APRIL 2022
Quick Calendar WEEKLY Sun
10am Sunday Worship Online or In-Person
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Tue Wed Thur Thur
10am-12pm Pastoral Team Meeting
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10am Refresh, Women's Group
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10am Bible Discussion
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8:30pm Evening Prayers - Online
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UPCOMING Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr.
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Apr. 29
YOUTH: Games Night YOUTH: Taco Night Prayer Retreat Palm Sunday Worship Gathering Maundy Thursday Good Friday Worship Gathering Easter Sunrise Liturgy and Communion Easter Sunday Worship Gathering Easter Egg Hunt YOUTH: Guys Life Group YOUTH: Jr. and Sr. High Girls Life Groups Youth: Art Night
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See more at www.springgardenchurch.ca/events. Delve submissions are due April 25th. Delve submissions are due on the MONDAY before the LAST Sunday of each month. To submit for the next issue of Delve, e-mail: delve@springgardenchurch.ca
Features A Good Church 3 Where Justice and Peace Kiss 7 Restorative Housing 10
Community Corner SGC Community Garden 11 Prayer Retreat 13 Easter Events 13-14 SGC: Day Camp 2022 15
Discipleship Ministries SGC Kids: (In-Person) Worship Gathering 17 Spring Youth 18 Youth Events 19-20
The Resource Centre Book Recommendations 21
More Info How to Give 23 Life Groups 16 Leadership Directory 23 Weekly Calendar 25 Upcoming Calendar 26
Our Values
(back page)
Design, Cover & Editor: Dale Forder Contributors: Greg Kay Abby Davidson Alice Ng Bouwma Jeremy Ranasinghe Karen Cassel Sam Lee Copy Editors: Greg Kay Karen Cassel
A Good Church by Greg Kay
[WARNING: This article refers to cases of abuse by clergy.]
A couple of weeks ago a well known and respected Canadian pastor and author was forced to leave his fruitful ministry because a woman with whom he had an extra marital affair many years ago, all of a sudden, decided to go public. The above statement is an example of what is called ‘spinning the story’ that takes fragments of truth and surrounds it with false narratives, discrediting and demonizing the accuser while victimizing the perpetrator. If you have been paying attention to the above story, you will already know that this pastor was not forced to leave, but that he quit and acknowledged in a public statement on his own website that the accusations were true and that he had broken the trust necessary to be a pastor. If you have been paying attention to more than what brief news sites tell you, you will also know that the woman was only 23 at the time, and had gone to him for counselling. For those of you unaware of power dynamics, both in counselling relationships and in pastoral relationships, let me simply say that it is not ‘equal’ in a situation like this; the pastor in question had significantly more power in the relationship, both as a respected pastor and as a counsellor. To suggest that it was “extra marital” is to suggest that it was consensual—two equals consenting with full autonomy—which by any healthy definition of consensual, it was NOT. Lastly, the reason the victim only now came forward was because, for the first time, she had found a person who would be a safe place for her to share her story. Up until then she was alone without a safe place. In case you missed my point, the first sentence I wrote was a false narrative trying to protect the leader/perpetrator rather than protecting the victim. Spinning false narratives is a common practice in every part of our culture today, and heartbreakingly, that is also the case throughout the world-wide Church. We recently saw this close to home when, as unmarked graves of Indigenous children buried at Residential Schools were being uncovered, some voices (some 3
even elected politicians), tried to spin it that it wasn’t as bad as it seems—that Residential Schools weren’t all bad because, hey look, here’s a picture of a kid smiling. We saw it with the Catholic Church covering up horrendous amounts of child abuse by priests. We saw it with Willow Creek trying to cover up Bill Hybels' abuses, Harvest Bible Chapel trying to cover up James McDonalds' abuses, Sovereign Grace Ministries trying to bury C.J. Mahaney’s involvement in covering up sexual abuses in Southern Baptist churches, and…. And this isn’t even to mention the people like Ravi Zacharias or Jean Vanier who had “successfully” hidden their abuses from their organizations and supporters. As a church leader, the darkness of these events makes me deeply angry, ashamed by association, with an overwhelming sadness that for far too many, the Church, which should have been a safe refuge, was a place of mental, emotional, spiritual or physical abuse. Adding to the heartbreak, reading through the comments on