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From the Minister I am sure that it will not be very long, as is the practice of us humans, before we arrive at a point in our congregational journey together when we will no longer see the new elevator or front steps, doors and ramp way as something remarkable and exciting for St. Andrew's. At the risk of overstating its introduction into our lives, let me take a moment to reflect on the amazing thing that all of you have done in this special project of “breaking down barriers.” More than anything else, allow me to affirm that you have collectively supported and embodied a very biblical principle: that God is the God of all people, not just those who are able-bodied and gifted at mobility. You could have demanded that our building remain unchanged from the fundamental structure that was opened in 1883 and then expanded in 1921. Or, you could have held to a view that says the cost of this kind of project is not justified by the amount of its potential usage. You might even have argued that our thirty-year-old chairlift, (a wonderful step toward accessibility in its time!) was still sufficient for today. But you did not. Because deep in your heart, you knew those views were shallow and dishonest. Instead, you voted unanimously as a congregation to embark on a major accessibility and renovation project, and you backed up your vote with a generous commitment to the “Affirm, Ascend, Achieve” Campaign. Then, as Board, Session and Working Group brought you updates, concepts and thoughtful ideas for consideration and decision, you responded helpfully, intelligently, and with a heart for the deepest human needs that would finally be addressed through this venture. So here we are today, somehow transformed as a building but more importantly as a people who have faced a challenge, but overcome it with skill and compassion. In the years to come, when the memory of these exciting days has begun to slip from our consciousness, I hope each one of us will find a way to look back to this moment in our lives together and say, “The Spirit of God was with us for good and holy purposes.” But until then, and in the days and months that lie immediately before us, let us give thanks that we were counted worthy to “make this difference” in the lives and destinies of so many, both now and in the years of service yet to come. The physical barriers have been broken down in Christ Jesus. Every day, more and other barriers of our own making may surely fall. The Holy Spirit is at work among us. Thanks be to God! Your minister and friend, Rick Rev. Dr. Endowment Fund Year One of the five-year pledge program at St. Andrew’s was completed An additional $27,278.96 was received through fund raisers and gifts from persons who are committed to the program but who chose not to contribute through the five-year pledge plan. As of As the contributions continue to come in from various sources, we hope that we will garner the funds necessary to carry on with the many renovations and repairs required to maintain the Sanctuary and On behalf of the AAA Campaign Committee, I would like to thank you for the positive response and overwhelming support for the work we are doing, and will do, at St. Andrew’s, Barrie. Wally Smith Focus on: Mitten Tree
A long-standing tradition at St. Andrew’s is the annual decoration of a Mitten Tree. In late fall, a group of volunteers goes forth in search of a tree. The criteria for a mitten tree is the same as that used for a traditional Christmas Tree – it must be perfect. It must be tall enough to brush the ceiling of the Sanctuary, and it must have great, sweeping branches to hold the “decorations.” The reasons for such requirements may be found in the four themes of Advent: Hope that your mittens will grace the upper branches; the Peace that the mittens will give someone whose hands would otherwise be cold; Joy in sharing such a flurry of giving; and Love for one another that marks us as Christians. In the past, the mittens have been donated to Out of the Cold, the Salvation Army, Barrie Children’s Aid, Barrie Women and Children’s Shelter, and Youth Haven. If you have never seen a congregation give with glee, then I encourage you to come to church on December 6th – and remember to bring a pair of mittens! Board of Managers
We are pleased to report that the accessibility project is substantially finished. Work on the ladies washroom has been delayed because of the installation of a Backflow valve. It was not part of the project, however it is required by the City and had to go in before the washroom was completed. It was decided that the Ramp and new Steps should be heated, but this was not part of the original quote. We have had the portion of the work which had to be done at the time of construction roughed in, and the remainder will be finished as the budget allows. We have purchased a defibulator and a number of people in St Andrew’s congregation will be trained in its use. You may have noticed the large signs on the houses next door to the Church. It was necessary to apply to the City of The Board Continues to do our regular work of Building maintenance. Givings
