Linda
Nelson now looks after the
garden area to the right of the
front door, including the flower boxes. New rhodos have
been planted in front of office
windows, thanks to a dona-ion
by Martha Pow’s neighbours.
Please direct questions to
Marilou Paterson
250-248-3085.
Good News From Zambia!
by June McIntryre
says, “God has been faithful in
watching over me and my
family.”
We have received good news
from our dear “Face to Face”
friend, the Rev. Martha Siame,
of Zambia. It is hard to believe
that several years have gone
by since Martha arrived with
joyful enthusiasm for a two
week stay in our congregation!
At that time, Martha was
pursuing her education towards
becoming an ordained minister
in the United Church in Zambia.
She has succeeded in her goal,
and also has two very fine
sons.
Sadly, her husband
Pathias was killed in a motor
vehicle accident five years ago,
so life for Martha and her
young family has not been
easy.
However, as Martha
The “good news” is that on
October 26th, 2014, Martha was
elected as Presbytery Bishop
for Eastern Province in Zambia,
and she assumed these duties
on January 1st, 2015. Martha is
the only female among nine
other bishops and she will be in
charge of six consistories. It
means that Martha and her two
sons will relocate so she may
carry out her new responsibilities. (This is the position
held by her late husband at the
time of his death.) Martha asks
for our prayers as she assumes
this new and exciting challenge.
By the way, Martha fondly
remembers the effort Sarah
Boulet and her grandfather,
Clay Schaning, made in order
for Martha to be provided with
transportation so she would no
longer need to travel throughout
her parish on a bicycle!
May God continue to bless
Martha in her ministry! 
A huge thank you goes out to
a few folks who worked for
three days on a long needed
clean up of the kitchen cupboards. Everything was removed from all cupboards and
organized onto tables in the
lounge. The cupboards were
scrubbed inside and out.
Duplicate or unneeded items
were sorted into boxes for Fall
Fair. The items that we kept
were then returned to the cupboards, after much deliberation over what should go
where. Some things are in
new places and there is a system in place on how to find
things. Everything is explained on the kitchen bulletin
board. Your support in keeping things tidy is appreciated.
7
Prayers of gratitude for these
lives that have touched ours,
and prayers of peace for the
many friends and families
grieving their loss.
Ronald Keith Lindsay
Oct 4/24 - Dec 12/14
Robert Kenneth Baird
Jan 29/47 - Dec 26/14
CHECK
 IT OUT
by Marg Conn
efit of belonging to CLABC.
William Alexander Stewart
Nov 18/38 - Jan 30/15
May light perpetually shine
upon them.

On December 10th we had
our Cookies Cuz We Care
project sponsored by
Pastoral Care and the
UCW.
We had 3,000
cookies come in, close to
100 trays were delivered,
and 35 volunteers were
recruited to pack and
decorate trays and then to
deliver the trays.
The
congregation responded
with such heartfelt generosity as usual! Thanks to all
involved.
from Mary-Anne Slack
The library group is very involved in plans for the annual
conference of the Church Library Association of BC. The
conference is hosted by the
Vancouver Island North (VIN)
chapter which stretches from
Nanaimo to Campbell River.
Our very own Jeri Bjornson will
be the keynote speaker and
has inspired our theme,
“Change and Renewal”. We
will be selling books from the
United Church Resource Distribution Center at the conference
and hope to sell them at church
after the conference.
Allen
Brown will also be selling
Canadiana fiction written by his
brother, Eric.
There will be two speakers on
computer cataloguing data programs. This will be very helpful
to us, as we are researching
such a program for our library.
We will have an afternoon forum on the topics:
 Policies for Change and
Renewal
 Current Trends in Christian
Literature, and
 Men in the Church Library
There will be ample opportunity
for networking, a valuable ben-
8
Church Library
Association of
BC (CLABC)
Conference
April 18, 2015
at Knox
In conference planning, we
often remark how much easier
it is to have conference at a
member church.
We feel
blessed to be in our church
community and to be able to
rely on so many members of
the church and the library
committee for support in a
variety of ways. In working with
others, we learn of their talents
and passions, some of them
delightful surprises. We would
like to extend A BIG THANK
YOU to the many members of
Knox who are contributing to
this conference.
THE LIBRARY CREW
The library always welcomes
new members and ‘friends of
the library’. Members meet on
the first Thursday afternoon of
the month, alternating between
business meetings and work
parties. The work parties are
fun because we chat as we
work and have goodies. Maybe we do less work at work
parties than at business meetings! Friends can join us anytime for any of our activities.
