Page 26 - Presbyterian Connection Newspaper

Connection
NEWS
During the week’s wrap-up, kids created a feast in cooking-science and shared it with their family and friends. Pictured here is Justina, holding up a sheep place card.
kindness and belonging.
Remember, if you want to create
belonging it starts with removing the barriers we impose upon ourselves and living fully with the gifts and talents already present. Then watch what happens over the decades.
26
PRESBYTERIAN
WINTER 2018
presbyterian.ca
Vacation Bible School Creates Belonging
Celebrating Our Name Day
By Ty Ragan
At Centennial Presbyterian Church in Calgary, the free Vacation Bible School that has resurged over the last six years has removed barriers so that any child who wants to can participate. My daughter, Justina, has been there every year.
What is belonging? It is like a Vacation Bible School, even if it is only for 15 hours once a year. It is a congregation that exists in one of the most economically and culturally diverse communities in Calgary. It is
about multiple generations discover- ing and learning through shared gifts and talents, whether it is singing, dancing, puppets, arts and crafts, gardening, French or science—and I am sure I have missed a few. It is a shared experience for a dad and his daughter, a generation apart.
For me, the free VBS as a kid helped in crafting a life mission of making a better world, one simple act of kindness at a time. And for my daughter? She can’t wait to volunteer herself one summer—she is rocking her world through her own acts of
Gifts with Impact
Publicly Traded Securities
December 31 is the final day to give a gift of securities for 2018!
For 2018 charitable tax receipt purposes, all gifts of securities must be received by ScotiaMcLeod on or before Dec 31, 2018.
Transferring shares, bonds, or mutual funds to The Presbyterian Church in Canada is a great way to make a gift to a PCC ministry or your congregation. You will receive a tax receipt for the full value of the stock and will not pay tax on the capital gains. Gifting securities through your will can also provide your estate with significant tax savings. Talk to your financial advisor to tailor gifts to your circumstances.
How to donate securities
Your broker electronically transfers the securities to the PCC’s brokerage. The stock is quickly sold and the proceeds are sent to the ministry you select.
Download a transfer form at presbyterian.ca/waystogive or contact Maggie Leung at 1-800-619-7301 ext. 239 or mleung@presbyterian.ca
PCC 2019 Wall Calendar
Order today
presbyterian.ca/calendar
Jousting at St. Giles’.
By the Rev. Herb Hilder, St. Giles’ Presbyterian Church in
Prince George, B.C.
Many congregations celebrate their anniversary. At St. Giles’ Presbyte- rian Church in Prince George, B.C., this year, we decided to celebrate our name day. Yes, we know St. Giles’ official day is Sept. 1, but we decided to wait until the end of Sep- tember so we could include families who were still on holiday before La- bour Day.
We guess that the founders of our congregation, being homesick Scots, named the congregation after St. Giles of Edinburgh. We decided to research the stories surrounding the life of the real St. Giles who lived first as a religious hermit and then as Abbot of a Benedictine monas- tery before AD 1000.
Greatly honoured in medieval Eu- rope as a protector of those with chronic diseases and disabilities, we decided he was a “good fit” for the mission and ministries of our congregation. He was honoured as the patron of nursing mothers, those with disabilities and people in vul- nerable circumstances. Our church building is across the road from a regional teaching hospital. We of- ten welcome visitors staying in the cancer treatment lodge and on day passes from the psychiatric ward.
Families of longer-term patients from out of town make a connection with us.
Our celebration began a couple of weeks early with a bulletin board describing the life of St. Giles, the history of St. Giles Cathedral and photographs of as many St. Giles congregations in Canada as we could readily find. On Sept. 28, we had a special service in which all the hymns were taken from medieval sources, the prayers highlighted the work of hospitals and health profes- sionals. The lessons focussed on the church’s ministry to the chroni- cally ill. Then we adjourned for our version of a medieval festival.
Our lunch dishes drew on au- thentic medieval recipes. We had a “jousting competition” in which adults and children galloped toward each other with pool noodles. One of our members made tabards and helmets, which occasioned much laughter. A collection of other his- toric games proved popular with all ages.
Again, we had researched popular enter tainments of the medieval pe- riod. And we decorated the hall with the authentic insignia of barons who signed the Magna Car ta, the Knights Hospitallers of St. Lazarus and St. John of Jerusalem.
We all agreed it was a fun way to begin the fall season.
A NEW RESOURCE FROM
The Centre for Missional Leadership
ST. ANDREW’S HALL, VANCOUVER
Professor Ross Lockhart has published a new book that will be helpful for small groups and Sessions within The Presbyterian Church in Canada entitled, “Beyond Snakes and Shamrocks? St. Patrick’s Missional Leadership Lessons for Today”.
Lockhart explores the question of what lessons a missionary to a pre-Christian culture (Hibernia/ Ireland) might be helpful to us as missionaries to a post-Christian culture (North America).
With reflection questions after each chapter, many PCC congregations will find this a timely resource for faithfully engaging the question of Christian witness in a changing Canadian landscape.
Order your copy today online at Amazon.ca and other booksellers in your neighbourhood.