Here are all your resources for Family Worship & Learning for January 10, 2021. The Family Worship video will be available starting at 9:00am on Sunday morning but you can download all the other resources right away. We continue our look at the story of John the Baptist in the Gospel of Luke. The Bible passage connected with our theme is Luke 1:57-79
Today’s Question
“When is a time you didn’t get in trouble when you probably should have?”
You can just ask the question together as a family or have your kids fill out the colouring sheet. If you join the St. Andrew’s Family Email list you will be sent the Question on a Thursday and have the opportunity to have your answers included in in the Family Worship Video (which is recorded on Saturday afternoons). To be added to the weekly email send a message to revjohnread@gmail.com
Family Worship Video – Available 9:00am Sunday Morning
Crafts, Discussion & Other Activities
1. Raising Sun Catcher (supplies: coffee filters; paper plates with centres cut out; hole punch; yarn or string: markers; spray bottle with water; banner sized piece of paper or cardboard)
2. Peace Banner (supplies: large piece of paper or cardboard; markers)
To access the curriculum sheet with an overview of the Big God Theme, craft ideas, a how-to craft video, and discussion questions for older kids go here:
Rev Read is on study leave this Sunday. For worship tomorrow you can tune into the YouTube channels for Knox Presbyterian Church in Binbrook or St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Carluke. Rev. Nancy Mostert is the minister of both churches. John will be back next Sunday (January 10).
Knox Binbrook – Live at 11:00am with recording available Sunday afternoon.
Here are all your resources for Family Worship & Learning for January 3, 2021. The Family Worship video will be available starting at 9:00am on Sunday morning but you can download all the other resources right away. The Bible passage connected with our theme is Luke 1:1-25
Today’s Question
“What is something you like now but didn’t always like?”
You can just ask the question together as a family or have your kids fill out the colouring sheet. If you join the St. Andrew’s Family Email list you will be sent the Question on a Thursday and have the opportunity to have your answers included in in the Family Worship Video (which is recorded on Saturday afternoons). To be added to the weekly email send a message to revjohnread@gmail.com
To access the curriculum sheet with an overview of the Big God Theme, craft ideas, a how-to craft video, and discussion questions for older kids go here:
This Sunday, December 27, is the 1st Sunday in Christmas. We hope that you had a good Christmas day in spite of the pandemic measures needed to keep us safe. The theme for this week is “Jesus is God’s Son.”
Our Home Worship service for this week will go live on YouTube at 10:30am. The service continues to be available by telephone for those without internet access.
In the service Rev. Read recommends the Luke-Acts series from the Bible Project as a good way to continue the Christmas story into the New Year. You can find it here:
Study Leave: Rev. Read will be on Study Leave from December 28, 2020 to January 3, 2021. For this leave I will be exchanging virtual pulpits with Rev. Nancy Mostert of St. Paul’s Carluke and Knox Binbrook. On Sunday January 3 links for St. Paul’s and Knox’s services will be posted here. January 10 the folks from Carluke and Binbrook will join our online service. If you are in need of pastoral care during this time, please email Rev. John Hibbs (jayhibbs@cogeco.ca).
Christmas Donations to Ancaster Community Services: In a normal year we donate a portion of our Christmas Offering to Ancaster Community Services. Please consider making a donation directly to ACS here – https://ancastercommunityservices.ca/
2020 Donations to St. Andrew’s: Please remember that all donations for the 2020 must be received at the church by Friday December 31, 2020 in order to be included on 2020 tax receipts. Information on how to make a donation online, by e-transfer or by mail can be found here.
Thank you again for your support throughout this challenging year.
Here are all your resources for Family Worship & Learning for December 27, which is the 1st Sunday of Christmas. The Family Worship video will be available starting at 9:00am on Sunday morning but you can download all the other resources right away. The Bible passage connected with our theme is Luke 2:41-52.
Today’s Question
“What is something that you are known for?”
You can just ask the question together as a family or have your kids fill out the colouring sheet. If you join the St. Andrew’s Family Email list you will be sent the Question on a Thursday and have the opportunity to have your answers included in in the Family Worship Video (which is recorded on Saturday afternoons). To be added to the weekly email send a message to revjohnread@gmail.com
To access the curriculum sheet with an overview of the Big God Theme, craft ideas, a how-to craft video, and discussion questions for older kids go here:
Welcome to Christmas Eve online at St. Andrew’s. Our service features traditional selections of Christmas lessons and carols as well as some special music from our Band and Choir. We pray that this service would be helpful to you whether you’re a part of our church family or joining us for the first time. Merry Christmas.
