November, 2017 Our mission is to worship God, to spread His word, and

to serve communities near and far.

Graceview Presbyterian Church 588 Renforth Drive, Etobicoke ON M9C 2N5

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Minister’s Musings… Rev. Rebekah

In our current Bible Study, we are learning about our souls. John Ortberg wrote a book about the soul, entitled Soul Keeping, after several years of studying what Scripture has to say, and what other theologians thought about the human soul. Ortberg points out that the soul is one of those things that most of us believe we have, but that

most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking about. It is unseen, and therefore can often go untended. We may struggle to define what a soul is, or explain what we mean when we refer to the soul.

I was quite moved by this book when I listened to it (unabridged) on my study leave a couple of years ago. Listening to Ortberg, I realized how important it is to pay attention to the needs of one’s soul. And how easy it is to neglect one’s soul. Most of us are familiar with the 23rd Psalm, which paints a picture of a soul that is healthy. Such a soul can walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but fear no evil. For a healthy soul knows that God is to be trusted, that God is the provider and the protector. A healthy soul knows that God is the one who restores our souls. A healthy soul knows that the best thing it could hope for is to dwell in the house of the Lord, forever. In order to have a healthy soul, there are things we must do to tend to our souls. Many of you do these things already.

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Worship should be a feast for the soul - a time of drawing near to God, learning more about who God is and who we are as God’s people. A time of pouring out our gratitude in word and song and deed. A time of gathering together as fellow believers, showing that our faith is alive just by coming through the doors. Coming to worship is good for the soul. Prayer is another means of tending to the soul - speaking to God about all aspects of our lives: what we hope, what we fear, what we long for, what we need, the people we care about, and the joys that come our way in an average day. Prayer isn’t just about asking God to supply our needs. That is part of prayer, but prayer should also include praise for who God is, giving thanks for all God has done for us, and confessing those ways in which we know we have fallen short of the life God calls us to live. Prayer is meant to be intimate - like talking to your most trusted confidant. It doesn’t need to be in fancy language. Sometimes prayer doesn’t need words at all. Prayer is good for the soul. Fellowship is a means of tending to the soul - we come together simply to enjoy each other as children of God. When we come to share a meal, or to take in an event together, when we chat and laugh and greet one another, we build each other up. We also build up the church as a whole. The stronger and more vibrant our relationships with each other are, the stronger the church will be. Fellowship is good for the soul. Rest is a means of tending to the soul - our souls (like our bodies!) need to rest sometimes. Rest can mean different things to different people. For some of us it may mean getting away from the bustle of the city, finding a quiet place to walk in creation. For others it may mean a hot cup of tea, enjoyed while taking in a beautiful view. Others might find themselves at rest on a long drive during a beautiful day. Whatever your rest means - find some time to take it.

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Sometimes it will be the most spiritual thing you can do. Rest is good for the soul. There are many other ways to tend to our souls. I invite you to think about them, pray about them. Take some time to evaluate how your soul is doing, and what your soul might need. When your soul is healthy, your faith will be strong.

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November24th.Thepotluckdinnerwillcommenceat6:00pm.AfterdinnerwewillpreparetheSanctuaryandSundayschoolforAdventandclosetheeveningwithaCarolsing.Allarewelcome.AsignupsheetwillbepostedinearlyNovember.Hopetoseeyouthere!

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Conduct Covenant Rev. Rebekah

The reality is that we all know how we should behave in a meeting. We know we should be kind, considerate, respectful of whomever we are speaking with, that we should listen attentively, etc. However, the reality also is that it can be difficult to maintain such behaviour. Our meetings can come at the end of a long day, or in the midst of a hectic week. We walk into the meeting with all sorts of things weighing on our minds. Our attention might be elsewhere, or we may already be under stress from other situations in our lives. It’s easy to get wrapped up in our feelings, and forget that we are called to a certain level of behaviour.

For this reason, the Session at Graceview recently adopted a Behavioural Covenant. While there has been no problem with the behaviour of our elders during Session meetings, the Behavioural Covenant is meant as a preventative measure. A covenant is an agreement - God made a covenant with Ancient Israel that he would be their God, and they would be his people. The rules of their covenant were the Ten Commandments. This list of agreed-upon rules gave the people a standard to live up to, and a reminder of what it meant to be God’s people. For example, they were not to worship other gods, they were not to kill or to steal or to covet what their neighbours had. During the Last Supper, Jesus passed wine among the disciples and told them that the cup was “the new covenant in my blood.” (Matthew 26:28) In other words, Jesus was there to usher in a new agreement between God and humanity. Jesus would lay down his life for us, so that any transgression we have made against God would be forgiven. In return, humanity would honour Jesus with the way we lived, and trust Him with all parts of our lives.