the Facebook announcement by the church (something that almost never leads to anything positive), alongside of many strangers making similar remarks, someone I know was posting common language that is used in situations that would rather silence a victim—questioning the victims character in order to discredit the claim; claiming collusion of the church leadership to make it seem like they are the perpetrators; spinning the story to make it seem like it was simply consensual while subtly suggesting feminism has some negative role to play; throwing around words like “woke” and “cancel-culture” to try to make the perpetrator (the pastor) look like the victim not only of the accuser and the church leadership, but of some nefarious principality destroying our culture. To this I say, if standing for and with victims of abuse means I am “woke”, then you can call me “woke” all you want. If you want to say that as a Christian leader I am “watering down the Gospel” because I think that Jesus came to give love, hope and welcome to the victim, the broken, the refugee, the marginalized, then go right ahead. I wish I had some deep answers to any of this; some new insight to stir your hearts and minds. But as I think about it, speaking out 4
isn’t about saying something newer, better, or deeper than what has already been said, but that some things simply just need to be said. As Martin Luther once famously said, “[the one] who passively accepts evil is a much involved in it as [they] who help to perpetrate it. [The one] who accepts evil without protesting against it really is cooperating with it”. And so, I just want to say that I choose today to not cooperate with the evil of church culture that protects church leaders over the well-being and safety of the flock. I choose to not passively accept the norms of patriarchy that breeds exaltation of male pastors. I choose to continue working towards cultivating a culture in our own faith community where the light of truth dispels the shadows that hid secrets in the darkness. I believe to do the opposite of these things—or to simply stay neutral— is watering down the Gospel of Jesus. At the same time, I feel this also needs to be said. I have no intention of ever falling into the kind of behaviours that way too many church leaders have fallen into. It would be nice to be able to say to you that I will never be that person. And I have every intent for that to be true. But I imagine Bruxy Cavey would have said the same thing a decade or two ago. Or Ravi Zacharias, Jean Vanier, Bill Hybels, James MacDonald, etc., etc. Sadly, the reality is that this is not a question simply of Christian leaders needing to have integrity. It is also about the people of God together, and about church leadership representing and serving those people, to be working together to create cultures and systems of goodness and safety, transparency and accountability. To be places and people where humility, grace and forgiveness a bound to all, but where forgiveness and Matthew 18:15-17 (“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you..”) are not used as excuses to allow leaders to act unaccountably, or as weapons to force victims into unsafe situations with their perpetrator or to demonize them for not being forgiving or gracious if they wont. And so, as a people of God together, let us commit to and work together towards creating what Scott McKnight and Laura Barringer in their book a A Church Called TOV call a goodness 5
culture—Spirit-formed and Christlike not only in our values, behaviours and worship, but in our policy and procedures. (as a side note, A Church Called TOV is an excellent resource in this regard. It does however delve deeply into toxic church cultures with stories that may be triggering for some people, so any recommendation comes with a content warning in regards to clerical sexual, spiritual and emotional abuse) I’d like to leave you with McKnight and Berringer’s picture of this culture, which I think leaves us in a place of hope. Reflecting on Galatians 5:19-23 where “both flesh and spirit express the core of one’s character” they write: “Toxic, flesh-driven cultures breed a lust for power, success, celebrity, control through fear, an emphasis on authority, and demands of loyalty. These values may not be explicitly stated, or even outwardly recognized, but as they fester in the heart of a leader, they can’t help but bear bitter fruit, damaging the culture of the church and seeking to destroy anyone who gets in the way. “A Spirit-formed, Christlike culture, on the other hand, nurtures truth, offers healing for the wounded, seeks opportunities to show redemptive grace and love, focuses on serving others (rather than on being served), and looks for ways to establish justice in the daily paths of life. A Christlike church culture always has its eyes on people because the mission of the church is all about God’s redemptive love for people.”
