Light of the World: A Beginner’s Guide to Advent

In Advent 2020, Presbyterians across the country are invited to join a denomination-wide book study on Amy-Jill Levine’s Light of the World: A Beginner’s Guide to Advent. Using thoughtfully prepared weekly study guides, Presbyterians will journey through Advent reflecting on what it means to be kingdom-people who participate in the new life that Jesus has brought.

https://presbyterian.ca/canadian-ministries/presbyterians-read/

December Calendar of the Month

Church soft opening Sunday August 30th, 2020, 10:30am

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

80 Daniel St. N., Arnprior, ON K7S 2K8

Interim Moderator: Rev. David McFarlane

Email: davemcfarlane534@gmail.com

August, 2020

Dear St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Family,

We have certainly missed seeing your smiling faces since COVID-19 forced us to close our doors to in-person worship. In March, when the decision to temporarily close our doors to slow the spread of the virus, we entered unchartered waters. As we continue to navigate through this pandemic, as a Session, we tried to keep in touch with phone calls and delivering the news/activity letter prepared by our Interim Moderator, Rev. Dave McFarlane.

As we once again get ready to welcome you, our guests as members, adherents, and visitors alike, back into St. Andrew’s, we wanted to take a moment and let you know what has been going on at St. Andrew’s.

The Church received an intensified cleaning during the shutdown – from the Sanctuary to through the De Renzy Hall. We thank our Custodian Anne Lyon, for this massive undertaking.
Our Secretary, Annette Powell, maintained the office for the church and ensured all was kept up-to-date. We are certainly blessed to have her as our Church Secretary/Treasurer.
Session remained in contact with each other and provided Pastoral Care the best that they could during this pandemic. Our sincerest thanks to Robert Verch, Shirley Stack, and Ken Black, who have stepped back as active members of Session, but continue to be of support to Session.
Despite the progress the Search Committee was making, they were forced to pause their meetings because of the coronavirus. Now that meetings can resume with social distancing protocols, the Search Committee is once again “geared up” to return to search.

As we prepare to once again reopen our doors to in-person worship, Session decided to set up a small committee of three elders to make the necessary adjustments to welcome guests back into our worship space. They have been working in the church over the past few weeks in preparation for a trial service on August 30^th, 2020 to see how things go, and to tweak things before our official reopening on September 13^th, 2020. The most important thing to remember as we reopen our doors to worship: if you are not comfortable with attending services in-person, do not force yourself to come to church. We respect and support your decision, and we are committed to ensuring that spiritual and pastoral care is available to you as well. Please, let us know so we can help you stay in touch.

In order for us to once again open our doors to worship, there are federal, provincial and local rules and guidelines that we must follow to keep everyone safe. We have listed what we will be doing below. Please make note of them. They are:

There will only be one point of entry to the Church building. That is the entrance on McGonigal Street. This allows for easy access to the elevator; to control the entrances/exits of the church, and to help in the necessity to stay within our 30% capacity limits.
Masks must be worn in the church. If a health reason prevents you from wearing one, please inform the person at the door. We will not turn you away, or force you to wear one, however we will stress the importance of social distancing.
Hand sanitizer must be used both on entering and leaving the building.
You may not be able to sit in your favourite pew. To maintain the 6 feet social distancing guideline, we needed to close off some pews to comply with social distancing. We do apologize for this inconvenience, but if we all do our part and we defeat COVID-19, we can then remove those barriers and reopen those pews.
Even though we are a Christian Family, we cannot all sit together. You can only sit with your family members, or those within your current COVID Social Bubble. Please respect each others space.
Singing of hymns and our responsive readings have temporarily been suspended. Public Health regulations demonstrate how these activities can spread the virus very quickly. Our Music Ministry Team will be working together to provide moments within our service for musical reflection.
Offering plates will be placed at back of the sanctuary for your convenience to reduce the number of times everyone handles the plates. If you wish, you can leave your offering in them. You can also ask about our Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR) program if you would like.
Fellowship in De Renzy Hall after the service has also been temporarily suspended.
All hymn books and bibles have been removed from the pews and stored away.
Bulletins will be made available, and we ask that if you are not taking it home to please deposit in the recycling bin at the exit of the church.
In order to keep our worship space safe, we kindly ask that you not leave any candy/candy wrappers, kleenex, bulletins, water bottles, etc. in the pews. Please dispose of them in the garbage can at the exit of the church.
Names will be recorded of everyone who attends worship as a safety precaution. This is to keep track of who was present within our building on a particular Sunday should we have to contact them. Visiting guests will be asked for their phone-number. Once the appropriate amount of time has passed, these sheets will be shredded.
Upon entry you will be asked if you have any symptoms of COVID-19. If you do, we will kindly ask that you return home and self-isolate and monitor your symptoms. If they worsen, please seek medical attention. As time moves forward, St. Andrew’s may introduce temperature checks. Right now, we are asking that if you feel ill, please do not come to church. Stay home.
To greet your friends and neighbours remember the 2-meter (6 feet) distancing. Instead of a hug or a handshake, nod, wave, smile, or bow. Let’s keep each other safe within our building.
At the end of the service, please wait until the Elders tell you it is your turn to leave in order to maintain the social distancing.

