May 20, 2026 Announcements

Announcements – 20 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.

May 24th is Healing and Reconciliation Sunday … Healing and Reconciliation Sunday was designated by the 2006 General Assembly, recognizing the need for healing and relationship building between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada.

This recognition comes with the difficult but necessary acknowledgment that The Presbyterian Church in Canada is complicit in colonial racism, especially through the church’s participation in the residential school system, which took generations of Indigenous children from their homes and families. The intergenerational trauma that the schools created continues to cause significant harm to Indigenous people today.

The work of truth, healing and reconciliation is a collective responsibility across all parts of the church and Canadian society. Congregations can observe Healing and Reconciliation Sunday in different ways. Here are some ideas:

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.

May Webinars

Being Adaptive in Order to Thrive in Our Ever-Changing World on May 26 at 1 pm ET
In our ever-changing world, we are seeing shifts in our markets and economies, our cultural norms, our behaviors, and ourselves. Now is the time to thrive by learning how to be adaptive and to be consistently able to change yourself to accommodate and maximize the benefits of change. This webinar is for anyone who wants to build skills to be more adaptive inside and outside of work. Register Now!

Preaching Paul: Avoiding the Pitfalls on May 27  at 3 pm ET
Much like sauerkraut, people either love Paul or they hate him. At the very least, he is an acquired taste. Some of the problems with Paul are not of his own making and some others are tied to a lack of contextual understanding of his letters. However, as practitioners in The Presbyterian Church in Canada or within any corner of Christianity, Paul is impossible to avoid. As one who has acquired an affinity for Paul, Dr. Lee Johnson will make suggestions for a better understanding of Paul and some ways to avoid giving him undeserved contempt. Register Now!

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.

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.

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.

Sunday, May 24, 2026 – Mission Moment

Yemen has been devastated by over a decade of conflict, disrupting food systems and causing hunger. Yahya, a father of four with a disability that makes walking difficult, worries about his malnourished daughter. “We strive to obtain food, but the situation remains tough,” he shares. “When you entered our village with the food basket distribution, it changed my life significantly. Thanks to your support, my situation began to improve. I was able to save some money through the food basket and decided to buy a water tank. This step was important for my family, as we finally have clean water.” PWS&D works together with Canadian Foodgrains Bank and local partners to deliver vital food assistance to families like Yahya’s who are facing worsening food insecurity.

Prayer Partnership

 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.

Sunday, May 24 (Day of Pentecost; Healing & Reconciliation Sunday) We pray for the healing and wellbeing of all people harmed by residential schools. We pray for Indigenous organizations and nations supporting healing work for Survivors, intergenerational Survivors, their families and communities.

Monday, May 25 We pray for the healing and wellbeing of people served by each of the eight ministries of the National Indigenous Ministries Council.

Tuesday, May 26 We pray for authors and writers within The Presbyterian Church in Canada who work to help us understand our past and imagine our future in light of the inexhaustible gifts of God.

Wednesday, May 27 We pray for those facing famine in war-ravaged Yemen and for the PWS&D partners providing aid to those vulnerable to malnutrition and disease. 

Thursday, May 28 We thank God for generous gifts of time, talent and treasure—freely given with grateful hearts to serve God and bless others.

 Friday, May 29 We pray for the youth, young adults, and youth leaders who have registered for the Collective 2026 gathering. May they experience travelling blessings and renewed faith while gathered from August 12-15, 2026. 

Saturday, May 30 Loving God, we pray for all who are searching for work and ask that you will grant them hope, strength, and open doors to meaningful opportunities.

Sunday, May 31 (Trinity Sunday) Creator, Christ and Spirit, Almighty God of beauty and truth, we praise you for the glory and mystery of the eternal Trinity, and for the example to pray and work in and for unity in your world.

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.

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:

  1. Confirmed that the individual in question is listed as Presbyterian on census records.
  2. 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.
  3. 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!

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