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Where Justice and Peace Kiss by Abby Davidson
Psalm 85 gives us a beautiful picture of the Hebrew concept of Shalom. The term is often interpreted as ‘peace’ and it describes the harmonious and abundant flourishing of all of God’s creation. While it might conjure up images of rainbows and butterflies in a surreal setting, that’s not what Shalom is about. Rather, it is the restoration of all things to the way they were intended to be or as the Psalmist describes it “Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven”. Shalom is an all-encompassing and multi-directional experience of God’s goodness. It sounds like a stark contrast to the world we live in. The war continues in Ukraine and the millions of refugees leaving there are added to the millions already displaced from violence and corruption in other countries. In our own city we see the inequity faced by women and people of colour, increasing food insecurity and homelessness, and countless other injustices that have become the norm. And yet we are told that God has promised peace to his people and that salvation is near. 7
And it is near. For those of us who follow Jesus and desire to live in step with his will, Shalom is available to us. It is the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God on earth that gives us glimpses into this perfect state of being. No, we don’t see the whole picture yet, but we do see places where God is at work to bring about this Shalom. We see God’s invitation to us to join him at this intersection of justice and peace. Not only does God invite us to join him, but he expects his people to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with him (Micah 6:8). This is how the world will experience the presence of God – through our actions and our love. This is invitation and the challenge to us: Where we see brokenness we are asked to heal. Where we see division we are asked to do the work of reconciliation. Where we see pain we are asked to comfort. Where we see prisoners we are asked to bring freedom. Where we see darkness we are asked to bring light. No pressure right? Given all the needs that exist and our commitment as a church to “enact our shared values in local and global missional engagement, showing God’s care and sharing God’s story”, this may seem daunting. Where do we start? There are so many organizations out there doing good work, how do we choose which ones to support? These are important questions and ones that we will continue to ask and answer as we become aware of opportunities to enact God’s Shalom. While the needs seem overwhelming, I am always reminded that as God invites us into his work, he also enables us to live and act in the power of the Holy Spirit. In my own effort to answers these questions, it has been important that I get to know you; who you are and how God has gifted you. I have been blessed to hear about the ways SGC has been involved in the community and in missions in the past and to hear your individual stories. Over the next few months we will be conducting a church-wide survey to help the leadership get an understanding of the gifts that exist in our church as well as the passions that drive you. 8
We have also put together a Spring Garden Based Initiatives Team (SGBIT) made up of Maria Speare, Kaitlyn Ranasinghe, Clem Lee, Martin Dewar (our Missions Deacon) and myself. We will continue to ask the important questions as we seek God’s guidance for the missional direction of SGC. For now, I want to focus not on who we serve but on how we serve. Over the summer we took some time to watch the series Helping Without Hurting1. We were reminded of the importance of serving in a way that does not cause harm to those we are helping. It is equally important to serve in a way that does not cause harm to our church community. So as we seek to be people of Shalom that work toward justice and peace, here are some guidelines we can keep in mind. A Healthy Serving Community considers: 1. Needs. What are the needs of those we seek to serve? What are our needs? If there is to be a mutuality in our serving, we should be aware of the opportunities for us as a community to grow and thrive as well as identifying the real needs that exist around us. 2. Rhythm. Healthy serving involves a rhythm of rest and work. There will always be more we can do. And while we serve in the power and authority of Jesus… we are not Jesus! We should be aware of our own limitations and set boundaries. We want to get to a place where we are working from our rest and not resting from our work. 3. Shared responsibility. Jesus always sent his followers out on mission in teams. As we consider the different initiatives available to us, we will ensure that there is room for shared responsibility so that one or two individuals aren’t doing most of the work. I am excited to discover what Shalom God is unveiling among us. I am excited to see what it looks like to have justice and peace kiss. In the words of the Psalmist the Lord will indeed give what is good! 1 https://youtu.be/a339VZRE3CM
