February 2022
Quick Calendar WEEKLY Sun
10am Sunday Worship Online or In-Person
pg 13
Tue Wed Thur Thur
10am-12pm Pastoral Team Meeting
pg 13
10am Refresh, Women's Group
pg 13
10am Bible Discussion
pg 13
8:30pm Evening Prayers - Online
pg 13
Youth Discipleship after the Children's Blessing and Children may go to their program after the Children's Blessing
UPCOMING Feb. 4
YOUTH: Craft Night
pg 23
Feb. 7, 10 & 11 Feb. 13
YOUTH: Jr High Girls, Guys Life Group & Sr High Girls
pg 23
Tobogganing
pg 17
Feb. 18
YOUTH: Laser Tag
pg 23
Feb. 25
YOUTH: Games Night
pg 24
Feb. 27
Ministry Resource Meeting
pg 17
Mar. 1
Pancake Tuesday
pg 17
Mar. 2
Ash Wenesday Prayer and Communion
pg 18
Mar. 5
A Night Out
pg 18
See more on the last pages or on our Events page at www.springgardenchurch.ca/events. Delve submissions are due Feb. 22th. 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 Open Ears, Open Hands 3 Why Choose Membership, Anyway? 7 Membership FAQs 8 Lent Reading 9 Funny Bone 10 Vocational Missions Update - Monica @ YU 11 Showing God's Care During Advent 15
Community Corner Tobagganing 17 Ministry Resource Meeting 17 Pancake Tuesday 17 Ash Wednesday Prayer and Communion 18 A Night Out 18 Toronto Mission Experience 18 SGC Day Camp 2022 19 Talking with our Indigenous Neighbours 19
Discipleship Ministries SGC Kids: (In-Person) Worship Gathering 21 Spring Youth 22 | Youth Events 23-24
More Info How to Give 25 Life Groups 20 Leadership Directory 25 Design, Cover & Editor: Weekly Calendar 27 Dale Forder Upcoming Calendar 28
Our Values
(back page)
Contributors: Greg Kay Esther Penner Colleen Stevens Monica Kay Jeremy Ranasinghe Abby Davidson Copy Editors: Greg Kay Karen Cassel
Open Ears, Open Hands by Greg Kay
On a podcast entitled “Why Bother Praying,” author Sarah Bessey reflected on the church tradition in which she was raised, where the purpose of prayer was “to get your health, your wealth, your healing, your whatever it is you were out for.” In her words, this type of prayer had the purpose of “controlling outcomes.” In this approach to prayer, if you don’t get what you’re praying for—if the answer to prayer doesn’t look exactly like what you think it should—it’s because of your lack of faith (not because the infinite God of the universe just might have a broader perspective on things than you do, or that perhaps the Holy Spirit isn’t a divine lump of Play-Doh to be manipulated and moulded to your will). There’s an often quoted saying of Jesus from Matthew 17:20 that says, “…if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.” While “moving mountains” takes the smallest amount of faith (mustard seed size), it occurs to me that it takes a whole lot more faith to continue praying and trusting God when we don’t see anything happening, or when what we do see happening is vastly different from what we prayed for. This type of faith is more coconut sized (or perhaps more in the realm of Semi-truck sized, but it was trying to stay with the seed theme) than mustard seed sized. I know for myself a great area of growth in my faith—and I’m speaking future tense here! I’m far from arriving—is to be continuously prayerful, giving space for Jesus to move and to speak, trusting God by the Holy Spirit to bring his Kingdom, even when I don’t feel like I’m seeing anything happen. Or when what I am seeing isn’t the outcome that I was hoping for. Trusting that God hears me, that God still does miracles, but that at the end of the day God’s will is better than mine. Being in the head-space and heart-space where I can be faithful to doing what I sense God 3
calling me to do while remaining open handed with the results. Not trying to control the outcomes. This is something that has been personally challenging to me in church leadership. As 1 of 2 Co-Lead Pastors in Spring Garden Church, I feel at times as if I should have some glorious vision or the organizational systems to cause the Kingdom of God to explode from among our community. This of course is something I believe to be “overstepping” God’s role, but it doesn’t stop the insecurities and temptation to validate myself through works from creeping in. In “A Burning in My Bones,” a biography about the late Eugene Peterson, the author writes about Peterson’s first church as ‘the pastor’ and describes how the denomination handed him “an overstuffed red three-ring binder filled with instructions on everything one could