Wednesday December 17, 2008

Our guest at this Wednesday's Advent Meditation event will be the Rev. Dr. Victor Shepherd, a Presbyterian minister and Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Tyndale Seminary.    Please join us at 12:00 pm for the third in our Advent Meditation Series on the subject "Celebrating Christmas in a Secular Society".  Dr. Shepherd's topic will be titled "Bearing the Beams of Love".

1) "Celebrating Christmas in a Secular Society" - The 2008 Advent Midweek Meditation Series Concludes Today

Today's guest at our advent meditation series will be the Rev. Dr. Victor Shepherd, who is a Presbyterian minister and Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Tyndale Seminary. 

A short organ recital will take place at 12:00 pm; the meditations will begin at 12:15 pm; and everyone is invited to gather together at 12:45 pm for a light lunch of sandwiches.

2) A Special Christmas Remembrance Service

On Saturday December 20 at 7 pm, there will be a special service of remembrance and worship in honour of the lives of those who will not be with us during this Christmas season.  With all of the talk of joy and celebration at Christmas, we sometimes forget that this can also be a difficult time, during which the memories of loved ones are very much present in our minds and hearts.  We will be having a special service to honour their lives and to give thanks for them, even as we miss them at this time of year.  All are welcome to join us.

3) Plans for Christmas...

Olive Anstice is thrilled to share the news that all four individuals who were going to be alone on Christmas Day now have a place to celebrate Christmas dinner.  A very special thanks! 

4) Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Services

The Christmas Eve services will have a slightly different format this year.  The early service, at 7 pm, will be a Service of Lessons and Carols; while the later service, at 11 pm, will be a quieter and more traditional Service of Holy Communion.  The Sacrament of Communion, by intinction, will be celebrated at  both services.  All are welcome -- and bring your friends!

Since Christmas falls on a Thursday this year, we will be celebrating our weekly Thursday Chancel Communion service on Christmas Day.  Please join us from 12:15 - 12: 45 pm for this special service.

5) Christmas Floral Donations

Please remember that all donations for flowers for the Christmas services should be received in the Church office by Sunday December 21 in order to be mentioned in the Christmas Eve bulletins.  For more information, please contact Judy Neal at info@standrewstoronto.org

6) SAGA Christmas Party and Upcoming Events

Robert Sheng sent along the following information about upcoming SAGA events --

1. Christmas is just around the corner -- and so is Saga’s Christmas Party. We will gather at 5 p.m. and have dinner at 6 p.m. This is a coordinated pot luck dinner. Please call Robert,416-269-7828, and select a dish. We will eat , drink, sing carols ( pray for a piano player will come ) and exchange a gift of under $5.00. Please remember that Robert needs help to deck the Hall!

2. St. Andrew’s will have a Remembrance Christmas Service at 7 p.m. on the same night for the people who have lost a loved one or are feeling sad at this time of the year. Whoever want to attend the service can leave at 7 p.m. and come back for dessert and the rest of the program.

3. For those who are interested in a walking tour of Cavalcade of Lights on January 3, 2009, starting from City Hall, thru Eaton’s Centre to Dundas Square, then to College and Yonge, then to “the Village” and finally finish at Yorkville, please contact Robert.

Mark your calendars for the following dates: January 23, February 27, March 27, April 24, May 22, June 26, July 25 (Saturday, pool party), August 22 (Saturday, pool party), September 25, October 23, November 27, and December 19 (Saturday, Christmas party)

7) Epiphany Potluck Lunch

The Epiphany Pot Luck Lunch will be held after our morning worship service on Sunday January 11, 2009.  Please bring yourselves and one of your favourite dishes!

8) St. Andrew's Book Club

The first meeting of the St. Andrew's Book Club will take place on Friday, January 9 at 7 pm.  Our first book will be Austin Clark's recently published novel More.  All are welcome to join us!

9) Online Donations

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!

