Ministry Newsletter

S T O N E G AT E C O M M U N I T Y E C U M E N I C A L M I N I S T R Y A joint ministry of the Christian Churches from Humber Bay and Mimico Areas * Working together to build a stronger, kinder and more just community within the Stonegate area * Ministry Newsletter Inside this Issue: Spring Message Message from the New Chair Elizabeth says Goodbye Outreach Store Concert Fundraiser Renovation 1 1 2 2 3 3 May 2009 SPRING IS HERE I love Spring. It is a lot easier to get up on a spring morning, than a winter morning. And then there is the warm sunshine, and the ―boids choiping‖. But I love the Spring also, because it‘s the Easter Season. Jesus astonished his friends by rising from the dead. They‘d seen him crucified, taken down from the Cross, and buried in the grave. And now he was appearing to them in all sorts of ways and in all sorts of places. One of the Resurrection accounts I like best is where his friends are in shock and Jesus calmly asks: ―Has anybody got anything to eat here?‖ And they bring him a piece of broiled fish which he promptly eats before them all! He wants to show them that he isn‘t just a ghost or a spirit – but that it‘s him – he really has risen from the grave! We‘re living in tough times: economic meltdown, the threat of war and terrorism, the difficulty in keeping families together. I figure we need something pretty strong to hold us together. For me, that strong force in our lives is Jesus Christ. He‘s alive, and you can come to know him. I‘ve found that Jesus connects me with God his Father, and that he gives me a purpose in life, which is to grow to know God more and more. I recommend him to you! May God bless you in this wonderful Spring time Season. Rev. Murray Henderson, Christ Church/St. James Thank you—Food vouch- 3 ers Stonegate Farmers’ Mar- 3 ket Women’s Time Time Together Counseling 4 4 4 A message from our new Chair— It is a great honour, on behalf of the Stonegate Community Ecumenical Ministry Board to be able to write this Barbara Jenkins opening message to the 2009 SCEM Spring Newsletter. You will read about the many varied activities that have taken place this year and our future plans. It is also an opportunity to publicly acknowledge the stalwart work done by our past chair Gord Glandfield. Gord completed his term of office in February this year and has been unfaltering in his commitment to the work of the Ministry and continues to do so. Page 1 Sadly in May, we will say goodbye to Elizabeth Zinder de Jesus, who has served as our Community Ministry Coordinator for almost eight years and who leaves us to move to Vancouver and take on new challenges there. Elizabeth has been a blessing to SCEM and has been the inspiration behind many of the programs we have offered and the partnerships we have engaged in to improve the lives of the community. She leaves us with our thankful prayers for all she has achieved and we ask God‘s continued guidance for her future plans. The Outreach Store continues to reach out and provide tangible help to all those who need its services and now, thanks to Graeme Quigley and the renovations to the program space in the basement, we have a warm, well appointed and welcoming space. I also commend to you the Chapel Singers, a community-based choir from the Niagara area who generously gave their time and talent to help raise funds for our ministry on Palm Sunday afternoon. Recently we have launched a new look web site which can be reached at www.stonegateministry.ca the website promotes the work we do and the many volunteers involved in fulfilling our vision, which is ‗Working together to build a stronger, kinder and more just community within the Stonegate area. To all of you who read this newsletter I would ask that you please keep the work of the ministry in your prayers as we plan for the future. Barbara Jenkins Ministry Newsletter ELIZABETH SAYS GOODBYE We are upon a beautiful season – spring, and with the spring comes new beginnings. This is the time I am choosing to pursue a new season with the beloved of my Elizabeth Zinder de Jesus soul – Jesus. After eight years of walking with Jesus at Stonegate I have a deep sense that my time has come to a closure at the Stonegate Community Ecumenical Ministry. I am moving to British Columbia and trusting the Lord God to lead me to a new ministry opportunity in the city of Vancouver. As I reflected on the years spent at the ministry, my thoughts went back to the first time I heard about SCEM. It was when a dear friend of mine called my attention to a ministry job being advertised at Charity Village WebPages. I recall her saying: I believe this job is exactly what you are looking for. When I checked the SCEM job posting my attention was fixed on the first line of the job description, which read: Ministry’s challenge - to manifest Christ’s presence to both the churched and nonchurched people of Humber Bay area. As I read the job challenge my reaction was: Oh God, surely this is the work I would love to do since nothing would give me greater satisfaction than to be a channel of your unfailing love. So, the Lord did. He brought me to Stonegate to join an alliance of local churches heartfelt thanks to the wonderful volunteers from the Outreach Store. The love, kind support, prayers and encourageFrom the first day at the Ministry, I was ment they gave me made a major diffilled with excitement for the opportuference in my work at the ministry. I also nity to be God‘s heart and hands exthank all the people from Stonegate tended to the community. Now, at the community I had the privilege