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This Week’s Sermon:
Messengers of Hope
Rev. Dr. Ian Clark
We hope you can join us either online or in person this Sunday at 10:30 am for ADVENT – HOPE.
For In-person worship, masks are optional. Please feel free to continue to wear them as you feel comfortable. Thank you for understanding.
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Join us on Zoom, Sundays at 10:30 am.
Meeting ID: 786 2061 5001, Password: 4736
Feel free to login in up to 15 minutes earlier.
You may access our service by telephone with information at the bottom of the page. |
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Access our YouTube Livestream starting after 10:30 am
(If you would like an email every time a Livestream starts, go to our YouTube channel and press subscribe) |
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Just a Thought
“With God, a day is like a thousand years so as we pray about our fears, trust in Him and His timing too. He knows better than we do.” – Catherine Pulsifer
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Input deadline for announcements in the Thursday Weekly News, and the Sunday Service Bulletin & Worship PowerPoint Slides is Tuesdays at 12 noon. Please send your input to standrew1@bellnet.ca.
Thank you! |
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For INTERAC e-Transfers, please provide your envelope # or first & last name in the Message box. Thank you!
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Our Worship This Sunday:
The Church has been decorated for the approach of Christmas. We open our Advent Season and gradually light up the Advent Wreath as we realize Christmas is not very far off. This Sunday is Advent Sunday. We also recognize that St Andrew’s Day is in this next week. We will also take stock of our Stewardship as the year-end approaches. And of course, Advent Sunday is a Communion Sunday at St Andrew’s! Hope to see you there. Ian is the preacher this week and his sermon, “Messengers of Hope”, will be based on the disciple, Andrew.
Ian Clark, Minister in Association and Pulpit Supply
Prayer Requests:
Do you have a prayer request? Email the church office.
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Celebrating St. Andrew’s Day
Sunday, November 27 ‘22
This year, St. Andrew’s Day falls on November 30 th, and so our Church celebration will be on
Sunday, November 27th. November 27 th also happens to be the first Sunday in Advent this year.
The season of Advent heralds a time of celebration and giving in many different forms, be it through donating your time, talents or finances to the many missions and ministry of St. Andrew’s.
To celebrate St. Andrew’s Day, you’ll find special Advent envelopes in your Sunday Bulletin. Your generous offerings directly support our staff and operating costs and the many outreach channels that we have budgeted for this year.
We trust that you will be able to generously support St Andrew’s Day and Advent with a suitable gift in addition to your regular generous envelope offering for which we continue to be extremely grateful.
Thank you!
Stewardship Committee
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| Our November edition of the Children, Youth & Family Newsletter was released to parents and youth earlier this month and we are excited to share the resource with you! Like last month, you will find articles and information about our upcoming events. I hope you find the newsletter useful and will consider participating in one or some of the opportunities presented. |
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The Rev. Dr. Bob Faris, Moderator of the 2022 General Assembly, has worked with other church leaders to prepare an ecumenical Advent program of devotions and conversations.
Every Monday during Advent, the national church leaders of The Anglican Church of Canada, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, The Presbyterian Church in Canada and The United Church of Canada will release an ecumenical Advent meditation and conversations reflecting the four Advent themes of hope, peace, joy and love, and addressing challenges facing the Canadian churches.
Every Thursday during Advent, listeners are invited to join in a live discussion, via Zoom, with one of the leaders on that week’s Advent theme. Attendees to the gathering will be able to ask questions during the online conversation.
Click here to learn more about the event.
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Building Faith @ Home
Arriving in the mail this week, families with school-aged children and youth will receive Journey to Christmas. This devotional booklet includes prayers, reflections, and activities for each week of Advent to help families and individuals prepare for Christmas and continue to build faith at home.
If you did not receive a booklet and would like to explore this Advent resource, speak to Lynne or download a copy here. |
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Evangelism and Outreach (E&O)
For the last number of years, we have supported a number of groups offering help to others less fortunate than ourselves. The mitten tree is up. The sock box is in the Narthex. We have raised funds over the Advent season to help Evangel Hall, The Markham Food Bank and Pikangikum First Nation as well as providing Christmas baskets to a number of families in Markham. If you wish to support these efforts, please make your donations to Evangelism and Outreach (E&O). You can specify where your donation should go by adding Food Bank, Evangel Hall, etc. Unspecified donations to E&O will be distributed to these causes. We know that we are in a deficit situation with our operating budget, yet we will still try to help others as we have in the past. Thank you for any support you can give.
Evangel Hall
Evangel Hall is in need of men’s & women’s new underwear, men’s & women’s sweatpants & hoodies, warm sweaters, spring coats, shirts/blouses, pants, sweat pants & jeans, and more. Visit their website for more needed items.
Thank you to those who contribute to this ministry! |
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Markham Food Bank
Most Needed Food Items:
Small and Large Bags of Rice, Individually Wrapped Snacks for School, Cereal, Instant Coffee, Jam, Canned Salmon and Sardines, Canned Evaporated Milk, Non-Dairy Milk (oat, almond, rice), Canned Vegetables (not corn), Vegetarian Soups, Kraft Dinner, Dry Soup Mix (e.g. Ramen Noodles), Cooking Oil, Baby Food (puree, formula, snacks, & cereal), Diapers – sizes 5, & 6, and Baby Wipes.
