rebekah’s writin’ ‘inside’ memories · life-sized terracotta warriors and horses crafted in...
TRANSCRIPT
Calendar Inside Front Cover
Rebekah’s Writin’ 1–2
News from the Pews 3–4
Announcements 5
Witness: here, there and everywhere 6
Day Away at Crieff 7
GRACE Groups Update 8
Time Talent Treasure 9
The Young Congregation! 10
‘Inside’ Memories 11
WMS Report 12
Prayer Circle 13
network: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts 13
Birthdays 14
Passages/Emma Duncan’s Convocation 15
Financial Report 16
Senior Ladies’ Luncheon 17
Vacation Bible School Back Cover
The Rev. Geoff Ross says grace before the senior
ladies’ luncheon on May 4 …page 17
The Rev. Dr. Paul McLean gives some translation
lessons during his visit on May 26 …page 6
The Holy Spirit took control of everyone,
and they began speaking whatever
languages the Spirit let them speak. And when they heard this noise, a crowd
gathered. But they were surprised,
because they were hearing everything in
their own languages. Acts 2:4, 6
Day away at Crieff
Hills: worship, study
and fellowship
…page 8
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1
905-451-1723
Church Office Ext. 0
Open Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Service Times and Location Ext. 50
Food Bank Ext. 55
Lead Minister Ext. 22
The Rev. Geoff Ross Cell: 647-524-1870
Associate Minister Ext. 24
The Rev. Rebekah Mitchell Cell: 647-969-5456
Minister in Association Ext. 26
The Rev. Wayne Baswick
Minister Emeritus Ext. 0
The Rev. Rosemary Doran
Music Director/Organist Ext. 0
Shelagh Tyreman [email protected]
Senior and Junior Choirs, Leap of Faith Band
Sunday School Superintendent Ext. 28
Colleen Peyer [email protected]
Maureen Kelly Ext. 0
Alpha Administrator
Food Cupboard Co-ordinator
Office Administrator Ext. 0
Debbie Peacock
Church Officer Ext. 0
Henry Ettinger
Voice mail boxes are password protected to ensure confidentiality and we check them several times
daily, especially when the office is closed. We consider every call important and will respond as quickly as possible. Our ministers invite you to call
their cell phone numbers at any time.
Relax – but don’t forget!
I love summer. I love the warm
temperatures, the slower pace, the
long evenings, the blockbuster
movies, the chance to drink iced
coffee, the barbecues and get-togethers with friends.
And I love vacation. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it
again: the pace at St. Andrew’s is fast. The weeks pass
so quickly for me and the others who make up the
ministry and leadership teams here. We are a busy
church. A break from the “busy-ness as usual” is a
good thing.
I was reminded today that Jesus regularly withdrew
from the crowds to rest and recharge so that He was
able to go about the work which God had given Him.
It is a good thing to have a break – if it works for
Jesus, it works for me!
So I encourage you to take a little time during the
warmer months. Take a deep breath. Smell (or plant,
or pick) a few flowers along the way. Enjoy a long
lingering meal. Go grab a coffee with a friend and sit
outside as you share coffee and conversation. Go to
the movies and lose yourself in an epic story where
lots of things go boom and the good guys win. Read a
good book…not rushing for the end, but enjoying
each chapter, each character, each plot point. Take a
long walk and listen for the birds which are singing,
hear the sigh of the summer breezes, enjoy the
laughter of children playing outdoors.
Drink in all the good things which life has to offer –
they are all gifts from a God who loves us, after all.
Be thankful for the blessings which surround you.
Count them up and acknowledge them before God.
Relax. Rest. Unwind. Breathe. Just, breathe.
These are good things to
do – life-giving, soul-
renewing, spirit-reviving
things to do. And I
encourage you to do
them all.
(continued on page 2)
Rev. Rebekah Mitchell
2
Church Contacts
Clerk of Session
Molly Harvey
Christian Education Committee
Stan Loree
Communications Committee
Envelope Secretary
Bea Embling
Fellowship Committee
Henry Peyer
Helping Hands
Donalda Dale
Jo-Ann Urquhart
Mission Committee
Jessica Rhind
Newsletter Editor
Elizabeth Giesbrecht
Personnel Committee
Ian Jess
Prayer Circle
Sandra Jackson
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Florence Martin
Property Committee
Richard McMechan
SALSA Women’s Group
Pam Loree
Stewardship Committee
Treasurer
May Maltby
Usher Co-ordinator
Richard McMechan
Visiting Committee
Mary McLean
Web Team
Women’s Missionary Society
Maureen Kelly
Worship Committee
Heather Midgley
But - and there is a little “but” to add in here – in the midst of all
this relaxing and renewing and life-drinking – don’t forget St.
Andrew’s. In fact, in the midst of smelling a flower or sharing a
coffee, remember the blessings which God has brought you
through your church family. Ask God for opportunities to build up
the community of faith we have here. Think and pray about what
the coming year will bring and how God might be calling you to
serve others and to explore your faith in our midst.
A break – whether that means a time during which you are
physically absent or simply a time when you do a little less – is a
good thing. It gets you out of the routine and gives you a chance
to assess where you have been and where you might be going.
So do relax during the next couple of
months. But don’t forget. Be always
prayerful, always asking for God’s
guidance, always open to His voice, and
you will find yourself blessed.