Please remember that COVID-19 most commonly spreads from an infected person to another person through the following:

Close contact:Breathing in someone’s respiratory droplets after they cough, sneeze, laugh or sing.
Contaminated surfaces:Touching something with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes with unwashed hands.
Common greetings:Handshakes, hugs or kisses.

Please bear with us as we try this new method of church service. We hope to see you in church again, but ONLY IF YOU are comfortable doing so.

Sincerely,

Rev. Dave McFarlane Douglas Powell

Interim Moderator Clerk of Session.

A Little Prayer to bring comfort in this trying time. It was included in July 2020’s Guidepost magazine.

Dear Lord,

I place this day, my life, my loved ones, my work in Your hands. There is no harm in Your hands, only good. Please watch over us in this time of crisis and help us to keep our faith, secure in the knowledge that no virus, no obstacle, no fear is greater than You. Amen.

St. Andrew’s update on Church opening

Since the green light was given to places of faith being allowed to reopen to 30% of their building capacity, the Session at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church has been prayerfully discussing the options and public health directives. Taking these into consideration as well as the health and wellbeing of our congregation and community we see the need to move slowly and cautiously to not only our congregation, but of our community as well. Session has decided that our building will remain closed to in-person public worship for the time being as we continually monitor the guidelines and instructions set by the province and Renfrew County and District Health Unit.

We are continually looking at options that are available to churches for worship and the many opportunities we have to share worship in a variety of settings. As things continue to progress forward, we, as a Session, remain committed to looking forward as well. Nothing is set in stone, as we have learned during this COVID-19 outbreak, we need to remain flexible in how we provide worship. We prayerfully hope that by September, we will be able once again be together worshipping God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Our official Facebook presence is a group called “This Week at St. Andrew’s”. If you have Facebook, we are asking that you join us there (invite family and friends as well!). Our Interim Moderator, Rev. Dave McFarlane continues to share with us his worship services and posts them to this group for your convenience. Updates and other information will also be shared there, as well through the Elders.

Please stay tuned as more information comes forward as we continue to meet and discuss all opportunities available.

God’s blessings to you all.

Moving to phase 2, Update on Church opening June 10,2020

The Ontario Government has given the green light to places of worship opening to 30% of their building capacity within certain health units regions. Renfrew County and District Health Unit is one. To that extent, we, at St. Andrew’s, are currently examining our worship practices and working to create a safe worshipping space. Once all safety measures have been established and implemented within our building, we will once again open our doors to our community for worship – ONLY if they feel comfortable doing so. Online services currently being shared with us by our Interim Moderator, Rev. David McFarlane, will continue to be available for those who wish to take in church from home. When we have exceedingly met the guidelines to allow our congregation to gather, we will make an announcement.

Until then, please stay safe and healthy, and God’s richest blessings to you!

Talk, Walk and Pray with the Moderator

You are invited to join the Rev. Amanda Currie, Moderator of the General Assembly, this summer as she walks 1 km for each ministry of our denomination and ecumenical partner in the Canadian Council of Churches. That’s about 10–11 km per day. She will be praying as she walks, and you can follow along using the prayer schedule (coming soon).

https://presbyterian.ca/gao/moderator/

You can submit your congregation’s prayer by clicking on the above link and following the prompts. Submissions are still accepted even though this event has started. Prayer request are starting in Western Canada. As long as requests are received in time they will be addressed.

Starting June 1st until August 1st, you can register at the above link.

God Bless You!

Message from PCC Moderator Amanda Currie following mass shooting in Nova Scotia

https://presbyterian.ca/2020/04/20/mass-shooting-nova-scotia/

Yesterday morning, before I heard about the violent rampage in rural Nova Scotia, I preached on John 20:19-31 in which Jesus came to his frightened and bewildered disciples in the locked room where they were sheltering themselves. The Risen Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” He breathed on them, and gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit to comfort, encourage, and empower them for their mission.

I invited those who were worshipping online with my church community to look for the presence of Jesus standing beside them in their homes, in their work, in their grief and struggle, and in our worship and fellowship together even in these unsettling and scary days of the COVID-19 pandemic. I reminded my congregation to breathe and to know that God’s Spirit is in them, around them, and between them. And I sang to them from a hymn by Tom Booth: “Here I am, standing right beside you. Here I am; do not be afraid. Here I am, waiting like a lover. I am here; here I am.”

Together with Canadians across the country, I was shocked and saddened by the developing news reports from Nova Scotia as we moved through Sunday. I can hardly believe that these small, friendly, rural communities just experienced the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history. As I listened to a community member on the news commenting that Portapique was not the kind of place where people locked their doors, but maybe they would think about doing it now, my thoughts returned to the disciples in their locked room.

I began to pray in that moment, that the people of Portapique and the other affected communities would have an experience of Jesus standing beside them in the midst of their fear. I prayed that those who have suddenly lost their loved ones would know the Spirit’s consolation as close as their own breath. I prayed with gratitude for the members of the RCMP and other emergency personnel who hurried to the aide of those communities, putting themselves at risk, and doing everything they could to put an end to the violence.

