Announcements – 06 May, 2026
Worship … at 9:30am. We hope that you will participate in person. If you are unwell, please join the live streamed service. Please welcome the Rev. Grant Wilson who will be leading us in worship this morning.
To access the live streamed service, please go to the Knox’s YouTube channel or click here.
The printed service will be available before Sunday morning.
Copies of Pastor James’ commentary on 1 Peter are available in the hallway for $15.
Sunday Coffee Hour … at 10:30am. Everyone from Knox and Hollydene are welcome to attend a shared social hour in the lounge.
Joys & Concerns…may we experience the healing presence of Christ as we uphold one another in prayer – sharing joys and concerns draws us together as a community of faith.
Please let your elder or a member of session know if there are changes to your prayer requests!
Celebrations
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- May 2 Lorraine Whiting
- May 5 Doug Bracken
- May 10 Kathy Bracken
- May 10 Norma Sills
- May 15 Doug & Kathy Bracken
- May 15 Doug & Christine Guille
- May 20 John Watt
- May 26 Christine Guille
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Knox Book Club … New attendees are always welcome! Here is a list of books and dates for 2026. The next meeting is Saturday May 9 at 1:00pm at Mary’s house. Please contact Mary for more information. Please read “The Passion of Artemisia” by Susan Vreeland.
Potato Blitz … This June we are once again collecting as many pounds of potatoes as we can for ‘Our Place’! Donations can be dropped off at Knox on Sundays after service or Wednesdays during office hours. To make an offering instead, please mark your offering envelope with ‘Potato Blitz’, or send an offering via e-transfer to [email protected]. Please contact Kittie Ure or Lilian Sutherland for more information.
VIP (Victoria Island Presbytery) Summer Camp 2026 … A program of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. This year’s locations and dates are as follows: Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park June 8-12, Rathtrevor Provincial Park July 25 – 30, Rathtrevor Provincial Park July 30 – August 3. For more information go to our website or contact the registrar at [email protected].
Collective 2026 (Aug 12 – 15, 2026 at Brock University) … Collective 2026, an event for youth,young adults, and their leaders. Register here
Supporting Mothers and Families … This Mother’s Day, consider supporting one of these local organizations that work to support mothers and their families in the Victoria area:
1Up Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre: Offers a Moms Mentorship Program, holiday hampers, a birthday program, and counseling for single mothers.
HerWay Home: Provides health care and social support for pregnant women and parents (children under 3).
Birthright Victoria: Offers free maternity and baby clothing, as well as support for unplanned pregnancies.
Victoria Women’s Transition House: Provides emergency shelter and counseling for women with or without children fleeing abuse.
The Cridge Centre for the Family: Offers transitional housing for women and children, family support services, and childcare.
Surrounded by Cedar: Provides child and family services rooted in Indigenous cultural values.
Haven Pregnancy Support Clinic: Provides free, confidential support for unplanned pregnancies, including counseling and resources.
Victoria Women in Need Community Cooperative (WIN): Helps women-led families access resources and support.
VISTA … Free public lectures through the Vancouver Island School of Theology and the Arts (VISTA) are happening on Thursdays in April and May at 7 PM. Go HERE for more information.
Called & Formed … Join us Friday and Saturday May 8 and 9 for a conference on theology with Mark Buchanan and Gordon T. Smith through the Vancouver Island School of Theology. Tickets Available Here!
Village Chamber Choir Inaugural Concert … Join The Village Chamber Choir on Saturday, May 9 at 2 pm in St. Andrew’s Sanctuary. This concert features a more challenging and traditional choral repertoire. From French to Latin, Fauré to Whitacre, classical to pop, it is sure to be a beautiful afternoon of choral favourites. Tickets can be purchased HERE. Ticket Cost: $20 Adult, $15 Student, $10 Child.
Choirburst … at St. Andrew’s and Royal BC Museum from 10 am – 6 pm on May 15th & 16th. Local and visiting choirs & singing groups will share their music with the Victoria community! Each group will sing for 20 minutes, creating a vibrant showcase of voices throughout the day. A performance schedule is available at podium2026.ca.
Sunday, May 10, 2026 – Mission Moment
Laxmi Bhandari is a 31-year-old mother of two from Nepal who once lived in social isolation. She didn’t attend group activities because she was too shy. Then she was invited to take part in a project that aims to help women and other excluded groups live dignified lives through social and economic empowerment. Laxmi’s leadership qualities were quickly recognized, and she was selected as the chair of her Village Women’s Group. She now confidently facilitates monthly meetings, encouraging other women to participate. After learning about poultry and goat farming, Laxmi had the confidence to begin pursuing a livelihood in animal husbandry. Today, her rearing of goats, chickens and buffalo is creating a more sustainable income for her family. PWS&D’s support of the International Nepal Fellowship helped to make this happen.
Prayer Partnership
Wednesday, May 6 We give thanks for the faithfulness of congregations that participate in the mission of the church with prayers and financial gifts to Presbyterian Sharing.
Thursday, May 7 We pray for Knox College and those graduating in 2026 as they prepare for the Convocation ceremony and events on May 13. We ask for a joyful celebration of academic inquiry and an affirmation of a call to serve.