INSIDE ST. ANDREW’S
PUBLISHED MONTHLY (except August) to inform our church community about activities within this congregation and the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and to provide inspiration to our readers.
Submissions can be made by email to [email protected], left in the newsletter slot either on the office door or in the Great Hall or may be given to any newsletter committee member listed below.
Newsletter Committee:
Felicity Alexander, Elizabeth Giesbrecht, Bill Robinson, June Young
Additional Contributors This Month: Kathi DesChenes, Gerry Doran, Anna Eitner, Bea Embling,
Ian Jess, Sue Haw, Mae MacDonald-Kerr, Stan Loree,
May Maltby, Rebekah Mitchell, Colleen Peyer, Jessica Rhind
Deadline for submissions for the Summer issue is
Friday, June 28, 2013
This newsletter and St. Andrew’s
office printing are done by:
10 Gillingham Dr. Suite 116
3
Rajeev Wijesinghe heads the Rotary District 7080
Youth Exchange Committee, which runs the Rotary
Youth Exchange program in the Brampton/
Mississauga region. This program offers qualifying
high school students the opportunity to study overseas
for one year of high school. They send students from
Canada and accept students from overseas.
Rajeev’s team recently won the “Dr. Abe
Kuttothara Award” which is presented to the North
American (Canada-Mexico-USA) Rotary District
which has the best managed youth exchange
program. This honour was conferred on Rajeev’s
team by the North American Rotary Youth Exchange
Network, whose annual conference this year was at
Walt Disney World in Florida. In considering
nominations for the award, the judges looked at a
number of factors, some of which include:
(i) training practices to prepare youth for
exchange,
(ii) orientation practices for host families,
(iii) support mechanisms for students and host
families
(iv) efforts to grow the program
Congratulations on your group’s award, Rajeev!
On a recent trip to Ottawa to visit her son Stephen,
Elizabeth Giesbrecht was pleased to be able to re-
connect with her friend Dianne, who was her ‘mom-
away-from-home’ while she was at university.
Elizabeth and Dianne sang in the choir together at
Parkwood Presbyterian in Nepean. By coincidence,
Stephen has just started a co-op position with IBM at
the same office where Dianne’s son works, so a
family visit is now being planned.
Congratulations to Marilyn (Boyd) White who
graduated in May from Canisius College in Buffalo
with a Master of Science in Education, majoring in
childhood education.
At the request of the church mouse, Dorothy
Matheson sent us the following report on her
recent trip.
In early May, I visited China with my friend Linda
Winslow to do some sight-seeing and to visit my
son Warren, who has worked in Shen Yang for the
past two years (he expects to complete his work
there in December). We saw many of the older
parts of China such as Old Town in Shanghai and
walked along The Bund as well as the many
beautiful malls and new buildings being
constructed. We saw the tourist areas plus the back
streets and markets. Shen Yang is a small industrial
city with only 8,000,000 people. The traffic was
horrendous! The cars do not obey any street signs
or speed laws. They even drove on the sidewalks
when traffic was heavy. The bicycles were very
dangerous because they drove everywhere. We
were surprised to see the bicycles pulling huge
wagons with a variety of articles and people on them.
We visited Xi’an’s archaeological wonder: 8,000
life-sized terracotta warriors and horses crafted in
incredible detail in 210 BC to guard the emperor.
The museum displays nearly 3,900 of them. You
can also see the areas which have not been
excavated. It was an amazing sight. We climbed
part of The Great Wall (with much difficulty) but
were disappointed because our view was obstructed
by low clouds. One cannot imagine how this wall
could have been built.
Other interesting places, which we were able to
visit, were Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City,
The Summer Palace, The Jade Buddha Temple and
the Crow’s nest. For entertainment, we saw a
wonderful Chinese variety show, visited a Karaoke
Bar, a trade fair, ate in private dining rooms,
watched the Chinese people dance and fly kites in
the public squares and shopped at the Shanghai and
Beijing Silk markets. We felt like celebrities
because lots of people wanted to have their picture
taken with us. They were also very eager to talk to
us to practice their English.
There were many lovely parks with gym
equipment for people to use. When we got tired of
the Chinese food, we went to McDonalds or KFC.
We were not brave enough to try any of the foods
offered at the roadside stands!!
This was a long journey but it was well worth it.
(continued on page 4)
News
from
the
Pews
4
News from the Pews (continued from page 3)
John and Eunice Boyd took a trip to Arizona in
March. They travelled the south rim of the Grand
Canyon and watched the sun set over Hopi Point.
They drove through the beautiful Red Rock country
around Sedona. In the Verde Valley, they saw cliff
dwellings of the ancient farmers – the Southern
Sinagua, who irrigated their crops with water from
the Montezuma Well, which is a spring-fed lake in
the midst of desert. Near Apache junction, they
visited a Goldfield Ghost town and went down the
abandoned mine. On a drive to the Roosevelt Dam,
they stopped for breakfast at Tortilla Flats, which
has an old bar with saddles for barstools and walls
covered with real paper money, mostly US
currency, but from other countries as well.
Eunice reports that throughout their trip the
scenery was magnificent and it was great to see
some of the history of the Wild West.
For two weeks, Farquhar and Mae MacDonald
experienced the sights, sounds and smells of
Morocco and shared them with us.
