This Week at St. Andrew's

This Sunday is Reformation Sunday, and next year will mark the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, one of the most significant reformers.

If you have ever wondered what relevance Calvin's thought has for the church today, please click here to read a report from an international academic consultation on the question "What is the relevance of Calvin's legacy for Christians today?".

This Coming Sunday

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Twenty-fourth Sunday After Pentecost

Deuteronomy 34: 1-12

Psalm 90: 1-6, 13-17

1 Thessalonians 2: 1-8

Matthew 22: 34-46

Greeting Elder: Peter Price

Reader: Andrea Charlton

The Catechism This Week…

Question 17 -- What does it mean that all people are created in the image of God?

Earlier this year, we began a weekly journey through a recent catechism produced by the Church Doctrine Committee of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The present section concerns the various phrases and assertions in the Apostles' Creed, which is sometimes viewed as a concise summary of the substance of the Christian faith.

Please remember, when reading the catechism, that it is best experienced by contemplating the question before moving too quickly to consider the suggested response. How would you answer this question?

The Catechism's response to Question 17

The image of God expresses our relationship to God, to one another and to the whole of creation. It is represented in our ability to think, to imagine, to will and to love. These have been given to us to mirror God’s goodness, holiness and love as they have been revealed in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Please join us this Sunday as we celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism for Neil Alexander Kennedy Crysler, son of Ted and Kate Crysler during our morning worship service.

After the service this Sunday, we will be welcoming Ms. Purple Yip, who will continue her presentation on issues related to spirituality and mental health. Purple was with us for a forum in April, and we have invited her back to share more about this important field of study.

At the congregational meeting in June at which we approved the West Tower restoration project, there was a commitment made to continue to update the congregation on the progress of the work.

At the Board of Managers meeting in September, Don Bolton reported upon further negotiation with Colonial Restoration their quote has been reduced by approximately $21,000 to approximately $728,200 + GST.

He also was able to report that the work on the West Tower is proceeding well. Through the course of the work to date Colonial Restoration has found they can refinish the cast iron in place and thereby save time and the expense of removing and reinstalling the cast iron. They also discovered some of the cast iron is not secured to each other or to the building. They are developing a strategy to fasten the cast iron to each other and to the building with stainless steel bolts.

We are pleased to announce that donations to the Church, and to ministries such as the 'Out of the Cold' programme, can be made online. To learn more, please click on the button below!

Since our Church School Christmas concert will take place in early December, the Junior Choir will begin rehearsals this Sunday, October 26, after the worship service at approximately 12:00 in the sanctuary. Children from kindergarten to grade 6 are invited. If older students would like to add their voices, they would be very much appreciated.

There is an ongoing need for extra help in the nursery and Sunday School. If you would like to help with this wonderful group of kids, please contact George Vais or Mary Maiden for more information.

This fall, please plan to join us for the 2008 Fall Supper Seminars, which will explore "The Art of Prayer: Responding to Icons as Christian Theology". For more information about these events and about our guest speaker, Richard Schneider, please click here.

Most people would go through daily routine day in day out until an extraordinary event happens. It could be a graduation, marriage, divorce, birth of a child, finding a job, losing a job, losing a loved one, or illnesses. The event sometimes only interrupts the routine briefly. Other times a dramatic permanent change. It is often a negative event forces a person to grow in a positive way and many of us have experienced them first hand.

Victoria Campbell experienced several of life’s biggest challenges in a very short time. She used western medicine combined with eastern medicine and both eastern and western spirituality to get through the last 6 years. She will be sharing her amazing journey with us at the October meeting.

On Monday, November 4, 2008, the 2008-2009 season of the Monday evening "Out of the Cold" dinner programme commences. Volunteers, cooks, servers and hosts are always needed! Please contact our volunteer coordinator, Joan Matheson, to discuss volunteer opportunities. jmmatheson@rogers.com

Our Fall Retreat will be held on Saturday, November 15, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Old Mill Inn in Etobicoke. Our special guest will be the Rev. Karen Horst, co-minister at First Presbyterian Church Collingwood. More details will be published soon.

As previously announced, there will be a book group that will be starting this fall. We have received a number of suggestions for possible books to read and discuss, and welcome other suggestions.

The first book that we would like to discuss is a recently published book entitled More by Toronto author Austin Clarke. The novel is set right here in downtown Toronto; includes an exploration of the place of the church in the downtown area and in the life of an immigrant woman; and addresses issues of racial discrimination, gang violence and urban poverty.

Austin Clarke is a resident of Toronto, a recipient of the Order of Canada, the Winner of the 2002 Giller Prize, as well as many other literary and civic honours.