March 2019

March 2019

Quick Calendar WEEKLY Sun

9am-10am Bible Study 10am-11:30am Sunday Worship & Refreshments

Mon Tues 1:30pm Pastoral Team Meeting Wed 10am-11:30am Refresh Women's Group 7pm-8:30pm ESL Café

Thur 12pm-2pm Lunch Together and Bible Study Fri Sat

pg 23 pg 23 pg 23 pg 23 pg 23 pg 23

UPCOMING March 2-3 Gene's Retirement Celebrations

pg 26

March 12 March 23 March 31

March Break Youth Event

pg 17

Gary Chapman

pg 12

Fight4Freedom Art & Bake Sale

pg 17

*For more listings, see page 23-24

April's Delve submissions are due March 25. Delve submissions are due on the MONDAY before the LAST Sunday of each month. To submit for the next issue of Delve, please email: delve@springgardenchurch.ca 1

Features

3-10, 18

Musings: It’s Been a Fairy Tale 3 A Little History of SGC 5 Missions Update 6 Spiritual Formation in a Consumer Culture 7 Lent: Preparing for Resurrection and Rebirth 9 An Announcement from the IMC 18

Community Corner

11-14, 26

Spring Garden Day Camp 11 Spring Garden's Annual Camping Trip 12 Gary Chapman (relationship expert) 12 Looking for a Gardener 13 Lunch Together 14 Thursday Bible Study 14 Gene's Retirement Celebrations 26

Discipleship Ministries

15-17

Spring Kids 15 Spring Youth 16 Youth Events 17 Fight4Freedom Art and Bake Sale 17

Resource Centre

19-20

Resource Recommendations 19

More Info

21-26

Leadership Directory 21 Cover, Design, & Editor: Weekly Calendar 23 Dale Forder Upcoming Calendar 24 Contributors: Fun Pages 25-26 Gene Tempelmeyer

OUR VALUES

27 (back cover)

Dale Forder Kaitlyn Ranasinghe Sam Lee Greg Kay Karen Cassel Victoria Shipmaker

Copy Editors: Greg Kay Karen Cassel Gene Tempelmeyer

Digging a little deeper into Spring Garden

Features 3

Musings: It’s Been a Fairy Tale

by Gene Tempelmeyer

T

he first time I spoke at Spring Garden was back in about 1982 when I came as a guest speaker for John Stevenett’s Induction as an Associate Pastor.

My Scripture text was: Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Stealing an idea from Frederick Buechner, I said that the Gospel is like a fairy tale in which the youngest (and dumbest!) son kills the giant and marries the princess. I acknowledged that my own call to

ministry was a classic illustration of this passage: God had called a foolish and weak person so that any glory would rightly belong to God. I have spoken to you about grace over and over again because I have no other explanation for the course my own life has taken.

When, twenty years after that first sermon here, you called me to become your Senior Pastor, I really felt I was living in a fairy tale.

There were dragons to fight and giants to kill, but I was deeply honoured and humbled that you would ask me to lead you into a new chapter of Spring Garden’s life.

Thank you so much. Common words, but there isn’t anything beyond this simple sentence that can express how grateful I am to have shared life with you these past 16-plus years. Some passages have been more difficult than others. Some I have traveled better than others. Even in my most difficult moments I remained aware what a privilege it is to serve and share life with such a congregation. Thank you! You have been written on my heart in indelible ink.

I think it is important that we communicate clearly about how you and I might navigate our relationships after I’m retired. This is tricky, because you are family to Debbie and me. But my role in this family will obviously change in March. Not only am I anxious to support Greg & Sam in their new roles, and Jeremy in his, I have a standard of Ethical Pastoral Conduct from the CBOQ to which I need to adhere.

This Statement of Ethical Conduct includes a section about pastors after they leave a congregation: “Upon my retirement or resignation, I will seek to support the ministry of my successor(s) by refusing to interfere in the ministry of the church I formerly served. I will refrain from pastoral involvement (including opinion on the incumbent’s decisions) except upon the clear consent of my successor(s) and church board.”

