Messages

A Letter from Karen

As we move through Lent towards Holy Week and Easter, I am particularly taken this year by the image from the Empty Tomb that our graphic designer Kaitlyn has created for our Easter worship this year. Very often pictures of the Empty Tomb are either from the outside looking into a dark hole or else they provide a view of the inside of the tomb bathed in light. Perhaps it is because of how much of the last year has been spent inside and shut away from so many of you, that I see so much hope and opportunity beckoning in this picture. Christ is risen and he has gone ahead of us into the world, there we will find him!

This is the Good News that greets us as we come to the end of our Lenten Journey. In Jesus, God has entered into human suffering on the cross, he has taken on all the sin and brokenness of the world and entered into death itself and out of all of this something new has happened…

For the first disciples, resurrection was not what they were expecting when they went to the tomb that first Easter but it met them there anyway. Regardless of their own failures to follow him, Jesus had risen and returned and they would find him where they always had, bringing the redeeming love of God to all God’s people.

To live in Christ is to live in a world where reality is not what it would otherwise seem. Neither sin nor death have the final word in our lives because in the darkness, before the dawn, Christ has risen and gone ahead of us into the world. A new day has dawned and wherever we go he will be there assuring us that we are loved, we are forgiven and we need not fear death.

As we see in Kaitlyn’s picture this is promise, this is invitation, opportunity and new beginning. Even as we enter into the second year of pandemic and approach our second Easter apart, the Good news of the Risen Christ continues to greet us and welcome us and invite us into the life of God’s own self.

Thanks be to God!

Holy Week and Easter Weekend at St. Andrew’s

Day by Day: Check out the website during Holy Week (from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, March 28 to April 4) for an interactive experience that takes us through the day-by-day events of the last week of Jesus’ life. Created by the Synod of Central, Northeastern Ontario and Bermuda (Presbyterian Church in Canada) and the Foothills Presbytery (Presbyterian Church USA), this resource brings together devotions, storytelling, music, crafts and meditations for all ages. With a simple “click” you will find yourself included in the cries of “Hosanna” on Palm Sunday, find yourself seated at the table of the Last Supper with the Disciples, and brought into the garden of Jesus’ arrest, his trial and crucifixion. Finally we will arrive together at the day of “Alleluia’s” and the celebration of Jesus resurrection.

Worship Services

Palm Sunday: With a virtual Palm Parade we welcome Jesus, crying Hosanna and blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Our Sunday service of worship is available from 9:15 onwards on YouTube.

Maundy Thursday, April 1 at 7 p.m.: Remembering and celebrating the last supper together. This is an event for all ages, gathering on Zoom to remember the story of how the meal we call communion began with Scriptures, storytelling and music.

Good Friday, April 2: Service of music, Scripture and Prayer with Reverend Dimock and Tom Annand. This service will be available on YouTube from 9:15 onwards and for those wishing to gather for this, we will do so on zoom at 10 a.m.

Easter Sunday, April 4: Proclaiming the Good News of the Risen Christ! Our Sunday service of worship is available from 9:15 onwards on YouTube.

Greetings from the Kirk Session

Heather Pilkey, Administrative Clerk

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

In my annual message at the congregational meeting I talked about the importance of hope. It helps us in the dark times, lifts us up and provides the strength we need to persevere. It is something we strive desperately to hold onto, and it can be devastating when we think it is lost.

It seems like an obvious thing to say: that hope is important. But what happens when hope is hard to hold onto? When everything is turned upside down? When fear sits where hope used to? We adapt. We learn to live with fear and uncertainty because we have no choice. But as I said to many of you on February 28, I pray that we do not learn to live without hope.

Holding onto hope doesn’t mean there aren’t still bad days, and there aren’t still people suffering, grieving and struggling just to get through the day. It means that on those days we have to make an intentional effort to turn towards God and place everything in God’s hands, because that, I believe, is the power of hope: that the future you are entrusting to God is better than the present you hold in yours.

