Welcome to St. John the Baptist Anglican Church

Christmas Services

Christmas Day, December 25:

10:00 AM:     Celebration of the Nativity

December 29:

10:00 AM:     First Sunday after Christmas

Sunday, January 5th 2025

10:00 AM: Epiphany

Please note that the office will be closed from;

December 24th, 2024,

until January 5th, 2025.

We will reopen January 6th, 2025.

We gather in worship on Sundays at 10AM, with coffee time shared after the service.

Our worship service is Holy Communion also known as The Lord's Supper, Eucharist or The Mass.

The fourth Sunday of every month is celebrated with a soup and sandwich lunch held after the 10AM service.

We offer a Zoom link and a Livestream for the Sunday services if you cannot physically make it to church. Our worship includes Bible readings, prayers, sermon and songs.

You do not have to be baptized, or familiar with church procedures, to be welcome among us.
If we can help you by praying for you, whether you come to church or not, please contact our priest the Rev. Canon Dr. John Alfred Steele.

We are an Anglican parish in the Diocese of British Columbia - The Diocese of Islands and Inlets - and a member of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Can't make it to the service in in the church? Want to see what happens during Sunday service?

Join us on our Livestream!

VIMEO LINK: - St John the Baptist - Fourth Sunday of Advent - December 22, 2024

We also offer ZOOM for anyone interested!

Come and see what we're all about!

ZOOM: https://bc-anglican-ca.zoom.us/j/594912693?pwd=M2p5Ry9Dam1yNEl1Vzh5NlFzZDdkQT09

Zoom Link 594 912 693

PW 338946

Year B - After Pentecost - Proper 27 - Revised Common Lectionary (vanderbilt.edu)

• We are thankful for:

  • the beauty of the land and waters of Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, and the special relationship that people enjoy with the natural environment
  • the identities and cultural practices that indigenous peoples long have maintained, and for their increasing political voice
  • how the people have welcomed new immigrants
  • how churches have witnessed and worked together ecumenically, especially amid challenges of apathy in highly secularized societies.

  We pray for:

  • churches to have the imagination, skills and energy to build bridges of understanding in increasingly multireligious and multicultural contexts
  • those who work tirelessly on issues of justice for the poor, the marginalized and the dispossessed, especially indigenous peoples
  • those seeking refuge and a new life in these countries, and those supporting and providing for them
  • careful preservation of the fragile land, sea, and resources.

Prayer for the Side-lined, Lost and Over-looked People.

Holy One, may your Realm of Love come for
the insignificant, unremarkable, over-looked people of the world;
for the un-noticed and simply ordinary people;
back-water sort of people who will never make much impact.
For them
MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.

Holy One, may your Realm of Love come for
those who are lost; who have disappeared or are missing;
for the up-rooted, exiled and enslaved ;
lost-rights sort of people who will seldom be seen or heard.
For them
MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.

Holy One, may your Realm of Love come for
the fearful, the terrorised and the abused people of the world;
those who are unjustly imprisoned or entrapped;
voiceless people who will hardly dare to seek help.
For them
MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.

Holy One, may your Realm of Love come for
the subjugated, silenced and subdued people of the world;
for the lonely, the lacking, the faded, the frightened;
shadowy people unable to bring attention to their suffering.
For them
MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.

Holy One, mayyYour Realm of Love come for
all persons with disabilities;
for the redundant and poorly educated; the timid and un-appreciated;
struggling people who have to strive for support and respect.
For them,
MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.

In the dynamic of your Love, may your Realm become a reality for them all. Amen.

(© 2011 Glenn Jetta Barclay, Aotearoa/New Zealand)

Greenness

Dear God, there are times
when I hear your voice most clearly
in greenness: in the singing of sap,
the conversation of the leaves, the whisperings
of shoot and stem, root, sap and cell,
calling me back to creation
to feel again the freshness of you
running through everything
like a bright emerald current.
God of greenness, you know well my tendency
to fill my life with my own methods of communication.
Thank you for constantly returning me to the simplicity of yours.
Again I experience you in the rejoicing
of bare feet on a damp forest path,
in the wonder of light thrown against
a kaleidoscope of tree ferns,
in the myriad textures of moss-clad trees,
in the shining of you beneath every surface.
Beloved Creator, coming to our greenness
is always a coming home,
a time of peace and grace
as the unimportant in me falls away
and I know again that bright green shoot
of my own beginning
which comes from you
and is one with you,
bright and beautiful God.

(By Joy Cowley, Aotearoa/New Zealand. Published in Aotearoa Psalms: Prayers of a New People by Joy Cowley, Pleroma Christian Books, Otane, H.B. New Zealand.)

Prayer of praise

Blessed are you, God of the Universe.
you have created us and given us life.