Landing in Rabat, we had dinner at the home of our
intrepid guide, who is a Canadian married to a
Moroccan man, and, although she works and lives
much of the time in Toronto, loves her Moroccan
home and family, some of whom we were pleased
to meet. From Rabat, we went to the more southern
and western regions.
The market in Marrakech was an adventure in
colour and noise – storytellers with big groups of
men gathered around to listen to their tales, many
snake charmers with various species of reptiles,
clothing, scarves, perfumes, pottery, rugs, jewellery,
ointments for every purpose imaginable, wood
carvings, and more. It was a very crowded place.
More relaxing was the trip through the High
Atlas Mountains with its views. This took us into the
desert, where we rode on camels for an hour and a
half (not quite as relaxing!) through the sand and
stayed overnight in tents, being served wonderful
food and being entertained by our Berber hosts.
Every day had its highlights. We so enjoyed all
the little treks, scenery, people we met, weather
was sunny most days, the temperature was 21-30
daytime, but always cool at night. Some English
was spoken, but mostly it was French, Arabic or, in
some places, Berber. We were so glad that we had
the opportunity to see some of this part of our world.
The Holy Spirit swept through St. Andrew’s on
Pentecost Sunday, May 19 and the members were
heard speaking in many tongues. OK, so the Rev.
Geoff Ross did help arrange things...he brought
volunteers forward during the children’s See & Hear
time and led them saying the Lord’s Prayer in
English, while they simultaneously recited it a
variety of languages. Thanks to all those who took
part: Herb Eitner (German), Robert Hakim
(Hebrew), Valerie Warren, Jozsef Tegzes and
Brigita Kar (Hungarian), Jake Steringa (Dutch),
Edem Kaguda and Lillian Muchakagara (Shona),
the Rev. Babar Allahditta, Khalil Gill (Urdu).
Have you noticed the vegetable garden beds on the
manse side of the church and wanted to find out
more about them? If so, you might be interested in
an article by Jessica Rhind which appears in the
May/June issue of Glad Tidings, the magazine of
the national Women’s Missionary Society.
Jessica’s article is titled “Garden of Eatin’” and in
it she describes how the garden got started, what is
involved in keeping it going, and what happens to
the “fruits of her labour”.
If you don’t subscribe to Glad Tidings please
contact Jessica or Maureen Kelly for more
information on the article.
Above: The watersports cabin at Cairn Camp has a
new roof thanks to St. Andrew’s shingling team:
Peter Shepherd, Nathan Woods, Alex & Stan Loree.
Please share your news with our church family.
You can e-mail your information to
contact any member of the newsletter team
whose names are listed on page 2.
5
Tongues of Fire!
Do you speak a second language? Come help us tell
the world that Jesus loves them! Following church
for the next few Sundays, we would like to film
about twenty people saying “Jesus loves you” in a
language other than English, which we will then
string together, creating a short film to be shown in
church as well as posted on our website. If you
would like to participate, please speak to Stan Loree
or Peter Shepherd.
Strawberry Social & Talent Show
Wednesday, June 19
Strawberry shortcake will be served at 6:30 pm
followed by the talent show at 7:30 pm.
Tickets are $5.00
Tickets are available after worship in the Great Hall.
If you would like to share your talent please sign up
on the sheet posted under the clock in the Great Hall
or contact the office at 905-451-1723 ext. 0.
Sunday, June 9 at Eldorado Park
immediately after service
Sun! Fun! Food! Games!
Good Friends and New Friends!
This year’s congregational picnic will take place in
Eldorado Park (Creditview Road south of Queen St)
on site #3. We will get out of church early so
everyone can make their way to the park where we
will meet up with members from Christ Church
Anglican and Grace United, who will be
worshipping there and waiting for us. We have
agreed to share the site, our food, and the games in
the hopes of building up our ecumenical
relationships – and to have some friendly rivalry.
Come dressed in your picnic clothes and bring your
lunch and ‘something to share’, lawn chairs, hats,
and sunscreen! We hope to see everyone there.
NB: In the event of bad weather, we will be
picnicking in the Great Hall.
Interested in Becoming a Member
of St. Andrew’s?
If you are interested in becoming a member of St.
Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Brampton, please
speak to either the Rev. Geoff Ross or the Rev.
Rebekah Mitchell after the service. There are plans
to receive new members in the coming weeks.
I would like to thank everyone for your visits
and all my cards while I was in the hospital and
Extendicare recovering from a broken leg.
Shirley Hancock
6
Witness: here, there and everywhere
To kick off the current preaching series on
witnessing, St. Andrew’s welcomed back the Rev.
Dr. Paul McLean, son of Mary McLean, who was
baptized into this congregation and grew up in our
Sunday School and youth group. During the opening
to his sermon, Paul named many St. Andrew’s
people who had influenced him with their
witnessing. Both in the service, and then in more
detail following lunch, he told the story of his
grandfather, an orphan
from Scotland, who
came to Canada,
eventually settling
in Brampton and
becoming an active
member of St.
Andrew’s, as an elder
and Sunday School
superintendant, who
painted the picture of
Jesus the Good
Shepherd hanging in
the Great Hall.
