April 1, 2026 Announcements

Announcements – 01 April 2026

Easter Worship … Communion at 9:30am.  We hope that you will participate in person.  If you are unwell, please join the live streamed service.  The Rev. Cathy Victor will lead the service 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.

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 pray for …

  • Char Holcroft, who is experiencing some health challenges.
  • Pastor Kathleen Busch, who has experienced a sudden loss in her family

Please remember to let Shannon know if there are changes to your prayer requests!

Celebrations

        • April 3    April Watt
        • April 7    Kevin Chaval
        • April 10  Doug Guille
    • April 14  Jim Reekie

Holy Week … Join us in commemorating the final, sacred week of Jesus’ life. 

Palm Sunday – March 29
     Knox: Psalm Sunday Service in the Sanctuary at 9:30 am
     Hollydene: Psalm Sunday Service, with a Kids Procession, in the Sanctuary at 11 am.

Maundy Thursday – April 2
An interactive Holy Week gathering, with Seder dinner and prayer stations, in the  Hall from 6 – 9 pm

Good Friday – April 3
Good Friday Service in the Sanctuary from 6 – 9 pm

Easter Sunday Service – April 5
     Knox: Easter Sunday Service in the Sanctuary at 9:30 am.
     Hollydene: Easter Service at the beach (unless it rains!) at 11 am.

Good Friday Service … St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church invites Knox members to attend their Good Friday service this week on Friday, April 3 at 10:30 am in the Sanctuary.

Easter Events

Easter at Royal Bay 2026
When: Saturday April 4, 2026, 11AM – 1 PM
Details: Celebrate Easter at Royal Bay with a festive egg hunt and family-friendly activities for all ages at Meadow Park. Our free annual Easter Egg Hunt invites families to join the fun, with two age groups and four hidden Benson Golden Easter Eggs waiting to be discovered.

Peninsula Co-op Easter Festival
When: Saturday, April 4, 2026, 10AM – 2PM
Details: Held at Willows Park in Oak Bay, featuring a Golden Egg Hunt, live music, a pancake breakfast, spring activities, and the Easter Bunny!

The Lion’s Easter Eggstravaganza
When: Saturday, April 4, 2026, 11AM – 2 PM
Details: Free event at Bullen Park in Esquimalt with an egg hunt for ages 1-14, family games, and crafts, organized by the Esquimalt Lions Club.

The Neal Estate Group’s 27th Annual Easter Egg Hunt
When: Saturday, April 4, 2026, 10:00 AM
Details: Community egg hunt, easter activities, and refreshments at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park supporting BC Children’s Hospital.

Easter Egg Hunt at Peninsula Celebrations Society
When: Sunday, April 5, 2026 at 1 PM
Details: The Peninsula Celebrations Society invites families to hop over for some fun! Children are invited to bring their Easter baskets to Dominion Brook Park (across from the Panorama Recreation Centre on East Saanich Road) in North Saanich.  Find the hidden eggs, visit the Easter Bunny, and enjoy games and activities.

Knox Book Club … New attendees are always welcome! Here is a list of books and dates for 2026.  The next meeting is Saturday April 11 at 1:00pm at Kittie’s house.  Please contact Kittie for more information.  Please read “A Harvest of Thorns” by Corban Addison.

Collective 2026 (Aug 12 – 15, 2026 at Brock University) … Join us on April 15th at 1:00 pm for an in-depth webinar designed to walk you through everything you need to know about Collective 2026, an event for youth, young adults, and their leaders.  Register here

VIP (Victoria Island Presbytery) Women’s Retreat 2026 … at Camp Imadene, Mesachie Lake, Cowichan on April 24 – 26, 2026. Join us for a variety of workshops and worship throughout the weekend! Register before March 16 for $230 by filling out THIS FORM. For other information please contact [email protected] or 250-668-3299.

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].

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 – venues to be determined.  Go HERE for more information as it becomes available.

Peace Dancer … On Saturday, April 18, 2-4 pm in the Oak Bay United Church Sanctuary. An all-ages community storytelling and art event, featuring author Robert “Lucky” Budd. Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. For more information please go HERE.

Spring Concerts …  at 2pm in the St. Andrew’s sanctuary.  Presented by St. Andrew’s Music Outreach program in partnership with UVic School of Music. Donations are appreciated, and support our music program, and our musicians! Everyone is welcome to attend.  
April 19 – Wanderlust (with The Sequoia Vocal Ensemble).

Pipe Organ Event … Piano students are invited to attend a morning with Dr. Mark McDonald and the Wolff organ at Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday, April 25 from 9 AM – 12 PM. Register by April 22 with the Royal Canadian College of Organists HERE.

Sunday, April 5, 2026 – Mission Moment

In Malawi, Debora was raised by her grandparents after her father died and her mother left due to mental health struggles. Unsure how to afford secondary school, she received support to fund her studies and to pay for meals and accommodations at university. “What I’ve learned is to be kind—to be kind not just to people so close to you, because you guys never knew about me. You never knew I existed, but you still had a heart to give,” Debora shares. She hopes her experience motivates girls in her village: “And me, being a girl, when they look at me, they get inspired and some are even going back to school.” PWS&D supports the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian’s Ekwendeni Hospital AIDS Program in Malawi in this initiative.