Blessed are you, God of the planet earth.
You have set our world like a radiant jewel in the heavens,
and filled it with action, beauty, suffering, struggle and hope.

Blessed are you, God of Aotearoa/New Zealand,
in all the peoples who live there,
in all the lessons they have learned,
in all that remains for them to do.

Blessed are you because you need us;
because you make us worthwhile,
because you give us people to love
and work to do
for your universe, for your world and for ourselves.

(Copyright material taken and adapted from A New Zealand Prayer Book: He Karakia Miihinare o Aotearoa is used with permission. © General secretary of the Anglican church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, New Zealand, pp.619,641, 142.)

We are thankful for:

• the rich natural resources in these countries, which God intends for the good of all
• the positive developments experienced since years of civil war
• village committees that seek to protect livelihoods and food security of the poor
• how the Lutheran World Federation and partners have pursued land rights in Mozambique.

We pray for:

• better sanitation, health services, and protection of the environment in these lands
• a healing of the lingering scars and memories from colonization and civil wars
• protection of the land rights of the people
• governments that are transparent and further the good of all the people, rather than being captive to foreign and business interests.

God of love and compassion, we approach you full of grief and shame, because we just cannot understand how it is that you love us so much. We feel that we are living under the shadow of death. We find it difficult to understand that you have already brought us out from there and that you hope to see in us signs showing our faith and trust in the eternal life promised us by Jesus.  

Do not forsake us. Rather, guide us in ways of hope that one day Africa will know and live in peace, health and prosperity, through the grace and mercy given us by your Son, Jesus Christ, and by the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(Felicidade N. Cherinda, Mozambique. In: AfricaPraying – A Handbook on HIV/AIDS Sensitive Sermon Guidelines and Liturgy)

We sincerely thank you, O God,
for your powerful gift of hope
in the face of seemingly hopeless situations.
We thank you for your peace
in the hearts and minds of men and women
in this part of Africa
who believe you are the living God,
quick to save in time of danger.
You reign above all,
directing the course and destiny of the universe.

(Joao Makondekwa, Bible Society of Angola. WAGP p. 337)

Prayer of an African Christian

God,
enlarge my heart
that it may be big enough
to receive the greatness of your love.
Stretch my heart
that it may take into it
all those around the world
who, with me, believe in Jesus Christ.
Stretch it
that it may take into it
all those who are not lovely in my eyes,
and whose hands I do not want to touch;
through Jesus Christ, my saviour.

We are thankful for:

• the rich biodiversity of plants and animals and of mineral resources in this region
• the faithful witness of churches throughout the world during apartheid and how people of different races and lifestyles have come together since then
• the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and others to bring healing from the atrocities committed
• how South Africa has made antiretroviral drugs accessible to all with HIV and AIDS.

We pray for:

• protection of resources for the good of all rather than their exploitation for economic gain
• more democratic and transparent governance in these countries, at all levels
• effectively countering rape, sexual violence, and other crime
• adequate resources and changed attitudes for welcoming refugees in these countries.

Prayers

Responsive prayer on poverty

Loving God,
we believe you are the God of the poor
and that poverty includes being hungry, unemployed and orphaned,
living on a pension or grant,
meagre earnings for arduous and hazardous work,
ill health, anxiety and stress and the absence of power,
worsened for women by unequal gender relations.
Loving God,
we hold up to you all those living in poverty.

We believe that God wants all people to live a dignified life
and engage in meaningful work,
that workers should receive fair wages,
and that those who possess more resources and skills
must share them in neighbourly love with those who have less.
Loving God,
open our eyes to the deep needs of those who are poor.

We believe that the challenge of fighting poverty
does not lie solely with governments,
but that faith-based organisations are ideally positioned to address it,
with their human and financial resources.
Loving God,
challenge us to see ways in which we can work against poverty.

We renew our commitment to be in solidarity with the poor
and to work against any form of injustice.
We commit ourselves to put our faith into action
and to demonstrate our faith in practical ways,
so that together we can overcome the scourge of poverty.
Loving God,
in your mercy, hear our prayer and strengthen us in our commitment

(Based on extracts from statements on poverty by Diakonia’s member churches.

In: Pilgrimage of Hope © Diakonia Council of Churches 2009, Durban, South Africa.)

We are thankful for:

• the prophetic witness of churches to protest injustices and advocate good governance
• efforts that have been made to stem the spread of HIV and AIDS and to treat those affected
• economic progress that improves the lives of all
• the iconic animals and minerals in these lands and measures to protect them from being exploited.

We pray for:

• fair election of democratic governments to counter instability, violence and human rights abuses
• stable economies that enable all people to prosper and live in justice and peace
• effective measures to improve the health and life expectancy of all
• the biodiversity and animals present in these lands, and measures to preserve them
• the herders and farmers who continue to raise cattle and food, despite droughts and desertification.

