Dear Friends,
I want to begin by sharing some important decisions made by the Session of the newly amalgamated church called St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls.
Firstly, we, as a Session, call for a congregational meeting scheduled for Sunday, April 30th, 2023. The item on the agenda for this congregational gathering is to deal with St. Andrew’s Session’s recommendation regarding “the confirmation of funds provided to the Glenarm Cemetery.” Under the leadership of Mark Mitchell, Clerk of the Session, the discussion and decision about this will take place at the congregational assembly right after the service.
Secondly, we are delighted to announce that Sharon Dawson (the former Glenarm church elder) will be appointed as an active elder. We will be celebrating this appointment, along with the reaffirmation of the following existing elders: Lloyd McIntyre, Stan Wray, Mark Mitchell, Dan Schley, Barb Silver, and Faye Nicholson, during a special hybrid worship service on April 30th.
Please mark the April 30th congregational meeting and special worship service on your calendar and participate in this assembly either in person or via Zoom. Your presence at the congregational gathering would be much appreciated. Your support and prayers for our church elders would also be greatly appreciated.
Once again, we, as the St. Andrew’s Session of the merged church between Knox Glenarm and St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls, have recently reaffirmed the Inclusive Statement below. It was prayerfully developed by the former St. Andrew’s Session and formally adopted by the former St. Andrew’s congregation in 2018 and 2019.
“St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Fenelon Falls is a member of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. At. St. Andrew’s we believe that we are all one in Christ, regardless of age, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, and physical or mental ability. We welcome into our church everyone who seeks to love God and participate in an open and supportive congregation that is grounded in the teachings of Jesus Christ. The journey of Christian faith is ongoing and we pray for God’s guidance as we listen to and learn from one another.”
While keeping this affirmation, as Christ’s church and Heavenly Kingdom coworkers working towards our God-given mission, we can create a more genuinely loving and caring fellowship together.
With these announcements, I warmly invite you and your loved ones to our hybrid worship service as we launch the second sermon series of this year titled “40 Days of Love.” God is love. Love is one of His main characteristics that we, as God’s children, need to learn and practice in our faith journey. The service will take place on Sunday, April 16th, 2023, at 10:00 am at St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls. As the word for “Hybrid” indicates, the service will also be broadcast live via Zoom. You can find the Zoom link below, which will open at 9:45 am with the announcement slides.
Upcoming Events & Services:
Spring Bible Study “40 Days of Love – Session 5” on Wednesday, April 19th, at 10:00 am via Zoom only
Congregational meeting and Coffee & Fellowship following the worship service on April 30th
Finally, I remind you of the greatest commandment, as taught by Jesus in Matthew 22:36-39: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Blessings
Caleb