December 2020
Quick Calendar WEEKLY Sun
10am Sunday Worship Online
pg 21
Spring Kids discipleship after the Children's Blessing
11:30 Virtual Coffee Time - Online
Tues 10am-12pm Pastoral Team Meeting Wed 10am Refresh, Women's Group Thur 8:30pm Evening Prayers - Online
pg 21 pg 21 pg 21 pg 21
UPCOMING Dec 4
YOUTH: Online Escape Room
pg 16
Dec 10
YOUTH: Jr. High Girls Life Groups
pg 15
Dec 11
YOUTH: Boys and Sr. High Girls Life Groups
pg 15
Dec 17
Christmas Care Gifts Due
pg 8
Dec 19
YOUTH: Online Christmas Party
pg 16
Dec 20
Light of the World at 7pm
pg 12
Dec 24
Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship at 7pm
pg 12
See more on the last pages or on our Events page at www.springgardenchurch.ca/events.
Delve submissions are due Dec. 21st. 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 The Silenced Have Words to Speak Amen 3 Teaching Kids about the Faith 5 Children's Articles: What Christmas Means to Me 7 The Ultimate Birthday 8 Christmas Care for Survivors of Human Trafficking 9 About the Current Worship Series 10
Community Corner Secret Santa Christmas Card Exchange 11 Light of the World 12 | Christmas Eve Worship 12
Discipleship Ministries
Spring Kids: Online Worship Gathering 13 Spring Kids 14 | Spring Youth 15 | Youth Events 16
Resource Centre
Resource Recommendations 17
More Info How to Give 19 Leadership Directory 19 Weekly Calendar 21 Upcoming Calendar 22
Our Values
(back page)
Design, Cover & Editor: Dale Forder Contributors: Greg Kay Ben Reynolds Kaeden, Ziggy & Faith Jeremy Ranasinghe Karen Cassel Copy Editors: Greg Kay Karen Cassel
The Silenced Have Words to Speak Amen by Greg Kay
‘He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.’ Mary, the mother of Jesus, Luke 1:51-52 Amen. So be it. Let it be thus. Certainty. Certainty in the truthfulness of what was said. Amen. I don’t know about you, but I long to say ‘amen’, so be it, with absolute certainty. Absolute certainty that God will indeed do this. That in Jesus God has indeed done this. This longing has been a part of my song for as long as I can remember. The hoped-for Messiah has come to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Amen. For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. Amen. I say “Amen. God, let it be this way,” yet it is prayed without absolute certainty. Really, if I’m honest, it is often prayed more as something in between, “God, wouldn’t it be nice” and “PLEASE God! We’re begging you!” Emmanuel, God with us. Amen. As a Western middle-class male (and white nonetheless) I ponder the reality that Mary, the mother of Jesus, as a poor young Jewish female under Roman rule, was powerless. Voiceless. Yet her voice is sung out in Scripture—the longest passage spoken by a woman 3
in the New Testament. And her voice is full of certain. Oppressed. Afflicted. Powerless. Voiceless. Yet hopeful. God choosing her was not a contingency plan for when the real Salvation Project of Israel failed. She was chosen. She accepted her chosen-ness. And the whole world has been blessed because of her, for through her God brought Emmanuel, God with us, into the world. Her voice is sung out in all the world. And in her voice, all the voiceless of the world are given a voice. And in her Son, all the uncertain are given hope, joy, peace, and love. Amen. (a prayer from Padraig O’ Tuama’s Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community) God of Mary, Son of Mary: Neither birth nor death diminished you. Neither power nor pain destroyed you. Neither plenty nor little distracted you. So lift up our arms in strength so that we may lay down our arms and our armies, our fears and our prejudices. Because, with Mary, we know that the silenced have words to speak Amen.
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Teaching Kids about the Faith by Ben Reynolds
For those of us raising kids, the pandemic has created a number of challenges, not least how to navigate working from home, household chores, and our children’s education. While much effort has been put into educating our children either online or with masks and physical distancing, our inability to meet together at Spring Garden on Sundays has brought into stark relief the importance of teaching our kids about Jesus. You may have realized that back in the pre-pandemic days our kids were only in our church discipleship programs for an hour a week. Having taught in the grades 1-5, I recognize that the time spent “downstairs” teaching and modelling faith, while important, is only a small part toward the educating and forming that our kids need. I have been reminded that ultimately teaching our kids about our faith has always been a family responsibility. In this time, I have been made more aware that we caregivers are largely on our own, apart from our virtual church gatherings. I don’t want to make parents and guardians feel guilty and add another task or duty to our days, but I am reminding myself of my responsibility as my kids’ caregiver to introduce them to God, our God who raised his Son Jesus from the dead and sent his Spirit to us.
