Our next service is Sunday, May 4th., at 10:30 am. at St. Paul’s United Church, 178 Church St, Bowmanville. If you are joining us in person, the sanctuary is wheelchair accessible. A Sunday Morning Program is available during service in the lower Sunday School hall for children, Grades JK to High School. Youth leaders follow Theme Time for activities that encourage exploration of today’s scripture.   Please pick your kids up, downstairs, following the service. Please complete a registration form for each child under 18.

Dear Friends of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and St. Paul’s United Church

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today marks a deeply emotional and sacred turning point in the life of the St. Andrew’s congregation. With heavy hearts and tender spirits, we acknowledge that the sale of the church building has now been finalized. For St. Andrew’s, this place—your spiritual home—has held your prayers, your joys, your losses, and your stories for generations. It is natural and holy to grieve this change.
Many of you have walked through those doors for the first time to be baptized, to be married, or to say goodbye to someone you love. You sang hymns that stirred your hearts, sat in silence that gave you peace, and gathered in community that gave you strength. The walls of the St. Andrew’s building have witnessed your faith in action, your questions, your laughter, and your tears. For all these moments, and the Spirit who met you in them, we give thanks.
And yet, the Church is not the building—though the building is dear. The Church is the people of God, called together in love, sent into the world to embody compassion, justice, and hope. As Scripture reminds us, “For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9).
Still, grief must be honoured. Let us not rush past the sorrow or silence the ache. In this time of transition, know that the St. Paul’s community of faith walks alongside you bearing witness to your grief. We will make space for mourning, for remembering, and for blessing what has been. We will also look forward, together, asking: What is God inviting us into now? Where is the Spirit leading us next? The answers may not come quickly, but they will come—and we will find them together.
As we continue to gather in prayer and conversation I invite you to share your memories, your sadness, your hopes, and your vision for the future. Know that you are not alone—your grief is seen, your voice matters, and your presence is a gift to us all.
May the peace of Christ hold us in this tender time. May the God of new beginnings walk with us as we step forward in faith. And may the Spirit of comfort sustain each of you with courage, compassion, and deep love.
With care and blessing,
Rev. Michelle Brotherton