Debbie and I know that all of us need me to disappear from Spring Garden for a period in which we all adjust to changes ahead of us. While we don’t know how God might lead us or to what He might call us in this new chapter of our lives, we are quite open to returning and making Spring Garden our church home when the new pastoral team feels it is appropriate for us to do so. Our ability to return as members will depend upon my commitment 4

to abide by that ethical guideline and your understanding that I would be coming back as a normal church member – not a pastor.

If I find I’m just not able to let go, or if you are not able to transfer your expectations and loyalty to your new pastors, then we will need to find a new church home. It is important to me that you understand this would not be an indication that we don’t really love you. It would be a difficult decision made because we really do love this church, and it is important to me that I finish ministry with integrity and commitment to the next generation of church leaders.

I’m excited and hopeful about Spring Garden’s future. I hope we find that God has a new part for me to play – a part with way less responsibility that is way less public – in the continuing tale.

A Little History of SGC by Dale Forder I would like continue sharing an excerpt from a report put together many years ago by Margaret Alexander, circa 1979 from our history.

CORNERSTONE MEMORIES

Chapter I continues...

On Sunday, March 6, 1949, the first Sunday School was held at the Legion Hall,Spring Garden Avenue. Yellow printed cards were sent to members and adherents and distributed in the area, announcing the opening of a Sunday School. It told of bright singing, special music, and helpful messages at Lansing Baptist Services. Colored slides were shown at that first School meeting.

On March 11, Mr. W. Baldock was appointed Sunday School Superintendent for three months. Mr. Walter Baldock and Mr. E. Gill served as Superintendents of the Sunday School for many years. Both these men wanted the children to have a thorough education in Bible study and beliefs of their Church. They were loved by the children and the School flourished. Mr. Gill loved to hear the children sing. Two young women recently told the writer they never hear the childhood hymns without seeing Mr. Gill up at the front, singing with verve and joy.

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Missions Update

by Kaitlyn Ranasinghe

S

ince I started my position with Fight4Freedom, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to watch God grow our organization in ways that were unforeseen.

Our team of 5 staff has increased to a team of 16, and we have been given the opportunity to work with 9 additional women who have experienced human trafficking! This year has been a blessing.

In my tenure, I have had the opportunity to lead initiatives and support other members of our team to do the same. Last year, I helped develop our first ever month-long fundraiser, FabFeb. I began a long-term plan to open a safe house and have updated our survivor care program to better serve the women with whom we work. Our team has also begun outreach in prisons, on the street and at hotels/motels, we have begun to expand across Canada, and we are starting a ministry with Indigenous Communities.

At the end of 2018, I was promoted to our leadership team as the Director of our Survivor Care Department. Here, I have the honour of journeying with 4 women directly and supporting other staff and volunteers to do the same. Through some serious challenges I have witnessed some beautiful change. Some of the most exciting stories I have had the privilege to be a part of is walking with young women as they chose to leave sex work and/or their traffickers.

Those first few months are the hardest of their journey, but it is so beautiful to see the change that occurs. I’ve certainly seen some of them return to the industry and cut us off completely, but I have faith that God is using their short time with us in the bigger story of their lives.

I am so grateful for all of your love and support. This church has been so key in supporting me and our work, from our Christmas fundraiser and our Bake Sale to your prayers and encouragement.

I am so blessed to be part of a community that cares for and supports me in this way thank you for being part of this journey with me.

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Spiritual Formation in a Consumer Culture

by Sam Lee

I

n the book, “Children, Youth and Spirituality in a Troubling World,” there’s a chapter called “Princess Dreams.” In it Katherine Turpin asks the question “how do we as the church and as parents raise our children in a world that is hyper consumeristic and is feeding our children with messages that are contrary to what we believe as disciples of Jesus?” It is called “Princess Dreams” because the writer argues that the giant media machine, Disney, is forming our girls (and boys) a lot more than we think they are. One interesting quote by her is this: Whereas the ancient Israelites were reminded to place their primary, identity-bearing commandment on their doorposts and tie it to their foreheads (Deut. 6:4–9), contemporary children find their identity-bearing stories on their underwear, their sippy cups, their fruit snacks, and their sheets.