Only 5 Sundays left until the end of the 2009 Tax Year Kirk Session We are finally a wheelchair accessible facility! Following our November Session meeting, elders took turns personally testing out our new elevator. It passed with flying colors! Now that we are an accessible building, the Presbytery of Barrie will meet at St. Andrew's, H1N1 Discussions We realize there is some uncertainty surrounding "the Sunday morning handshake." Short of everyone wearing face masks, sterile gloves, and cancelling our Fellowship time after the service, we feel it would be impossible to sterilize every surface in the building. Therefore, we encourage everyone to acknowledge each other in the way you are most comfortable with – be it a handshake, a wave, or a nod of the head. Hand sanitizers are available and we will continue to try to keep our busy environment as clean as possible. Education Jesus is Born! The church school children have begun a Christmas unit in preparation for their presentation during the worship service on December 13th. They will experience the anticipation and joy of the coming Son of God through Art, Games, Science, Music and Drama Stations. Note: There will be a final practice for the Christmas Presentation on Saturday, December 12th at Youth News St. Andrew’s joint youth group with Westminster Presbyterian Church has been meeting regularly on Fridays from Tobey Boyer Membership What a wonderful time we had sharing our 6th annual Friendship Sunday with our Synod P.Y.P.S young people. Dr. Horst’s best friends, Rob and Mark, also joined us for the service. We enjoyed a wonderful service, tasty refreshments and warm fellowship. Thanks to all who made it a memorable day. The Presbyterian Record is our window on the Presbyterian world and St. Andrew’s participates in the “Every Home Plan.” To cover the cost of your 2010 subscription please include $18.50 with your offering envelope (use the 5th line), or use the Record envelope. Ushering and Hosting Would you like to help with this important ministry? Can you help at our Christmas services? Please call or speak with Marlene Thurlow Duffy. A warm welcome to our new members, who joined St. Andrew’s on With the end of the year approaching, it seems like a good time to let you know what the James Kajawo, the Malawian student to whom we have given support this year, has received almost $3,000 to carry him through his final year and a half at the Malawi College of Accounting. He will graduate this summer. James’ fees are now all paid, and this project is completed. One of our families has taken on the support of James’ sister, brother, and two cousins through their last years of high school. We received a $1,000 grant from the Healing and Reconciliation project, Justice Ministries, of The Presbyterian Church in The congregation raised $764, in addition to the W.M.S. donation, to help build a student residence at the Donations have also been made to Tara and Jerry Murray, who are serving overseas, and to Evangel Hall in The Volunteer Inventory project still needs your support. Please fill in the inventory which you received with your last Awareness, and return it to us. You can leave it at the office, in the pew, or with an usher. Three cheers for St. Andrew’s! We are helping to change lives! Mary Helen Garvin Welcome A warm welcome to new members: Jeff and Alison Campbell, Jack Duffy, Maureen Foley,Ross and Linda Furzecott, Richard Jewson and Shirley Arthur, Gary McRea, Pastoral Care On December 2nd at 10:30 a.m., we will be meeting in the Gathering Hall to prepare Christmas Cheer bags for those members and adherents who are in Long Term Care facilities or unable to worship with us on a regular basis. Donations of cookies, candies and Christmas cake will be gratefully accepted, and you are welcome to join us in filling these bags.We wish you all the blessings of this Christmas Season. Ellen Heikkila. Leprosy and Stamps Will you please save used postage stamps for the Leprosy Mission? Once Leprosy, little white patches on the skin, is diagnosed it can be cured. A multi-drug therapy given over a period of 6 to 24 months can cure the bacteria in the body. Research has proven that, while leprosy damages nerve endings, it does not cause the fingers and toes to fall off. When patients injure themselves they do not feel pain and infection sets in. Ifcan be diagnosed before any damage is done, then there are novisible signs left after the medication is administered. If you could help by bringing in your stamps that would be great. There is a box in the Gathering Hall for your bundles of stamps. Please leave at least a 1-2 cm border. Thank You. Stewardship Dear St. Andrew’s Members and Adherents: The Stewardship Team would like to thank you for your generous support of the AAA Campaign and the ongoing expenses of the church. Once again you have proven what great stewards you are. Grocery Cards Using Grocery Cards must be the easiest way to financially support St. Andrew's - all you have to do is buy your weekly groceries using a card! They also make great gifts for those hard-to-buy-for people on your list - out of town students, service providers, charities, etc.
