October 2009 Volume 43,
No. 3
Harvest
The Courier is published four times a year by:
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Editor: |
John Olley |
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Production: |
Jeffrey White |
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Interviews: |
Elizabeth Hornemann |
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Additional
Contributors: |
Rev. Michael
Clarke, Tina Clarke, Shumaila Desrochers,
Rev. Byron Gilmore, Karen Harper, Paul Johnson, Don Joshua, Lois Ramsay,
Nancy Taylor, Gloria Watts, Andrea White, Martha Whittaker |
Warm, Friendly, Caring…
Christ Church Anglican is a warm and caring
community that has been serving God in
We are fully wheelchair accessible, having
a ramp at the west door on
Sunday Services include a Said Eucharist at 7:45 am, a Contem-porary Eucharist at 9:00 am, and a Choral Eucharist at 10:45 am.
Baptisms are celebrated at specific dates through the year, and include preparation for sponsors, godparents, and older candidates. Application forms for baptism are available in the reception area.
There is a nursery for children under 3 at the 9:00 am and 10:45 am services. Sunday school classes are available for children aged 3 to 12 at both the 9:00 am and 10:45 am services. We also have a unique intergenerational youth group on Friday nights, with occasional special events for youth.
Not only do we have committed lay participation in all aspects of worship, we have several active fellowship groups within the parish. This includes, but is not limited to, the Parish Group and Ladies’ Fellowship Group, who meet monthly.
We hope you are encouraged by what you read within these pages, decide to learn more about us, and become more involved yourself, with our active and friendly parish community.
Rector’s Message
Harvest Festival celebrates the fulfillment of the seasons of growth and productivity and marks the movement toward the fallow season of winter. Harvest is a beautiful opportunity for families to gather and give thanks for all the benefits they have received at the hand of the Lord. In the ebb and flow of life, we know that spring will return and snow covered fields will grow and bloom again. The seasons of life are a wonderful gift, each one different and each fulfilling a purpose in God's creative design.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted. -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
My family has experienced an intense change of seasons. This past summer my father, after a couple of mini strokes, was diagnosed with a highly progressive form of cancer. He died peacefully in Jesus, with his family by his side in early September. My mother, who had been waiting to enter a nursing home, was finally placed in one. This new season, although difficult, left us with the blessing of being able to say goodbye to Dad and to settle Mom into her new address for which I am grateful. I am thankful for Dad's long and fruitful life and for the example he was to me and my family.
In baptism we enter a new season, a new creation in Jesus Christ which not only changes our identity in this mortal season, but carries with it the promise of the resurrection to eternal life.
Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. -- Romans 6:3-9
God is in the business of redemption and new life. The seasons of our lives are in God's hands and we can trust all of our days to his loving mercy. We know that the fragility of life has its end in death for all of us, but the Christian hope is the "sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life”. (Anglican Funeral Liturgy, words of committal)
May each of you experience a renewed sense of God's faithfulness this harvest season and always as we wait in joyful expectation when ”[Jesus] will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his Kingdom will have no end”.(Nicene Creed)
Even so, Lord, quickly come to thy final harvest-home! Gather thou thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin; therefore ever purified, in thy presence to abide: come, with all thine angels, come, raise the glorious harvest home. -- Henry Alford 1810-1871
-- Byron†
Associate’s Message
The summer was a busy one with two major programs in addition to the usual. The five Backyard studies featured video lectures by L’Arche founder Jean Vanier and the studies were led excellently by Kevin Campbell. The fellowship and the learning were great. These followed the Coffee Dessert and Conversation evenings we had in the spring held at Vesuvio’s Ristorante and led excellently by Jane Harvey. We are planning three more of these, in October, November and December with more info to follow.
A youth program jointly run with St. James Caledon East saw three major events well attended by youth and adults. We averaged over 30 people at each event. Thank you to Ted Walters for donating his time to drive us all by bus to the Jay’s game event. Future events will include the parishes of Christ Church Bolton and Holy Family with their new Incumbents Riscylla Shaw and Rylan Montgomery enthusiastically expressing their desire to join Wendy Moore and me in joint parish youth planning.
A North Peel Deanery Quiet Day retreat is being planned for Saturday October 17th based at Caledon East. Weather permitting, we are hoping that the day will feature a welcome breakfast at the church, hikes along a scenic trail, some facilitated group/individual spiritual direction, a culminating Taize service, and other relaxing stuff. Look for more information to follow in the Sunday bulletins.
By the time you read this we will have had our 2009 Christ Church Golf Tournament and I want to thank Tim and Catherine Laing for the tireless work they put into organizing this great event. Thanks also to my wife Tina and my brother Bill who hosted the dinner at our house after the golf.