to meet end of eight years I rejoice and am truly and work with. You were truly a blessthankful to God for the love, strength, ing in my life! guidance and wisdom He kept pouring into us to impart to others. My heart So, to all of you who were part of my gratitude goes also to SCEM Board of life in this last eight years – THANK YOU Directors and the family of churches SO MUCH! that faithfully supported, guided and I love you all. I will never forget you. I will embraced me in the work of the miniscarry you in my heart and prayers. And try at Stonegate. Together we accomone day we will definitely meet in the plished great exploits and we witnessed other side of eternity and we will have God‘s kingdom of love, mercy and jusa major party celebration with a tice increasing at Stonegate. We faithgreater host of beautiful and refully ministered the fullness of the glorideemed people, and on that day we ous gospel of Christ which transformed will hear from the very lips of our Savlives; gave hope and comfort to the iour: ‘Well done, good and faithful serbrokenhearted; met people‘s physical vant! You have been faithful with a few needs; uplifted the downcast; brought things; I will put you in charge of many isolated individuals into caring relationthings. Come and share your master’s ships, and thus we impacted people‘s happiness!’ lives not only in this earthly life but for eternity. Shalom aleikhem (peace be unto you), But the work of the Stonegate Ministry is far from over, and more than ever Elizabeth Zinder de Jesus needs to go forth and continue being God‘s heart and hands extended to the community. One major lesson I learned while at the ministry: I learned to trust God 100% and depend totally upon His guidance and promises. So, I encourage SCEM to continue trusting and depending upon God without any vestige of a doubt, for greater things He will do at Stonegate. I take this opportunity to express my committed to serve and bless the people living in the community. THE OUTREACH STORE Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Terry and her team of 16 volunteers, the Stonegate store had another successful year supporting the Stonegate community in a time of continued economic difficulties. Thanks also to SCEM family of churches for your continued support in providing good quality second-hand clothing and children‘s toys and books. The store not only supports the local Stonegate area, but also provides items on a regular basis to the Oasis, Women‘s Habitat and the Food Bank. Volunteers Needed: Additional volunteers are needed to continue operating the store during the summer months with your gift of time, please contact July and August. Specifically, they are Terry at the store. looking for a volunteer able to work Spring-cleaning?: As you are ―springWednesday 9:00am-1:00pm during cleaning‖, please consider giving your gently-used clothing to the Store. We are experiencing a additional demands for summer clothing, particularly for women and young children. Please drop off clothing donations to the Outreach store during store hours. Stonegate Store Outreach Store these two months. If you are interested in serving the Stonegate community 30-150 Berry Road 416 234-3348 Store hours—9-5 am Monday— Friday Page 2 Ministry Newsletter MINISTRY FUNDRAISING with CHAPEL SINGERS Chapel Singers had the ability to touch hearts with their music and by the end of the concert everyone present would agree that this was so. More than one person in the audience wiped away a tear on hearing old favourites bring back fond memories. Thanks also to Ken Crofoot and the many volunteers from Kingsway Baptist Church who organized the event on The congregation from the whole combehalf of SCEM. munity came together at Kingsway It was a great way to spend Palm SunBaptist Church to be entertained to a day afternoon praising God and enjoyinspirational program of hymns and ing the fellowship at the reception afsacred songs, both traditional and terwards. The concert also gave us the contemporary most enthusiastically opportunity to promote the varied and sung by this talented community-based valuable ministry SCEM undertakes. choir from St Catherine‘s whose misChapel Singers at Kingsway Baptist Church Thank you to all the people who supsion is ‗To Glorify God, Minister ported the concert with their presence; through Song, Reach Out with Love.’ the proceeds from the ticket sales and donations together Rev. Wayne Dickau, the Senior Pastor at Kingsway Baptist raised over $2,500 for SCEMs continuing ministry. Church, who had heard the choir perform before, in introBarbara Jenkins ducing the concert, told the assembled crowd that the Stonegate Community Ecumenical Ministry is greatly indebted to the Chapel Singers, and Joyce Rempel, their director, who together with Brenda Carile their accompanist and augmented by the gifted Kingsway Bell Ringers, and Kingsway Baptist Choir performed at the “Hymns For All Time” concert on Palm Sunday afternoon. NEW GREAT SPACE! Renovation of the Ministry Facilities In 2008, Graham Quigly, planned and managed the Outreach Store redesign of both floors to optimize efficiencies of available space. The basement floor a kitchen was installed for meeting food prep, a separate area was built as a living room space for sit-down meetings, programming and a divider was installed between the clothes storage areas. In addition to making these layout changes, electrical, lighting and heating improvements were also addressed to increase security, privacy and comfort for all. Almost all the materials utilized in this build