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While it is helpful to set aside time in the morning at breakfast or at night before bed or at dinner to read from the Bible and pray together, a simple place to start teaching our kids is in sharing with them the way God told the people of Israel to share with their children. In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, after Moses reminds the people to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, and strength, he says, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Teaching our kids is as simple (and as difficult!) as talking about God with them at home while we go about our day, when we are in the car, when they go to bed, and when we get up. It seems to me from Deuteronomy 6 that we should be talking with our kids about God and his commandments wherever we are with them. If “when” is “all the time,” the “what” that we tell them can be the Ten Commandments that we can memorize together and put up as a list by our front door. We can recite the Lord’s Prayer together as we leave our house. The Apostles’ Creed, which is Spring Garden’s statement of faith, can be placed on the mirror in the bathroom and recited while we brush our teeth. As “we walk along the way,” we can talk about moments when have seen God work in our own lives or our favourite Bible verses or Bible stories that are important to us. The reason why these events and Bible passages are important to us should be passed on to the next generation. Psalm 78:3-4 states, “things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” I know I am not great at this, but if I don’t tell my kids about what God has done in my life or what I believe about Jesus, how can I expect them to know? There are many ways I can teach them and what I can teach them, but the simplest way for me (and it isn’t easy) is to share about those moments I was aware of God working in my life and teaching me. May the Lord help us to impress God’s commandments on our children’s hearts.
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I like Christmas cause I get to spend time with my family who are so funny. -by Faith, age 5
What Christmas Means to Me by Ziggy, age 9
To me Christmas means lights, presents and tradition.But there
are two things that are the most important to me:
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FAMILY 1. Because I wouldn’t have anybody to share stuff with, open stockings, eat cookies. 2. But I would also miss people to hang out with and talk about GOD with. 3. Christmas would be a bore. And I would have no one to love.
1. 2. 3. 4.
GOD/JESUS Without GOD I would not be alive and If GOD did not send down JESUS, we would not have Christmas. Without GOD we would have no one to praise for all the stuff we got. And without GOD we would get together less cause we have nothing to talk about and we have no reason to get together.
MY FAMILY’S TRADITION: we always watch the movies ELF and THE
GRINCH. We always set out cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer. We set up lights and a Christmas tree. We also put up Christmas decorations. We also make snow forts. And our two best traditions are going to my grandparents (my mom’s parents) house to open presents, than a few days after that we go on an airplane to Alberta where my other grandparents live and where my cousins live and we do all those traditions there.
The Ultimate Birthday by Kaeden, age 11
There is one birthday that I think is awesome. It is Jesus’ birthday, which is Christmas. That is the day we decorate Christmas trees and give each other presents. We give each other presents like the magi gave to Jesus when he was born. They gave him myrrh, frankincense, and gold. Angels came down from the sky to tell some nearby shepherds that Jesus was born. There was quite a bit going on that night, but the best part was when the little baby Jesus, in a manger, was born. He was so small, you could hardly believe he was the Messiah. But sure enough, the king was born.
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Christmas Care for Survivors of Human Trafficking
Now till Dec 14
Christmas can be a tough time of year for survivors of human trafficking. Some have broken relationships with their families, are facing financial hardships, feel lonely, all while working through trauma. Every year, our church community partners with Fight4Freedom and blesses these individuals with some extra love and joy through the Christmas Season! This year, we are once again inviting you to bless survivors (who could really use it) with some extra Christmas cheer! We will be collecting Christmas gifts to distribute to survivors across the province. This year there are two ways that you can participate: 1. You can purchase general gift items to be distributed to survivors. These may include brand new items such as lotions, cosmetics, mittens, board games, cozy socks, tea, coffee, gift cards, etc. 2. You can be paired up with a specific survivor/family to purchase a gift for them. You will be matched to a specific survivor/family and we will share some gift ideas and gift requests from that individual/family to buy for! Gifts will be collected by December 17th and delivered to survivors by Christmas. As we want to bless survivors and highlight their dignity, we are only collecting new items; the kinds of things you would want to receive as a gift! If you are interested, please contact Kaitlyn Ranasinghe (kaitlynrenaa@gmail.com) as early as possible. We hear every year just how much of a blessing this initiative is to the survivors that we support. Thank you for being part of building into the lives of women, men, and families working to rebuild their lives! 9
About the Current Worship Series Mary's Song Through advent we are listening to the voice of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and how her song (Luke 1:46-55) continues to be sung by others today in the anticipation and coming of the Messiah, Christ our Lord. This series runs until December 24, 2020.
