January 20, 2023 Newsletter
Revivals & Renewal Follow Prayers
When one looks at the history of revivals in the church, one notices that revival always followed prayer. The Great Awakening (1859), the Welsh revival (1904), the Brownsville Revival (1995) - these great revivals were preceded by groups of people praying. In the book of Acts, from which I’ve been preaching, we see many accounts of the Spirit’s powerful work in the life of the church. Along with these accounts is described a church that is in constant prayer. The people of God constantly gathered to pray (Acts 2:42; 4; 12; 21:5). The prayers of the early church were corporate, frequent, urgent, bold, and effective.
At St. Andrew’s, we are in a time of discernment; we are seeking God’s will. To do this, we need prayer. Would you consider joining the Wednesday night prayer meeting? We’re meeting on the second and fourth Wednesdays at 7:00 pm. If you feel uncomfortable praying out loud, there are several options. You may bring a prayer to read and share with the group. Or you might bring your Bible and share a passage. You could also pick up a scripture sheet which has a Bible verse which you can read.
Individual prayers are important; so is praying together. In Matthew 18:20 it says, “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” When we come together, we can experience God’s presence. Please join us at our next prayer meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 7:00 p.m. in the church library. It would be amazing if the group gathered to pray was too large to meet in the library! Blessings, Rev. Linda
Small groups gathered on December 11 to discuss what God has called us to be as a church. There was a lot of meaningful conversation, and a wide variety of ideas were presented. We know it has been a quiet topic since then, but there is a lot of analysis happening behind the scenes as all of the information is being sorted and examined!
Just check out this office space!!
Thank you all for your patience!!
Christmas Worship Service: Unscripted
On Christmas morning in the sanctuary, we enjoyed readings & prayers, (some in Spanish), a scripture based comparison of Jesus & Santa Claus, and an impromptu Children’s Choir with music led by Bill Dickinson.
Fun and Fellowship was enjoyed at Games Night on January 13th. Despite the weather, 27 people of all ages showed up to share in a relaxed evening of games and got to know each other a bit better.
Some of the popular games were Apples to Apples, Scrabble, Battleship, Mancala, Rack-0, Dutch Blitz and Crokinole, while snacking on delicious treats!
We look forward to our next Games Night on February 10!
Daughters of St. Andrew’s
If you want to meet new friends and enjoy the company of a wonderful group of women, the Daughters of St. Andrew’s is the place for you. Formed in 1954, this intrepid group will soon be celebrating its 70th anniversary. Its stated purpose then was fellowship, prayer, study and service and this is what has continued to this day.
There are eight regular meetings a year and two luncheon meetings, either catered or at a local restaurant. At regular meetings there is a short devotion, and a programme followed by refreshments at which time we get to chat and catch up with one another. The programmes can be inspirational, educational and/or entertaining and frequently involve guest speakers as well as our own members. They often reflect the season of the year.
Our service component is, upon request, to cater funeral receptions for members and adherents of St. Andrew’s. The income from these receptions is used to further our Lord’s work at St. Andrew’s and beyond. As well, as a 60th Anniversary project in 2014, the Daughters set up a fund to help with the cost of attendance at a Presbyterian summer camp for children of St. Andrew’s. We meet on the fourth Monday of each month (except for July and August) and on a different date in December at 1:30 p.m. in U1.
We would love to have you join us.
Contact President Fae Quinn at (705) 320-8041 or any member.
Happy 100th Birthday on January 20th to Jeanne Dell!
Jeanne was a long time member of St. Andrew’s and active in the Daughters of St. Andrew’s. She now resides in the Elliot Community in Guelph!
With Gratitude
On Saturday, January 14, Nataliia, Yaroslav and Vladyslav moved into their new apartment on Angeline Street next to Leslie Frost school.
Thanks to the generosity of our church family and other community members, they have received almost everything the family will need to begin life in their new home.
It was amazing to witness how our church family came together swiftly and offered assistance with the move and donated such wonderful items to furnish the apartment.
Nataliia was quite overwhelmed with your willingness and support.
The boys will be able to continue their schooling at St. Dominic and they are happy about that.
When selecting an apartment, your Outreach Team looked for one that would allow for maximum stability and little change from their current location.
We ask that you pray for this family as they begin life in their new home.
We must also express our deep gratitude to Marnie Nelles for providing this family with a safe and caring place to live for the past seven months.
As an Outreach ministry team, we feel blessed that we are able to help this young family find some sense of peace and security, having left their family and home and still living with the uncertainty of their future.
“Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices.” (Hebrews 13:16)
Bless all of you who have supported this family with your prayers, financial support and donations.
Dianne Dalton
On behalf of the Ukrainian Outreach Ministry Team
