Announcements – 19 March 2025
Worship…10:00 AM– We hope that you will participate in person. If you are unwell, please join the live streamed service.
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
Annual Congregational Meeting … April 6 during the worship service. The report will be available in print this Sunday and emailed by the end of this week.
Embracing Lent – How are you observing Lent?
How can we pray, fast, and give in meaningful ways this season? Here are some ideas to consider – remember, you don’t need to do everything to make a difference doing something…
- Don’t buy anything that you don’t really need
- Attend the 1pm Monday Study Group at Knox
- Give away 40 things in 40 days – not just your junk!
- Give up gossip or Facebook or excess sugar or whatever is a vice for you
- Exercise daily to take care of the body God gave you
- Say 3 kind things to 3 people daily – be intentional
- Read and reflect on scripture or a devotional text throughout Lent
— Laura
Lent Study … More people gather for worship than for any other ministry of the church. We gather for worship because we are God’s people. We pray – we receive forgiveness – we speak and listen – we give thanks and bring our concerns – baptize – sing – eat and drink – we are blessed and sent into the world. Worship is something we do together. But why? And why do we use the forms we do? Come on Mondays 1:00 – 2:15 pm during Lent (March 10 – April 14) to explore these questions and more. Please sign up to get resources from the Knox office or Laura.
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 …
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- Family, friends and colleagues in need … Yvonne Fowler and her family as they grieve Richard’s death, Arlene (Laura & Steve’s sister-in-law), Ina, David, Neil, and Pat & family
- Those within the Knox community of faith who are suffering at this time… Nan and Gordon, Elizabeth, Keith, Arlene, andToa.
- Congregations / faith groups in Victoria, Vancouver Island Presbytery, The Presbyterian Church in Canada
- Consider those struggling with chronic illness, recovery from surgery, addiction, personal loss, and any within our circle of care unable to attend worship each week.
- Give thanks for the blessings you enjoy – for relationships, comforts and security – for unexpected or long anticipated pleasures – for the amazing beauty of creation.
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- Please remember to let Laura or Shannon know if there are changes to your prayer requests.
March Celebrations
01 Mar Robbie Smith
02 Mar Steve Sturgess
05 Mar Gordon Zorn
09 Mar Peter + Connie Dunwoody
20 Mar Tristan Sturgess
22 Mar Mary Dimech
22 Mar Dorothy Wong + Yin Man Lam
23 Mar Bruce Ure
28 Mar Ena Vandermale
New Treasurer . . . We are looking for someone to take on the role of treasurer after the annual meeting in early April as April Watt is resigning from this position. We are immensely grateful for her attentive and thoughtful service as our treasurer for the past five years, especially during the challenging time of the pandemic. Please talk to April, Fiona or Laura if you are willing to consider this urgent need.
Inclusive Christians … Thank you to everyone who has prepared food for these meals in the past and those who have volunteered for 2025. You are all welcome to attend any Wednesday at 5pm. Please uphold in prayer students exploring and nurturing their faith. Thank you for continuing to support students and Inclusive Christians on campus in this way.
Successful Aging … The Successful Aging Podcast, hosted by Dr. Bahareh Kardeh, breaks down the science of aging into clear and actionable insights to help you thrive after 60.
KNOX CAFE: Folk, Freedom, and Folly: Voices from the Coffeehouse. Join us for an unforgettable evening of music celebrating the iconic sounds and bold lyrics of the 1960s and 1970s folk scene. Knox Café is excited to present an evening of songs by the iconic artists who once filled the coffeehouses. Experience the power of lyrics that defined an era of folk, freedom, and folly. From Bob Dylan’s poetic storytelling to Joni Mitchell’s haunting melodies, to the timeless words of Paul Simon, and many others, relive the music that shaped our culture; songs that spoke to the heart and still resonate with us today. Don’t miss this tribute to the folk legends whose songs capture the spirit of a generation.
Three Part Event Celebrates World Water Day
Water topics will be served three ways at the University of Victoria (UVic), in celebration of World Water Day.
A resource fair, film screening and expert dialogue are on the docket for March 20, led by the POLIS Water Sustainability Project at UVic’s Centre for Global Studies.
The Water Sustainability Resource Fair will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. in the Michèle Pujol Room of the Student Union Building, offering networking opportunities with leaders and experts from the broader community, research labs and local businesses.
At 5 p.m., Cinecenta will host a film screening of The Spirit Who Swims, a love manifesto to salmon and their spiritual and material importance to Indigenous Peoples along the Fraser River.
After the film screening, a facilitated dialogue and Q&A will be held with a panel of experts: Bev Sellars, UVic Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, former chief of the Xatśūll Nation and film producer/co-director; Deborah Curran, UVic Environmental Law Centre executive director; Robert Clifford, UBC Allard School of Law Indigenous Legal Studies co-academic director; and film co-director and cinematographer Garry Tutte.
The event is presented by UVic’s POLIS Water Sustainability Project, Centre for Global Studies and Environmental Law Centre, with CIFAL Victoria, University of Victoria Sustainability Project and Watershed Watch Salmon Society.