Paul’s sermon was based on Acts 1:8 But the Holy
Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then
you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all
Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.” He
noted that Presbyterians are generally shy about
proclaiming their faith, but God calls us to boldly
witness in Jesus’ name. He also spoke on the
importance of witnessing using the Bible, which
teaches us what God wants us to do. Paul challenged
the congregation to take the time to write down
answers to the question, “Why am I a Christian?” so
that we can articulate this when the opportunity
comes up to speak to someone about our faith.
Following the service, the Mission Committee and
WMS put on a lunch, which had some traditional
Hakka dishes as well as ‘Presbyterian’ sandwiches.
Approximately sixty people stayed to enjoy the
meal and see Paul’s PowerPoint presentation on
Taiwan and his twenty-six year project of
translating the Bible into the Hakka language.
Paul, his wife Mary Beth, and their sons lived in
Taiwan for twelve years from 1983-1995 as Paul
and a team of twenty pastors and translators worked
on translating the New Testament, Psalms and
Proverbs. Hakka has two written forms, Chinese
characters and a romanized script, which can help
clarify pronunciation of the characters. It is also a
tonal language, meaning that the type of stress,
rising or falling, given to a word can change its
meaning. Paul and Mary Beth had to learn the
Hakka language when they moved to Taiwan. Their
sons had the advantage of growing up speaking it.
Paul had the attendees attempt to read along with
some of his slides, learning the word for “God” in
several languages. He also gave an example of the
difficulty when languages don’t have corresponding
words using the phrase “take up your cross” –
should he use the Hakka word for “shoulder” or
“raise up”? The imagery of the two is very different.
The translators focus on the message first, then the
form and finally the style.
From 2004-2011, the team worked on translating
the Old Testament, during which time Paul travelled
to Taiwan several times a year, and last year the
complete Hakka Bible was published. Paul’s son,
Peter, rode his bike across Canada and raised
$25,000 to help with the printing costs.
Paul has also taken part in taping an audio version
of the Hakka New Testament to go online and has
preached in Hakka at the Markham Chinese
Presbyterian Church. He is currently working as an
advisor to several indigenous groups in Taiwan as
they work on Old Testament translations in the
Drekey, Paiwan, Bunun and Amis languages.
Paul’s slide shows Greek (top left), English,
phonetic Hakka (top right) and Hakka characters
7
Day Away at Crieff
On a chilly May morning, thirty-two people
attended the day-long retreat at Crieff Hills. While
the weather outside was cold, the atmosphere inside
was warm and encouraging.
The Rev. Rosemary Doran began the session with a
welcome and an outline of what the day would
encompass. She then led opening worship with
prayer and a reflection about taking time alone to
commune with God and recharge her batteries after
times of stress. The group joined in reading a
paraphrase of Psalm 104, by United Church writer
Jim Taylor, and in singing two hymns.
The day was wonderful as the Rev. Rebekah
Mitchell led a study on Joshua 2 – the story about
the prostitute Rahab living in Jericho and how she
protected the two Israelite spies. Four different
translations of the bible story were used. Rebekah
spoke about her time at Knox studying Hebrew.
After this introduction, we broke into four groups
and came up with some thought-provoking answers
in regards to how God related to Rahab, the
Israelites, the King and the people of Jericho and
what message this story has for us today.
After lunch, we spent some time strolling amongst
the beautiful natural landscape. Others spent some
quiet time reading, praying or visiting with others
inside.
In the afternoon, the Rev. Geoff Ross talked about
the ‘roll call’ in the Bible, meaning the list of names
in the Old Testament which describe the ancestry of
Jesus. While some of these names are difficult to
pronounce, they became alive and full of meaning
as we listened to a CD of the Rev. Fred Craddock as
he described some of these people according to
what was stated about them in the Bible. Geoff
spoke about the blocks of names of people who had
died in the Vietnam war posted on a wall in the U.S.
and had some examples of ‘roll calls’ in the form of
the St. Andrew’s directory, some old church group
photos and the Ross family tree. Finally, Geoff
concluded by saying we should all make up our
‘roll call’ of people who have helped us on our
spiritual journey.
The day ended with a communion service and the
Irish Blessing and a renewed sense of duty and
thankfulness as Christians. We pray that the fruits
of our spiritual journey are worthy of following!
8
GRACE Groups Update
If you cast your memory back to the beginning of the
year, you might remember Geoff and Rebekah
preaching a series entitled G.R.A.C.E., in which a
vision was cast for a small group network at St.
Andrew’s. Several interested people signed up to be
part of the “Next Step” groups. Currently, we have
three Next Step groups running. Each group is
unique, meeting at different times and different days,
and doing some different things: one group has been
sharing the personal faith stories of each member,
many group participants have been attending the
‘network’ course, learning about their spiritual gifts,
two of the groups have used the Rob Bell NOOMA
series of videos for study and discussion. Each group
is building relationships within.
It is a great thing that
the groups are
different, as we
expect each GRACE
Group to be unique:
shaped by the
different individuals
who participate in the
group. This is not a
set program where
everything is done
according to one set
of rules. Instead, there is room for different
expressions and different interests as the groups
tackle the five points of G.R.A.C.E., as outlined in
the box on left. All the individuals who are
currently participating in Next Step groups are
excited and interested in helping the GRACE
Groups ministry succeed at St. Andrew’s. In all,
there are nineteen individuals taking part in the
Next Step groups.