I know for many of us, one of our hopes is to be able to come together once again in the sanctuary of St. Andrew’s. Kirk Session met on March 1 and based on recommendations from PTI, has agreed that the following criterion must be in place before we consider opening: that Ottawa must spend 3 consecutive weeks in the yellow zone before PTI and Kirk Session consider re-opening the sanctuary for worship. Once the decision is made to re-open the sanctuary, there will necessarily be a period of time spent in making sure the sanctuary is ready; however, it is hoped that by the fourth consecutive Sunday in the yellow zone, we could be open for worship.

Similar considerations will be followed regarding programmes and rentals, but they will not resume at the same time as we re-open the sanctuary for worship. It is hoped they will follow some weeks later.

As we journey through Lent into Easter and experience anew the power and promise of the resurrection, I believe there is much to be hopeful about, both in the wider world and here at St. Andrew’s.

Hope is a small word, but it is powerful, and I pray that we continue to carry it with us always.

A Message of Hope in Diversity

Dr. Laurentine Mouchingam Mefire

In November 2020, the regular Women’s Breakfast at St. Andrew’s Church Ottawa welcomed the Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine, the first Black woman elected to Parliament. Her participation reflected our theme of Finding Blessing in Diversity. Dr. Augustine is an emblematic and inspiring figure for Canadians at a time when Kamala Harris becomes the first Black and first Asian woman Vice-President of the United States. Dr. Augustine has held many posts and received many honours, including her service as Minister of State for Multiculturalism and the Status of Women.

The conversation with Dr. Augustine was very rich and engaged. It mainly focused on: 1) role models, inspiring hopes and passions; she revealed to us who were the women who have been her role models, who have inspired her and gave her hope, including her grandmother who had always encouraged her when she was still a little girl. 2) Black History Month; being the mother of this event occurring annually, she walked us through the history of its creation and provided her thoughts on the potential benefits that the Black Lives Matter movement could bring to it. 3) Women in politics and leadership; based on her experiences at the federal Cabinet table, it was easy to understand that women bring different thoughts and approaches to business and politics and contribute differently to the political discussions. Whether to embrace a political career or not, she recommends that every woman, indeed every person, choose the cause she wants to fight for and keep her focus on her goal.

After announcing St. Andrew’s Church Ottawa’s donation to George Brown College Jean Augustine Scholarship, the conversation ended with a prayer; we thanked God on how it had been a blessing for each member of the congregation to listen to Dr. Jean Augustine, hoping that God will allow other such opportunities to hear such inspiring people; and also hoping that God will allow members of the congregation to continue coming together to share experiences, to share ones selves, to share God’s love; and finally hoping that God will help all members of the congregation to remember that they are the light of the world and may this light continue to shine forever for God’s glory.

Welcome our New Elders!

Heather Pilkey, Administrative Clerk of Session

It is my pleasure, on behalf of the Kirk Session, to introduce our six new elders: Elizabeth Phillipson, Althea Williams-Goodman, Aisling Boomgaardt, Riley Brockington, Gail Bowes and Tim Patterson. They have each provided a brief biography of themselves so that you may get to know them a little better. Over the years they have all demonstrated their dedication and commitment to St. Andrew’s and I am very excited to be able to welcome them all.

Aisling Boomgaardt

Aisling Boomgaardt grew up at St. Andrew’s, and as a teenager, was baptized and confirmed. Since becoming a member she has stayed involved with the life of the church, mainly through the Christian Education Committee. Under Jeanie Hicks’ guidance, Aisling became a Church School assistant, teacher, and eventually Superintendent; currently she co-leads youth group with Sydney. Aisling has appreciated creating relationships with other members during informal times, such as organizing the annual retreat to Gracefield Camp, classes on Wednesday Evenings and assisting at VBS. One of the formative moments in her life was taking part in the PCC’s Youth In Mission trip to India, where she created connections that extended to a partnership between St. Andrew’s and the church in Amkhut. A highlight of her life within the congregation has been to lead trips to India with members of St. Andrew’s in 2010 and 2013. Aisling is looking forward to chatting with (and eventually meeting) the members in her district.