possibly think of related to forming a new church. The promise of the binder was seductively simple— whatever problem Eugene might face as a pastor, he need only run his fingers down the index and find appropriate instructions”. That sounds like a dream! Simply follow the binder and you can control all of the outcomes! But, as Peterson recognized, God is noticeably absent and unneeded in this method of ministry. Whether through our prayers or through our programs or through our vision or our policies, trying to control the outcomes leaves little place for God to do the foundational work of growing the Kingdom in our midst. Yes, we’re all called to do our part with integrity and intentionality, stepping forward in faith that God has us where we are for a purpose. But let’s be honest, between us and God, it isn’t an equal partnership! To use the image of a yoke (picture a wooden beam over the necks of two bulls or oxen that is attached to a plow or wagon so that the two animals equally bear the weight of pulling the plow/wagon), God’s like a strong heavy lifter on one side, and we’re like a toddler on the other side hanging comfortably in a kiddy swing kicking our legs but not even touching the ground! We have a part to play, but without God’s work we aren’t able to move forward. But thank God it isn’t all on us! What is on us is seeking God and the Kingdom, opening our ears to hear and offering our hands and feet to serve, and choosing to trust that God will pull the plow. 4
Returning to Spring Garden leadership, Sam and I as Co-Leads have been trying to think through how to communicate with you what we feel God is calling us to—what is on the horizon for Spring Garden church. It’s tempting to get into words like “vision” and “plans” and programs, but none of these feel sufficient. We, like you I imagine, want to be faithful and diligent in our work. We strive to be integral in the places you as our church have entrusted us with responsibility and authority. But we are also deeply aware that, at the end of the day, it is God who is building the Kingdom of God. Later in February as part of our Ministry Resource Budget we’ll offer more thoughts on a few specific areas of focus that we along with Spring Garden Leadership (Pastors, Elders and Deacons) sense God is calling us towards where we wish to invest our energy and resources. However, it is so important for us as individuals and as a community to see all of our plans and ‘visioning’ through the lens of the Kingdom of God—where we humbly resist trying to control the outcomes, and instead, entrusting to Jesus our small offerings of worship and mustard seed sized faithfulness in stepping forward, witnessing and participating in how God will grow something beyond our plans and expectations. It is exciting to open our hands and hearts to the possibilities of the Holy Spirit moving in our midst! As I have been contemplating how to express my hopes for this coming year, I found in “A Burning in My Bones” a profound reminder and challenge, and that is simply the call to worship: “The [neighbouring] community did not need a church to craft little programs to assuage their consciences or perceived needs for safety. It needed the church to invite people into a new reality ruled by the kingdom of God. Christ Our King [the church] needed to worship…Worship was the call. Worship was the work”. We worship by turning our hands and hearts and minds and souls to God; we worship by gathering together (in person and online); we worship by laying aside our preference for the sake of unity, love and reconciliation in a diverse community; we worship by holding open hands to allow God’s Spirit to move in ways our closed controlling hands would never think to move; we worship by using our feet to take us into places of brokenness 5
and discrimination, bringing God’s restoration, reconciliation and justice to our local and global neighbours. Let us never stop worshipping God together, no matter the outcome.
If you are in a place where you find prayer hard and have trouble praying, whether because of doubt or exhaustion or depression or you simply don't have the words, I highly recommend checking out Canadian author Sarah Bessey's "A Rhythm of Prayer: A Collection of Meditations for Renewal". It is kind of like surrounding yourself with a group of prayerful women praying very real and raw, beautiful and deep, prayers.
