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St George's Newsletter, January 23rd
Published about 1 month ago • 6 min read
Weekly Newsletter
January 23rd 2026
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-on them light has shined," Isaiah 9:2
A Note from Rev. Heather
A Word on Returning
Dear St George’s,
I return to you with a heart made quieter and, I hope, more attentive to the gentle ways that God speaks when we are forced to slow down.
My recent time away for medical and family reasons was not one I would have chosen, yet it was a season of closeness with God. Thank you for your prayers, patience, and steady faithfulness during this time.
I maintain - as always - that prayers make all the difference.
The Church is never held together by one voice or one presence. It is sustained by prayers whispered at kitchen tables, by candles lit in hope, by kindness shown in small and ordinary ways and the choice to defiantly choose the light again and again . Thank you for being the Church so faithfully while I was away, and for welcoming me back with such generosity of spirit.
I’m excited to see what God will do in us as we move forward together—not because we are strong, but because God is faithful.
As many of you are aware this Sunday is Robbie Burns Night, a day that meant a lot to my Mom, may light perpetual shine upon her. I offer this poem as a small reflection from the season just past:
O Thou unknown, Almighty Cause
Of all my hope and fear!
In whose dread presence, ere an hour,
Perhaps I must appear!
If I have wander'd in those paths
Of life I ought to shun,
As something, loudly, in my breast,
Remonstrates I have done;
Thou know'st that Thou hast formed me
With passions wild and strong;
And list'ning to their witching voice
Has often led me wrong.
Where human weakness has come short,
Or frailty stept aside,
Do Thou, All-Good -for such Thou art-
In shades of darkness hide.
Where with intention I have err'd,
No other plea I have,
But, Thou art good; and Goodness still
Delighteth to forgive.
A Prayer… by Robbie Burns
I am aware that I am not the only one at St George’s who has had a difficult six months. Nor am I the only one who lost a loved one. I join you in grief but also in Easter hope. For God calls us to far more than we can ask or imagine.
Yours in Christ,
H+
Trim your Sail and Set your Sight; Chart your course towards his light. Print by Eddie Mae Herrel
Table of Contents:
What to expect in this issue of the Newsletter!
Updates for this week, January 23rd
Flowers in honor of Hans Berger
Call for AGM Summaries
Ecumenical Webinars
In case you missed it
Newsletter update
Stewardship Update
Sacred stitches
Sunday Service Information
Updates for this week, January 23rd
Flowers in Memory of Hans Berger
As you may have heard, longtime parishioner (and incredible church handyman!) Hans Berger passed away last week. As per his wishes, there will be no memorial service, but community members are making donations to an altar flower display in his honor. If you wish to contribute, please reach out to the office at office@st-georgeschurch.org
We ask you to keep his family and loved ones in your prayers throughout this time.
Call for AGM Summaries
It's that time of year again! If you head up one of our ministry teams, we are looking for a summary of your work over the past year to include in our AGM circular. Please write up a short blurb and send it to the office by February 8th.
Ecumenical Webinar Gatherings
You are invited to join in two upcoming gatherings hosted by the LAM (Lutheran, Anglican, Moravian) ecumenical working group. We hope that congregations across Canada who are hoping to build stronger connections with other congregations will register for these upcoming events.
Feb. 12, 2026, Thursday 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Is Ecumenical Shared Ministry for you?
As the landscape of Canadian churches changes across the country, interest in Ecumenical Shared Ministry (ESM) as a way of supporting vibrant and sustainable church presence and witness in communities is growing. ESM involves entering an intentional partnership with one or more Christian churches in your neighbourhood or town to share life and ministry together. This educational event is designed for people in local congregations who are interested in exploring whether ESM might be a fit in their context. Participation by people from other denominations is also warmly welcomed and encouraged. LED BY: Sandra Beardsall & Cathryn Wood
Feb. 26, 2026 Thursday 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
HOW DOES IT WORK? Networking with Ecumenical Shared Ministry leaders.
Ecumenical Shared Ministry (ESM) is growing in Canada, as more communities explore creative, faithful ways for different denominations to be church together. This work brings unique blessings and challenges that are not always understood. This online networking event will gather members and leaders of ESM congregations for support, resource sharing, and building a community of practice. Special guests include Cathryn Wood from the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism. While the event highlights the relationships among the three full-communion churches, participants from all denominations are warmly welcomed. LED BY: Sandra Beardsall & Cathryn Wood
Following the change of our email server many parishioners are still not receiving the newsletter. In light of this, the newsletter will now be available weekly on our website. We thank you for your patience as we reset the newsletter software. We are doing our best to make sure that it reaches all of you consistently!
Stewardship Update
Happy New Year from the Stewardship Committee! Thank you very much to those of you who have donated to our "Heat the Church" campaign. To date, we have raised a total of $5343.75 - an impressive feat! However, we are currently short of our goal of $8,000, so we encourage those who have not yet contributed to this campaign to donate before the end of January. Make sure to mark your donation with the words "Heat the Church" so that the funds go to the right place. This campaign will officially end at the end of January.
On another note, the Stewardship Committee would like to welcome 1-2 more members to our team. We meet 1-2 times a month via zoom. If you are interested in joining our committee, please contact Chloe Caso at chloecaso91@gmail.com
Best regards,
The St. George's Stewardship Committee
(Chloe, Susan, Tom D, Tom B, Robert)
Sacred Stitches
Sacred stitches is back for the New year! We invite you to join us for crafts and community every Tuesday from 12-3PM.
St. Michael's Mission: Weekly Update
Hello all,
I want to thank you for helping to keep our community warm over the last couple of weeks. The mittens and socks, and all other items have been greatly appreciated. We hope that you are staying warm as well during these chilly winter days.
As always you can sign-up HERE to volunteer with us if you are interested.
For donations in the coming weeks, we are really placing an emphasized need for all the warming items:
o Pants
o Tuques
o Mittens/ Gloves
o Men’s underwear
o Winter Coats
o Sweaters
o Boots
As usual we also still have needs for basic supplies as well if you are able to provide:
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