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Restorative Housing by Abby Davidson
On March 21 a few of us gathered together online to hear a presentation from Restorative Housing Justice Ontario (RJHO). RJHO assists former prisoners by providing safe, affordable housing. This gives them the stable foundation they need to become positive members of their communities. It will also lead to lower rates of re-offence and safer neighbourhoods, which helps the city as a whole. If you are interested in hearing more about this ministry, you can watch the presentation at the link below. Link to RJHO Missions' Night https://youtu.be/T44P8cCpYio RJHO has 3 homes for men and they are looking to open a home for women in either North York or Scarborough. If you know of anyone renting a home in your neghbourhood please get in touch! Here are some of the needs the women in this new home may have: - help writing resumes and applying for jobs - help acquiring professional clothing - emotional support - accountability support - empowering support for those who were in the sex trade These are a few of the areas of need. If you would be interested in being a part of an SGC team that will be supporting these women, please let Abby(abbydavidson@springgardenchurch.ca) know. 10
Life in and around Spring Garden
Community Corner 11 11
SGC Community Garden by Alice Ng Bouwma
During the past two years, in the midst of the COVID restrictions, the garden not only was a source of fresh vegetables for food banks, but also a place of retreat for our neighbours. We saw people having picnics, cutting other’s hair, sun bathing, walking their dogs, etc. As a Garden Team, we had the opportunity to talk to some of these neighbours – some helped out with the garden, others learned more about Spring Garden, and others were happy to connect over the gardening months. Would you be interested in joining the Garden Team this year? We work as a team and support each other - so no need for experience or even a green thumb. Volunteers are needed for planting seeds, weeding, watering, harvesting, and delivering vegetables to a local shelter. Contact us at garden@springgardenchurch. ca for more information.
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Time for a Retreat!
Join us here at Spring Garden Church on Saturday, April 9th from 9am-3pm for a prayer retreat as we approach Holy Week. If you are in need of rest and refreshment or if you are longing to hear from God then this retreat is for you. Spiritual Director Sarah Patterson will lead us in discussion and prayer practices as we focus on discernment and hearing God's voice. While part of our time will be spent learning about discernment, this day is not about getting more knowledge but rather about setting time apart to be with God, to seek him and to listen to his voice. It's a chance to centre ourselves in the hope and peace of Christ. The cost is $15 a person that includes lunch. Email Abby at abbydavidson@springgardenchurch.ca.
HOLY WEEK AT SGC Palm Sunday Worship Gathering April 10th at 10am
On Palm Sunday, Christian worshipers celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday always falls one week before Easter Sunday. Join us for our Palm Sunday Worship Gathering at 10am. 13
Maundy Thursday April 14th at 8:30
Join us the Thursday before Good Friday at 8:30 pm April 1st for a time of communion and prayer centered around Jesus' Last Supper before his arrest. Please email office@springgardenchurch.ca for the zoom link (the same as our regular Thursday evening prayer). We will be partaking in Communion. If you would like to join us in Communion, please prepare your selves something to eat and drink.
Good Friday Worship Gathering April 15th at 10am
Good Friday (In-person and online) 10am - Good Friday Worship with Communion (childcare for nursery to grade 5 available).
Easter Sunrise Liturgy and Communion April 17th at 6am
Come early at 6am as the sun breaks the horizon, for Liturgy and Communion.
Easter Sunday Worship Gathering April 17th at 10am
Online and inperson, join us for our Easter gathering.
Easter Egg Hunt
April 17th at 11:45am Invite your friends! After our worship gathering, we will be enjoying some snacks and refreshments and having a Easter egg hunt.