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Why Choose Membership, Anyway? by Esther Penner, Membership Deacon
Many church-going folks wonder about the purpose of church ‘membership’. Why get all… official about it? Shouldn’t membership be reserved for gyms, golf clubs, political parties and Costco? To be honest, I asked myself the same question before becoming a Spring Garden Church member many years ago. After all, I was already happily involved in our faith community. If it ain’t broke, why fix it, right? I had never even heard of official church membership before coming to Spring Garden. My small home church didn’t have membership, but we functioned together just fine. Strangers in the pews were enthusiastically welcomed during worship. Smiles and handshakes were plentiful each Sunday. The ministries were volunteer-run and there were many opportunities for fellowship. People of all stripes hung out. It wouldn’t have been odd to see the banker, the truckdriver, the retired missionary and the teacher in conversation with those cool, leather-clad Francophone bikers from the chiropractic college… More like a family than a membership. But now that I think of it, someone had to be running the place. Who were the individuals that took ownership of that community? There was no formal membership in my former congregation, but there were a few people who were somehow bestowed authority. And you know what? They had a few things in common. Namely white hair, white skin and a name starting with ‘Mr’. So I suppose it had a type of membership in a sense… Now, this is not to complain about the way some churches organize (or in this case, used to organize) themselves. Every community feels led to develop particular norms and structures over time. But through the years, I’ve grown to appreciate the value of SGC’s membership. On paper, it doesn’t seem very exciting or inspiring (yes, there’s paper involved!). But in real life, church membership is a remarkable opportunity for diverse people equally taking ownership of their community. 7
To me, the word ‘ownership’ has lots of connotations in this context. It could mean: communal agreement, shared expectations, long-term commitment, desire for accountability, voice, invested interest, leadership, decision-making, responsibility to prayerfully support the leadership, etc. God has entrusted His living ministry to the care of his people - his diverse, imperfect, spirit-filled, beloved people. In scripture, we’re described as the ‘body of Christ’, each body part having its own role (or multiple roles) to play. I believe that membership can expose us to new experiences, relationships and ways of participating in God’s plan. It’s a way to open our arms wide and invite people to connect and minister on a deeper, more equal level than they were accustomed to. Before becoming a church member, I was missing out on some rewarding ways to get involved. Membership means something slightly different to everyone. If you’re not currently a member, but are a Jesus follower attending Spring Garden, we invite you to take time and pray about it. What might becoming a member mean to you?
Membership FAQs Q: Can I still participate in SGC ministries even if I’m not a member? A: Yes, you can! As part of the congregation, you could still be considered for many roles (e.g. worship team, audio-visual team, children and youth ministries, life groups, community life activities, prayer team, etc.). The church thrives when its congregants are using their gifts! However, only church members can be considered for leadership positions such as deacons and elders. Q: Do all members have to take on a deacon or elder role at some point? A: No, this is optional! If our nominating committee feels led to nominate a particular member for leadership, she or he will have time to think, pray and ask questions before deciding. Even if
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it’s not the right time at that moment, other opportunities for leadership may come up in the future. Q: Can non-members vote during meetings? A: No. Only registered members can vote during business meetings, annual general meetings and other special church decisions. Non-members may attend these events. Q: How does the membership process work? A: First, we ask that you prayerfully consider whether membership is for you. If it is, then please connect with one of the pastors or with the membership deacon to let them know you’re interested in becoming a SGC member. We will set up a time for the membership deacon to get to know you better and talk with you about membership. You will be given a copy of the by-laws to read over. If you agree to the conditions of membership, you will sign the application form. If he or she feels led, the membership deacon will propose that the deacons board accept you into membership at SGC. Once the motion has passed, a pastor will schedule a time to publicly welcome you into SGC membership!
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Funny Bone
by Colleen Stevens, Outreach Worker for Neighbourlink North York, Colleen walks only 600 m to work. She thanks Spring Garden for partnership with the ministry. This is a humourous texting conversation between Colleen and her son. Jan 22, 2022 [day 5 after the Big Snow] Me: Please finish shovelling the driveway today C: Why ?? We don’t have a car Me: I don’t want it to look like we live in a hovel , like a hobbit with a path running up to our door C: hmm Me: everyone else has their driveway shoveled, C: ya that’s what I thought .. C: ya know the neighbours are probably jealous that we don’t have to shovel our driveway, they all have cars, so they have to shovel.. Me: NO, They are not jealous !! That is not what they are thinking! Ha They are thinking why doesn’t that family have a car! C: I think they are jealous, look at all the snow they have to shovel, even Mr Queen bought a snowblower, see him out there, miserable … trying to clear his driveway! Me: Well soon we’re going to have people dropping things off in our driveway[carport]. C: Ya we like to use our driveway for other things, it’s a drop off for non-perishable food, keys, vegetables and donated phones! Me: Ha ha ya!
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VOCATIONAL MISSIONS UPDATE Here at Spring Garden we support several local missionaries. Each month we will be highlighting a different missionary so that you can hear about how they are serving God. This month we hear from Monica Kay. Monica serves as Youth Unlimited’s Launch Director. Monica has a heart for helping young people to grow spiritually, in character, and in leadership as they realize their unique God-given potential and make a Kingdom difference. You can learn more about YU by visiting the YU website at www.yugta.ca. Tell us about YU and how long you have served with them. As many of you may know, Youth Unlimited GTA (formerly referred to as Youth for Christ Toronto), is an organization that works with youth and young adults in the Greater Toronto Area. YU's vision is: That every young person in the GTA will be transformed by God's love and life-changing power and will be a redemptive presence in their family, community, and beyond. YU pours into young people through a wide variety of programs and area focused ministries. Many, but not all, of the youth we work with are vulnerable and face many obstacles. I have had the joy of working with LAUNCH, a leadership development program, for the past 11 years and have been directing it for the past 8 years. How did you receive your call to serve as a missionary? Prior to working with Youth Unlimited, I worked for ten years with Athletes in Action, a Christian sports organization. I remember I was debating about doing a PHD in French and English Canadian Literature (!?!) or going into ministry. I was visiting my prospective school, and I remember taking a moment to pray. I began with the word, "LORD." At that moment, I stood very still and had an overwhelming sense of God's presence and the fact that He indeed was Lord. He was the Lord of my life, was trustworthy and a guiding light. Through continued prayer, the Lord made it clear that I was called to do ministry until otherwise 11
noted. Although I struggled with doubt and uncertainty that I "had what it took" to do ministry, the Lord encouraged me with 1 Thessalonians 5:24. "The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it." This verse continues to be an encouragement to me...
What does your ministry look like during a pandemic? LAUNCH serves youth and young adults aged 14-28. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some are in our Gr.11 Leadership Course, which has been online since the pandemic. Others are in our Equip Program which includes 1:1 coaching with staff team members or one of our amazing volunteer coaches. Here the young leaders are inspired and equipped to grow spiritually, in character and in leadership. I have also been doing workshops at camps and partner programs. It is such a joy to walk with these young people in both their struggles and in their moments of celebration. This year, due to the pandemic, we had students join our course from the Ottawa area, London, and even Trinidad! I am also coaching young people in England, Australia and British Columbia. The pandemic has expanded our reach in many ways. How have you seen God moving? As I mentioned, it has been a joy to see the Lord touching these young people's lives- for them to know in this Age of Anxiety that they are not alone, that He sees them and cares deeply for them. 12
God is there as a guide and support. I have seen countenances change as students grasp more deeply His love for them. In many ways, I have needed this reminder as well this year. Recently, I have felt the Lord leading me in the direction of change.... With mixed emotions, including grief and peace, I have sensed the Lord leading me to step down as LAUNCH Director as of June 2022. I still very much love this program and see its incredible value, but know that the Lord has something different for me and that someone else is to lead the next iteration of the program. Please pray for us as we discern what is next for LAUNCH. Thankfully, I do not yet feel released from the Youth Unlimited family. Over the past few years I have been helping invest into younger staff and my new role on the People Development Team will build on this. I am taking on the role of "Leadership Development Facilitator" for our chapter. I look forward to investing in the staff with coaching, training sessions and coming alongside team leaders as they invest in their teams. This role coincides well with what I am learning in my Doctor of Ministry in Leadership, and I hope I can be a blessing and encouragement to the YU staff. What are some ways we can support you as your church family? Thank you for your generous and faithful support on many levels for my past 22+ years in ministry. I would greatly appreciate your prayers in this time of transition.... as I let go of something I love to reach hold of what the Lord has next for me. Please pray for protection and encouragement for myself, for our coaches and young leaders, and the Youth Unlimited staff as well. Please reach out for a conversation or walk! I am so grateful for you.
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Showing God’s Care During Advent by Abby Davidson
Thank you for showing God’s care this past Advent! We made a Christmas meal for the residents of Matthew House, gave gift cards to women leaving the sex trade with the help of Arise Ministries and collected winter clothing and welcome gifts for newly arrived Afghan refugees. One of the Afghan families receiving winter coats was a family of 16 and they were having hard time adjusting to Canadian weather. They didn’t have enough blankets and through a generous donation, we were able to give them 10 blankets and 2 space heaters to stay warm. They wish to express their deep gratitude to the community here at Spring Garden Church.
Afghan donations 15
“Thank you for the dinner your team put together. It was delicious and plentiful. I can imagine it was a precious sacrifice of time so close to Christmas. The quantity has sustained us these few days as we have no cook or new grocery delivery or other food deliveries. Many blessing" - Carrie from Matthew House
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Life in and around Spring Garden
Community Corner
Find all these events on our Events Page: springgardenchurch.ca/events
TO BO GG
AN ING
Tobogganing
February 13
We had a ton of fun in the past and as long as there is snow, we are planning to toboggan again together. We plan to hold this event some time in the afternoon. Keep checking our events page for updates.
Ministry Resource Meeting
February 27 at 12pm.
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Join us Sunday February 27th following worship at 12:00am on Zoom as we discuss our 2022 ministry year and vote on our budget. While only members can vote, everyone is welcome to participate in discussion; whether you are a member or not,
whether you've been here many years or just a few weeks. If you did not receive an email from Dale after the first week of February, and want to join, please email your request to: office@ springgardenchurch.ca.
Pancake Tuesday March 1st, 2022
To mark the beginning of Lent (and to have fun while doing it!), join us online to learn as we learn to cook one of four international pancake types. We will have different options for you to choose from, along with required ingredients and cooking equipment. Sign up and more info will be added on our events page closer to March.
Ash Wednesday Prayer and Communion March 2nd, 2022.
Join us online for a reflective time of worship as we enter the season of Lent through scripture, prayer and communion. More info will be added on our events page closer to March. 18
A Night Out March 5, 2022.
We are planning a childcare event for families in our community and encourage you to sign up your children and take the night off! We will be providing dinner and entertainment for children between 4-11 years old. Sign up and more info will be added on our events page closer to March.
Toronto Mission Experience July 4-6, 2022.
We will be doing a Project Serve Family Trip to visit organizations that are serving those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity in downtown Toronto. This is an overnight trip for individuals and families with children ages 7+. If you are interested please sign up by February 28 at the link below (or on our events page) to receive more information or contact Abby. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSde4w8w22YtF3OlJ9cU7H8WqO7 2u1SgAAchpYSu8hsV3NG3ug/viewform 19
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
During Lent we invite you to join us in going through the book "40 Days of Decrease" by Alicia Britt Chole. This book offers daily readings and reflections that challenge us to thin our lives so we can thicken our communion with God. We have limited copies available for $15.75. Please email Abby if you would like one.
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MARKHAM BAPTIST CHURCH INVITES YOU TO:
A DIALOGUE ABOUT RELATIONSHIP Talking with our Indigenous Neighbours FREE ONLINE EVENT ON ZOOM TUESDAYS AT 7 PM
with Dr. Terry LeBlanc
February 15 - Indigenous History and Culture March 15 - Indigenous Worship April 19 - Indigenous Treaties May 17- Right Relationship and Right Relatedness For further details and registration, please contact admin@markhambaptist.org - (905) 294-5830 Dr. Terry LeBlanc Professor LeBlanc, a Mi’kmaq -Acadian, is the Executive Director of Indigenous Pathways and also the founding Chair and current Director of the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies (NAIITS), an indigenous learning community. Terry holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. from Asbury Theological Seminary, Orlando, Florida, and specializes in Theology and Anthropology. In addition to serving as an adjunct professor at Tyndale, he also teaches at George Fox University and Seminary, in Portland, Oregon, and Acadia University and Divinity College in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Terry has accrued over 38 years of community work experience in Native North American and global Indigenous contexts, including as an educator in theology, cultural anthropology and community development practice. 21
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 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 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: 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 As of January 30th, 2022, we have resumed InPerson Worship in our children’s ministry using new regulations to help keep everyone safe from the spread of Covid-19 and its variants. For more information on registering or the structure and flow for Sunday mornings, please use the following link: http://tiny.cc/SGCKidsWorshipInfo
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: http://tiny.cc/ OnlineCurriculum Here is what we will be talking about on Sundays!