project were donated from our collective church communities, with construction labour charged at market rates. Thank you to everyone who donated cabinets, appliances and equipment. New Kitchen! New Living Space! FOOD VOUCHERS and TOY MOUNTAIN—THANK YOU! SCEM is a major supporter of a local food bank operating from the premises of St. James‘ Humber Bay Anglican Church. Thank you to SCEM family of churches for generously donating monies and toys which were distributed to needy families in the Stonegate area over the Christmas period. $5,000 was donated by individuals within SCEM church family enabling the foodbank to distribute food vouchers to approximately 140 families. STONEGATE FARMERS’ MARKET June 23 —October 6, 2009 Open every Tuesday 4-7 pm In the parking lot of St. James‘ Humber Bay Anglican Church 194 Park Lawn Road, Etobicoke (Just north of the Queensway, next to Humber Bay Library) Page 3 Ministry Newsletter TIME TOGETHER! This is the rhyme that begins a ―Time Parents attending the program have Together‖ session. First the parent sings it given us very positive feedback. to their baby, and then the facilitators sing it to the parents. ―Time Together‖ is an eight session program that enhances relationships between a parent and their baby by playing together and enjoying each other. Through a series of songs, rhymes, activities and Bible stories parents spend up to 30 minutes focusing on their baby and introducing their son or daughter to new and exciting experiences. Before Time Together Session and after the play time, parents have a Hello, hello, I love you very much time to get to know each other and ask questions about their child and parentHello, hello, our fingers they can touch ing. Each session ends with a prayer or a Hello, hello, I love your little nose, blessing. coming every time. Each day was well thought out and planned for all of the different ages of the babies‖. ―I thought it was a great program. I enjoyed spending the time with my daughter and learning new ways to play with her. I liked the fact that household items like sponges, q-tips, paper fans and scarves were used for many of the activities. It was wonderful to see my baby excited and interested in trying new experiences.‖ The next session of ―Time Together” will be held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from May 19 to June 11. The program runs from 10 -11am at the Stonegate Health Centre Annex next to the Outreach Store. co- Hello, hello, I love your wiggly toes. Although the program can be adapted Barbara Patterson—LF Program to any child‘s age, parent and baby ―The program is great. It was great for ordinator has been the focus in the last year since my son to get to interact with other baso many new parents have few support bies and people. We looked forward to systems. Stonegate Ministry Family of Churches All Saints’ Kingsway Anglican 2850 Bloor St. W. - 416 233.1125 St. James’ Humber Bay Anglican 194 Parklawn Road - 416 251.8711 Parklawn Baptist 276 Parklawn Road - 416 255.5459 Kingsway Baptist 41 Birchview Blvd. - 416 239.2381 Royal York Road United 851 Royal York Rd. - 416 231.9401 Hope for Tomorrow—Foursquare Gospel 150 Berry Road - 416 832.3078 Mimico Presbyterian 199 Mimico Ave. 416 255.0213 Kingsway-Lambton United 85 The Kingsway - 416 234.8224 WOMENS’ TIME PROGRAM — BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS Since I arrived at Stonegate community I joined Women's Time Program at the Stonegate Community Ecumenical Ministry coordinated by Ms. Elizabeth Zinder de Jesus. The Women's Time meetings inspired and encouraged me when I was faced with the hardships in my journey in my new country, Canada. The support that I got from the women's group was a positive experience and it helped me to get back on my feet when I was feeling down and discouraged. For the last five years I have attended the Women's Time Program I made new friends and new connections. I am so grateful for all this time we had together and I wish to every woman from the group God's blessings in all they do. At the Women’s Time Program we got connected with wonderful women; we had great times; we learned more about God and we prayed together; we had someone to share our joy and our feelings; we increased networking; we got information for things we didn't know about; we had so much fun; we shared different things from different cultures; we learned a lot from each-other; we helped each-other; we shared foods; over all we loved each other and now after you leave Elizabeth we will miss you, but we hope the Women’s Time Program will continue bringing the women from Stonegate together. Diana Lika Women’s Time Participant Gabriela Ploscaru Women’s Time Participant COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED TO THE COMMUNITY We are blessed with the addition of Helen Skippon, one of SCEM‘s newest board members. She is from All Saints Kingsway Anglican Church. Helen has been providing counselling at no charge to women connected with the Stonegate Ministry. She can provide services to individuals, families and couples. A prayer component is offered as part of her services, when individuals are comfortable with this component. Helen has a Masters Degree in Social Work and worked for twenty-seven years as a School Social Worker, with the Toronto Board of Education and has led parenting groups through the Parent Education Network (PEN) in Etobicoke. If Stonegate residents are interested in counselling, please contact Helen through the Stonegate Store. Helen Skippon Page 4 Publisher—Tamara Colbourne Ministry Newsletter