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*The Spring Into Summer Steel Concert is Back! - June 25, 7.00 p.m.
Join us for a great evening of music and fun. Tickets: $20. This is a full spring for our Steel Orchestra who will be performing next Saturday, June 18, at St. Andrew’s (Victoria Park and Hwy 401). *Grad Sunday - June 26 - 10.00 a.m.. At the 10.00 a.m. combined (English, Tamil and Chinese) service on June 26, we will honour our high school, college, university and trade school graduates from all our congregations as well as recognize the leaders and participants in our children's and youth programs. Across the congregations there are 30 leaders and volunteers altogether, with over 100 children and youth participating. Five young people from the string program have volunteered to participate, accompanying hymns which David has prepared. Additionally, we will formally launch a Patrons Programs for Church & Community Youth Programs and for our Church and Community Youth Music Programs. A year ago we received a generous gift from the estate of a former member which served to launch a patrons program for our Church & Community Youth Music program. In the midst of Covid, this was a tremendous boost and has served as the foundation for a new patrons program. This year we’ve received a generous gift for the launch of a similar patrons program for our Church and Community Youth Programs. At present this includes our teen’s weeknight basketball program, but this has gone so well that plans are in place to add a children’s basketball program, a dance program - extending from our new African fellowship - and resources for youth mental health. Again, the gift has been a tremendous boost and the program will offer crucial assistance. As memorial gifts are offered to the parish, these new programs, along with the existing academic and musi scholarship programs, will be options for friends to consider. All that to say - Grad Sunday stands to be a very special day. *Sunday School We thank God that the children have returned to St. Paul’s for Sunday School at 9.15 a.m.. *A Single "Church Service" Zoom link for all church services This new link applies to all English church services which are streamed on Zoom, for the replay of the Sunday recording, and including Evening Prayer on Sundays at 6.00 p.m. and Morning Prayer, Monday through Saturday: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86566347435?pwd=WnhpMDJQRkxjMEV3d2pMU0FCa0JuUT09 By Phone: Meeting ID: 865 6634 7435 Passcode: 501805 647-374-4685 647-558-0588 *Green Stage at St. Paul’s The Diocese as a whole has now moved into the Green Stage. The Bishops gave permission to St. Paul’s to begin on Easter. There are three considerations. The first and largest is that, as was the case before Covid, individuals and families are now responsible for their own health, safety and protection. Outside of exceptional times like Covid, this is as it should be. Parishes are asked to do their best to keep things clean and to support those who mask and distance. As of Easter Sunday, we will return to the three English services on Sundays, advising those who wish to distance to attend at 8.00 am and 11.15 am. Secondly, several things remain in place. The vaccination mandate for clergy, staff and church volunteers remains. For the time being, the practice of serving the sacrament in one kind (the consecrated bread only) will continue. But thirdly, unmuffled the simple praise of God in song can be heard again at St. Paul’s. We thank God for the oversight and direction of our bishops and the three levels of government. We thank God for the relative safety of this time. We thank God for the blessed memory of all those died these last two years - all of whom we were not able to "bid adieu" as we would have wanted. And we thank God for what, by all signs, is the "beginning of the end" of Covid. *Spring Food Drive - ACSA Monetary gifts are now being received through Grad Sunday, June 26 for the Agincourt Community Services Food Bank and the St. Paul’s Outreach Program. We encourage everyone to give generously. *Maytime Melodies Recording now posted. The recording of the May 14th Maytime Melodies concert is now available for viewing. Enjoy a wonderful recital of steel pans, strings, choirs and solo performers. You can find it here: https://stpl.ca/outreach.html Each year the free springtime recital is used to draw attention to the St. Paul’s Outreach Program and its outreach to those in need across the city through our support of agencies like Agincourt Community Services, across the country through our support of agencies like Faithworks and the Primates World Relief and Development Fund, and around the world through programs like Bridge of Hope, the first of its kind palliative care program in northern Sri Lanka. We encourage everyone to give, and to give generously. Gifts will be received through Grad Sunday, June 26. Please mark your gift: "The Outreach Program". *Sunday Service Recording - New Time for Zoom Replay at 11.00 a.m.. As all three services have resumed, the Sunday recording has been scaled back as the time devoted to it has now been shifted back to the three services. (The recordings with music could take 8-12 hours of preparation and involved a team of over 35 people.) That said, after a little experimentation, we can provide a simple but high-quality Youtube recording from the 8 a.m. service and have it ready for viewing and playback on Zoom by 11.00 a.m.. The playback on Zoom is offered especially for those whose contact is by telephone. Kindly note the new time for the replay. Each Youtube recording will be available on the website for several weeks. A word - at St. Paul’s we continue to uphold and support the Christian standard of gathering together on the Lord’s Day. The Youtube recordings are not an attempt to provide an electronic alternative but rather a meaningful