BLOORBEAT. The Newsletter of. Volume XXXV, Issue 4. Minister s Message

Transcription

1 Sept-Oct 2016 BLOORBEAT The Newsletter of Volume XXXV, Issue 4 Minister s Message Time for Creation Our denomination, the United Church of Canada, has joined with many others within the past decade to revolutionize the seasonal calendar we follow for the Christian year by naming a Season of Creation in September. Countless churches such as ours have been setting aside four to six weeks of the year for the explicit celebration of creation, naming the colour orange to mark its distinct tone this latter fact something that makes our alto Choir President and Worship Committee Chairperson Sharron LeBlanc very happy! It started in 1989 when the Orthodox Church proclaimed September 1 st each year as the World Day of Prayer for Creation. Many others jumped on board, and came up with the idea of a Season of Creation to last from September 1 st to October 4 th, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, known to many as the author of the Canticle of the Creatures. In an amazing act that seeks, in some small way, to overcome centuries of division between Orthodox and Roman Catholic, just last year the current Pope, named ironically, given the subject! after Saint Francis, also established September 1 st as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. In addition the Pope issued the important encyclical Laudato Si, On Care for Our Common Home, in May of 2015, causing a stir by wading into the climate change debate with both feet. This September season of spectacular autumn colours is a time to mark and celebrate that we live within a miracle life on planet Earth. As we realize that we are biologically and spiritually kin with all creation, a fierce resolve rises up within and among us to protect and defend creation most often from our own human ambitions and habits! This has meant that an ecological mission focused on the repair of the planet, and living in right relationship with all species, has emerged as a priority, alongside and in harmony with the pursuit of holy human lives and the wholeness of social justice. In truth, all three cannot be separated! Our task as Christians is not so much to become good stewards of creation again, without changing the way we understand ourselves. Our task is to understand our proper place in the ecosystem of the planet, to discipline a word connected to discipleship! ourselves and find our footing, our footprint, afresh as we walk in the world. Our stewardship language is inadequate, as it may inadvertently or intentionally! leave in place the illusion that we alone, of all God s creatures, are made in God s image and likeness, and therefore Earth belongs to us. Continued on page 4

2 Minister Pastoral Care Minister Christian Development Co-ordinator Administrative Assistant Organist & Choir Director Custodian Chair Church Council Secretary Congregational Meeting Secretary Board of Trustees Ministry and Personnel (Acting) Nominations Treasurer Presbytery Representatives Bloordale United Church 4258 Bloor Street West Etobicoke, ON M9C 1Z7 (416) Rev. Brian W. McIntosh Rev. Nelsona Dundas Lisa Mazzariol Halyna Parypa Mervin Fick Victor Nguyen Church Council Roy Harvey Dana Bach Pat Nelson Jack Lovatt Velene Rose Pat Nelson Norman Dundas Norman Dundas Paul Rose Minister Rev. Brian W. McIntosh Committee Chairs Congregational Life (co-chairs) Helen Hitchcock Communications Christian Development Finance & Stewardship Outreach (Acting) Pastoral Care (Acting) Planned Gift & Memorial Funds Property Social and Fund Raising (Acting) United Church Women Worship Members-at-Large Pat Conway-Willis Julia Stavreff Diane Mulholland Jack Lovatt Iain McGilveray Helen Hitchcock Bob Hitchcock Bruce Jackson Julia Stavreff Joan Hollowell Sharron Le Blanc Jim Bell ( Title IN THIS ISSUE 2 Page Minister s Message 1 Worship in the Weeks Ahead 2 Stewardship Spot 3 Preauthorized Remmittance 3 Photo Exhibit at Neilson Park 4 Our Youth Move On 4 Welcome Back to Sunday School 4 Outreach and Social Advocacy 5 Bloordale Choir at Wesburn 5 Esprit Choir Back from Europe 6 Lunch Bunch Beat 8 Bulletin & Music Dedication 8 Upcoming Social Cte Outing 8 Upcoming Choral Concerts 8 UCW News 8 Fire Safety During Worship 9 Wedding - Pauksens/Mari 9 Upcoming Semi-Annual Meeting 9 Help St James Food Basket 9 Help with a Ride Programme 9 September Council Report 10 Trivia Night Nov Outing to Snug Harbour 11 Property Cleanup Nov 5th 11 Planned Gift Fund 11 Property Cte Needs Help 12 Upcoming Events Summary 12 In Memorium Doug Brown 12 In Memorium Joe McKenzie 12 Native 10 Commandments 12 Bloorbeat on the Internet 12 SW Presbytery Report 13 Invitation from Pastoral Care 13 Thank your for the Office Help 13 Learn Reikki 14 Happily Ever Esther Retreat 14 I m Still Here - Drama 14 Del Manor Ad 15 Bloorbeat Submission Guide 15 Bloorbeat Publication Schedule 15 Hepworth Associates Ad 16 Anne Karda Realtor Ad 16 Advertise in Bloorbeat 16 WORSHIP SERVICES IN THE WEEKS AHEAD Sept 18 Season of Creation 3 (Storm) / Welcoming BBQ (Joint with St. James) 25 Season of Creation 4 (Cosmos) / Brian Away / Phoenix leadership Oct. 2 Worldwide Communion / COMMUNION / Brian Away / John Tenyenhuis 9 Thanksgiving Sunday 16 World Food Sunday / 22 nd Sunday after Pentecost 23 Peace Sunday / Outreach / Semi-Annual Congregational Mtg. 30 Reformation / All Saints Sunday (Joint Service at St.James) Nov. 6 Remembrance Sunday th after Pentecost / Children s Sunday Intergenerational