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Life in and around Spring Garden
Community Corner
For the most updated list, please go to: https:// www.springgardenchurch.ca/upcoming-events
Secret Santa Christmas Card Exchange
This Christmas will be different in many ways. Here's an opportunity to share Christmas with others in an old school fashion, with hand written Christmas cards. We may not be able to connect together physically but a hand written card is a great Christmas gift. We would like to invite you to join us in a Secret Santa Christmas Card Exchange. All you need to do is • Sign up and provide your address. • Make a card or buy a card. • Write a Christmas greeting and message to the person or persons on your list. • Address it, buy a stamp, and put it in the mail. While you will bless someone with a Christmas card, you will also be blessed with one from someone else on the list. Please know that only the person with your name will receive your address. Your address will not come onto any other list or be given to any other person(s). If you would like a card sent to your child separately, let us know. Sign up here SIGN UP BY DECEMBER 13, 2020
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Light of the World December 20, 2020
Join us December 20th, 2020 at 7pm for Light of the World. Chase those COVID Christmas Blues away! Join us for an evening of Christmas fun with a Christmas sing-along and an interactive virtual story. To get the full interactive virtual experience, please join us via Zoom the day of our event. Zoom link: http://tiny.cc/ lotw2020 (when the Zoom link is created, this link will direct you to Zoom). Other ways to watch: Facebook live: Find it through our Facebook Page: https://www. facebook.com/springgardenchurch/ Our Website: www.springgardenchurch.ca Youtube: https://youtu.be/W_TyiUYReNM Youtube Promo Video: https://youtu.be/KRUPZMuOC2o
Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship
December 24, 2020 @ 7pm Join us on Christmas Eve, at 7pm for a Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship ONLINE gathering. You can find it live on our front page or our streaming page at the scheduled time. For more information, please visit https://www. springgardenchurch.ca/upcoming-events/2019/12/24/christmaseve-worship-gathering-hz9gx. 12
Partnering with Families
Discipleship Ministries 13 13
Spring Kids: Online Worship Gathering Our kids worship gathering will meet in person once we are certain it is safe to do so. Until then our kids will meet on zoom every Sunday following the children’s blessing. The only exception to this is on the first Sunday of each month. On these Sundays we’re encouraging youth and children to join their families to worship together. Here is the overall flow: Children’s Blessing Ends • Kids Log in to Zoom (information for doing this will be sent out prior) • Big Group Teaching (Lead by one of our big group leaders) • Split into small groups (Our Zoom Moderator will sort people into their groups) • Small-Group Time (Small Group Leaders talk with kids about what was said during Big Group time) • Finished - Kids and leaders sign off and enjoy the rest of their Sunday We emailed the information needed to join our online meetings. If you have received the email, please do not share it with other families. If you know of anyone who should have received the email please direct them to contact Jeremy (jeremy@ springgardenchurch.ca)
Spring Kids (Online) Here is an overview of what we will be talking about on Sundays for Spring Kids. Lesson
Ponder Point
Bible Passage
Dec 13
The Lord Is Our Righteousness (Jeremiah) Jesus Is God’s Gift (Zechariah and the Angel) God's Son Brings Peace (Birth of Jesus)
Jer. 23:5–6
Dec 20
Dec 27
Remember Verse Prov. 3:5–6
Luke 1:5–25, 57–80
Prov. 3:5–6
Luke 2:1–20
Prov. 3:5–6
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Spring Youth Sunday Morning Worship Gatherings: **Please be aware that our Youth Worship Gatherings will be held online until further notice, even after the building is open to the public.** December 27th: We will resume our regular worship gatherings for youth in grades 6-12 following the Children’s Blessing during our Sunday Morning Gathering/Livestream. Youth will be able to connect online and we will have our own time of worship and teaching similar to how we did before the pandemic. Youth who want to join us for worship on Sundays can do so through this link www.http://tiny.cc/SGCYouth **Please be aware that our gatherings will not begin until after the children’s blessing during the Sunday Morning Livestream** December 6th, 13th, 20th: Our youth group will meet online after the Sunday morning livestream to discuss what was said during the speakers talk for the morning.
Life Groups:
Life Groups this month will happen on December 10th for Jr High Girls (Gr 6-8) and December 11th, for the Sr High Girls (Gr 9-12). The Guy’s Life Group (gr 6-12) will also be meeting on December 11th, online.
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Youth Events December 4th: Online Escape Room - We will be participating in an online escape room hosted by Looking Glass Adventures. Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Cost: $15 December 19th: Online Christmas Party: We will be having our Christmas Party online this year, but there will still be games, prizes, and a different version of secret santa. More into to come! Time: TBD
Staying Updated: To stay up to date on what is happening for your youth, please visit our google calendar which has all of our planned events. http://tiny.cc/YouthCal If there is anything you’d like more clarification on, please email me (jeremy@springgardenchurch.ca)
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Recommendations
The Resource Centre
A Word from our Librarian During this time of lockdown we all need some new inspiration for how to celebrate the Christmas season in a new way. Here are some links to activities and readings/devotionals for yourself and/or your family.
