Announcements – 13 May, 2026
Worship … at 9:30am. We hope that you will participate in person. If you are unwell, please join the live streamed service. Pastor James will be continuing his sermon series on 1 Peter.
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 pray for …
Please let your elder or a member of session know if there are changes to your prayer requests!
Celebrations
-
-
-
-
- May 2 Lorraine Whiting
- May 5 Doug Bracken
- May 10 Kathy Bracken
- May 10 Norma Sills
- May 15 Doug & Kathy Bracken
- May 20 John Watt
- May 26 Christine Guille
-
-
-
Lost and Found … please check the lost and found bin in the narthex. It will be emptied at the end of the month.
Knox Book Club … New attendees are always welcome! Here is a list of books and dates for 2026. The next meeting is Saturday June 13 at 1:00pm at April and John’s house. Please contact one of them for more information. Please read “What You are Looking for is in the Library” by Michiko Aoyama.
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
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.
Locally Rooted Worship … as part of the VISTA series, Hollydene will be hosting Mark Glanville at Knox on May 21st as he talks about Locally Rooted Worship. Come at 7pm for this creative and possibly interactive lecture.
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 17, 2026 – Mission Moment
We are called to serve God with our many gifts. We belong to a denomination that is connected by faith, governance, history and mission. Presbyterians Sharing is one of the ways that Presbyterians across Canada work together to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, sharing God’s love and hope in our communities, in Canada and around the world. Gifts to Presbyterians Sharing help build strong congregations, serve vulnerable people, walk with Indigenous people, seek justice and share God’s love. When we work together, we can accomplish so much more than we can on our own.
Prayer Partnership
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.
Sunday, May 17 (International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia) We pray for an end to all forms of hatred and discrimination that target Two-Spirit and LGBTQI+ people. We commit to working for the collective safety and flourishing of all people.
Monday, May 18 (Victoria Day) We pray for Presbyterials in the Atlantic Mission Society as they prepare for annual meetings, and for the Executives as they review the year’s activities and look for hope and possibilities for the future.
Tuesday, May 19 We pray for the Rev. Dr. Mark Glanville, Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership at St. Andrew’s Hall, as he leads the CML team in their mission to equip leaders in congregations across the country.
Wednesday, May 20 We pray for the Change Leadership Team of the General Assembly as it designs and implements expert shared services for human resources, legal, finance and information technology needs, relieving congregations and presbyteries of administrative burdens.
Thursday, May 21 We pray that God will guide our Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee as they foster understanding and cooperation across traditions. May we work together to build a world where peace and respect flourish.
Friday, May 22 We thank God for all who lovingly serve children and youth, guiding them with patience, wisdom, and compassion as they help shape hopeful, faithful futures.
Saturday, May 23 We pray for people and organizations that seek a just and lasting peace in Palestine and Israel.
Are you, or do you know, an emerging scholar?
Help us ensure excellent candidates apply for this two week immersive learning program. Please read on and consider if you are called to attend or if there is someone you know that you could invite to apply. Theapplication deadline is May 31, 2026.
The North America–Turtle Island Regional Ecumenical Theological Institute (NATI-RETI) is a fully immersive, residential theological learning program. It will gather 50 emerging Christian leaders from Canada and the United States for two weeks of study, prayer, and contextual encounter.
Taking place August 3–16, 2026, in Detroit and Toronto, it is the inaugural North American expression of the World Council of Churches’ proven Global Ecumenical Theological Institute model.
Under the theme “Where Now for Visible Justice?“, participants engage six interconnected pillars:
- solidarity with Indigenous communities,
- racism and anti-racism,
- secularism and laicity,
- wealth disparity and poverty,
- climate justice, and
- interfaith dialogue.
Jointly convened by the Canadian Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, with WCC accompaniment, NATI-RETI forms the next generation of Christian leaders.
Participants will also have the option to earn academic credit through one of the member schools of the Toronto School of Theology upon completing the program requirements.
All emerging ecumenists and scholars across all areas of knowledge are welcome to apply. More information about participants:
- Currently studying or living in the United States or Canada
- Preference will be given to those within the ages of 21-35, but all emerging ecumenists and scholars are welcome to apply.
- Selected for ecumenical balance, inclusion, and diversity
Scholarships available.
For more information and application go HERE.
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