Page 37 - Presbyterian Connection

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SPRING 2023
Connection
PRESBYTERIAN
37
The Beat
Goes On in
Collingwood
NEWS
The First Christmas Story.
By Marlene Weatherall, First Presbyterian Church in Collingwood, Ont.
And The Beat Goes On is a book by Equator Stroman Cheek about working through life’s trials and tribulations from a Christian point of view, inspired by the Holy Spir- it. “Inspired” in Hebrew means “the very breath of God.”
First Presbyterian Church in Collingwood, Ont., has faced challenges in 2022, but we have risen above them and remain hopeful and inspired. We are proud of the work that continues at First, and we look forward to what God has in store for us in 2023. While we were closed for the first few months of 2022, due to pandemic restrictions, when we resumed in-person worship services in March we were full of enthusiasm and motivation.
Sunday school continued throughout the entire year with the leadership of Bev Kennedy, our Interim Director of Children & Youth. She utilized online interac- tive church school lessons that were most effective, and now continues with in-person Sunday school.
Palm Sunday was emotionally moving as the children paraded down the centre aisle to music while waving palm branches, fol- lowed by the Children’s Choir.
On Mother’s Day Sunday, our congregation was blessed by the voices of 20 children who were so happy to be together after months of being apart.
A Little Night Music in June was nothing short of spectacular, directed by Kimberley Raeburn- Gibson. With presentations from the adult and children’s ensem- ble, the church was filled with joy. We are truly blessed to have such amazing talent in our community.
Monthly Community Dinners, prior to the pandemic, were at- tended by approximately 80 peo- ple. We now offer takeout meals, which are enjoyed by up to 180 people, and we started a Food Hamper program. The Love Your Neighbour program, organized by Ron and Paulina Monette, provides supplementary grocer- ies and food for families in need.
A Little Night Music.
What began as a lunch program for school children quickly grew to assist approximately 20 fami- lies with their weekly healthy groceries. In addition, we started a free pantry at one of the local elementary schools. Love Your Neighbour is making a difference in our church and community, one family at a time.
Our Pastoral Care Team, co- ordinated by Catherine Brown, is made up of over 70 dedicated members who provide Pastoral Care to our large congregation in various ways: one-on-one visits to seniors in private homes; vis- its on porches and in retirement homes; meals and transporta- tion when needed; meal delivery and community dinners; gifts of prayer shawls; distribution of Easter flowers and poinsettias; grief support; hospice and hos- pital visits; personal phone calls; emails and cards to stay con- nected; and pastoral care updates each Wednesday.
Our amazing Vacation Bible Camp 2022 theme was “Rocky Railway.” We had 105 camp- ers and 60 volunteers. We learned that “Jesus power pulls us through.” Activities included three Bible sites, crafts, games, science, bucket drumming, line dancing, theatre, and the Rev. Keith Boyer even had a model train set up. On the last day, the stage was crowded with all the campers and volunteers, and the sanctuary was filled with fam- ily members as the campers and leaders shared their experiences.
Burning Bush Theatre (BBT) is a free after-school drama and music theatre program for youth ages 7–16. We offer fall, winter and spring programs, with leader- ship provided by Alison McLeod.
In October, we enjoyed “Oh Jo- nah” from 22 BBT members. We look forward to their next presen- tation this coming spring.
As community outreach, and as a reinforcement of the resourc- es within our church library, in the summer we started a Story Walk. In our church garden we featured Larry’s Garden, a book written by Laura Alary, whose overall motto is “writing stories that make us bigger on the inside.” Inspired by a real person, this story is about great results from tiny seeds, overcoming broken friendships, sharing small acts of kindness and giving thanks for service. Judy Milley, our librarian, is truly planting the seed and spreading the Word thankfully.
The Christmas Basket pro- gram puts smiles on the faces of many families in our commu- nity who are less fortunate. This past Christmas we had 37 donors providing gifts for families. Some of our church families shopped for multiple families, and some provided gifts that were added to baskets as well. We are so grate- ful! We provided Christmas bas- kets for 50 families, which trans- lated to 150 people in total.
Intergenerational activities are coordinated by Jaquelyn Patter- son-Schaefer. Some of the ac- tivities that have been organized are Halloween cookie decorating, bonfires, Christmas crafts, Christ- mas trivia and a chili potluck.
The First Christmas Story, themed “Comfort and Joy,” truly brought Christmas into our hearts as we were blessed to experience the joy of Christmas through mu- sic and drama, over the course of four presentations. Under the direction of Deb Fitzsimmons, the First Christmas Story was, for
Burning Bush Theatre.
Vacation Bible Camp.
most people, truly the beginning of the Christmas season.
Back in July, the Rev. Tim Rae- burn-Gibson, our minister, and Kimberley Raeburn-Gibson, our Music Director, decided to relo- cate to London. We wished them well as they embarked on a new adventure.
The Rev. Dr. A.R. Neal Mathers is now our Interim Moderator, and we are blessed to have his experi- ence and expertise in helping us
move forward. We continue to offer live stream and in-person worship services each Sunday, which are well received. We are in the final stages of hiring a new Music Director and have recruited a search committee tasked to call a new minister. We recognize and appreciate all of Dr. Mathers’s ef- forts and are confident that with his and God’s guidance, the Beat Will Go On at First Presbyterian Church in Collingwood.