Page 20 - Presbyterian Connection – Spring 2021

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PRESBYTERIAN
SPRING 2021
presbyterian.ca
Connection
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
Safety First
Congregations and ministries are continuously innovating and adapting to the changing circumstances of COVID-19 so that their communities can gather and enjoy fellowship in the safest possible conditions, ensuring masks and other necessary PPE are worn, appropriate physical distance is maintained and health regulations are adhered to.
Since moving worship online, the congregation of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Ottawa, Ont., has held three online Communion services. Led by the Rev. Dr. Karen Dimock, members participated in the Lord’s Supper from the safety of their homes and connected to one another through the body, blood and Word of the Lord.
Though we are missing our church, we are still a wonderfully loving, kind and engaged community—apart but together. The Lord will be with you, with all of us, wherever we are, from wherever we worship.
The congregation at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Hillsburgh, Ont., like many other churches, reverted to online gather- ings over Christmas. In order to reach children and their families missing out on traditional Christmas activities because of the lack of Sunday School, craft and activity packages were created and delivered to their doorsteps. Photos of congregation members dressed as characters from the Nativity were collected and collated into a virtual Christmas pageant. Both the activity packs and the pageant were very successful.
Mathias Fehr is a member of Forbes Presbyterian Church in Grande Prairie, Alta. Every Sunday morning, he arrives wearing his hat, suit and tie, ready to ring the church bell and announce to the community that the church service is about to begin. He brings a gift of candy canes with attached Christmas wishes for the congregation to share at Christmas. Thank you to Mathias, for his spe- cial dedication in ringing the church bell!
Each year, Tweedsmuir Memorial Presbyterian Church in Orangeville, Ont., participates in “Christmas in the Park.” Due to COVID-19, this event could not take place, so the display was put up in front of the church instead. The congregation wishes everyone God’s great blessings in 2021!