This Sunday, December 20, is the 4th and final Sunday of Advent. We continue around the Advent wreath and light the candle of Love. You can use the attached Advent liturgy with your own wreath and follow along in the Family Worship video as another of our St. Andrew’s families lead us in lighting our fourth candle. The theme for this week is “God Restores Love.”
Our Home Worship service for this week will go live on YouTube at 10:30am. The service continues to be available by telephone for those without internet access.
Christmas Eve Service: Due to the continued rise in new cases of COVID and Hamilton moving into lockdown, Christmas Eve service will be online only. Christmas Eve service will premier live on YouTube on December 24 at 4:00pm and be available at any time after that.
There will also be a Christmas Eve Zoom gathering at 7:00pm, where we can wish each other a ‘Merry Christmas’ and sing ‘Silent Night’ together (those without internet access will be able to call into our local teleconference number). To receive access to the Zoom call write to –revjohnread@gmail.com
2020 Donations to St. Andrew’s: Please remember that all donations for the 2020 must be received at the church by Friday December 31,2020 in order to be included on 2020 tax receipts. Information on how to make a donation online, by e-transfer or by mail can be found here. Thank you again for your support throughout this challenging year.
Christmas Donations to Ancaster Community Services: In a normal year we donate a portion of our Christmas Offering to Ancaster Community Services. As we won’t be meeting in person please consider making a donation directly to ACS here – https://ancastercommunityservices.ca/
Here are all your resources for Family Worship & Learning for the 4th Sunday of Advent, December 20. We continue our journey through Advent with the candle of Love (click the link below for the candle liturgy). The Family Worship video will be available starting at 9:00am on Sunday morning but you can download all the other resources right away. The Bible passages connected with our theme are Isaiah 9:2-7.
You can just ask the question together as a family or have your kids fill out the colouring sheet. If you join the St. Andrew’s Family Email list you will be sent the Question on a Thursday and have the opportunity to have your answers included in in the Family Worship Video (which is recorded on Saturday afternoons). To be added to the weekly email send a message to revjohnread@gmail.com
To access the curriculum sheet with an overview of the Big God Theme, craft ideas, a how-to craft video, and discussion questions for older kids go here:
You can watch the video message above or read the full text below:
The Session and Reopening Taskforce met over the past two days and we are in agreement that as much as we would dearly love to offer some kind of in-person service on Christmas Eve, the continuing rise in COVID cases in Hamilton and the rest of Ontario unfortunately makes this impossible.
Daily case numbers in Hamilton are now over 100 on a regular basis with no sign of levelling off. There are warnings of many hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area reaching their capacity and calls for everyone to stay home and avoid contact with others as much as possible. While there was no announcement of a lockdown for Hamilton this afternoon, it is likely that one may come as early as Monday or perhaps for Boxing Day. We know that this is deeply discouraging and adds to what has already been a difficult time of year.
Yet this does not mean that Christmas is cancelled. Christ comes to us whether we are gathered together in one place or scattered each to our own households.
An online Christmas Eve service will premier live on YouTube on December 24 at 4:00pm and be available at any time after that. This service will include Christmas readings by members of our church, Christmas Carols and music from the St. Andrew’s Band and some of our Choir members.
There will also be a Christmas Zoom gathering at 7:00pm, where we can wish each other a ‘Merry Christmas’ and sing ‘Silent Night’ together (those without internet access will be able to call into our local teleconference number). All these details will be emailed to those on our mailing list at noon of December 24. If you are not yet on the St. Andrew’s mailing list please write to revjohnread@gmail.com by December 23 at 5:00pm to be included on the Zoom Call.
We pray that you would be filled with the hope, peace, joy and love of Christ as we continue to journey through this pandemic. There is hope on the horizon as vaccines have started to make their way across the country to those in greatest need of protection. But even as we give thanks for this, and await widespread vaccinations in the coming months, we remember that the one who fulfills our greatest hopes and brings us the most profound health and salvation is the Child of Mary, who is the Son of the Living God. May you know his coming among us in the coming days and in the season to follow.
A Quiet Christmas is a special service we usually offer for those who find the holidays to be a difficult time of year – whether due to the loss of loved ones, the shortened days, or stress. As this Christmas will be a difficult one for all of us, I invite you to take in this special time of worship that reflects on the good news that Christ comes as light shining in the darkness.
If you have candles at home, you can take part in the service by lighting one or more for those people and situations who most need the light of Christ in this time.