We are grateful to two such
friends, Donna Kennedy and
Nicole Aube, who helped at the
Fall Fair book table and with
preparing our baskets for the
Perfect Gift Craft Fair.
AUTHOR FOCUS
Richard Rohr was recently on
Oprah’s program, Super Soul
Sunday. Some of his books
that we have in the library are:
248 ROH - Everything Belongs
248 ROH - Falling Upward
233 ROH - Immortal Diamond
233 ROH - The Naked Now
Marcus Borg died recently and
there have been many tributes
to him online. Some of his
books that we have in the
library are:
263 BOR - The First Christmas
270 BOR - The First Paul
263 BOR - The God We Never
Knew
230 BOR - The Heart of
Christianity
232 BOR Jesus
232 BOR - Jesus at 2000
232 BOR - The Last Week
232 BOR - The Meaning of
Jesus
232 BOR - Meeting Jesus
Again for the First
Time
220 BOR - Reading the Bible
Again for the First
Time
F BOR - Putting Away Childish
Things 
U
N
SISTERS
T
E
D
–
by Gayle Haughn
Mark your calendar as we look forward to another successful plant sale this spring. It's an
enjoyable “friendraiser” involving gardeners and non-gardeners. We need you!
Gardeners: As you look over your plants and start thinning them out, we ask that you pot
up some donations for Knox. Please include name, colour, size, etc on a plant tag. Help
yourself to pots in the bin at the church beside the white shed. Pot donations of all sizes
(except 3 inch) are appreciated - “dusted out” please.
Non Gardeners: There are lots of ways to lend a helping hand! Volunteer sign-up lists
will be posted on the wall in mid-March.
We welcome garden tools and gadgets as well. All donations are to be dropped off at
Knox on Friday, April 24th. Please plan to join in the fun. Questions? Ideas? Suggestions? Contact Sandy Dunn [email protected] or 250-248-6393.
UCW News
by Brenda Carvell
On Oct 29th, we gathered at
the home of Thelma Denninger to celebrate her 86th birthday (see picture below).
Soon after that event, Thelma
broke her hip, spent time in the
hospital and is now in Dufferin
Place. She welcomes visitors.
Thelma always gave her tire-
less devotion to everything involved in the kitchen and her
group who knit for overseas
missions.
In January, we celebrated the
96th birthday of Madge Highfield who is the the oldest
active member of our congregation.
We also held our AGM where
Martha Pow stepped down as
President after five years. We
thanked her for her dedication
and cheerful energy. She is
still the contact person for catering and I am the new President.
The UCW and Pastoral Care
catered and hosted the appreciation luncheon on Feb 12th
that was well attended.
We are always seeking and
pleased to welcome new ladies
to join us on the second Tuesday of each month at 1:30 pm
in the lounge. 
The Sisters United meeting in
December was about sharing
our Christmas stories from the
past.
In keeping with the
sharing, it was also decided to
share some of our monies.
The recipients of our donations were Live Differently,
Manna Homelessness Society
and Mercy Ships.
After some discussion, it was
decided to alternate our meetngs from evening to noon, enabling people to come that
preferred not to drive at night.
January was a noon gathering and was very well received. The coordinators did an
amazing job of setting the
theme based on the new season of Downton Abbey. We
were also very fortunate to
have Jo Dunn and Jane
Walker showing slides of their
experiences in Mexico,
building homes in the autumn
heat.
February coordinators also did
a fantastic job! The theme
was “Live, Laugh and Love”,
celebrating Valentine’s Day.
We all felt we were back in
public school at our Valentine’s Party!
Stay tuned for further information regarding times of
meeting and programs, which
are ever-changing! Remember, all are welcome! 
9
Valentine
Appreciation
Luncheon
A Success
by Mary Allison Bell
Decorating On A Grand Scale
by Barb Roberts, Aesthetics Committee
What a team! The UCW &
Pastoral Care hosted another
successful Valentine Appreciation luncheon. Mary-Anne
Slack set the scene with her
wonderful table decorations,
which featured old photos and
favorite tunes from the past.
It was suggested by one table
that we sing some of the old
songs. The meal started with
a song of grace and some of
the tables were brave enough
to break out in song. Hostesses and some of the guests
wore red, adding to the
theme. We served close to
55 meals and delivered two.
The entrée was a chicken pot
pie or gluten-free pizza, and
salads were provided by the
UCW. Pastoral Care did the
dessert of angel food cake
with lemon sauce and
whipped cream.
There were new, old and
young faces. (See below this
special photo taken of all that
attended who were 90 years
plus.) We hope everyone enjoyed visiting and meeting
others of our wonderful Knox
family. A big thanks to our
‘taxi’ drivers and to everyone
who helped make this a success.
