Page 12 - PC Winter 2023-24

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PRESBYTERIAN
WINTER 2023
presbyterian.ca
Connection
A Caring Presence in Kitchener
Brett Robinson, assisted by his mother Lynn, cuts the ribbon to officially open the new wheelchair ramp at Zion Presbyterian Church. A large crowd of church- goers was on hand, including, (left to right) the Rev. Dr. Douglas Rollwage, Brett’s father, Dave, Jim Stavert, chair of the church building committee, Pam Trainor, chair of the board of trustees, and Eleanor Boswell, Brett’s grandmother.
Zion Celebrates
New Wheelchair
Ramp
By Gary MacDougall, Clerk of Session, Zion Presbyterian Church in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Zion Presbyterian Church in Char- lottetown, P.E.I., has improved ac- cessibility to the church with the construction of a new wheelchair ramp.
The ramp is a much-needed update to the old ramp that dated back to the 1980s. It meets the latest requirements of the City of Charlottetown and of the National Building Code, and provides users with a much gentler slope, wheth- er they are entering or exiting the church.
Cutting the ribbon to officially open the ramp on October 1 was Brett Robinson, a member of the
By Margie Warren, Clerk of Session, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kitchener, Ont.
After worship on Oct. 15, I was overcome with emotion and felt compelled to share some of what goes on at St. Andrew’s Presby- terian Church in downtown Kitch- ener, Ont.
It was about 13 years ago that I joined St. Andrew’s after being God-directed to do so. (That is a story for another time!) I knew very quickly that God truly wanted me at St. Andrew’s. I was impressed by the wonderful mission and out- reach ministries that St. Andrew’s has always been involved in lo- cally, nationally and abroad. This was the church for me!
In the past couple of years, the outreach and activities at St. An- drew’s have been phenomenal. In December of 2021, the church was asked by the Region of Wa- terloo and The Working Centre (a local agency responding to unemployment and poverty in downtown Kitchener) to open our doors to the homeless, to people living in the rough. The situation in Kitchener-Waterloo was critical. This we did from December 2021 to June 2022. We housed ap- proximately 75 homeless guests each night, sharing our space when they came for an evening meal, prepared off-site, and a bed for sleep. Warm clothing and toi- letries were available as needed. Our guests were given food to take away with them in the morn- ing. What wonderful outreach as these folk would have had no place to stay during those cold winter nights. Part of the build- ing was modified to house these individuals in a private area of the church, basically a building within a building. Maintaining their priva- cy was important to our guests.
Were there challenges to over- come? Of course! There were some objections, concerns and complications, but as a Christian community we were called to provide a safe place of solitude and sanctuary for those less for- tunate and the vulnerable in our midst. We relied on God’s spirit to guide us to be an outpost in the Kin-dom of God. We knew God’s love was calling us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and care for others.
To make our guests feel loved and welcomed, a Christmas banner adorned the gymnasium
The Rev. Mark (St. Peter’s Lutheran Church) and the Rev. Marty (St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church) after service on Oct. 15.
Zion congregation and a former Easter Seals ambassador for Prince Edward Island. Perhaps it was only fitting that the Rev. Dr. Douglas Rollwage, a retired Zion Church minister, was providing supply the day of the ramp open- ing. During his many years at the church, he was often called on to help Brett navigate his way up and down the old wheelchair ramp.
The building of the new ramp was overseen by the Building Committee of the Trustee Board. The members of the committee are Jim Staver t (chair), John Far- quharson, Allan Jay, Douglas Mac- Donald, Gary MacDougall, Carmen Ross, Ken Spearing, Raymond Stewar t, David Thomson and Pam Trainor (chair of Trustee Board).
where they slept, and a small group provided Christmas, Val- entine’s and Easter treats, which were greatly appreciated! Locally, many affirmed that we were a caring, compassionate congrega- tion, showing good leadership by providing for the homeless.
In the spring of 2023, we were approached by a local Indigenous group to provide space for some of their programs. Some of the In- digenous people in the area were surprised about this, given past history. However, we formed an alliance with them. This was one small step toward healing and reconciliation. The outcome was a summer basketball camp with the KW Titans. Approximately 20 children were involved each week, including some of the people who are part of the St. Andrew’s con- gregation. The Rev. Molengraaf’s two grandchildren attended for one week.
To quote the head of our cus- todial staff, “I just wanted to say whatapleasureithasbeentohave our Indigenous friends here. The staff has conducted themselves well with a structured program, combining both discipline, learn- ing and fun. I think for me though, the best part has been to have so many children in the building. The sounds of kids playing, learn- ing and doing so many positive things. This world has so many bad temptations. This program helps keep these kids away from this, and that is something defi- nitelyneededmoreinthisworld. I have to think that Jesus smiles
when he watches these kids.” Partnerships with community organizations are essential to the life and well-being of our church, mission and ministry. Indeed, there are growing pains associat- ed with developing partnerships, but St. Andrew’s hopes we are an example to other churches within The Presbyterian Church in Can- ada. Partnerships are a sign of a
vibrant and strong congregation. In collaboration with Waterloo Region Hospice, we presented our second Dying to Know event on Oct. 14. We reached out to the entire Kitchener-Waterloo com- munity to take part and have conversations around death and grieving, which was so needed after the COVID-19 pandemic and to normalize talking about death
and dying.
Relying on feedback from our
first event last spring, the day was planned to keep the conversation going. We brought together local experts to share practical infor- mation to help families support someone who is dying or griev- ing. We learned about a Death Café, a Death Doula, and griev- ing when one loses a precious furry member of the family. We were thrilled to welcome Dr. Blair Bigham, doctor and author of the bestselling book Death Inter- rupted: How Modern Medicine Is Complicating the Way We Die, as our keynote speaker.
St. Andrew’s has a mission statement for our building, which states:
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