Grocery for Zehrs (No Frills, Canadian Wholesale Club) and Sobeys (Foodland, Price Chopper)available in the Gathering Hall every Sunday after the service; just bring us cash or a cheque (payable to St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church).To purchase cards during the week, please call Barb at the office. As of Cards sold: $120,175 St. Andrew's: $6,008.75 Worship and Memorial The Worship and Memorial Team met Sunday, November 8th, to plan for the upcoming seasons of Advent and Christmas. As we move through the “dark days” of Advent into the light of Christ’s grace through His holy birth, we are reminded to reflect on the many blessings in our own lives. Please see the back page of Awareness for the list of Advent and Christmas services. If you wish to donate monies towards poinsettias in remembrance of loved ones for Christmas, please contact Library As we prepare for the cool weather that is sure to come, think about borrowing one of the delightful movies on the shelf just inside the library door (to the left). Rated for you and your children, they are sure to entertain you and the family. If you prefer music, check out the CDs in the same section. Are you looking for books that will make lasting gifts for your children or grandchildren this Christmas? You will find ideas in the children’s library in the Sunday School room. There are stories about Christmas as well as Children’s Bibles. You will find Christmas stories in the adult section, too. We hope that, in some way, the resources in the library will bless your life. Ann McAfee Women’s Missionary Society The Women's Missionary Society is an active part of the life of St. Andrew's. This has come about through the issues of Awareness, which inform people of our activities and projects. Last year, the W.M.S. Council decided to sponsor a church-wide fundraising project for two mission projects – one in The We will begin the New Year with a study about refugees entitled "Staying Rooted in our Uprooted World." Does this seem strange to you? Think about it. Since the beginning of time there have always been uprooted people. Individuals, families, and whole communities have been forced from their homes because of war, political upheaval, religious strife, natural disasters and poverty. The Bible is full of stories about people on the move, bothchoice and without choice. Our study will look at what Scripture has to say about those who are unjustly uprooted and at the reality that many people face today. If you have ever looked intoyour ancestry you will find that we all came to If you want to share in the study please join us in the Gathering Hall at Gladys McKillican L.I.F.E. Group The St. Andrew's Men's L.I.F.E. (Living In Faith Everyday) Group has been enjoying studying the Bible and our faith through the book The Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas. This book looks deeply into the significance of the bodilyof Jesus, His continuing, active reign from Heaven and what it means to Christians today. On November 7th, we travelled to We extend a welcome to the men of St. Andrew's who would like to drop in on Wednesdays from Ed Paine. Old Fashioned Sunday In 1849, Presbyterians in Elevator/Lift Dedication The Stewardship Team presents the Givings received to October 31st. The monthly goals are calculated based on the total amounts for 2009, distributed over the year based on the past three years’ monthly average. This is more reflective of how funds are actually received during the year, and it is a better indicator than simply dividing the annual amount by 12. On A special thank you to the members of the Alec Miller Family who generously donated a stair glide 30 years ago; you took the first step towards making St. Andrew’s accessible. Doors Open On September 27th, St. Andrew’s participated in Doors Open Barrie. Our 50 to 60 visitors were most understanding of the disorder caused by the construction, and commended us for our efforts. Many of them were not only interested in learning about our building’s history, but also in seeing our Sanctuary and the stained glass windows. One visitor, who works in stained glass, recognized the eight side windows as the work of the McAusland firm. He also “thought perhaps” that the Great West Window was done by Luxfer Studios—he was right! Another visitor, a Roman Catholic, was interested in the differences between the Sanctuary layouts of St. Andrew’s and St. Mary’s. Another group began a discussion as to why St. Andrew’s did not go into the United Church of Canada in 1925! Chris Bohdanowicz was unable to give a recital this year, so in the background we played the Preludes, Anthems and Offertories CD from 2005. This gave our visitors a taste of what our fine Casavant organ sounds like. Thanks to the tour guides: Dr. The Ant and the Contact Lens By Josh and Karen Zarandona Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took a hold on the rope, and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens. There she was on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn't there. So there she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, and waited for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff. She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of the Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me." Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it! Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You." At the risk of being accused of being fatalistic, I think it would probably do some of us good to occasionally say, "God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will." "God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called." by Dr. McKillican Services Meetings and Events November 16: December 2: Preparation of Christmas Cheer bags - December 12: Rehearsal, January 12: Presbytery of Andrew’s - 1st Monday of each Month: W.M.S. meets - Wednesdays: St. Andrew’s Men’s Living In Faith Everyday Group meets - The St. Andrew’s Day Eve Advent Event When: Sunday, November 29th Time: Come out for a variety of Activities and Carol Singing, followed by a Pot-Luck Supper Hosted by the Education and Fellowship Teams Upcoming Events November 22: Christ the King Sunday Reception of new members November 29: First Sunday of Advent Holy Communion December 6: Second Sunday of Advent Mitten Tree and White Gifts December 13: Third Sunday of Advent December 20: Fourth Sunday of Advent Chris Bohdanowicz and the choir offer Special Music of the Season December 24: Christmas Eve * Refreshments between Services Holy Communion by intinction. February 7: Presbyterian Record Sunday Reminders ¯ The CD Ministry resumed November 15 - get your copy from ¯ Donations of home-made cookies, Christmas cake and candy will be gratefully received for the Christmas Cheer bags ¯ The Canadian Mental Health Association, Simcoe County Branch, is holding its Annual Christmas Gift Campaign. Donations of new slippers, hats, gloves, hand lotion, shampoo, socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and sweet treats can be placed in a marked box that will be located in the Gathering Hall on Sunday November 22nd, and 29th. Wishing you all the joys of the Christmas Season, 1843-
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