October Delve 2022

Quick Calendar

WEEKLY

Sun 10am Sunday Worship Online or In-Person pg 25

Tue 10am-12pm Pastoral Team Meeting pg 25

Thur 10am Moms' Meet Up pg 25 Weekly and Biweekly Life Groups pg 16

UPCOMING

Oct 2

Oct 7

Oct 14

Oct 15 Fall Hike 20

Oct 16 Group 10

Oct 20 12

Oct 21 Craft Night

Oct 27 Lunch Group pg 10

Oct 28 High Life 16

Oct 31 Halloween pg 4

Delve submissions are due Oct. 24th. 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

Loving our Neighbours on Halloween

by Abby Davidson

Growing up, I saw my parents grapple with how to observe (or not to observe) Halloween. At first they decided they didn’t want to participate in it which meant no trickor-treating for us kids and no giving out candy to our neighbours. When I was 10 that changed as they felt it was a good opportunity to share God’s love. They filled small bags with chips, candy and other goodies and gave out ‘Halloween packages’ that also contained a tract with a funny story that somehow communicated the gospel. I remember spending hours packing these little bags. Of course, I was most excited about finally being able to go trick-or-treating with my friends. I had years of missed candy to make up for and planned out my route in the most efficient way possible. Later on, as a teenager, I worked for a youth centre and my director happened to live across the street from my house. On Halloween I would help her as she handed out large chocolate bars to kids and gave hot apple cider to parents. When I became a parent I struggled with Halloween for different reason… the sugar! Did I want my child coming home with enormous amount of sugar? We had the cutest little fuzzy dinosaur costume for Miles but, given that he was only one and a half, I didn’t really want him eating any candy. We ended up visiting six houses so he could fill his little bucket with candy. At the time he didn’t know what candy was but thought the act of going door to door and getting something was great. When we returned home I gave him a bowl of grapes and gave the bucket of candy to our 10 year old neighbour. Everyone was happy! But somewhere along the way, Miles discovered what candy is and I can’t get away with a bowl of grapes anymore.

Excessive amounts of sugar aside, Halloween is actually a great opportunity for the Church. When I say the Church I don’t mean the church building, but the people that make up the Church body. That’s you and me. Every Sunday after worship, we are the ones who are sent out with a blessing to look for and tend to the presence of Christ in the world. Halloween gives us a unique opportunity to actually meet our neighbours and to show them the love of Jesus. It is the only day of the year that neighbours of all kinds come knocking at your door. It is a time when everyone is open to receiving. Doors are opened, walls come down, and you never know what relationships might begin.

There are many ways to be a missional presence at Halloween. Whether it’s giving out a token with candy that symbolizes God’s love or setting up a hot drink station so parents can warm up and chat or even spending the night in prayer for the safety of those out on the streets, Halloween is a chance for us to be in intentional presence in the places we live and to cultivate relationships with our neighbours.

We encourage you to prayerfully consider how God is inviting you to reach out to your neighbours this Halloween.

If you live in a place where there is no trick-or-treating or it’s not possible to give out candy, then please consider helping out at 112 Spring Garden. We will have a small group of people handing out candy and being a welcoming presence. If you’re interested in serving then get in touch with Sam Lee ( samlee@ springgardenchurch.ca).

May you have a happy and a missional Halloween!

Ideas on How to Pray on Halloween

by Greg Kay (Delve, Oct. 2017)

One important way to be people of light on Halloween is to be prayerful, praying for your city, your culture, your neighbours, the children and parents who are out. Even if for personal reasons you are unable or uncomfortable participating in Halloween, you can still actively bring the light of God into the evening through prayer. Here are some ideas on how to pray: As you prepare for the evening

• Pray that your home, decorations, conversations with children and neighbours will be filled with light.

• Pray for God to prepare hearts (yours and others) and to open opportunities for deepening relationships with neighbours

•

If you have children, don’t only pray for their safety and protection, but pray that they’ll be light to their friends and the homes they visit

• If you have children, talk and pray with them through the process of costume purchasing/making, seeing it as an opportunity to reflect the creativity of the Creator, and deciding on costumes that are in line with their views of God as life and light (as opposed to death and darkness)

Praying through the night

• Continue to pray that you and your home will be a place of light and life

• Go on an intentional prayer walk through your neighbourhood, watching for signs of the Kingdom and praying against darkness. Be attentive to the Spirit’s leading—perhaps there will be a specific child, parent or home God draws your attention to pray for from afar.

