The Presbyterian Church in Canada -

"SPARK" PYPS Synergy Event for CNOB and SWO Synods, February 24-26, 2012 -- Register now!

mdonnelly — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:56:34 +0000

The Synods of Southwestern Ontario and Central and Northeastern Ontario and Bermuda are partnering up to present "SPARK", a PYPS Synergy Youth Event for youth ages 14-19, which will be held at Crieff Hills Community from February 24-26, 2012.

This is a great way to gear up for Canada Youth 2012!

Cost is $70, and registration is now open online at www.synergyevent.ca. Download a promotional poster for your congregation.

Registration Deadline is Sunday, February 19th.

Information provided by the Synods of Southwestern Ontario and Central and Northeastern Ontario and Bermuda.

Rev. Eun Sook Han, minister of The Presbyterian Church of Korea, to receive E. H. Johnson Award

mdonnelly — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:47:04 +0000

The Dr. E. H. Johnson Memorial Fund Committee is pleased to announce that the recipient of the E. H. Johnson Award for service on “the cutting edge of mission” for 2012 will be the Rev. Eun Sook Han, a minister of The Presbyterian Church of Korea, and one of the founders of the Diakonia Sisterhood in Korea.

The Diakonia Sisterhood in Korea, which began as a convent in May 1968, is a community in which the members live together, while praying and serving others. Located in Mu-Ahn, near the city of Mok-Po, in south-western Korea, the Diakonia Sisterhood in Korea is a non-denominational community of single women who live together and work in the spirit of Jesus Christ, sharing their belongings, and working together to serve the poor and the marginalized in Korean society.

The award which consists of a medal and an engraved certificate, as well as a monetary contribution to the ministry of the Diakonia Sisterhood in Korea, will be presented at the annual Awards Luncheon that will be hosted by the Committee on Tuesday, June 5, 2012, during the upcoming 138th General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada that will take place this year in Oshawa, Ontario.

Information provided by The Dr. E. H. Johnson Memorial Fund Committee

Renewal Day, March 3, 2012, at St. Andrew's, Etobicoke: The Heart, Voice, and Legs of Prayer

mdonnelly — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:12:16 +0000

The Renewal Fellowship within The Presbyterian Church In Canada presents "The Heart, Voice, and Legs of Prayer," a Renewal Day event hosted by St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Etobicoke, Ontario, on March 3, 2012.

Theme speakers are: Luanne Ashe, music instructor and member of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Simcoe; Reverend Kevin Lee, minister at Bridlewood Presbyterian Church in Scarborough; and Reverend Doug Schonberg, Minister at Chippawa Presbyterian Church in Niagara Falls.

Cost is $25 and includes lunch. Register online, or for more information, download the brochure.

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church is located at 3219 Bloor Street West in Etobicoke, Ontario.

Pilgrimage 2012: Exploring the Reformed Heritage - July 6-22

mdonnelly — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:14:42 +0000

France, Switzerland and Scotland: July 6 to 22, 2012

Join the Elders' Institute and other Christians through Peregrinatio Studies for a spiritual journey with specialists in church history, music, education and Christian spirituality.

To receive a brochure/registration form, phone the Elders' Institute (St. Andrew's Hall) at 604-822-0071 (Vancouver) or toll-free at 1-866-794-8888, or email elders@standrews.edu.

Bursaries are available for ruling elders. Bursary deadline is February 15. Everyone welcome.

Information provided by The Elder's Institute.

Message to WCRC member churches about situation in Nigeria from the General Secretary

mdonnelly — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:36:26 +0000

The following is a letter from the World Communion of Reformed Churches' General Secretary Setri Nyomi.

Update 2012-02-06: Read a related letter from Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General of Religions for Peace, the largest international coalition of representatives from the world’s great religions dedicated to promoting peace.

* * *

Dear friends,

As a communion, we are called upon to pray for one another. In recent weeks our sisters and brothers in Nigeria have been going through some difficult challenges. The bombs in some churches on Christmas Day 2011 and the violence that continues to be meted out have been distressing.