Planning is already underway for three events coming up in the future: the Children’s Christmas party likely in late November or early December; the 12 week long Confirmation program starting in early January; and a Valentine’s Dance fundraiser for missionary Donald Sturrock from Sanctuary, featuring the band Red Rain who was great at last year’s dance. Teams of people will be needed for planning and facilitating each of these events so if you or someone you know in the church is interested in helping please let me know.
I want to thank Andrea White and Shumaila Desrochers for their great volunteer work on sunday school and nursery respectively. We have an ongoing need for volunteers in both these programs in important ministry to our young ones. Speak to either of them or to me if you can help.
A special thanks to Kevin Campbell for the liturgical help he gave throughout the summer, on Sunday and Wednesday services.
Tina and I enjoyed two weeks of holidays in
the summer. I caught AWESOME fish! - a special thank
you to the Wyllies and Whittakers
for their hospitality. Tina and I have tentative plans to take a week of
holiday in mid-November with a trip to
Blessings,
-- Rev. Michael†
Advisory Board Update
The
following is an abridged summary of some of the items discussed at the September
15, 2009 Advisory Board meeting. Catherine Laing opened the meeting with a
devotional.
Property Committee
The downstairs
washrooms that are used by the school have been completely redone by the Redl family with help from Ted Walters. Those who remember
the previous state of these rooms are encouraged to take a look at them now.
For those who have not seen them before the renovation, take a look and marvel
at the quality of work done in those spaces.
At
With a
new larger Hydro transformer being installed this year to power the new
developments in the downtown core, we lost some parking sports. The bulletin
has two large lots identified within a very short walk to the Church. There may
be more parking made available from another local business partner, so stay
tuned.
Administration
Name tags are on their way for the entire congregation. All will be encourage to wear them every week, which will be facilitated by a board to keep yours handy during the week. There have been questions on if the choir members (and others involved in the services) need to wear them. The simple answer is ‘yes’. The clergy will be wearing theirs on their vestments, and others can do the same without worry.
The sheets that were available for filling out had a dual purpose. The first was to get your name correctly spelt for the name tags; otherwise your name will be decided for you. The second was to update the very out-of-date directory that currently exists. This is the one thing still missing from the Crash of 2007. If people do not plan on filling out a form for their name tag, please do fill them out for the directory.
Financials
Preliminary statements as of August 2009 show that givings (numbered envelopes and PAG) have increased about 21% year over year. Some extra givings this year were also received, which included money from the Catering committee and an unexpected estate settlement. [More details follow below]
PAG now represents 40% of our annual givings! This is extremely helpful to keep the church going during the lean seasons that occur every year. People are encouraged to sign up for PAG at any time, or increase their amounts.
Thanks were given from Byron to the previous Stewardship Committee for setting the stage for our current financial health. Most importantly, thanks were given to God who is giving us the means and blessings to continue and grow our ministry. God is leading us to our next steps, which includes, but is not limited to, reaching the people in order to spread the Word and bring people to Christ.
Liturgical Schedule
October 11, 2009 to November 29, 2009
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October 11, 2009 – Pentecost 19 |
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November 8, 2009 – Pentecost 23 |
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7:45 AM |
Said Eucharist |
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7:45 AM |
Said Eucharist |
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9:00 AM |
Contemporary Eucharist |
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9:00 AM |
Contemporary Eucharist |
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10:45 AM |
Choral Eucharist |
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10:45 AM |
Choral Eucharist |
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October 18, 2009 – Pentecost 20 |
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November 15, 2009 – Pentecost 24 |
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7:45 AM |
Said Eucharist |
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7:45 AM |
Said Eucharist |
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9:00 AM |
Contemporary Eucharist |
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9:00 AM |
Contemporary Eucharist |
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10:45 AM |
Choral Eucharist |
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10:45 AM |
Choral Eucharist |
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October 25, 2009 – Pentecost 21 |
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November 22, 2009 – Reign of Christ |
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7:45 AM |
Said Eucharist |
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7:45 AM |
Said Eucharist |
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9:00 AM |
Contemporary Eucharist |
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9:00 AM |
Contemporary Eucharist |
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10:45 AM |
Choral Eucharist |
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10:45 AM |
Choral Eucharist |
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November 1, 2009 – All Saints |
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November 29, 2009 – Advent 1 |
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7:45 AM |
Said Eucharist |