3 3 Stewardship Spot Stewardship is everything I do after I say I believe. The Stewardship of Tradition in a Time of Change Everywhere you go today, it seems, including in our multi-generational families, if you mention the word tradition, you are likely to start an argument. On the one hand, there are those, perhaps mostly the younger ones among us, who are primarily oriented toward the future and who can see no reason to align in any way with tradition. On the other hand, there are those, perhaps mostly the senior ones among us, who remember with fondness the virtues of the past and defend tradition with zeal because of those memories. It seems that sometimes all each camp can do is talk past the other, and divisions occur because each feels they re not being heard. But both camps actually have one thing in common: they both believe that tradition and change have nothing to do with one another, and both, in my estimation, are wrong! They are wrong because both are often confusing tradition with traditionalism, a helpful distinction I learned first from historian and theologian Jaroslav Pelikan, who once wrote: Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living. Tradition lives in conversation with the past, while remembering where we are and when we are and that it is we who have to decide. Traditionalism supposes that nothing should ever be done for the first time, so all that is needed to solve any problem is to arrive at the supposedly unanimous testimony of this homogenized tradition. Given this distinction, it seems to me that traditionalism is incompatible with change, but tradition and change are fully compatible. Consider our own lives: We live in the present, but only as persons to a large degree shaped by our past. We reshape ourselves in light of the life we are called and trying to lead today and tomorrow, but we do so carrying with us our lived past up to and including our yesterdays. The same is true, of course, for a local church such as ours. By faith we affirm that God has acted in our past, and that there is much of value to cherish and to continue to nurture in the future that arises from our tradition. But if we were to make the mistake of simply trying to reproduce our past, the programs and priorities and policies we ve known and held dear, without doing any deep discernment about where God may be pulling us forward or to what innovative steps or ministries or directions we collectively feel called to in our contemporary context, we would be guilty of traditionalism, and would actually have made the mistake of dishonouring our tradition, turning the living faith of the dead into the dead faith of the living. Clearly we are called to be bearers, carriers and stewards of our tradition, to incorporate the best aspects and practices of our past as we move forward and yes, I m clearly thinking of the Phoenix project when I say this! This would include continuing to embrace the open and inclusive ethos of the United Church, for instance, while emphasizing a healthy and robust ecumenical spirit. It would include combining what Emmanuel College professor Bill Kervin has helpfully summarized as our two leading worship values of order and liberty, as well as continuing to embody a tradition that pursues with passion equality and social justice of all types. Surely it would also include the upholding of the pursuit of faith, beauty and deep meaning in common reflection, music and Christian formation. Perhaps there are other important traditions of mission and ministry to consider as we discuss amalgamation with St. James, and I urge you to speak and share your views about what s important to you as we have opportunity this fall and winter. But I close by simply reasserting that tradition and change, rather than being incompatible opposites, are actually spiritual partners, and that a healthy stewardship of tradition actually leads to change, as we match deeply discerned truth to our current conditions and context. Let s embrace tradition but avoid traditionalism as we move forward by faith, no matter what or where! Brian Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR) One of the ways that people who care about Bloordale act to secure its future is through the PAR program. Brochures that outline how to do this are available in the display case near the office, or speak to Brian, Norm Dundas or Jack Lovatt if you d like more information. PAR does offer the church your consistent support, and helps with budget planning.

