Tuesday, March 2, 2010               

Please remember that this Friday is the annual World Day of Prayer. 

An ecumenical prayer service, including participation from members of St. Andrew's, will be held at 2 pm at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 116 Bond St.   Each year, the World Day of Prayer focuses on a different country of the world -- and this year's focus is on the people of Cameroon.

All are welcome and encouraged to come, learn and pray together.

1) St. Andrew's 180th Anniversary Sunday - March 7, 2010

This weekend, we will be celebrating St. Andrew's 180th Anniversary. 

As well as a special dinner which will be held at the Delta Chelsea Hotel on Saturday evening, we look forward to the Sunday worship service, and to our Anniversary Guest speaker, the Rev. Dr. Cameron Brett, former Senior Minister at St. Andrew's. 

2) Friendly Visitors Training Workshop - Wednesday March 3 @ 7 p.m.

Have you ever wanted to visit an elderly friend or relative in a retirement or nursing home, but have been hesitant out of a fear that you will do or say the wrong thing?

St. Andrew's will be establishing a "Friendly Visitors" programme in order to strengthen our connections as a congregation, particularly with those who cannot regularly join us because of a decline in health or mobility. 

On Wednesday March 3, 2010 at 7:00 pm, the Rev. Don Matheson, Chaplain at the Belmont House Senior's Home, will be joining for an evening workshop which will seek to address and help all of us to better visitors and caregivers for those in troubling times.  There is no cost for attendance at this interactive and informative workshop, and all are welcome.  If you will be attending this workshop, please contact Judy Neal in the church office so we can make provisions for refreshments.

3) "Christian Militancy in an Age of Decline" -- Fridays in March

A special Lenten lecture series will be held at Metropolitan United Church to ponder the question, "Is there something so vital in Christianity that its loss would diminish all people?  Is it time to fight for it?"

The lecturers for each of the evenings will be:

March 5 - The Rev. Dr. Malcolm Sinclair, Metropolitan United Church

March 12 - The Rev. Dr. Peter Holmes, Yorkminster Park Baptist Church

March 19 - The Rev. William Ingram, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

March 26 - The Very Rev. Dr. Douglas Stoute, St. James' Cathedral (Anglican)

For more information, please visit www.metunited.org

The evening lectures will begin at 7:30 in the sanctuary of Metropolitan United Church, which is located at 56 Queen St. East. A question period and refreshments will follow.

All are welcome!

4)  2009 Annual Report / 2010 Budget - for pickup this Sunday

The Annual Report is ready to pick up this Sunday.  Picking up your copy at church helps us to minimize mailing expense quite significantly.    The Annual Report not only offers a summary of many of the events and ministries of the past year, but contains the budget for 2010, which will be discussed at the Annual Congregational Meeting on March 14th.

5)  Congregational Photo Directory

After months of preparation, the congregational photo directory is here!  This beautiful book containing the names and faces of many of the members and friends of St. Andrew's will be available for pick-up after our 180th Anniversary Service on Sunday, March 7th.

6)  Spring Supper Seminars - "Sunday Morning Words, Monday Morning World"

The 2010 Spring Supper Seminars will be held on Wednesdays, April 14th, 21st and 28th.  Our seminar leader will be the Rev. Dr. Emily Bisset (nee Rodgers) from Knox Presbyterian Church, Oshawa.  The topic will be Sunday Morning Words, Monday Morning World.   Sessions begin with supper starting at 5 p.m. and continue with lecture presentations from 6:00 - 7:15 p.m.   The cost is $30 per week (including supper) or $ 75 for the series of 3 seminars.  Detailed brochures will be distributed soon.  Registration is required if you wish to attend the suppers, and would be appreciated if you wish to attend only the lectures.  To register, go to www.standrewstoronto.org/world.htm or contact Judy Neal in the church office (jneal@standrewstoronto.org or 416-593-5600 ext. 220.)

To receive email brochures and notices about special educational events at St. Andrew's, please subscribe by sending an email to us at education@standrewstoronto.org.  Please include your name in the body of your email in case it's not part of your email address.

7)  Presbyterians Sharing... - GUATEMALA

Our gifts to Presbyterians Sharing support Denise Van Wissen, a nutritionist working with the Fraternidad de Presbiteriales Mayas in Guatemala. Denise offers basic nutrition education workshops to women’s groups and works with a group of nutrition promoters to further education efforts in health and nutrition. She helps the Fraternidad with program planning, monitoring and evaluation and preparation of annual reports. Denise appreciates the richness of Guatemalan culture, and gives thanks to God for the privilege of working with and serving Mayan women.

8)  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!