December 2010
How to Make a Multifaith Idea Work
In November, I was invited to say grace at a large
event, where Michael Ignatieff would be the guest
speaker. I was asked to offer a grace that would
be inclusive of the many faiths of the diverse
crowd sharing the meal.
Actually, it was easy and fun to do. At a working
meeting of faith-leaders, the week before, I went
around at the coffee break to talk to other faithleaders (all of whom I have worked-with before,
and some that I would call friends).
I asked them what sort of table-grace they said, at
home or at a gathering. Out of those
conversations, I lifted the ideas and phrasings that
I used to construct the grace below. The notations
in italics and brackets, I have added to show who
contributed what thoughts.
Not surprisingly, each part of the grace was
echoed by several, or even all, of the faith-leaders
with whom I talked. In fact, almost any grace we
offer is widely shared with others, whatever their
faith. It is one area where we have much in
common.
So, my way to make a multifaith idea work is to
use good relations and friendships with people of
other faiths. The amazing thing about our time
and place is that we have the opportunity and
freedom to do this. As we build those friendships,
the work does itself.
For Erindale, my hope is that we will continue to
build those good relationships.
A Multifaith Grace
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, The
Beneficent, The Merciful; (Muslim)
who hallows us with your commandments;
(Jewish)
cherishes and sustains us; (Muslim)
and brings forth bread from the earth: (Jewish)
for this food we are about to receive,
(Christian)
for those who have provided and prepared it;
(Buddhist)
and for all blessings, (Buddhist)
make us truly thankful. (Christian)
Give us enough to sustain our health; (Jain)
and that we may have energy for our souls;
(Jain)
but let us be moderate, mindful of our
advantages; (Zoroastrian)
remembering always the poor and
disadvantaged. (Zoroastrian)
AMEN. (Christian and Jewish)
Compiled from conversations with local faith
leaders, representing Buddhist, Jewish,
Muslim, Jain and Zoroastrian faith
communities. I have contributed the Christian
elements.
All errors or improper phrasings are mine
alone, and unintentional.
Rev. Neil R. Young,
The Sandy Lake Christmas tree has a
star on it with your name on it. If you
haven’t selected a gift tag, please do so,
and deliver your gift before Dec 5.
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The New Roof Is Over Your Head
After approval from Finance and Property,
Church Council, and the Trustees we started
work on replacing the church roof on October
29th. this year, all 27,000 square feet of it.
We did a great deal of preparatory work for
this major project, as we had to ensure that
the work progressed without delay or causing
significant inconvenience to church and
school activities. Also,time to completion
would be in the hands of the weather as
October and November are notorious for rain
and snow.
A team of five members from Finance and
Property, one for each day of the work week,
managed this major project to a successful
completion. I would like to thank Craig
Laferriere, Brian Longley, Bill McIntosh and
Bob MacGregor for their terrific support, and
to Bill and Brian for accompanying me on our
final inspection of the entire roof. Yes, we
were on the roof!!!
There was wonderful cooperation from the
Advanced Roofing team, from Janet Murphy
and all her staff at Springfield School and from
our church staff. Also, thanks to those
who helped us select a roof colour that has
enhanced the architecture of our church .
We were blessed with absolutely fantastic
weather, a professional team of roofers lead
by their Crew Chief Marcello, and no
unforeseen roof issues. These factors enabled
the roof to be completed on November 10th.
with the final inspection on November 12th.
The estimated time to completion was three
to four weeks and the approved cost was
$75,000. The actual time was 13 days and the
total cost (including taxes) was $73,337.
When the tax refund is received the total cost
to the church will be $69,118.
The shingles on our new roof have a
warranty of 30 years. I donʼt believe my
warranty
will match this, so I wonʼt be leading the
team for our next church roof replacement!
Any volunteers?
Yours in faith
George Beagley
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Sandy Lake Christmas Gifts
I recently received an
interesting email from
a member of the Adam
Fiddler
United
Church. Planning for
the
arrival
of
Christmas gifts is
underway. The new
Minister Lenny Keno,
wife
Chereleen,
Leaders Eddie and Ruth Fiddler and Margaret
Fiddler met to plan for the Christmas season.