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The Behavioural Covenant that Session signed is meant to be a new agreement between the elders and myself as your minister, to give us a standard to live up to and to remind us of what it means to be the elders of this church. Elders are meant to be the spiritual leadership of a Presbyterian Church. There are Ruling Elders (the members of this congregation who have been ordained as elders) and one (or more, in the case of some churches) Teaching Elder (the Minister of Word and Sacrament who is called to this congregation). The work I do as your minister can only be effective if I am working with the Ruling Elders of Graceview. Though it may seem that I do much of my work on my own, the support and guidance of the elders is absolutely vital to me. Therefore, it is deeply important that we have a good relationship. And a Behavioural Covenant is one way of showing that we are committed to having a good relationship with each other, and with the members and adherents of this church. Session members were given the Behavioural Covenant document and had time to read it over before Session met in September. During that meeting, I presented the document and the elders were invited to share any thoughts or concerns they might have about it. A motion was made to adopt the covenant and to bring an official copy to the October meeting for the elders to sign. That copy would then be framed and hung in the room where Session meets, so that our agreement with each other is present with us every time we meet. Once the document has been framed, you are invited to have a look at it, on the walls of the Session Room. I hope you are encouraged (as I am!) to see your elders’ commitment to each other, to your minister, and to you as a congregation.

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Here is the text of the covenant, in full:

In our work and conversations as the Session of Graceview Presbyterian Church, we realize that we are called to a high standard of Christ-like behaviour. Therefore, we covenant together to use these guidelines to guide our ministry.

1. We promise to value each other as gifts from God. We will strive to live and work in respectful relationship. John 13: 34; Romans 12:10

2. We promise to value, respect, and support the ministry of Graceview Presbyterian Church under the leadership of Rev. Rebekah Mitchell, and the Session. Hebrews 13:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:13

3. We promise to make our thoughts obedient to Christ and to express criticism and negative feelings respectfully, first to the person (not to others). We promise to seek reconciliation wherever possible. Romans 12:18; 2 Corinthians 10:5

4. We accept disagreement, conflict and evaluation as normal and natural. In this regard, we will seek to deal constructively and respectfully with disagreements or conflicts. Matthew 5:23,24; Matthew 18:15-17

5. As we are all forgiven by God, we promise to share God’s forgiveness with each other and with the congregation as a whole. Colossians 3:13

6. We promise to lead by following the example of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1; Titus 2:7

7. We commit to process major strategies and decisions as a team, allowing for emergency situations to be addressed by email or phone. Isaiah 1:18; Ephesians 4:3

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8. We promise to be good stewards of our time together for the benefit of one another and the church we serve.

9. We promise to maintain confidentiality in pastoral matters. We understand that Session is a closed court. While our decisions need to be communicated to the congregation, the process of arriving at those decisions (discussion, votes taken, who said what to whom) are to remain confidential. Furthermore, we promise to support the final decision made, whether it reflects our view or not.

10. We promise to support one another and the people of our congregation through prayer. Colossians 4:2

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StressReducer-MoreChurchladieswithtypewriters!Actualchurchbulletinnotices…

• The sermon this morning:Jesus Walks on Water. The sermon tonight: Searching for Jesus.

• Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and the deterioration of some older ones.

• This evening at 7:00 there will be a hymn sing in the park. Bring a blanket and prepare to sin.

• Weight Watchers will meet tonight at the church. Please use the large double doors at the side entrance.

• Don’t let worry kill you off. Let the church help.

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SurvivingaCategory5Hurricane KathyTwynam

Manyofyouknowthatmysisterandbrother-in-law,LynneandJoeFusca,ownacondoonthebeachinMarcoIsland,Florida(justoffthecoastofNaplesontheGulfcoast),andspendaboutsixmonthsthereeveryyear.Theydon’tgoforsixconsecutivemonths,butforabouttwomonthsatatime,returningtoTorontofortwomonthsorsobetweentripstoFlorida.TheyhappentobebigfansofFlorida’ssummerheat(there’snoaccountingfortaste),andsoliketobethereforthemonthsofAugustandSeptember–rightattheheightofhurricaneseason.