Althea Williams-Goodman

Althea Williams-Goodman has been attending St. Andrew’s since 1996, along with her husband, Clark, and their two children, Nolan and Dana. An active member of the church, Althea was a Sunday School teacher for most of her time at St. Andrew’s, editor of St. Andrew’s in Action for many years, and Superintendent of Church School; is currently co-convenor of the Christian Education Committee. Althea is a policy maker with the federal government. Thankful to have been called to become an Elder, Althea looks forward to supporting the St. Andrew’s family in charting and navigating the path ahead.

Elizabeth Phillipson

Elizabeth Phillipson was born and grew up in Montréal, and attended Concordia University, earning a B.A. (Hons, Magna Cum Laude) in Classics. She moved to Ottawa for graduate studies at Carleton University in Aeschylean Greek tragedy, then had a 28-year career with Scotiabank, ScotiaTrust & ScotiaMcleod.

A chance notice of a tiny advertisement in the Ottawa Citizen in 2007 led Elizabeth to a ten-year stint as church office administrator at St. Andrew’s: a complete turnabout career-wise (but much more fulfilling than investment banking!). She retired in 2017, then began her volunteer career with the church in various capacities: the Women’s Guild (flower convenor, crafts), Memorials Committee, Worship & Music Committee, church archivist & historian, VBS, Doors Open, and just recently was named to the Cutting Edge of Mission Committee in the national church. She was honoured to take part in two trips with the PCC: the Moment of Truth Middle East study tour in 2011, and the Healing & Reconciliation: Continuing the Journey tour to western Canada in 2019.

Elizabeth has felt a call over the past years to the work of St. Andrew’s (beginning when she walked into the office with her résumé all those years ago!), and was humbled to be nominated, then elected, to eldership this past autumn.

Gail Bowes

I have been attending St. Andrew’s Church since the late 70’s, drawn here initially by the wonderful music. I grew up in Halifax, attending St. Matthew’s United Church. Over the years at St. Andrew’s, I have been involved in a variety of committees and congregational activities, more recently the Fair Trade Table and the handbell choir. My husband Bob and I have 2 daughters, Kelly and Jennifer, and 4 grandchildren, living in Denver and Toronto. During the past year, Zoom calls have had to suffice for personal gatherings.

Riley Brockington

Riley was baptised in the United Church and was confirmed in the Presbyterian Church by Rev. Bill McLellan at St. Giles (Ottawa) in 1999. In 2007, Riley and his family transferred to St. Andrew’s. Riley serves on the Christian Communications Committee, attends the Men’s Fellowship and has produced a number of Christmas pageants. He is the past Rentals Manager for our church.

Riley firmly believes in expanding our footprint in the community, welcoming new members and achieving long-term financial stability. Although a few years away, Riley feels passionately about hosting a year-long celebration to mark St. Andrew’s 200th anniversary in 2028.

Riley is the proud father to Hannah and Katie, and all three are lifelong residents of Ottawa.

Tim Patterson

Tim Patterson grew up in the community of Harvey in SW New Brunswick. As a youth he attended Knox Presbyterian Church and was very involved with the youth ministry and music program. He obtained a BA from Dalhousie University and a PhD in geology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He joined the faculty at Carleton University in 1988 and is currently a full professor with a primary research interest in climate change and the environment. Tim met his future wife Elizabeth in Ottawa and during their 28 years of marriage raised their three children together. The family made St. Andrew’s their new church home 10 years ago and have been involved in many church activities. Tim was previously ordained as an elder in the Presbyterian Church and looks forward to continuing the role at St. Andrew’s. He plans to use his appointment as elder to further grow in his Christian faith and to perform his duties to the best of his ability in the service of the congregation of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.

Christian Education and Youth

Confirming Our Faith in a Pandemic

Aisling Boomgaardt

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1

The following are a few thoughts from four of the youth regarding what taking part in Confirmation classes, as well as becoming a member of St. Andrew’s, meant to them.

