St. Philip's Lutheran Church61 West Deane Park Drive, Etobicoke, ON, M9B 2S1Telephone: 416.622.5577 |
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NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS In the gospel of St. Luke, there is
recorded the story of a dialogue between Jesus and a lawyer.
In that story, the lawyer asks Jesus this question:
“Who is my neighbour?” It’s
an important question. …..one
that needs to be asked by individual Christians, but also one that ought to be
asked by a congregation. When it
comes to St. Philip’s Lutheran Church, located at 61 West Deane Park Drive in
Etobicoke, who, exactly, is our neighbour?
Who lives in the vicinity of the church?
Do we really know who resides next door….down the street…..around the
corner from our congregation?
A short while ago at the church we received, in the mail, material from
the 2006 federal government Census. It was a huge packet of information…..well
over 100 pages in all! So it’s
only been since Easter that I’ve had the time to sit down and sift through the
report. What I discovered is rather
fascinating and eye-opening.
The information gives a snapshot of the
neighbourhood in which our church is located, and although the data comes from
2006, it is still relevant. The
data reflects the population within a one kilometre radius from the church site
(approximately the area that lies within the boundaries between Eglinton to the
north, Burnhamthorpe to the south, Renforth to the west and Martin Grove to the
east…perhaps slightly less).
When you think about this area where our
church sits……who indeed are our neighbours?
What picture comes to mind as you consider the folks whom we pass by when
we drive down the street? Upon
studying the demographics, a number of interesting things emerge….some
surprising and some not.
Within just a one kilometre radius, did you
realize that there are 13,577 people residing?
That’s a huge number……larger than many communities in Ontario!
However, over half of the population lives in apartment style dwellings
and therefore may feel less connected to the community since such housing can
foster isolation. How can we begin
to access these people?
What do you think is the average age of individuals living in our
neighbourhood? I would have assumed
it consists primarily of seniors, but the data indicates that 50% are in the 20
– 55 year range, with the average age being 39 years.
Of the families, over one-half have children.
In fact, there are 3,411 children under the age of 18 living within a 1
km. radius of the church. Only one
quarter of the residents in the vicinity are over 55 years old.
By no means is it a homogenous population.
Whenever you take a walk around the neighbourhood, you see a considerable amount
of ethnic diversity, so it makes you wonder, ‘Where have our neighbours come
from?” According to the census, the most recent immigrants have
moved here from Asia and the Middle East (54%), although ¾ of the population
still identifies Europe as the place of their ethnic origin.
Language is an indicator of the variety of racial diversity that exists
here, and the statistics show that there are 22 different languages spoken by
our neighbours (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Bosnian, Croatian, Polish,
Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Ukrainian, Greek, Arabic, Somali, Persian, Urdu,
Tamil, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog and English)…..making it a
veritable United Nations! What
richness lies at our doorstep!
The census data indicates that the
neighbourhood is a fairly stable one…..89% have lived here for more than one
year, and 60% for more than 5 years, suggesting that once people move into the
area, they tend to stay. The biggest influx of immigrants to the immediate area
occurred in the 1990’s, but a significant number are ‘new’ Canadians, with
17% (1,094 people) having arrived here since 2000.
We are not a poor neighbourhood. The
average household income is $71,000. And
statistics indicate that our neighbours are quite well educated, with 46%
possessing some sort of post secondary education. It’s interesting to note, however, that 40% of those people
received such education outside of Canada.
About two thirds of the population are employed and about one third are
not in the labour force (due to retirement, stay at home spouses and single
parent families). Where do they
work? Well, 60% of them work right
here in the Toronto area, but one quarter travel outside of the city.
The most common occupation is in the sales/service industry and the
second most common is in business/finance.
Unfortunately, the census data we received did not provide any
information about religious affiliation.
This, then is a brief profile of who our
neighbours are. It represents
significant data because ministry is always contextual.
If St. Philips wants to be seen as a part of the community and not an
isolated little fortress, then that can only happen if we know and understand
who’s around us. It’s
important to have such information, as we seek ways of ministering to the area
where we are located, serving those with whom we live and as we consider what
might be the best way of taking the good news of Jesus to the streets.