Theywereeyewitnessestothisseason’smostdevastatinghurricanes,especiallyHurricaneIrma,whichpasseddirectlyoverMarcoIslandonSeptember10.Sincesomeofyouhavebeenaskinghowtheyfaredduringthehurricane,Ithoughtafirst-handaccountoftheexperiencemightinterestyou.

DuringthattimeofcrisisthereweremanyemailsflyingbackandforthbetweenthemandtheirlargeextendedfamiliesinCanada.Everyoneherewasveryworried,hearingreportsofextensivedamageanddeathsintheCaribbeanIslandsandFlorida.Italkedtomysisterbyphoneanumberoftimesinthedaysleadinguptothehurricane,untilthehurricanedestroyedtheutilityboxthatservicedtheircondoandtheynolongerhadlandlinephoneservice.Theytriedtosparetheircellphone,notknowingwhentheywouldhavepowertochargeitup.

AcoupleofdaysbeforeIrmahit,theyhadconsideredevacuating,asmostoftheresidentsoftheirbuildinghaddone.ButtheirFloridacarisalittleMiniCooper,whichhadbeengivingthemsometrouble,andtheykepthearingreportsofmajortrafficjamsonthethreemainroutesoutofFlorida,andgasshortagesalongtheway.TheydidnotwanttotakeachanceongettingstuckontheInterstatewithonlytheircarforprotection,andintheendfelttheywouldbesaferifthey

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stayedput.Theircondoisonthesecondfloorofacementbuildingandthemajorconcernwasthatthestormsurgecomingupfromthebeachwouldcauseextensivewaterdamage.

FollowingareexcerptsfromemailsfromLynnethatwereceivedinthedaysimmediatelybeforeHurricaneIrma,sharedwithherpermission:

September 7 - …We have prepared as much as we can and will hope for the best. It's very tense and l wish we had been able to leave, but that didn't seem feasible. Tomorrow (we) might try to make arrangements to stay for a while in a unit on a higher level that has hurricane shutters over the sliding doors and windows. We'll try to keep in touch, but we may not be in our unit to answer the phone. I'll be glad when this is all over.

September 8 - So far so good. We are as prepared as we can be in our condo here. We really feel we are safer here than anywhere else we could get to. If we have to we can go up to a higher floor and our building is pretty solid. It's tense but I'm pretty sure we'll be okay. We'll try to keep in touch by phone or email, but if our service goes out and you don't hear from us, don't assume the worst.

This is what they did to prepare for the hurricane:

• Theybroughtalltheiroutdoorfurnitureinfromtheirterraceandsecureditinsidetheirunit,usingupalotof

ducttapeintheprocess.• They removed all the pictures from their walls and secured them in closets. • They taped up their toilet, fearing that the storm surge would suck the water

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out of the bowl and cause gases to form. (What did they do when nature called? They “quickly untaped it and then taped it back up again.”)

• They placed all their glassware in the dishwasher, and many loose items such as their landline telephone, in the oven.

• They wrapped their TV and their electronic equipment in plastic to guard against water damage, disconnected everything, and put all that would fit, under the bed in plastic bins.

• They took the glass tops off their dining table and coffee table, and secured them behind heavy furniture.

• Fearing a wind tunnel in the hall, they barricaded their short hallway with furniture.

• They made sure they were well stocked with water and food for several days.

Having had no previous experience with hurricanes, they relied on advice from experienced Floridians and their own common sense to prepare as best they could for this extremely dangerous storm.

Emails from Lynne and other family members can tell the story far better than I can:

Lynne - September 9 - We have moved into a lovely unit on the sixth floor where they have just put

in brand new hurricane rated windows everywhere. Even though it's getting windy outside it's very quiet and cosy in here. We feel much more secure now. We have also been able to move our car up to a higher level parking area next door so hopefully, our little

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Thebeachfromthe6thfloorbalcony

Mini will make it through okay. It looks like tomorrow afternoon we will get the worst of it, so we plan to stay inside, locked up tight, until Monday or Tuesday. If necessary tomorrow we will spend a couple of hours locked in the bathroom until the winds die down. I'm not sure when we will return to our own unit or when we will be without power or phone service, but we have flashlights and lots of food and water so we'll be okay. We just have to hunker down and get through it. We'll try to keep in touch, but don't panic while you're waiting to hear from us. We believe we've done all we can to stay safe. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! (Not one we'd like to repeat any time soon). Try not to worry.