Briana N.: “The confirmation classes at St. Andrew’s church were a wonderful experience for me. The learning environment was very welcoming and fun. The mentors guided us in our studies on the Bible and were very involved in our growth as Christians. The confirmation classes helped me build more faith in Christ and taught me about the love of God. It heavily impacted my life and I’m grateful to have been able to share the experience with my peers.”

Andromeda B.: “The confirmation classes are a great way to show our involvement in the church community. I enjoyed spending time with my peers while learning more about God.”

Theo P.: “The activities we did together were fun during the Communicants’ class and it was fun to hang out. I liked the Zoom service because lots of people were able to participate. My Gramma and Grampa wouldn’t have been able to see it if it hadn’t been on Zoom.”

Declan S.: ”To me, the confirmation classes meant that I could finally be a part of the church community. I was fortunate to make a lot of new friends and meet a lot of new people thanks to the confirmation classes as well. The confirmation classes were also great opportunities to learn new things. I would never have guessed that shortly after our classes were finished that we would be in a pandemic and doing our confirmation online! It was still very special to me and meant a lot. I also wanted to thank Minister Karen, Sydney, and Aisling, and my mentor Rob Sheffield for guiding us through, and to the bigger St. Andrew’s community for welcoming us as full members.”

Youth Confirmation (and Affirmation) at a Distance

Farid Ayoub

At the end of November last year, I was glad to be part of the Zoom confirmation service for nine St. Andrew’s youth, likely the church’s first. Even though I couldn’t be there “live”, one of the upsides of the pandemic is that we have become more resourceful and tech savvy. Can’t be there? Not a problem: record myself, upload the video and a few clicks later, it’s as if I were there.

The journey to that confirmation service has been a learning experience for myself, as much as it was for the youth whom we mentors accompanied. Indeed, it was an opportunity for me to re-discover my faith through fresh and younger eyes, while fielding some thoughtful questions from the communicants, especially on living one’s faith in the “outside world”.

Theo, the youth I was mentoring, set for us both the goal of reading the book of Job in its entirety. Not an easy feat. The questions the book of Job raises are challenging. Why do calamities befall God’s loyal and faithful servants? I won’t expound on the litany of interrogations here but suffice it to say that we wrestled with the same thoughts as every reader of that book. In stark contrast with that difficulty, it was affirming that although Theo already had a sense of what he was getting himself/us into with the choice of this book, he didn’t blink. He was committed to the cause, even when we couldn’t meet in person anymore. As we were able to connect on the phone, we continued discussing how we might emulate Job’s qualities and nurture our trust in God in the face of hardship.

In closing, I am reminded of Romans 12:3, taken from Eugene Peterson’s The Message version, which I discovered when reading scripture at the confirmation service:

“I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.”

Our Lenten Journey

Laura McGregor

As we experienced last year, we are unable to journey together through Lent into the glories of Easter but we have found a way to take this journey virtually. For our Wednesday Evening Studies, we are contemplating a video series entitled The Walk: Five Essential Practices of the Christian Life by Adam Hamilton. Hamilton is an engaging speaker who is inspired to speak to us of five spiritual practices which will help us walk closer with God. Each of these practices is intended as part of our daily walk with Christ while also being an essential part of growing together in the church.

Ably led by Sydney, we start the evening with some catch-up conversation and prayer followed by a video viewing. Week One spoke to the importance of Prayer in our daily contemplations and encouraged us to pray five times daily, once upon waking, once with each meal and once at the end of the day. This is a precious time alone with God to express our gratitude and praise, to speak of our worries and cares and to pray for our friends and family and ourselves. Even if you don’t feel you can express yourself as fully as you would like, a word of thanks always strikes the right note. And prayer can give us the opportunity to walk wherever Jesus wants to go.

Although by the time you read this, we will have wandered down a few more paths with Hamilton, I would encourage you to join us in this and in our upcoming studies. There’s always room on Zoom for you. For further information, visit the website (www.standrewsottawa.ca) or contact Laura McGregor (laura.mcgregor@corel.com).

Online Lenten Activities for Families

Go to the St. Andrew’s Website at www.standrewsottawa.ca and scroll down to “Lenten Activities for Families” for fun interactive stories, crafts, songs, and activities!

Faith Formation: A Discussion with Tori Smit

Sydney McIntosh, Christian Education Coordinator

Following the workshop, Rev. Karen and I decided it would be lovely to provide families with a story bible that Tori recommended as a Christmas gift. We chose the beautiful story bible, Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible, by Elizabeth F. Caldwell. We hope your families have enjoyed using it as much as we have.

Please find a list of resources she provided in her workshop below. They are excellent resources for families to check out. I have added a “Sydney’s Pick” beside the ones I love to use.

Children’s Bibles

Pre-school

• The Beginner’s Bible for Toddlers, by Kelly Pulley (Oxford: Candle Books, 2007).
• The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Children’s Stories (Grand Rapids: Zonderkidz, 2005).
• 365 Story Bible, by Meg Wang and Heather Stuart (Thorold, ON: Anno Domini Publishing, 2010).

Early Primary

• Spark Story Bible (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2009).

Early to Mid-Primary

• Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible, ed. by Elizabeth F. Caldwell and Carol Wehrheim (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2018). Sydney’s Pick!
• The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories (Oxford, England: Lion Publishing, 1995).

Bibles for reading levels

• Grade Six - The Bible in Today’s English. Another great one is Good News for Modern Man: Today’s English Version New Testament in Color, by the American Bible Society.
• Grade Eight - New Revised Standard Version. A great one is Spark Bible NRSV by Augsburg Fortress.

Great theory and practice books for families. (These books increase in depth and from practical to theoretical as the list progresses).

• Everyday Family Faith: Simple Practices and Activities for Building Faith at Home, Sandy Swartzentruber (Grand Rapids: Faith Alive, 2019). Sydney’s Pick!
• Faithful Families: Creating Sacred Moments at Home (previously Seamless Faith: Simple Practices for Daily Family Life), Traci Smith (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2017). Sydney’s Pick!
• Prayers for Faithful Families: Everyday Prayers for Everyday Life, Traci Smith (Minneapolis: Beaming Books, 2020).
• Dear Parent: A Guide for Family Faith Formation, Laura Keeley and Robert J. Keeley (Grand Rapids: Faith Alive, 2019).
• Homegrown Handbook for Christian Parenting: 111 Real-Life Questions and Answers, Karen DeBoer (Grand Rapids: Faith Alive, 2010).
• Shaped By God: Twelve Essentials for Nurturing Faith in Children, Youth and Adults, Robert J Keeley, ed. (Grand Rapids: Faith Alive, 2010).
• Dwelling: Helping Kids Find a Place in God’s Story, Jessie Schut (Grand Rapids: Faith Alive, 2011).
• Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids, Kara Powell and Chap Clark (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011).
• Real Kids, Real Faith: Practices for Nurturing Children’s Spiritual Lives, Karen Marie Yust (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004).
• Nurturing Children’s Spirituality: Christian Perspectives and Best Practices, Holly Catterton Allen ed. (Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2008).

Newsletters, Blogs and Apps

• The blog Bread Not Stones: Feeding the Spiritual Lives of Children is written by a Presbyterian Minister in the US and is an excellent resource for parents and congregations of thoughts and ideas for connecting faithfully with children at home and church. www.breadnotstones.com.
• The blog Faith In Homes comes out of the UK with lots of simple and enjoyable ways of worshipping and practicing our faith as a family. www.faithinhomes.org.uk
• The Fuller Youth E-Journal is a bi-weekly emailed resource for youth workers and parents of youth focussing on no-cost resources and research and articles on how to make faith stick with youth.
• Storypath is a blog out of Union Theological Seminary connecting children’s literature with our faith story. Wonderful recommendations for books that make great gifts, library loans, children’s stories in worship, and church library purchases can be found here: http://storypath.upsem.edu.
• Vibrant Faith @ Home has been created by a group of primarily mainline Protestant ministers, educators and church leaders who are passionate about providing resources and ideas for life-long faith formation. There is something for every age group at this website: www.vibrantfaithathome.org.
• Traci Smith: faith + family + spirit is a website supporting family-friendly faithful activities and practices. This is a good companion to Faithful Families, and Prayers for Faithful Families, her books listed in the bibliography. You can also receive emails with seasonal ideas and activities as well as book and blog reviews by signing up for her weekly email called Treasure Box Tuesday found on the upper bar of the front page of her site. This weekly email, great for parents and educators supporting parents, is filled with lots of fresh ideas for families. Sydney’s Pick!
• Wendy Claire Barrie: Faith at Home is a blog of ideas, book reviews and seasonal celebrations for families to practice at home. This blog is a companion to her book Faith At Home: A Handbook for Cautiously Christian Parents. Wendy is a parent and Episcopalian Christian education professional.

