Dear St. Aidan’s,

It’s February (already!) and soon we will begin to journey together through the Season of Lent. But before we do, we’ll first feast on an abundance of deliciousness at our annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. We’ll gather on Tues., Feb. 13, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. The suggested donations are $10 per adult and teen and $5 per child, with all the proceeds going to our many outreach ministries. I hope to see you there, and hope you’ll consider inviting a neighbour or friend to join the fun and help support several great causes.

This year, Ash Wednesday (the first day in Lent) falls on Wed., Feb 14—so we’ll reflect on our mortality (we are but dust) at the same time as celebrating our love for one another on Valentine’s Day. It seems funny and maybe even a bit uncomfortable when these days coincide—and yet, there’s much to ponder in their intertwining. We’ll have two services for Ash Wednesday, a spoken service at 12 noon and a sung service at 7 p.m. I hope you’ll consider taking part—it’s a meaningful way to mark the beginning of Lent alongside other people of faith.

If you’re with us this Sunday, do stay after the service for our brief Strong Roots, New Season update, when we’ll hear about all the excellent progress made on several fronts—all thanks to your ongoing, generous giving.

I hope to see you in church soon,

Becky+

Week of February 4 -  NOTICES AT A GLANCE – more details below

  1. Live Streaming at 10:30 a.m., Order of Service
  2. Changes to Pre-authorized Donations (PAG)
  3. Strong Roots New Season Informational Meeting
  4. Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
  5. Ash Wednesday Services
  6. Lenten Contemplative Evening Service
  7. The Vestry List
  8. 2024 Diocese of Toronto Social Justice Vestry Motion
  9. Vestry meeting and Pre-Vestry meetings
  10. Beaches Interfaith Outreach
  11. Do you have any old newsletters or magazines
  12. Euchre
  13. Archive of sermon manuscripts
  14. Announcements for the Notices
  15. Offerings

 

AND NOW THE DETAILS:

 1.  Live Streaming at 10:30 a.m., Order of Service - The service will be livestreamed at the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/91628466455

Meeting ID: 916 2846 6455
Passcode: 548507
Phone: 647-374-4685

To access the Order of Service click here: 

https://mcusercontent.com/9602008078ea1b1ac17a38d52/files/be642f66-3310-ab90-a1e3-2d924df34a32/2024_February_4_Worship_Booklet_002_.pdf

 2.  Changes to Pre-Authorized Donations (PAG):  If you are an existing PAG donor and would like to increase your donation for 2024, please email Amy (donations@staidansinthebeach.com) indicating the amount or percentage by which you would like to increase your donation.

 3.  Strong Roots New Season Informational Meeting, Sun., Feb. 4: Please join us after the 10:30 service on Sun., Feb. 4 for a brief (we promise!) meeting in the Nave to update the parish on our Strong Roots New Seasons initiatives.  We will report on the masonry work completed to date, our growing youth ministry, and upcoming plans for the West Garden project. Coffee, tea, and snacks will be served upstairs so we can begin the meeting promptly after the service concludes.  Childcare will be provided.

 4.  Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper will be on Feb.13, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Mask making and face painting will be available for children and youth. $10 for adults and teens and $5 for children can be paid at the door with cash or tap. This event is our primary fundraiser for St. Aidan's outreach ministries, helping fund Beach Interfaith Outreach lunches, the Community Christmas Lunch, and support for refugee ministries including The Beach Cares and The East End Refugee Fund.

 5.  Ash Wednesday services (with imposition of ashes) will take place on Feb. 14 at 12 noon and 7 p.m. All are welcome to join us as we mark the beginning of the 40-day Season of Lent.

 6.  Lenten Contemplative Evening Service: On four Thursdays during the Season of Lent, we will offer a contemplative evening service of prayer and reflection, featuring acoustic and Taizé music (‘a prayerful form of music known for its simple yet rich and meditative character’). The services will take place at 7 p.m. in the Nave (main worship space) on these Thursdays: Feb. 22, Feb. 29, Mar. 7, and Mar. 21. All are welcome.

 7.  The Vestry List is on the refectory table in the Narthex (church entry). This is a list of all qualified voting members of vestry (congregation). To be a member of vestry, you must (1) be a person of 16 years of age and over, (2) have been a member of and worshipper with this congregation for at least three months prior to the annual meeting of the vestry, and (3) not be a member of another parish vestry. If your name is not on the list, please contact Courtney Ebner (staidans.warden3@gmail.com).  

 8.  2024 Diocese of Toronto Social Justice Vestry Motion: This year’s Social Justice Vestry Motion addresses several of the key obstacles to the realization of the human right to housing in our province.  You may find the proposed motion, detailed background information, and other related resources at https://www.toronto.anglican.ca/diocesan-life/social-justice-advocacy/social-justice-vestry-motion/ We will present this motion for your consideration at our annual St. Aidan’s vestry meeting on Sun., Feb. 25. Printed copies available in the Narthex.

 9.  Vestry meeting and Pre-Vestry meetings: Our annual Vestry meeting will be on Sun., Feb. 25 after the 10:30 service.  Lunch and childcare will be provided.  For those interested in taking a deeper dive into the 2023 Financial Statement and the 2024 Budget, there will be pre-Vestry meetings on Sun., Feb. 18 after the 10:30 service and Tues., Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m.  Both meetings will be held in person in the Willow Room and via Zoom.  Vestry packets will be distributed via email in the weekly notices on Fri., Feb. 16.     

Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88100519471?pwd=vwYFxnkhaPDwv0olE5CfUMZ9Jml3PI.1

Meeting ID: 881 0051 9471
Passcode: 124579

10.  Beach Interfaith Outreach: Locations and dates are listed in the Beach Metro News. Tues., Feb. 13, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. is the next lunch here. As part of St. Aidan’s involvement in the Beach Interfaith Outreach Committee, we support the Grace Pascoe Care Centre. Your weekly donations (to the basket by the church office) are gratefully received.

11.  Do you have any old newsletters or magazines to get rid of? We need some for children's and youth ministry.

12.  Euchre: Join us on Tuesday nights from 7-9 p.m. for a fun and friendly evening of progressive Euchre downstairs in the main hall. Beginners welcome. $5.00 to play. All proceeds go to our community outreach.

13.  An archive of sermon manuscripts by Rev. Becky, along with sermons and weekly reflections by Deacon Michael, can be found on our website: https://staidansinthebeach.com/services/pages/sermons-and-reflections

14.  Announcements for the Notices: Please submit announcements for the weekly notices to office@staidansinthebeach.com by Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Notices may be edited for clarity and conciseness.

15.  Offerings - Thank you for your support. There are a variety of ways to make your donation:

 PAG – set up monthly pre-authorized debits from your bank account directly to St. Aidan’s by completing the authorization form found on the Giving page of our website https://www.staidansinthebeach.com/giving 

  • PAG Changes – to change the amount of an existing donation, send an email with the details to donations@staidansinthebeach.com 
  • E-transfer – send to donations@staidansinthebeach.com 
  • Envelopes to obtain a set of weekly offering envelopes, send a request to donations@staidansinthebeach.com 
  • Cheques should be payable to and can be mailed to: The Church of St. Aidan, 2423 Queen St E, Toronto, ON, M4E 1H6, or dropped in our secure mailbox at the north-east corner of the building.