representation of the Sunday lessons, prayers and sermon for those unable to attend. Since the invention of television, the electronic church has been with us, but it involves a significant investment of money and people and it cannot answer the duty or replace the joy of gathering and praying together. *Furniture and accessories for Sanaz and Alireza We are delighted to learn that the refugee couple St. Paul’s is co-sponsoring have had their application and relevant documents approved. Their arrival may be still be a while, but we thank God for this wonderful development. Thanks to generous members who have stepped forward and provided a new bed, bedroom furniture and household supplies. *War in Ukraine For those wishing to contribute to refugee relief, The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund is now accepting donations to support those displaced by the war in Ukraine, here: www.toronto.anglican.ca/news/pwrdf-accepts-donations-for-ukrainian-refugees/. Our Outreach Committee donated $2000 to refugee relief program. *Indigenous Spiritual Centre at St. Paul’s On Saturday, March 12, a public meeting was held to consider the development of a spiritual centre at St. Paul’s for the indigenous community in Scarborough, serving as a bridge to youth and senior programs. The original impetus was a report to the SPLC Board (Senior Persons Living Connected) identifying a significant community of indigenous seniors in Scarborough. A planning committee has been formed and begun. If interested, and for more information, contact Fr. Dean. *In Search of Egg Cartons Egg cartons are being collected for use at the nearby Salvation Army food bank. If you have cartons you could share, please contact Kathy Barnes. *Sarah Mair - new Youth Coordinator for York Scarborough Area Congratulations to Sarah Mair who has been appointed Youth Co-Coordinator for the York-Scarborough Area. It is a position she will hold alongside serving as Youth Director for St. Paul’s. Congratulations, Sarah. They recruited one of the best. NOTE: A profile of Sarah appears in the April issue of the Diocesan Anglican. *Community Youth Basketball Program has finished for the year, to resume in September. It has been a great and enthusiastic re-opening. For more information, contact Sarah Mair - splcyouthministry@gmail.com. NOTE: Hope is in the air for the addition of a children’s basketball program, too. *The 2021-2022 St. Paul’s Youth Music Program Season Concluded Our parish and community youth music program has finished their season. It was our largest string group ever. They will return in September. *Steel Pans Have Returned Gemini Groove (Tuesday evenings) and The St. Paul’s Steel Pan band (Saturdays, 12.30 noon) have restarted. Hope is in the air. Mark June 25th - "The Spring into Summer Steel Concert". *Morning Prayer on Zoom Morning Prayer is said Monday to Saturday at 7.30 a.m. on Zoom. Join us. Computer link - NEW: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86566347435?pwd=WnhpMDJQRkxjMEV3d2pMU0FCa0JuUT09 By Phone: Meeting ID: 865 6634 7435 Passcode: 501805 647-374-4685 647-558-0588 *Schedule The full schedule of in-person and online services and programs can be found on the online church calendar - www.stpl.ca/calendar.html - or here: www.stpl.ca/services.html. This is the quickest and easiest way to get service and program information. *Mission Trip to Tanzania Rescheduled: July 2023. Fr. Kim Beard will be leading a work mission trip to Tanzania, now re-scheduled for July 4 - 22, 2023. The next information meeting at St. Paul’s - Thursday September 15th - 7:30 p.m. - to introduce interested people to the Tanzania mission. *S.P.Y. - St. Paul’s Youth - Friday nights at 7 pm. Contact Sarah for more information: splcyouthministry@gmail.com. *Friday Night Bible Study - join us at the church or online for study, following the Bible study guides of Bishop Tom Wright. The study guides are available online (www.amazon.ca or www.parasource.com or www.christianbook.com) or may be ordered through Fr. Dean for $13. We are now studying the Gospel of Luke. Next Friday, June 17: Luke 7. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/830877703 Telephone: 647-374 4685, or 647-558 0588; Meeting ID: 830 877 703 *Looking Ahead The Spring-Summer Steel Concert - Saturday, June 25 Grad Sunday - June 26 - beginning of summer Sunday service hours - 8 & 10 a.m., June 26 through and including September 4. Annual Walk-a-thon - Saturday, September 24 *Thank you for your Faithful Gifts and Offerings - St. Paul’s is a strong parish and remains strong due to everyone’s faithful support at a time when never has it been more important. Gifts can be dropped off at the church or sent by mail. Kindly ensure that your name and envelope number is included. Or, members may wish to sign up for the Pre-Authorized Giving Program (contact the office). Members who use online banking can now make E-transfers (instructions here: www.stpl.ca/give.html). Gifts can also be made at our website through CanadaHelps: www.stpl.ca/give.html. NOTE: Of the various means for online giving, we recommend The Pre-Authorized Giving Program. It is regular, matching the regular responsibilities of the parish, and once initiated all it takes is a phone call or quick e-mail note to increase, decrease, or cancel the donation. The monthly amount is withdrawn on the 20th of each month, and the cost to the church is 50 cents per transaction, irrespective of the amount of the gift. This makes the PAG the most economical of all methods of giving. Contact - The clergy of St. Paul’s are visiting in homes. Don’t hesitate to call or write. Website: www.stpl.ca; Church phone: 416-499-1545; Email: stpl@stpl.ca; Fr. Dean Mercer: deanmercer@hotmail.com; Rectory phone: 416-497-6352. Comments are closed.
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December 2023
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