Find all these events on our Events Page: springgardenchurch.ca/events
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SGC: Day Camp 2022 This Summer, we are planning 2 weeks of day camp and 1 week of our Adventure Camp, July 18-22, July 25-29 & Aug. 15-19. Following the success of our in-person camps from 2021, we are doing so with the same intent but will have virtual camp back-upplans if we cannot meet in-person safely. If any of the weeks you sign up for end up changing to virtual, you will have the option for a full refund. Our Day-Camps strive to create a safe, loving, and inclusive atmosphere (both online and in-person!) where children can engage in a variety of activities to experience and learn God’s love for them. We believe that this is done through intentional relationships and thoughtful programming. Our day camp runs from 9 am to 3:30 pm and is created for children in grades 1 - 5 (ages 6-10) for the upcoming school year (September 2022). Sign up at: springgardenchurch.ca/daycamp
SGC Youth 2022: Summer L.I.T (Leaders In Training) Summer LIT (Leaders In Training) is a volunteer opportunity for youth in Grades 6-12 to assist in the camp ministry of Spring Garden Church. As an addition to our regular LIT ministry, Summer LIT's will first participate in our mandatory training week where we will learn about leadership together and assist with the setup and operation of our camp weeks. Read more at: http://tiny.cc/SGCLIT2022 15
Life Groups
Life Groups are a place where we do life together in a community centered around the gospel. They are designed for you to pursue spiritual growth, community and mission together. We offer Life Groups so everyone can have a place to belong. Life Groups are Kevin & Suzanna small gatherings Sunday afternoons, of people who Every other week ONLINE and In-Person form a community. Group members Scott & Kate share life together Sunday evenings Every other week through friendship, ONLINE learn from the Bible and other Anne & Garth Monday evenings resources, pray for Weekly and give support ONLINE to one another, Jeff & Phyllis and participate Wednesday evenings in God’s mission Weekly together. They are ONLINE safe places where David Webb you can meet new Thursday evenings people, discover Weekly your gifts for Online and In-Person service, grow as a follower of Jesus, and have a lot of fun together. Groups gather in homes or online throughout the week. Each group is as unique as the people in it. No matter where you are in life, there is a Life Group for you. Please email Abby at abbydavison@springgardenchurch.ca to join or for more information.
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Partnering with Families
Discipleship Ministries
SGC Kids: Family Registration Forms: In order for us to provide our ministry to the children of our church, we require new registration forms to be filled by their family every year as part of our policy to protect. Please fill out our form through this link http://tiny.cc/SGCFamilyRegistration
Kids (In-Person) Worship Gathering We have updated our Sunday sign-ups for our children’s worship. For more information on registering or the structure and flow for Sunday mornings, please use the following link: http://tiny.cc/SGCKidsWorshipInfo *Highlights* - By registering online through http:// sgcworship.eventbrite.ca, parents and caregivers will no longer be required to sign in children in their worship spaces using the form.
Online Resources For Home To help serve your family better, we have uploaded all our SGC Kids’ curriculum online. The following link can be used to access our curriculum and use at home, as well as find info pamphlets for following up with kids on what was discussed during their worship on Sunday mornings. SGC Kids Curriculum Link: tiny.cc/OnlineCurriculum Here is what we will be talking about on Sundays!
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Page Turners: Did you know that the largest Easter egg in the world lives in Vegreville, Canada? Did you know that the most popular Easter candy in the world are Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Eggs? There’s a ton of fun trivia around the theme of Easter but the best questions to ask kids are about
Jesus. Did you know we can love Jesus more than anything? Did you know Jesus is king over everything? Did you know Jesus is alive? Did you know we can trust Jesus? Whatever their answer, invite kids to go beyond the facts and win the grand prize of knowing Jesus for themselves! Easter Egg Hunt - April 17th, 2022: - We are planning an Easter Egg Hunt for our kids on Easter Sunday following our worship gathering. We’ll have safe candy and treats for all our kids as well as a community BBQ. For more information please contact Jeremy (jeremy@springgardenchurch.ca) Time: 11:30am-12:00pm
Spring Youth Sunday Morning Worship Gatherings:
April 10th, 24th: We will have our regular worship gatherings for youth in grades 6-12. Following the children and youth’s blessing, youth will move to the youth lounge to continue in worship. Due to limited space, youth will need to register their spot (preferably with their family) through http://sgcworship.eventbrite.ca April 3rd, 17th, 2022 - Youth are encouraged to join us in the main worship area. Youth who would like to serve in worship either through music, tech team, children’s ministry, or another area should speak with Jeremy. April 17th, 2022 - Youth are encouraged to join the Easter gathering in the main worship area.
