Announcements

The Sessions of St. Paul’s Winchester, St. Andrew’s, Chesterville and Morewood Presbyterian churches have decided to keep their church buildings closed for worship in April and until further notice. The decision is made for the safety of the congregation and all of our families and friends. Joint Worship Services with St. Paul’s, Kemptville and Knox, Mountain will be available online every Sunday morning during the lockdown at: https://www.youtube.com/c/StPaulsPresbyterianChurchKemptville.

Stay Safe Everyone! We care about your health and safety.

Each week, On-line services provided by our Interim Moderator, Reverend Samer Kandalaft, will be available for the members and adherents to enjoy.

We are praying for everyone’s safety and Good Health and hope to see you all in the near future.

2021 St Paul Calendar newsletter (1)

April – St Paul’s Presbyterian Church will be closed for month of April

May 2 Tentative Return to Worship Pending Lockdown restrictions – at St Paul’s 10 am with Communion and 11 am Annual Meeting

May 9 Mother’s Day

May 20 St Paul’s Session Meeting 6:30 pm at Church

May 24 Victoria Day

June 6 Anniversary Sunday for St Paul’s 10 am Guest Speaker Rev Bruce Kemp followed by Appreciation Event for Rev Bruce

June 6 to 9 – Virtual Genera l Assembly

June 20 – Father’s Day

June 27 Morewood Presbyterian Church Anniversary 11 am

July 1 Canada Day

July 4 Mission Awareness Sunday at St Paul’s 10 am Worship Leaders Kathy Spruit and Phyllis MacMaster

August 2 Civic Holiday

September 6 Labour Day

September 26 St Andrews, Chesterville Anniversary Service 11 am

October 3 World Communion Day and Communion at St Paul’s 10 am

October 11 Thanksgiving Day

November 7 Daylight Savings Ends

November 11 Remembrance Day

November 28 1st Sunday of Advent – Hope

December 5 2nd Sunday of Advent – Peace and Communion at St Paul’s

December 12 3rd Sunday of Advent – Joy

December 19 4th Sunday of Advent – Love

December 24 Christmas Eve

December 25 Merry Christmas

December 31 New Year’s Eve

January 1, 2022 Happy New Year

Updated March 18, 2021
2021 St Paul Calendar (1)

Holy-Week-Activities-Crafts-and-Recipes

Click here to open Slide One – Palm Sunday to Wednesday:

Click here to open Slide Two – Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday

Here are the Interactive slides for Holy Week!

I thought I would upload them a couple of days early so they’d be ready for you whenever you visit.

This week our interactive slides look very different from the slides we’ve been engaging with during Lent, but they still hold familiar daily devotions, bible story book readings and a wide variety of multi-sensory activities for all ages to participate in.

There are two separate slides for our Holy Week journey, with four days of activities per slide. The first slide covers Palm Sunday to Wednesday, and the second slide goes from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday.

Begin by clicking on the link posted just below the slide you wish to open. This will pop open a new window with the full slide ready for you interact with. Then, click on the bible found on slide to download the daily devotions for the week. After that, click on the items found in the section reserved for the day of the week you are visiting. There will alway be one or two videoed children’s bible story readings found connected to the books found on the slides. Then there is generally two additional activities each day to explore; crafts, recipes, guided meditations, and music are wonderful additions to each day.

Return to the slides each day for new stories along with new things to do and think about.

I am also attaching a page that outlines the materials you will need for all of the crafts and recipes you’ll find, just in case you want to plan ahead.

I hope this will be a small part of you Holy Week experience as you hear the stories and ultimately sing out Alleluias on Easter morn.

2021holyweekreadings

Interactive Lenten Garden – Look under the banner: Current Sunday School Activities: Each week a new link will be added for the children (and children at heart) to enjoy.

To access the activities please click the following link:

Click here to view the Lent 4 Garden which begins Sunday, March 14, 2021

March 21, 2021:
Click here to view the Lent 5 Garden which begins Sunday, March 21, 2021

March 7, 2021: 3rd Sunday of Lent https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1attSPKt9f7uMmXTGCrFiA3gIyQdDD2T1-4e1Fc_RscE/present?slide=id.gb52f1e3768_0_0

Click here to view the Lent 2 Garden which begins on Sunday, February 28

To prepare in advance this is what you will need:
Click here to get → Resources for Lent Garden Crafts and Recipes

CNOB_Newsletter_Header-01
Welcome to the Garden – Lent 2
Author: Tori Smit
Categories: Blog, Christian Education Archive

Welcome to our Lent Garden.

Today’s Lent 2 garden is one of six Lent Gardens you will find uploaded here week-by-week during the season of Lent. The gardens have each been created for people of all ages to interact with over this season of as we journey toward Jerusalem and Holy Week together.

You can begin your visit by first clicking on the link to the Lent 2 Garden found at the end of this article. This will open up a new slide that looks just like the photo found at the top of this article. The photo will not take you to the interactive garden – only the link at the end of the article will do that.

Once you have the garden slide opened, click on the open bible on the park bench. You will then be taken to a collection of daily bible readings, children’s bible story readings, prayers, and questions to think about throughout the week. Once you’ve got these devotions in hand, go ahead and click around the rest of the garden to discover so much more.