• For kids and parents, pray for

• safety walking on the streets

• connection with neighbours and friends

• fun

• that an awareness of fear and death would turn people’s minds to love light and life

• that Jesus, the light of the world, would draw people to Himself

Our Fall Common Curriculum

by Abby Davidson

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. - Ephesians 2:10

God has created us as complex and wonderful beings. We all uniquely reflect God and we all have gifts that are meant to build up the church and help to spread the Kingdom of God here on earth. By being the people God created us to be, we make the world a better place. God has commissioned each one of us with a Kingdom purpose – a contribution to the church body that is uniquely yours. When we understand our unique giftings, personality and passions, we are better equipped to live out our kingdom purpose. As a result of disciples living into their Kingdom purpose, the church is made stronger and the hope of Christ is taken into places of darkness and need.

The concept of a unique Kingdom purpose is developed in the book “S.H.A.P.E.” by Erik Rees.

He describes the 5 characteristics (developed by Rick Warren) that reveal our potential.

Spiritual Gifts: A set of special abilities that God has given you to share his love and serve others

Heart: The special passions God has given you so that you can glorify him on earth

Abilities: The set of talents that God gave you when you were born, which he also wants you to use to make an impact for him

Personality: The special way God wired you to navigate life and fulfill your unique Kingdom purpose

Experiences: Those parts of

your past, both positive and painful, which God intends to use in great ways

During the Fall, we will be taking 6 weeks to better understand each characteristic of S.H.A.P.E. and how they apply to our lives as individuals and as part of a broader church community. Our Sunday Worship Series will examine each aspect of S.H.A.P.E. and help us understand how our stories fit into God’s big story. In our Life Groups, we will take time to learn more about spiritual gifts and help one another identify the areas where we are being called to grow and serve out of these gifts.

This past summer we asked you to fill out the S.H.A.P.E. assessment to give you an understanding of your own gifts and abilities. Now we want to put that information together so we have a picture of the gifts, abilities, passions and skills that exist in Spring Garden Church.

We have put together a 5 minute survey where you can fill in your results from the S.H.A.P.E. assessment. Even if you did not fill out the S.H.A.P.E. assessment, you can still fill out the SGC survey. Your participation will help the pastoral team as we continue to seek ways to equip and build up the wonderful people that make up Spring Garden Church. You can find the survey at https://forms. gle/6de2Bn8r8euzi3hHA.

If you would like a tool to help you identify your gifts, abilities and passions, you can fill out the S.H.A.P.E. assessment at https:// www.freeshapetest.com/.

We look forward to seeing how God will move in our church and beyond as we learn more about the way he has created each one of us!

Community

Life in and around Spring Garden

Membership at Spring Garden Church is

an option you may want to consider if you'd like to make a commitment to our faith community and have a stronger voice in decision-making. For more information about what membership means and how to become a member, please contact Esther Penner at epenner73@yahoo.ca.

And You Gave me Clothes to Wear...

During the month of October we will be taking up a collection of new and used clothing and shoes to send to Manila. You can donate SUMMER clothing for children and adult clothing in small sizes. You can drop off your donations in the designated boxes in the loung. We will also be raising funds to support Dawn for the Poor by supporting local jewelry makers. Please speak to Jen if you would like to support this ministry.

If you have any questions please email Jen at: jenchrystman313@hotmail.com

Supporting Local Seniors

There are many seniors living in our neighbourhood and many are at an increased risk for social isolation and depression. We are partnering with NeighbourLink North York to support local seniors with intergenerational friendships and fun events. We will meet once a month, on Thursdays from 3:306pm to play board games, do art workshops or other fun and active events. We will meet at Willowdale Manor, located at 175 Cummer Ave.

The dates for the Fall are: Sept. 29th, Oct. 20th & Nov. 10.

And Save the Date for the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 10th for a Christmas event!

New Monthly Lunch Group

Thursday, Sept 29th, Oct 27th, Nov. 24th 12:00-2:00 pm

We welcome anyone who want to have a connection with others as we explore the bible and have an opportunity to share and pray together. Everyone is welcome. Bring your own lunch. Email or call for more info: Faith Holwyn Faith.holwyn@gmail.com 416 805-7529

ESL Bible Study Sundays OR Wednesdays

We have started an ESL Bible Study for those who are new to the English language and interested in learning more about Jesus. We are offering this twice a week, Sundays at 11:40am or Wednesdays at 7pm. There is no cost to attend and all are welcome. Please speak to or email Abby (abbydavidson@springgardenchurch.ca) if you would like to sign up.