Prayer Partnership

Wednesday, April 1 We give thanks for the leadership that the moderators of the General Assembly have given in the church.

Thursday, April 2 (Maundy Thursday) On the night in which Jesus was arrested, we pray for those who are in prison. May the guilty find the peace to repent and seek amendment of life, and may those held unjustly be granted release.

Friday, April 3 (Good Friday) Merciful God, we praise you for your sacrificial love and pray for all those who have suffered violence, and for reconciliation wherever there is division and conflict.

Saturday, April 4 (Holy Saturday)

On this day, when Jesus lies in the grave, we trust in the resurrection and in God’s power to stir new life among and within us.

Sunday, April 5 (Easter Sunday) God of new life and of hope, fill us with peace, joy and the desire to be new people and to live in the new life Christ gives, guided by your Spirit. Give us, we pray, a renewed and growing awareness of what it means to live as Christ lived, to love as Christ loved and to serve as he served.

Monday, April 6 God of justice and mercy, fill us with courage and hope as we engage in repentance, repairing and healing the harm the church has caused by excluding and marginalizing Two-Spirit and LGBTQI+ people.

Tuesday, April 7 (World Health Day) We pray for communities and individuals affected by funding cuts to vital health programs. We give thanks for the health initiatives supported by PWS&D that are making a difference during these times.

Wednesday, April 8 In this season of celebrating the resurrection and new life, we pray for congregations seeking a vision of God’s future, and for those serving them as intentional interim and transitional ministers. May God’s Spirit guide them as they continue in their journey of discernment.

Thursday, April 9 We pray for the Caribbean and North American Council for Mission (CANACOM) as they assist the people and churches affected by Hurricane Melissa.

Friday, April 10 We pray for the people and churches in Taiwan as they live and worship in precarious and dangerous geo-political conditions.

Saturday, April 11 We pray for members of the Atlantic Mission Society as they lead worship services on Mission Awareness Sunday. May their congregations be blessed as they focus on The Mission of Jesus…Then and Now.

Christ is Risen!

As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are reminded of the transformative power of God’s love and mercy. Every day, we witness the profound impact of responding to the needs of the hungry, the marginalized and the displaced.

Inspired by God’s promise of abundant life, the church is dedicated to serving those in need with compassion, justice and love. Your faithful support through PWS&D is making a significant difference in communities around the world.

Together, we provide critical food assistance, access to health care, sanitation services and other emergency relief to those affected by crises and disasters. Our partners also work to address inequalities by strengthening communities through education, community health initiatives, sustainable agricultural practices, and skills training, while advocating for the rights and needs of refugees.

Faithful to our calling, we respond together.

This Easter, please support PWS&D.

Social Action Spotlight:  Environmental Racism and “Free Prior and Informed Consent”

Environmental racism is a term some people may not have heard a lot about. A form of targeted systemic racism, environmental racism names the reality that sites likely to be environmentally contaminated (toxic waste dumps, heavily polluting industries, etc.) are significantly more likely to be placed near Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities or nations. This form of racism also impacts what regulatory safeguards are developed, who decides them or how they are enforced, how quickly local communities are informed if there is a problem and how fast cleanup of dangers like spills happen. The impacts of environmental racism can be deadly and long lasting; one need look no further than the ongoing issues with mercury poisoning from the Dryden Pulp Mill near Grassy Narrows First Nation and Wabaseemoong Independent Nations or the serious health issues from contaminants in the Morvan Road Landfill experienced by residents of the historically Black Nova Scotian community of Shelbourne.

The church’s ongoing work to recognize and address its complicity in colonialism and systemic racism call it to action. Acknowledging the vital importance of Indigenous and treaty rights, the PCC recognizes the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) as the framework for reconciliation. Article 29 of UNDRIP states that “Indigenous peoples have the right to the conservation and protection of the environment and the productive capacity of their lands…. and States shall take effective measures to ensure that no storage or disposal of hazardous materials shall take place in the lands or territories of Indigenous peoples without their free, prior and informed consent.” The PCC also has a history of advocacy for environmental protections and anti-racism measures dating back decades and Living Faith reminds us that the justice to which God calls us involves changing customs and practices that oppress (8.4.2) as well as concern for the well-being of all of life and creation (2.4.1).

Reflection Questions

  1. If there are environmentally sensitive projects in your region, are discussions and decisions involving them unfolding in a just and equitable way?
  2. Are there “customs and practices that oppress” you can think of that are part of your work or life? How could they be changed?

What can you do?

In June of 2024, legislation was passed to develop a national strategy promoting efforts across Canada to advance environmental justice and to assess, prevent and address environmental racism. The legislation draws on implementing UNDRIP and a national strategy is expected to be published this summer. You can: