News & Events

This Sunday May 16^th we step back into the story of the Book of Acts as the early church finds new opportunities for mission even as it is scattered by hardship and trouble. Our service theme is “The Church Brings Good News.”

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. If you know anyone who is not able to access our service online call 905-648-6024 for more information.

Order of Service

Gathering Music

• • Rejoice the Lord is King #267
  • Rescuer (Good News) – Rend Collective

Family Worship: “The Church Brings Good News” (available at 9:00am)

Home Worship Recording

Call to Worship – Psalm 113:1, 5-9

Opening Prayer

Song: “For All You’ve Done”

New Testament Reading – Acts 8:4-25

Gospel Reading – Luke 17:11-19

Message – “Good News for Everyone?”

Hymn: “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer” #651

We Respond to God’s Generosity

Closing Prayers & Blessing

News:

• • Going Deeper (Study Resources): In worship this week our focus is on the Gospel of Jesus as ‘Good News.’ To go a little deeper into the words the Bible uses for ‘good news’ you can watch this short video. You can find other resources including a study guide here: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/euangelion-gospel/
  • Mission Project for May: The St. Andrew’s Mission Team is encouraging everyone to consider making a donation to the West Mountain Community Fridge. This is a new community initiative to provide fresh food to people with no questions asked. The Mission Team has made an initial donation of $100 worth of food. To learn what a Community Fridge is you can read this recent article from the Hamilton Spectator. For more information and details on how to donate you can go this information page. If you have more questions please contact Elaine Read celainegillespie@gmail.com

This Sunday May 9^th is Mother’s Day and the 6^th Sunday of Easter. We step out of the story of Acts for a week to look at the Apostle Peter’s encouragement to Christians facing difficult times. This week our theme is “The Holy Spirit Rests On Us.”

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. If you know anyone who is not able to access our service online call 905-648-6024 for more information.

Order of Service

Gathering Music

• • All Creatures of Our God and King #433
  • Goodness of God – Cece Winans
  • Send Down Your Spirit – Will Hickl & John Finch

Family Worship: “The Holy Spirit Rests On Us” (available anytime)

This week Rev. Nancy Mostert from St. Paul’s Carluke and Knox Binbrook leads our Family Time.

Home Worship Recording

Call to Worship – Psalm 66:8-9, 13-14, 20

Opening Prayer

Song: “My Lighthouse”

New Testament Reading – 1 Peter 3:8-17, 4:12-14

Gospel Reading – John 14:15-21

Message – “Pursuing Peace, Resting in the Spirit”

Hymn: “Be Thou My Vision” #461

We Respond to God’s Generosity

Closing Prayers & Blessing

News:

• • Going Deeper (Study Resources): In worship this week we dip into the 1^st Letter of Peter. If you would like to go a bit deeper into what this short New Testament book is about you can find a great overview of 1 Peter at the Bible Project – https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/1-peter/
  • Update From Session: At this time it is unclear when St. Andrew’s will be able to safely resume in-person worship. The current Stay at Home Order is due to expire on May 20 but may be extended. We give thanks for the decline in new cases of COVID and the expansion of vaccinations, but it will likely be many weeks before infections drop to a safe level. It is expected that Hamilton will continue to be under some degree of lockdown until the end of June – even if the Stay at Home Order is lifted before then. Session will review the situation again at our June meeting. But even if in-person worship is still a ways off, the steady roll out of vaccinations and the coming of better weather will hopefully allow small groups to gather outdoors as we approach the start of summer.
  • Mission Project for May: The St. Andrew’s Mission Team is encouraging everyone to consider making a donation to the West Mountain Community Fridge. This is a new community initiative to provide fresh food to people with no questions asked. The Mission Team has made an initial donation of $100 worth of food. To learn what a Community Fridge is you can read this recent article from the Hamilton Spectator. For more information and details on how to donate you can go this information page. If you have more questions please contact Elaine Read celainegillespie@gmail.com.

This Sunday May 2^nd is the 5^th Sunday of Easter. We continue through the story of the early church in the book of Acts. This week our theme is “The Holy Spirit Knows Our Hearts.”

This is a recording of our 10:30am Zoom Communion service. If you would like to join us for communion live next month write to revjohnread@gmail.com to be added to our St. Andrew’s email list.

Order of Service

Gathering Music

• • Open the Eyes of My Heart
  • I Surrender All (All to Jesus I Surrender)

Family Worship: “The Holy Spirit Knows Our Hearts”

Recorded Communion Service

https://youtu.be/H4w7rZxDrug

Call to Worship – Psalm 133

Opening Prayer

Hymn: “For the Beauty of the Earth” #434

New Testament Reading – Acts 4:32-5:16

Gospel Reading – Luke 12:32-34

Message – “Open Hearts, Open Hands, Open Lives”

Song: “Only a Holy God”

We Celebrate Communion

Blessing

News:

• • Worship in May: For the month of May worship will continue to be online only. For the remainder of May this will be by YouTube Livestream each week at 10:30am. We will also be welcoming some friends from St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Burlington to our services, as their minister Rev. Bob Sim will be taking some medical leave this month. Please keep Bob and St. Paul’s in your prayers.
  • Mission Project for May: The St. Andrew’s Mission Team is encouraging everyone to consider making a donation to the West Mountain Community Fridge. This is a new community initiative to provide fresh food to people with no questions asked. The cost of fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy (etc.) has continued to go up and are not usually available from traditional food banks, or affordable for many lower income households that might not normally access food banks. The Mission Team has made an initial donation of $100 worth of food.
    • To learn what a Community Fridge is you can read this recent article from the Hamilton Spectator. For more information and details on how to donate you can go this information page.
    • If you have more questions please contact Elaine Read celainegillespie@gmail.com
  • Holiness Video and Study Guide: We touched on the subject of ‘holiness’ in the service today, but this isn’t a word that gets used outside of church much. For an excellent summary of what the Bible means by Holiness you can go to the Bible Project, find a short animated video lesson and if you want to go deeper, a study guide.