Eddie and Ruth shared good Christmas practices
and some of the gaps from their experience at
Adam Fiddler UC and Lenny and Chereleen
shared good practices from their former
community.
This is generally what will happen this year in
Sandy Lake regarding Christmas. The main
Christmas Service will be adjusted, perhaps held
on Christmas Eve, perhaps earlier in the evening
than the traditional midnight service, as many
families now open their gifts after midnight.
They willl revive the tradition of singing carols
in the evenings at the church during the week
before Christmas..
On an evening close to
Christmas, there will be a family service event
where there will be a chance to explain to the
children why we celebrate Christmas. At that
time, the gifts that we have collected and sent
will be given out. Any extra gifts will be
distributed to other children in the community
who may not have a lot of gifts at Christmas.
There are church members who work at the Band
Office and know who the needy families are.
The Gifts from Erindale United Church will be
handled at the church. The freight boxes will be
brought to the church and opened there. A
committee will get together at the church to
open, sort, and wrap the gifts. Eddie is sure,
(and Margaret agrees) that there will be no
problem in getting people to come and wrap.
Gifts will be marked on the outside "Girl (age) 46” or "Boy:> 10-12." A note will be put inside
each gift saying something like “From the Santa
at Erindale United Church, Mississauga,
Ontario”.
I asked the question “How many gifts does
Sandy Lake think that they will need?” and this
is the information that was received.
In the community: Approximate numbers;
New born to age 4:
180+
Ages 4-5
K4 and K5:
90
Ages 6-8
Gr 1-2:
113
Ages 9-11
Gr 3-4:
117
Ages 10-13 Gr 5-6:
92
Ages 14-15 Gr 7-8:
88
Gr 9-10:
100 (FYI
only. They do not think this age
group is a priority,)
You can see that up to the end of grade 8, there
are 680 children.
At the meeting held by the church elders
someone at the meeting noted the dream of 500
gifts and they all thought that would be
wonderful. Erindale contributed 300 last year,
If we are able to send additional gifts, they will
be well appreciated and utilized.
The Committee are very appreciative of the help
and support that comes from Erindale United
Church and will share your kindness with the
Church Board and ultimately the congregation
and community.
Marilyn Johnston
Outreach
Outreach Committee
Committee
Chili Supper
Cooked in the new kitchen!
On Saturday January, 22nd 2011!
Details to come!
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UCW News
Fellowship of the Least Coin:
The UCW thanks everyone for their support of the
Fellowship of the Least Coin. The Women’s
Interchurch Council of Canada provides grants for
projects in literacy, health, education and disaster
relief in countries around the world. In 2010, over
40 projects were funded; please see a complete list
of the projects posted on the bulletin board in the
church hallway.
Kitchen Renovation:
During the recent kitchen renovation, the UCW
funded the purchase of the new appliances,
including two new stoves, a refrigerator, a small
freezer and a commercial dishwasher. Thank you
to all who supported our many projects over the
years, including rummage sales, the sale of cheese
and fruit cakes, Canadian Church Calendars, the
UCW Helping Hands project, and collections at
our annual UCWmeetings. We could not have
done it without your support.
Canadian Perspectives
Celebrate 25 Years
The Congregational Care Committee would like
to thank everyone who helped to make the
University of Toronto – Mississauga Fall Lecture
Series such a success. This is the 8th year we
have hosted this event and we always receive
from the organising committee and the
participants, very positive feedback and thanks
for the efficient way we contribute to the success
of the series.
From this series we raised $2,631.20 which
includes the Church rental fees.
Pauline Beagley,
Chair.
Eduard Klassen Concert:
Thank you to all who came and supported this
concert. Everyone enjoyed this wonderful
afternoon of music.
Cheryl Salkey
Talent Search
Robert Anderson our Music Director, is seeking
talent from the congregation. If you or your
children play musical instruments, sing, etc. I
would like to know about it. This is in the hopes
that he can schedule some of the young people to
play the piano or flute or whatever during Preludes
or Offertories, and become more participatory in
our worship services.