PS. We're in the bathroom right now because we got a message about a tornado warning in the area, effective until 5:15. Then it will be time for dinner, which will include glasses of wine and shots of rum!

EmailfromtheirsonMichael,whoisaspecialistinDisasterManagement:

September 10, 3:44 PM – The eye of the storm - Believe it or not, I just spoke to my dad on the

phone. He literally called me from within the calm area at eye of the storm as it passed directly overhead. He and my mom are doing fine so far, and they seem in good spirits. In a couple hours they'll pass through the rearward eye wall and it will get very windy for them again, but I think at this point their shelter has proven to be sufficient protection. There will still be danger of flooding, but they're six stories above sea level and have plenty of food and water, so all they have to do is stay put and I'm sure they'll be ok.

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Theheightofthestorm

ExcerptsfromtwoemailsfromJoe’ssister:

September10,9:05PM–Thestormhaspassedover- Spoke with Joe and Lynne a little while ago. They are quite comfortable in the dark... Lynne doing crosswords by flashlight.... and they feel they have survived better than expected. Because of cellphone tower outages their phone kept cutting out. Joe said the surge was not as high as they had expected so that's good. Didn't get much else but the main thing is they are safe. September 11, 11:54 AM – They survived! - Joe called this morning and he says they have survived the storm very well! They are completely safe and have even managed to sleep!!! They've been down to their second floor unit. It's sustained very little damage - wet floors that they are now airing out. They are still without power or water. Hopefully that will be resolved soon, and good planning has ensured they have plenty of provisions---Carlo Rossi etc. Joe said the weather now is quite lovely and sunny. The water in the streets is draining well and there are actually cars on

roads…

Excerpts from Lynne’s final two emails:

September 11, 11:16 PM: Just to confirm, we are fine and everything worked out okay, for us at least. There is no damage to our condo or car and the power and water

came back on about 9:00 this evening, so we are all systems go!

Unfortunately there is a lot of damage on our beautiful little island and throughout Florida and the Caribbean. We feel for those who have suffered because of this event. We would like to sincerely thank all of our family members who worried about us during our

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time of need. Your phone calls and emails were comforting to us and really showed us what a truly loving, caring family we have.

September 13, 10:39 AM: We have been back in our own condo since yesterday morning and everything is now ship shape…The windows were full of debris and sand from the storm so it was a big job to clean them… We were able to go to Publix yesterday but many of the shelves were bare. We saw destruction everywhere (there is a palm tree in our pool) and the people across the street from us still had no power or water. I realize that we were very lucky indeed. Our condo phone is still not working so that is why you haven't been able to call us. We were keeping our landline in case of emergencies but it has basically been pretty useless…

The day after the hurricane they went out for a walk in their neighbourhood and found the atmosphere very eerie. There was no one on the beach or the streets and the landscape was devastated, with many of the large palm trees and smaller shrubs uprooted and debris everywhere. Fortunately, few of the buildings were visibly damaged – but Marco Island is a fairly ritzy place whose residents could afford to ensure that their houses were as

hurricane-proof as possible. Even so, many people who lived at ground level had as much as two feet of mud and water in their living rooms.

Although things were pretty tense and scary for a few days, Lynne and Joe were very thankful that they got off so lightly compared to so many others. Their power and water were restored in about 35 hours. The City of Naples had the resources to get power and water up and running, and the streets cleared of the worst of the debris, in fairly short order, although complete restoration on Marco Island will take a long time.

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Thedayafter

More News from the North…

Graceview’s Mission Team at work.

Letter from Anna Cherniak, October 16, 2017:

We received 3 boxes of equipment for the children to use at recess.  When I opened them in class, the children's eyes became big and round.  They were amazed and so excited!

