MAY 2020
Quick Calendar WEEKLY Sun
10am-11:30am Sunday Worship Online 1pm Life Group - Connect for Community
Tues 10am-12pm Pastoral Team Meeting Wed 10am Refresh, Women's Group - Online 7PM Kids Wednesday Hangout
Thur 8:30pm Evening Prayers - Online
pg 23 pg 13 pg 23 pg 13 pg 16 pg 13
UPCOMING May 1
Netflix Watch Party (Kids)
pg 16
May 8 May 28
Youth Art Night
pg 16
Youth: Adventures from Home
pg 16
June 7
Bike Blessing (Virtual)
pg 22
See more on page 21-22 or on our Events page at www.springgardenchurch.ca/events.
Delve submissions are due May 22nd. 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 Apple of His Eye 3
Good Health and Well Being 7 Little Free Library and Pantry 10 NOVEL 19 11
Community Corner CONNECT ONLINE Life Group, Refresh, Evening Prayer & SGC Community 13 EVENTS Day Camp 2020 and More Events 14
Discipleship Ministries
Spring Kids 15 | Spring Youth 15-16
Resource Centre
Resource Recommendations 17
More Info How to Give 19 Leadership Directory 19-20 Weekly Calendar 21 Upcoming Calendar 22 Design, Cover & Editor: Dale Forder Contributors: Sam Lee Mary Simpkins Lam Family Scott Moore Jeremy Ranasinghe Karen Cassel Copy Editors: Greg Kay Karen Cassel Esther Penner
The Apple of His Eye By Sam Lee
I still remember the few weeks after the death of Steve Jobs in October 2011. I worked part-time at the Apple Store four years prior and had “caught” the Apple bug. I loved their products. I had a MacBook, an iPad, and many iterations of the iPhone. I would watch each product release and became a great fan of Apple and its creator, Steve Jobs. When he died, I was surprised because he was at the height of his powers. Everything that came out of Apple, everything he produced was so awesome. It was with the passing of such an icon, who changed the face of the tech world, that there would be a biography and a movie made about such a man. Many tributes came pouring in about Steve Jobs and all the wonderful work he did. I remember seeing this picture (see pic above) from the Eaton Centre Apple Store of people posting notes about their love and admiration about a man who gave them so much. Nineteen days after his death, the authorized self-titled biography of Steve Jobs came out. I’m sure many of you recognize this picture. I wanted to read it right away: to learn more about this man who created the company and the products that I loved to use. In reading the book, I learned about the man behind the products. I learned about the person behind 3
the persona. The man behind such genius. However, as I continued to read this biography, I came to realize that Steve Jobs was not a great person. Yes, he had done many great things, but who he was as a person was not someone I would ever want to be friends with nor would I want to emulate. He was egotistical, very rude, a bad parent, and a downright jerk. I wondered why so many people venerated him when he was such a bad person? That’s when I realized something about the world we live in. We live in a world that cares more about what we can produce than who we are. Our society celebrates and venerates people like Steve Jobs more for what they did than for who they were. So, does it really matter if I’m a man of love or character if I am not good at anything? Does my character get me anywhere in a world that cares more about what I can do than for who I am as a person? How do we become a people of character in a world that cares more about what we can do? I have been reminded of Steve Jobs and the Apple company as we enter into our new series called “Fruit of the Posthumous Life.” If you think about it, I believe the church in general seems to focus more on abilities than on character. Who cares if someone’s character isn’t the greatest as long as they have the gifts that we need or want? We flock to “Christian Rock Stars” because of their amazing gifts and then are disappointed when they fail us morally. I’m not sure if I can think of many famous Christians who are famous because of their fruit and not for their gifts. What challenges me about this series is the call to reorient the importance of the fruit of the Spirit for myself. We tend to strive for and/or want to be about our gifts, when in fact, it is the fruit of the Spirit that we are called to. We are more than what we are able to accomplish, create or produce; we are called to be a people who display the fruit of the ultimate posthumous life of Jesus. I think the title points to the key of how we can allow the Holy Spirit to produce this fruit in us. Posthumous means after death. This speaks not only to the death of Jesus but also to our own death. It is only in dying to ourselves that we can create space and room for the Spirit of God to produce His fruit in us. This kind of production isn’t the kind of production of skill sets but rather of character, it is of becoming, it is of who we are. As we 4