Also, the junior choir, under Robert’s direction is
back in rehearsals following the Sunday morning
services
Spirituality Group
This has been a very successful and
challenging program on Saving Jesus for the
third millennium. Interviews of some of
today’s leading scholars are followed by
discussions on the questions of faith that are
raised.
The group meets Saturday mornings
restarting on January 8, 2011. Sessions are
facilitated by a wide diversity of leaders.
For details, contact Ruth Nott or Doug
Johnston
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Stewardship Committee
The Stewardship Committee (Rev. Neil, Gary
Jenkins, Bill Macintosh, Craig Laferriere, and
Beth Rutherford and Paul Sabourin) would like
to thank everyone who helps support the
Church’s finances – through annual giving’s,
support for the kitchen, various weekly
initiatives, and Sandy Lake gifts. Without each
of our members’ ongoing financial support, there
simply would be no Erindale United Church.
One question I have often been asked is: how
much should I give to the Church? That’s a very
difficult, and of course personal, question. We
can answer that a few ways. The easiest is to
discuss it mathematically – the top 100 giving
families, who contribute 85% of our church’s
budget, on average give $1500 per year, or about
$30-40 per week. The comedian Steven Wright
has observed that 50% of all the people you
know are above average - so feel free to be
above average! We know that some of our
families don’t have much capacity to increase
their giving’s, but on the other hand many can,
so the burden may fall on those that are more
able to give; we ask each of you to consider
your giving’s as a function of your personal
capacity.
If you missed the opportunity to fill out a pledge
form (distributed on November 14th), please ask
any member of the Stewardship committee, and
one will be provided to you.
It’s also time for a plug for PAR – PreAuthorized Remittance, which I have been a fan
of for the past 5 years, and is a real help in term
of managing the Church’s finances. PAR is dead
easy, very safe, and it’s super flexible – you can
increase, decrease or even stop your monthly
contributions with a simple conversation, letter
or e-mail to Beth.
The suggestion is that each of us increase our
giving’s by 10-15 % over our 2010 pledge to
help address the 15K shortfall, and also pledge a
similarly increased amount for 2011. For
example, if last year you had pledged $1000,
we ask that you give $100-150 to this year’s
$15k drive; and for next year, consider a
pledge of $1150 – essentially a 15% annual
increase in each of 2010 and 2011.
Please think about what brings you to Erindale
United Church, and please give generously
New Candidate for Ministry
Erindale continues its tradition of sponsoring
candidates for United Church ministry. The
latest candidate is Brock Shaver.
He has been a part of Erindale United since
2009. He is the son of Rev. Bill and Sherrill
Shaver. Having grown up in the Niagara
area, Brock received a degree in history at
the University of Western Ontario. He spent
25 years as a manager in big retail, and has
two daughters, Kelly, 23, and Katie, 21.
Brock is also on the Worship Committee and
helps lead the Saving Jesus discussion group
on Saturday mornings at Erindale. He
appreciates all the opportunities and support
Rev. Neil and the congregation has extended
to him as he starts his studies for the ministry
at Emmanuel College
Open Stage
The next Open Stage event will be held on
Saturday January 29th at 8.00 p.m.
Outreach is hosting this event for those
performers wanting to find an audience. The
evening is free to all performers and
audience. Volunteers to move chairs and
tables are needed and would be appreciated.
Contact Richard Hancock at [email protected] or 905 281 3618
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Worship Schedule
Date
Season
Nov.
28
Dec. 5
1 Sunday of
Advent
nd
2 Sunday of
Advent
rd
3 Sunday of
Advent
th
4 Sunday of
Advent
Christmas
Eve 7:30
Christmas
Eve 10:00
st
1 Sunday
after
Christmas
Epiphany
Dec.
12
Dec.
19
Dec.
24
Dec.
24
Dec.
26
Jan. 2
Jan. 9
Jan.
16
Jan.
23
Jan.