Friday, May 8 We give thanks and pray for interim moderators, who provide vital support and assistance to congregations that do not have a minister.
Saturday, May 9 We pray for seminary students beginning their placements through the Rural and Remote Ministry summer program and ask that they are a blessing to the communities they are called to serve.
Sunday, May 10 (Christian Family Sunday) We give thanks for our families and our circles of friends.
Monday, May 11 We pray for peace, reconciliation and well-being in Sudan, and for the PWS&D partners delivering food assistance to families facing famine.
Tuesday, May 12 We pray for the many guests visiting Crieff Hills Retreat and Conference Centre. May God bless them with rest, renewal and transformation.
Wednesday, May 13 We pray for all graduates of the Presbyterian Colleges across Canada. May they remain true to the calling that has brought them this far.
Thursday, May 14 (Ascension Day) Holy God, your ascended Son promised the gift of the Holy Spirit. Send your Spirit of wisdom and truth that we may speak your good news and grace, forgiveness, freedom, hope, joy and salvation and work for justice in the world you love.
Friday, May 15 Gracious God, we thank you for all who offer hope in this troubled world, shining your light through acts of kindness, courage, and love.
Saturday, May 16 We pray for M.Div. graduates who follow their call to serve your gospel in the power of the Spirit with the gifts the Spirit provides.
Our Place Update … Dear Knox Presbyterian Church,
For many years, our community has generously supported Our Place with donations of clothing, and we are deeply grateful for that care and compassion. Thank you.
Clothing is an important part of dignity, comfort, and well-being for the people we serve.
As we continue to refine all of our services to best meet the needs of the people we serve, we will, moving forward, focus our clothing program on emergency and urgent clothing needs only. This includes essential items such as socks, underwear, warm toques, gloves, and simple replacement clothing for individuals who need an immediate change.
Many people arrive at Our Place during vulnerable moments when immediate clothing support can make a real difference. Someone may come in after spending long periods outdoors, after losing their belongings, or when their clothing is no longer suitable for the conditions they are facing. In those moments, having clean clothing available helps restore dignity and allows individuals to remain safely in community.
Our Place will continue to ensure that individuals who urgently need clothing can access it when it matters most. This change simply allows us to respond more effectively in those moments when clothing support is needed immediately.
At the same time, there are organizations in our community whose mission and infrastructure are specifically designed for full clothing distribution. These organizations have the space, volunteers, and systems to sort, store, and distribute large volumes of clothing and to offer people a wider range of options.
If you would still like to donate clothing items, the things that make the biggest difference for the people we serve are:
- New socks
- New underwear
- Warm toques and gloves
To help us focus on these urgent needs and manage our limited space, we are no longer able to accept bags of general clothing donations.
Looking ahead, this transition also supports an improvement we are working toward: providing access to laundry facilities for the people we serve. We are exploring the installation of commercial laundry machines so individuals can wash and maintain their clothing.
Access to laundry—which is practically non-existent in Victoria for homeless folk—restores dignity. It allows people to care for their belongings, extend the life of the clothing they have, and reduce waste. Much of the clothing currently donated is worn once and then discarded when it becomes too dirty to wear. Laundry facilities will allow individuals to maintain their clothing rather than constantly replacing it.
If you are interested in helping make this possible, financial support toward the installation of commercial laundry facilities would have a meaningful impact.
We remain deeply grateful for the generosity of our community and the care people show for those who rely on Our Place.
Thank you for being part of that compassion.
Julian Daly, CEO
p.s. if you would like to help reach this next phase in supporting our community with the installation of laundry services, your contribution would be gratefully accepted at www.ourplacesociety.com/donate
Requests for Records …
There has been an increase in requests for copies of baptism, marriage, and burial records. A recent change to Canada’s Citizenship Act has resulted in increased requests from south of the border.
Read more about Bill C-3, which removed the first-generation limit for citizenship and came into effect in December, in this CBC article.
In April, the Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives surpassed the yearly average of certificate requests that they typically receive.
If you are a researcher and want to know if our church can provide you with records, here is what you can do:
- Confirmed that the individual in question is listed as Presbyterian on census records.
- Use your cell phone to take a photo of the entry, especially for fragile registers; or provide a letter (on letterhead) confirming the details of the event.
- Contact the church’s office with your request and any additional information about the person in question.
As record keepers, churches do have the responsibility to share this information, but we ask that researchers understand that processing these requests are not our priority.
This is a list of Presbyterian churches in the city of Victoria that researchers can inquire with:
Knox Presbyterian Church
2964 Richmond Road, Victoria
Website: https://pccweb.ca/knoxpcvictoria
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 250-592-6323
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
680 Courtney Street, Victoria
Website: https://www.standrewsvictoria.ca
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 250-384-5734
Trinity Presbyterian Church
2964 Tillicum Road, Victoria
Website: https://pccweb.ca/trinityvictoria
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 250-388-4525
Chinese Presbyterian Church
816 North Park Street, Victoria
Website: https://pccweb.ca/victoriachinese
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 250-384-4911
Researchers can also try finding answers online at The Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives.
The Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives
Website: https://presbyterianarchives.ca/
Email: [email protected]
To submit a research request to The PCCA please fill out this form. Please be aware that it could take up to 30 days for a response to be issued!