Induction service

It is a special time in the life of Knox, Burlington, this Sunday as three new elders are being inducted during the morning worship service. I use the term “new” very lightly, however, as all three individuals have served as elders in the past.

Nick Lewis and Carolyn Wilkins have both served on the Knox session in previous years but stepped down when their terms of office ended after Knox implemented term service for elders.

The third individual, Charles Pearson, has a long history of church service in Hamilton where he served as an elder and was clerk of session for a great many years at Centenary Church.

With the induction of these individuals, there are now 22 elders on session, and that has resulted in some changes to the elder districts, changes which were put in place for the elder visits prior to the recent Communion service.

 Operation Christmas Shoe Boxes
The children of the Sunday school are once again supporting Operation Christmas Child by filling the shoeboxes which will be sent all around the world to needy children.  They will be assembling the boxes Sunday morning so if you have any items please see that they get to the Edrie Elder Room before the church service.

Finding a way

Yes, I know that I said there would not be a Knox blog this week as I am dealing with dial-up internet service up here in the north country. While I sometimes question the speed of my in-office internet service, it’s a real joy when compared to what I am facing this week - 20 minutes plus to retrieve one email message, for instance.

So, that being said, what’s up with this update on the blog?

Actually, it’s quite simple in reality.

It’s raining up here, has been, will be, and yet, here I sit in my car parked outside of a late 1800s railway station that has been converted into an art gallery, which just happens to have WiFi service, a service that extends to the parking lot.

Hence, a way around that dial-up service.

Memorial window

One of the nice things about a blog is that it provides a way to report little things around the church which otherwise would not be reported; they’re perhaps not items for the Sunday bulletin, but indeed they are part of the life in and around Knox.

Such is the case of the scaffolding at the front of the church in recent days. It seems that the framework around the window has been showing decay, such decay that the priceless stain glass window it supports was in so much danger that the still had to be replaced…immediately.

I don’t have my notes with me, but I do know that the window, in addition to being a beautiful piece of art, has a fascinating history, albeit but one that has been clouded with misinformation over the years.

It is known that the money for the window came from Colin Campbell, who lived in Burlington in the late 1800s, although it appears that the money was not originally intended for that purpose, in fact was designated for general welfare within the church.

There are no records available as to how the money - all $600 of it – went to a different cause, but it is understood that the gift of the window resulted in the building of the narthex.

The money was donated in memory of Colin Campbell’s mother, a member of the Knox congregation in the late 1800s, and in fact her name shows up in early church records.

Stories over the years have indicated that Colin Campbell was the lieutenant governor of Manitoba at the time of the donation, but in fact he was attorney general and if memory serves me right, he held the dual role of minister of public works for the Manitoba government around the turn of the century.

Colin Campbell died at a relatively early age, but his wife, the daughter of one of the pioneer doctors from Halton, lived on for several decades and after she died, two truck loads of documents relating to the Campbell and Buck families were donated to the museum in Milton.

The former Pearl Buck was a strong advocate for children’s rights, and her action was instrumental in leading to legislation toward the protection of children, thus making the donation such a treasure trove of historical documentation.

There had been discussion last year about observing the 100th anniversary of the window, but missing documentation means that we are still searching for further detail, perhaps to be found in the records transferred to Milton.

Grief recovery seminar

The second of the grief recovery seminars is scheduled for Monday, and while the original concept called for it to be a Knox-only event, low registration has resulted in this event being open to others within the Presbytery of Hamilton.

Rev. Linda Corry, who will conduct the seminar, made a presentation at Tuesday’s presbytery meeting, and an invitation to participate will be made at churches tomorrow, with the hope that far more people will register.

Thanksgiving

Once again, Knox church was beautifully decorated for the Thanksgiving Sunday service, thanks to the efforts of Lynda Gowing and Marge Moore. And, as part of the Thanksgiving service, many members of the congregation donated fruit and vegetables which were added to the display with the donations late going over to Wesley Urban Ministries in Hamilton.

Thanksgiving Sunday

Sunday is a special day in the life of any church, especially at Knox, as we offer thanks for our many blessings as we not only celebrate Thanksgiving Sunday, but gather around the table to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. There are special decorations in the sanctuary, and the fruit and vegetables, donated by members of the congregation, will be donated to the Wesley Urban Ministries after the service.

Harvest Festival

And, in keeping with the harvest theme, tickets will be available on Sunday for the Harvest Festival Dinner sponsored by the Congregational Life committee. The event is scheduled for Oct. 21, with tickets priced at $12 while kids eat free.

Grief recovery seminars

As you well know by now, Rev. Linda Corry is now part of the interim ministry team here at Knox, assisting Rev. John in many different ways including during worship, but her main emphasis is on grief recovery, and in that regard, the first of grief recovery programs will get under way Oct. 13 at 10 o’clock in the morning. This seminar, which is for anyone who has experienced loss of any kind, will be repeated on Oct. 17th at 7 p.m.

Linda will also be conducting a Grief Recovery Outreach Program starting Nov. 3rd and running for 12 sessions, while a special program for children is scheduled to begin Nov. 7th.

There is a display of the various books to be used in the seminars and workshops in Reception Room B, and those interested in attending any of the programs are urged to look them over during coffee on Sunday.

Complete details about these programs and the registration requirements were included with Knox Talks, which was delivered recently by the church elders. If you did not receive the information, please contact Trish at the church office.

Rev. Linda Corry has given leadership in ministry in both the Presbyterian and Anglican Churches in Canada, and has served as a private practice psychotherapist to lay persons and clergy.