We think it’s just child’s play and innocent when we buy products that are themed with Disney characters (we’re buying toothbrushes anyway might as well make them something my kids enjoy). But the underlying lesson through this type of consumption is a continual, repetitive teaching about what Disney and other media conglomerates are selling. They are not just selling a product, they are forming our children in their identity in terms of gender, racial and class positions. Scholar of critical pedagogy Henry Giroux calls Disney “pedagogical and policymaking enterprise actively engaged in the cultural landscaping of national identity and the ‘schooling’ of the minds of young children.” Instead of forming our children’s identity as the children of God, we are forming them as consumers whose identity is shaped by what they own and use to brush their teeth.

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This chapter goes in depth in looking at how our consumer culture shapes our young people, but the main thing I want us to consider as parents is this: “How do we help shape our children’s identity (and maybe even ours) that is faithful to what it means to be a follower of Jesus without living under some rock?“ Katherine Turpin argues for engagement with the consumer culture with Kingdom values. It is by helping children and youth understand the underlying messages that the media is trying to portray and to help them compare those messages with Kingdom values. It is helping our children and youth understand that they are not what they own nor what they consume. They are beloved children of God. This truth needs to be embraced and lived out by us as parents and then spoken out to our children and youth so that they can know that their identity is rooted in who God says they are. Katherine Turpin continues that the counterformation of Kingdom values can happen through community and relationships. This is where having a few key godly adults in the lives of our young people is crucial.

In many ways, it starts with us as parents. It starts with how we consume media and culture. Are we aware of the messages that the media and our culture is selling us, and do we buy into it without any reflection? Are we part of a community that has a different vision and understanding of the world? How can we love God and others and show our children to do likewise?

Here are a few helpful suggestions for you at home.

Ask your children about their favourite TV show or movie. What is the show about? What do you like about that show or movie? Who is your favourite character and why? What part of their personality or character do you think is good? What part of their personality and character is not something we should copy?

It always starts with us first. It starts with us as parents accepting the truth that we are beloved children of God and

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to live it out in our daily lives. We as parents set the primary example for our children and youth in how to engage media and culture in a way that is healthy, well-rounded, and faithful to what it means to be a follower of Jesus. The more we can engage with what our children and youth are consuming and empower them to navigate the different messages that are being taught and support them, the more we can help our children in their journey as beloved children of God.

Lent: Preparing for Resurrection and Rebirth

by Greg Kay Beginning on a day called ‘Ash Wednesday’ (which falls this year on March 6th) and leading to Easter Sunday (April 12th) is a season of the Christian Church year called Lent. Lent is a season of preparing for Good Friday (when Jesus died), Black or Holy Saturday (when Jesus was in the tomb) and Easter Sunday (when Jesus was resurrected).

Lent is a season where we travel with Jesus towards the cross—a journey where the disorder and de-formation of our lives leads to the death of our Lord (and of our selves), knowing as we do on this side of history, that the journey through death with Christ leads to resurrection hope and life.

Lent is traditionally practiced as 40 days of fasting—abstaining from some of our human needs or comforts as an act of surrender, preparation, and focusing on God. Some examples of things to fast from are: food in general or specific foods like chocolate, alcohol, sweets, etc.; certain time and attention consuming activities like tv, social media, gaming; or personal postures like speaking negatively, gossip, etc. Personally, I often choose to give up something that has become a bit of a crutch—something I turn to for comfort or escape instead of turning to God (like the momentary escape from my problems through the heavenly combination of peanut butter and chocolate…). Some people, instead of fasting from something, will choose to take up something like acts of service or additional prayer time, though I personally still see these acts as actively giving up something of the self—time or energy usually spent on the self now given up for 9

others and for God. You may have noticed that there are more than 40 days between March 6 th and April 12th. This is because the weekly rhythm of Lent includes Sundays—Sundays are always a celebration of the Resurrected Jesus and therefore are not days for fasting. Although a part of me likes this because I get a break from fasting (oh how weak I am!), what I really find beautiful is, no matter what I do or don’t do for God, others or myself, His resurrection life is consistently breaking through, sustaining us with the bread of life and rivers of living water.