Food items can be dropped off in the narthex. If you prefer to make a cash donation, simply indicate on your offering envelope that it is for the Markham Food Bank, and we will ensure they receive it. Presbyterian World Service & Development
PWS&D has joined other Canadian aid organizations in asking the Government of Canada to immediately remove barriers that have blocked and deterred the provision of lifesaving humanitarian assistance to people in Afghanistan for the past year.
We can help by raising our voices to influence the government by sending an e-mail to our Member of Parliament at AidForAfghanistan.ca.
For more information, visit https://presbyterian.ca/pwsd/2022/08/10/aid-for-afghanistan/.
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| The Mitten Tree for Evangel Hall is ready to accept your waterproof mittens or gloves, warm scarves, and winter hats.
New for 2022, donors may purchase winter gear to decorate the Mitten Tree, or make a donation and place a mitten ornament, created by St. Andrew’s youth, on the tree to acknowledge the gift.
The Mitten Tree will remain in the Narthex for the remainder of the Christmas season, and we hope you will consider supporting this important outreach initiative. |
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| The Markham Prayer Breakfast celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year. Please join us.
Friday November 25th, 2022, at 7 a.m.
Location – The Markham Hilton Hotel – SW corner of Highway #7 & Warden Avenue.
Plenty of free parking.
The speaker this year is Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling.
There will be a full hot breakfast.
Reserve your ticket now, cost $40.00 by contacting David Banfield at dtbanfield@gmail.com.
St. Andrew’s has a table reserved – please let us know if you can join us.
For more information, please visit www.markhamprayerbreakfast.ca. |
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THE CHRISTMAS VIRTUAL MARKET IS OPEN!
Thank you for waiting.
The in-person Bazaar, which ended on Saturday, kept all of Santa’s Elves pretty busy these last several weeks. Now, however, we are ready to take your order for our famous Meat Pies, Chicken Pies, Tourtière, and Other Home-made Yumminess, and provide them in quantities to suit your needs.
Click here to see our Menu of Comfort Foods and also our Catalogues of Christmas Delights and Christmas Crafts.
Please place your order by email to standrewsmarkets@bell.net, or call me.
Again, this year, we are delighted that individuals in the church, have offered to match donations for Evangel Hall made through the Christmas Market. Evangel Hall is located in Toronto and helps people, who are homeless or socially isolated, to find a safe haven from the streets. They need Winter Wear to distribute to the needy. May we add $2.00 to you order for this worthwhile cause? Please do not feel obligated to participate.
This virtual Market will be open until Thursday, December 8th.
Pick up is on Wednesday, December 14th in the church parking lot, from 10 AM to 12:30 PM. Our friendly Greeter Elves will be on duty to welcome you and provide assistance.
Thank you,
Roseanne Dumitru, Convener. (905-294-2386)
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| Every Wednesday, youth grades 7 and up are invited to a mid-week meeting on Zoom from 7:15pm to 7:45pm. This online meeting is an opportunity to let us know how your week is going, play a game, and pray for one another. Simply click the button below and we will look forward to seeing you each Wednesday evening! |
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BIBLE STUDY
Hi everyone!
Bible Study has begun. It’s being held on Wednesdays at 10:00am, via the on-line Zoom/Phone meeting process.
Please join us and share the scriptures influencing you that we read as well as some fun questions.
Please contact Cindy Fowler or myself if you are interested.
Many thanks,
Betty |
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Our next meeting is Thursday Dec 1st from 10am-11:30am.
December is here and we’re starting to think about the holidays! Join us as we share some of our favourite holiday traditions, and enjoy some team holiday trivia! Don’t forget it’s the monthly lunch, so plan to stay following our meeting for a delicious community meal – just RSVP to the church office.
Visit our website to stay up to date and read our newsletters! |
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| Thank you for your offerings even during these unusual times. Our church has ongoing bills and obligations, but we also have the privilege to give offerings to God. Here are ways to give:
1. Interac E-Transfer
Send an e-transfer to givetostandrews@gmail.com with your envelope # or first & last name & contact information in the message box so we can issue you a tax receipt. (More info can be found online at: http://standrews-markham.ca/give/)
2. Cheque
Mail to St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 143 Main Street North, Markham ON, L3P 1Y2
For your convenience, post-dated cheques are also accepted.
3. PAR Program
Pre-Authorized Remittance, allows for a monthly withdrawal from your bank account. Contact Alex Szucs or the church office for more information. |
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Joining our Service by phone
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Connect by telephone on Sunday at 10:30 am (a little earlier is better).
It’s a local phone call to Zoom conferencing, along with a meeting id and password.
1. Call one of these local phone numbers for Zoom: 647-374-4685 or 647-558-0588
2. When asked, type in the meeting ID: 786 2061 5001 #
3. Skip participant ID by pressing #
4. Enter password: 4736 #
This will be the same information each Sunday at 10:30 am.
Please consider passing this information on to anyone who might benefit. |
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