die to ourselves, we give room for new life to happen. This new life is not defined by what we can do but rather, who we are in relationship with Jesus Christ. C. S. Lewis talks about this new life in Christ. “But there must be a real giving up of the self. You must throw it away "blindly" so to speak. Christ will indeed give you a real personality: but you must not go to Him for the sake of that. As long as your own personality is what you are bothering about you are not going to Him at all. The very first step is to try to forget about the self altogether. Your real, new self (which is Christ's and also yours, and yours just because it is His) will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him. Does that sound strange? The same principle holds, you know, for more everyday matters. Even in social life, you will never make a good impression on other people until you stop thinking about what sort of impression you are making...Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.” In order for us to gain the fruit of the Spirit is not to strive to have the fruit of the Spirit but by seeking after Jesus. It is when we look to Him and not to ourselves that we can walk in the Spirit. I love what Lewis says here that “nothing in you that has ever died will ever be raised from the dead.” We who follow Christ enter into His death and, in joining Him in death, are raised to this new life of resurrection. The posthumous life of Christ becomes our posthumous life. As we seek to be in relationship with Him He will produce His fruit in us. Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings
5
The phrase “apple of your eye” is used to describe the person or thing that you care for or cherish above all else. You are so focused on this person or thing that all your attention is on this above all else. Here, David is praying that God will keep gazing upon him, to protect him, to hear his prayer. What I love about this passage is that God is already gazing upon us as the apple of his eye. What He asks is that we meet His gaze, that we would not turn our face away from Him and that we would return the love that He shows us. How do we become more loving, more joyful, more peaceful, etc.? We do so by meeting the gaze of the one who calls us His beloved and finding that He already loves us and wants us to love Him back. As we make Him the apple of our eye, everything else will be thrown in.
Questions for Reflection: 1. What are ways in your life that you focus on your skills and talents? 2. Why do you think we care more about what we can do versus who we are? Why do skills seem to matter more than character? 3. How can you apply C. S. Lewis’ quote into your life? 4. Why do we want to focus on ourselves instead of looking to Jesus? 5. What are one or two things you can do to focus on Jesus and not on yourself? 6. Spend some time reading John 15:1-17. How does this passage relate to what you’ve read here? What might God be saying to you through this passage?
6
Good Health and Well Being By Mary Simpkins
In last month's Sustainability article we looked at how and why we need to reduce hunger in our communities and around the world to help keep our planet healthy. The next United Nations' Sustainable Development goal is very timely: Good Health and Well Being. I do hope as you read this that you are safe and well. Isn't it interesting how, until recently, many of us took our good health for granted and yet in response to this crisis we have all chosen to forego our freedom and conveniences for the sake our health and the health of our community! We have all become painfully aware how important our health and our health care infrastructure is, as well as the lengths to which we will go to maintain them both. As current world events are highlighting, there are huge gaps and inequalities in global health care access. The third goal seeks to address access to affordable healthcare, medicine and vaccines, reduce the maternal and infant mortality rates, eliminate epidemics, reduce substance abuse, and eliminate death and illness due to water and air pollution. 7
So what can you commit to doing differently to impact hunger around you? Here are some general suggestions from the UN to get you started:
8
• Look after and appreciate your health, both physical and mental. Get out for walks if you can. Call a friend and share a laugh. • Appreciate and respect the health care we have. Our healthcare system is not perfect but it is a lot better than what many people have and we must remember to be grateful for this and treat our healthcare providers with respect. • Demand that health care is prioritized: Vote / lobby / donate to groups that consistently support strong healthcare programs so that we can all have access to healthcare and are prepared for the next crisis. This pandemic has highlighted issues in our healthcare system but it has also brought out humanity's creativity, kindness, generosity, and community spirit. It has reminded us of the joy and fulfillment in the command to love thy neighbour as thyself as we stay at home and sacrifice our freedom to protect one another. The crisis will pass but when it does let us not forget the lesson we are learning: that we are all connected and we must all take care of one another - individually, as a community, and as a society.