4 4 Minister s Message cont d from p.1 The realization that we belong to Earth, rather than the reverse, means that we are not so much creation s caretakers as we are grateful and indebted members of a single and indivisible Earth community. We are indebted and grateful because all of our life energy is derivative, a gift of the planet and her species as well as God, and the amount of energy we require for our daily functions, let alone extravagant consumption, is enormous some would say obscene! This is a season to regard all creation as a radiant revelation of Spirit, and to understand that the one we call the Christ is cosmic in scope and in love. All of creation lives and moves and has its being within the heart of God, that heart embodied once and for all in the Christ, in whom all things are held together, according to Saint Paul (Colossians 1: 15-17). Our vocation and calling in this Season of Creation, therefore, is to fall back in love with this world, and to learn again how to treat the planet, her biosystems and creatures, as we would our own family. May the worship and work in which we share this month, and year round, enable us to take up our calling with discipline, passion and care. Brian Photographic Exhibition at Neilson Park Neilson Park Art Centre has selected the Etobicoke Camera Club to hold an exclusive exhibit of members photography in their Hall Gallery, on October Entitled Captured Moments, the exhibit will feature approximately prints from Club members with some for sale and a percentage going to the Centre. The ECC will be hosting a public reception at the Art Centre on Tuesday, October 5th, 7:00-9:00 p.m. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about photography and the ECC which meets Mondays at Humber Valley United Church. Our ECC members Linda Smith and Nelsona Dundas will be happy to answer questions. All are welcome! PS: You can download the ECC Programme Schedule for , in pdf format, at the following link: ss/wpcontent/resources/ecc _aug_24_v_ 12_Colour_FINAL_to_PRESS.pdf CD Committee Report Our Youth Move On With three of the members of the Youth Group leaving to pursue post-secondary studies, we made the decision not to continue the position of Youth Group Leader. We said good-bye to Jo Dullard in June after having her with us for the school year. The youth joined her on Sundays for faith-based discussion and activities during church, and enjoyed many outings and both social and outreach activities outside of church throughout the year. With Jo, the youth also began interacting with St. James youth and joined in several events with them, including a Sherway Mall scavenger hunt. As a year-end project, Jo helped the youth create a claymation video based on the story, Jesus Feeds the 5,000. Over several sessions, the youth sculpted and created plasticine figures, props, and scenery. Then painstakingly shooting the video shot by shot, they created a delightful video that we watched in church in June. If you wish to watch the video, it is available to watch online at We will also miss having the three youth around the church as they begin their chosen paths of study. Catherine Armstrong is attending Guelph-Humber and studying Psychology. Adrian Mulholland da Cruz is in the Paramedic Program at the University of Toronto, and Yvonne Mulholland da Cruz is studying Human Geography and Environmental Studies at McMaster University. We wish all of you the very best! Welcome Back to Sunday School! I just wanted to say how excited I am to see all our Sunday School Children and hear all about your summer vacations! We have lots of activities to look forward to this fall and I can't wait to get started. Hope to see you all at the BBQ. Lisa

5 5 Outreach and Social Advocacy Committee The committee met on September 6 to review past and future activities for the committee. This included news of the Etobicoke Community Hub Working Group towards the development of a multifunctional and multi-service Hub space in south/central Etobicoke for all ages and stages. A $20,000 grant from the City of Toronto for the conducting of a feasibility study has been allocated to this group. A main target is to fill gaps in service for youth and seniors in the area. Our survey of local senior needs early this year feeds into this. Around Indigenous Issues, in May the Ontario Government issued an Apology, read by Premier Kathleen Wynne, to the Indigenous Peoples of Ontario. A booklet called The Journey Together, outlining various government commitments both moral and financial, was also released May 30th. This document outlines the commitment to improve financial support, health services, education and self- governing, to name a few. To feed into this, it is hoped that the Ontario-based United Church Conferences (seven altogether), in a project initiated by Brian and Toronto Conference, will come together to respond to, and advocate for, the commitments of the Ontario Government to