Our hope is to do some intensive training initiatives
in the early fall, have a sermon series to promote
GRACE Groups throughout September and then
have a launch Sunday on September 29. On that
Sunday, everyone will be put into a geographically
defined group, and will have a chance to meet the
coordinators for their area.
As we continue to journey toward this launch,
please support this ministry in your prayers! If you
would like more information, please speak to
Rebekah or Geoff.
Many members,
one body.
Just a reminder: GRACE Groups will be:
geographically based
open
8-12 people
ministry focused
multigenerational
putting our faith into practice
G.R.A.C.E. stands for:
G. – Glorify God
R. – Relationships
A. – Acts of Service
C. – Caring Community
E. – Education
9
Hopefully, you have all received the pamphlet,
“PAR” Explained, delivered with your communion
card for the May 19 communion. If you haven’t
received one, they are available at all the doors
leading into the sanctuary.
Summer is a good time to consider going on PAR as
weekends spent at the cottage or taking most of the
summer ‘off’ means church attendance is down and
fewer cash and cheques find their way to the
offering plates. Being on PAR allows your
donations to the church to be regular, even if your
attendance isn’t.
If you still are a little confused as to how PAR
works or would just like a bit more information
contact May Maltby or Bea Embling.
Giving is a response to God Stewardship is a person’s response to God in Christ.
God has given generously to us. We, then, give to
others. Presbyterians practice whole-life
stewardship, using time, ability and money for the
advance God’s kingdom. We are stewards of God’s
mysteries and stewards of creation. how we spend
our money and time are strong statements about us.
As Presbyterians, we aim to let our works and
actions “shine before others that they may see these
good works and give glory to God” (Matthew 5:16).
Presbyterian congregations stress the mission of the
church and recognize our need to give and the
pleasure we receive by giving.
Principles of Christian Giving Our giving is an act of worship that
symbolizes the giving of our whole self.
We give out of gratitude for all that God has
given us.
We give as a response to God’s grace, not to
earn God’s grace.
We give intentionally and regularly, of our
own free will.
We give proportionately, according to how
God has prospered us.
Our giving is a priority. Our gifts come ‘off
the top’. They do not come from what is left over.
We give joyfully and find that, in so doing, we
are blessed.
***************
Macgregor sales raised a total of $1253 for the
General Fund. The Stewardship Committee thanks
all of you who participated by placing orders to make
the event successful. Have a good BBQ season.
***************
Sums Up Our Spring
A curious fellow died one day and found himself waiting in the long line of judgment. As he stood there he noticed that some souls were allowed to march right through the pearly gates into Heaven. Others though, were led over to Satan who threw them into the burning pit. But every so often, instead of hurling a poor soul into the fire, Satan would toss a soul off to one side into a small pile.
After watching Satan do this several times, the fellow’s curiosity got the best of him. He strolled over and asked Satan what he was doing.
“Excuse me, Prince of Darkness,” he said. “I’m waiting in line for judgment, but I couldn’t help wondering, why are you tossing those people aside instead of flinging them into the Fires of Hell with the others?”
“Oh those",” Satan groaned, “They’re all from Ontario. It’s only half-way through spring and they’re still too cold and too wet to burn.”
10
If you are interested in finding out more about any of our classes please feel free to visit us any Sunday morning. We welcome your participation!
For further information please contact: Colleen Peyer H: 905-459-3555 C: 905-601-4868 E: [email protected]
The Young Congregation!
Children and Youth of Our Church
Youth Group Our junior youth group is growing by leaps and bounds and taking on a life of its own!
We are very excited to announce that we are joining forces with our sister church Grace United
to develop a larger support staff and work towards growing a senior youth group.
What’s going with youth
on Sunday mornings!
The Ice Bucket Lesson
“How do I stop doing things I know I shouldn’t
do?” The kids were presented with a bucket of cold
water filled with large chunks of ice (made them in
margarine containers). They were ‘challenged’
(goaded) but not forced to put their hand in the icy
water and hold it there for thirty seconds. Of
course, once the first daredevil did it, all the rest
followed, which was exactly what was intended.
We then morphed into a discussion regarding peer
pressure and other temptations which cause us to
depart from the narrow path.
Our second visual on that day was a “hit or miss”
game, where the kids built a marbleworks “Life”
game, which included dividing paths (decisions)
and a jump where our marble sometimes landed,
and sometimes failed (we had marbles flying
everywhere!), because the marbles were not all the
same size and weight. This was contrasted to the
battle with sin in our lives – sometimes we
overcome and sometimes we do not. Ultimately,
though, God is shaping us as a work in progress
throughout our entire lives as long as we trust in
Him and strive to be Disciples of Christ.
Stan Loree
Report on last youth event
In short, it was a smash. On buckets! Mark
Nichols co-hosted with Jessica Rhind and he was
amazing; his talent really came forth.
We fired everyone up with some sugar to get them
going (mmm, cupcakes) and we picked our
instruments of choice. Mark had buckets with
drum sticks for practice, and in the end we all
loved banging on them. We talked about music,
styles we liked, what we didn’t like, and very
quickly after some fooling around the kids said
that they would love to practice (for realsies) to get
better and make this a regular monthly thing
separate from junior youth night. This is a ministry
they can really sink their teeth into. This
generation has a soundtrack for EVERYTHING;
they listen to music all day long and don’t like
silence. Giving them power to tap into what they
love and to make it their own is great.