9
Little Free Library & Little Free Pantry Many can relate that while practicing social distancing there's been a lot of neighbourhood walks. During these neighbourhood walks we have all noticed things about our neighbours houses we didn't notice before. One thing our family discovered was Little Free Libraries which are basically a small bookshelf of books people put out on their lawn like a mailbox. After many walks of curiosity the kids convinced us to put one on our lawn where of course the kids insisted on choosing the colour and painting themselves while Garry did all the hard work. In times like these, small projects are a great way to keep us entertained and help give the children good childhood memories and see some silver lining during this Pandemic. When doing more research about the Little Free Library we found out that during the Covid-19 situation a few people thought it would be nice to convert Little Free Libraries into Little Free Pantries (https://www.torontolittlefreepantriesproject.com) to help people who needed food have access to food. So we thought it would be a great idea to have a Little Free Library and Little Free Pantry. This would give us a chance to serve the neighbourhood in a unique way. Lam Family
10
NOVEL 19 Look at the birds of the air – they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? -Jesus uncertainty hangs in the air clinging to cloaked silhouettes on sidewalks a thick blanket of fog hides the city skyline CN Tower - our Babel by Bay Street - disappearing behind walls of falling tears what was once familiar becomes foreign sight disappears beyond the edges of outstretched arms respiratory droplets dominate our thoughts attacked by an unseen enemy preying upon the peripheries anxious anchors exacerbate our fears as headlines send us headlong into the aisles hoarding our rapidly escaping sense of control - however look at the birds of the air - they do not sow or reap or store away in barns experts have their extrapolations politicians have their plans eighty-two billion and counting
11
staving off the starving masses but “we’re much better at modelling things that people don’t react to” too many unknowns multiplied by too many curves to flatten let alone plank — toes planted, elbows grounded — we grasp for our core and yet your heavenly Father feeds them rubbing nickels between our fingers fretting the falling market and precarious employment S&P GDP NASDAQ TSX West Texas Intermediate crude the suits shout apocalypse tumbling exchanges slump our shoulders a collective cascading of worth wrapped up in debt-driven desire lost in the endless pursuit is a final resting place the question of real import lying dormant are you not much more valuable than they from the huddles of half-asleep humanity inertia’s tug of war yanks on our power cords avert reversion enter the kairos moment as sun rays strike earlier and sleeping gardens awake in the quiet of quarantine niggling nears to gnawing as the Teacher’s questions creep towards the light fuschia tepal blooms fight through the fog the magnolia’s brilliance a burst of clarity exposing the naked beauty that awaits within the sure yet fleeting days of Spring can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life
* Quote: Jonathan Dushoff, a biologist at McMaster University in Hamilton who has been studying the spread of COVID-19, in the Globe and Mail on March 16, 2020.
Written by: Scott Moore | Illustrated by: Landon Wideman Read more at: thesemoments.ca
12
Life in and around Spring Garden
Community Corner
CONNECT ONLINE
For the most updated list, please go to: www. springgardenchurch.ca/connect-online
LIFE GROUP - Connect for Community SUNDAYS 1:00 PM
Together through bible study, prayer and sharing Please email office@springgardenchurch.ca for the login and password.