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7:45 AM |
Said Eucharist |
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9:00 AM |
Contemporary Eucharist |
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9:00 AM |
Contemporary Eucharist |
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10:45 AM |
Choral Eucharist |
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10:45 AM |
Choral Eucharist |
Laying on of Hands
Is anyone among you
sick? Then they must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray
over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer
offered in faith will restore the one who is sick -- James 5:14-15 (NAS)
At
Parish Registry
Baptisms
June 7, 2009
Aaliyah Constance Ward Donnell born November 8, 2009
Michael Braeden
Trahan born December 17, 2008
Michael David Ferguson born
October 22, 1995
Harrison David Reigel born August 2, 2006
September 20, 2009
MacGregor James Edward York born January 14, 2009
Marriages
May 30, 2009
Gloria Ada Crane and Kevin Carreiro Teves
June 6, 2009
Rosetta Ann Langdon and Philip Johnson
August 15, 2009
Cherriton Tennille Thomas and Ryan O’Neil Knight
September 5, 2009
Adia Cinnamon Carmen Guy and Dameion Decordova Smith
September 9, 2009
Melissa Jeanne Matta and Shaun Azeez
September 26, 2009
Sonja Doreen Berger and Jeffrey Ewing
Blessing of Civil Marriages
August 15, 2009
Uchechukwu Hope Anurika and Emmanuel Osondu
Funerals & Memorials
June 13, 2009
Margaret
Elizabeth Cookson born July 19, 1942 died June 7, 2009
July 11, 2009
Wayne
Richard Jones born June 2, 1965 died July 1, 2009
July 17, 2009
Robert
Benjamin (“Ben”) Cannons born March 14, 1946 died July 13, 2009
July 22, 2009
Leonard
Frederick Coupland born April 8, 1943 died July 17,
2009
August 8, 2009
Margaret
Grace Galloway born July 10 1935 died August 4, 2009
August 12, 2009
Edna
Katherine Snider born June 16, 1916 died August 8, 2009
August 16, 2009
Alexander
Andrew Jeffrey born April 28, 1960 died August 15, 2009
September 10 2009
Joan
Elizabeth Shaner born June 21, 1917 died September 3,
2009
September 17, 2009
Marlene Honoria Glynis Morrison born
January 30, 1946 died September 11, 2009
Group Updates
Caring and Sharing
This
Christmas, we at
Sign-ups
will begin the last Sunday of November. Sunday December 20th will be
Caring and Sharing Day, when we will all bring in our gifts and stockings, and these
will be delivered to our families.
In the
past, we have occasionally had special and unusual donations of Christmas
trees, computers, strollers and more. If you have something like these that you
would like to donate please let us know as soon as possible. We will be
contacting families in October and it is good for us to know at that point if
we can offer something special. If your office would like to sponsor an entire
family this can also be accommodated if you let us know early.
-- Karen
Harper and Gwen & Bob Valliere
Christ Church
The Choir
is back for another season starting on September 17th. If you have
an interest in music, please consider joining us. We need men especially. We
rehearse every Thursday night for two hours starting at 7:30 pm. If the entire
year seems too daunting a challenge, then consider joining us for just the
Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter seasons.
It's not
just fun music we enjoy, but great fellowship as well! Come and join us for
what may well be our best year yet, with the newly renovated organ. Please give
me a call or just come on a Thursday night. Don't be shy - nobody bites and
you'll be used to it in almost no time.
-- Paul
Johnson (Organist and Choir Director)
Parish Group
The
Parish Group meets the first Thursday of the month at 1:30 pm (unless otherwise
specified) in the
We
started our new year with a Pot Luck luncheon on September 3, 2009.
Our group
operates Santa’s Café, as part of our contribution to the Annual Bazaar which
will be held Saturday, November 14, 2009. Planning for this big event will take
place at our regular meeting Thursday, October 1, 2009. At our November 5, 2009
meeting we will finalize our plans for Santa’s Café and have Barbara Crooks, a
volunteer with the Arthritis Society, as our guest speaker.
The
Parish Group raises money in support of the church as well as the ACW and
Outreach Programs.
New
members would be warmly welcomed. You will find we are a friendly group who
work well together as well as having social times. We have interesting
programs, which include guest speakers on various topics. As the old adage
states “many hands make work light”.
Our
annual Christmas lunch and party will take place Thursday, December 3, 2009 at
12:30 pm. Please note the change of time. We have an annual bus trip which is
always enjoyable. A buffet lunch at the Mandarin is also a great start to the New
Year 2010.
-- Lois
Ramsay (President)
Around the Sanctuary
October’s Banner
Worked on by Joan Hunter, its Thanksgiving theme features a large
candle emitting rays of light, with fruits and flowers at its base.
November’s Banner
Designed and made by Cherri Brock Moote and
Nancy Taylor, and assisted by the late Mrs. Brock (Senior), it shows a cross
with broken poppies at its base, and the dedication, for all the Saints.
Parish News
2010 Church Calendar
The 2010
Church Calendar, featuring photographs of Anglican church
settings across
According
to The Anglican Journal, after being
a joint church calendar with the United Church of Canada for more than 40
years, the Anglican Church of Canada decided to produce it alone. The calendar
is more than a century old. The first edition was published in 1906 by the
Missionary Society of the Church of England, and depicted the work of
missionaries and information on the church year. In 1964, the Missionary
Society selected Canadian Churchman
(now the Anglican Journal) to take
over and the calendar was first sold across
-- Elizabeth
Hornemann
Christmas Tree Bazaar
Our 64th
Annual Christmas Tree Bazaar will be held on Saturday November 14th,
from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We are hoping
that everyone at
Do your
interests and talents involve food? This year will see the return of the
spectacular Bake, Deli, International Food tables and Santa’s Café.