A New Life Group

See the next page to check out a new life group that is meeting in Scarborough! A great new option for those living there.

Fall Hike

October 15, 10am-12pm

Where: Mast Trail

Please RSVP with Sam samlee@springgardenchurch.ca

Small Group Sundays

October 16, 12pm

See www.springgardenchurch.ca/events for more information. Please email Abby: abbydavidson@springgardenchurch.ca

Serving on Halloween

October 30, evening

Please read the article on page 3 for more information.

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 small gatherings of people who form a community. Group members share life together through friendship, learn from the Bible and other resources, pray for and give support to one another, and participate in God’s mission together. They are safe places where you can meet new people, discover your gifts for 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.

Kevin & Suzanna Sunday afternoons, Every other week In-Person

The Davidsons Mondays (Scarborough) Weekly from 6pm - 8pm In-Person

Jeff & Phyllis Wednesday evenings Weekly

ONLINE David Webb Thursday evenings Weekly from 7:30 - 9:30 Online and In-Person

Creation Care Corner

“In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all humankind.” - Job 12:10

A place for our community to celebrate and share, encourage and inspire how we are learning to care for and connect with God’s creation in practical, livable, doable ways.

‘

Recently I visited a Pollinator Garden build at Adam House downtown. It reminded me of the dynamic of the Community Garden here at SGC with its mix of participants - neighbours, volunteers and co-ordinators. Community building is how we can care for Creation. It’s cross-generational, it transcends race and culture, and is enriched by more than one perspective.’ - Colleen Stevens

‘As humans we’ve done an amazing job of littering God’s creation with a lot of excess and preventable waste. As I try to be more mindful of how I contribute to this problem, I’ve started shopping when possible at stores that sell in bulk and I’m able to bring my own reusable containers (yes there are a few!). It’s encouraging when I discover opportunities to reduce the amount of packaging I throw in the garbage.’ - Brenda Forder

Please share your experiences! E-mail a brief statement to Brenda Forder nobleb14@yahoo.ca to be included in future issues of Delve.

Partnering with Families

SGC Kids:

Hi Everyone!

Here is what’s happening this month with our Kid’s Ministry!

On Sunday mornings, you’ll be able to register children for worship at the child and youth checkin area. We will have sticker name tags for our children to wear so we can get to know each other during our worship time in the basement.

Here are the age groups we have available for children’s worship on Sunday mornings:

Group Structure:

Nursery & Toddlers (0 - 2 Yrs) - Orange Room

Pre K - SK (3 Yrs - 5 Yrs) - Green Room

Gr 1 - 3 - Blue Room Drop Off - Yellow Room Pick Up

Gr 4 & 5 - Blue Room

Family Registration Forms 2022: For us to provide our ministry to the children of our church, we require new registration forms to be filled out by their families every year as part of our policy to protect. Please fill out our form through this link http://tiny.cc/SGCFamilyRegistration

Here is what we will be talking about on Sundays! Hear Me Roar!: A Series on Daniel - There’s a reason lions are symbols of courage, even their roars (which can be heard up to five miles away) tell us how strong they are! And because of God’s promises, we can be as strong and bold as lions, too. In this

five-week series, our kids will learn important truths from the life of Daniel they’ll want to shout (or roar!), like how we don’t have to give up and don’t have to feel alone. Instead, we can keep growing with God and not be afraid, even when we don’t know the future. Why? Because God is with us! Check out our memory verse for this month below!

Online Resources For Home

To help serve your family better, we have uploaded all our SGC Kids’ curricula online. The following link can be used to access our curriculum and use it 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

A Night Out - November 12th, 2022 - We are hosting a childcare event for families with kids in our community. We encourage you to sign up your children and have a night out! We will be providing snacks, drinks and entertainment for children between 4-11 years old. If you would like to sign up you can do so through the following link.

For any questions please email Jeremy (jeremy@ springgardenchurch.ca)

Registration Link: http://tiny.cc/SGC-ANightOut

**Last day to register is November 2nd, 2022 - ** Cost: $10 per child

Date and Time: November 12th, 2022 from 6:00pm-9:00pm

Sunday Small Groups: On the third Sunday of each month, our church gathers in the basement of our building to have conversations about our faith. This is an intergenerational gathering where our kids have their own conversation about the same topic. We invite the families with kids of our church, to join us as we engage in conversations that change. Next Gathering: October 16th, 2022 See - **10** Page for more information

Spring Youth

Sunday Morning Worship Gatherings:

October, 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd: We will have regular worship gatherings for youth in grades 6-12. Following the children and youth’s blessing, youth can move into our lounge to continue in worship.

