2022 Anniversary Letter
Dear Families and Friends of St. Andrew’s,
For the last couple of years, we did not celebrate the church anniversary due to the pandemic. This year we will most definitely mark the church’s 187th anniversary! We are celebrating on Sunday, June 5, along with sharing in Holy Communion.
This year our guest speaker will be Lynnita Weber. She is currently the Executive Director at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Leaskdale - a role that she started one month before COVID hit Ontario! Prior to that she worked in international humanitarian relief and development, and spent significant amounts of time in countries like Ghana, Angola, and Sudan. She and her husband, Brad, live in Cannington with their two teenage daughters, Natalia and Brontë.
Lynnita isn’t new to us. She led one of the Session’s retreats. Members were so impressed with her teaching and leadership that we’ve asked her to lead us through our conversations around renewing worship at St. Andrew’s. We hope you will mark your calendar and join us in person, however, if you are unable to, it will also be live-streamed.
As has been customary over the years, at our anniversary Sunday service, we ask for an additional donation above and beyond your normal giving to assist in paying for unbudgeted expenses that may occur during the year. These items are the ones that need to be addressed sooner rather than later. Any amount raised that goes over the cost of the repair/purchased item will be used to cover the everyday operating expenses of the church.
As most are aware, there has been significant deterioration of our parking lot by the sewer drain near the York St. entrance. The ground under the driveway by the sewer has deteriorated considerably to a point where the driveway itself is buckling. While we do not have a final quote yet as to the cost of the repair, it is anticipated to cost around $7,000.00. We are looking into the possibility of coordinating the fix at the same time as the construction on York Street, however that may not be possible.
So dealing with the driveway repair is part of the purpose of the fundraising drive, but there is more. The past two years have been extremely difficult for many churches, and the time here at St Andrew’s has been no different. Unlike a lot of other churches during the pandemic, we still are in a stable financial position, but some concerning trends need to be addressed. Over the past two years, we have lost members due to COVID regulations, death, and the National Church’s position on sexuality and marriage. The financial impact has seen our EFT (electronic funds transfer) givings drop by $2,000.00 a month ($24,000.00 per year). As long as the church remains in this transition period of COVID uncertainty, the ability to add new members to make up the shortfall is not likely. As stated above, we are still financially stable, but it is a trend we will have to take a look at.
Therefore, we are setting our Anniversary fundraising goal at $24,000.00. Part of it will help to offset the EFT drop, and part will pay for the driveway repair. It is an aggressive goal, but St. Andrew’s has never backed down from challenges in the past and our feeling is that this one shall be no different! We thank you for your generous help and support in the past, and ask again that you consider prayerfully how you can help at this time.
In Christ,
Rev. Linda Park and Rev. Bob Quick