10
Should we paint the kitchen
yellow or green? Should we
buy the mahogany desk or the
oak one? Should we hang that
picture in the hallway or in the
office? Should we put blinds on
the windows or curtains?
Should we update the kitchen
or leave it as it is? Should we
plant flowers or shrubs in the
garden? Should we cover the
table with a linen cloth or leave
it bare?
Have you ever had these kinds
of discussions with the folks
with whom you share your
home? Do you always agree?
We're thinking perhaps not!
Now
try
multiplying
that
conversation and having it with
about 200 people and see if
you get instant agreement.
If there's one thing that we're
learning as we go through a
period of transition at Knox, it's
that this is a VERY diverse
congregation and not everyone
agrees on everything.
The
varied tastes, desires and
Back Row (L-R): Ron Thierry, Aileen
Budd, Betty Harrower, Herb Wilkie,
Gordon Thompson
Seated (L-R): Flora Corman, Madge
Highfield, Marge Leffler, Frances Barnum
opinions that we bring into most
conversations around this place
are applied to our physical
environment as well.
Some people want simple and
serene decor.
Others are
looking for a wee bit more
pizzazz. Some people want to
see lots of things hung on the
walls. Others prefer to see the
walls uncluttered.
Some
people want easy care shrubs
on our grounds. Others look
forward to the brilliance of
flowers blooming in our garden.
Obviously, someone has to
make a decision when varying
requests around building decor
are presented. With this in
mind, some time ago an
Aesthetics Sub-Committee was
formed to assist the Property
Committee in planning and
maintaining the physical condition of the building and grounds
to ensure safety and aesthetic standards are met.
The duties of the Aesthetics Committee are as folows:
1. Make recommen dations to Property
Committee on paint
and decor colours
including the frequency of repainting.
2. Oversee all attachments onto walls
including signage.
3. Oversee purchasing
or acceptance of
furniture.
4. Oversee purchasing
or acceptance of
artwork.
5. Choosing appropriate
window coverings.
6. Planning and overseeing
of building renovations.
7. Approval of appropriate
plants and flowers for the
grounds.
8. Planning and overseeing
liturgical decorations.
The current members of this
committee
are
Margaret
Warburton
(Chair),
Phyllis
Fanning,
Lynn
Holloway,
Brenda Riley and Barb Roberts.
If you have any questions,
concerns or requests in regard
to the aesthetics of our church
building or grounds, you are
invited to contact any member
of the committee. We thank
you for your suggestions,
support and understanding as
we go about this challenging
task. 
Sam Stevens
Lisa Holmgren
Wills, Power of Attorney
Estate and Conveyancing
#326- 198 Island Hwy E
Parksville, BC V9P 2G9
250-248-8220
[email protected]
www.stevenslaw.ca
Nerds of Pray Update
by Barry Ainslie, Tech Team Coordinator
It would seem that not one
person wants “Chief Nerd”
Ainslie’s job! At least all has
been quiet on that front and no
amount of advertising has
provided a replacement. On
that note, perhaps it is time to
start thinking about a regimen
that will not require a lot of
direction from one person
assigned with the overall
responsibility of managing our
tech capabilities.
To give everyone an idea of
what is required, here is a short
list of what is needed:
 Oversight of service preparation weekly, including
scheduling at least 3-4
people capable of same on
a Mac computer (at least 4
hrs/wk)
 Oversight of at least 3-4
people to manage sound
and lighting for those same
services (2-3 hrs/wk)
 Operating and servicing of
sound and lighting equipment, plus monitoring of
those trained to operate
same (1-2 hrs/wk)
 Monitoring, liaising with the
Office Administrator, scheduling and managing all tech-
nical requirements for those
“non-service” functions
planned by church members and all “outside” users
(1-2 hrs/wk), (which should
be read as 1-2 hrs/wk, 52
weeks a year).
Sounds simple doesn’t it? It
really could be, but at times it is
not. For example, recently we
have had serious lighting
issues, both in the sanctuary
and in the chancel that have
occupied a great deal of our
time. Members of the choir will
know what I am talking about
as we have a number of stage
lights burned out, leaving some
risers poorly lit. One or two of
our outside users have commented on this as well. These
are professional stage lights
that require some expense,
time and energy to replace and
install. A large number of our
microphone cables needed to
be repaired in the last couple of
weeks. Also, several “in floor”
sound connectors and cables
need a thorough checkup, as
they are not functioning correctly.
Bear with us folks.