The itty bitty library boxes behind the park bench each unlock a video recording of a wonderful bible story for everyone to enjoy. The stories you view come from two of the bible story books listed in the weekly devotions.

The hanging flower basket will take you on a weekly adventure of garden musings and ideas with Kristine O’Brien, an avid gardener and thoughtful minister.

The guitar leaning against the tree sings out a brand new or much loved hymn or song that will connect you to our weekly bible story and theme. You’ll want to sing along with all of these talented musicians.

Do you feel like going for a walk? Click on the wooden door and walk into a world of labyrinth visits, reflections and finger labyrinth opportunities.

Is it time to be creative? The garden gnome reveals a simple craft idea that makes use of materials that you likely already have at home.

And when it’s time for something to eat, click on the picnic basket for a new recipe or two to try out at home.

Enjoy your time in the garden and don’t forget to return next Sunday for a new garden journey.

Click here to view the Lent 2 Garden which begins on Sunday, February 28

Animator’s February Newsletter – Ottawa

(And here is the link to this newsletter’s PDF).2021_2Feb-S-G

Faith is seeing light with your heart when all your eyes see is darkness

Hope you are all keeping well.

Church buildings are still closed but the church is very much alive. Like it or not we are being dragged into a new way of doing ministry and developing a new understanding of church community – one not tied to geographical location.

We have 3 new pages added to our website: Online Services; Online Studies & Activities; and Just for Children. If your congregation is doing something, let me know so I can update the website.

This month, I want to flag a few events – the Interactive Lenten Garden that has been developed by Tori Smith and the Synod of Central, Northeastern Ontario and Bermuda. See the detailed write-up in this newsletter.

St. Stephen’s (Ottawa) has created a Lenten Challenge for adults and children. Those participating in the challenge promise to read a set number of chapters. In the past, those who completed the challenge got their name on a cake which the whole congregation devoured on Easter Sunday. This year, however, participants will get a physical reward to help them remember Easter and Christ’s sacrifice. Sounds like a great and fun idea. Contact. Rev. Meg meg.patterson@ststephensottawa.ca for more information.

I also want to flag two events organized by the Youth Working Group. This Sunday (February 7th), we are hosting a Virtual Coffee House for Youth Leaders, Sunday School Teachers, and those involved in Christian Education. Denise Beaulne from the Magic of Facilitated Training will help us learn advanced features in Zoom (to make it fun for us and our youth/children). See the detailed write-up in this newsletter.

The other event being planned by the Youth Working Group is our Virtual Winterlude Event: Cool Hands – Warm Hearts. It will be held February 21st, 3:00-4:30 p.m. (or so). More about this later but we want to build on the theme of “Build Back Better” and have youth suggest and explore how they think the church should be like. NOTE CHANGE OF DATE FROM Feb 20th to Feb 21st!

Stay safe and take care.

Cheryl

Presbytery Ministry Animator

(And here is the link to this newsletter’s PDF).2021_2Feb-S-G

The Winter issue of PC Connect is now available and can be downloaded from https://presbyterian.ca/wp-content/uploads/PC_Winter2020.pdf

The National WMS Executive is planning a series of Zoom meetings to help keep members connected while we cannot meet in person. The series of five monthly meetings, entitled “Come Together ,” will begin in February. The meeting dates are as follows:

February 10 – Let’s Come Together

March 10 – World Day of Prayer

April 7 – Easter Worship

May 12 -Mission Awareness

June 16 – Fellowship and Sharing

If you would like to attend one, some or all of these Zoom meetings, send your name and email address to Cathy Reid, WMS President – reidc@rogers.com or Janet Brewster, Past President – janet.brewer@sympatico.ca to register. You will be put on the Contact List and will receive the Zoom invitation and other details for each meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend these Zoom meetings whether you are a WMS member or not. Please consider attending.

Presbyterians Read Lenten Study 2021

11 am on Wednesday, February 17th and running until Wednesday, March 24th

Presbyterians Read Lenten Study: Entering the Passion of Jesus
A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week

In Lent 2021, Presbyterians across the country are again invited to join a denomination-wide book study. Author, professor, and Jewishscholar, Amy-Jill Levine (author of the Advent study book – Light of the World: A Beginner’s Guide to Advent), dives deep into the biblical texts surrounding the Passion story in Entering the Passion of Jesus. Levine looks into characters such as Judas, Pilate, Caiaphas, the disciples, and the women around Jesus to understand their relationships and roles in the Passion story. Entering the Passion of Jesus provides a rich and challenging learning experience for small groups and individual readers alike.

First Presbyterian Church, Brockville, invites you to be a part of this study during Lent. The study will be offered by Zoom to welcome participants safely. Reverend Marianne Emig Carr will facilitate the study and discussion.

This will be a six-week study, starting at 11 am on Wednesday, February 17th and running until Wednesday, March 24th. There are also options to do your own personal study, or to join the Presbyterians Read Facebook Group (Presbyterians Read | Facebook) if you are not able to join us on Zoom! You can order the book through Parasource Canada (www.parasource.com)or through Amazon, Indigo or your favourite local bookseller.
Please contact Reverend Marianne (rev.marianne@myhighspeed.ca) so that she can send you the study guide materials and the Zoom link for the sessions.