Vacation Bible School: August 16–20

Sydney McIntosh, Christian Education Coordinator

Tuesday Morning Visio Divina Prayer Time

Sydney McIntosh, Christian Education Coordinator

Join Rev. Karen and Sydney every Tuesday morning in Lent for Morning Visio Divina Prayer time. Running via Zoom every Tuesday in Lent till March 30 from 8–8:30 a.m.

You are invited to explore a new approach to prayer through Visio Divina—exploring prayer by mediating on scripture and a visual image. God speaking through art. Visio Divina, Latin for “divine seeing” is a method of meditation, reflection and prayer through a process of intentional seeing. You can attend one or all sessions as every session is accessible without prior attendance. Stop in for one session or all of them. We would love to see you there. Please contact Sydney, Karen or the Office for the recurring Zoom link.

Looking forward to welcoming you!

Update on Church School

Koko Bate Agborsangaya, Superintendent of Church School

Church school has been well attended. It's a chance to get together with friends and sing songs, play games, craft and spend time with God. We have also started setting monthly themes. In February church we learnt about Black History Month, focusing on some historical facts and learning about accomplishments of past and present Black trailblazers.

In March for Women's History Month we will tell stories that focus on women in our lives and the Bible who inspire.

We started a Bilingual Church school in November and have held 5 so far which have been very well received. We are always looking for volunteers to read stories, reach songs or just share about their lives. Please reach out and share your gift with the kids of St. Andrew’s. The next bilingual church schools will be on April 11, May 2 and June 6.

Nous sommes impatients de vous voir.

Mission and Outreach

St. Andrew’s Refugees: Welcomed to Canada

Jeannette Logan, member of the refugee sponsorship team

How fortunate we are here in Canada to live where we are free of warfare which would threaten our lives, and that of our children and families. Imagine how it must be to try and cope in such difficult circumstances.

We at St. Andrew’s have a tradition and a mission to welcome refugees fleeing conflicts and climactic situations beyond their control. Beginning with the Vietnamese in the 1970’s, known as the boat people, St. Andrew’s entered into a series of formal undertakings to assist families resettling in Canada. Thus began our abiding commitment to refugee sponsorship.

St. Andrew’s Ottawa has sponsored a total of between 90 and 100 refugees since that start 50 years ago.

Skip forward to 2010. St. Andrew’s made a decision to sponsor a family who were Christian refugees fleeing persecution in Iraq. The Saleems were displaced from their homeland twice before coming to Canada. They had lived near Mosul in northern Iraq, in a predominately Christian community whose practice dated back to early Christianity. The Saleems had fled to Syria for the first time in 2006, but returned home when they thought it safer. Not for long though as the children were threatened and they fled again to Syria. At this point the family of five was recognized as refugees eligible for immigration to Canada. St. Andrew’s accepted this family for sponsorship. Then the Syrian war intervened and the Canadian Embassy in Damascus closed for 5 years! Members of the church resettlement team who spoke Arabic stayed in contact by telephone while they and we waited. The family finally arrived in 2014. Currently they live in Orleans, and attend a Chaldean Arabic-speaking church.

Simultaneously the fate of people in Homs, Syria touched us at St. Andrew’s. I remember being at Gracefield Camp with Huda Kandalaft, our new Christian Education leader at the time. On Saturday evening she received a phone call from her family whose home in Homs had been invaded by fighters. Fortunately they were not hurt, although others in the city were killed. Shortly after, Huda’s parents and sister Nadia had to pack a suitcase and leave.