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Life Groups:
Our youth life groups will meet this month. As we begin a new curriculum our Jr and Sr girls will have their life groups combined but will split into small groups for discussion. Here are the days we’re meeting as well as who to contact: Jr High Girls • Brittni • brittni@sgbc.ca • Friday, April 22th, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm Sr High Girls • Kaitlyn • Kaitlyn.ranasinghe@sgbc.ca • Friday, April 22th, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm Guys Life Group • Jeremy • Jeremy@springgardenchurch.ca • Thursday, April 21, 2022 - 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Youth Events April 1st: Games Night - We will be meeting at our building to play some of our favourite games. To ensure enough food is prepared please email Jeremy to reserve space by March 30th, 2022 Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Cost: $10 ($5 for additional youth of the same family) (Dinner included) April 8th: Taco Night - After two years of waiting, our annual taco night is back! We’ll be meeting at our building to make some tacos and enjoy each other's company. To ensure enough food is prepared please e-mail Jeremy to reserve space by April 6th. 19
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Cost: $10 per youth ($5 for additional youth of the same family) (Dinner included) April 29th: Art Night - Paint Pouring - We’ll be meeting at our building to paint together. Youth will have the opportunity to participate in paint pouring to create abstract paintings. Traditional painting is also encouraged if preferred! To ensure we have enough food and materials please sign up by April 27th using the form below. Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Cost: $15 ($10 for additional youth of the same family) (Dinner included) Registration Link: http://tiny.cc/SGCYouthEvent Staying Updated: To stay up to date on what is happening for your youth, please visit our google calendar which has all our planned events. http://tiny.cc/YouthCal
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Recommendations
The Resource Centre 21
A rhythm of prayer: a collection of meditations for renewal, edited by Sarah Bessey 232.9 KEL (on display) It’s no secret that we are overworked, overpressured, and edging burnout. Unsurprisingly, this fact is as old as time—and that’s why we see so many prayer circles within a multitude of church traditions. These gatherings are a trusted space where people seek help, hope, and peace, energized by God and one another. This book, curated by acclaimed author Sarah Bessey, celebrates and honors that prayerful tradition in a literary form. A companion for all who feel the immense joys and challenges of the journey of faith, this collection of prayers says it all aloud, giving readers permission to recognize the weight of all they carry. These writings also offer a broadened imagination of hope—of what can be restored and made new. Each prayer is an original piece of writing, with new essays by Sarah Bessey throughout.
Wholehearted faith by Rachel Held Evans Rachel Held Evans is widely recognized for her theologically astute, profoundly honest, and beautifully personal books, which have guided, instructed, edified, and shaped Christians as they seek to live out a just and loving faith. At the time of her tragic death in 2019, Rachel was working on a new book about wholeheartedness. With the help of her close friend and author Jeff Chu, that work-in-progress has been woven together with some of her other unpublished writings into a rich collection of essays that ask candid questions about the stories we’ve
been told—and the stories we tell—about our faith, ourselves, and our world. This book is for the doubter and the dreamer, the seeker and the sojourner, those who long for a sense of spiritual wholeness as well as those who have been hurt by the Church but can’t seem to let go of the story of Jesus. Through theological reflection and personal recollection, Rachel wrestles with God’s grace and love, looks unsparingly at what the Church is and does, and explores universal human questions about becoming and belonging. An unforgettable, moving, and intimate book.
