Author: standrewspcancaster

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Mar 15 – Worship Service Cancelled

It is with a heavy heart that Session has decided to cancel our Sunday worship service for tomorrow, March 15. The public, government and church response to COVID-19 has continued to progress rapidly over the last 24 hours. In light of these developments, the most responsible decision is for St. Andrew’s to cancel our service as well.
Over the past few days we have been investigating options for video recording and live-streaming a version of our service so that we can still worship together on Sundays even if we are physically separate in our own homes.
Session will have something in place for next Sunday, but in the mean time Rev. Read will be preparing a short video message with a devotion and time of prayer that you can watch during our regular time of worship tomorrow.  A message will be sent out to the congregational email list  at 10:00am tomorrow morning which will contain a link to this video message, the Bible readings for the day, and some other worship resources. This message will also be posted here on the church website.
The Session will also be meeting for prayer and discernment during our regular 10:30am worship time. We will be discussing how we can provide care and spiritual support the members of our congregation during this time, and continue to be salt and light in our community. Session will continue to provide updates and news as the public health situation continues to develop.
Though we will not be physically together tomorrow morning we will still be united through our Lord Jesus and by his Spirit. The Lord is still risen, God still reigns and Sunday is his day, no matter what is going in this world and in our lives.
May you know his grace and peace always,
Rev. John Read
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Mar 18 – Let’s Do Lunch Cancelled

As noted in our response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 we have cancelled our Let’s Do Lunch gathering that was scheduled for Wednesday March 18. Please pass this message along to others who normally attend this event.

The Session of St. Andrew’s will be monitoring the public health situation over the coming weeks and determine whether or not to hold Let’s Do Lunch in April.

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Responding to Concerns Surrounding Coronavirus COVID-19 – Updated

In response to the recent news about the coronavirus (COVID-19), our prayers to God are for those who are ill with this virus and for those who care for them, especially in countries that have been most affected. We also pray for health and frontline workers as they face their daily tasks. And we remember those communities and businesses that have been affected and any facing discrimination as a result of the circulation of the virus.

Public Health officials tell us that the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to any virus. General prevention measures include:

  • Get your flu shot if you have not already received one.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 15 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are ill.
  • Stay home if you have influenza/respiratory virus symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, trouble breathing).
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then immediately throw the tissue in the garbage and wash your hands.
  • If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or arm.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Currently, the risk of getting COVID-19 in Canada remains low for the general population.  But as the last few days have shown the situation can quickly change. Everyone should use their best judgement on how to minimize risk, especially for those who are most vulnerable:

  • aged 65 and over,
  • with compromised immune systems,
  • with underlying medical conditions.

If you’re rejoining us after travelling abroad, please review the suggested guidelines on the federal government’s website https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/travel-health-notices which has the most up-to-date information for returning travellers.

Sunday Worship

  • Worship has been cancelled for Sunday March 15. Session (the Minister and elders) will be meeting to determine our next steps as a congregation in light of the public health situation. We will keep you informed in the coming days and weeks by email and here on the church website.

Other Church Events

  • Let’s Do Lunch is cancelled next Wednesday March 18. We will continue to monitor the public health situation over the next few weeks before making a decision about the April Let’s Do Lunch.
    • Please pass along the news to any friends from outside the congregation who normally attend Let’s Do Lunch.
  • We are also cancelling our Children’s Choir rehearsals and Messy Church gatherings until classes resume at Ontario Public Schools. Current plans are for schools to reopen on April 5.

Going Forward

The Government of Canada provides updates as well as other health safety practices and resources at: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html. Information about the current status of the situation in Ontario is available on the Ministry of Health website at www.ontario.ca/coronavirus. It’s important to ensure that you are using credible sources of information like these to get your information about COVID-19.

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Introducing Messy Church

St. Andrew’s is introducing a new worship, learning and community gathering called Messy Church.

Messy Church has been a highly successful approach used by churches across the United Kingdom, Canada and the U.S, as a way to open the door to families who aren’t connected to a church. The basic idea is that people don’t have to have it ‘all together’ in order to come to church (to learn more go to: https://www.messychurch.org.uk/).

It’s for all ages together (kids, parents, grandparents and other family) and involves crafts, a meal and a short time of informal worship. Going forward it will run once a month on a Saturday.
September 28 will be our trial run and will be for those who are already part of our St. Andrew’s family (including adult children and grandkids of our Sunday congregation).
 
We’ll begin inviting our neighbours to come to Messy Church starting with our October gathering on Saturday October 26 (10:00am to Noon).
 
If you have any questions or would like to help with future Messy Church gatherings email: standrewsancaster@gmail.com
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Sept 25 – Fall Alpha Course

St. Andrew’s is offering the Alpha Course this fall. Alpha will meet on Wednesdays 6:30-8:00pm from September 25 to December 4.  Each week there’s a free meal, a video and discussion. Alpha is a safe, welcoming place to ask life’s big questions and a great way to develop meaningful friendships with people from all backgrounds and perspectives.

If you’re already a part of our church we encourage you to invite your friends, family and neighbours who have questions about life, faith and purpose – Alpha is a great place to explore them. Postcards with information on this fall’s Alpha will be available starting this Sunday September 8.

To learn more go to our Alpha page, watch some of the videos below, or go to: TryAlpha.ca

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2019 Vacation Bible School (Summer Day Camp)

St. Andrew’s will be hosing the annual Ancaster Community Vaction Bible School (VBS) this year from July 2nd to 5th with programming running from 9am – Noon. This year’s theme  is “In The Wild: Amazing Encounters with Jesus.” Registration forms are available from the church office can be downloaded here. Registration Deadline is June 21, 2019.

VBS registration 2019

The Ancaster Community VBS a partnership between St. Andrew’s, St. John’s Anglican Church and Marshall Memorial United Church.

 

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Nov 25 – Celebration Sunday

 Come join us as we celebrate the completion of our building renovations! It’s been a long journey but it’s all done and looks amazing. We will be marking the day with a special service with music from both the St. Andrew’s Band and Choir as well as a special presentation from the children.

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Sept 30 – Final Construction Update

There will be a Congregational Meeting after Worship on Sunday September 30. The Accessibility Team will be giving a final construction update as the project nears completion. The construction doors will be open for you to see how close we are to having it all finished! We will also be sharing the next steps for fundraising and discussing our plans for our Grand Opening and special Celebration Worship Service. You don’t want to miss this!