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In 2018 St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church (Woodstock, NB) and St. James Presbyterian Church (Hanwell, NB) formed a regional ministry.

This Advent and Christmas season members and friends of St. James and St. Paul’s came together to record a virtual concert of Advent and Christmas hymns.

May the melodies, voices, and messages behind these hymns bring you comfort and joy, hope and peace!

 

 

This Advent we will do a 4-week book study on Timothy Keller’s book Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ.

Our study will take place in person at  7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov 24, Dec 1, 8 & 15. If you would like to join in by Zoom, let us know and we will send a link.

All are welcome. Please email us or speak with Rev. Wendy if you wish to participate in either the in-person or Zoom study. If you would like a book, please let her know as well.  Books are on order and are expected to arrive around Friday, Nov 19^th.

Book Description (from Christianbook.com):  In Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ, pastor and New York Times bestelling author, Tim Keller guides readers through an illuminating journey into the surprising background of the Nativity story, a story that is a celebration of the advent of Jesus Christ, who came to save mankind and restore our humanity to how it was meant to be. This profoundly moving and intellectually provocative book unpacks the message of hope, redemption, and salvation hidden in the biblical account of Jesus’ birth so that readers may experience the redeeming power of God’s grace in a meaningful and deeper way.

Because of weather concerns, we are postponing our winter warm-up give away, originally planned for Saturday, November 13.

Instead, we have spoken with the Chamber of Commerce and St. Paul’s is going to join in on the community’s Christmas kick-off events on Friday, November 19.

Our winter warm up event will now take place from 3-6 p.m. on Friday, November 19 in the King Street Parking Lot, near other community events and activities.

Donations of gently-used winter clothing, boots, blankets, sleds, skates etc. are still welcome.  They can be dropped off at the church or Avis Golding’s home (2266 Route 165).

 

 

Dear members and friends of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church:
 
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
 
For over three hundred years, Christians all over the world have sung “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” This hymn is called a doxology, “doxa” being a Greek word meaning “glory.” 
 
This doxology was written by 17^th c. Anglican Bishop Thomas Ken, who was orphaned in early childhood and raised and educated at Winchester School.  His ministry was described as stormy and colorful.  Traditionally this hymn was sung to the tune of “Old Hundredth” – which was composed by Louis Bourgeois, a follower of John Calvin and the 16^th c. Reformation.  More recently, however, some congregations have used an alternate melody (“Come together” by Jimmy Owens”).
 
During Ken’s lifetime, many believed only passages from Scriptures, and in particular the Psalms, could be sung as hymns, but Bishop Ken felt Christians should be allowed to express their praise to God in other ways.  He initially shared his hymns with students of Winchester College to sing quietly in their rooms while doing their devotions.  Ironically a hymn initially sung in private for fear of criticism is now one of the most frequently used pieces of music in public worship.
 
Indeed, there are many ways we can express our praise to God for all the blessings God has given us.  In our faith we are encouraged to celebrate the breadth of God’s goodness day by day and let our faith reflect our thankfulness in the way we live.  As Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (2:6-7).  It’s been said that gratitude is a currency we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.  I think Paul understood that.  He lived in challenging times and faced various hardships.  But even in the hardships, he was a person of “thanks-living”.  “I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4: 12-13).
 
God has brought us together as brothers and sisters in Christ, and God gathers us together through worship and other church activities so that we may encounter his divine, transforming presence. In community, we realize we are part of a larger family with whom we can share our joys and burdens, our hopes and our prayers.  We have opportunities to follow Christ, serve, and try to make a difference in the lives of others.  Indeed, the hearts of those who seek the Lord find reason to rejoice (1 Chronicles 16). 
 
Like our namesake, St. Paul’s know what is like to have plenty.  We know what it is like to be in need.  We know what it is like to minister with an abundance of people and resources.  We know what it is like to minister with fewer people and resources.  We know what it is like to be the church in good times…. And we are still working out what it means to be the church in a pandemic.  
 
And throughout all these circumstances, we can celebrate and share the depth and breadth of God’s goodness.  But our individual and collective expressions of faith and thanksgiving are not only important for our congregation’s ministry today.   They can shape and bless future generations of Christians as well.  We are, for example, thankful for the legacy of believers before us who gave of their time, skills, wisdom, and gifts.  Financial gifts of yester-years even help support our ministries today.  
 
With gratitude, we wish to express our thanks for the ways each of you contribute to the life of this congregation. You are a blessing through your presence (in person and virtual), devotion, prayers, service, and compassionate spirit.  Your offerings of time, ideas, skills and resources are equally appreciated.  The enthusiasm and ideas you share to grow in ministry and mission are encouraging, especially as we contemplate what it means to be the church today and post-pandemic.  Your steadfast support during these times of uncertainty is especially important for supporting today’s ministry needs so that we can plant seeds of hope for renewed ministry. Should you wish to give something extra to support God’s work through St. Paul’s, we thank you for your Thanksgiving gift.  We are not set-up for e-transfers, but gifts can be received in person, dropped off at the church, or sent by mail. 