St. Andrew’s assisted other members of Huda’s larger family to come to Canada. First the Al-Ajy’s, husband, wife and young daughter, who arrived in Ottawa in 2016. Rasha, Issa and Bushra have settled well to new life in Canada. Following this, within a year, St. Andrew’s entered into a shared sponsorship arrangement with Knox Presbyterian to welcome Rana Kanawati and her sister’s family, and then we assisted Rana to live independently in Ottawa.

And now in 2021, we are preparing to welcome another family of three, a mother and 2 children, who have already fled their home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to find temporary refuge in a camp in Uganda. Then COVID-19 hit, and the immigration process stopped once more. The children, now 14 and 17, are no longer in school, and the family and St. Andrew’s wait together for the authorities to complete their application process to allow their departure for Canada.

Update on Refugee Sponsorship

Nathalie Bradbury, Refugee Sponsorship Coordinator

This year 2021 we are all so grateful for the arrival of vaccinations for the COVID-19 virus which bodes well for this pandemic to eventually subside.

Like us, our latest sponsored refugee family, the Masanka Mubikayi family, currently living in a refugee camp in Uganda, is also affected by the pandemic. A year ago their refugee application process virtually ground to a halt, and the camp school closed, affecting the education of the two teenagers. We had a sign of optimism very recently when Mrs. Mubikayi was contacted by the Immigration Section at the Canadian High Commission in Tanzania for their childhood vaccinations. We hope that they will be in touch again soon to continue with the next stages in the application process.

We continue to prepare for their arrival in several ways. The resettlement team is studying housing and schooling options for the family, and is putting together an inventory of material needs.

In addition, church members have shown their great interest in increasing their understanding about refugees and sponsorship. In February, as part of Black History Month, the refugee sponsorship team partnered with the Wednesday Study Group to host an evening on the subject of contemporary Black history, the lived experience of Francophone Black Africans arriving in Ottawa, with two excellent speakers, Mr. Saint-Phard Desir, director-general of CESOC, an immigration resettlement agency specializing in assisting Francophone refugees and immigrants; and Mrs. Evelyne Ntibazonkiza, program analyst at the Department of Canadian Heritage. Our heartfelt thanks to Laurie McGregor and to Rev. Karen Dimock for helping to organize an inspiring and well attended evening.

As the family from the DRC that we are sponsoring has two teenagers, I would also like to mention the NFB documentary film entitled Everybody’s Children selected by Reverend Karen Dimock for another BHM evening. It is about two young refugees who came to Toronto on their own, one of whom came from the DRC. See link here to the NFB playlist for Black History Month (all NFB films are free): www.nfb.ca/playlist/nfb_celebrates_black_history_month

Our next partnership is with the Film Club in early March about the classic film Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. The film will be discussed from the perspective of the ethical quandary facing a businessman, owner of a café-bar in wartime Morocco when a fugitive and his wife visit him, and the conflicting pressures of responding to the demands of the Nazi occupying forces. Contact Jenefer Curtis, or the St. Andrew’s office, to find out more about the film club. More educational activities on the subject of refugees are being planned, so stay tuned.

In her article above, Jeannette Logan has spoken eloquently about the history and the tireless commitment to refugee sponsorship at St. Andrew’s. Through Kirk Session, St. Andrew’s has consistently demonstrated its support for refugee sponsorship, ever since first committing to respond to the plight of the Vietnamese boat people in the early 1980s. Most recently, Kirk Session formally committed to sponsoring a refugee family as often as possible, and more specifically to sponsor the Masanka Mubikayi family from the DRC. To implement this direction, the mandate of the Mission & Outreach Committee, and the refugee subcommittee, is to have a sponsorship on the go at all times. We are required to fund a family for one year but after this we need to start preparing for our next sponsorship.