Once our Principal and the Community Director see them, the outdoor equipment will be passed on to our Youth Coordinator who does the outside recess programming.   She will be thrilled to be able to use the footballs, soccer balls, skipping ropes, hockey sticks and goal net.  Hockey is a big sport in our village and the hockey sticks and goal will be great play throughout the seasons, especially for the boys during recesses, keeping them out of mischief.  The recess monitors, or animators as they call them here, proudly wear the vests that Graceview purchased for our school last year.  They are instrumental in helping to involve students in organized play as well as to prevent bullying, and boy does the program ever work!  There has been a great difference in our children on the playground since the monitors with their bright yellow vests have come out for recess.  We often have 4-6 monitors out at a time and those that were bullied in the past are now feeling safer and more confident in the schoolyard.

A big thank you goes out to all involved in making this dream a reality for the children of Iguarsivik School and thank you Maureen for your help, support and encouragement.  You all have given these children an opportunity to grow and blossom in the light and love of Christ.

Blessings,Anna

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Where Is Puvirnituq? Bob Nancarrow In recent issues of Graceviews we have been reading letters from Anna Cherniak who teaches at the Iguarsivik School in Puvirnituq.

The Mission Committee has been active in helping Anna with some of the children's projects at the school and with supplies not available there.But how many of you know where Puvirnituq is, or what a remote town like this looks like? By digging through internet sites we can get a glimpse of this community and a feel for what it is like to live in the far north of Canada.Puvirnituq is on the east coast of Hudson's Bay, about 1825 km [1100 miles] north of Toronto.

A recent major investment included the construction of a runway extension, so the Puvirnituq Airport can now handle large capacity jets, like Air Inuit’s Boeing 737-200C aircraft, thus reducing direct Montreal–Puvirnituq flight times. This airplane can carry both passengers and cargo, making it possible to supply West Nunavik residents with

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Gettinga“warm”welcome

better quality perishable goods.In July 2009, Zelada Desgagnés departed the St. Lawrence for her first summer supply voyage to the Canadian Arctic. All went well until August 31 when the ship went aground near Puvirnituq and suffered bottom damage. After being released, the ship proceeded to Inukjuaq for temporary repairs and then completed the voyage.

There are two stores in Puvirnituq, the Co-operative and the Northern Store, which replaced the Hudson’s Bay Company.

PUVIRNITUQ means “putrefied.” It was here that an entire community of Inuit died in a famine one winter; not a single survivor remained to tell of the event. The following spring, the igloos melted, and people found the corpses giving off the odour of putrefaction. The community was named to commemorate the event, although it’s not a very felicitous name for a town.

Students from Puvirnituq's Iguarsivik School's IPL program baked some Halloween treats to sell at the school canteen they operate on a daily basis. From left, Annie Sivuarapik, Akinisie Sivuarapik and

Elisapi Nastapoka pose in front of their pumpkin muffins display. (PHOTO BY ALAIN CLOUTIER)

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InuktitukWriting

LunchBunch-Sunday,November12

WildGooseBarandGrill,5395EglintonAve.

PleasesignupbyNov.5.

Thismonth,pleaseincludethefollowinginyour

prayers:DonNixon,ShannonJarvis,JeanGreig,DanFleming,JulieOttewell,andthosewhoaresuffering,

unknowntousbutknowntoGod.

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ChurchDirectory

Minister Rev. Rebekah Mitchell 647-969-5456 mitchrr@gmail.com Clerk of Session Bob Twynam 416-207-9170

Chairman, Bd. of Man. Alex Henderson 416-622-1538

Minister of Music Eric Medhurst 905-276-4021

Church Secretary Faye Leaper 416-621-0888 Pres., Women's Guild Loreen McCormack 416-622-5621

Pastoral Care Ethel Waite 416-620-5551 Treasurer Robin Telfer 905-625-0664

Property Manager Earl Nixon 416-620-4190

Envelope Secretary May Wright 416-621-0249

Chairperson, Outreach Sheila Thomas 416-239-8520

Editor, Graceviews Kathryn Twynam 416-207-9170 kmtwynam@rogers.com

Web Site www.graceview.ca

PLEASE NOTE: Graceviews is usually available on the first Sunday of every month, from October to June. Articles for the next newsletter are due on the Sunday two weeks prior to the date of issue.

Graceviews deadlines for 2017/2018 are: September 17, October 22, November 19, December 24, January 21, February 18, April 22, and May 20. There will be no separate April issue, so any items or announcements for April should be included in the March/April issue.

The next Graceviews issue will be available on Sunday, December 3, 2017. The deadline is Sunday, November 19.

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