We also need more drums. Maybe snares, a
bodhran if possible and some bongos, maybe a
huge skin drum as well (for the really deep
THOOM noise).
Please contact Colleen Peyer if you any to donate.
Enthusiastically yours,
Jessica
One Room School House (ORSH) The One Room Schoolhouse begins on June 16 for children aged 8 and under. The classes will be held
every Sunday during the summer months in the preschool room on the main floor of the education wing.
11
‘Inside’ Memories Reviewing activities of the congregation
in five year intervals
Five Years Ago – June 2008
the Rev. Wes Denyer comments on a trip to
Minneapolis to attend a homiletics conference
where he visits Mall of America; he wonders
how church/preaching can compete with such
action and excitement
reports on May Tea and ushering ministry
report on hotdog fundraiser for Winnipeg
Mission Trip, including itinerary and participants
Shepherding Team introduces some new
parking and greeting ideas
tribute to Royal family for their contributions
to St. Andrew’s (Stu-newsletter editor, Laura-
Sunday School) upon their move to Erin
the Rev. Blair Bertrand teaches parents some
texting language
SALSA Mother’s Day bake sale raises $427
WMS speaker is Lori Ransom of Justice
Ministries of the PCC, who outlined healing
and reconciliation efforts with aboriginal
communities
Crieff Hills retreat learns about St. Andrew’s
Natural Church Development survey results
letter from Leprosy Mission
Ten Years Ago – June 2003
Wes talks about a friend who has never been
able to understand why Wes became a minister
because he views the church as a business;
Wes states that the business of the church is
love – good works, donations and ‘good’
people are all just by-products
Donna Jackson receives her Master of Divinity
at the Knox College convocation
Anne Russell’s book My Hiding Place is released
ballroom dancing class raises $750 for food bank
men’s breakfast hears lawyer Ted Smith talk
about what Jesus would do if He ran a business
men attend Finding True North conference
WMS enjoy a “Victoria Day” meeting,
learning about the famous monarch
youth conduct Mother’s Day; Rob Rzepka
composes special song for the service
Steve Ashton creates a bible-style story to tell
of packing up book donations for Nigeria
Fifteen Years Ago – June 1998
message from interim moderator, the Rev. Dr.
Arnold Bethune suggests members share their
feelings about change to help bring closure to
Graeme’s departure
celebration of the Rev. Graeme Duncan’s
eighteen years of ministry at St. Andrew’s
includes quartet by Graeme’s children, a
binder of memories, dedication of communion
table runner and a 16” chocolate chip cookie
WMS hears guest speaker Donna Jackson
Ministry of Music service includes all of the
‘Top 10’ hymns from recent survey, three
senior choir anthems, the junior choir and
thirty littlest angels
overview of three day youth leadership
seminar “Generation Next” by Dave Conrad
report on youth camping trip
part 2 of Alvin Kelly’s “A Doctor’s Diary”
about his trip to work in Sioux Lookout
the Rev. John McGurrin writes on this quote
he has on his bible: “You are a Christian today
because somebody cared. Now it’s your turn.”
Mission Sunday speaker Joe Reed speaks on
life in Central America
report on Corn Share
hearing impaired sound system is reactivated
Twenty Years Ago – June 1993
Graeme’s message quotes Edna McCann on
Father’s Day
Lord, teach me understanding that I may know
the way to my children’s hearts and minds,
Give me strength that I may not fail them in
minor tragedies or in great crises,
Give me courage that I may stand firm when
they are wrong or heedless,
Grant me humility that I may acknowledge
my own mistakes when they are right.
a story in Canadian Underwriter about
Lyndon Scholey, paralyzed in a diving
accident, but now able to work from home
using voice recognition software is reprinted
Georgette Messacar introduces the ideas of a
greeting time in worship and friendship pads
after a visit to a Presbyterian church in Florida
youth raise $400 with hotdog sales
WMS do dramatic reading “We Choose
Solidarity”
12
St. Andrew’s-Pringle
Women’s
Missionary
Society
May 2013
The Tuesday, May 7, WMS meeting was opened on
a lovely evening, with president, Maureen Kelly,
leading us in prayer. The roll call, our Mother’s
birthplace, revealed our roots are in Great Britain,
USA, Hungary, St. Vincent, Taiwan, Trinidad,
British Guiana and many places in Canada. After a
review of the last meeting and delivery of the
treasurer’s report, we voted to present a small gift to
Emma Duncan for her accomplishment in graduating
from Knox College.
After an inspiring hymn, #767 – “Lord Speak to
Me”, was sung and The Most Important
Commandment, from Matthew 22:34-40 was read,
our birthday gals for May were recognized.
Felicity Alexander introduced Maureen Kelly as our
honoured speaker for the evening. Maureen led us
through the world of Women of the North by
sharing her story of a tour made by her and her
husband (Alvin) through northern Canada.
They started in Whitehorse, Yukon by renting a
canoe to explore the Yukon River. Shortly after
launching, they ran into complications and the canoe
dumped them into the fast flowing river. All made it
safely to shore and walked back to town to get dry
clothing and a new canoe. The trip down river was
well worth the five hour start up.