Lots of food for thought as we continue to define our mission in this
place! Your partner in Christ’s service,
FROM THE INTERN
Over the past few months, I have been
an interested member of the In Mission for
Others Task Force at St. Philip’s, and I have contributed my thoughts in
newsletter articles as well as in sermons. I hope I am not overstating the case
too much if I believe that In Mission for
Others represents one of the profoundest
shifts in Lutheranism since the Reformation. Especially in North American
Lutheranism, where so much of our previous social efforts were geared towards
helping those immigrants who looked and believed like us, we now face the
challenge of thinking beyond our walls in a systemic and comprehensive way. In
Mission for Others is designed not to be decided by a select few, a task
force or a sub-committee, and then acted upon. In
Mission requires everyone to make
the effort to wrestle with the big questions: “What is the Church for? What is
the role of St. Philip’s in the community?” One of the ways to visualize a church
In Mission for Others is that two hours of Sunday morning gathering
should no longer be the focal point of a church’s existence. Worship should
feed us, orient us towards God and neighbour, and better enable us to be a
church In Mission. - In the first
wheel, representing the “traditional” church, Sunday Worship is in the
middle of the wheel, and arranged around the spokes are the different committees
and programs. - In the second
wheel, representing the In Mission for
Others church, Mission is at the center of the wheel, and all other elements
of church life feed into and enable Mission to happen. In
previous newsletters,
I discussed ways in which St. Philip’s is In
Mission for Others since the sentence “St.
Philip’s is the place that …” can be completed by outsiders. Within the ELCIC, St. Philip’s is known as the
place that trains Interns and is generous in its Benevolence offerings.
Within our local neighborhood, I would suggest that St.
Philip’s is known as the place …
No doubt I have missed some items,
but I invite you to ponder whether my list accurately summarizes all that St.
Philip’s can be. For the profound shifts invited by In
Mission to bear fruit, everyone needs to think about and discuss the big and
hard questions, such as “Why is St. Philip’s here?” It’s hard to believe I’m in my
final month of my Internship at St. Philip’s and it has been truly a great
time of learning and growth for me. I particularly would like to thank my
patient supervisor Pastor Kramer for the countless hours he’s spent mentoring
me. Likewise, the Internship Committee of Peter Gauthier, Sabine George, Ruth
Gordon, Doug Kearns and Peter Hillerup has provided me with much support
throughout my stay here. I have met a lot of wonderful people at St. Philip’s,
too many to mention here by name, and I hopefully will get a chance to say
goodbye to all of you before I leave. I definitely would like to see many of you
on Sunday, May 24th at 2.30 p.m., a benefit concert with my father
for Sanctuary Ministries, where I’ve been doing street outreach walks on
Tuesdays. I’ve been preparing for this concert since last summer, and I’m
sure it’ll be a wonderful afternoon.
Following my final service at St. Philip’s
on Pentecost Sunday, May 31st, I will be moving to Sauble Beach to be
the Summer Worker at Christ the King Lutheran Chapel until Labour Day. In
September I will be back in Waterloo, finishing up my courses for my M.Div and
my M.Th in Pastoral Counseling, as well as pursuing a Practicum at Wilfrid
Laurier Counseling Services. September will also be a momentous month for me as
I will be getting married in London, ON to my fiancée, Carey Meadows.
There will always be a fond spot in my heart
for St. Philip’s and I pray for God’s continued blessings on your journey of
becoming a church In Mission for Others. In Christ, Sebastian Helmer FROM
THE DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH MINISTRY When working with children and youth,
there is rarely a dull or quiet moment. The month of April has definitely been a
busy month for the youth of St. Philip’s. I have been very active planning and
participating in a number of Senior and Junior Youth events, not to mention
Sunday School.
We began the month with the Seder Supper.
Our Senior Youth assisted in the preparation of the Seder Meal. From cutting
apples for the delicious charoset to setting the table for the meal, the Senior
Youth were ready and willing participants. The meal itself was a 150-minute
ritual composed of special readings and a delicious dinner of roasted lamb,
chicken, matzos, hard boiled eggs, borscht and other fine foods. The following
week, the Senior Youth held their annual sleepover at the church. We spent a
large part of the evening preparing for the Easter Breakfast the following
morning. We dyed 5 dozen eggs and baked almost six dozen muffins. Nevertheless,
we still had time to eat snacks, play card games and just have fun. For those
who attended the Easter Breakfast, would you have guessed that we did not go to
bed until almost 2:00 a.m.?