October 30th - Youth are encouraged to join the adult’s worship gathering upstairs.

Youth Life Groups:

Oct 2nd, 2022: Sr High Life Groups - Our Sr High life group will meet in our building following the morning worship. We will gather in our youth lounge to have lunch, and talk about the life and ministry of Jesus. To ensure we provide enough food, please email Jeremy (along with any allergy/food restriction info) by September 30th, 2022

Time: 12:00pm - 2:00pm

Cost: $10 (Includes lunch)

Oct 28th: Jr High Life Groups - Our Jr High life groups will meet in our building this month. Unlike our regular youth events, the focus on Life Groups is about living life together intentionally. We want to engage in conversations with youth about what is going on around us and the struggles we have.

Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Cost: $0 (Dinner will not be provided, but we will have snacks and treats)

Friday Youth Gatherings:

Oct 7th: Watch Party - We are gathering at our building to watch a movie together. After the movie, we will also talk about the different challenges, themes and experiences we can see in the story of our movie. Dinner will be provided. To ensure enough food is prepared, please email Jeremy to reserve space by Oct 4th, 2022.

Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Cost: $10 per youth ($5 for additional youth of the same family) (Dinner included)

Oct 14th: Games Night - We will meet at our building to play some of our favourite games. To ensure enough food is prepared, please email Jeremy to reserve space by Oct 11th, 2022

Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Cost: $10 per youth ($5 for additional youth of the same family) (Dinner included)

Oct 21st: Craft Night - We will meet at our building to work on personal crafts and art projects together. We will have various craft options available for youth to do and a larger team project for our youth lounge. To ensure enough food is prepared, please email Jeremy to reserve space by Oct 18th, 2022

Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Cost: $10 per youth ($5 for additional youth of the same family) (Dinner included)

Fall Youth Retreat 2022

Our annual Fall Youth Retreat is back! We are planning an overnight retreat for youth in grades 6 - 12, happening November 4-6. If you would like to register for our retreat, please do so using the link below. If you have any questions please contact Jeremy - Jeremy@ springgardenchurch.ca

Registration Link - http://tiny.cc/SGCYouthRetreat

*Last day to register is October 27th, 2022*

Date: Nov 4-6, 2022

Cost: $85 (subsidy available) - $80 for additional youth of the same household/family

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

What’s Happening Life in Spring Garden

Weekly All Through Out the Week

LIFE GROUPS

Connect for Community

Together through bible study, prayer and sharing. Meet online and in-person. Please email abbydavidson@springardenchurch.ca for more information or to join one. See more on page 11.

Sundays SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP

Join us Sunday mornings as we go through different series' (read more). Join us at: www. springgardenchurch.ca/live or come in-person. 10am

Sundays or Wednesday ESL BIBLE STUDY

Are you new to the English language and interested in learning more about Jesus? We are offering this weekly lesson, you can sign up to attend either Sundays at 11:40am or Wednesdays at 7pm. There is no cost to attend and all are welcome. Please email Abby (abbydavidson@ springgardenchurch.ca) if you would like to sign up.

Tuesdays

Thursdays

PASTORAL TEAM MEETING

We meet mostly on Tuesday. Please pray for us for wisdom and inspiration. 10am12pm

Mothers coming together for fellowship in a baby and kid friendly environment. Contact Abby at abbydavidson@springgardenchurch. ca 9:30am11am

MOMS' MEET UP

What’s Happening Life in Spring Garden

Upcoming

Oct 2 YOUTH: Sr High Life Group pg 16

Oct 7 YOUTH: Watch Party pg 17

Oct 14 YOUTH: Games Night pg 17

Oct 15 Fall Hike pg 20

Oct 16 Small Group Sunday pg 10

Oct 20 Supporting Local Seniors pg 12

Oct 21 YOUTH: Craft Night

Oct 27 Monthly Lunch Group pg 10

Oct 28 YOUTH: Jr High Life Group pg 16

Oct 31 Serving on Halloween pg 4 Other dates to take note for the YOUTH is the Fall Youth Retreat on November 4-6, please see more on page 18.

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.

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.