Are you
crafty? You may wish to donate your talents to the Needlecraft, Knitting or
Boutique tables.
For those
who like to sit and enjoy a good book, think about donating your already-read
books to our book table.
Maybe you
have hidden treasure in your china cabinet or jewel box. A table of elegant items will be accepting
donations and would appreciate receiving them early so that they can be
prepared ahead of time.
Are you
interested in working behind the scenes?
We are always looking for people to help set up and take down the
bazaar, decorate, man the tables or help serve at Santa’s Café.
If you
think you can help please contact Tina Clarke or see the following list for
this year’s tables, and a suggestion of the items that we are looking for in
the way of contributions.
-- Tina
Clarke
Christmas Tree Bazaar Items
Knitting /Crocheting: blankets, sweaters, tea cozies,
scarves and mitts.
Needlecraft and Fine Linens: linens such as tablecloths,
napkins, doilies, tea cloths, pillows, runners, sewn items such as vests, gift
bags, aprons and cushions.
Gem Box: gently used jewellery, china, crystal,
silver and fine giftware. Due to a lack
of space and manpower, the Gem Box will no longer accept elegant junk items,
children’s toys, small appliances, Christmas decorations, large pictures,
clothing or items purchased from the dollar store.
Bake Table: home baked goods, pies, tarts, muffins,
cakes.
Boutique: hand crafted Christmas ornaments, floral
arrangements and seasonal decorations.
Books: new and previously enjoyed books.
Deli: jams, pickles, relishes and other
preserves.
Candy: homemade fudge, peanut brittle, candies and
chocolate.
International Food: specialty international foods.
Kidz Kubbard: special good quality items of interest for
children of all ages as well as Grandmas and Grandpas. Good for Christmas
gifts.
Santa’s Café: making sandwiches, helping service tables.
Primate's World Relief and Development Fund Update
The
Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is
celebrating its 50th anniversary in October of this year. On October
25th, we will be joining in this celebration with a focus on what is
happening in the world thanks to our ongoing financial and prayer support for
PWRDF.
Displaced
people in
In
-- Gloria
Watts
Financial Update
The
following is a preliminary snapshot of our financial health for the year up to
the end of August.
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August YTD |
Budget YTD |
Variance |
% |
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Revenue |
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Offerings |
$211,460.00 |
$194,174.00 |
$17,286.00 |
9% |
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Other (Rentals, interest, etc) |
$44,502.00 |
$32,650.00 |
$11,852.00 |
36% |
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Total |
$255,962.00 |
$226,824.00 |
$29,138.00 |
13% |
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Expenses |
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Diocesan Allotment and Outreach |
$36,498.00 |
$36,498.00 |
$0.00 |
0% |
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Salaries
+ Benefits |
$116,009.00 |
$116,655.00 |
$646.00 |
1% |
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Admin, Finance and Christian
Education |
$21,957.00 |
$16,368.27 |
-$5,588.73 |
-34% |
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Music |
$27,618.00 |
$25,264.00 |
-$2,354.00 |
-9% |
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Property
and Maintenance |
$58,722.00 |
$58,659.00 |
-$63.00 |
0% |
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Total |
$260,804.00 |
$253,444.27 |
$7,359.73 |
3% |
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Operating Income |
-$4,842.00 |
-$26,620.27 |
$21,778.27 |
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In the last
edition it was noted that revenue was up 30% year over year, which was a great
response to our needs. That was largely driven by an increase in Easter
offerings and the total PAG amounts. At the end of the leaner summer months,
that percentage increase has dropped to 21% (not shown above). While some might
see this as bad news, it is in fact excellent news! We expected givings to decrease in the summer and while they did from
the months prior givings, for the summer we are still
up 20% year over year (not shown).
This is a
phenomenal response to our present and future needs as a congregation. As noted
in the Advisory Board minutes, we need to thank God for this response. This
will enable us, as a church, to expand programming where the need and fit exists.
Let’s
keep these levels going to the end of the year so that we can start 2010 on a
rock solid financial foundation from which to continue our growth.
--
Jeffrey White (Rector’s Warden)
Nursery Program
Train a child in the
way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
-- Proverbs
22:6 (NIV)
Although
we had a late start to our Nursery program last year, it was an enjoyable and
rewarding ministry. I would like to say a BIG thank you to all the individuals
that volunteered their time in the Nursery this year. You helped to provide a
safe, caring, nurturing and loving environment for our precious little gems,
allowing their parents some quiet time for worship.