As you contemplate how you will journey with Jesus towards the cross, let me leave you with these words of Henri Nouwen that I find encouraging and inspiring: “Lent is the most important time of the year to nurture our inner life. It is the time during which we not only prepare ourselves to celebrate the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but also the death and resurrection that constantly takes place within us. Life is a continuing process of the death of the old and the familiar, and being reborn again into a new hope, a new trust, and a new love. The death and resurrection of Jesus therefore is not just an historical event that took place a long time ago, but an inner event that takes place in our heart when we are willing to be attentive to it.

“Lent offers a beautiful opportunity to discover the mystery of Christ within us. It is a gentle but also demanding time. It is a time of solitude but also community, it is a time of listening to the voice within, but also a time of paying attention to other people’s needs. It is a time to continuously make the passage to new inner life as well as to life with those around us.

“When we live Lent attentively and gently, then Easter can truly be a celebration during which the full proclamation of the risen Christ will reverberate into the deepest place of our being.” (An excerpt from With Burning Hearts: A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life, by Henri Nouwen. © 1994 Henri J.M. Nouwen.)

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Life in and around Spring Garden

Community Corner

Spring Garden Day Camp Two weeks of day camp @ Spring Garden Church. week 1 - STORY CAMP

week 2 - Adventure Camp

July 22nd-26th 9am - 12pm -Half Day 9am - 3:30pm -Full Day

July 29th - August 2nd 9am-3:30pm -Full Day

Our second week of This year our camp will camp will be centred focus on activities and on adventures around skills from which the Toronto. We will be kids have the option to exploring the different choose. We will be host- areas around Willowdale ing activities involved in and the church neighsports, culinary, art etc. bourhood while playing Different options and some games and learntracks will be sent out ing about community. closer to the dates, for We will also be going on the child(ren) and para field trip the Friday of ents to choose together. this week.

Full-Day Camp: $80 per child, per week. ($60 Additional children of the same family) Half-Day Camp: $50 per child, first week only. ($40 additional half-day children of the same family) **Please be aware that the Full-Day Camp will only be offered to children in grades 1-5 (ages 6-10), while the Half-Day AM Camp is open to children from Jk - Grade 5 (ages 4-10)**

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INFO and REGISTER at: www.springgardenchurch.ca/daycamp or talk to Jeremy Ranasinghe (Jeremy@ springgardenchurch.ca or (416) 223-4593 - Ext 223)

Spring Garden's Annual Camping Trip

Pinery Provincial Park - July 5-7 or July 4-7, 2019 We believe in a creative God. Therefore, we want to give an opportunity for people of all ages and stages to enjoy God’s creation. This is an opportunity of those within our community that enjoy nature or would want to learn to enjoy nature more. It is a great time of of relaxing, community building, and enjoying God’s creation.

INFO and REGISTER at:

www.springgardenchurch.ca/camping

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Looking for a Lead Gardener We are entering our third year growing a garden on our property with the produce being given to local food banks. We are in need of a lead gardener to provide guidance for the team. The role does not require physical work in the garden and can be done via email or in person based on your schedule. The guidance we need is basic: • When and what to plant throughout the summer, tips for harvesting and tips for soil care. • Our vegetables tend to be simple like tomatoes and beans and would also like to plant some herbs.

The garden team is comprised of church volunteers and we hope to encourage our church neighbours to enjoy our garden, meet our team members and hopefully join us.

If this sounds like something you would like to lead us in please let us know! We would like to have someone in place sooner rather than later so we can make plans for the future.

Please contact: Victoria Shipmaker Spring Garden Based Initiative Team 647 444 9320 (text or call) victoriashipmaker@gmail.com 13

Lunch Together On Thursdays from 12 noon to 1 pm we have a chance for people to meet, talk and have lunch together. This is a great time to share some laughs and conversation with others and we usually end with some words of prayer. This time is open to anyone from our neighbourhood and though comprised of women welcomes men too! If someone is looking for a place to practice their English please let them know!

Tea and coffee is provided, lunch is brought by the participants.

Thursday Bible Study On Thursdays from 1 pm to 2 pm we have a Bible Study that is open to the church and our neighbours. Our topics come from the people who participate and the teaching is based on Bible passages. One of our most recent questions is how to respond to the needs of others. This topic will take a few weeks as we read and chat about how we understand loving God and loving ourselves and others. We will be looking at Proverbs for God's wisdom and examples of Jesus' ministry and His parables. We will also be discussing how to help others without overextending ourselves and when it is okay to say "no".

The approach is to teach the context of the Bible passage and ask lots of questions about what the passage means. We share our own experiences and questions and sometimes find answers. We often leave with more questions which require thought and prayer.

Weekly participation is not necessary - come when you can.

Everyone who has an interest in the Bible is welcome!

Upcoming topics will be sent with the email weekly update.

For more information please contact: Victoria Shipmaker 647 444 9320 (text or phone) victoriashipmaker@gmail.com 14

Partnering with Families and Singles

Discipleship Ministries 15

Spring Kids ROOMS IN OUR BASEMENT DROP OFF

Nursery (0-18 months) Toddler/Pre-K (19 months - 3yrs) JK/SK Grade 1 & 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 &5 Grade 6-12

PICK UP

Purple Orange Yellow Blue Blue Green Blue Red Youth Lounge

Here is an overview of what we will be talking about on Sundays for Spring Kids.

Toddlers – SK: Serve

This month, children will see that Jesus loves them, Jesus teaches us how to serve, and Jesus wants us to serve others, too.

Even from the youngest age, as children are learning to do so many things, learning to care for others, helping, and serving are things that we believe Jesus wants us to teach them too. So join us as we learn to love and serve like Jesus.

“Serve one another in love.” - Galatians 5:13

Grades 1-5

• God is the Lord of Life • God is Merciful • God Restores • Remember and Celebrate • Jesus is God’s Son

Spring Youth

February Recap!

In February we had our last retreat of the winter season called Blizzard. This retreat is geared towards youth in high school.

These retreats are always a fantastic opportunity for our group to relax and have fun together. The speaker for the retreat really helped put into perspective what faith is all about. Overall Blizzard 2019 will always be reflected upon with fond memories.

Here is what's happening this March!

Sunday Morning Worship Gatherings: For March we will be having 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.

March 24th: Sunday Upstairs (Youth are either in the upstairs worship gathering, or serving in other areas in the discipleship ministry)

Youth Life Groups:

Life Groups will happen on March 22nd for the girls and 24th for the boys. For more information email Jeremy

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Youth Events: March 12th: March Break Event: We will be meeting at the Spring Garden to hang out during the march break. Some of the activities involved are games, movies, and food.

For more information email Jeremy.

Time: 12:30pm - 6:30pm Cost: $15 March 29th - Bake Sale Prep: We will be meeting on the 29th to prep and create art and baked goods for our fundraiser on March 31st. We will be raising money for an anti-human trafficking organization that Spring Garden sponsors. We will be selling baked goods as well as created projects by the youth.

For more information please email Jeremy.

Time: 5:30pm-9:00pm Cost: $5

Fight4Freedom Art and Bake Sale: Last year our youth group was able to raise almost $1000 to help people coming out of the sex industry. On March 31st, after worship, we will be holding a art and bake sale where our youth will be selling baked goods and some art to raise money for Fight4Freedom. All of the proceeds from this sale will go to Fight4Freedom and their work with survivors of human trafficking.

Please join us on the 31st to help support our youth group as we work put an end to human trafficking!

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://tinyurl.com/SGCYouth 17

An Announcement from the IMC

T

he Interim Management Committee (IMC) is excited to announce that the Deacons have approved our recommendation to hire Lily Cheng as Interim Pastor for the period of March 1 to October 31.

Lily will oversee ministry areas related to Adult Discipleship, Community Building, Mission, and Pastoral Care, working under the leadership of our Co-Leads, Greg Kay and Sam Lee. Prior to her recent run for the position of city councillor in the Willowdale ward, Lily was employed as the Director of Community Engagement at The Peoples Church, where she worked to build community within the church and to foster its engagement in local mission. She has also launched community building activities and networks within North York and has a variety of training, coaching, mentoring, and missions experiences that have contributed to what we believe is a strong skill set for this position.

