March 30, 2022
Hello everyone
Its déjà vu all over again. Another Wednesday and another day with a mix of ice rain and rain. It is absolutely miserable out there. If you don’t need to go anywhere, please stay home. Everything seems treacherous right now including the sidewalks. Hopefully it will clear up later this afternoon.
As you may know we had a bit of a scare here in the office. Our new office co-ordinator Melissa Seguin tested positive for COVID last Friday. She had been triple vaxxed and her symptoms were not severe and by today she had three daily tests in a row that were negative, so she is back to work. We had closed the office since Friday just as a precaution – all other staff had all tested negative throughout the weekend as well and so now we are free and clear. But we are encouraging the use of surgical of N95 masks for use in the office from this point forward.
With the session meeting on Monday night this has been a busy week. Here are some session highlights:
The property committee is working with the Grand Philharmonic Choir for office space in the Temple room downstairs as a source of revenue for the church. It looks very positive and would be an excellent use of that space.
The session agreed to enter into negotiations with the Region of Waterloo and the Working Centre to extend the Emergency Warming Centre to June 22. The reason for this request is the increasing number of people living in the rough in Kitchener Waterloo. There is a new encampment at the corner of Weber and Queen. Three emergency warming centres are scheduled to close on April 29. The Region has already had negative responses from the other two. The session to continue to support the region by extending the contract if possible. Those negotiations will begin tomorrow (Thursday) and we will keep you posted.
Yolanda Grant and I have been working with a couple who have been attending the congregation regularly since the fall. They have a son and daughter in law and two grandchildren who are refugees in Turkey and are facing deportation. We are trying as best we can to support the family and prevent deportation. We have been talking to the Presbyterian Church in Canada in this regard.
We await any requests that may come from Anishnabeg Outreach in terms of a potential partnership and the possibility of use of space here at St. Andrew’s for some of their daytime programming.
The Governance Team recommended we engage Credence Consulting to help the session and congregation review the decision making process of the session going forward. This work was initiated by the Rev. Herb Gale and not completed. It has to do with the new hiring model that was approved by the session before I arrived. The Governance Team believes we need a consulting team to help and I agreed wholeheartedly. To that end, a congregational meeting with be held via zoom on Sunday, April 10 following the morning worship service.
The Finance Committee reported a healthy start to the year. The expenses are high right now due to the Emergency Warming Centre. But we have had the assurance of the Region and the Working Centre that those costs will be covered. The session also agreed that this year’s Easter Appeal be undertaken with 10% of the proceeds going to Canadian Foodgrains Bank. You will be receiving an Easter appeal letter very shortly.
Human Resources reported successful hiring of Melissa Seguin as Office Coordinator and also gave notice that Sonny (Leo) Burnett is returning to his original career – marketing by the end of April. Sonny has indicated his last day is April 29. We are sad to see Sonny go, but he goes with our love and support. Sonny has said many times that the congregation has supported him during these last 7 years in very wonderful ways. A new employee, presently part time, Geordie Givens, will take on Sonny’s position. Welcome to Geordie – another very fine individual.
In addition here are some other things on the go this past week:\
Preparation for Holy Week – this year we will be having a Maundy Thursday service. It will be an agape meal with symbolic foot washing, meaningful readings, contemplative music and communion – all in the context of a small meal together. Cheese and crackers, soup and bread and a fruit tray will be served. Due to COVID we will be limiting the number of people who can attend to 40. Please contact the church office if you are wanting to attend. The service will either be up in the sanctuary at tables in the form of a cross, or down in the Elizabeth room with tables spaced further apart.
Preparation for Easter Sunday service – this action packed service will include unpacking the ‘hallelujahs’, the telling of a beautiful story about resurrection and empty eggs, sharing in the rhythm of resurrection with egg ‘shakers’ among other things. As well we encourage everyone to bring a symbol of resurrection from their home to place on the communion table.
Preparation for Earth Day Sunday – which will be held on April 24. Katherine Masterton Sisk from the Presbyterian Church in Canada will be speaking on that day talking about he climate crisis we face as a world. Jan Blackburn, Karen Chisholm, Yolanda Grant and others will be meeting with Katherine and myself to plan the service.
A small group has been reviewing the effectiveness of our present database software called Church Watch and comparing it to several other data base software including a program called Planning Centre. The staff also looked at this and believe it seems very promising. We need to check with other Canadian churches using Planning Centre to see if it is meeting their needs and might meet our needs as well.
Lauren Wasyluk has us all thinking about content for use online. I have been tasked with looking at the ‘Plan a Visit’ page on the website, providing a list of our partner organizat6ions, suggesting content for the ‘About’ page and a variety of other things as well. There is so much room to fill in terms of content. Your stories, prayers that are meaningful to you, poetry that speaks to you – all these things can be placed in strategic places on the website. Please give this some thought.
Bob Fewster and Ann-Marie MacDairmid have been working hard to finalize the contract for the installation of a new trumpet stop for the organ. That contract was finally signed yesterday and the new trumpet stop will arrive at the church sometime towards the end of October.
A special service of installation for Ann-Marie as Director of Music and for Gord as Choir Director will be held on the first Sunday in May. At this service we will celebrate music and hear the stories behind some of the songs and hymns we sing.
At the weekly staff meetings we are exploring self care by sharing with each other something that we have read in the past week that is meaningful. Gord Burnett shared a poem written by an indigenous woman in Saskatchewan who was filling out a form asking how long she and her family had lived in the area. She responded ‘from time immemorial’, meaning for longer than anyone could remember. It was a powerful reading that spoke to us in different ways. For me it was a sense of belonging. We belong to the land and to each other – we belong to the Creator
As you can see there is lots going on.
Take care everyone and God bless
Marty