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SPRING 2023
Three in One —
A New Trinity Begins
Cedar presented by the Rev. Mary Fontaine.
By the Rev. Laurie McKay, Trinity Presbyterian Church in New Westminster, B.C.
On Jan. 1, 2023, Trinity Presbyte- rian Church in New Westminster/ Burnaby, B.C., was born. It only took five years! It’s one thing to begin a new church community, but it’s quite another to let go of the distinct identities of three church communities in order to create a new unified one, all the while still retaining the beauty and faith that has nourished our cities for a collective 300+ years. The congregations of Gordon Pres- byterian Church (Burnaby), Knox Presbyterian Church (New West- minster) and St. Aidan’s Presby- terian Church (New Westminster) have been praying and worship- ping together more intently since
included the Mayor of Burnaby, Mike Harley, and Councillors Richard Lee, Maita Santiago and Daniel Tetrault, as well as speaker of the B.C. Legislative Assembly, the Honourable Raj Chouhan.
Challenges lie ahead—some known and others will be a sur- prise. Even as we continue to rotate sanctuaries week by week, we know that sooner or later we will need to address the use of our resources/buildings to meet the needs of the community. We will need to let go of some resources to get to where we are called to be, which is another challenge when it comes to beloved build- ings and being present in unique
neighbourhoods. It’s not enough for older people to come together to extend our “runway.” We want to grow and that means creating new ministries with the help of new leaders and fresh expres- sions of God’s grace. We want to love what our neighbours love— their children, their culture, their desire to live well and feel blessed by a loving God.
We ask for the prayers of the larger church for this fledgling congregation made up of sea- soned Christians. Together, we pray one of our favourite prayers: “Help us, Lord, not to be afraid to live larger and wider lives so that we can reflect your glory.”
the pandemic forced us out of our sanctuaries to worship online and reach out into the community.
Together, we responded by launching the Don’t Go Hungry program to meet the emergency food needs of the communities during the pandemic. We engaged many partners and community volunteers. This mission has ce- mented our common love for our neighbour, and today the Don’t Go Hungry program feeds over 1,250 people every week with over 450 volunteer hours. Most of the vol- unteers are not churchgoers, but are of many different faiths and denominations. Together we are “love in action,” coming together to love and serve the vulnerable.
Discipleship for Trinity Presby- terian Church means living our faith in the church and on the streets of our neighbourhood, and we trust that this commitment will shape our life and ministry. We are still emerging into our new identity. We work collaboratively. We are getting good at voting with stickers after speaking in small and large groups. Together, we have agreed on a vision: “Trust- ing in the grace of Christ, we are an inclusive worshipping commu- nity, called to serve God’s world with love.”
Our celebration on January 8, led by the Presbytery of Westmin- ster, involved us creating a new
liturgy for amalgamating three congregations with two pastors, the Rev. Callum Macleod and the Rev. Laurie McKay, who were called to two of the previous con- gregations. We were also blessed to have the Rev. Bruce Cairnie preach during the celebration. He encouraged us to be a community known for how we love others— a mark of Christ’s presence with people, waiting with others to be baptized. Bruce was with us from the beginning, when the term “amalgamation” was one of those words we agreed not to use! We have come a long way!
We were also blessed to re- ceive cedar and Indigenous teach- ing from the Rev. Mary Fontaine of Hummingbird Ministries. We received the gift of water in the baptismal bowl from our Anglican sister, the Rev. Martha Cameron, to remind us of our ecumenical connection with the larger church.
Playfully, the pastors sprinkled the congregation to remind us of our baptism and to give thanks. We received the gifts of a hymn book to encourage our love of music, a Bible from one of our students to value the gift of the Word, and a Certificate of Recog- nition from our Member of Parlia- ment, Peter Julian. Lively music and a vibrant spirit marked our celebration of new beginnings. Other dignitaries in attendance
Worship at the new Trinity Presbyterian Church in New Westminster, B.C., which is an amalgamation of three congregations
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17
200 Years in Prescott
The choir of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Prescott, Ont., performing at the 200th Anniversary Christmas concert.
By the Rev. David Hooper,
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Prescott, Ont.
On Dec. 18, 2022, the congrega- tion of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Prescott, Ont., hosted their final event in the year-long celebration of 200 years of faith and service. The community Christmas concert was spon- sored by Showtime South Gren- ville, a local music association.
The musical event was pre- ceded by a dedication ceremony in front of the recently installed elevator. It took 20 years of fun- draising, grant applications and support from the community to arrive at this day. The Rev. Ian MacLean, who was minister dur-
The Whole Earth Sings Gospel Choir.
ing those 20 years, dedicated the elevator: “...to the glory of God and also to the use of His peo- ple.” The elevator provides easier access for congregants and the various community groups who make us the church.
The concert included members of St. Andrew’s Church/Showtime
South Grenville choirs, The Whole Earth Sings Gospel Choir, the Thousand Islands Chorus, Eugene Janssens on the organ and duets by Chris Coyea and Alex Fleuriau Chateau. From the opening drum beat to the final note of Ave Maria, this was a wonderful conclusion to a year of celebration.