Page 37 - Presbyterian Connection – Spring 2021

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SPRING 2021
Wrapping Up 2020 at Armour Heights
By Erin Stone, Church Administrator & Manager of Community Engagement, Armour Heights Presbyterian Church in Toronto, Ont.
Armour Heights Presbyterian Church in Toronto, Ont., had a pretty busy Advent and Christmas season with some special programming that in- cluded a series called “Merry Covid Christmas.”
This online programming also had: a Christmas biscotti baking event; an Advent wreath making event; a four-par t Advent-themed yoga class; a two-par t Bible study called “How Well Do You Know the Christmas Story?”; a Christmas “open mic”; a live-streamed concer t with our Armour Heights soloists and music director; a Christmas pageant (with about 60 par ticipants!); and
Worship service participants from our live-streamed Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.
Our Christmas Angels team “wrap party” assembling gifts for ARISE and families in our community.
“A COVID Christmas” concert photo.
Youth online “cinnamon bun baking event” with the Rev. Rebecca Jess and Vanessa Horne.
Online Christmas Bazaar in Uxbridge
a very special poem written by our clerk of Session called “A Visit from COVID-19.”
In addition to this, we volunteered at the Evangel Hall Mission Residents Dinner, crafted a new pulpit fall and held numerous other online events, including a youth baking event, our
Christmas Eve service and Christ- mas Angels “wrap party.”
Despite the lockdown and the on- going pandemic, it’s been a busy and active time at Armour Heights.
Our past events are available at armourheights.org/merry-covid- christmas
Connection
CONGREGATIONAL LIFE
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gations were doing comparatively well.
At the other end of the spectrum, we heard about blessings and signs of hope. We heard remarkable sto- ries of congregational and ministerial creativity and resilience. We heard that new leadership was emerging or long-serving leadership was being revitalized in many congregations. We heard that reliance on online con-
nections resulted in the collapse of physical distances as interim mod- erators were able to expand their pool of supply preachers for online services, and that presbytery bound- aries became permeable as clergy in one part of the country provided as- sistance and support in other parts.
The journey through this pandemic is not over yet. Jeremiah’s advice to the exiles to set down roots because
they were going to be living in Baby- lon for a while is applicable to us to- day:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they pro- duce.... For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give
By Irene Dimanis, Treasurer, St. Andrew’s-Chalmers Presbyterian Church in Uxbridge, Ont.
The Ladies Association of St. Andrew’s-Chalmers Presbyterian Church in Uxbridge, Ont., holds a Christmas bazaar in November each year. Due to COVID-19, I came up with an idea of doing a first-ever vir- tual bazaar on a much smaller scale for 2020, and asked our President, Bonnie, if this was feasible.
We ended up making up a flyer of all the items available for purchase with the names of people to contact by email or phone for the item(s)
you a future with hope” (Jer. 29:4–5, 11).
We cannot know what the world will be like, or what the church will be like, on the other side of the pandem- ic. The glimpses we have already hint that much will be changed, and much will have to change. In the meantime, we journey from memory to hope, from that which was to that which will be, as God’s own future unfolds.
of their choice. The flyer was then emailed and sent by mail to the con- gregation with the date and location for pickup outside the church en- trance.
It was a very successful initiative! We donated the funds raised to Evan- gel Hall Mission, Kenora Fellowship Centre, Precious Minds, Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity, Angel Tree and Crieff Hills Retreat Centre. It was a different experience for a ba- zaar, but as our ladies’ group always works together so well, it turned out amazingly, and our congregation loved being able to purchase some of the items they buy every year.
Presbyterians Sharing encourages and supports congregations through times of change.