Thank you
and bless you for your service:
|
Chris
Bird |
Kayla
McArthur |
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Maddeson Hodder |
Elizabeth
Walker |
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Cheryl
Lee |
Karen Wooley |
We
continue to seek more volunteers, so that we may offer the nursery program at
both the 9:00 am and 10:45 am services. As you reflect on what the Lord is
calling you to do and how you can support the wonderful ministries of
It you
are interested or have any questions please call me, email me or contact Rev.
Michael. Thank you for your continued support,
-- Shumaila Desrochers
Sunday School
Will you be responsible for seeing
that the child you present is nurtured in the faith and the life of the
Christian community?
I will with God’s help.
Will you by your prayers and
witness help this child to grow into the full stature of Christ?
I will with God’s help
Will you who witness these vows do
all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?
We will.
-- B.A.S. Sacrament of Holy
Baptism, p. 153-155
These are
our Baptismal vows. We as a congregation stand together when a child is brought
forward for baptism and we make a promise, to the child’s parents, the child
and God, that we will do everything in our power to nurture and support that
child in the way of the Lord. By
standing there, we should be standing and answering because we believe in what
we are saying. We should not be not
because everyone else in church is, or because the book tells us to stand. We must believe what we are saying or we must
not say it.
Since we
believe that we will support these children in their life in Christ, then we
have a responsibility to our children. We promised them at their baptisms that
we, as a congregation would nurture them and teach them. They are here at
This year
our Sunday school is facing a crisis. We
have a growing number of children. We
have an excellent program that the children enjoy. But we have no teachers or assistants. This is not
a new problem. This is a problem that
has plagued our Sunday school for many years.
We have always managed with our limited resources to find a solution.
This is also
not a problem that is isolated to our Sunday school ministry. It is a problem that is faced by our nursery
and our youth program. I’m sure if you look around you will find other areas of
ministry also affected by a lack of volunteers.
We made a promise to our children.
When God promised His children after the great flood that “Never again will all life be cut off by the
waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”(Genesis
9:11). He has never broken His promise
to His children. Should we now break ours?
My
friends in Christ, we are blessed with abundance at
For many
years our Sunday school has had a core group of teachers who have committed
themselves to our children. Many of them
began teaching when their children were in Sunday school. Their children are now university
graduates. Although they will not
abandon our children, they are asking for a break. They deserve a break. They have my sincere gratitude for their
years, and in some cases decades, of service to our children.
Let me
tell you about the Sunday school program at
At both
the 9:00 am and 10:45 am services we offer two Sunday school classes. Our junior class is comprised of children
aged 3½ to 7 (grades JK to grade 2). Our
senior class is for age 8 to 12 (grades 3 to 7).
Our Curriculum: We are using the Route 52 curriculum. This is
the second year we are using this series.
This year our junior class is looking at the stories of the Bible. These are broken down into units of between
two and four lessons. Each week one
lesson is taught. Each lesson in the
book contains a short 5 or 10 minute introductory activity to the story of the
day. This is either a discussion,
demonstration, game or a song. The
lesson then moves onto the story of the day.
The story can be told in a variety of ways: using our wooden figures;
felt board; props; or even the children dressing up and acting out the
story. The story then concludes with a
short discussion about what they just learned.
The lesson then concludes with a choice of activities. These activities may be a game or craft that
pertains to the story. Usually we have
time for only one or two of the suggested activities.
This year
our senior class lessons follow a similar order. The big difference between the two lessons is
that in the senior class they are finding the stories in the Bible, and reading
the story directly out of the Bibles.
Their activities are also geared for older children.
What does a Sunday school teacher do?
Essentially the teacher follows the book and leads the lesson on Sunday
morning. The teacher has minimal
preparation leading up to Sunday morning.
Preparation usually includes photocopying the activity materials from
the book, and organizing the materials needed for the activity. If a teacher
wishes to be a bit more creative or to change an activity to one not included
in the book, then more preparation may be needed.
In the
junior class, we also have an assistant.
The assistant does not teach. The
role of an assistant includes coming to church on Sunday morning and helping
out in the class. This could be anything
from escorting a child to the bathroom, assisting children with the craft or
game or sometimes helping a child to find their parents.
What is the time commitment? Flexibility is key. In the past a variety of approaches have been
used which required more or less of a time commitment. There has been everything from one Sunday a
month to a month at a time or even longer; teaching during one service on a
Sunday to doing both Services. Everyone
is busy. Given the busyness of people’s
lives and the desire to balance work, life and church, flexibility has never
been as important as it is now. What can
you give and what works best for you?
Some teachers have different preferences and different demands on their
time. Some can teach once every so many
weeks, while others want a unit at a time.
Some can only teach during one service while others can stay for
two. What can you commit to?
But my Bible knowledge is not that strong.