Prayers

Prayer for Botswana and Zimbabwe

Leader: Loving Father, on this day we remember Botswana and Zimbabwe. Grant that your love that endures forever will strengthen and encourage all the churches and peoples in your beautiful lands. Lord, in your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Jehovah-Jireh, you know the needs of your children, even before they plead their case. We pray for all who toil in the fields – the farmers, the mothers, the old and young. Grant that their crops and livestock find nourishment. Where hunger and misery stalks families, may your children not want but find fulfilment. Lord, in your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Holy Father, we pray for the leaders of Botswana and Zimbabwe. In their service to your people, may they be anointed with courage, integrity and wisdom to strive for welfare and prosperity for all, not just a few. As they lead the whole community of Southern African states, may all their plans and actions help bring enduring transformation for the entire region. Lord, in your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Gracious God, we pray that your statutes and your judgements be established. We pray for healing and justice where there has been conflict and pain. Grant your holy protection to the prisoner, the widow and the orphan. Lord in your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Faithful God, the same yesterday, today and forever, we pray especially for the women and girls of Botswana and Zimbabwe.

As they rise with the morning African sun in villages and towns as care-givers, providers and workers, bless them;

as they teach and learn, guide them;

as they walk, drive and fly to find sustenance for their families, protect them.

Lord in your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Almighty God, we commit all creatures, large and small, into your hands. After you saw the work of your hands, you called it good. Let it be so forever, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

AMEN

© 2015 Marlon Zakeyo, Zimbabwe

Prayer from Botswana

Dear God, our builder,
you have all the building materials needed to construct our societies.
You have all the strength to put wisdom on all that has fallen apart in our lives.
You have the wisdom to reshape our world.
Inspire us with all your wisdom, strength and love,
to rebuild the broken walls in our community.

By Rev. Cheryl Dibeela, Gaborone, Botswana. Africa Praying: A Handbook on HIV/AIDS Sensitive Sermon Guidelines and Liturgy, ed. Musa W. Dube, WCC, 2003, pp.57, 175, 187-88.

Prayer from Zimbabwe

Lord God,
we give you thanks for sending your only Son to give us life.
In the midst of wealth we are crushed by poverty,
and while we are offered Christ-life in all its fullness,
we are surrounded by disease, death and destruction.
We are tempted to despair, and yet keep hoping,
knowing that you care.
At times we weep silent tears, and cry out with deep emotion.
We come to you, our only hope and refuge.
Thank you for the gift of laughter,
even when the going is tough.
With you, O Lord, we may be troubled but not destroyed.

By Rev. Farai Chirisa, Zimbabwe. www.ctal.org.uk/zimbabwe.htm

We are thankful for:

• the biodiversity and natural wonders in these lands
• church leaders who have spoken out and countered sexual violence and human rights abuses
• those who are dealing with challenges of migrations within, and to, these countries
• stable governance and economies, and rising living standards for many people in recent years.

We pray for:

• greater food security for those most vulnerable, especially in times of climate change
• an end to political and economic corruption
• rising standards of living, particularly for those most poor
• an end to exploitation of resources and of the people, especially those who are young and/or female.

Prayers

Oh God, our Father, of all the people of the earth, look with favour upon us and hear the prayer we make for our country Zambia.  We ask for your loving guidance upon all men and women in all that they do so that your blessings will be upon them.

We thank you for your protection and the peace that we have enjoyed in this country for the past 50 years. We thank you for the peace you gave us especially during the Golden Jubilee celebration as an independent nation. Let the jubilee celebrations bring more blessings to our country. We, therefore, pray for all our leaders who are serving your people in various capacities that you will give them wisdom and knowledge to know you as the sovereign Lord who created the heavens and the earth and that you are the only God among all. You deserve to be praised.

We remember especially our political leaders and ask you to bless the work of their hand and to guide their decision so that our country may continue to be peaceful and that we may deserve an honoured place among all nations.

We pray for the young men and women upon whom the future of this country depends.  Teach them to be responsible citizens so that they can grow in the knowledge of your word, in the fear of sin and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the whole world for the salvation of humankind.

We pray for all churches in Zambia. Bless all the clergy, the church workers and all the church members. Help us all to witness to others so that we all may be one in Christ Jesus. Be with the United Church of Zambia as they celebrate in 2015 the Golden Jubilee of its existence as a united church. We thank you for the blessing of this double golden jubilee, one as a country and the other as a church.

May the Holy Spirit continue to guide and protect us.  In the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord we pray, because he reigns for ever and ever.  Amen

(Sarah S. Kaulule, The United Church of Zambia, former vice moderator of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order)