May God continue to bless you abundantly!  And may God bless us that we may provide opportunities for people to encounter God in life-changing ways, experience rest and renewal of spirit, and explore what it means to live in faith today.
 
Yours in Christ,
 
 
Rev. Wendy MacWilliams and the Session of St. Paul’s

Good Tidings as we begin the 2020 Advent-Christmas Season!

“I’ll be home for Christmas

You can count on me

Please have snow and mistletoe

And presents on the tree

Christmas Eve will find me

Where the lovelight gleams

I’ll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams”

“I’ll be Home for Christmas” – written by Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, and Sam “Buck” Ram – is quite a popular Christmas carol, sung by countless artists since its composition in the early 1940s.

And although this song tugs at our heart, it has been also known to tug at our tear ducts.

In fact, initially the song was not well received because it further saddened those separated from their loved ones during the war.  It was said that the BBC initially banned the song for fear it would lower troop morale.  The song’s lyrics were written from the perspective of a WWII soldier serving overseas.  His words expressed the hope he felt and that which he looked forward to upon his return… but alas, one did not know when peace would come and if that dream of returning home would become reality.

Even as we near Advent, some of us wonder who will be home for Christmas.  Some of us also already know.  For some, a family homecoming will only be a dream… or a Zoom gathering.  COVID-19 will likely be the greatest cause of separation.  Work demands may be greater on essential workers.  But COVID-19 may also not be the reason.  Other illnesses could be a factor.  Death may have forever altered family gatherings.  And a blend of family needs may affect when gatherings take place.

It is possible such circumstances do not apply to you, or if they do (directly or indirectly), perhaps you are only mildly affected.  But for a number of people, this reality (or potential reality) is becoming a growing concern and source of distress.

For that reason, I think it is especially important for those of us who have a faith to each do our part, individually and as a congregation, to bring a “stable presence” into the lives of our families, our friends, and our community.

It was to a nation in great distress that the prophet Isaiah spoke these words:

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned…

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9: 2, 6, 7c)

To you, in your home, in this world, a child was born, to you a son was given.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us… all of us (John 1:14).

Into the stable of a family home, the Saviour of the world, God-in-the-flesh, entered our lives.

And he is here and he will return.

These are not whimsical words meant to re-create a certain warmth or nostalgia each year.

The Word has entered into our lives to transform all that is good, bad, and ugly.

The realities facing us today, and not just those directly-linked to COVID-19, matter to Christ.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gave up all kinds of stabilities, including life itself, to be present with us.

He entered the world through a stable

and brought us, not just the shepherds, into the very presence of God,

for he himself was God-in-the-flesh.

Christ made his home with us so that we could dwell with God here and now,

not just during certain holidays or after our last breath.

 

During this season of Advent and celebration of Christmas, our focus will be this Stable Presence. Through worship, at home, and in the community our hope is to:

• • Deepen your journey to the manger;
  • Deepen your awareness and understanding of God’s presence and presents in the stable;
  • Help you experience stability and God’s graces in the midst of a pandemic;
  • Empower and encourage you to be a stable presence in the community where there is need.

Enclosed with this message is an outline of worship services and activities planned for Advent and Christmas. While plans are affected by (and may change due to) COVID, we are hopeful that God will draw us deeper into his presence even as we draw nearer to him.

Advent, not New Year’s Day, marks the beginning of a new worship year.  And as we near the conclusion of another liturgical year, the elders and I would like to thank you for your presence, faith, and sharing of gifts.  This year we were reminded that presence comes in many forms.  And for each way you have been present with us, whether it is in-person, online, by mail or by phone, we are most grateful.  We are also thankful for the ways you have been present in the sharing of your faith, your prayers, your monetary givings, your volunteering of time and talents, and your ongoing encouragement and support of one another and those in need.  And we are thankful for making sacrifices and adapting to changes in order to advance the Gospel and care for one another.

If you would like to make a Christmas offering of thanksgiving in honour of the Christ-King’s birth, we have special envelopes and gifts can also be received in-person or by mail.  May God continue to bless all that we offer him for the sake of Christ’s ministry, that more and more people will come to know the grace, hope, peace, joy, and love of our Lord’s presence in their lives.

 

In Christ,

Rev. Wendy MacWilliams and the Session of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church

 

Advent-Christmas 2020 at St. Paul’s (Events may be affected by COVID)

Discover and experience the gifts of a stable presence in your life today!

