I posted the following on our church website for people to consider before next Sunday.  I will be carefully reflecting on what would be true answers for me, and evidence I have to offer to myself for those answers.  What say you?

Spread the word, people: there's Spam flying around the internet CLAIMING to be from ADP.

Danger Danger: Do Not Open!! Delete Delete!!

ADP will NEVER email a treasurer, or minister, or anyone about their personal account, business or pastoral charge account: Delete the Spam. Much like the now (hopefully easily recognized) Nigerian prince scam, this method uses a Very well used service provider (1/5 people in North America have a human resource related service, either payroll or other service, from ADP)

If you aren't sure, then CALL ADP: 1-877-377-4784.

Please Share this with anyone/everyone: The United Church's service providers will NEVER email you (unless you are actually expecting them to; that's a different story). Currently, email using ADP's name is being circulated around Canada: THIS IS SPAM. DELETE IT: do not click any links in this email.

If you aren't sure, by all means CALL ADP, or your bank, insurance company or other company.

Somewhere on this site, I saw a post about two United Churches joining to hold future services in a movie theatre. To my amazement, I have just heard on radio that it is happening right here in Moncton. Sounds like a story to be followed. (I presume that this is a pioneer effort in Canada; and I'm not confusing two, new churches.)

The pastoral charge payroll service has a new client service number:

1-877-377-4784

 I'm actually hardly a warrior cleric.  I am neither a soldier nor a Churchman.  I have recently returned to Christianity after a time away and am heading towards ordination with the UCC.  My soldiering is limited to so far standing on the bow of a warship with a loaded rifle waiting for the order to return fire against the Iranians.  Thankfully the Iranians never fired...  So neither did I.

First, is the situation in our community

a)  many, many people work straight days, children /teens go to school straight days. We, at least the folks we appeal to, tend to have both parents working outside of the home.

b) programming or pastoral care for working parents or church meetings are primarily on evenings, and weekends.

c) programming for seniors is primarily in the daytime, as are emergent issues, ie hospitals/ funerals, and the  city / council type connections.

While some adults may think youth are only interested in the latest fashions or downloads for their iPods, many young people across the United Church of Canada are reaching out to serve others and learn more about life.

Each March break, a few youth from Port Elgin United Church do some hands-on learning. In the past three years, this Ontario group has helped build homes for El Salvador’s homeless, cleaned up around a St. Thomas, Ontario, home for young mothers, and learned the realities of people struggling with addictions in Hamilton’s inner city.

Last night I watched a female finacial wizard on Larry King Life telling us that the near future is not going to be a peace of cake. The worst part about it is, she said, that society  on the whole is living in denial.

Although not a finacial wizard of any kind I tend to agree with her. Roaming further afield I came across the following message by one "Longdream". AFAIMC, this goes for all inhabitants of North America, whether Mexican, American or Canadian. Let us take heart and look after our neighbours.

Peace.