At the end of March, the Sunday School
started their new rotation all about the Last Supper. It has been a great
experience working with Karen and Anne planning this rotation. Over the four
weeks, our lessons centered around the history of Passover (which the Last Supper was a
celebration of), the observance of Communion, the rite of washing feet and the
brutality of slave life. We ‘lived’ these lessons by sampling the foods
associated with Passover, filming a Documentary about how Passover and Jesus’
Last Supper take us to the Communion table at St.Philip’s, as well as
understanding the humility Jesus was trying to teach us when he washed the feet
of his disciples. We took a break half way through the month to have an ‘open
Sunday School’ on Easter Sunday. The children were actively engaged in
creating colourful Easter eggs and a Cross craft and everyone went home with a
hand-crafted item.
We ended the month with the Junior Youth
trip to the Ontario Science Centre. Not just for children, the Science Centre is
a fun place for children and adults alike. In less than 6 hours, we were able to
explore most of the exhibits, including the spy centre, a real rainforest, and
the truth pavilion. By the end of the day, it is safe to say that no one wanted
to leave.
Though summer is on its way, the children and youth of St. Philip’s are
not going to be slowing down. I am currently working on two projects for this
summer: one involving the church picnic in June. I am also actively researching
the feasibility of a summer program to be held at St. Philip’s. In the coming
weeks, you will be hearing more about this. I expect to be able to make a
presentation about our summer program so that parents, grandparents and
congregational members can understand just a little of what we are planning. If
you are interested in supporting the children and youth in any capacity, do not
hesitate to speak to me. May the Lord bless you always. Sandra ST.
PHILIP’S CARE TEAM
Throughout our 50 years as a congregation,
members of St. Philip’s have provided friendship and care to one another
through personal visits and phone calls. This
outreach to fellow members has been especially active during times of illness,
grief and loneliness. For several
years this kind of care visiting was organized by the Evangelism Committee, but
that ceased a few years ago.
Our Pastor, Intern and Parish Nurse have
been visiting the sick and shut-ins regularly, but the need is growing as our
demographic shifts toward the aged. At
the Annual Congregational Meeting in February, Council was asked to establish a
process to organize our lay members to carry out intentional visits as well, so
that it becomes an expression of the care of the whole community.
Council is excited to announce the formation
of St. Philip’s Care Team. It will be
comprised of members who are committed to visiting and/or phoning one or more of
their fellow members who have a need for such care.
Visits are meant to be on going for as long as the need exists.
It is Council’s intention that the Care Team assists our clergy and
nurse in this important ministry, not replace them.
Marge & John Knebel and Ruth Gordon have volunteered to organize this
team, and are now seeking volunteers.
For those who are interested in volunteering for this ministry, an
orientation and learning session will be held at the Church on Saturday, May
23rd from 9:30 am – 12:00 noon. For
people who are interested, but cannot make it on that day, we will offer a
catch-up opportunity. Following the
orientation and learning session, the Care Team members will be invited to
select persons from the list provided by Pastor and our Parish Nurse whom they
would feel comfortable visiting. No
one will be asked to make cold calls or visit someone unless they feel
comfortable.
It is intended that Care Team members will
visit their assigned persons on an on-going basis.
No specific frequency will be mandated.
That will be up to the volunteer and the person receiving the visits. Volunteers are needed. If you would like to sign up or receive more information, please contact Marge & John Knebel
416-233-6541
Pastor Doug
416-622-5577 If
you would like to have a member of the St. Philip’s Care Team visit you,
please let any one of the above persons know. VICTORY GARDEN Hopefully,
you have taken a moment to see the "Spring Version" of the Victory
Garden. We are quite happy with the colourful spring flowers there, as
well as at the main entrance.
