The Christmas Feast - Dec 24

A great time seemed to be had by all. Thanks to Monika and Jeff and crew for preparing all the food and ensuring that the meal went smoothly. Thanks to Paul, Shari and Brandon for the music! Thanks to Al for coordinating it all and Christina for pitching in wherever needed.

Christmas Dinner!

There will be a Christmas dinner at 4pm at Rustle. It is free and open to all. If you would like to come, or if you would like to donate some food, you are welcome to do so.

We are also collecting change to buy a well in another country. Life giving water. We hope to raise $1500 by Valentines day.

Peace prayer (used with Al's sermon Dec 7)

we cannot merely pray to you o God to end war
for we know that you have made the world in a way
that man must find his own path to peace
within himself and with his neighbour

we cannot merely pray to you O God to end starvation
for you have already given us the resources
with which to feed the entire world
if we would only use them wisely

we cannot merely pray to you O God to root out prejudice,
for you have already given us eyes with which to see the good in all men
if we would only use them rightly

we cannot merely pray to you O God to end despair
for you have already given us the power to clear away storms and give us hope
if only we would use your power justly

we cannot merely pray to you O God to end disease
for you have already given us great minds with which to search out cures and healing
if we would only use them constructively

therefore we pray to You instead O God
for strength, determination and will power
to do instead of just to pray
to become instead of merely to wish.

-jack riemer
likrat shabbot

December Wednesdays @ Rustle

December 3 6:30pm - WITH meeting - come one, come all to share your heart with the group (budget and children to be discussed)
December 10 6:30-8pm - prayer

Into the Wild

dearest rustling family. this thursday our small group is watching the movie "into the wild". this is the film sam showed a clip about two weeks ago in church. it is a fantastic film. if you wish to come out then please join us. bring your own munchies and drinks.

the show will begin at 715.
happiness must be shared.
(from al doseger email)

Also missing from Rustle is the piano bench, Roberts memory (in a cell phone pouch) and jacobs PS2 game. If you know the location of any of these items, please let al know.

WITH meeting

The With meeting has been postponed a week until WED. DEC. 3rd. 6:30pm. Come and hear and give your voice to goings on at Rustle. Main topics will be budget and children's ministry.

Cole Lake Christmas dinner. Nov 21, 08

Cole Lake: Thank you for the AWESOME feast, for your kindness, for putting up with all our humanity and for the gifts at the end. You guys are so wonderful to us.

This week at the ranch

Wednesday 6:30pm prayer
Thursday 7pm small group
Friday 5:15pm the bus to Cole Lake for Christmas dinner leaves the Rustle parking lot. Come and join us for a ROAD TRIP!

Prayer Nov 12

Wednesday prayer on the 12th will be from 6-7pm due to a board meeting at 7pm.

Lunches

This week (9th) Cole Lake is bringing lunch for after Church. Thank you Cole Lake!

Next week (16th) we are having a Chilifest. Bring your best chili and compete for prizes!

Friday Nov. 21st is Christmas dinner hosted at Cole Lake.

Movie Sunday

This Sunday (Oct 26) is our flex Sunday and this month we will be watching a movie!

Also Wed 6:30 this week (22nd) is prayer
Thurs 7pm is small group
Wed 6:30pm next week (29th) is the WITH meeting
All are welcome to any or all...

October Wednesdays

Because October has 5 Wednesdays, we are planning on having prayer at 6:30pm on October 8th and October 22nd.
The WITH meeting is the last Wednesday October 29th 6:30pm.
Everyone is welcome to come to prayer and/or the WITH meeting!

This week at the ranch

WED OCT 1 6:30pm Board Meeting
THURS OCT 2 7:00pm Small group starts. Nooma videos will be watched and discussed. Open to all to come out and connect.
FRI OCT 3 6:00pm Tupperware party hosted by Barbara
SAT OCT 4 Next is holding a neighbourhood feast 4:30pm (The location of this one is not the ranch but 89 Colbourne St.)

September Wednesdays

There will be prayer at Rustle on September 10th and 17th at 6:30pm. Feel free to join us!

September 24th at 6:30pm will be the September WITH meeting. Be there to know and have a say in the goings on at Rustle!

Cottage trip

This Sunday we'll be heading to Tabitha and Sam's cottage for the day and have some baptism and BBQ and fun. Make sure you are at the Church at 11am Aug. 31 to get the directions. (It's about a 45 minute drive) Stay for the day or overnight.

make

"make" is a kids camp for 9-13 year olds that will run next week (August 25-28 9-3). Cost is $75 per child. This includes a daily nutritious lunch and all program activities and materials. Phone 613-767-1397 to get a registration form.

