Our Programs and Educational Opportunities
St. Andrew's offers many and varied opportunities to participate, grow in faith and even lead in church programs and special events.
For more information and details,
please contact the St. Andrew's Church Office.
Opportunities at St. Andrew's
How can I connect? How can I grow in faith?
Check the "Calendar" for specific event details
A.K.D. Circle
2nd Wednesday
at 7:30 p.m.
Note: January - March at 2:00 p.m. |
This is a fun, caring group of mainly "young senior" women who meet monthly for devotions, usually a guest speaker or video and short business session. Funds are raised for the church, missions and outreach through offerings, annual cheese sale and occasionally, a bring and buy sale. New members of 'all ages' are welcome. |
Breakaway Group
Weekly on Wednesday
at 9:30 a.m. |
This group is for women of all ages and interests and includes activities such as bible study, speakers, outreach projects and crafts. Excellent childcare, an essential part of Breakaway, is provided. Consequently, most women who attend are mothers and grandmothers who enjoy the 'break'. |
Breast Cancer Support Group
2nd Monday
at 7:30 p.m. |
The Guelph and Wellington Area Breast Cancer Support Group meets at, and is supported by, St. Andrew's. They provide support to women living with breast cancer, either under active treatment, during five-year follow-up, or living symptom free. The social group gathering is in itself renewing and uplifting. |
Saturday Night Suppers
as announced |
A weekly Saturday Night Supper for those in need in Guelph is served at Royal City Church on Quebec Street. St. Andrew's, along with other churches, is responsible for food, service and cleanup for this event on a quarterly rotation. Watch the bulletin or newsletter for information on when these dinners are held and how you can become involved. |
Choir
Weekly on Thursday
at 7:00 p.m. |
The Choir provides musical leadership for the worship services and occasionally participates in community choral events. This choir rehearses weekly and is open to any teen or adult who enjoys singing sacred music. |
Children's Ministry
Sunday during Worship Service |
Church School is offered during Sunday Morning Worship Service for children ages 4 to grade 9. A package describing our programs and curriculum can be obtained by contacting the church office. |
Congregational Care
@ St. Andrew's |
The Congregational Care (CC) Team was formed to develop a different way of ensuring that as many members and adherents as possible have a personal link to the church. This is a shared responsibility between Minister, Session and members of the congregation.
A network of people, known as CONNECTORS, are people who care about strengthening our church community through the ties of faith and friendship, are willing to reach out to more closely connect families and individuals to the church and are responsive to individual need. |
Handbells Choir
Weekly on Wednesday
at 7:00 p.m. |
The Handbell Choir rehearses weekly and frequently participates in the worship services as well as regularly performing 'gigs' in Guelph and surrounding community. Participation in the Handbell Choir is open to anyone (subject to opening availability) but does require a moderate music reading ability. |
Prayer Network
as required |
The Prayer Network is a network of dedicated members of the congregation who give us the gift of prayer. These daily prayers are offered on behalf of those who are troubled, sick, grieving etc. This is accessed by calling the Church Office, and is available to you as well as to your extended circle and it is not necessary to name individuals. |
Women's Missionary Society
3rd Wednesday
at 2:00 p.m. |
The Women's Missionary Society is a community of Christians whose purpose, in response to the love of God in Jesus Christ, is to encourage one another and all the people of the church to be involved in local and world mission through prayer, study, service and fellowship. |
Education - Children, Youth, Adults
Our events and special activities geared for education and training for individuals and groups.
Church Library: Virginia Gillham, Librarian
View our .pdf files for:
• Church Library Newsletter February 2009 issue
Church Library update…
More than 400 new titles have been added to the Church Library since January, 2009. A complete list is available, on paper, for consultation, on the display table just inside the door of the Library.
Since
May 2008, we have added more than 100 new titles. Many of these were donated, but a
significant proportion are new purchases. Of the 100, many are books for children and young
adults. Making the Library more appealing to that group continues to be a major goal.
The purchase of new books is funded largely from donations through the third line of the offering
envelopes. If you would like to help with the purchase of new books for the library, just write ‘Library’ on the third line together with whatever amount you wish to contribute.
As part of the 2008 budget, the Session made available $500 toward improving the décor and
ambiance in the Library. Donated funds were added to that sum, and lovely new soft seating
has now been installed. The Library is looking very inviting. The initiative to make the library
more attractive will continue in 2009 as funds permit.
The library shelves are very full. As a result, donations cannot be added if they duplicate titles
already in the collection, or if they contain dated information. Some books already in the library
have been or will be removed from the collection for the same reasons. Watch for a booksale of
these materials in the next little while, with proceeds to be used to purchase new titles.