Fundraising plays an important part of the sponsorship commitment, given the heavy costs to provide for a family for one year as they establish themselves in Ottawa. We thank all those who have contributed over the past year to refugee sponsorship at St. Andrew’s. We also particularly wish to thank Gail Bowes for her work with the Fair Trade Table. Due to your purchases and her ongoing efforts, the Fair Trade Table has raised $7,000 towards our current refugee sponsorship endeavour, for which we are truly grateful.

We need to continue raising funds so that we can reach our target of $35,000 for the Refugee Fund. There are many ways of giving as you know. Some church members might be in a position to reach out to people outside the church—colleagues at work, friends and neighbours. Telling them about St. Andrew’s and our latest refugee sponsorship can open up people’s hearts and their generosity for this worthy cause.

Your donations can be mailed to the Church office and, by all means, include one of your regular Sunday envelopes if you wish. Alternatively you may donate on-line through the Church’s website, or by Interac electronic transfer to donations@standrewsottawa.ca and specify that the donation is for the Refugee Fund. All individual donations over $20 (or combined with regular church giving) will receive a tax receipt.

No matter which method you use, please be sure to specify, such as on the comment line, that the donation is for the Refugee Fund.

In closing, I invite you all to pray for the health and wellbeing of Mrs. Mubikayi and her children as they wait in the refugee camp in Uganda and work through the application process to come to Canada.

Christmas Appeal 2020

Rob Sheffield, Co-chair of Mission and Outreach

On behalf of Mission and Outreach I would like to thank the congregation and all individuals who contributed to our Christmas appeal this year. I was blown away by the $10,587.75 that was donated this year, surpassing our previous totals by almost 4 times. The money has been distributed to Gracefield Christian Camp and Retreat $2,762.67, to the Kenora Fellowship Centre $6,042.66, to the Marco Depestre Foundation $937.67 and to Centretown Emergency Food Centre $838.75.

Because of COVID-19, we did not canvas for the Mitten Tree this year. We were not in the sanctuary and were concerned about articles being distributed to the Ottawa Mission and Bruce House as they were not receiving articles of clothing.

White Gift Sunday 2020

Jeanie Hicks and the Christian Education Committee

St. Andreans look forward to White Gift Sunday each December when we donate books (wrapped in white paper) to the library of a community school. 2020 was no different! It was the second year of our commitment to supply books to Cambridge Street Public School in Centretown.

Although many of its students were born in Canada, Cambridge Street Public School serves a predominantly multicultural population of students and families originally from locations such as China, Vietnam, Myanmar, South Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa and South America.

On January 19, 2021, it was my pleasure to deliver a cheque from the Christian Education Committee of St. Andrew’s Ottawa. Principal, Richie Dosanjh, expressed his thanks for this donation to the school library. He and Office Administrator, Lucia Chiriboga, were thrilled to be part of the White Gift Sunday again this year.

Additional cheques were delivered in February and other St. Andreans made personal donations.

It was such a different experience to visit a school with no students pre-sent. There was no noise and no laughter! Richie, Lucia and staff were looking forward to welcoming back the students. They all expressed their sincere thanks for the support of St. Andrew’s.

We look forward to celebrating White Gift Sunday and Cambridge Street Public School when we are back together again in the Sanctuary.

Blessings, Jeanie

A Refugee Success Story

Forrest and Morag Livingstone

Two families from Kosovo were sponsored by St. Andrew’s in 1999. The first family consisted of Sylejman and Minire Berisha and their four children: three daughters, Shyrete (11), Mergime (7), Adelina (2) and a son Driton (5). The second family was Sylejman’s uncle and aunt, Zahir and Xhylferie Berisha.

We met the families for the first time at the Army barracks in Trenton. At this point communication was a challenge as Sylejman had limited English. They arrived in Ottawa about two weeks later and were met by a number of Church members who helped take them to the accommodation that had been prepared for them. The first year was a busy one for members of Mission and Outreach Committee and other supporting members of the Church as they helped the families with medical and dental visits and other aspects involved with getting settled in Canada. In 2000, Sylejman and Minire welcomed the birth of their son Shpetim. Zahir and Xhylferie moved after the first year and we lost contact with them.