REFRESH - A Online Gathering of Women WEDNESDAY 10:00 AM A online gathering of women from our church and the community finding God together, reading and reflecting on scripture, sharing life stories and praying and supporting each other. Small children welcome, just let us know. To join or ask questions, please email Beverly Holtzman (holtzb@rogers.com)
EVENING PRAYER THURSDAYS 8:30 PM
We are inviting you to a virtual time of liturgical prayer. If you would like to join us we will be using Zoom. <Join Zoom Meeting> Meeting ID: 107-508336 FOR THE PASSWORD, PLEASE email: OFFICE@ SPRINGGARDENCHURCH.CA.
SPRING GARDEN CHURCH COMMUNITY Facebook
13 13
During this unusual time where we are facing things most of us have never had to face before, most of us are finding new ways to connect with friends and family online. This Group is where we can connect as a church community. We’ll be posting articles that may help us journey through this time
in healthy, realistic, and life-giving ways. We’ll post links that have good, credible information about the journey our world is on. We’ll help each other explore the question of how God is shaping us in this time, and how His Spirit may be changing us. And recipes. Or resources for kids. Or (tasteful!) humour. Whatever you want – this is your space – where you can talk with one another and ask one another questions and ask for prayer, or, whatever! Sam Chaise is the “Moderator” for the group and will post some stuff, but really, it’s up to the Group members to decide how they want to have conversations in this space! To request to join “Spring Garden Church Community”, log into Facebook, and search for “Spring Garden Church Community”. This is a private Facebook Group, visible only to members of the Group. This is different than the “Spring Garden Church” Facebook Page, which is visible to anyone on Facebook and is the public face of our church in the Facebook space. We recognize that our children and youth also need online connections, so if you would like this for your child/youth, please email Jeremy@springgardenchurch.ca.
EVENTS
WE WILL UPDATE YOU IF THESE EVENTS CHANGE OR GET CANCELLED
Day Camp 2020 - 4 Weeks of Fun! July 20th - Aug. 14th
We do not know if this will occur. Please keep checking our website for more details. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jeremy at jeremy@springgardenchurch.ca.
MORE POSSIBLE EVENTS (click to see more info online): Virtual Bike Blessing - June 7, 2020 Spring Garden Camping Trip - July 9 - 12 14
Partnering with Families
Discipleship Ministries
Discipleship Ministry Update:
In light of the current pandemic, we are taking steps to continue our ministry to both children and youth. We are still figuring this out and appreciate your willingness to venture with us as we navigate this time together as people of God. Here is what we have for May!
Spring Kids Wednesday (Online) Hangouts!: We are continuing to meet each Wednesday online using Zoom. We have changed our time to 7:30pm. Parents and caretakers, please use this link http://tiny.cc/ SpringKids to help kids get online with us.
Spring Youth
As we are now entering our second month of social distancing, we have some updates on our youth ministry flow detailed below. Sunday Life-Groups - We have decided to move our youth life groups to Sundays. We will be gathering online after worship using Zoom to meet and catch up with one another. We will then split off into online breakout rooms for our lifegroups. Youth are encouraged to watch and take part in the Sunday morning Livestream at 10am. Link - http://tiny.cc/SGCYouth Time: Sundays 1pm-2pm
Youth Events: 15
Galatians Study: May 1st, 15th - We will be
participating in a study on the book of Galatians starting on May 1st. Youth are encouraged to create a profile on the Bible app and join our study using this link http://tiny. cc/SGCBibleStudy Time: 7:00pm-9:00pm May 8th: Art Night - We will be meeting online and engaging in different forms of artistic expression, including a guided drawing. This event is designed for everyone to participate in, so that those not artistically inclined can just have fun and participate. Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm May 28th: Adventures From Home - We will be meeting online to play a few bigger games together from the comfort of our own homes. Time: 6:00pm- 9:00pm **Meetings May End Earlier depending on online activities**
Online Engagement: Minecraft Server