All of the books in the main collection are now included in the new computer system. The
system is very easy to use. Anyone who
would prefer a little one-on-one advice will be willingly accommodated. Please just speak to me
when you would like to do this.
Finally … the library is soliciting book reviews from readers of all ages. If you have read a book
from the church library that you think others might enjoy, please take a few minutes to
summarize and critique it briefly for inclusion in a later issue of the Church Library newsletter. If nothing comes
to mind, but you are interested in participating, go into the library and browse for a likely title.
Happy reading
Virginia Gillham
Church School: Jenny Emerson, Church School Leader
We would like to begin church school at 10:30 a.m. The children should be brought directly to their classrooms instead of going into the sanctuary. This will allow us more time with children and their studies upstairs.
• Click here • to read about a few things that are going on right now with our church school.
Contact Jenny through the Church Office for information about our Church School program.
Youth Ministry: Matt Foxall, Director of Youth Ministry
We’d like to invite you to come on out and get involved
in Youth Ministry here at St. Andrew’s!
This ministry is geared towards all young people in Grade 6 to University —
So we know it’s a place for YOU!
• Click here • to read about a few things that are going on right now with our youth and young adults.
Contact Matt through the Church Office for information about our Youth and Young Adults programs.
Bible Study:
Over the years we have had various bible study programs: some scheduled for weekdays, some for Sunday mornings, and some for evenings.
We meet in the church
parlour on Thursdays at
10 a.m.
We will meet until May 27th.
All are welcome. |
|
The Bible Trail 2.0 – Gospel Trek
Here are the Gospel texts that we will be studying in worship and on our Thursday morning Trail Parties, at 10:00 a.m., in the coming weeks: |
| May 16th: |
Luke 24:44-53 |
| May 23rd: |
John 14:8-17,(25-27) |
| May 30th |
John 16:12-15 |
Workshops and Seminars:
From time to time, St. Andrew's offers workshops and seminars.
Please check back frequently for updates.
Retreats:
Occasionally St. Andrew's hosts retreats for interested members and friends.
Please check back frequently for updates.
Book Clubs: (There are no book clubs in May, June, July and August.)
The next Friday Brown Bag and Good Food, Good Book, and Good Nite are on Friday, September 24, 2010 at 12:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. respectively with
Margaret Atwood’s book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth.
Upcoming Book Clubs
| October 22 |
Playing the Enemy, John Carlin |
| November 26 |
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Shaffer and Barrows |
| January 28th, 2011 |
Still Alice, Lisa Genova |
| February 25 |
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen |
| March 25 |
My Hands Came Away Red, Lisa McKay |
| April 15 |
A New Kind of Christian, Brian McLaren |
Friday Brown Bag
St. Andrew's offers this monthly lunch and book discussion program, during which anyone is welcome to join in for a discussion on the book of the month while enjoying a brown bag lunch, brought by the participant. Reading the book is not a requirement and Rev. John Borthwick provides the leadership. Coffee and tea provided by St. Andrew's. The discussion is held in the St. Andrew's Church Parlour, usually on the last Friday of the month, from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Check the INSPIRE newsletter for details.
Good Food, Good Book, and Good Nite
St. Andrew's offers this monthly supper and book discussion program, usually held on the last Friday of the month, during which anyone is welcome to join in for a discussion on the book of the month and enjoy supper. There is always a space available for newcomers. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Parlour. Dinner is provided at cost. Reading the book is not a requirement and Rev. John Borthwick provides the leadership. Interested participants must reserve their places at the table by calling the Church Office. Seating is limited and reservations are necessary. Check the INSPIRE newsletter for details.
Breakfast @ St Andrew's (October through April)
St. Andrew's offers this monthly breakfast and guest speaker program, usually held on the third Saturday of the month, to which anyone is welcome to attend to hear a guest speaker, who usually is from our Guelph community, and to enjoy a traditional breakfast. There is always a space available for newcomers.
Breakfast @ St. Andrew's is an inclusive
breakfast program for all ages, genders, and people.
Breakfast will be
served at 8:30 a.m. in the Church Hall. Our guest speakers will begin
just after 9:00 a.m. and we try to conclude around 10:15 a.m.
The cost
for a catered traditional breakfast is $8.00 per person.
Suggestions for topics
or guest speakers are always welcome. Please contact Rev. John Borthwick if
you know of someone or would like to suggest a topic for discussion.
Won’t you join us and bring a friend too.