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Opposite Day: Up is Down. Right is Left. Cold is Hot. That’s right, we’re celebrating opposite day this whole month (or should we say, not celebrating? This could get confusing!) This series will give kids a chance to talk about the counter-culture things Jesus said. It sounds impossible to believe that struggles bring us closer to Jesus or that our enemies can teach us about love. However, these beautiful opposites remind us that a God we can’t see is always with us and that it’s better to follow Jesus than our own instincts. Happy Opposite Day!
Spring Youth Sunday Morning Worship Gatherings:
February 13th, 20th, 27th: We will have our regular worship gatherings for youth in grades 6-12. Following the children’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 and selecting the correct add-on. February 6th, 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. 24
Life Groups:
Our youth life groups will resume meeting this month, and we are excited to provide 3 areas for our youth to meet. Jr High Girls (Grades 6-8), Sr High Girls (Grades 9-12), and the Guys Life Group (Grades 6-12). Here are the days we’re meeting as well as who to contact: Jr High Girls • Brittni • brittni@sgbc.ca • Monday, February 7th, 2022 - 5:30pm-8:30pm Sr High Girls • Kaitlyn • Kaitlyn.ranasinghe@sgbc.ca • Friday, February 11th, 2022- 6:00pm-8:00pm Guys Life Group • Jeremy • Jeremy@springgardenchurch.ca • Thursday, February 10th, 2022 - 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Youth Events Beginning January 31st, 2022, the limits on organized gatherings will have increased to 25 people. As we operate with this limit, we’ll be registering youth for our events until that limit is lifted. For any questions please contact Jeremy. February 4th: Craft Night - We will be meeting at our building to work on personal crafts and art projects together. We will have a variety of craft options available, including a lego building challenge. Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Cost: $5 February 18th: Laser Tag - Depending on restrictions, we are planning to meet at DP Lazer Maze (31 Gaudaur Rd, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada L4L 3R8) for a couple of rounds of laser tag. 25
Youth will want to wear running shoes and clothes comfortable to run in. Time: TBD Cost: TDB February 25th: Games Night - We’ll be meeting at our building to play a few games inside together. Youth are encouraged to wear running shoes and clothing that is comfortable while moving or running. Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Cost: $5 Jr & Sr High Youth Retreat: **Postponed** We have unfortunately decided to postpone the retreats for both Jr and Sr High Youth until the springtime. While the idea of running the retreat in an online setting came to mind, it was felt by both Immanuel Baptist Church and us that postponing until the Springtime was better holistically for our youth. The goal is to prepare a retreat with an online backup during the March break week (March 14th-18th, 2022). For more information, please contact Jeremy (Jeremy@springgardenchurch.ca).
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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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. 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 28
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.
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP
y
Sunda
ay Tuesd
PASTORAL TEAM MEETING
10am - 12pm
We are meeting on Tuesday. Please pray for us for wisdom and inspiration.
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REFRESH 10am - 11:30am
y
Bible Discussion
sda e n d
We
10am
Join us Sunday mornings as we go through a series called 'Ears to Hear: The Parables of Jesus'(see page 10). Join us at: www.springgardenchurch.ca/live or for in-person register at http://sgcworship.eventbrite.ca
a d s r Thu
Friendship, care & spiritual growth for women. Contact Jen Chrystman or Faith Holwyn for more info.
10am - 11:30am
Join us as we learn and discuss different stories about God and His people. Contact Vic for more information.
EVENING PRAYER
You are invited to a virtual time of liturgical prayer. Please see here.
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8:30pm
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.
What’s Happening
Upcoming Feb
4
YOUTH: Craft Night See more on page 5.
YOUTH Lifegroups: See page23.
Feb
13 Feb
18 Feb
25 Feb
27 Mar
1 Mar
2 Mar
5 July
4-6
Life in Spring Garden
Feb
7
Jr. High Girls
Feb
10
Guys
Feb
11
Sr. High Girls
Tobogganing
See more on page 17.
YOUTH: Laser Tag See more on page 23.
YOUTH: Games Night See more on page 24.
Ministry Resource Meeting See more on page 17.
Pancake Tuesday See more on page 17.
Ash Wenesday Prayer and Communion See more on page 18.
A Night Out
See more on page 18.
Toronto Mission Experience See more on page 18.
July
July
Aug
18
27
15
Day Camp Week 1, 2 and 3
Go to springgardenchurch.ca/daycamp.
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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.