Your
patience while we work through
these technical issues will be
greatly appreciated! 
Support our
advertisers
that support us
11
EASTER STORY COOKIES
Ingredients:
1 c whole pecans
1 tsp vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 c sugar
upcoming events
World Day of Prayer (Catholic Church of the Ascension)
Fri, Mar 6th
2 pm
Spring Lecture Series (The Value of the Youth Voice)
Tue, Mar 3rd
11:30 am-1 pm
International Women’s Day
Sun, Mar 8th
10 am
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Spring Lecture Series (My Neighbour On The Street)
Tue, Mar 10th
11:30 am-1 pm
Place pecans in zippered baggie and
let children beat them with a wooden
spoon or pastry roller to break into
small pieces. Explain that after Jesus
was arrested, He was beaten by the
Romans soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.
Discovering a Path Toward Healing
Sat, Mar 14th
12:30-3:30 pm
Spring Lecture Series (Reducing Stigmas Around Mental Health)
Tue, Mar 17th
11:30 am-1 pm
The Mystery of God
Sat, Mar 21st
9:30 am-3:30 pm
Discovering God’s Healing Love
Sun, Mar 22nd
3-4 pm
Spring Lecture Series (Towards Understanding)
Tue, Mar 24th
11:30 am-1 pm
Spring Church Yard & Gardens Clean-Up
Sat, Mar 28th
9:30 am-12:30 pm
Palm/Passion Sunday
Sun, Mar 29th
10 am
Maundy (Holy) Thursday (incl washing of feet)
Thu, Apr 2nd
7 pm
Good Friday Worship Service
Fri, Apr 3rd
10 am
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1
tsp vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain
that when Jesus was thirsty on the
cross, He was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His
life to give us life. Read John 10:1011.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s
hand. Let them taste it and brush the
rest into the bowl. Explain that this
represents the salty tears shed by
Jesus’ followers and the bitterness of
our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.
Easter Sunday (communion & healing stations) - bring flowers! Sun, Apr 5th
10 am
Earth Sunday
Sun, Apr 19th
10 am
Spring Plant Sale
Sat, Apr 25th
9 am-12 pm
Mother’s Day/Christian Family Sunday
Sun, May 10th
10 am
Add 1 c sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died
because He loves us. He wants us to
know and belong to Him. Read Ps.
34:8 & John 3:16.
Ascension Sunday
Sun, May 17th
10 am
Victoria Day - OFFICE CLOSED
Mon, May 18th
ALL DAY
Day of Pentecost
Sun, May 24th
10 am
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 1215 mins until stiff peaks are formed.
Explain that the color white represents
the purity in God’s eyes of those whose
sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isa. 1:18 & John 3:1-3.
Trinity Sunday
Sun, May 31st
10 am
Centering Prayer - Contact: Ruth MacKenzie
250-248-2100, [email protected]
every Thu.
10-11 am
Choir Practice - Contact: Sandra Veenstra
250-752-2948, [email protected]
every Wed.
7-9 pm
Cleaners - Contact: Margaret Warburton
250-951-0538, [email protected]
every Fri. or Sat.
9 am-noon
Grief Support Group - Contact: Yvonne Sinnott
250-752-4722, [email protected]
every Wed.
4-5 pm
Healing Ministry - Contact church office
250-248-3927 to book an appointment
Tue. & Fri.
various times
Men’s Club - Contact: John Brownell
250-947-9359, [email protected]
3rd Thu./mo.
no summer mtgs
8 am-breakfast mtg
Messy Church - Contact: Mary Ellen Campbell
250-752-0868, [email protected]
1st Fri./mo
5:30-7:30 pm
Prayer Shawl Ministry - Contact: Lesley Lauzer
250-248-2599
last Mon./mo.
1-2 pm
Sisters United - Contact: Gayle Haughn
250-951-2254, [email protected]
1st Mon./mo.
11:30 am-lunch mtg
5:30 pm-dinner mtg
United Church Women (UCW) - Contact: Brenda Carvell
250-248-3845, [email protected]
2nd Tue./mo.
1:30 pm
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by tbsp onto
wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the
rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was
laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close
the door and turn the oven OFF. Give
each child a piece of tape and seal the
oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb
was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.
GO TO BED! Explain that they may
feel sad to leave the cookies in the
oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were
in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 & 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and
give everyone a cookie. Notice the
cracked surface and take a bite. The
cookies are hollow! On the first Easter,
Jesus’ followers were amazed to find
the tomb open and empty. Read Matt.
28:1-9.
Used with permission from Women
Living Well Ministries
www.womenlivingwell.org
12
ongoing activities