Sunday school teachers are not biblical scholars. Most of us can not quote chapter and verse of
the Bible. We are each on our own
faith
journey, each with a varying degree of knowledge and each in a different
place. What we have is a love of
children and a desire to see them grow in their faith.
We are
blessed to have tremendous support from both Reverend Michael and Reverend
Byron. Not only do they give up their
offices to us on Sunday mornings, they also instill confidence in our abilities
to teach our children. They support us
and assist us in any way they can. God
provides us with wisdom, guidance, strength and answers. The children do not expect us to have all the
answers. It’s okay to tell them you
don’t have the answer but will try and find out for them. Children learn from the examples we set and
how we as grown ups respect and love one another including the children.
Still
have doubts? Come in and see for
yourself. Attend a Sunday school class
one Sunday morning. Sign up to
assist. Think you might want to try to
teach, but lack the confidence – Trust in God.
Reverend
Michael, at the end of a meeting, contemplated our lack of Sunday school
teachers and assistants and a Bible passage came to mind; “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in
Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
God routinely demonstrates that if we trust in Him, He will provide for
us. And I trust that He will provide
enough teachers and assistants for us to continue having a growing Sunday
school program at
-- Andrea
White
Registration Forms
Registration
for Sunday school is on-going.
Registration forms are required for all children regardless of whether
they attend weekly, bi-weekly, once a month or even once a term. If your child is attending Sunday school
please ensure that you have completed a registration form and returned it.
Completed
registration forms are required for your child to be able to fully participate
in the programming. They also allow us
to provide more personalized care for your child. It is important for us at
Christmas Production
Last
Christmas our children worked on preparing a song to perform for the
congregation. At the request of many,
this year we are hoping to have our children put on a Christmas drama. If any members of the congregation are
interested in assisting with this endeavor please speak to Andrea.
People in our Parish
Featuring
short information spotlights on people at
Edna Pearce
Edna
Pearce was born in
As a
one-time employee of Williams Shoes, Edna was a hand-cutter of boots and shoes.
In 1945 she married Ken Pearce, also a former employee at Williams Shoes. They
had three sons, who are now all retired. Benjamin was employed at Chrysler and
lives in Streetsville; Kenneth, a
Once the
boys were grown up, Edna worked as a chef at the Brampton Curling Club and
later was employed at the downtown Smoke Shop. Her husband, Ken, died in 1994.
She has three granddaughters - Jenny, a teacher at
Edna
enjoys embroidery and has cross-stitched beautiful tablecloths for each of her
grandchildren and nieces. An avid supporter of the Capitols Hockey Team and the
Brampton Junior Excelsiors Lacrosse Team, Edna
regularly attends their games at Memorial Arena. She also bowls every week and
finds time to bake, pickle and make jam!
Edna regularly
attends the 7:45 am service.
Quotable Quotes
“Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so.”
-- Anna B. Warner , The Love of Jesus, 1858.
The Scott Family
Nadine Scott grew up in the Anglican Church
and has been a member of
Klaston was raised as a Seventh Day Adventist. He began attending church regularly with Nadine and, in 2008, decided to become an Anglican and was baptized at the Easter Vigil. For the past twelve years, Klaston has worked at Anixter Canada Inc. and is currently a warehouse supervisor.
Klaston and Nadine met in high school in
They have two daughters. Diamond (14) was
baptized at St. Thomas A'Beckett in
The Scott family regularly attends the 9:00
am service.
Events Update
Inspirational Music
A
contingent of the
-- Images from Ann Rogers
-- Collage by Jeffrey White
Congregation Contributions
Book Review
The Shack
- William
P. Young
This book
has been on the best seller list not perhaps because it is well-crafted – the
number of clichés used is detracting – but perhaps because the author tackles
two difficult topics, the death of a child and the concept of Trinity, with
refreshing candor and some originality.
After
suffering the violent death of his daughter, Mack the main character in the
book, is invited to meet the Triune God in a shack associated with his
daughter’s death.
The Holy
Trinity is represented by “two women and a man and none of them are
white”. This may be because the author
wanted to show the universality of God.
God the Father is a big Black woman with a sense of humour
who is pre-occupied with preparing meals.
God the Son is a Middle Eastern laborer who jokes about walking on the
water and gets excited seeing a trout.
God the Holy Spirit is a small Asian woman, a little unworldly and as
Mack said, “walking behind her was like tracking a sunbeam”. Some readers may find the concept of
humanizing the Trinity a bit flippant but remember that this is an allegory.
In the
conversations with the three persons of the Deity, there are some nuggets which
can be found. Like many people who have
suffered abuse or hurt in their lives, Mack was choked with anger, hate and
guilt. He felt anger towards his abusive
father; hated the killer of his daughter; and felt guilty that he had not been
able to protect her. This was his Great
Sadness. In order to get over it he had
to learn to forgive - his father, the child killer and himself. As God explains to Mack, “forgiveness is not
about forgetting. It is about letting go another person’s throat” and to allow
that person to be redeemed.