Here are all your resources for Family Worship & Learning for Sunday, May 2, 2021. This week we continue the story of the Holy Spirit working in the community of Jesus’ followers in the days after Pentecost in Acts 4:32-5:11.

Today’s Question

“What is something that you know a lot about?”

You can just ask the question together as a family or have your kids fill out and colour the Question Sheet.

Question Sheet – May 2, 2021

Family Worship Video – Available at 9:00am Sunday

Crafts, Discussion & Other Activities

Big God Journal: Journal Page – May 2, 2021

This Sunday May 2, we will be worshiping by Zoom video conference at 10:30am. Our service will include the celebration of communion.

If you aren’t on St. Andrew’s email list and would like to join our Zoom service please send an email to revjohnread@gmail.com by 9:00am Sunday morning and you will be sent the login information. If you aren’t able to join us live, there will be a recorded and edited version of the service posted to YouTube and available here on the website by 1:00pm on Sunday afternoon.

This Sunday April 25^th is the 4^th Sunday of Easter. We continue through the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 as Peter explains how the sending of the Spirit is the next part of Jesus’ story. This week our theme is “The Holy Spirit Speaks Through Us.”

Our Home Worship service for this week will go live on YouTube at 10:30am. The service continues to be available by local telephone for those without internet access. If you know anyone who is not able to access our service online please call 905-648-6024 or email revjohnread@gmail.com.

Order of Service

Gathering Music

• • Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness #399
  • Fresh Wind – Hillsong Worship
  • Speak O Lord – Keith & Kristen Getty

Family Worship: “The Holy Spirit Speaks Through Us” (available at 9:00am)

We’ll be going deeper into Acts 2 in the adult message, and the kids will move on to the story in Acts 4. The same theme works through both stories.

Home Worship Recording

Call to Worship – Psalm 16:7-11

Opening Prayer

Hymn: “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” #321

Gospel Reading – Luke 12:8-12

New Testament Reading – Acts 2:22-47

Message – “Evidence and Testimony”

Song: “What a Beautiful Name”

We Respond to God’s Generosity

Closing Prayers & Blessing

News:

• • Zoom Communion (May 2): Next Sunday will be a Zoom Communion service. If you would like to join us on Zoom write to revjohnread@gmail.com and our minister will send you a link to the Zoom call. For those who prefer to take in the service on YouTube a recording of the Zoom service will be available early Sunday afternoon.
  • Recording of Steve Potter’s Funeral: If you weren’t able to take in Steve’s funeral service on Friday afternoon a recording of the service will be available at a later date. Thank you to everyone who was able to come to the visitation, it was a wonderful encouragement to Steve’s family. Please continue to keep Annette, Christ and Joanne in your prayers.
  • Evert & Yvonne Nieboer would like to thank the congregation for all the thoughts, prayers, words of support and cards in response to the passing of Yvonne’s father, all of which was greatly appreciated.

This Sunday April 18^th is the 3^rd Sunday of Easter. We move fully into the Book of Acts with the first part of the story of Pentecost in Acts 2. This week our theme is “The Holy Spirit Works Through Us.”

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. If you are not able to access our service online please leave a message at 905-648-6024 and you will be contacted with information on how to phone into the service.

Order of Service

Gathering Music

• • Come Holy Spirit
  • Breathe on me, breath of God #389

Family Worship: “The Holy Spirit Works Through Us”

We’ll be going deeper into Acts 2 in the adult message, and the kids will move on to the story in Acts 3. Yet the same theme works through both stories.

Home Worship Recording Available Any Time

Call to Worship – Psalm 104:1-4, 33-35

Opening Prayer

Hymn: “Holy, Holy, Holy” #299

New Testament Reading – Luke 3:15-19

Gospel Reading – Acts 2:1-21

Message – “Acts of Welcome”

Song: “Holy Spirit (Living Breath of God)”

We Respond to God’s Generosity

Closing Prayers & Blessing

News:

• • Visitation and Funeral for Steve Potter: There will be a scheduled visitation for Steve on Thursday April 22 at Dodsworth & Brown Funeral Home from 2-4pm and 6-8pm. There are a limited number of spots in each time so please call 905-648-3852 during business hours to schedule a visitation time.  A Funeral service for Steve will be available by Livestream at 1:00pm on Friday April 23 . Please keep Steve’s daughters Annette and Chris, and his sister Joanne in your prayers.
  • You can find Steve’s obituary here along with information on how to connect to the Livestream here: https://www.arbormemorial.ca/en/dbancaster/obituaries/steven-william-potter/64939
  • COVID Vaccinations: The City of Hamilton is now vaccinating all adults 60 and over https://www.hamilton.ca/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-booking. If you or someone you know in congregation would like some assistance with booking your vaccination or getting to your vaccination appointment please call 905-648-6024 or email standrewsancaster@gmail.com