Weekly Announcements
For the week of January 26th 2025
News & Events
NEWS
FRIENDLY REMINDER: HOSTS NEEDED FOR COFFEE HOURS
If you are interested in hosting, please sign up using the sheet on the welcome table. Expenses can be reimbursed through the office; all you need to do is submit your receipt(s). Please note that coffee hours will only take place on Sundays if someone has signed up to facilitate!
MINISTRY REPORTS TO VESTRY
NOTE FOR MINISTRY LEADERS: January 31st is the deadline for ministry leaders to submit their reports to Vestry. Please email a WORD document to admin@stouffvilleanglican.ca. Thank you!
PARISH CONVERSATION ON “CAST THE NET: 20 CALLS TO ACTION”
Join us on Sunday January 26 during coffee hour as we learn more about the Diocese of Toronto’s visioning process, “Cast the Net” based on John 21, and how the 20 Calls to Action can help shape our mission and ministry here at Christ Church. There will be an opportunity for us to have some conversation around a few of the Calls to Action that excite us, and prayerfully consider how God might be calling us to respond. Look forward to seeing you there and hearing your ideas!
SEASON OF SPIRITUAL RENEWAL PRESENTS SLATE OF WORKSHOPS
This winter season, the Season of Spiritual Renewal is offering more workshops to help strengthen and encourage churches. Some are geared to clergy, some to lay leaders of various ministries and some to everyone wanting to grow and be renewed in their faith. Some workshops have a limit on the number of registrants, so sign up early. Visit Season of Spiritual Renewal Workshops - The Diocese of Toronto (anglican.ca) for a full list of the workshops and descriptions.
Jan. 21: Ways to Include Children and Teens in Worship
Stephanie Douglas
Traditionally churches have silo-ed children and teens into their own Sunday programing. Research shows, however, the developmental importance of young people learning to worship with the whole Body of Christ. In this workshop, Canon Stephanie will share her discoveries from implementing All Ages Services and will lead a conversation drawing on the experiences of others.
Register
Jan. 28: Including Parishioners’ Stories of Grace in Worship
Jennifer Schick, Stephen Kirkegaard, Andrea Christensen
If we believe that God is active and present in our world today – then it makes sense that God is active and present in the people around us. Come and learn from others a variety of ways to encourage your parishioners to share their testimonies of faith. These stories of grace not only strengthen personal faith, but also work to encourage and inspire the faith of others and lead to new ways to serve God in the world.
Register
Jan. 29: Thinking Theologically about Music in Worship
Ian Koiter
In our hoped-for season of spiritual renewal, where does musical worship fit in? How do we understand the role of our churches’ music and musical communities? What might change about how we pick and lead music, and what might stay the same? Join us for a discussion of these questions, as well as an exploration of how such elements as lyrics, idiom, genre, acoustics, and instrumentation affect our decisions in choosing music for church.
Register
Jan. 30: How to Lead a Book Study: A practical guide and approach
Mary Bell-Plouffe
This workshop will cover what you need to do to first prepare for a book study, and then provide a practical and proven method for leading one.
What the workshop will cover:
how to choose a book
how to promote/advertise
how to prepare for and organize sessions
SAVE THE DATE: DIOCESAN WORSHIP SERVICES
Bishop Andrew Asbil is encouraging Anglicans to attend one – or more – of the five large worship gatherings planned around the diocese in 2025. “It’s an opportunity for our community to come together and pray and sing and rejoice as followers of Jesus Christ,” he says.
The dates and locations are:
March 22 at 2 p.m. at St. James Cathedral
March 29 at 2 p.m. at Trinity Church, Streetsville
May 31 at 2 p.m. at All Saints, Whitby
Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. at St. James, Orillia
Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. at St. Paul, Bloor Street
THERE IS ONLY 3 MONTHS UNTIL THE DRAW FOR THE QUILT
THE DRAW WILL TAKE PLACE ON EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 20th during the announcements at the 10am service. Quilt tickets are available for the beautiful multicoloured queen size quilt, hand stitched by our own ACW ladies. This year’s quilt is the “Variation on Courthouse Steps Quilt”. The price of these tickets has remained the same for several years so $2.00 for one ticket and three for $5.00. A bargain not to pass up, especially because tickets are limited.
Tickets can be purchased from Susan Walmsley or the office, or from members of the ACW who are selling them.
FOOD BANK DONATIONS
A gentle reminder that we are still accepting donations for the Stouffville Food Bank! We are also still accepting donations of salmon. There is an updated list in the front entryway for items that are most needed right now. Thank you!
LIBRARY HIGHLIGHT: OUR OWN AUTHORS
Please take a look at the Christ Church adult library as we have two books of poetry authored by Larry Hopperton, who’s a member of our choir, and one book, "Grant us Tomorrow", a medical memoir which the stories of the Health Team missions to Northern Ghana with GRID and NEA, authored by Dr. Jennifer Wilson who is a GP from Uxbridge.
York Region Food Network's Good Food Box
York Region Food Network is a non-profit community organization based in Aurora and serves the Region. The Good Food Box program offers fresh, quality fruits and vegetables from local farmers at 19th Avenue Farmer's Market and sell them at wholesale pricing. They've recently added a pick-up location in Stouffville. The program is open to everyone and The Good Food Box is available for pick-up on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. The contents of each box are different and will change based on seasonal availability. Each Good Food Box contains 6-8 types of fruits and vegetables and cost $18 (plus PayPal fees). The boxes are packed in Aurora by YRFN staff and a team of volunteers. For more information, check out their website (here).
MISSING KEYS
Are you missing a set of keys? A set has been in the church office for a couple months and no one has come to claim it. If you have been missing your keys, we have them! There's a Freightliner tag attached to the ring. If this sounds like your keys, please contact the church office!
EVENTS
CHRIST CHURCH SKI DAY
REMINDER: Our 20th Annual Ski Day at Devil's Glen on February 14th, 2025, is fast approaching so don't forget to register if you or your friends wish to attend. If you have already registered you can ignore this message. If you wish to register please send me an e-mail including the full names (and age if a child) of those attending before Feb. 11th, 2024 and I will confirm your registration by a reply e-mail. (don.petrie@sympatico.ca).
Any questions, you can phone me (905-640-3653) or send an email.
COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR
The Christ Church 20s & 30s group is putting together another team to fundraise for and participate in the 2025 “The Coldest Night of the Year”, which is raising funds for Inn from the Cold Newmarket. Everyone is invited to join the team, even if you’re not able to walk on Saturday, February 22nd. If you’re interested in joining the team or sponsoring the team, please let Jenna know in the office or follow this link: https://cnoy.w-ith.me/ChristChurchStouffville
HOME SWEET HOME: A CONCERT – MARCH 1st
The Christ Church Choir is holding a concert on Saturday, March 1st at 7:30pm, with some special guests, including Cathy Tubb, Andrea Stewart-Franklin, and the Rev. Canon Lisa Newland! Tickets are $20.00 cash and $20.50 if paying with credit card, and are available through Linda Hadaway and the church office.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
If you would like to add someone to our prayer list, please fill out our prayer request form. We ask that you seek permission from the person you wish us to pray for before submitting the form. Only first names will be read out during the service to help preserve privacy.