1. Seven ways to celebrate Christmas that have nothing to do with Zoom https://www.realsimple. com/holidaysentertaining/holidays/ christmas/how-tocelebrate-christmasduring-coronavirus
2. Advent readings and activities
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It’s the most wonderful time of year, isn’t it? And while some scoff at carols being sung on the radio before December 1, Christians throughout history have embraced this season of spiritual preparation using Advent
readings—short Bible passages read during the lighting of the Advent wreath. This sacred time invites us to slow down from all the holiday preparations and parties, take a deep breath, and remember the reason for the season: the eternal Jesus Christ taking on human flesh. But how do all the different parts of Advent work together, and how can you incorporate Advent into your church or family life? That’s what this article will help you figure out, specifically guiding you through the practice of Advent readings. https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-andadvent/what-are-advent-readings.html
3. Top seven advent readings These are in no particular order. Each is uniquely written by one or more authors along with scripture that has been neatly compiled. So, choose the one that fits you best, and enjoy! https://inspiredandrefreshed.com/ top-7-free-advent-devotionals/
4. Twenty one festive quarantine Christmas ideas As the old song goes, "there's no place like home for the holidays." This year, those heartfelt lyrics have added significance. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many families have decided to celebrate individually, instead of in large groups. Some folks might even find themselves celebrating alone. If that's the case for you or your family, have no fear — there are so many fun quarantine Christmas ideas you can do while social distancing. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/ g34452103/quarantine-christmas-ideas/ 18
Directories and What's Happening
More Info
Leadership Directory PASTORAL TEAM
416.223.4593 Ext. 224
Greg Kay Co-Lead Pastor
gregkay@ springgardenchurch.ca Ext. 227
Sam Lee Co-Lead Pastor
samlee@ springgardenchurch.ca Ext. 223
Jeremy Ranasinghe Children and Youth Pastor
jeremy@ 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 office@springgardenchurch.ca Prayer Line
Tel 416.223.4593 Fax 416.223.6126 416.223.4038
Giving is one of the ways in which we can
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/giving.
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DEACONS Krysten Cameron Chair
416.399.0493 krystencameron@hotmail.com
Ben Reynolds
Children and Youth Discipleship
Martin Dewar
Missions and Membership
Monica Kim
Vice Chair& Adult Discipleship
Joanne Laing
Secretary & Property
Shannon Loewen
Community Life/Refreshments
Jeff McGee Finance
bereynolds@gmail.com 416.229.2695 martin.dewar@sgbc.ca 604.710.3224 monicakim2000@gmail.com 416.617.6582 joannelaing@gmail.com 647.202.0701 shannon.loewen1@gmail.com 416.493.2102 jeff.mcgee@sympatico.ca
Cheryl Chapman Worship
cheryl.chapman@live.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 20
What’s Happening Weekly
Life in Spring Garden
LIFE GROUPS - Connect for Community
ALL WEEK LONG
Together through bible study, prayer and sharing. Meet online and possible in-person, please email SamLee@ springardenchurch.ca for more information or to join one.
y
Sunda
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP
10am
Join us Sunday mornings as we go through the Advent weeks and into Christmas. After the children's blessing, the children can login our Spring Kids Online (more: page 10) Streamed at: www.springgardenchurch.ca
VIRTUAL COFFEE TIME
11:30am
Join us for our virtual coffee time after our online Worship Gathering. Get some coffee and snacks and log on to our Zoom meeting where you can talk with other Spring Gardeners. We will be breaking into smaller groups. Prayer room is available. Email office@springgardenchurch.ca for the log in info.
y Tueda
PASTORAL TEAM MEETING
10am - 12pm
We meet in-person every Monday. Please pray for us for wisdom and inspiration.
ay d s e n
REFRESH 10am - 11:30am
y a d s r
EVENING PRAYER
Wed
Thu
Friendship, care & spiritual growth for women. Please see more on page 13. You are invited to a virtual time of liturgical prayer. Please see here.
SGC COMMUNITY - Facebook
8:30pm
A group to encourage each other, share resources, connect, etc. Find us through groups in Facebook.
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What’s Happening Upcoming Dec
4 Dec
10 Dec
11 Dec
17 Dec
19 Dec
20 Dec
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Life in Spring Garden
YOUTH: Online Escape Room See more on page 16.
YOUTH: Jr. High Girls Life Groups See more on page 15.
YOUTH: Boys and Sr. High Girls Life Groups See more on page 15.
Christmas Care Gifts Due See more on page 11.
YOUTH: Online Christmas Party See more on page 16.
Light of the World at 7pm See more on page 12.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship at 7pm See more on page 12.
SEE OUR EVENTS PAGE FOR MORE INFO ON ANY OF THESE EVENTS. springgardenchurch.ca/events 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 on our home page to subscribe to our weekly e-mail. 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.