30
st
Baptism of
the Lord
nd
2 Sunday
after
Epiphany
rd
3 Sunday
after
Epiphany
th
4 Sunday
after
Epiphany
Bible
Reading
Matthew
24:36-44
Matthew
3:1-12
Matthew
11:2-11
Matthew
1:18-25
Special Events
today in the faith and good works of all
members of congregations around the world,
and especially here at Erindale.
Communion
Poinsettia Tea
Baptism
As we enter Advent, it is important for each of
us to take time to reflect on the meaning of
Christmas in our lives, and how it shapes us
throughout the entire year. On December 24th,
there will be 2 services that will provide a
wonderful opportunity for this reflection.
Drama –
Chancel Players
Communion
Ralph Nott
Matthew
2:13-23
John 1:(19), 10-18
Matthew
3:13-17
John 1:2942
Matthew
4:12-23
Matthew
5:1-12
It’s hard to believe that the season of advent is now
upon us. Christmas displays are appearing in stores
and Christmas lights are appearing on
neighbourhood houses and are already lit up.
For me, all of this is happening too quickly. I have
not yet had time to prepare for this season. As I
reflect over the past year, there seems to have been
an unexpectedly high number of tragedies that have
hit our church family. I realize that this year may not
be different from other years, but my family has had
a number of challenges to overcome this year, and
I’m feeling like it’s time to start over.
The season of advent is quite similar. It is a season
of preparation. The people of that time were
struggling and looking to the future for a sign that
something better was to happen. The birth of Jesus
was the sign that things were about to change. The
impact Jesus has had on the world still continues
Mary and Martha Circle
UCW's Mary and Martha Circle met on
November 16th to put together Christmas Gift
Baskets of toiletries etc. for the Deacon's
Cupboard.
The ladies made up approximately 65 baskets,
mostly for women but some for men also.
David Drennan kindly transported the baskets
to St. Peter's.
Many thanks to everyone in the congregation
who donated items for this project.
Anne Edge
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Book Club
Next book club date – January 19th. We are reading “The Many Lives & Sweet Sorrows of Josephine
B.” by Sandra Gulland
Contact Marilyn Johnston Phone 905-823-3229
Meeting time 7:30 pm
Feb 16
Cutting for Stone
Abraham Verghese
Mar 16
The Space Between Us
Thrity Umrigar
April 20
Nikolski
Nicolas Dickner
May 18
June 15 – wrap up
The Bishop’s Man
Linden MacIntyre
To Honour our airmen…
Teach Me To Fly
When you are a young man in your twenties
And someone says, “Come, I’ll teach you to fly”,
You are anxious to break the earthly bonds
And you say “Here I am Lord, teach me to fly”.
When you are a young man up in the sky,
So heavenly blue and the clouds tinted with gold,
You see the face of God
And you say “Here I am Lord, teach me to fly”.
When you do the missions, oh so dangerous,
You ask, ‘Please Lord, Help me to fly’.
You may succeed or perhaps you will not.
The your bas ewill be the lord in the sky.
When the turmoil is over and the life has been good,
Your worldly mark has been made as it should,
With its ups and downs, now rest and come home,
And thank you Lord, for teaching me to fly.
Christmas Fest VI
The Sunday School students and teachers
invite you to attend our annual Christmas
celebration. Christmas Fest VI will take
place after worship on Sunday
December 19, 2010 in Gardiner Hall.
James R. Watson Sgt.Plt.
Erindale United Church
1444 Dundas Crescent, Mississauga, ON. L5C 1E9
Phone: 905 277 3656 Fax 905 277 3657
www.erindaleunited.org
Minister: Rev. Neil Young : Cell phone: 416 452 5719 email: [email protected]
Director of Music: Robert Anderson email: [email protected]
Psalm 98 Music Program: [email protected]
Junior Choir Director – Robert Anderson: [email protected]
Office Administrator: Sarah McEwing email: [email protected]
Wedding Coordinator: Carol Tranton email: [email protected]
Grapevine Editor: Doug Johnston email: [email protected]
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