What is God like? By Rachel Held Evans and Matthew Paul Turner Children who are introduced to God, through attending church or having loved ones who speak about God, often have a lot of questions, including this ever-popular one: What is God like? The late Rachel Held Evans loved the Bible and loved showing God’s love through the words and pictures found in that ancient text. Through these pictures from the Bible, children see that God is like a shepherd, God is like a star, God is like a gardener, God is like the wind, and more. God is a comforter and support. And whenever a child is unsure, What Is God Like? encourages young hearts to “think about what makes you feel safe, what makes you feel loved, and what makes you feel brave. That's what God is like.”
Abundant simplicity: discovering the unhurried rhythms of grace, by Jan Johnson Which activities give you energy and connect you with God? Do you know what behaviors are life-draining for you, separating you from God? Simplicity is about choosing the engaging, relational life we were meant to live. It means shedding obligation and pretension. It means spending time in ways that help us become clearheaded. It means being intentional about what we do and how we live. These choices allow God's power to move through us and bless others as we have space to do good. In each chapter Jan Johnson provides small experiments with simplicity as well as questions for discussion or reflection to get you started.
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Directories and What's Happening
More Info
Leadership Directory PASTORAL TEAM
416.223.4593 Ext. 224
Greg Kay Co-Lead Pastor
gregkay@ springgardenchurch.ca
*Greg Kay is on Sabbatical (away) from April 19 - Aug. 19th 2022*
Ext. 227
Sam Lee Co-Lead Pastor
samlee@ springgardenchurch.ca Ext. 223
Jeremy Ranasinghe Children and Youth Pastor
jeremy@ springgardenchurch.ca Ext. 226
Abby Davidson Pastor of Missional Discipleship
abbydavidson@ springgardenchurch.ca Ext. 221
Dale Forder Office & Communications Administrator
daleforder@ springgardenchurch.ca
Spring Garden Church
112 Spring Garden Avenue, Toronto ON M2N 3G3 www.springgardenchurch.ca Tel 416.223.4593 office@springgardenchurch.ca Fax 416.223.6126 Prayer Line 416.223.4038
Giving is one of the ways in which we can
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respond to a generous God. We give because it is a part of our discipleship and an act of worship. Please give as you feel led. For more information please go to our website at: https://www.springgardenchurch.ca/give.. https://www.springgardenchurch.ca/give
DEACONS Krysten Cameron Chair
416.399.0493 krystencameron@hotmail.com
Ben Reynolds
Children\Youth Discipleship & Property
Martin Dewar
Community Life & Missions
Debbie Tempelmeyer
Adult Discipleship & Pastoral Care
Scott Moore
Vice Chair & Secretary
Jeff McGee Finance
bereynolds@gmail.com 416.229.2695 martin.dewar@sgbc.ca 905-301-2323 tempelmeyerdeb@gmail.com 647-227-5465 scottgmoore@mac.com 416.493.2102 jeff.mcgee@sympatico.ca
Cheryl Chapman Worship
cheryl.chapman@live.ca
Esther Penner Membership
esther.penner@sgc.ca
ELDERS Anne Barron Gonzalo Librado
416.724.9329 anne.barron020@sympatico.ca 416.435.9691 gonzlibrado@gmail.com
Margaret Sutton margaretsutton242@gmail.com Koon Wah Leung Clem Lee
416.225.7092 koonwleung@gmail.com 416.508.7355 crazymonkeyfamily@gmail.com
Myrna Frost
416.225.4986 mfrost2254986@rogers.com 24
What’s Happening Life in Spring Garden
Weekly LIFE GROUPS - Connect for Community ALL WEEK LONG
Together through bible study, prayer and sharing. Meet online and possible in-person. Please email abbydavidson@springardenchurch.ca for more information or to join one. See more on page 16.