10) Charitable Donation Tax Receipts Deadlines

To be eligible for a 2008 official charitable donation receipt your donations must be received by the church in 2008, i.e. by Wednesday, December 31st.  St. Andrew’s will be required to retain the envelope in which the donation came to be able to prove via the cancellation date stamp that the donation was received on or before December 31st, 2008.  If you have any questions, please contact Doug Pearson in the church office.

11) Holiday Hours at the Church Office

The Church Office will be closed on the afternoon of Wednesday December 24, and will re-open on Monday, December 29.  It will also be closed on the afternoon of Wednesday December 31 and will re-open on Friday January 2.

12) Faces of Faith - Susan Goodwin

Susan Goodwin is a dedicated elder and participant in many of this congregation's ministries.  Please click here to read her contribution to this week's "Faces of Faith".

13) Christmas Appeals!

We are aware that this time of year includes many different appeals from a variety of worthy causes.  The following are ministries or organizations which have connections with our congregation, and we commend them to your consideration. 

Christmas Toys for Children of Evangel Hall

For the second year in a row the children of St. Andrew’s Church School are excited to be collecting Christmas presents for the children and teens of Evangel Hall. Evangel Hall is a mission of the Presbyterian Church in Canada and has offered various programs and services to the poor, homeless and socially isolated since 1913. Their newly constructed residence now houses 150 people in fully furnished affordable housing units. Our goal is to provide gifts for 21 children and teens  who range in age from 2-17. Toys, games, books, hats and gloves and gift certificates for movies or bookstores are ideal gifts. If you prefer to make a cash donation we are happy to do the shopping for you. A donation box will be available in the Great Hall during coffee time. If you have any questions or comments please contact Fiona Smith at 416-921-3763.

The children/teens of Evangel Hall are:

• 3 young women ages 14, 14 and 15

• 8 girls ages 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 11 and 12

• 3 young men ages 15, 15 and 17                                  

• 7 boys ages 4, 5, 6, 9, 9, 10 and 10

Christmas 2008 at Portland Place

Since 1991 Portland Place Non Profit Housing, a Presbyterian mission under the auspices of East Toronto Presbytery, has provided 46 units of secure, rent geared to income housing for men, women and families who face a range of ongoing challenges that make finding and keeping appropriate housing extremely difficult. The tenants are welcomed into a community that offers in-house supports to enable them to stabilize their lives. They learn that they are honoured and valued. When they are assured that they are cared about, they, in turn, have an increased capacity to care about each other.  More than just housing, they find a long term home. They get to know and enjoy each other at community meals, movies and seasonal social events. Life skills such as budgeting, shopping, laundry, cooking, are learned in one on one sessions or in small groups. Everyone gets a birthday cake. Some of the most moving events are the memorial services when the tenants share their memories of a neighbour who will be profoundly missed. Functioning like a large family, the tenants, staff and volunteers share the joys and sorrows of life together.

At Christmas time we endeavour to provide the tenants with some of the traditional treats that we all enjoy. We cook a festive turkey dinner and ensure that each one receives presents.

You can be part of the fun. We gratefully accept turkeys and treats and presents for the tenants, and, of course, donations are always welcome to help fund the community events at Christmas and throughout the year that are so important in making the tenants fell cared about.

If you have any questions or would like specific suggestions for presents please contact the staff (Linda, Eric, Norma or Nancy) at Portland Place – phone 416 -703-0652 or email at portlandplace@bellnet.ca Tax receipts are provided for monetary contributions over five dollars. Cheques should be made out to Portland Place.  Please send donations to: Portland Place, 163 Portland Street, Toronto, ON M5V 3E8

Some suggestions:

• stationery, pens, stamps

• board games, playing cards

• men’s and women’s toiletries

• treat foods (cookies, nuts, candy)

• TTC tokens

• pillows

• socks, underwear

• cat and dog food

• mops and pails

• cleaning supplies

Gifts for our 'Out of the Cold' guests

 

Each year, the organizers of the Out of the Cold programme put together gift packages for our guests.  If you would like to make a contribution towards this effort, please bring the following types of articles to the church for this distribution:

• gloves

• socks

• razors

• travel size shampoo

• toothpaste, etc. 

• NO MOUTHWASH