• Services this week
• 12 Jan Congregational meeting to finalize 2025 Budget
• Links to recent financial updates
• 12 Jan This Sunday: Vox Pops
• Mindful Living: 7-Week Course at St Philip
• Thursday Book Study - Laudato Si'
• 17 Jan Guitar recital - Simon Farintosh & friends
• 19 Jan Thank you Party for Shannon
• How to view Facebook Live and videos
• 30 Jan Taizé Prayer at St Philip Oak Bay
• 1 Feb An invitation from Bob Watts' family
• Christmas Hampers at the Mustard Seed
• 11 Feb St Philip Parish Vestry
• This Week in Prayer
• Useful links

12 January 2025 - Baptism of the Lord

8am Holy Communion

9am Community prayers downstairs in the youth room

9.30am Eucharist, in-person and live streamed via Facebook Live [LINK]

• Celebrant & Preacher: Fr. Allen Doerksen
• Deacon: Rev. Rebecca Yeo
• Altar Guild: Bethan Samaroo,  Karen Fenimore
• Music leader:  Dave Conway 
• Reader:  Gaye Stone
• Prayers of the People: Chris Harvey
• Powerpoint & slides:  Clayton Savage, Neil Ryan
• Facebook Live: Karishma Iyer
• Sunday School: Gerianne Knowles-Robson
• Coffee: Lillian Konkin and Jennifer Clarke
• Offerings counters: Betty Davidson, Felicity Bradley

14 Jan, Tuesday 10.30am Contemplative Prayer

16 Jan, Thursday 10am Holy Communion followed by book study (see below)

Please join us downstairs in the hall for coffee and fellowship after the 9.30 service.

There will be a congregational meeting after the 9:30 service on Sunday, January 12.  The budget for 2025 will be presented, including amendments made based on feedback received at the two October pre-budget meetings. 

The opportunity to influence the budget is before the AGM.   At the Vestry meeting on February 11, there will be a straightforward vote on the budget to accept or  reject it, but no last-minute changes. This is your last chance to make changes to the budget, so please attend. 

- Ceal McLean and Larry Anthony, Wardens

For December 2024

For the 4th quarter and for 2024

-  Mark Laidlaw, Treasurer

Melissa and Paul of Post Meridian Productions will be recording individual parishioners' responses to some of the following questions after the 9.30 service and budget meeting on Sunday, for future short videos and reels to share on our social media channels. If you're interested in sharing one of your reflections, you might like to ponder some of the question prompts ahead of time:

1. "What brought you to St Philip for the first time?"
   
2. "What’s your favourite memory of a church event or gathering?"
   
3. "How has being part of this parish impacted your faith journey?"
   
4. "What does 'community' mean to you in the context of the church?"
   
5. "What’s your favourite tradition or practice in our services?"
   
6. "How has this church supported you or your family during a challenging time?"
   
7. "What advice would you give to someone thinking about visiting for the first time?"
   
8. "What’s one thing you’d love to see more of in our church community?"
   
9. "How do you see our church making a difference in the larger community?"
   
10. "What’s your favourite way to connect with others in the parish (e.g., home groups, communal meals, events)? 

"Mindfulness is paying attention to what is occurring in the present moment, on purpose and non-judgmentally.” - Jon Kabat-Zinn 
Through exploring mindfulness teachings, mindful practices, and meditation, we learn to accept our experiences, emotions, and thoughts just as they are in the moment. This involves acknowledging and observing them without the need to fix, react, or suppress what arises.

Over time, these practices help build resilience, empowering us to respond more effectively to life’s challenges and relationships. Mindfulness also enhances focus, creativity, curiosity, compassion, and learning—supporting key areas of daily life.

Join us for this 7-week introductory course, where you’ll discover a mix of mindfulness teachings, practical exercises, and meditation techniques. Start 2025 with greater mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being through present-moment awareness.

Session Topics
•    What is Mindfulness and Mindful Breathing 
•    Start with Self-Compassion and Kindness 
•    Coming home to the body 
•    Mindfulness of Emotions 
•    Being with What’s Difficult 
•    Anxiety and Resilience 
•    Loving Kindness and Moving Forward

 The Details 
•    When: Wednesday evenings, Feb 5- Mar 19
•    Time:   6:30 – 8:00 pm
•    Cost:   $25 for workbook 
•    Contact: Florie Varga 250 709 7063 or Florie@Florievarga.com 

Following the 10am Thursday Eucharist service, our regular seasonal book study resumes starting 9 January 2025 with Laudato Si', Pope Francis' 2015  encyclical subtitled "On Care for our Common Home".

All are welcome to join in the book study, whether or not you attend the service before it!