We are trying something new during this time of isolation. We will be hosting a minecraft server until the current pandemic subsides. For those who may not know, minecraft is a popular video game where players can build a world using in-game resources. More information of the game can be found through this website: https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/about-minecraft In hosting a minecraft server, we are able to create a safe/ monitored online space for youth to meet and interact with each other virtually. This form of online engagement is optional and will only be accessible for youth who have purchased the game. If you would like more information on this please contact Jeremy. If this is something your youth would like to participate in, or if you would like more information on this please contact Jeremy (Jeremy@springgardenchurch.ca) for further details. 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 16
Recommendations
The Resource Centre
Fruit of the Spirit Resources For the Kids
Find a colouring page here: https://christianpreschoolprintables.com/wpcontent/uploads/CPP/FruitSpirit/FruitChartPack. pdf Find some craft ideas here: https://images.app.goo. gl/yRR7YVwA35uNf5SF9
Find a fun song to learn here: https://youtu.be/ Rezg4jYFoj0
17
Fruit of the Spirit Resources For the Adults
Here are some ebooks available from the Toronto Public library that relate to our studies on the Fruits of the Spirit. A woman’s walk with God: growing the fruit of the spirit, by Elizabeth George
When I don’t desire God: how to fight for joy, by John Piper
Finding the peace God promises, by Ann Spangler
Human(kind): how reclaiming human worth and embracing radical kindness will bring us back together, by Eiland Ashlee
Life changing love: moving God’s love from your head to your heart, by John Ortberg
Loving my actual neighbour, by Alexandra Kendall
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.
19
DEACONS Krysten Cameron Vice Chair, Worship
Sam Chaise Finance
Martin Dewar
Community Life, Refreshment
Monica Kim
Pastoral Care, Membership
Joanne Laing Missions
Shannon Loewen
Chair, Children & Youth
Jeff McGee
Adult Discipleship
Peggy Moore Property
416.399.0493 krystencameron@hotmail.com 437.925.2813 sam_chaise@yahoo.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 416.225.2406 peggylouisemoore@gmail.com
ELDERS Anne Barron Garth Barron Darlene Boyd
416.724.9329 anne.barron020@sympatico.ca 416.724.9329 garthbarron@sympatico.ca 416.385.2483 darlene.boyd@gmail.com
Koon Wah Leung Clem Lee
416.225.7092 koonwleung@gmail.com 416.508.7355 crazymonkeyfamily@gmail.com
Brad Sider
647.200.6853 â&#x20AC;&#x2039;bradsider@yahoo.ca 20
Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Happening Life in Spring Garden
Weekly
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP
y
Sunda
10am
Join us Sundays as we journey with Jesus to the cross, drawing on the Stations of the Cross in reflecting on the Suffering Messiah. Children and Youth go downstairs. Streamed at: www.springgardenchurch.ca
LIFE GROUP - Connect for Community
Together through bible study, prayer and sharing. Meet online, see page 13 or online here.
y
Monda
ay d s e n
Wed
PASTORAL TEAM MEETING
1pm
1pm - 3pm
We meet online every Monday. Please pray for us for wisdom and inspiration.
REFRESH 10am - 11:30am Friendship, care & spiritual growth for women. Please see more on page 13 or here.
Kids Wednesday Hangout
7pm - 7:30pm
A forum for our children to gather, learn and grow. To join or ask questions, please email Jeremy.
y
da s r u Th
EVENING PRAYER
8:30pm
We are inviting you to a virtual time of liturgical prayer. Please see page 13 or here.
SGC COMMUNITY - Facebook
A group to encourage each other, share resources, connect, etc. Find us through groups in Facebook.
21
You may find more info at springgardenchurch.ca, in the welcome brochure or call us at 416-223-4593.
What’s Happening Upcoming May
1 May
8 May
28 June
7 JUNE
14 JULY
9 JULY
20-
Life in Spring Garden
Netflix Watch Party (Kids) 7pm - see more on page 16.
Youth: Art Night See page 16.
Youth: Adventures From Home See page 16.
(Virtual?) Bike Blessing
For more updated information please click here.
Annual General Meeting
For more updated information please click here.
Spring Garden Camping Trip
For more updated information and to sign up, please click here.
SGC Day Camp See page 14.
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.
22
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.