This is a
story of tragedy and redemption but mostly it is about love, which is the
nature of God and is defined as “living in a state of perpetual
satisfaction.” The God of Love has many
children and each one of them is unique.
As God tells Mack, “I don’t love any one of them more than any of the
others. I love each one
differently.” When Mack is asked to be
the judge and choose which two of his five children he would assign to hell, he
balks. Pleading, he begs, “Could I go
instead? If you need someone to torture
for eternity, I’ll go in their place”.
Happily Mack was told, “You have judged them worthy of your love, even
if it costs you everything. That is how
Jesus loves.”
In
another passage Mack talks about what it means to be a Christian and is taken
aback when Jesus tells him not to fret about it since “I am not a
Christian”. He explains that there are
people who are Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Jews or Palestinians
and “I have no desire to make them Christian” but Jesus is willing to join them
and help in their transformation into faithful sons and daughters. He says, “I will travel any road to find
you”.
Salvation
is there for every child of God, and it is worth remembering that the Bible
only talks of condemnation “if you deny me”; which presupposes knowledge of Christ. As followers of Christ we need to witness to
others and let the Holy Spirit transform people on to the right road and into
the way of salvation.
In this
book the strongest character appears to be Mack’s wife
Not all
of us reading this book will be as profoundly affected as those whose glowing
reviews appear on the back cover but reading it one can relate to the dictum
that if “our hurts come through relationships, so will our healing.”
-- Don
Joshua
The Power of Scripture
A woman
had just returned to her home from an evening church service, when she was
startled by an intruder. She caught the man in the act of robbing her home of
its valuables and yelled: “Stop! Acts 2:38!” (Repent
and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.)
The
burglar stopped in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained
what had happened. As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the
burglar, “Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was yell a scripture to you.”
The
burglar replied, ““Scripture? She said she had an Ax and Two 38s!”
Book Review
40-Day Journey series
- Various
writers and editors
Imagine
spending 40 days with a great spiritual guide who has both the wisdom and the
experience to help you along your own spiritual journey. Imagine being, as it
were, mentored by men and women who have made their own spiritual journey and
recorded the landmarks, detours, bumps in the road, potholes, and wayside rests
that they encountered along the way – all to help others(like us) who must make
their own journey.
The
volumes in the series are designed to lead you where your mind and heart and
spirit long to go. The wisdom you will find in the pages of the series of books
will give you the tools and direction to develop a deeper love and trust in
God.
It is
recommended to complete the 40 day journey in 40 days as the readings, insights
and experiences build on each other and introduce you to key ideas in the
understanding of his/her Christian life
and faith. Each day of the journey begins with a reading from the spiritual
guide. Following the reading, you will find a brief passage from the Bible that
relates directly to the reading. Following theses readings, it is suggested
that you meditate on them before proceeding to the questions to ponder. Many of
these questions remind us that although spirituality is personal, it is
simultaneously relational and communal.
Then you
move on to the Psalm fragment which relates to the day’s reading. Reflect for a
moment on the Psalm and then continue on to the journal reflections. The
journaling is key for maximizing the potential for transforming change (I, a
previous “non-journaller” agree). After this, there
are two short prayers for others and you related to the readings. (I found the
prayers very powerful and a great ending to my appointment with my spiritual
director).
I have
just completed the 40 day journey with Kathleen Norris, a poet, a writer, a
preacher, a caregiver, and a careful observer of people. She is a layperson,
whose spiritual journey led her to a Benedictine community, where she became an
oblate, a non-residential member. I
found the format of readings, questions and prayers very engaging, stimulating,
challenging yet affirming. It has been a wonderful tool to enhance my personal
faith journey.
I am
eager to start another in the series. I can’t quite decide between Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Julian of Norwich. These studies will become
available in the Church Resource Centre.
-- Nancy
Taylor
Courier Contributions Request
We
occasionally print general items submitted from someone in the congregation.
Congregation submitted items are welcomed and will be used as space and
relevance allows. If you feel a calling to do this, please do not hesitate to
submit such an item.
We would
also like to see more group updates from around the Parish. In a given year,
many groups are only made reference to in the annual Vestry Report. Some groups
only appear in the bulletin once in a while when there is an event they are
having.
Please
reflect on your group’s ability to add one or two items a year to The Courier. Even better would be
submitting information for all four editions in a year. Then we can all keep up
to date on the various groups available to us in our Parish.
Quotations
Do you
have a favourite quotation of a religious or spiritual nature? If you would
like to see it in The Courier, please
send it to us. Please be sure to quote the source.