• 9 Jan Introduction (sections 1-16)
• 16 Jan Chapter 1 What is happening to our common home? (17-61)
• 23 Jan The Gospel of Creation (62-100)
• 30 Jan The human roots of the ecological crisis (101-136)
• 6 Feb Integral theology (137-182)
• 13 Feb Lines of approach and action (163-201)
• 20 Feb Ecological education and spirituality (202-246)
• 27 Feb Conclusions

Full text of the encyclical Laudato Si'

'The Letter' film

A benefit concert at St Philip for Mike Pichichero, a local guitarist who was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. The concert will feature performances by local guitarists, and all benefits will go to Mike and his family to support his ongoing treatment. Tickets on the door or click below.

A note about access to Facebook Live and videos - as long as they have been shared as Public, and St Philip's are, *you do not need to log in to Facebook to see them*. FB is very sneaky about this. Don't be deceived!

If you are not logged in to Facebook and you click on e.g. this public video of Fr. Allen:
https://www.facebook.com/stphilipoakbay/videos/368251172626318
a login interface will pop up in front of the video page, looking like the screenshot above this post (minus the red circle and arrow).

FB wants you to think this means you must log in, but you don't have to.
Click the X at top right of that pop-up, indicated by the red circle & arrow shown above.
It will just disappear and you will be able to play the video.

following the 9.30 service.

Image by Alexandra_Koch from Pixabay

All are welcome to St Philip Oak Bay for a candlelit service of song, silence and contemplation, in the style of the Taizé Community, on the last Thursdays of the month at 7pm:

• 30 January 2025
• 27 February
• 27 March

Thanks for everyone’s kind and compassionate responses to Bob’s passing - so very appreciated.

Here is a link to his obituary  

A few months ago, with typical enthusiasm, Bob engaged himself in the bitter-sweet role of planner for his final party, invitation below.  As you know, Bob thought outside the box, never one to draw inside the lines, hence a party, not a traditional Celebration of Life or funeral.  He just wants you to have fun, enjoy great music and connect with each other.  Please come if you can and we’ll honour his parting together. 

If I have missed sending an invitation to anyone who knew Bob, please feel free to invite them on our behalf.  It’s an open party for friends meeting friends.  No solemn dress or manner, please just come and enjoy - Saturday 1 February, 1-3pm,  at Lutheran Church of the Cross (Cedar Hill and Cedar Hill X).

- Bonnie de Moissac

St Philip Oak Bay will hold its AGM (also known as the Annual Vestry Meeting) at the church on Tuesday 11 February 2025 7-9pm.  We will receive 2024 reports, vote on a budget for 2025, and elect our Parish Council. We look forward to 2025 as we serve God by meeting the needs in the world.

The 2025 agenda, 2024 annual reports, and proposed 2025 budget will be circulated via email ahead of the meeting. Print copies will be available in the narthex.

The deadline for sending in annual reports is Monday 20 January, to allow for compilation and timely circulation ahead of the meeting. Please email reports as plain text in the body of an email. If you would like to include a photo of your parish group/ministry/activity/event for illustration, please attach it as a jpg or png file measuring at least 600 pixels across (vertical dimension can be larger or smaller).

Image by claude_star from Pixabay

• Live Streams:  via Facebook Live [LINK]
• Service outline: for those viewing the live stream, the coming Sunday's 9.30 service outline is online here
• Listen to a past sermon only: click here, choose a sermon, scroll down & click "jump to sermon". Now featuring audio-only as well!
• Service recording & sermon audio: choose any past Sunday here (listed most recent first)
• More news & events from our church neighbours and wider community: click here
• Previous parish newsletters: click here
• Parish Council minutes: click here , see under Downloads
• Staff contacts: via the parish website
• Liturgy for the Islands and Inlets: click here for full text
• Salal + Cedar (Diocese of New Westminster): click here
• Book of Alternative Services: click here
• Anglican Church of Canada lectionary: click here
• Revised Common Lectionary: click here
• Diocesan Comings & Goings: read latest
• Inclusive Christians at UVic: read latest
• Faith Tides: click here for latest issue
• Contemplative Society: latest news
• L'Abri Canada: read latest
• Sorrento Centre news: click here
• PWRDF updates: read latest
• KAIROS Canada: read latest
• Anglican Church of Canada news: click here
• Anglican Journal: click here for latest articles

The Welcome pew leaflet, weekly parish news, current Anglican Journal, & Faith Tides, recent Parish Council minutes and more are all available in print in the narthex. Please let Anna know if more print copies are needed, on Sundays or for sharing with those who don't use email.

Header: Baptism of Jesus - Skykomish River, WA. The Rev. Cara B. Hochhalter, 2019. Source & more information about the image. The artist has granted permission for the non-commercial use of this image with attribution.  
Candles: S. Hermann & F. Richter, NoName_13 on Pixabay
Footer painting: Caitlin Ambery, 2007