Worship

Sunday Worship 11 a.m.):

• • November 29: Let the “Advent-ure” begin!  Our first Sunday of Advent is Hope Sunday.
  • December 6: Peace Sunday/Communion Sunday
  • December 13: Joy Sunday
  • December 20: Love Sunday

Sunday, November 29 (7 p.m.) – Ecumenical Service of Lessons & Carols – This service will be live-streamed on St. Paul’s YouTube and Facebook page.  If you have Wi-Fi, in light of Public Health considerations, we encourage you to worship from home.  If you do not have Internet and would like to attend in person, please RSVP with Rev. Wendy or an elder.  Limited seating is available.

Monday, December 21 (7 p.m.) – A Service of Comfort and Hope (aka Longest Night Service)

 Thursday, December 24 (7 p.m.) – Christmas Eve Service

Worship Kits:

• • Throughout Advent, we will share a variety of worship kits to help you experience a stable presence at home too!
  • Wendy will provide a daily video devotional during Advent. Each Sunday she will provide print copies of that week’s devotionals for those who may wish to read them.

In the Community

 Nursing Homes:

• • St. Paul’s is scheduled to provide worship to the Carleton Manor on December 6. We will confirm soon what kind of worship support we are able to provide in light of COVID.  We will also see about caroling outdoors for their residents.
  • We will also reach out to local nursing homes to make them aware of online services available through St. Paul’s.

A-Caroling-We-Will-Go! Wednesday, December 9 and 16 from 6:30 – 8 p.m.

• • If you are interested in caroling, please let Nolan or Rev. Wendy know.
  • We will meet in the church parking lot at 6 and head-out from there.
  • Masks will be worn and social distancing maintained. Singing will take place outdoors.
  • If you know of someone in Woodstock that would enjoy being surprised by some carolers, please let Nolan or Rev. Wendy know.

We are the Stable Presence too! – Helping our Neighbours:  Being a Stable Presence means sharing the good news of Christ’s birth and ministry in practical ways, like feeding the hungry, tending to the sick, visiting those in need, and welcoming the stranger.  Throughout Advent we will share specific ways we can tangibly help those in need.  There will be opportunities to help community organizations, reach out to people in need and give comfort and cheer to those who are more isolated and vulnerable.

*Stay up-to-date on other Advent developments through conversations with one another, bulletin updates, emails and social media posts.

Introducing PAR:

The session and board of managers are pleased to introduce an alternative way of giving in support of St. Paul’s ministry:  PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance).

What is the PAR Plan? 

Many of us are accustomed to having automatic debits taken directly from our bank account to pay expenses.  PAR works in a similar way.

PAR is one way to enable people to give their offering intentionally, proportionally and faithfully all year long. PAR is a direct debit program that allows you to support your church through an automatic monthly withdrawal from their bank account.

The PAR program is available to many congregations throughout The Presbyterian Church in Canada.  It does not replace the traditional way of giving.  You are not obligated to sign-up for PAR.  We want to offer this an option because it can:

• • Increase the regularity of offerings,
  • Reduce the seasonal low giving periods,
  • Be convenient for those worshipping virtually,
  • Lighten the tellers’ workload, and
  • Provide a substantial foundation for budgeting.

How does the plan work? 

The United Church of Canada (UCC) administers the program for The Presbyterian Church in Canada Congregations.  This arrangement keeps administrative costs low.  It only costs $0.50 per donor each month.

On the 20^th of each month, offerings come out of the PAR givers’ bank accounts and the UCC direct deposits it to the congregation’s bank account (less the administrative cost).

You will still get a tax receipt for givings you make through PAR.  The UCC will provide St. Paul’s envelope secretary with the data needed to compile the receipts.

Is there a cost to sign-up?  There is no sign-up cost.  When the UCC transfers your monthly givings to St. Paul’s, it will deduct $0.50 from your contribution each month.  Some people may choose to give an initial, separate, offering of $6 (12 months x $0.50) when they sign-up, in the same way people often give a special offering to cover the cost of envelopes.

Who will look after the PAR program at St. Paul’s?

Diane Cail will be St. Paul’s PAR coordinator.  You can get PAR authorization forms from her, and do not hesitate to ask her any questions she may have.  She will coordinate our forms with the UCC and share monthly reports with the treasurer and envelope secretary to help them with their reporting. Her email address is cailsconcoctions@gmail.com .

How to sign up:

The attached brochure contains an authorization form, and we will have copies at church on Sunday too.  You must also provide a signed, voided cheque with your completed form.

You can still designate your givings if you wish to divide your givings between general ministries and Presbyterians Sharing, for example.

You can also change your givings at any time, but it may take up to a month to see the changes take effect.