As people of faith wrestle with the Boko Haram phenomenon, let us keep our sisters and brothers in our prayers. We pray for both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. We understand that many Muslim communities in Nigeria have also condemned the actions of the Boko Haram. We join our churches in Nigeria in condemning the actions of Boko Haram and all forces of evil and destruction.

We pray that the people of Nigeria will experience God’s presence, even through times like this, and that both Christians and Muslims will be given the wisdom to confront the destructive forces.

We are aware of how the situation in Nigeria has been made even more complex by the removal of subsidies on petroleum products in Nigeria and the protests and strikes that have followed. While the Nigerian government may be looking to address their budget problems with the removal of some subsidies and may even be concerned about using what is gained by the removal of subsidies to invest in social services and greater productivity, everything we hear points to the immediate consequence of higher prices and more difficulties for ordinary people. Some essential services may be forced to shut down.

We are encouraged by the decision of the government of Nigeria to reinstate a partial fuel subsidy. Let us hope that decisions made on this matter by any party will have the welfare of the people of Nigeria, especially the most vulnerable, at heart.

In the last week, I have been in correspondence and telephone conversation with a number of our church leaders in Nigeria. They appreciate the accompaniment of the WCRC family with them in a time like this and have asked us to continue to pray for them.

We therefore call upon all to pray for our sisters and brothers in Nigeria. Let us pray for peace, let us pray for wisdom, let us pray for life to replace the forces of death.

Setri Nyomi
General Secretary
World Communion of Reformed Churches

Calvin, North Bay, presents Understanding Your Own Spiritual Life workshop, Feb. 25, 2012

mdonnelly — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:14:28 +0000

Calvin Presbyterian Church in North Bay, presents a workshop called "Understanding Your Own Spiritual Life" by The Rev. Dr. Dale Woods on Saturday, February 25 from 1:30 to 4:00 pm. Dr. Woods will lead a workshop on Saturday and then put it into practice in worship on Sunday, February 26 at 10:30 am.

This workshop will help participants:

Explore the various approaches to worship and spirituality by learning
from various Christian traditions.
Identify the ways you approach Christian faith and worship.
Reflect on how your congregation approaches its own faith life, as
expressed in worship.

Calvin Presbyterian Church
401 First Ave W, North Bay
www.calvinpresbyterianchurch.ca
705-474-4750

Information provided by Calvin Presbyterian Church.

The Presbyterian College, Montreal to award Doctor of Divinity to Rev. Dr. Linda J. Bell

mdonnelly — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:09:26 +0000

The Board of Governors is pleased to announce that the Presbyterian College, Montreal will confer the degree Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa) upon The Rev. Dr. Linda J. Bell, B.A., M.Div., D.Min..

Linda Bell has served as the minister at Gale Presbyterian Church, Elmira, Ontario for the past 17 years. Previously she served in rural ministry for 17 years at the churches in Cobden and Ross (& Scotch Bush), and at McDonald’s Corners, Elphin & Snow Road in Ontario. In 1992 Linda Bell was elected as the Moderator of the General Assembly, the first woman to serve in this capacity in the history of The Presbyterian Church in Canada.

In making the decision to confer this degree, the Board of Governors cited Dr. Bell’s courageous and ground-breaking service to the denomination, her excellence in pastoral ministry, her commitment to rural and remote ministries, her faithful and effective preaching ministry, and her service to the wider community.

The degree will be conferred at the 145th Convocation to be held on Thursday, May 10, 2012 at The Church of Saint Andrew and Saint Paul in Montreal.

Information provided by Presbyterian College.

Rev. Sandy Scott of St. Paul's, Prince Albert, to receive Meritorious Service Medal

mdonnelly — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:36:50 +0000

Rev. Sandy Scott

Update 2012-02-02: Rev. Scott was decorated by Governor General Rt. Hon. David Johnston on January 26 at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Click here for the story.