At one stop in their journey, at Inuit, the Canadian
Prime Minister was visiting and he, with his
entourage, had booked all available vehicles and
rooms. Finding accommodation was challenging but
they were able to witness our armed forces doing
manoeuvres with the First Nations personnel. The
forces and some visitors stayed in tents to share the
big celebrations. Two weeks later when Maureen
returned to the same area, she was able to rent the
PM’s room and enjoyed the local luxury.
Visiting Tuktoyaktuk on the Mackenzie River, they
found an underground freezer, a room built below
the permafrost level and accessed via ladder. They
sampled muskox, caribou and whale meats and
heard stories of the infamous residential schools
established with the mistaken idea that the young
people needed to be more like the European people.
With this plan, all children from age four through
their teens were sent to school in Inuvik, miles from
their families. Upon their return, it was found they
no longer knew their parents, families or how to live
as First Nations people. Today, schools are built
nearer the homes and children are raised by their
families.
In preparation for this adventure, Maureen had read
many books about the women in the north and they
proceeded to explore the areas where these women
lived.
On one flight, they met a family in the process of
moving to Old Crow, Yukon. Old Crow is the only
Yukon community which cannot be reached by car
so one must fly in. Here they were, with three
children and their household goods on a plane sized
for twenty people. The mother was planning to
become the principal for the school in this small
community of about three hundred. Maureen learned
later that the family did not stay for very long. Old
Crow was the home of Edith Josie, a writer whose
column, titled “Here Are the News”, concerning life
in the small community, was syndicated to
newspapers around the world.
***************
Plan to attend the
WMS Pot Luck Supper and meeting
on Tuesday, June 4
at 6:30 pm Roll call: a book or movie for summer enjoyment
13
Our loving God of every season, we come to You at the ending of spring. For all the
beauties of that season we give You thanks. For all that was wrong in our lives we ask
You to cover it over in Your mercy and strengthen us to do better in the future. In this
time of new beginnings, as so many leave school behind, so many start on a new life
together, we pray that Your spirit may be very present to them in these new adventures.
Knowing that You are always with us, we pray that the months ahead be a time of joy, of
renewal, of accomplishment. We are grateful that You know the future and that, as in the
past, You will be our constant help and support today, tomorrow and forever. With
thankful hearts we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Discover Your Spiritual Gifts by Ian Jess
Over the course of a six week program, 25-30 of us have had the opportunity to learn and better
understand the spiritual gifts with which we have been blessed. In addition, we have had the opportunity to
get to know some of the other members of the congregation. The course groups the spiritual gifts into
twenty-three categories. By performing a small assessment, we discovered what our top spiritual gifts are.
We then requested three assessments from others who knew us well, to confirm these gifts. In some cases,
there were some interesting differences between how we viewed ourselves and how others viewed us.
Next, we examined our personal style, in other words, whether we are people orientated or task orientated,
as well as whether we are structured or non-structured. This created four groupings – People Structured,
Task Structured, People Unstructured and Task Unstructured. This further strengthened the areas where
we are best suited to utilize our spiritual gifts. Finally, we examined what our individual Ministry Passions
are. If individuals are comfortable doing what they are gifted to do and enthusiastic about their passions,
they will be more willing to serve and will not get burnt out.
Going forward, we trust that with this information and our knowledge of our spiritual gifts, we will strive
to glorify God and edify others when we serve. It is intended that this course will be run again in the
future. If you wish further enlightenment into where your strengths and spiritual gifts may lie, please
consider it. During the process, you will find a greater insight into yourself, which can only assist you as
you continue your Christian journey.
St. Andrew’s Prayer Circle
St. Andrew’s Prayer Circle members offer prayers for those who are experiencing an illness or loss, or going through difficult times.
To submit a prayer request call:
the church office, 905-451-1723 ext. 0
or email
14
JUNE BIRTHDAYS
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
Isabella Campbell
2
Neil Howlett
Ted Rzepka
3
Lorette Burry
Vicki Kastner
Sarah Loree
Gina Nobrega
Mark Prechner
Nichole Rosenberg
Kristi Szolomicki
4
5
6
7
John Bakkeren
Jennifer Flint
Simpson Ross
Soordeen Sukhu
8
9
Richard Aleong
Norman K. Young
10 Andrew Midgley-
Brown
11
Victoria Dewar
12
Betty Moore
13
George Burrows
14
Catherine
Mangaroff
15
Darlene Draper
Bob Hylands
16
Geoff Ross
17
Jacob Ettinger
Valerie Warren
18 Heather Reppen
Petra Woods
19
Julian Mangaroff
Trista Warwick
20
Quinn Campbell
Anwar Kamal
Raymond Osborne
Fred Swackhamer
21
Michelle Aleong
Aaron Challis
William Dewar
Rebecca
Lachhman
22
Luke Smith
23
Susan Gallant
24
Kayan Edwards
Shirley Johnston
Brent Thomas
25
26
Jessie Bannerman
Dean Dunlop
27
Shirley Kellam
28
29
Mark Bhim
Alvin Kelly
Nola Roopchan
30
Muriel Allen
Merv McBride
David Young
JULY 1
JULY 2
Marjorie Copeland
Victoria Goodman
Nadia Kamal
JULY 3 & 4
JULY 5
Denise Sanella
JULY 6
Amanda Kosher
Christine
Moczkodan
If you know of someone whose name should be on this list, please call the church office at
905-451-1723 ext. 0 or any member of the newsletter committee.