Although the death toll is currently reported as at least 17 people, the only one that has been identified is RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran and married mother of two, who was killed Sunday morning responding to the active shooter incident. As a church, let us keep Heidi’s family and community in our prayers, as well as all the families of those who were killed.

Let us also pray for the pastors and churches of Nova Scotia, that they will know Christ’s presence standing beside them and the Spirit’s breath equipping and empowering them as they minister to the hurting people of their communities. Especially in this current context of staying home and physical distancing, may the church find faithful and creative ways to share God’s love with those who are grieving.

The first place I visited after becoming Moderator last summer was Nova Scotia. I enjoyed the beauty of the province and the warmth and hospitality of the people. Today my heart breaks with the thought of the pain and sorrow that they are experiencing. May the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding be with them now and always.

—The Rev. Amanda Currie,
Moderator of the General Assembly

A Message and Prayer from the Moderator Re: COVID-19

The Rev. Amanda Currie As the world struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic, our congregations and communities strive to adjust to the rapidly changing circumstances, taking precautions to ensure that people are safe, and caring for one another in faithful and creative ways.

As we began the Season of Lent a few weeks ago, we reflected on Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness and the struggles he experienced. We also may feel like this is a wilderness time—a time of challenges and uncertainty. Even as we take good care to reduce the risk of transmission, we are invited to place our trust and hope in God who is with us and will help us.

The Lenten psalms provide inspiration for this prayer:

“O come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
O Come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.” (Psalm 95:1-7)

Prayer

Loving God, we thank you for your presence with your children through the anxiety of the COVID-19 situation.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

Thank you for wise leadership and health authorities that guide us in making good decisions for our communities.

“You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7).

Thank you for doctors, nurses, medical researchers and technicians, and all those who are working to care for the sick and develop treatments for this illness.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

Thank you for cleaning staff and caregivers and volunteers, and all who are working to keep our environments clean and safe.

“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).

Thank you for pastors, elders, neighbours, and friends who are working to care for those who are vulnerable, alone or afraid.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning” (Psalm 130:5–6).

Thank you for the peace and comfort that comes from knowing that we are not alone. God, grant us patience as we wait; grant us courage as we serve you and care for one another; grant us hope as we trust in you for the future.

“O [People], hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem” (Psalm 130:7).

Amen.

—The Rev. Amanda Currie
Moderator of the 2019 General Assembly

Join Renfrew Presbyterian Church on Facebook Sunday’s at 10am

Rev. David McFarlane from the Renfrew Presbyterian Church would like to share his Sunday services with us.

If you have Facebook, search on Renfrew Presbyterian Church. If you join the group, you’ll get notified when the video is live.

Links to Renfrew Presbyterian can be found on pccweb.ca/renfrewpc There you will see a tab called “Live Streamed Worship”. In that tab are all the links to our Live version, plus the previous worships as well. Also, if you would like the hymns, Renfrew’s webpage also has the hymns listed for the upcoming worship service.

Thank you Rev. David for sharing your worship services with us.

Church services and gatherings cancelled until further notice

Arnprior Presbyterian Church services and gatherings will be cancelled until further notice, effective March 17, 2020.

Below from the Presbyterian Church in Canada …

Decisions about public worship during COVID-19 from the Presbyterian Church in Canada

The strong and swift response in Canada to measures aimed at reducing the transmission of COVID-19 is encouraging evidence of the care Canadians have for one another. Churches have an important role in this.

This response is evolving daily. Cancellations of meetings and events show that Canadians are willing to do their part to stem the transmission and therefore care for the health of one another. Some of these responses go above and beyond the recommendations of Public Health authorities.

Worship services in various faiths are being suspended temporarily. These are difficult decisions that balance our desire for the public good with our commitment to worship and gathering with the people of God for fellowship and mutual support.

In The Presbyterian Church in Canada, “The session is responsible for regulating the hours and forms of public worship and for arranging special services” (Book of Forms 111.1). This means that only the session can determine if public worship in a congregation will be suspended.

The advice from the National Office has been and continues to be that congregations are urged to follow the advice of Federal, Provincial and Municipal Health authorities and make decisions accordingly. This is the minimum requirement, but it is the first place to go in making a decision about suspending worship services.

If worship services are not suspended, there are steps that can be taken that reduce the risk of transmission even when that risk is low:

Avoid shaking hands (try “prayer hands,” bows, elbow bumps).
Wash hands frequently with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds.
Ensure surfaces in the church are clean and sanitized.
Avoid passing offering plates from person to person.
Consider suspending coffee hour.
Stay home if you are sick.
Reschedule communion or avoid passing communion elements and trays and use individual communion cups rather than a common cup with grape juice.
Place a box of tissues in every pew.
Encourage people who use our churches to wash their hands and post reminder signs throughout the church.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then immediately throw the tissue in the garbage and wash your hands.

A Message and Prayer from the Moderator re. COVID-19

As the world struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic, our congregations and communities strive to adjust to the rapidly changing circumstances, taking precautions to ensure that people are safe, and caring for one another in faithful and creative ways.