Lily lives in Willowdale and has shared her passion for spreading Christ’s love within and beyond Spring Garden. She has also expressed her commitment to supporting Greg and Sam through our transition period.

We hope you will join us in welcoming Lily and her family (husband Alan Lee and children, Carter and Freesia) to Spring Garden.

IMC (Sam Chaise, Lesley Daniels, Shannon Loewen, Cheryl Chapman, Greg Kay, Sam Lee) 18

Recommendations

The Resource Centre 19

Spring Garden’s online library catalog can be accessed at springgardenchurch.ca/library. If you know of books or DVDs that you’d like to recommend to the Resource Centre, please contact Karen Cassel (karen.cassel@bell.net)

In the region of the summer stars, Book one of the Eirlandia Series

by Stephen R. Lawhead

Conor is the first-born son of the Celtic king Ardan mac Orsi. He should have been battlechief, but a birthmark casts him as unclean and that honor has fallen to his younger brother Liam. Conor is resigned to his fate, but wishes he could do something to earn his tribe’s respect. Sometimes wishes take unexpected turns—when Conor is wrongly accused of theft and cast out of his tribe, he embarks on a dangerous mission to not only prove his innocence but to expose the treachery that led him on this path. He also seeks the ethereal beauty he saw being abducted by the Scálda. Convinced that she is no mortal woman, but one of the faéry, Conor must find and rescue her.

The struggle of prayer

by Donald Bloesch

The key to prayer is "not our action in preparing ourselves, but God's action in revealing himself," writes Dr. Donald G. Bloesch of Dubuque Theological Seminary. True prayer is not humanity rising to God in order to become one with him (the mystical ideal), but God reaching out to humanity and calling for a response of obedience. It is the constant struggle to take hold of the outstretched hand of God. This striving with a personal God is foundational to biblical prayer, stresses Dr. Bloesch living God."

Brazen: the courage to find the you that’s been hiding

by Leeana Tankersley

There are so many moments in life when we choose to silence our intuition, abandon our own voice, and play small because we wonder, deep down: "Do I know who I really am? Is who I really am enough?" It's courageous work to learn to live from our essential identity--loved, worthy, whole. But what if God is calling us to shamelessly recover the woman he created us to be? What if God is urging us to be--for the first time in our lives--brazen?

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Directories and What's Happening

More Info

Leadership Directory PASTORAL TEAM

416.223.4593

Gene Tempelmeyer Pastor (until Mar. 3)

Ext. 222 genetemp@ springgardenchurch.ca

Greg Kay Co-Lead Pastor

Ext. 224 gregkay@ springgardenchurch.ca

Sam Lee Co-Lead Pastor

Ext. 227 samlee@ springgardenchurch.ca

Jeremy Ranasinghe Discipleship Ministries Assistant

Ext. 223 jeremy@ springgardenchurch.ca

Lily Cheng Interim Pastor

Ext. 226 lilycheng@ springgardenchurch.ca

Dale Forder Office & Communications Administrator

Ext. 221 daleforder@ springgardenchurch.ca

Spring Garden Church

112 Spring Garden Avenue, Toronto ON M2N3G3 www.springgardenchurch.ca office@springgardenchurch.ca Telephone Fax Prayer Line 21

416.223.4593 416.223.6126 416.223.4038

DEACONS Sam Chaise

647-968-5065 sam_chaise@yahoo.com

Adora Chui

905.962.3897 adora.chui@sgbc.ca

Martin Dewar

416.229.2695 martin.dewar@sgbc.ca

Lesley Daniels

416.806.5373 dr.ldaniels@gmail.com

Joanne Laing

416-617-6582 joannelaing@gmail.com

Shannon Loewen

647-202-0701 shannon.loewen1@gmail.com

Peggy Moore

416.225.2406 peggylouisemoore@gmail.com

Esther Penner Doug Willson

416.227.1840 esther.penner@sgbc.ca 416.221.0450 doug.willson191@gmail.com

ELDERS Garth Barron Darlene Boyd Cheryl Chapman Joanna James Brad Sider

416-724-9329 garthbarron@sympatico.ca 416.385.2483 darlene.boyd@gmail.com 416.222.6963 cheryl.chapman@live.ca 647.928.0862 jo.april.james@gmail.com 647.200.6853 ​bradsider@yahoo.ca 22