Some people miss the ritual of placing their givings in the offering plate once they sign up for PAR.  We will have PAR cards on hand in the vestry and sanctuary for December.  And if you wish, you can pick up a PAR card on your way in and place it in the offering plate (see pic at top of this email).

Those on PAR can still use offering envelopes or a plain envelope indicating their name and/or envelope if they wish to make an extra or special offering.

“The pre-authorized remittance plan helps me to give consistently … proportionately … intentionally. It helps me to say thank you to God.” — PAR participant

Please do not hesitate to speak with Diane at church or by email/phone if you have any questions.

Blessings!

Did you miss Sunday service due to the weather or need a mid-week spiritual booster?

Because of last Sunday’s weather, I prepared a storm day reflection because service was cancelled in Hanwell and others were not able to attend worship at St. Paul’s (and other church services) due to road concerns.

Normally, I would simply send such a reflection as a Word document by email.  As we hope to use technology in more ways to improve people’s access to worship and other faith formation activities, I decided I decided it was time to practise live-streaming.  As such, I recorded/live-streamed the message from home (ignore all the “ums” and “ahs.”) 😛

I posted to Facebook, but you do not need to have a Facebook account to view it.  Simply click on the link below.  If a pop-up screen appears asking you to sign-up, just click on the “not now” button.  We’re looking at other formats to use in the future too.
https://www.facebook.com/wendy.macwilliams.9/videos/10157937764411197/ 

Rev. Wendy

A new page has been added to our website so that you can access weekly bulletin and e-mailed announcements.

Weekly Announcements

If you would like to stay up to date on congregational life and related news and events, you can also request to be added to our email list.  Simply contact us at stpaulspresnb@gmail.com and we will add you to our email list.

Christmas Greetings

In my youth, I took piano lessons, which I loved. Although I reached my grade 8 technical levels, I only reached grade 5 theory.  I thought practising theory and scales was boring.  There were far more interesting pieces to learn.

Rev. Anne shared a story she found about a young many whose mother taught him to play the piano.  He wasn’t very good player and found theory lessons especially dull.

One day his mom told him that the best news in the world can be found by playing a simple scale on the piano. So the young man played an 8-note scale in C. Notes going up the scale C D E F G A B C sounds like “do re me fa sol la si do.”

“How is that good news?” the man asked his mother. She told him he played it incorrectly and to play it the other way, which he did: C B A G F E D C.

Again he asked his mother how this was good news. His mother responded: “You played the right way, but you needed to add the pauses.  Play again with pauses on the first, second, fourth, sixth, seventh and last note.”

He decided however mom just did not make sense and he chose to ignore her suggestion.

Many years later, his mother died, but her son never forgot what she said.  And one day, he sat down and he played the 8 note scale, remembering which notes she told him to pause on.

The young man played the scale downward with the pauses… and that is when he recognized he was playing “Joy to the World, the Lord is come.”  (All these years, I missed that revelation because I rushed through theory to get it done!)

Indeed, Joy has come to the World and we hope you will take pause to see and experience anew the good news that God came in the flesh to rest in us, to minister in this world, and to renew creation.

The good news is yours to be experienced. Come and encounter the Christ-child on Christmas eve and find your spirit and sense of wonder touched and comforted by Love made flesh.
•          St. James Presbyterian Church (Hanwell) will offer Christmas Eve worship at 4:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
•          St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church (Woodstock) will offer Christmas Eve worship at 7 p.m.
All services will have communion and Silent Night by candlelight. The 4:30 and 7 p.m. services will be child-friendly.

On Christmas Eve, take pause from the various traditions and reclaim the good news God revealed and given to you by God in the person of Jesus. Hearing the story at church, among friends and strangers, reminds us that the story of Christ’s birth is much bigger than our family traditions.  And coming together in community centers us in God’s story, one in which God is doing something remarkable.  Christ has come into the world and wants to transform your life and neighbourhood today.

So come.  Come as you are.  Lift up your hopes, your fears, and even your tears to the One who embraces you. Come, not because you are rich or because you are poor.  Come because Christ wants to enrich your life with power and grace.  Come, not because of what you can give or what you cannot give, come because Jesus loves you and wants to have a relationship with each of you, children included.  Come, even if you are angry at God or another church family member.  The One in a manger will help us through our conflicts and struggles.  Jesus has shared in all of our experiences and knows how to redeem, and he has ensured sin and death and evil and brokenness will not prevail.

Come because the time you have is a gift of God just as the air you breathe.  And we need time with God in community.  These moments together on Christmas Eve build memories.  They help us build relationships with God and with one another.  They bring peace and grace into our heart anew and help us grow in faith.

On behalf of both sessions, I wish you a most blessed Christmas.
And may God fill you with much joy, peace, healing, and hope.

Rev. Wendy MacWilliams on behalf of the Sessions of St. Paul’s and St. James