Practical Compassion. It’s the title of a book, published in August by Presbyterian World Service & Development to commemorate 75 years of working to help others through relief, development and refugee sponsorship programs. Full of engaging photos that illustrate how a helping hand can change lives, Practical Compassion shares the human stories that show how […]
For 39 years, the Presbyterian Church in Canada has been offering a helpful hand of love in Malawi. One of the church’s 73 people who have spent time in Malawi carrying out the commandment to love others is Mary Helen Garvin, a member of St. Andrew’s Barrie’s Women’s Missionary Society. She recalls one vivid memory […]
This weekend, it’s Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. We are grateful and celebrate the plentiful harvest. The joy of biting into a fresh apple. The pumpkin pie served with some whipped cream, for pumpkin spice lovers, is an incredible creation. And the dinner – the turkey or ham with all the trimmings – definitely, something to […]
This week has been a sad one for us at St. Andrew’s: our dear friend and long-time secretary/treasurer Barb Drummond was called home, suddenly. Whether in our office or on the phone, Barb was a gentle person who took time to listen and to help others. She was patient as she listened, gentle as […]
Many call Wednesday “hump day” – as they refer to the workday journey to the weekend. They took a deep breath Monday and lunged into their week. By this afternoon, the work week will be 60 per cent in the past and a deep breath and some fresh energy would be helpful. The negative headlines […]
In the days before the pandemic, the last week of June would mean the end of the academic – or activity – year. Not so this year: At St. Andrew’s, we return not just to thank God and be nourished as His/Her/Their family on Sundays, but other activities are resuming too. This week, we saw […]
This week, Rev. Joanne explored Jesus’ trip across the lake to an area no upstanding Jewish citizen would ever venture: In Luke 8, Jesus goes to Gadarenes, located on the east side of the Jordan River and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. There the people were Gentiles and they raised and ate pork. The […]
Three in One. That’s the message of Trinity Sunday. And many ministers, pastors and preachers have used an array of illustrations to help us understand what God is like. As a child, my Presbyterian minister with an Irish heritage used the example of the shamrock – three leaves united by one stem, one plant; in […]
In many of our communities and churches, we have territorial acknowledgements that often include a phrase about moving forward in a spirit of reconciliation and respect. It is a statement of our commitment to acknowledge not only the lands of the Indigenous peoples and their way of life but our commitment to understand the trauma […]
Earlier this week, there were 150 tents pitched along Lakeshore Drive in Barrie. It wasn’t a kid’s camping event, unfortunately. It was an awareness initiative of the housing crisis we face in Barrie. Everyone knows how expensive it is to own and to rent in the city. Barrie ranks 6th in Canada in April 2022, […]