* * *

Presbyterian Church minister and police chaplain Rev. Sandy Scott from St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Prince Albert will receive the Meritorious Service Medal, an award given by the Canadian Forces to "recognize a military deed or activity performed in a highly professional manner, according to a very high standard that brings benefit or honour to the Canadian Forces" (source: Governor General of Canada website).

The following is from the panow.com website:

Captain Scott was promoted to Major Scott for his service with a team of six Canadian chaplains in Afghanistan from Sept. 29, 2009 to Apr. 10, 2010.

Now he will be awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his service with the Canadian Military in Afghanistan.

The full article can be read on panow.com.

WCC Update: Churches pray for Christian unity

mdonnelly — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:18:48 +0000

At the Christian Unity Prayer Meeting H.E. Ambrosios of Korea officiated the Breaking of Breads (five loaves) Ceremony (Artoklasia) distributed by the Christian leaders from the different denominations in Korea on 19 January officiated at St Nicholas Cathedral in Seoul with the local parish priests. © Chang Kyu Daniel Na

Despite all the divides and divisions, churches and congregations observed the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the month of January, with a profound theme for this year, “We will all be changed by the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. 1 Cor 15:51-58).

Sponsored jointly by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Faith and Order, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated from 18-25 of January (in the northern hemisphere) or at Pentecost (in the southern hemisphere).

This year, the materials were prepared by churches in Poland, reflecting and sharing from their own history of partition and victory over oppression.

Through the WCC and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity the texts were received by the churches, and were adapted for local celebrations of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity around the world.

In the Philippines, where people have been faced with governance crisis, churches took the lead towards national unity in setting aside their doctrinal differences. Together they marked the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity dedicated to prayers for change and peace in the country.

Similarly, Churches together in Britain and Ireland stressed the significance of “change”, as an integral part of theology and unity among the churches.

“Change is also at the heart of the ecumenical movement. When we pray for the unity of the church we are praying that the churches that we know, and which are so familiar to us will change as they conform more closely to Christ,” they emphasized.

Celebrations also took place in France and Switzerland, and throughout Europe, where various churches including Orthodox, Roman Catholics and Protestants reflected together on the theme of Christian unity in prayer and meditations.

Across the USA and Canada, local Christian communities marked the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, with special worship services and community gatherings.

According to Rev. Victor Kim from Grace Presbyterian Church in Calgary, “It's a week that is ecumenical in nature. So it's not about one particular denomination, one particular strand. It's a week that joins together the Roman Catholic and Protestant and other traditions, including Orthodox, and it's celebrated all over the world.”

For Tamara Grdzelidze, programme executive of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order, the theme offers various perspectives showing the strength of faith as one uniting factor, which keeps us rooted in our diverse situations as churches.

In a special service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on 23 January at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Grdzelidze said in her reflections, “The reading from the Epistle, indeed, manifests the key antinomy of Christianity according to which the defeat changes into the victory, the crucifixion changes into the resurrection, death, in a twinkle of an eye changes into life.”

Grdzelidze highlighted the significance of Christian unity that the week promotes. She said, “Indeed, to follow the Lord, to serve Him and attain the honour of victory over death, we are called to the unity in our faith in its manifold expressions whether charitable, prayerful, meditative, active or pro-active. Unity in faith is indeed victory over the hatred, wickedness, idle talk, sloth.”

Obituary for Dr. A. Goodwill MacDougall

mdonnelly — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:17:55 +0000

Published in the Blackpool Evening Gazette on 21st January 2012

Dr. A. Goodwill MacDougall

After a short illness bravely borne, Goodwill passed away peacefully in the loving care of Trinity Hospice in Lancashire, England, on Tuesday January 17th 2012, aged 92 years.

Devoted husband of the late Margaret (Peggy), beloved dad of Marilyn and father in law of the late Peter. Goodwill will be sadly missed by Andrew, Suzanne, Clare, Gary and their families, as well as his many friends. Goodwill was a retired minister of The Presbyterian Church in Canada.

A celebration of Goodwill's life will be held at Poulton Le Fylde Methodist Church, Queensway on Thursday January 26th at 3:30pm.