If you have any of the following items and would like to help out, please bring them to Rustle on Sunday:
toilet paper rolls (the inside cardboard part) not the white part.
empty dish detergent containers
magazines for cut and pastes
large plastic containers (ice cream/margarine/yogurt)
newspapers

August Wednesdays

There will be prayer on Wed. Aug 13th and 20th and a WITH meeting Aug 27th. All starting at 6:30pm. Note that there isn't anything scheduled the first Wednesday of August.

With it

The next With meeting is on Wed July 30th at 6:30pm at Rustle.

On an unrelated note, Jay is nearing Toronto and fighting the Humber current in his swim across Lake Ontario for Aspberger's awareness. Go Jay Go! His website at Swimming Blue keeps updates of his status.

July 27th- A Rustle Wedding

The service begins in the backyard (see garden) at 1pm this sunday july 27th 2008. please come bearing wedding attire and gifts for the newlyweds. if you are wishing to contribute to the dinner you are most welcome. we will accept cash, soda drinks, large garden salads, vanilla ice cream tubs and dinner rolls.

we will be involved again in this regard. please pray Gods blessing on this day and for the hearts of all of you who are coming, serving and being a part of jerry and barbs day.

they are most grateful to Rustle.

if you come early there will be last minute items and chairs to set up. Bring Lawn chairs if you can! Call Al to seek service opportunities.
(full text in email from Al)

July prayer letter

Rustle: A Next Church
Prayer Letter - July 11, 2008

We give thanks to God for the things taking place at Rustle.

Board
An official board was elected at the WITH meeting at the end of May. This is a step toward becoming a fellowship in the Free Methodist Church and also to being recognized with charitable status.
The new board is Karen, Jordin, John, Paul, Joel, Lisa M. and Aphra. The WITH Church meetings that occur on the last Wednesday evening of the month will still be the main avenue for discussion of Church issues.
The board meetings will be the first Wednesday evening of the month and the prayer meetings will move to the middle Wednesdays in the month.

The back garden
We are very happy to now have a fully fenced back yard at Rustle thanks to the talented Will Towell. The children are now safer than before and it should keep the stray animals from using our lawn as a toilet J A garden was also planted and is already producing vegetables.

Please pray for:
·unity
·finances
·children in and around Rustle
·that new board members would have vision for their roles

Isaiah 42:6 I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.



Meet Henriette

When the prayer letters first started for Rustle, one of the things that was continually listed as a prayer request was that we would find the right person to rent the apartment over Rustle. Well, Henriette was the answer to that prayer. There were quite a few people interested in the apartment but it never seemed to work out quite right or be a suitable fit but when Henriette arrived everything seemed to fall into place and we all seem to agree that God sent her to here in answer to the prayers!

Henriette is faithful to our Church and to our prayer meetings. She prays for the Rustle Church community and for the neighbourhood. She has a great vantage point from her apartment (which she call ‘the lighthouse’)

Henriette is an artist extraordinaire. She spends her free time painting and reading. She has been blessed with a lot of work in her cleaning business. So much so, I think she has above and beyond what she could hope for and has been turning down jobs! We give thanks to God for Henriette for blessing her and for blessing us through her.

The back garden

So far the radishes are ripe!

Women's potluck and video

Karen is hosting a women's potluck and video evening at Rustle at 6pm on Tuesday July 8th

FUN AND FAITH
Where: rustle
When: Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 6pm
What: dinner-and-a-movie: potluck (main course or fresh veggies...please, no sugary
desserts, fruit only --some of us are compulsive over-eaters, it's like a drug to
us, and the effects are not pretty)

About the DVD: "Whether she's transforming the William Tell Overture into an ode to
"Momsense" or explaining how to accessorize a "wisdom waist", Anita
Renfroe always makes us laugh. Maybe it's because she comes right out and says what
we're all thinking! Recently, she's made appearances on Good Morning America,
Dr.Phil, and CNN (to name a few), but this multifaceted creative artist is till just
one of the girls --though possibly a touch stranger than the resf of us. Comedian,
musician, speaker, and author, Anita recently joined forces with husband John to
write a devotional for couples ( I bought one for Robert and I, and yes, it's about
sex, ...evaluation to follow), Songs in the Kay of Solomon."
--from Women of Faith Infinite Grace Conference
Open wide for a dose of estrogen-flavoured musical comedy --78 side-splitting
minutes of laughs, off-the-wall insights, and Anita's signature brand of music on
DVD.
Who: you and your female friends
Cost: at least one, hearty belly-laugh
rsvp: 549-8566 leave a message

July prayer times

If you would like to join us for praying for/with Rustle or if you need prayer there is prayer at 6:30pm on Wed July 2 and July 16th.