Sundays
Tuesdays
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP
10am
PASTORAL TEAM MEETING
10am 12pm
Join us Sunday mornings as we go through a series called 'Uncluttered' until Easter (read more). Join us at: www.springgardenchurch.ca/ live or come in-person (no need to register).
We meet mostly on Tuesday. Please pray for us for wisdom and inspiration.
Wednesdays REFRESH
Friendship, care & spiritual growth for women. Contact Jen Chrystman (jenchrystman313@ hotmail.com ) or Faith Holwyn (faith. holwyn@gmail.com) for more info.
Thursdays
BIBLE DISCUSSION
10am 11:30am
EVENING PRAYER
8:30pm
Join us as we learn and discuss different stories about God and His people. Contact Victoria Shipmaker for more information at victoriashipmaker@gmail.com. See pg 13.
You are invited to a virtual time of liturgical prayer. More information at springgardenchurch.ca/events.
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10am 11:30am
What’s Happening Upcoming
Life in Spring Garden
Apr. 1
YOUTH: Games Night
pg 19
Apr. 8
YOUTH: Taco Night
pg 19
Apr. 9
Prayer Retreat
pg 13
Apr. 10
Palm Sunday Worship Gathering
pg 13
Apr. 14
Maundy Thursday
pg 14
Apr. 15
Good Friday Worship Gathering
pg 14
Apr. 17
Easter Sunrise Liturgy and Communion
pg 14
Apr. 17
Easter Sunday Worship Gathering
pg 14
Apr. 17
Easter Egg Hunt
pg 14
Apr. 21
YOUTH: Guys Life Group
pg 14
Apr. 22
YOUTH: Jr. and Sr. High Girls Life Groups
pg 19
Apr. 29
Youth: Art Night
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FUTURE EVENTS: Day Camps -Go to springgardenchurch.ca/daycamp. Camping Trip -Go to springgardenchurch.ca/upcoming-events/camping-trip-2022
If you would like to receive a weekly e-mail update on what’s happening in Spring Garden, please visit the SGC website (www. springgardenchurch.ca) and add your email address at the bottom of our home page (scroll down). Also keep your eye on our Events page at: www.springgardenchurch.ca/events.
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Our Values We believe in a humble God who came not to be served, but to serve. Therefore we engage in sacrificial and active service to those around us. We strive to be good stewards of God’s gifts and talents by serving one another in humility. We aspire to regard others as higher than ourselves, which liberates us to creatively take risks in serving others for God’s glory. We believe in a God of grace who came to save the world, not to condemn it. Therefore, as we are continuously receiving the gift of God’s grace, we seek to grow in that grace and extend it to others. We strive to define ourselves by what we are for, not what we are against.
We believe in a God who knows us, and who desires to be known. Therefore we embrace a journey of faith that requires us to constantly strive for a personal, intimate and transformative knowledge of God. We strive to be led by God’s Spirit in supporting and encouraging one another in working out our faith.
We believe in a creative God. Therefore we are open to expressing our faith in new and creative ways that reflect the beauty and complexity of our creator. We are called to use our creative gifts in worship and service as we engage with our world. We take joy in the diversity of gifts that allow us to delight God and participate in His ongoing story. We believe in a triune, relational God who calls us to come together as a diverse community of believers. Therefore, we want to walk together, supporting one another physically, emotionally and spiritually. We strive to be a welcoming, inclusive family that goes through the joys and the trials of life together, acknowledging that God uses this community to deepen and mature our faith.
We believe in a God who loves this broken world and wants to reconcile us to Himself. Therefore we are commissioned by Christ to go out into the world, meeting the holistic needs of the local and global community. God calls us to participate in a redemptive work that he has already initiated; in humility, we will partner with others to work alongside and chase after Him.
We believe in a God who is our centre. Therefore where we are on the journey is less important than that we are moving towards a deeper relationship with Christ. We believe and participate in God’s redemptive work in all people, which gives us the freedom to come as we are, and to accept others as they are.
We each are on a unique journey to become who God has created us to be.