JUNE 2017 - Vol
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Knob Hill United Church, 23 Gage Avenue, Scarborough, ON, M1J 1T3 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] www.khuc.org Minister: Rev. Hannah Lee, 416.431.5054 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Dear Friends, Welcome. You have probably read this word on our church bulletin, projected on our sanctuary wall, or on a church sign next to the road. What does it mean to be a welcoming community? There was a time when the church followed a process of welcome based on “Behaving, Believing, Belonging.” Christians were told you had to behave a certain way, believe a set of doctrines, and then they were allowed to belong to the church community. According to this model, belonging is dependent on behaving and believing in line with what is deemed acceptable by the community. Is this truly welcoming in God’s eyes? Or are we distorting our understanding of God and God’s grace? Jesus calls his disciples – and us today – to welcome all. We are all agents in giving and receiving welcome. The process of welcome we at KHUC are striving to do is “Belonging, Believing, Becoming.” God welcomes us and we in turn welcome one another, especially those who are marginalized, or considered the least and the lost. This model of welcome allows people to come as they are. It allows people to be honest and vulnerable. It leaves room for grace. It acknowledges that we are not perfect, but God is. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, how you believe – it doesn’t even matter if you are Christian. You are welcome here. Everyone who walks through our doors, is included, loved, embraced and welcomed into our community of faith. Belonging is the first step in our mutual journey of believing and becoming. It is in this journey that we are empowered by God’s grace, energized by the Spirit working in our midst, and become agents of reconciliation, forgiveness, and change. This is how we participate with God to bring about shalom on earth as it is in heaven. As we prepare for the summer months, know that you have a place here. Take time to rest in God, and have a wonderful, safe, and renewing summer! Blessings, (Rev.) Hannah Lee, Minister JUNE 2017 - Vol. 11 No.4 Knews and Knotes, the official newsletter of the Knob Hill United Church congregation, is published five times yearly. We welcome any submission of interest. INDEX Page Article 1 Minister’s Message 2 Index 3 Editor’s Note and Toronto Conference’s Vision Statement 4 Summer Worship Services & Lenten Visitors 5 Fellowship Club Activities & Garage Parking Lot Sale 6 UCW Luncheon – June 15, 2017 7 Birthday Celebrations, Condolences and News from General Council, Toronto Conference and Presbytery 11 Farewell to Church of the Master 12 In Memoriam – Norm Wynott 13 In Memoriam – Archie McDowell and Norma Davidson 14 Guest Speaker for Aboriginal Sunday – June 25, 2017 15 Canadian Government Puzzle Editor: Hedy Baker-Graf Layout Assistant: Janet Hucklebridge Photographer: Lorraine Hullachan EDITOR’S NOTE I have kept you up-to-date on the UCC’s progress on Restructuring. By the time you read this issue of K ’n K, votes will have been cast for 7 Remits. If passed by an absolute majority, each of these remits will go to the 43rd General Council (to be held in Oshawa in August 2018) for approval. Three remits --Remit 1: Three Council Model, Remit 4: Funding a New Model, and Remit 8: A Step Towards a New Model of Membership will have the greatest impact on UCC’s communities of faith. Conference boundaries will be redrawn and Presbytery will no longer exist as of Dec. 2018 (Remit 1); an increase/decrease in assessment of financial contributions will be required of some communities of faith (Remit 4) since M & S Funds will no longer be used for General Council’s operations; adherents of any denominational faith who are regular attendees of a UC faith community can become Associate members with voting privileges (Remit 8). I will continue as a Commissioner to General Council for the next triennium, a member of the Conference’s Ministry and Outreach committee, and KHUC Lay Rep; thus, I will provide updates on UCC’s Restructuring. ============================================================================== ========= Toronto Conference’s Vision Statement In accordance with the program of Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble, Toronto Conference has issued the following vision statement: “Striving to be faithful followers of Jesus in our time and place, the Toronto Conference will continue to remove barriers to participation in the life and work of Conference and society, committing itself to be open to the Spirit. Resisting all forms of oppression, we welcome and celebrate people of any sexual orientation and gender identity, and those who are marginalized.” AGM 2017 UC folk secured a marching permit to participate “Daily, may we dedicate ourselves to building bridges of love and hope where harmful divisions have been made, making equity and equality for all people our goal, while working continually for justice, so that Everyone can live fully in your love. Amen.’’ Alydia Smith‘s Prayer http://www.united-church.ca/prayers/pride-prayer ______________________________________________________________________________________ Welcome Back Corn Roast SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH AT 5:00 PM COST: $8.00 Please join us at our Annual Corn Roast. The menu includes hotdog and/or sausage, corn, coleslaw, strudel with ice-cream, fruit punch/coffee/tea. In the Narthex, you will find a SIGN-UP sheet and a DONATIONS sheet if you wish to contribute an item to the event. Please sign your name. LENTEN VISITORS JCS & Godspell Actors' Reunion Our very own Easter Bunny The Strachan Family members "Time for the Child in All of Us" The Hullachan Family FELLOWSHIP CLUB ACTIVITIES Members of KHUC participated in two social activities. Thirteen members enjoyed a night out at Remezzo’s Italian Restaurant. In early May, a group of 24, including Friends of KHUC, attended the Scarborough’s Musical Theatre’s production of Man of La Mancha, after which they enjoyed German cuisine at the restaurant shown below. GARAGE PARKING LOT SALE Our appreciation is extended to all those who contributed items, sorted donations, managed tables, sold refreshments and door-prize-tickets, helped with set-up and take down, carted away left-over books, and repacked left-over items. As well, a special thank-you is extended to Jean Rivers who donated so many household items on behalf of Vera Trimble. We are also very grateful not only to the FENCING club for its demonstration of skills but also to the DIGNITY group who donated all the food as well as their time for the BBQ . Without the assistance of everyone - in particular, the Petroff sisters, who organized the event, sought vendors, and placed prices on KHUC’s table items – KHUC would not have had success with raising $1000+ this community event. The next event will be the CORN ROAST to be held on Saturday, September 9th. UCW LUNCHEON The Knob Hill UCW held its year-end luncheon at Sammy’s Family Restaurant; twelve people attended. Membership is open to all women who attend KHUC; a few ladies from other nearby churches are also members of KHUC’s group. UCW will be celebrating its 55th anniversary in Vancouver, July 10 - 14, at a national gathering hosted by the BC Conference’s UCW on the University of British Columbia campus. The planned activities will include: an opening night Parade of Banners, music, a plenary speaker, Ann Mortifee, who will bring alive [the] theme, Celebrating Spirit, a day of enrichment sessions, a tour day, a book room as well as a Gala Evening banquet with the Right Rev. Jordan Cantwell as guest speaker. Ruth Ledsham will be attending this 55th national celebration. Adapted from http://www.united-church.ca/events/celebrating-spirit... BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS Carol Petroff, Pauline Grierson, Nada Bozic-Conliffe, and Ron Donnelly ______________________________________________________________________________________ EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES The KHUC congregation extends its heartfelt sympathy to our Office administrator, Janet Hucklebridge, and her family, for the recent and unexpected loss of their Dad and grandfather. Below is the obituary as it appeared in the Toronto Star. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WILLIAM (BILL) NELSON HUCKLEBRIDGE Suddenly at the Ajax and Pickering Health Centre on Thursday, June 15, 2017 at the age of 88. Beloved husband of the late Edna Hucklebridge. Loving father of Janet and James and his wife Susan. Cherished "Horsey Grandpa" of Sherry, Christopher, Nelson and Chloe. Predeceased by his sister Marion Ellen Weir. Long-time member IBEW Local 353. A Memorial Service will be held in September. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS FROM GENERAL COUNCIL, CONFERENCE, AND PRESBYTERY May 5, 2017 A ground-breaking Moderator, Anne Squire’s influence on the church is still being felt. There is something about being in a church full of people gathered to honour an exceptional life, well lived. Those who gathered at Emmanuel United Church in Ottawa on Thursday remembered Anne Squire as one of the people who started that congregation, where just a few weeks before her death she moved the motion that made her congregation an affirming congregation*, something she had been working towards for years. As the first lay woman to serve as Moderator of the United Church, Anne’s leadership was ground breaking and very public. Her ministry was also exercised in less visible ways through a multitude of messages, conversations, and gestures that encouraged others serving the church, especially women. I treasure the knitted crèche figures that she sent to me the first Christmas that I was in the role of General Secretary. One of the pictures on display at the funeral was of Anne with the Very Rev.