What’s Happening Weekly

Life in Spring Garden

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP

SUNDAY MORN- PASTORAL TEAM ING BIBLE STUDY MEETING

During Lent (Marmid-April) will be centred around the sacred paradoxes in Jesus' life and teaching.

Held in the meeting We meet in the room. meeting room every Tuesday. Please We are continuing pray for us for our study of wisdom and inspiMatthew's gospel. ration.

Sundays 10am - 11:30am

Children and Youth go downstairs.

Communion will be held on the 1st Sunday of the month.

REFRESH

Wednesdays 10am - 11:30am Friendship, care and spirtual growth for women; child care may be provided if necessary. (see page 10) Contact Tanya Salituro @ 416-222-4662

Sundays 9am - 10am

Everyone is welcome, bring your Bible if you have one.

ESL CAFE

Wednesdays 7pm - 8:30pm We meet at Spring Garden Church in the East Lounge.

A place to practice your English and meet new friends.

Tuesdays 1:30pm - 3:30pm

THURSDAY LUNCH TOGETHER 12pm - 1pm

Share some laughs and conversation with others and words of prayer.

BIBLE STUDY 1pm - 2pm

Bible Study that is open to the church and our neighbours victoriashipmaker@ gmail.com

Text or call 647 444 9320

You may find more info at springgardenchurch.ca, in the 23 welcome brochure or call us at 416-223-4593.

Upcoming Gene's Retirement Celebration #1

Gene's Retirement Celebration #2 March 3 10am pg 18

March 6 pg 17

March Break Youth Event

Gary Chapman

Youth Bake Sale Prep

March 2 1pm-4pm pg 18

March 12 pg 17

March 23 9am-3:30pm @ Tyndale pg 12

Lent Begins Ash Wednesday

March 29 pg 17

Fight4Freedom Art and Bake Sale

March 31 After the Worship Gathering pg 17 If you would like to receive a weekly email 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 email.

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The answers to the crossword will be in the next Delve.

Across 3. Overall ________ 2019 will always be reflected upon with fond memories.

5. Toddlers - SK: _____ 6. A great Celtic Christian fiction writer, who wrote In the Region of the Summer Stars's Last name is?

11. Kaitlyn Ranasinghe works for?

12. We are looking for a Lead ________ 14. What is the Provincial Park that we will be camping at?

Down 1. Thursday you are invited to Lunch Together and join in on our Thursday _____ Study.

2. Week 2 - _________ Camp 4. First name of the person who did the cover painting?

7. These two images is of a Princess and Star Wars _________ 8. Please join us on the 31st to help support our youth group as we work put an end to human ______________!

9. March 6, 1949, the first ______ School 10. Week 1 - _____ Camp 13. Musing: It's Been a _____ Tale.

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Last Edition's Crossword answers 1. wednesday 2. blizzard 3. miracles 4. chapman 5. garlough 6. saturday 7. refresh 8. seventy 9. hymn 10. pastor

Fun Page

COME CELEBRATE WITH US!!

Gene Tempelmeyer is Retiring!

Celebration #1

Saturday March 2, 2019 1pm to 4pm Spring Garden Baptist Church What to Bring‌.

Memories Cards and donations Light Food (sandwiches and such) Need Childcare? Email office@ springgardenchurch.ca

Celebration #2

Sunday March 3, 2019 Gene’s last Sunday (for now) 10am Sunday Gathering Spring Garden Baptist Church Celebrating at coffee time after the Sunday Gathering. all ages are welcome!

See more info on our events page https://www.springgardenchurch.ca/ upcoming-events Have fun colouring Gene's clothes!

By Dale Forder

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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 center. 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.