Mission Awareness Sunday

There is so much that is very special going on at St. Andrew's Hespeler this Sunday. It is Mission Awareness Sunday and we will be deepening our understanding of how we are all involved in Christ's mission to the world.

• Our very special guest speaker will be Gladys Abboud. For Gladys and her family, moving to Canada was bittersweet.  Gladys is from Lebanon, and her husband is from Syria. Together, with their son, they moved to Canada 2015.  Gladys’ home country of Lebanon has received about 2 million refugees from Syria and that has put a great strain on the country. Gladys and her husband decided to immigrate to Canada to get away from the conflict, to try and live in a peaceful place, she says. Gladys’ husband has a background in software, so they decided to move to Waterloo. Although refugees are moving to Canada in the hopes of finding safety, they are leaving a lot behind. Often they are leaving friends and family behind. The innocent people never leave their thoughts.
• Glady's message will be entitled: "The Lord is my Shepherd."
• There will be lots of really amazing music
•   The Youth Band will share "What a Beautiful Name"  by Ben Fielding & Brooke Ligertwood
• The Adult Choir will share "Rise Up, Rise Up" by Linnea Good
• Joyful Sound! (the men's group) will be singing "Can He, Could He, Would He?" By John Chisum & Dwight Liles with some very special musical accompaniment!
• After the service, we will enjoy a “potluck” style lunch together while we share information with everyone, about the trips and organizations some of our groups and individuals are involved in within our community and further.
• Also, the Summer newsletter will be out. Grab one hot off the presses.

This Sunday, May 21

When you enter the sanctuary this Sunday (and there will definitely be things going on that you won't want to miss so you will want to enter) the first thing that you may notice is that something is out of place. Something is there that shouldn't be -- that usually isn't. First of all, fear not! This is a temporary addition but there is a very good reason why we have added this very special thing this Sunday but you really kind of have to be there to understand why -- so be there!

Here are some other things to look forward to this Sunday, May 21:

• The Adult Choir will sing Rock Me, Lord by Andy Beck
• Amy Lightfoot will sing a solo: Spirit, Open My Heart by Ruth Duck
• We will tell a new chapter in the story of our piano which is given and played in memory of people from the congregation.
• Another of our young folk will bring in the mystery box which the minister will open and have to tell a story based on what he finds inside.
• The Minister, Rev. W, Scott McAndless, will continue his series of sermons on the Afterlife looking specifically at the Parable of Lazarus and the rich man, which raises the question, what in Hell is Abraham's Bosom?

Here is a short video introduction to the question posed in the sermon:

What's on today! (Thursday)

It's Food Bank day today and Hope Clothing is open, too! Lunch will be ready around 12 noon.

Sounds like it is going to be a perfect summer lunch.

 

 

Mission Sunday is coming soon!

Please plan to join us on Sunday, May 28th for Mission Sunday.

We have a special guest speaker coming to worship with us.  

Following worship we will have a potluck lunch together while we check out the mission and outreach that our church family and church have done and are doing.

If possible please bring a finger food type of potluck to share with others, please no peanuts or shellfish.

Mother's Day and More

May 14, 2017 is, of course, Mother's Day and Christian Family Sunday. That alone makes the day a very special celebration at St. Andrew's Hespeler but there are a number of other things that will make this coming Sunday a great day to share together as one Christian Family.

• Our amazing Youth Band will be honouring God's presence and the people they love with Supermarket Flowers (by Ed Sheeran, John McDaid, and Benjamin Levin) and In You There is a Refuge (by Keri K. Wehlander)
• We will celebrate all the women among us with a special surprise gift

• After worship we will be planting potatoes outside as we kick off our campaign to do two fun and worthwhile things:
• See who can grow the biggest potato
• Grow food for this fall's Thursday Night Supper and Social
• Last Sunday, the minister gave a mystery box to one of the children in our congregation. That child has been challenged to find something (almost anything - there are only a few rules) to put in the box and bring back to church this Sunday. During the children's time, the minister will open the box and will be required to make a lesson out of whatever he finds inside. Can you bear the tension? What will be in the box? What will the minister do with it? Come Sunday morning and all will be revealed!
•  And last (but certainly not least) our Minister, Scott McAndless, will take us back to the origins of our North American celebration of Mother's Day and lead us to ask the question, will we be reunited with the ones we love (such as our mothers) in the afterlife?
  

May 7, another extraordinary day in the presence of God

Sunday May 7, the fourth Sunday of Easter will see us gather for a celebration of God's presence among us at 10 am in the morning at St. Andrew's Hespeler Presbyterian Church. There are so many aspects of the service that will make it very special.

First of all, the music at this service will be a wonderful celebration of God's presence among us will include the following:

• A prelude and a postlude by the very gifted organist Martin Bohl
• The adult choir will sing Jubilate, everybody – By F Dunn. They will be accompanied by Zoé McAndless on the violin.
• A congregational favourite trio made up of David Kruger, Randy Vermaas and Corey Cotter-Linforth will sing Your Grace Amazes Me – By Christy Nokels, Daniel Carson, and Jason Ingram. Here's a picture of the trio:

We have been focusing on the question what comes after life in this post-Easter season. This week we will turn to the dark side of the afterlife by asking the question, "What about that other place?"

Here is a short video to get you curiosity piqued: