Nov. 26, 2025
When called upon the pray before or after a meeting, I am instantly very doubtful about my abilities to lead anyone in prayer. To me prayer is a very personal thing and to do so out loud in front of others makes me feel extremely vulnerable. How does it come so easily to some people whereas I am grasping at straws to find the correct words so that I can sound “prayerful”. I am told that it takes some practice and patience. If I have advance notice, I can give it some thought and write down a few lines of earnest, prayerful thoughts, but on the spur of the moment, I am lost. Here is what I found online and here’s hoping that we can all overcome our praying in public fears.
Effective prayer involves a combination of sincere and specific communication, including praise, confession, and requests, combined with a posture of faith and gratitude. To pray effectively, set aside dedicated time, be specific and honest in your requests, and remember to offer praise and thanks to God. Persistence, patience, and praying with faith that God will answer are also crucial elements.
Elements of effective prayer
- Praise and worship: Start by acknowledging God’s goodness, faithfulness, and power.
- Confession and repentance: Be honest about your shortcomings and ask for forgiveness.
- Supplication and intercession: Make your needs and the needs of others known, asking for guidance, help through temptation, and strength.
- Thanksgiving: Cultivate an attitude of gratitude for what God has done and what He will do.
- Faith and submission: Pray with the belief that God will answer but also be willing to submit to His will and timing.
Practical tips for effective prayer
- Dedicate time and space: Set aside specific, regular times for prayer and find a quiet, designated space to minimize distractions.
- Be specific and sincere: Be honest and clear in your thoughts and intentions. Being specific helps focus your prayer.
- Pray for others: Extend your prayers beyond your personal needs to pray for others, as a powerful way to show love and compassion.
- Keep a prayer journal: Writing down your prayers and God’s answers can be a powerful tool for your spiritual journey.
- Be persistent and patient: Effective prayer is a journey that requires perseverance over time.
- Pray with others: Communal prayer can be a deeply transformative experience.
Worship Calendar
Nov. 30 – Advent 1 – Hope Isaiah 2:1-5 & Matthew 24:36-44 Rev. Eric Lee
Dec. 7 – Advent 2 – Peace
Dec. 14 – Advent 3 – Joy
Dec. 21 – Advent 4 – Love
Deck the Halls
Friday, November 28, 2025, 6:30 PM
Come and help us prepare the church for Advent and Christmas. This is always lots of fun and a great way to welcome the Christmas season. Decorating will be followed by a short Carol Sing, and goodies in the Adamson Lounge. All are Welcome!
Advent Readers
We are looking for readers for the lighting of our Advent candles. If you are willing to volunteer, please let Pastor Eric or Susan Chopp know as soon as possible.
Nov. 30 – Susan & Kathy
Dec. 7 – ____________
Dec. 14 – ____________
Dec. 21 – ____________
Christmas Angel Program for Food Basket Families.
The St James Food Basket will not be giving out gift cards this year to members of their client families. The Food Basket will be closed for two weeks at Christmastime so the organizers would like to give these families extra food to help them during the holiday period. They plan is to give them frozen chicken and salmon. Outreach would like to support this initiative through our Christmas Angels program. Remembering the biblical story of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes (Matthew 14:13-21), also known as the Feeding of the 5000, donations from our congregation would help to increase the amount of chicken and salmon that can be distributed to the families. At a time when many people are struggling to make ends meet and to feed their families, we can make an important difference in some of their lives.
Please mark your donations (cash, cheque or e-transfer) for the Outreach Account and include your envelope number. We would appreciate receiving your donations by December 14th in order that we can send the funds to the Food Basket in time for their last Wednesday (Dec 17th) distribution of the year. Thank you in advance for your generous support in bringing the joy of Christmas to those in need in our community.
There is a Nativity display in Walkerton from November 20 – 30. It is a very interesting display with over 3,000 nativity scenes. Some of these are from other countries and others are just unique. Just Google “Nativity in Walkerton” for more details. (Thanks to Nancy Green for bringing this to our attention)
Advent Lunches (Changes to the original plan)
After a very productive Music & Worship meeting last week, it was decided to pare back the number of Advent Lunches that were originally planned. Attendance has traditionally been sparse to these, so it was decided to have one event only. On December 16 at 12:00 PM we will be offering a pizza lunch followed by the viewing of “Christmas with The Chosen – O Holy Night”, which was produced by the same people who have brought us The Chosen series. Please come out and join us for pizza and a movie and maybe some carol singing at the end. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the entryway of the church. We would love to see many of you come out for this event.
Men Aloud
Kento and the Men Aloud Male Chorus will be presenting their Christmas Concert on Tuesday, December 9th at 7 PM at Richview Untied Church. What a great way to start off the Christmas season!
What is Your Favourite Christmas Carol?
You will all find an insert in the Sunday bulletin. We are asking for your feedback on what Christmas Carols you would like to be sung during Advent and Christmas. Simply fill out the form and leave it in the collection plate or return it to Eric or Susan or Kathy. We have heard loud and clear that you all want to sing more of these wonderful carols, so fill out the form and rest assured that we will try to sing as many of them as time will allow.
Elaine’s Craft Club Luncheon
If you are interested in coming to the Christmas Luncheon, please sign up on the bulletin board in the entryway of the church. It will be held on Tuesday, December 9th. If you do not drive, transportation can be arranged.
Coffee Sign-Up
It is that time of year again when we are looking for volunteers to serve coffee and tea after worship. The sign up sheet is on the bulletin board in the Adamson Lounge.
Nov. 9 – 30 – Outreach
Dec. 7 – Iris & Carol
Dec. 14 – Harry & Pat
Dec. 21 – Glen & Greg
Dec. 28 – Iris & Maureen
Jan. 4 – Mission Team
Jan. 11 – Mission Team
Jan. 18 – Glen & Greg
Jan. 25 – Mission Team
Thank you to all of you who have given so willingly of your time and efforts. We appreciate you!!