Place of Meeting

Place of Meeting

Welcoming a new year a photo memory edition

Toronto United Mennonite Church January 2013

Place of Meeting

Christmas Eve

is the meaning of the Huron word “toronton,” from which our city gets its name. Fittingly, it can also mean “plenty” or “abundance.”

Place of Meeting is also the monthly newsletter of Toronto United Mennonite Church. May you find plenty here to enjoy and ponder. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily of the congregation as a whole.

Contributions of all kinds are enthusiastically received, through the mail folder in the lobby or at dmartens@pathcom.com Next deadline (March issue): Feb. 26 Have you discovered the allcolour online version of Place of Meeting? If you would like to receive it in PDF form via email, please write a note with details to the above address.

Production Editor: Doreen Martens Cover photo: A family portrait taken on the third Sunday of Advent 2012, Dec. 16.

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TUMC’s Christmas Eve Service of Lessons & Carols, with a packed house as always, began this year with young Ezra Unger Brandt leading the way on “Once in Royal David’s City” and ended with a beautiful tradition: singing “Silent Night” by candlelight.

An evening to celebrate!

Delicious food, delightful entertainment and rich decorations made the intergenerational Christmas Coffeehouse on Dec. 16 a great evening for all, with Sunday School classes and individuals offering a host of musical and literary presentations. One highlight: The Grade 3-4 class performing Elliot Sloss’s own composition “Let’s Have a Party,” complete with choreography.

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An evening to celebrate!

More electic entertainment: An ensemble of strings, bells and piano; Doug Johnson Hatlem with a humorous reading; intergenerational ukuleles on “Frosty the Snowman,� the youth class sings and plays together; Elise Epp performs her own songs.

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An evening to celebrate!

Bellringers add their magic to the cellos; Mama D gets the congregation singing along; little donkeys sing, Peter Haresnape reads TS Eliot’s Journey of the Magi; the junior high youth present a skit about ... preparing a skit? (We think.)

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Tea and sisterhood

The TUMC Sisters annual Christmas Tea, held Dec. 1 in the Upper Room, started off December on a relaxed note for women and girls of all ages, with great conversation over tea, tasty goodies and our own Elise Epp performing her original songs as well as Christmas favourites.

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Sing we now of Christmas The annual Carol Sing, at 45 years quite possibly TUMC’s oldest tradition, drew a big crowd of hearty carollers on Dec. 2.

Counterclockwise from top left: singing German carols (or trying); JD Penner leading, his ailing dad Paul (who led the carol sing for more than three decades) joining in via Skype; Three Kings do their thing; jingling along with “Kling Glöckchen” (“ring little bells!”); and the big finish: Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. After all that vocal exercise, sweets were served.

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Adding to the family

TUMC joyfully added three new members over the past month.

Mary Klein, above with faith partner Carolyn Loewen, shared her faith journey and was welcomed into membership on Dec. 2. On Jan. 7, Epiphany Sunday, John Rempel (with faith partner Harold Thiessen) was welcomed by transfer from Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship in Goshen, Ind., and Rachel Schmidt (with faith partner Melana Janzen), by transfer from Taber Mennonite Church of Newton, Kansas.

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Scene at TUMC

Doug Pritchard speaks as part of a panel on the Sanctuary movement at the Dec. 9 Soup & Sophia gathering; the Children’s Choir sings on Dec. 16; a tender moment after the service.

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Scene at TUMC

Elizabeth Loewen leads young string players at the Dec. 23 service; the TUMC band plays on Dec. 9; Shelley Lepp Fransen leads children’s time from the symbolic shelter erected as part of this year’s Advent theme, Seeking Shelter: An Advent Justice Journey.

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