** Please pre-register no later than Thursday morning (2 days in advance of the breakfast date) by calling the Church Office at 519.822.4772
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Congregational Care @ St. Andrew's
Following the introduction of Term Eldership and discontinuation of regular pre-communion visits by elders, the Congregational Care (CC) Team was formed to develop a different way of ensuring that as many members and adherents as possible have a personal link to the church. This is a shared responsibility between Minister, Session and members of the congregation.
A network of people, known as CONNECTORS was developed. They are people who care about strengthening our church community through the ties of faith and friendship, are willing to reach out to more closely connect families and individuals to the church and are responsive to individual need. Contact varies from regular visits to shut-ins to occasional lunch dates, e-mail, phone calls, cards .... whatever works best for those involved.
Our network is still developing, and as yet, not every household is connected. We look forward to recruiting more Connectors. Following successful training Workshops in 2007, another is scheduled for November 1st 2008.
Visitor/Newcomer Ministry is a recent initiative led by a subcommittee of the Congregational Care Team.
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Mission and Outreach Coordinating Committee (MOCC)
(September, 2009): You didn’t know that St. Andrew's had a Mission and Outreach Coordinating Committee?
Background: Late last year, it was decided to abandon the "old" structure of a separate Missions Committee and Outreach Committee and this took effect on January 1, 2009. On January 17, there was a "Mission and Outreach Forum" to look at how St. Andrew's should address these important Ministries in the future. The result is the Mission and Outreach Coordinating Committee (MOCC). Recognizing that many members of the St. Andrew's family are actively engaged in mission and outreach activities, the vision was to organize ourselves to encourage and enable the people of St. Andrew’s to stay and/or get involved.
Current: The MOCC members are: Knolly Toolsie, Kathleen McGillivray, Rev. John and Rick McRonald. We exchanged a lot of e-mails and met twice in the spring to develop the following terms of reference and a Mission and Outreach Policy. (Both the terms of reference and the policy are available on the website. Copies can also be had from any of the members or from the office.) We also decided on the Mission and Outreach Focus for 2009-10. All of these documents have (of course) been approved by the Session and we thank Rev. John for his guidance and leadership through the transition period.
If you are interested in joining the MOCC, please see any of the current members. If you have an idea for a project or activity, we would like to hear that too.
Rick McRonald, Chair
St. Andrew’s Mission and Outreach Coordinating Committee Terms of Reference -
Purpose
“God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.”
2 Corinthians 9:8 (NRSV)
The Mission and Outreach Coordinating Committee’s mandate is to respond to the cries of God’s people by engaging our congregation in coming alongside those who are actively addressing God’s call to compassion and service. This mandate is accomplished through educating our members/adherents about local, national and international outreach and mission, challenging them to respond to opportunities to participate in outreach and mission activities through financial support and/or the giving of their time and talent. The Committee will actively pursue partnership in new mission projects and continue to provide support for current mission projects according to the strategic directions/foci of the Session. Wherever possible, the Committee will work in concert with other committees and groups in an effort to maximize our call to compassion and service.
View our .pdf file for
"Terms of Reference" document
It was approved by the Session June 2009
The Presbyterian Church in Canada has developed principles for mission that express who we are as a denomination and how we work with others in our world. The congregation of St. Andrew’s upholds these principles as our approach to discerning our vision for mission as a congregation of God’s people. We include “outreach” when we speak of “mission” and define it as “mission within the City of Guelph”.
View our .pdf file for
"Mission & Outreach @ St. Andrew’s: Principles, Process & Policy" document
It was approved by the Session June 2009.
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Community Outreach
CORE: Guelph Churches' Outreach Program
In response to the growing need for assistance within the community, some Guelph churches formed the CORE group to address this issue. The result to date has been the formulation of an assistance policy which will, hopefully, address some of the needs, although on an emergency basis only.
View our .pdf files for:
• CORE Program - Map of participating locations
• CORE Program - Brochure
Help Us Help Others - Please Save:
Used Postage Stamps – for Leprosy Relief
Campbell’s Soup Labels – for Education Programs
Zehrs Cash Register Tapes – to convert to cash
Aluminum Cans - for Habitat for Humanity Wellington County
All of the above can be placed in the appropriate slots in the wall container at the Welcome Centre, with the Aluminum Cans placed in the appropriate holder in the Church Hall or main floor corridor.
"My Neighbour's House"
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church celebrates its
180th Anniversary with an invitation to all faith
communities to build "My Neighbour’s House" in
partnership with Habitat for Humanity Wellington
County.
"My Neighbour’s House" will be the first ever Multi-Faith Habitat
Build in Wellington County. It will be completed in 2009 by
members of Guelph’s diverse faith communities working together
to fundraise and construct a new home for sale to a local low income
family.
Click here to link to our "My Neighbour's House" webpage.
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