Page 13 - PC Fall 2023

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FALL 2023
Recovery and Renewal at St. Andrew’s, Toronto
Attendees at our first women’s social gathering.
By Judy Neal, ruling elder, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, King Street in Toronto, Ont.
Faith without action is just spinnin’—no traction. —William Prince, Old Souls
As with most churches, the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected St. Andrew’s Presby- terian Church on King Street in Toronto. Our nearly 200-year his- tory is punctuated with stories of trials, including several existential crises and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Each time, our unwa- vering faith and dedication have been our compass, guiding us not only to survive but to flourish. The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception.
With hope based on our histor- ic resilience, last fall our Growth and Innovation Ministry encour- aged us to restart in-person pro- grams that had closed or moved online during the pandemic, and to create new programs to meet
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People came, and they listened. Acts 16 describes a story where Paul and Silas end up in prison. The prison was part of underground tunnels. Paul and Silas were put with the murderers in earthquake country. What did they do? They prayed, they sang.
And the other prisoners listened. In Wales, from 1810 to 1960, the percentage of Welsh speak- ers fell by 70%—a direct result
pandemic-generated needs. The results have been very encour- aging. Attendance at our Sunday morning worship services has rebounded quite well. The demo- graphics have shifted somewhat, though. Many long-time mem- bers, now elderly, still choose to attend worship online. We are grateful to be able to continue to offer online services, which attract about 150 viewers each week. Others discovered us on- line and now worship with us in person. We recently received nine new professing members and are elated by the inclusivity and di- versity among them. Our church school, while still quite modest, has grown considerably.
Our Better English Café, a pro- gram that offers newcomers to Canada opportunities to practice useful everyday conversational English, has also rebounded well. We welcomed almost 2,800 attendees over the year, with weekly attendance at the end of the season exceeding 115 peo-
of government policy and com- mercial interests. Some protested these changes. At one demon- stration, students chained them- selves to the parliament building railings. Security guards cut them loose and hauled them off to prison until their arraignment the next day. Picture these prisons: early Victorian, stone-built, rings of steel walkways, cells with iron doors. What did the students do?
ple representing more than 40 mother-tongue languages. We closed the season with a Canada Day BBQ that was well attended. Lesley, a newly minted Canadian citizen and wife to senior minis- ter the Rev. Will Ingram, cut the Canada Day cake.
This year we embarked on two exciting new initiatives. SingTO is a choir that welcomed about 40 singers from the downtown Toronto community. Their first year was a big success, and the program will continue in the fall. Our Fellowship and Pastoral Care Ministry offered women in the congregation an opportunity to attend a Saturday afternoon “So- cial.” Over 30 women attended and there’s a great deal of enthu- siasm for future gatherings. The goal is to foster deep, mutually supportive relationships. We’re considering other special-focus opportunities as well.
Our large Out of the Cold pro- gram, which serves around 300 suppers each week during
They sang to each other. All night. The next morning, as they left, the desk sergeant remarked, “If it were up to me, I wouldn’t re- lease you.” He explained, “In all my years in the prison service, last night was the first night when
things were calm.”
Poetry and song find the gaps
between prison bars. They remind you that there is joy and hope even at the darkest times.
New members received at St. Andrew’s in May 2023.
Connection
PRESBYTERIAN
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Music Director Dan Bickle and the SingTO Choir at their debut performance.
The Better English Café.
the cold months and about 75 breakfasts weekly year-round, still serves take-out meals, but we hope to return to indoor table service soon. SAGA (formerly the St. Andrew’s Gay Association) has resumed its monthly fellow- ship gatherings and attendance is nearly back to normal. Our vibrant and thought-provoking Heart of the City Speaker Series has also resumed meeting in person and draws about 40-45 attendees.
At Paul and Silas’s prison in Philippi, prisoners were given a message of hope through prayer and song in what should have been the most hopeless of places.
God sings. We sing because we are created in God’s image. We sing to remember important truths. We sing to commune with God, and with our neighbour. We sing to reach out to anyone who will listen. We sing because...
Our weekly Friday Noontime Mu- sic Recitals also returned, attract- ing about 125 music lovers.
The pandemic fast-tracked our transition to online and digi- tal platforms. As we continue to learn from this experience, we are exploring strategies to connect with younger people through so- cial media.
We now have many reasons to believe that a thriving future is on the horizon!