Thursday, March 23, 2023

Good afternoon, everyone ,

It is a dreary day today, but the warmer temperatures are slowly on their way.  Dreary days like today are part and parcel of the coming of spring and part and parcel of life itself.  We had a beautiful staff meeting the other day where we explored different strategies for dealing with dreary times.  The collective wisdom was astounding.  Everything from stopping to assess what is going on, prioritizing, praying for those people who we find to be stressful (😊), doing something with our hands like baking, allowing the emotions to come to the surface without apology, the power of remembering that not all days are dreary days – all kind of beautiful things were shared.  It was a wonderful time together, helpful to all staff, I believe, and something I wanted to share with all of you as well.  For me it was a meaningful moment to hear from some remarkable people.  In the midst of dreary days, such wisdom is a gift.  Dreary days do not last forever.  Behind the clouds, the sun still shines.

The group interested in the new initiative ‘Partners in Belonging’ is meeting again, probably Tuesday, April 4.  They are the group looking at the possibility of creating a ministry for and with families who have adult children with differing abilities.  During our last meeting we talked about the importance of listening to the collective wisdom of parents, of doing something together with effective partners and not on our own, of taking our time and of getting some training from our partners as we move along.  It is an exciting opportunity for new ministry within the life of the church.  If you are interested in attending please let us know.   On a related note, the Roy Street Task Force is meeting again this Friday at 3 pm just as an update to hear from the architect again and to consider next steps. 

The mission team met last night for an excellent discussion.  They have been connecting with our various partners and are considering some projects.  Representatives from the mission team will be attending the Mayor’s Dinner on April 15 at Bingeman’s.  It is jointly organized by The Working Centre and the mayors of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo.  The theme will be ‘Responding to Homelessness’.  I have attached the invite for you to look at if you are interested.  Unfortunately I will not be able to attend.  Barb and I always take the week after Easter off and we are heading down to Florida to pick up Barb’s mom and drive her back home.

The Finance Committee met on Tuesday.  There was some good news to share.  I will include it here and you may see it in other places as well.  In both January and February contributions of the mission and ministry were up.  Here is are the figures from the Finance Committee:

Financial Giving Update – 2023 Off to a Great Start

January - February 2023 Givings 2022 Givings

Local Ministry and Outreach $92,175 $89,430 Presbyterians Sharing $10,694 $10,050

Thank you to all who have contributed to our ongoing ministries and outreach missions.

We have had a great start to the year here at St. Andrew’s with donations through the first two months exceeding our budget goal and last year’s Jan-Feb total as well.   The Finance Committee will continue to share regular financial updates throughout the year to keep the congregation up to date on our progress towards our financial goals.  Thank you for your generosity.

To close, here is a story submitted by Nancy Young this morning.  I hope it will brighten your day: “A pastor asked an older farmer, decked out in bib overalls, to say the grace for the morning breakfast.  “Lord, I hate buttermilk”, the farmer began.  The visiting pastor opened one eye to glance at the farmer and wondered where this was going.

The farmer loudly proclaimed, “Lord, I hate lard”.  Now the pastor was growing concerned.

Without missing a beat the farmer continued, “And Lord, you know I don’t much care for raw white flour”.  The pastor once again opened an eye to glance around the room and saw he wasn’t the only one to feel uncomfortable.

Then the farmer added, “But Lord, when you mix them all together and bake them, I do love warm fresh biscuits.  So Lord, when things come up that we don’t like, and when life gets hard, when we don’t understand what you are saying to us, help us to just relax and wait until you are done mixing.  It will probably be even better than biscuits.  Amen.”

On a dreary day, I hope that made you smile 😊

Take care

Marty