Linda is a graduate of Concordia University, Montreal (Bachelor of Arts), McGill University (Bachelor of Theology), and The Presbyterian College at McGill University (Diploma in Ministry).  She has studied with The Institute for Life Coach Training, is a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® Certified Practitioner, a Grief Recovery® Specialist licensed by The Grief Recovery Institute, and a member of the Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists and Psychotherapists. She has experience incorporating principles of church leadership, growth and development from the Alban Institute, Bill Easum and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Mission Developer Training in church planting and re-development, among others.

Linda's faith and ministry have roots across denominational lines.  With an Anglican mother and United Church father, she grew up in a Presbyterian congregation in a Roman Catholic community and attended a largely Jewish High School. She became the first woman graduate of The Presbyterian College, and served in the Presbyteries of Montreal and West Toronto before entering the Anglican Church to minister in the Diocese of Niagara. 

Rev. Dr. Herb Gale, past moderator

Knox has already had two past moderators preaching from the pulpit in recent weeks, and now, the immediate past moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, the Rev. Dr. Herb Gale will be preaching at Knox Sunday.

It is a distinctive honor for Knox to have so many past moderators preaching at Knox in such a short time frame, with Rev. Dr. Allan McPherson and Ms. Wilma Welsh having been with us during the summer months.

Dr. Gale was well known by Rev. Mark who had indicated on many occasions that he would like to invite the past moderator to Knox once his term as the moderator of the 136th General Assembly was completed, and in fact the invitation was one of the first initiatives taken by Rev. Thomas Kay when he became interim moderator of Knox following Mark’s death.

 In addition to being the immediate past moderator, Dr. Gale is the Associate Secretary for Planned Giving in the Life and Mission Agency for the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The national website notes that “Planned Giving is a way of being responsible stewards of the blessings God has entrusted to us”.

Everyone is encouraged to stay for a luncheon following the service in the Fellowship Hall, being served by ladies of the church; which will also give people an informal opportunity to greet our past moderator, and for him to bring us some informal words out of his experience visiting the churches in Canada and overseas during his year as moderator.

Prayer requests
The Knox worship committee met recently, and one of their initiatives was to encourage requests for prayer to be phoned in during the week, either directly to Rev. John Duff, or through the church office, for inclusion in the prayers of the people at Sunday worship.

Grief Recovery program
As part of our interim ministry program, the  Rev. Linda Corry has planned two dates for a Grief Recovery Seminar: Thursday, October 13 at 10:00 am or Monday, October 17 at 7 pm.  This seminar is for everyone who has experienced loss of any kind and for anyone who would like to be more informed about loss and grief in the future.  This 2-hour seminar will help deal with issues such as death, divorce, job loss, changes in health and finances.  The seminar will also lead to other programs planned including “The Grief Recovery Outreach Program" or "When Children Grieve" and "Spirituality 101".  Please contact Linda for more information at www.corrycoach.com and contact the office to register for one of these two seminars.

Rally Sunday

Now that the summer holidays are over - at least for most people - the various church activities are getting under way after a summer break. Various groups will start their fall meeting schedule, and so, in the next few days there will be a busy schedule of events from ladies groups to the quilters and from men's breakfast meetings to church school.

One of the first activities, and one of the highlights of the start of the new church year, is Rally Sunday which will be held this week with a BBQ in the parking lot following the regular church service, a service which will include the commissioning of the church school leaders.

Everyone is invited to join with us on this occasion for hamburgs, hot dogs and lots of other goodies.

Join us for good food, and a time of great fellowship on this special occasion in the church year.

A new (church) year

The days of summer are winding down, students will be back at school within a few days, and the Labor Day weekend marks the start of a new church year.

One by one, the church organizations are gearing up for the fall season, the Sunday school teachers have prepared their curriculum, plans are under way for Rally Sunday, and as the summer holiday season winds down, there is an air of anticipation within the church, as people who have been away return to the pews, hungry for the Good News.

During the last three months, since the passing of our minister, the Rev. Mark Hoogsteen, the congregation has been blessed with the presence with many outstanding preachers, but as we move into September, the direction has been changed as Knox welcomes Rev. John Duff to the pulpit for a five-month period of stated supply.

As previously indicated in this blog, Rev. Duff's ministry has taken him from Red Deer to St. John's and from Ottawa to Nicaragua, and while he has been officially retired since 2002, he will put his retirement somewhat aside and lead us in worship and provide pastoral care through the fall months, the Christmas season and into the New Year.

Bikes for Malawi

The Quilters at Knox Church with the support of many others within the congregation have been busy this summer with a series of after church events, with ministers in Malawi being the recipients of the money raised through these socials.

The group held such events as a Sloppy Joe lunch, Sundae After Sunday, and a Corn Roast and as a result, a cheque has been sent to purchase three bikes and repairs kits for ministers serving in Malawi in memory of the Rev. Mark Hoogsteen. The Quilters are now working on fund raising for the Community Based Orphan Care Centres.  Early in the fall, items made from the fabric from Malawi will be available for purchase with proceeds of those sales also going to the orphan centres in memory of Mark.

Aid for Africa

Knox Church, like many other Presbyterian congregations across the country, is raising money for the East African Famine.  The Presbyterian Church in Canada is co-ordinating the church’s response through Presbyterian World Sharing and Development, working through the ACT Alliance to help provide 300,000 refugees with food, clean water, shelter, hygiene kits and psychosocial support.  Special envelopes have been made available for donations toward famine relief, and as well, contributions can be dropped off at the church office.

Celebrating the Lord’s Supper

This Sunday at Knox, the Rev. Linda Corry will again be leading the congregation in worship as we celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Rev. Corry has served congregations in both the Presbyterian and Anglican churches and now provides coaching and consulting to clergy and parishioners (corrycoach.com).