We need some help with planning the "Summer Version" of
these gardens. As you know, the basic plantings / shrubs are there; we
just need some colour added that can withstand southern exposure and not having
daily watering. If you have had any experience with designing these
kinds of gardens, please call Arlene - 416-621-4447. We need to get
started very soon. FROM
THE HEALTH CABINET a)
Just a reminder that, if you wish to contact our Parish Nurse, Marisa
Jefkins, you may do so either by e-mail (marisajefkins@rogers.com)
or by phoning the church office and leaving a message. Please remember that she is currently contracted for only 4
hours per week with us, so it is reasonable to expect a return call from her
within 4 – 7 days. If you are
aware of illness or hospitalization of one of our members, please be sure to
inform the Pastor or Parish Nurse so that care can be offered. b)
We welcome Alex Kretchman to the Health Cabinet!
We are still looking for at least one other person (medical expertise NOT
required), so if you’d like to assist, please speak with Wendy Kearns. c) As always, during any flu season,
the first line of defense against infection is thorough and frequent hand
washing. To encourage this, the
Health Cabinet has posted signs in the washrooms remind us of proper techniques
and ask that you take extra care. We
have also placed Hand Sanitizer dispenser bottles throughout the building and
invite you to use them liberally, although they should never be seen as a
replacement for hand washing. At
any time throughout the year, if you are experiencing symptoms of the flu (
fever, severe cough, etc.) please
give due consideration as to whether you ought to attend public gatherings,
including worship. LADIES
NIGHT OUT Ladies, you are invited to our next
meeting on Monday, May 11th, 7 p.m. Our special guest
will be Susan Climo who will be doing a presentation about her most recent trip
to Israel with the Waterloo Seminary Students. This should be a wonderful
program, and one you will not want to miss, so plan now to come and bring a
friend. Also, please circle Mon. June 8th on your calendar as it
will be our end of the year Annual “Dinner Out”. More details to follow. OUTREACH
COMMITTEE NEWS
“Providing
our congregation with opportunities to serve outside our doors”
St. Philip’s did indeed “FILL
THE CART’ during the Lenten/ Easter season.
In fact we filled two carts with non perishable food to help our
neighbours during the coming weeks. The
staff at the St. James “Food Basket” appreciate our support, providing food
donations, monetary gifts and volunteer hours. Remember the staff and clients in
your prayers. CLASSICAL
CONCERT May
24, 2009 @ 2:30 p.m. St. Philip’s is hosting a Violin
and Piano Recital by two talented musicians:
Sebastian Helmer, past principal
2nd violinist of the Orchestre
Symphonique de Sherbrooke, intern pastor at St. Philip’s, and his father, Paul
Helmer (Ph. D) concert pianist, retired assoc. professor of musicology at
McGill. They will be presenting works of Ravel, Beethoven and
Kreisler. This is your opportunity to enjoy a first class musical performance.
For more information or tickets, please contact the church office at 416-622-5577 or stphilip@interlog.com.
Tickets are $10.00 each or 2 for $15.00.
Proceeds will be directed in support of Sanctuary Ministries,
a “place of refuge in downtown Toronto reaching out to a
neighbourhood plagued by drug abuse, homelessness, prostitution, unemployment
and HIV/AIDS”. Please join us for
this classical concert. You are
encouraged to invite your friends and neighbours. Tickets will also be available
after the service on May 10,17 & 24.
TOUR
OF ITALY AND SWITZERLAND, INCLUDING THE PASSION PLAY IN 2010
Pastor Doug will be escorting a tour
of Italy and Switzerland, concluding with a performance of the Oberammergau
Passion Play, June 15-30, 2010. This
Passion Play is only held once every 10 years! The
arrangements are being made through Rostad tours and include flight,
accommodations, all ground transportation, 2 meals per day, taxes, gratuities
and sight seeing fees. Contact Pastor Doug in order to
obtain a brochure or to register. Note: An early booking discount of $ 200 per person will apply for those
who sign up by June 30, 2009… so don’t delay! The deposit is fully refundable until Aug. 31, 2009.
Another reason to move quickly is that tickets to the Passion Play cannot be
guaranteed after Aug. 31…..it is such a popular event around the world! CAMP EDGEWOOD a)
Summer vacation for the children will be here very soon. Now’s the time to start planning how they will fill their
time. What about a week or two at a
summer camp? Our Eastern Synod
operates a fantastic camp at Eden Mills (near Guelph) where the young people can
make new friends, grow in their Christian faith and have fun!
