December 29, 2022
Hello everyone,
I hope you are enjoying this Christmas season. Barb and I together with our daughters, Krista and Stacey, their husbands Scott and James and our grandchildren Keegan and Aiden had a wonderful Christmas day celebration. Barb’s mom Yvonne was with us as well – lots of laughter, some storytelling, sharing of gifts and a delicious Christmas meal. It was a great day. We have lots to celebrate. I hope that many of you had similar experiences. But for some, Christmas is not family time. It is harder because of the loss of loved ones, because people live alone or due to a whole host of other reasons. The Holy Family themselves would have felt lost and alone on that first night – away from family, cut off by some (if not many), exhausted because of the long trip and no where to rest for the night except a barn at the back of an Inn. Maybe some of you relate to the Holy Family in this way.
Even with the wind and snowstorm on the two days before Christmas, we were able to have our Family Christmas Eve service at 4 pm, as well as the Candlelight Christmas Service at 8 pm. Both services had more people than we thought might come. The 4 pm service was attended by roughly 75 people, including lots of children. Andrew and I led the service with an impromptu pageant and lots of congregational participation. It was fun! The Candlelight service was more solemn. Approximately 100 people attended, and the sanctuary choir led in some beautiful Christmas music. A warm thank you to all who participated in the services and to those who attended. They were the first in person Christmas services here at St. Andrew’s since December 2019 – three years ago!
There will not be a Friday E-Blast this week. Mel is taking a well deserved break. So here are a few announcements:
Sunday, January 1 at 10:00 am – our New Years Day service will be televised live on CTV – the theme is ‘Letting Go and Holding On’. We will explore Richard Rohr’s quote where he says “The opposite of faith is not doubt; the opposite of faith is control”. What does this mean in light of the Revelation 21 passage, where we are told that God is creating a new heaven and a new earth?
Sunday, January 8 at 10:00 am – Rev. Wendy Paterson will be leading this service, which will be a celebration of the work that the deacons do within our congregation. This will be an opportunity for the larger congregation to understand the deacons’ responsibilities and whether you would like to have a deacon or become a deacon. Deacons play an essential role in pastoral care within the congregation.
Sunday, January 15 at 10:00 am – Al Mills, Executive Director of KW Extend a Family will preach and invite the congregation into a mission and ministry among adults with special needs. This ties into our vision of a legendary mission; Walking alongside people with special needs and their families. There will be an opportunity to meet with Al and ask questions during the coffee hour after the service.
Just a reminder about our Christmas appeal as well:
Each year we count on the strong financial support of the congregation. This year, if you mark your donation as ‘Christmas Appeal’ 10% of it will go to the Food Bank of Waterloo Region. Cash donations and e’transfers must be submitted to the church by December 31 to be counted towards your 2022 offering. Cheques made out no later than December 31 must be received in the church office by January 10, 2023 if they are to be counted towards your 2022 offering. Deep appreciation to all who give of their time and talent to the ongoing work of St. Andrew’s. This coming year will be one in which we communicate and explore our vision as a church, adopted by the session back in November 2021 – Encountering God in worship, Engaging Jesus in the streets – being an outpost in the Kin-dom of God. The suggestion of using the phrase ‘Catch the wind of the Spirit’ is being considered and may become our rallying call.
It is a deep pleasure to be your minister. I know these are challenging times for churches. But I am convinced that churches (and other faith communities) that live out the gospel story of God’s unconditional love can and will shape who we are as a society, and give us hope for the future. I look forward to continuing to be church to one another and the world at large.
Marty