15
PA SSAG ES
Emma Duncan’s Convocation
Excitement, pride, joy, admiration, relief, as well as
emotional, are some of the words to describe Emma
Duncan’s graduation from Knox College on
Wednesday, May 8, 2013.
Approximately fifty people – family, members of
St. Andrew’s and friends gathered at Convocation
Hall to celebrate with Emma as she received her
Master of Divinity degree. The group from St.
Andrew’s even chartered a bus for the occasion.
When Emma received her diploma the church
“cheering section” waved placards and showed their
support by giving her lots of applause. Emma’s
M.Div. degree comes after six years of hard work
(see report on Lunch with the Minister, page 9 of
the May issue of ISA), balancing her studies, her
family, and job responsibilities.
Emma also received three awards: Ethel Simpson
Prize (Ewart), Rupal Prize (Christian Ethics) and
Smith Prize (Doctrines of Reconciliation).
Emma’s church family wishes her God’s blessings
as she follows His call for her future.
Quote from convocation program:
Emma is grateful for the people that God has
placed in her life who have supported her on this
journey: her husband, Richard, and family, her home
congregation and field education congregation, St.
Andrew’s in Streetsville. Her aim is to serve God
and the church in congregational ministry.
CCoonnggrraattuullaattiioonnss EEmmmmaa!!
Called to be with the Lord
Don Lunney
Condolences and prayers are offered
to his family and friends
Do you know your Bible?
Which wise man wrote the majority of Proverbs?
a) David
b) Moses
c) Paul
d) Solomon
Answer: Proverbs 1:1
To whom did Jesus say “Truly, truly, I say to
you, unless one is born again he cannot see the
kingdom of God”?
a) the disciples
b) Lazarus
c) Nicodemus
d) Saul
Answer: John 3:1-3
Congratulations
to those celebrating
special anniversaries
67 years Ruth & Malcolm Law
66 years Mary & Bill Ramsay
65 years Ruth & Fred Swackhamer
64 years Maud & Ken Rowntree
62 years Evelyn & Charles Green
45 years Catherine & Julian Mangaroff
40 years Elizabeth & Deke Thayer
25 years Karen & Bruce Jepson
Shortfall Pie Chart
Jan - Apr 13 Budget
Income
Mission & Service 37,459.94 45,618.01
Offerings 113,530.49 128,299.04
Other Revenue 24,384.57 10,430.00
Total Income 175,375.00 184,347.05
Expense
Communications 1,653.16 4,168.15
Education 1,537.80 3,860.00
Fellowship 631.47 1,060.00
Mission 49,413.33 53,460.00
Personnel 100,411.18 100,798.37
Property 27,779.64 30,046.72
Session Expense 245.96 840.00
Stewardship 8,196.83 9,766.64
Worship 1,519.73 3,045.00
Total Expense 191,389.10 207,044.88
Net Income (16,014.10) (22,697.83)
Church Finances
Contributions & Expenses Budget vs. ActualApr-13
Thank you for your consideration and for all that you contribute now with your time, talents and treasures.
As of May 20, we have an overall surplus of
$5,974.
Your contributions to Weekly Offering funds
ministries such as the monthly newsletter, coffee
after church every Sunday, salaries, heating the
building to name a few items.
While we are currently in a surplus position, we
ask that you remember expenses continue
through the summer months and historically
contributions are lower.
We ask that you prayerfully consider the
ministries of the church.
Purpose of this chart is to show in a graphic form the shortfall of contributions to expenses as of May 20, 2013
161,428
5,974
Contibutions
Surplus
16
17
Senior Ladies’ Luncheon
For many years, they were the ones serving lunches,
but on Saturday, May 4, these thirty ladies were the
special guests being served by the youth of St.
Andrew’s. The Rev. Rosemary Doran puts together
the guest list (there is a minimum age requirement)
and Colleen Peyer provides the bountiful food –
enough that everyone even gets to take a second
plate home for the next day.
The entire clergy team was present. Rosemary
welcomed the ladies. The Rev. Geoff Ross said
grace. The Rev. Rebekah Mitchell, sporting her new
hairstyle, and the Rev. Wayne Baswick were also
present to visit and enjoy the tasty food. For many
of the ladies, who are not longer able to attend
worship regularly, this was their first chance to have
a visit with Geoff.
The ladies enjoyed a special treat from
Bernadette Morin’s relatives who are
taking a cake decorating class and
provided beautiful floral cupcakes for
each guest. Thanks to all who helped
put on this great event.
Enter the epic adventure that empowers kids to stand strong. Here, God’s victorious power isn’t a fairy tale — it changes kids forever.
Vacation Bible School for kids aged 5-11
Monday, August 19 to Friday, August 23
9:00 am – noon
Plus: on Sunday, August 25, we’ll take over the worship service to
share all we have learned with the rest of our St. Andrew’s family.
Cost: $10 per kid or $20 per family
(scholarships available for families in need)
What we need:
adults and teen volunteers to help decorate at the beginning of the week or clean up after
service on Sunday, run one of our great activity centres or provide snacks during the
week... talk to Rebekah today about how you can help!
kids to sign up and take part – call the office at 905 451-1723 ext. 0 to register