July 26, 2023 Announcements

Vacation Laura and Steve will be on vacation July 13 – August 2. Thanks to the Rev. Cathy Victor for providing pulpit supply, Carolyn Hoekstra for doing the music, Jim Jeatt for handling AV, and Shannon for pulling together communications during this time period. If you have pastoral concerns, please contact your elder or Cathy.

Get to Know You Gathering  Mark your calendars. Thursday, August 10 – 6:00pm at Trinity Presbyterian Church. Gather with Knox, Trinity, Knox-Sooke, Chinese and St. Andrew’s members for pizza, salad, and conversation. Renew acquaintances. Meet other Presbyterians you may not have previously met!  All are welcome to attend this gathering – just let Laura or Shannon know so enough food will be available.

Knox Book Club… The next meeting is at Knox on August 12 at 1pm. We are reading Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. It won Amazon’s book of the year award in 2014 and was a New York Times Notable Book of 2014.

Spiritual Spotlight Meal Knox is providing lunch at Our Place on Monday, August 21. Our Place are extremely grateful to the congregation at Knox for their generous support. Thank you to everyone who continues to provide regular givings through the offering plate, PAR, and e-transfers. Because you share your abundance, we are able to help those in need as part of our ministry at Knox.

Camp VIP information… Information about our church camping opportunities has been emailed and is posted in the hallway. Let Anne Krauss know if you have questions.

MID WEEK CAMPING – Presbytery Camps

Location and Dates –

Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park – June 5-9 (self-campsite registration – BC provincial parks)

French Beach Provincial Park – July 6-10 – $140.00 weekend

Rathtrevor Provincial Park – July 31 – August 7 – $250.00 week

(Group campsite fees for 2 adults and 2 children)

For enquiry Contact Camp VIP Communicator [email protected]

Early Bird Notice – mark your calendars! Vancouver Island Presbytery Women’s Retreat – April 26-28, 2024. First Women’s Retreat since COVID. Camp Imadene, Mesachie Lake. Watch for more details in the coming months. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet and fellowship with other women from our sister congregations on Vancouver Island.

AT ST. ANDREW’S PRESBYTERIAN

Sunday, July 30 – Mission Moment

Nadhifa, a single mother of seven in Somalia, had to relocate with her two oldest daughters and one-year-old son, Hamza, to a camp for internally displaced people after the drought caused her to lose her livelihood. She left her other four children behind with relatives, fearing for their survival. Nadhifa and her three children journeyed to the Dollow district to seek humanitarian assistance. During screening at the camp, Hamza was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. With the support of PWS&D, Hamza received treatment and recovered after a few weeks. In addition, Nadhifa participated in the infant and young child feeding community information session, where she gained valuable nutrition knowledge. “I feel relieved that my son’s health has improved, and I can now search for work to provide food for my children,” she shared.

Sunday, July 30 (World Day Against Trafficking in Persons) We pray for the millions of people around the world who are victims of human trafficking.

Monday, July 31 We pray for Winnipeg Inner City Missions as staff work to provide a healthy community for children, youth and families – many of whom have suffered inter-generational trauma and systemic injustices from Residential Schools.

Tuesday, August 1 (Emancipation Day) We pray for those who fight systemic racism.

Wednesday, August 2 We pray for the people who gather and serve at The Well Church (Mississauga) and we give thanks for their dynamic mission and ministry.

Thursday, August 3 We pray for the people, ministries and mission of the Presbytery of Assiniboia.

Friday, August 4 We pray for ministers and church workers who are taking much needed vacations. May they be refreshed and re-energized.

Saturday, August 5 We pray for the staff and volunteers of Anamiewigummig Kenora Fellowship Centre, as they open the doors daily to those in need of a place of safety, warmth and nourishment.

Social Action Spotlight – Systemic Economic Inequality     August 2023

Poverty in Canada and across the globe continues to seriously impact the lives and well-being of many. According to Statistics Canada’s most recent data, 7.4% of Canadians lived in poverty in 2021, which was up from 6.4% in 2020. The causes of poverty are complex, but a major factor is systemic economic inequality. Economic inequality is easy to spot, given the growing gap between people with wealth and people experiencing poverty. Speaking about systemic economic inequality names that there are social and economic structures creating and contributing to that growing gap. Not everyone starts at the same economic baseline. Racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and other social ills erect barriers to economic security. Add in that wealth is more easily created when you already have wealth to draw on—as economic inequality compounds generationally—and it becomes very clear that our economic systems are not set up to foster equality. Too often our narratives about poverty blame those who are struggling, rather than looking at the systems that reinforce inequality, racism and economic vulnerability. Stop-gap measures like charity or temporary programs to help people “get back on their feet” may provide some relief but don’t address the underlying structural problems. To break the cycle, structural change aimed at creating a more level economic baseline is needed.