This week at Rustle

Wednesday June 25th at 6:30pm is our WITH meeting. Come and be with it:)

Friday and Saturday nights 6:30-9:30 Shannon Kearns' cabaret troupe is performing "Broadway Diamonds". TICKETS $10 - adults $8 Students/seniors can be bought at the door or talk to Christina or Shannon.

Sunday is our BIRTHDAY SUNDAY. If you were at March's birthday Sunday, you know this is a Sunday you don't want to miss!

Also, prayers please for Gislaine and her important meetings this week.

June prayer dates

Prayer is on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. This month it is June 4th and 18th starting at 6:30pm at Rustle.

6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.

green thumbs out there please heed this invitation. this coming saturday we plan(t) to place seeds in the good earth in the neighbourhood green space here at the ranch. rock clearing and concrete removal will take place this week and some say manure will be added to the mix. join us saturday morning if you are able. bring plants and seeds and other assorted needed items to make garden action happen.

now i lay me down to rest

this week in an effort to raise funds for his new found life in rustle sam "mattress man" laitenen has storewide sales in every department. pick out your new sleep-set for the low low price of 75 bucks including box-spring. he is clearing out to the bare walls. no reasonable offers will be refused. these mattresses are "gently" used and "we know of their whereabouts." they have come to us kindly from an Inn. not a motel or even a hotel but "an Inn" and with each queen size mattress purchase sam will throw in a pillow. these beds won't last long at this price. some soiling may be found. all sales final.

May dates

Prayer will be at Rustle on May 7th and 21st at 6:30pm.
Sarah and Paul are heading up a food drive in the Rustle neighbourhood on May 14th in the evening (part of a city-wide drive). Contact Sarah or Paul for details.
The May WITH meeting will be on the 28th at 6:30pm.
Looks like every Wed. in May is covered. Mark your calenders!

April 30 - WITH meeting NOTES

In the WITH meeting we discussed Rustle governance and how we could comply with governmental and Free Methodist guidelines and still have it look like Rustle. For more details, click below

We would need a board of 5-7 members (not including Al and Sam as they are paid employees) with a chairperson, treasurer and secretary

Things to look for in choosing a board member:
-age 18 minimum
-want the best for Rustle
-faithful in small things
-moving closer to God
-willing to commit their time, talent and money
-committed to 2 years
-able to make difficult decisions
-responsible
-called in their heart
-a servant
-mature (looks like Jesus)
-willing to sacrifice

Nomination process:
For this year the nominations will come from the community with a nominator and a seconder. We will work toward having a nominating committee for the future

Terms:
The current 3 carry over from the Crazy 8 members (Joel, Lisa, Aphra) will have 1 more year
The new 3/4 members would have a 2 year term with an optional 1 year extension

What the Board would look like:
It would be a community driven board, taking from the WITH meetings and finalizing decisions
Decision making would be using a consensus model (talk it out until all or most have agreed on a decision)
There would be a mix of visionaries/practical people and men and women

For the month of May, we should be praying about/thinking about/ talking to people who we think would be good board members. By the end of May we will hopefully have 4 nominations.

At the end of the meeting, Joel, the treasurer, spoke and said that hopefully the quarterly report would be ready for the next meeting, that he needs people for counting the offering on Sundays and to make sure you use an envelope for cash if you wish to get a tax receipt at the end of the year.

April 30 - WITH meeting

6:30pm at Rustle if you want to be WITH what's going on. We'll be talking about Rustle governance.

Book fair

This Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm is a book fair!
If you have books to drop off, please bring them before Saturday.
Come and enjoy the fair and pick up some new reading materials.

Can you help this woman?

Karen is going away to the States for 2 months- leaving on Tuesday April 8th. Bob and Peter will need our support while she is away! There are lots of ways to help out: pray, cook them a meal, take Peter to the movies (he loves movies!), take them out somewhere, stop by to chat, etc. Please remember them in these next 2 months! (Food suggestions are below)

PETER likes to eat:
chicken (with bones ie thighs, wings, legs, breats) roast, bbq whtever, pork chops, ribs, roast beef, steak, battered fish, rice, mashed potatoes, frozen mixed vegetable, (no raw veggies), cooked broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, corn. Doesn't really eat dessert. Eats an apple (royal gala only) and an orange or clementine or tangerine with EVERY meal. Pizza, lasagne. Doesn't like one dish meals such as casseroles or stews or homemade soup. He'll eat homemade soup if it's chicken noodle or chikcen rice. Eats a lot of Campbells chunky soup. Doenst put marg or butter on anything,, nor salt. , nor mayo nor mustard. Likes plain ham sandwhiches, just ham and ww bread. No pb and j. sometimes will eat pb on ww bread and often eats nutella on ww toast and eggos(chocolate chip) for breakfast. Likes bacon (just 2 slices) and fried eggs (over easy), just two.
BOB likes to eat:
Pretty much anything. He's probably even eat garbage to reduce landfill. But we want to keep him healthy while Karen is away. Don't feed him garbage.

Birthday Sunday

Sunday March 30th was a celebration of the people whose birthday occurred from Jan. - Mar.. They were prayed for, rejoiced over and gifted.

April prayer

The April prayer dates are Wed. April 2 and Wed. April 16 at 6:30pm at Rustle.

Easter Sunday

Next Sunday (March 23) is Easter. We will be starting at 9am with breakfast. For the service, see if you can bring an answer to one of the questions that Al posted in 'ashes to Easter'. (click 'read more' to see the questions)

Ashes to Easter: 6 in 40

1.If you had to bet everything you have on whether there is a God or whether there isn’t, which side would get your money and why?


2.When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see in it that you most like and what do you see in it that you most deplore?


3.If you had only one last message to leave to the handful of people who are most important to you, what would it be in twenty-five words or less?


4.Of all the things you have done in your life, which is the one you would most like to undo? Which is the one that makes you happiest to remember?


5.Is there any person in the world, or any cause, that. If circumstances called for it, you would be willing to die for?


6.If this were the last day of your life, what would you do with it?

March Prayer

There will be prayer at Rustle on Wednesday March 5th and 19th starting at 6:30pm

Photos from the ordination

See the flickr site for pics

Ordination

please note that our good soul the young brandon t thrillington will be "tied to the mast" this sunday in ordination. it is with great celebration that i ask you to please remember to show up at 4pm for the service and stay for some food. it is with all of this that i write.

PLEASE BRING TRIANGLE SANDWICHES AND VEGGIE TRAYS.

for those who are not in the know. a triangle sandwich is just a normal sandwich cut in fourths. corner to corner. bit size good looking finger food fare. Â make a big sandwich and cut it down.

veggies should be self explanatory.

if not then call. (text:Al photo:colquhoun)

ashes to easter

from ashes to lent we plan to answer these questions(see below) of ourselves in an effort to becoming. a self awareness and a walk towards easter. my good friend castle once said "we were intended to live under a cross and not on top of a heap." a good dose of where we are and who we are helps track us in our journey with Christ and others. we are always in a state of becoming. with fat tuesday behind us and skinny sunday less than forty days from now i pick up my life and head out into a wilderness of discovery. it is with great hope that angels attend to me. something tells me they may. until soon i wipe the syrup from my pancaked plate and taste all that is ahead.

Ashes to Easter: 6 in 40

1.If you had to bet everything you have on whether there is a God or whether there isn’t, which side would get your money and why?


2.When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see in it that you most like and what do you see in it that you most deplore?


3.If you had only one last message to leave to the handful of people who are most important to you, what would it be in twenty-five words or less?


4.Of all the things you have done in your life, which is the one you would most like to undo? Which is the one that makes you happiest to remember?


5.Is there any person in the world, or any cause, that. If circumstances called for it, you would be willing to die for?


6.If this were the last day of your life, what would you do with it?

A special day of baptism (in pictures)

Joshua
Jessica
Lisa
Joel
Maddy
Maddy

sweet

the middle turns sixteen today. that many years ago share tells me she was up all night with a newborn who seemed "mad at her"
i laughed as she still exerts her teenage angst and makes sure you know how she feels. i like this about her in a strange way. she makes me smile most days. she is creative, daring and extremely clever for her age. she may be turning 16 but she is going on womanhood. i pray her dramatic flair and verve for people never wane. happy birthday brookie. we love you. i tried a few times to get you to proof read this but decided the world needed to know. well at least the four people i know who read this ranch dressing. smile. i will deal with the consequences later.

made new

with a tank full of high test gas, a quart of oil and a rip down the 401 my friend and his brand new 1986 Volvo sedan passed the e-test. he took the test himself a week ago online and failed. but this is not a post about test and tires this is a post about lives made new in the waters of baptism. this sunday at the ranch in a cattle trough five distinguished Christ learners will be buried, washed, rinsed and reminded of all that God has done for them and plans to do with them. a welcome home of sorts. i have always said that i would walk a mile over broken glass in slippers or swim through a pond full of thumbtacks to see this XXX spirit filled action. it takes emotional energy and feels not unlike that 4door sedan of my friends must have felt.
alive.
a road ahead of them. curves and bumps and accidents even. travel without abandonment. detours and destinations. so with all of that here are the learners who are heading to the cool waters. if you are in the neighbourhood and wish to come and celebrate, bring blessing and cake and warm dishes of food to share than show up at just past 11-am on Sunday. rustlers it is potluck and we will need bath-towels and cameras and Kleenex.

susan
lisa
jessie
madyson
and joshua
for those wondering josh's mom tells me he is "39-inches long and 39 inches tall and 19 and three quarters pounds." if you plan to knit something up or pick him up an outfit or something this may be needed information. a nice homemade card will work as well.

and if truth be told my friend could have passed the test if he had studied more. i hope he comes sunday and speaks some good stories and sees the water move.

oh eight dates

here are the dates for your nearly new calendars.

january 16 storytellers meet at erbs. 730pm
january 20 bowable lunch 11am
january 27 the water is fine. potluck baptism.
bring gifts and well wishes 11am
january 29 games night 7pm
january 30 WITH meeting 6:30pm
feb 3 ground-beef day. the day the cow saw his shadow.
bring something with meat.11am
feb 3 watercolours for wimps begins 2-4pm
feb 6 prayer meeting 7pm
feb 10 pancake sunday. bring maple syrup
feb 17 bowable lunch 11am
shillington ordination happens at 4pm bring triangle sandwiches
feg 20 prayer meeting 7pm
*feb 23- 24 book fair 10-4
feb 27 WITH meeting 6:30pm

Road (parking lot) Hockey!

After Church on Sunday! Bring your sticks!

January Good Food Box

Order yours this Thursday January 10th 1-5pm from Robert at Rustle.(Pickup Thurs the 17th)

Prayer

Join us for prayer Wednesday January 9th 6:30pm at Rustle. If you can't make it to Rustle, feel free to join us in prayer wherever you are!

roundup

yesterday we had our second roundup sunday. we spoke of things past and present and made some promises. the overwhelming response to a year gone by was had. it was hard emotionally, relationally. vocationally and even spiritually as the sea of hands raised indicated. seems we need to take the crunchy with the smooth i guess. we also recognized signs and wonders in the year gone by and hoped for the same God moments in "OH Eight." we spoke of markings:days set aside to magnify and capture may be needed. the spring of the killer B's. it was mentioned that sunday mornings will be highjacked for bbaptisms, babies and birthdays and even a book fair for the neighbourhood may in fact still be full gospel. more than sundays please.
we agreed we are a high needs bunch and agreed that champions are few but servers are many amongst us. we have grown to expect things but still more helps are needed as champions fall. we need each other. we are better together. shepherds pies come when we all add potatoes, veggies and ground beefs. we grow tired. some get hurt along the way. this can be lessened when each take a turn serving. pace yourself. you are needed. each of us has a part to play and all of us need to be involved. with and in common. it may be true that outside helps will also be needed. a few of us decided to shovel snow last week after the new years day dumping with a parking lot of knee-deep ahead of us. it looked hopeless. there was some grumbling, a few swears under frozen scarves and then (cue the heavenly hosts) a four wheeled angel with a scoop bucket and a kind man in a tractor swung by to make light work to a depressed trio of shovellers. this is outside help. show your need sometimes.
God sends quails and sometimes plows if you do! it is not of ourselves. OH Eight will be a year of unexpected helps. jill johnson a friend of ours wishes to help our neighboured response and program efforts. she doesn't even attend our church! you will here more of her soon. she is a couple degrees away from me and henry and loves our endearing qualities and wants to help. sam laitenen wants to follow his heart in ministry to become a chaplain. this year you will see him move that way. the outside and the inside are not very far apart. there ares no lines in kingdom. efforts. never be surprised where help comes from.

and in closing we made our way to the table to tell God to use us. take us. make us His. deploy us and commit our hearts and hands to His doing. let us be full and let us be emptied. exalted and laid low for Him. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth let if be ratified in heaven.


we then ate big salads, leftover chili and stews and made light work of a rustle birthday cake. there was some talk. there were some tears. there was even rejection in the room. this happens. we have picked fights with all that has separated us from God. our problems our large. a struggle that seems endless. as my good friend north says..."please Jesus come" we ramble on.

if you are reading this today you are either interested in this adventure, have too much time to read online blogs or you rustle and we know you. either way pray for us that Oh Eight will be one of much God movements.

signs and wonders, in common and the full favour of lives devouted to Christ.
may it be so