Registration forms are located on the bulletin board in the narthex. b)
The May issue of the Eastern Synod Lutheran will include offering envelopes for
our church camps. Watch for them!
We encourage you to support our camps in this way so that they can continue to
carry on their excellent programs. The envelopes may be placed on the Sunday
offering plates. MONTHLY
EUCHRE The
monthly Euchre Games in St. Philip’s fellowship hall continue to be held on
the first Thursday of each month, (next one will be June 4) so mark the dates on
your calendar and come out for an afternoon of fun! We gather at 1:30 pm. until
about 3:30 pm. Feel free to invite
your friends….the more the merrier! Refreshments
will be served. Note:
The games will be suspended for July and August, but will resume in
September. 50 PLUS RIVER
CRUISE On Thursday, May 21, the 50+ Group
will be going on a day trip which includes a cruise on the Grand River, a 3
course luncheon, musical show and shopping!
We’ll be leaving the church in the morning and returning late
afternoon. Transportation for all will be arranged.
A sign up sheet is posted on the bulletin board.
Please sign up if you’d like to reserve a spot!
PROPERTY
COMMITTEE The
Property Committee is planning to have two "work days "
in order to get our property looking in good shape for the summer. The
dates are Saturday, May 23 and May 30. We want to start at 9:00 am.
We are asking you to bring , if you can, a wheel-barrow, shovel for loading dirt
and a rake for spreading the dirt. There are some trees that need
some trimming and even some to be cut down. Therefore, we would be very
happy to have somebody arrive with a chain saw -- or maybe even two people with
same. Coffee and doughnuts will be supplied but you may want to bring
a sandwich for lunch if you can plan to be there over the lunch hour. We
would encourage any and all , including teens and twenties, to
please sign up on the bulletin board or just talk to Astor Hanslep or Arlene
Somerville. LUTHERHOSTEL Looking
for a really stimulating week of worship, study and fellowship?
Then consider Lutherhostel being held on the campus of Wilfrid
Laurier University at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary June 8-12, 2009.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Patrick Kiefert, Professor of
Systematic Theology at Luther Seminary, St. Paul Minnesota. More information and
registration forms can be found at www.seminary.wlu.ca
or see the poster on the bulletin board. CONFIRMATION On
Sunday May 31, we will be gathering to celebrate the Rite of Confirmation as 5
of our young people affirm their Baptism. We rejoice with them on this very
special occasion in their lives, and pray that the devotion and commitment to
God they express on that day will continue to flourish in the years ahead.
PICNIC On
Sunday, June 14th, everyone is invited to the Annual Church Picnic.
This year, the picnic is being held right on the church lawn.
It will begin with worship at 10:30 a.m. (NOTE TIME!!), followed by the
picnic at 11:30 a.m. There will be
real carnival games, extra activities and a barbeque.
All the food will be
provided this year at a minimum cost. We’re
also making a special effort to invite the neighbours of West Deane Park as we
offer our friendship and hospitality to them.
Be sure to bring along a lawn chair, hat and sunscreen. A
LETTER FROM THE BISHOP OF
THE EASTERN SYNOD
To the leaders and members of St. Philip’s
Lutheran Church, Toronto, ON.
Grace and peace to you.
It is a pleasure to bring you greetings from the officers and members of
Synod Council.
We have recently closed off the books on the synod’s fiscal year 2008.
You will not be surprised to learn that, from a financial perspective, it
was a difficult year for us. You
may have experienced many of the same challenges in your family, your
congregation and your community.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your contributions to
the ministries of the wider church through your benevolence and designated
offerings.
It is important that every member of the Eastern Synod be aware of how
important their benevolence offerings are to the ministry we share.
For every $1000 contributed by your congregation:
This
is the work of God’s kingdom that we do together because we could not possibly
have the same impact acting independently.
It is a crucial part of the ministry carried out by your congregation.
You should be justifiably proud of what we are able to accomplish as a Synod.
For More Information Contact:
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Last modified: May 23, 2009 |