For details, visit the event website.
March 21 is an individual and collective call to action. Racism is present in our community – real change requires us to acknowledge this, educate ourselves and others and act. Learn more by reading the recent Inter-Cultural Association report on racism in Victoria.
This library guide provides suggested readings, books and videos to support your reflective and teaching practices about anti-racism.
The Year of the Glacier… Each year, the United Nations (UN) observes World Water Day by highlighting an issue of importance to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, of safe water and sanitation for all by 2030 (SDG 6). This SDG is one of 17 goals that form the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Canada’s progress towards all 17 SDGs, including SDG 6 can be viewed at Canada’s SDG Data Hub.
The theme of this year’s World Water Day, on March 22, 2025, is “Glacier Preservation,” aligned with the 2025 International Year of Glaciers. Meltwater from glaciers is an essential resource for supplying drinking water reservoirs, agriculture, industry, hydroelectric energy production, and healthy ecosystems. However, climate warming is causing rapid melting of glaciers, changing watershed hydrology and impacting human populations and ecosystems. Glaciers have been highlighted as important sentinels of climate change.
Tackling the climate crisis to reduce planetary warming is essential, as is developing tools and strategies to adapt to glacial retreat and the impact of changing meltwater flows on flood risks, drought, landslides, and sea level rise. More resources and stories related to World Water Day 2025 can be accessed on the UN World Water Day Website.
— The National Collaborating Center for Environmental Health
Hope Blooms on Pandora … Sat, March. 22, 2025 – Save the Date!
As the cherry blossoms bloom on Pandora, join Our Place for a hope-filled spring brunch in support of ‘Pathways off Pandora’. Sponsorships Available. Please contact rachelh@ourplacesociety.com to learn more today.
Dear neighbours in Christ,
Please join us at St Philip Oak Bay for a candlelit service of song, silence, prayer and contemplation, in the style of the Taizé Community, on the 4th Thursdays of the month at 7pm: 27 March. The event series is on our website.
You are invited to join us for a dramatic reading of ‘The Way of the Cross’ at St. Barnabas Church Hall on Friday, April 4 at 7pm. Donations are gratefully received.
Knox Book Club … New attendees are always welcome! Here is a list of books and dates for 2025. The next meeting is Saturday, April 12 at 1pm at Laura’s home. Please read “Knowing What We Know” by Simon Winchester.
VIP Women’s Retreat … at Camp Imadene on Fri/Sat/Sun, April 25 – 27. Contact ringmybellsmith@gmail.com with questions. More details will be available HERE soon!
Camp VIP … This year’s VIP camp dates are as follows: Little Qualicum Falls June 9-13, Goldstream July 3-7, Rathtrevor August 11-18. For more information contact the Camp Registrar at jermareng@outlook.com.
HOP INTO SPRING:
Sunday, March 23, 2025 – Mission Moment
Five years after getting married, Cristina’s husband emigrated to the United States from Guatemala, leaving her in debt. Unable to pay off the debt, she lost the land her husband had left as collateral, an inheritance from her parents. She struggled to earn enough daily to feed her young children and repay the debt and interest. Things got a little easier when her children turned 18, emigrated to the United States and sent money. She also received support from Fraternidad de Presbiteriales Mayas, PWS&D’s local partner. She was trained in managing her cornfields, family gardens, backyard animals, and in topics related to healthy and nutritional diets.
Wednesday, March 19 We give thanks for the new Presbyterian Church Heritage Center in Carlisle, Ontario, for God’s continued blessings on Marilyn Repchuk’s devoted service, and for Ian Mason as he carefully curates the church’s artifacts.
Thursday, March 20 We pray for members of the Atlantic Mission Society as they continue to glorify God and support, with prayer, study and service, mission endeavours through the PCC.
Friday, March 21 (International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination) We pray for an end to racial discrimination and for the Spirit’s guidance to seek the kinds of changes needed to eliminate racism from our church and our society.
Saturday, March 22 (World Water Day) We pray that all people have access to clean safe drinking water, which is a common good, and for the protection of watersheds and the ecosystems they support.
Sunday, March 23 (3rd Sunday in Lent) We pray for those who are keeping a Lenten devotion and discipline.
Monday, March 24 We give thanks for the gifts and time that members of the Assembly Council offer, especially over these next few days as they meet at Crieff Hills.
Tuesday, March 25 We pray for interfaith movements and initiatives, from communal meals in our local places of worship to significant acts of diplomacy on the global stage.
Wednesday, March 26 We pray for congregations and missions receiving grants this spring, that their programs and initiatives will share the love of Christ in their communities.
Thursday, March 27 We pray for Elders and volunteers who faithfully serve at the eight PCC Indigenous Ministries.
Friday, March 28 We pray for those in the Order of Diaconal Ministries who are called to serve the church in the areas of Christian education, pastoral care and social ministries.
Saturday, March 29 We pray for the Committee on Church Doctrine as it discerns how the church demonstrates the love of God in Christ to those who have chosen medical assistance in dying and to their families.
Fundraising Concert … CANCELLED