The Courier Schedule
There are
four editions of The Courier
published every year. Due to the publishing dates being tied to four major
church events the exact publishing dates move every year. If you have any doubt
about the publishing dates or submission deadlines, please use the following as
a guide.
|
Number |
Edition |
Publication |
Submission Deadline |
|
1 |
Lent |
First
Sunday of Lent |
2 weeks
prior to publication |
|
2 |
Pentecost |
First
Sunday of Pentecost |
2 weeks
prior to publication |
|
3 |
Harvest |
Harvest
Sunday |
2 weeks
prior to publication |
|
4 |
Advent |
First
Sunday of Advent |
2 weeks
prior to publication |
As you
can likely tell, there is a very simple formula to our dates. In the past some
of these have moved around a week or two. There was also a time that the
submission deadline was different. For the past year, the above has been the
schedule. If this should change for any reason, then ample notice will be
provided.
Our Corner of the Internet
www.ChristChurchBrampton.ca
This is
just a reminder that our parish web site contains news, photos, upcoming event
announcements, and other information. You can even re-read this and some
previous issues of The Courier in
colour at the website.
Visit
ChristChurchBrampton.ca for more information. If you would like to post an announcement
for your group or other event, write to:
Submissions, comments and suggestions are
always welcome.
General Church
Weekly Services
|
Sunday: |
(Laying on of Hands - first Sunday monthly at all services) |
|
7:45 am |
Said Eucharist |
|
9:00 am |
Contemporary Eucharist |
|
10:45 am |
Choral Eucharist (Choral Matins on occasion) |
|
Wednesday: |
|
|
10:00 am |
Eucharist and Bible Study |
Monthly Services
|
Peel Manor |
First Thursday |
|
|
Second Thursday |
|
|
Fourth Wednesday at 10:30 am |
|
OCI |
Fourth Thursday at 12:00 pm |
Summer Services
|
Sunday: |
|
|
8:00 am |
Said Eucharist |
|
10:00 am |
Holy Eucharist |
|
Wednesday: |
|
|
10:00 am |
Eucharist and Bible Study |
Contact
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
Telephone: |
905-451-6649 |
Web: |
www.ChristChurchBrampton.ca |
|
Fax: |
905-451-7816 |
Email: |
|
Staff
|
Incumbent: |
The Rev. Dr. Byron R. Gilmore |
|
|
Associate: |
The Rev. Michael Clarke |
|
|
Honourary Associate: |
The Rev. Vic Reigel |
|
|
Honourary Associate: |
The Rev. David Mercer |
|
|
Honourary Associate: |
The Rev. Robert Payton |
|
|
Parish Secretary: |
Martha Whittaker |
|
|
Choir Director: |
Paul Johnson |
|
|
Worship Director: |
Nathan Gerber |
|
|
Caretaker: |
Joe Felicio |
The Advent edition of The Courier will be published on November 29, 2009.
The submission deadline for inclusion in that
edition is November 15, 2009.
|
|
|
|
Rector |
The
Rev. Dr. Byron R. Gilmore |
|
Associate
Priest (Family & Youth) |
The
Rev. Michael Clarke, CM |
|
Honourary
Assistant |
The
Rev. Vic Reigel |
|
Honourary
Assistant |
The
Rev. David Mercer |
|
Honourary
Assistant |
The
Rev. Robert Payton |
|
Parish
Secretary |
Martha
Whittaker |
|
Rector’s
Warden |
Jeffrey
White |
|
People’s
Warden |
Dale Neilly |
|
Deputy
Rector’s Warden |
Rosemary
Mantini |
|
Deputy
People’s Warden |
Ken Egbuna |
|
Treasurer |
Vinton
Williams |
|
Advisory
Board Chair |
Karen
Harper |
|
Vestry
Clerk |
Norma
Martin |
|
Envelope
Secretary |
Valerie
Brown |
|
Lay Members
of Synod |
Kathy
Bell, Karen Harper and Jim Wyllie Nancy
Taylor (alternate) |
|
Worship |
|
|
Organist
and Choir Director |
Paul
Johnson |
|
Contemporary
Worship Director |
Nathan
Gerber |
|
ELA
& Readers' Coordinator |
George
Duffield |
|
Sidespeople & Servers' Guild |
John
Hall |
|
Sunday
School Coordinator |
Andrea
White |
|
Anglican Church Women’s Groups |
|
|
Altar
Guild |
Marie
Bunting |
|
Altar
Flower Secretary |
Karen
Harper |
|
Bazaar
Convener |
Tina
Clarke |
|
Fellowship
Group (2nd Wed 7:30 pm) |
Nancy
Perrault |
|
Parish
Group (1st Thurs 1:30 pm) |
Lois
Ramsay |
|
Other Parish Activities |
|
|
The Courier Editor |
John Olley |
|
Webmaster |
Bob Valliere |
|
Church
Librarian |
Nancy
Taylor |
|
Parish
Visitors |
Joan
Powell |
|
Prayer
Chain |
Jane
Harvey |
|
|
2009 |
|