be implemented. Brian will represent the Toronto conference and also leads an effort for the UC conferences to form a relationship with the Ontario Regional Chiefs organization: The Toronto Conference Living in Right Relations (LIRR) Circle. Brian represents the LIRR Circle in this partnership, in a group that meets at Council Fire known as the Restorative Relations Working Group. As an endeavor, The Phoenix Project is to bring together equivalent committees/groups from both churches to join together in discussions, likely to happen before the end of November. Sunday September 25 th a meeting has been called for chairpersons of all committees within both churches to attend. Our committee will be an important part of this. We hope to have a short survey of our members soon in some weekly bulletins, with particular emphasis on ideas for gaps in our local Outreach. An advance note concerns our Out of the Cold Program: Participation in this program has been set for Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 as reported by Lisa, who coordinates Bloordale s efforts for us. Iain McGilveray, Acting Chair Bloordale United Church Choir's Ministry at Wesburn Manor Bloordale United Church takes its Mission Statement "to be of service in the wider community" seriously. About seven times a year our Minister, Brian, Minister of Music, Mervin and the choir lead a chapel service at Wesburn Manor, a nearby seniors' home. Brian provides the spiritual leadership, with readings from the Gospels, mostly, that fit the lectionary for the day, and well as a brief reflection. Mervin selects appropriate hymns from the Wesburn hymn books, and anthems - often three or four! - for the choir and occasionally a soloist to perform. For many in the choir, I imagine especially for those who know some of the residents personally, this has become far more than an extra obligation that comes with being part of the choir - these are among the most special worship services we have the privilege of helping to lead. Many of the "congregation" are not just aged, but also in declining health with physical or other disabilities, and are often confined to wheelchairs, but we can, and do, transform the lives of some of the residents that attend the service, at least for a brief time with our music. Smiles break out, and fingers, toes and heads move in some semblance of keeping time with the rhythm of the piece or hymn we sing. We rejoice to see someone return after missing one of our services, and grieve with those remaining when one of their number dies, leaving them behind with one less friend. Two things in particular touch me deeply: the kindness, concern and patience the many volunteers that help the residents to get to the chapel show to those in their care; and the soft wrinkled hands that reach for mine to thank me - all of us really - after the service as we make our way through the maze of chairs, pews, wheelchairs and walkers to leave. In short it gives me great joy to bring the joy that is singing, a little light and maybe, hope, to some who may have very little joy, light or hope in their lives. Verena von Stritzky for the Bloordale Choir

6 Esprit Chamber Choir Back from Europe! In the darkest days of winter, we began preparing for the first-ever Esprit Chamber Choir European Tour. We explored the intricacies of a new (to us) Missa Brevis by Palestrina, deepened our understanding of motets by Mendelssohn and Duruflé, and of our Canadian Suite, which includes works by Healey Willan, Keith Bissell, Eleanor Daley and our own Mervin Fick s Hope. Throughout the winter, respiratory viruses took their toll one after the other, singers missed rehearsals altogether, or, if not [too] contagious, sat in the sick bay at the back to listen and make notes, hoping not to fall behind. Travel plans firmed up and destinations were settled upon see the article in the Summer 2016 Bloorbeat for descriptions of the destinations! and excitement began to build. In March, as the first signs of spring made their appearance, we were distressed to hear the news about the bombings in Brussels. Do we cancel? Change our travel plans? Correspondence from our tour company in Great Britain reassured us that we d be able to cancel or reroute our tour if there were indications of trouble or danger. Plans moved forward. Deposits were paid, flights booked, roommates assigned, demo discs and press kits sent, Esprit polo shirts ordered. It was made clear that Esprit was travelling to Europe to perform in the awe-inspiring, soaring acoustics of those magnificent sacred spaces that are hundreds of years old, and to possibly compete in, or at least participate in, a music festival. Sight-seeing, pubhopping, shopping and so forth were all to be secondary in importance. Although it was Esprit s first European tour, it is not the first choir tour that Mervin has led to Europe. He has dealt with every imaginable challenge of leading an adult singing group abroad: singers who haven t slept on the overnight flight, jet lag, unpredictable group dynamics, roommates not accustomed to sharing sleeping quarters with one another, unfamiliar food and unsettled tummies, singers who mistakenly think they are on vacation, performance jitters and more. So he focussed us on technique. Terms like round sound, open throat, ping were heard in every rehearsal, along with coaching in Latin articulation and period performance practice. The techniques embraced by the ensemble, and rehearsals designed to re-centre us, would see us through and help us to be at our best. We committed to a pre-tour performance in Guelph at the end of May. It was a kind of dry run - a chance to put on our concert gowns and tuxes, and to show the audience (and ourselves) what we can do. Before we knew it, July 16 had arrived and we were gathering at the airport and boarding our flight to London. Some eight hours later we arrived at Gatwick hot, tired and shuffling through a seemingly endless queue snaking back and forth to get through customs. We discovered one of several good reasons to wear our Esprit polo shirts when travelling as a group - besides being casual concert wear we were pulled out of the massive queue into our own private one and cleared through customs in fairly short order. Our tour courier, Joanna, tour guide/ coordinator, really! found us in the chaos, led us to the bus bay where our motor coach would meet us, and soon we were en route to our hotel in Hammersmith, in west London, where we would have a scant hour to freshen up, change into gowns and tuxes, and reboard the bus to head to St. George s Bloomsbury (1730) for our first concert of the tour. We sang, and sang rather well, considering the collective lack of sleep we re not sure if the incense wafting through the space helped or hindered our performance! Our concert in the ancient Abbey and Cathedral of St. Alban had our voices resonating for 12 seconds up in the highest Norman tower that was the centre of the enormous building, begun in the 12th century. Time played funny games it went by very quickly and stood still all at once. We sang eight performances in seven days, and had one travel day to get from London to Bruges on the motor coach, crossing the English Channel by ferry from Dover to Calais. (Those chalk cliffs really are a glistening white!) The extraordinary loveliness of Bruges with its medieval Romanesque architecture, charming, curving cobblestone streets that seemed to invite one to walk and explore the town, and the criss-crossing canals was one 6

7 7 of the magical surprises of the trip for me. It contrasted with the extraordinary loveliness of Ghent with its medieval Gothic architecture, charming cobblestone streets and criss-crossing canals. Here we sang in the music festival to a sizable, and appreciative, audience, and gained an instant invitation to return. That festival in Ghent the Gentse Feesten - turned out to be a much, much bigger deal than we thought well over a million people come to Ghent for this each year. A high point of the trip, and, for many of us, the most moving experiences, were both our performance in St. Martin s Church and our performance at the Last Post ceremony the 30,378 th - at the Menin Gate in Ypres. As we arrived in Ypres around noon, driving through the Menin Gate, the bus became silent. We were in Flanders Fields, and we had a sudden, new and visceral understanding of what Flanders Fields and Ypres represents and of the great honour it was for us to be part of it. Now, nearly two months after returning from the Esprit Belgium or Bust European Tour, the many cathedrals with their vast and soaring spaces, arching high above us and built for amplifying the voice, blend into one. Was the one with the gorgeous ornate pipe organ and a narrow spiral staircase leading up to it, the one on which the father of one of our group was taught to play the organ?. One church, maybe it was the same one, had a clock on the ceiling in the middle of the transept. Why? There were what looked like [very good] copies of famous paintings the Pieta, or the Adoration of the Magi, for example painted right on the stone walls in many of the churches. And what s the story behind the 7 or so bullet holes in the canvas of one painting hanging in St. Martin s in Ypres? The most famous organ was at St. Bavo s in Haarlem, both Handel and Mozart had played on it in their lifetimes. When the organist began the thundering Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J.S. Bach, several of us nearly jumped out of our skins! the tour bus was always congenial, and it was clear we enjoyed each other s company and making music together. We were grateful to have our fans the non-singing spouses and travel companions who were so supportive. They attended every performance, filmed us, photographed us and encouraged us. I think I speak for every Esprit singer: Thank you Mervin, for the great privilege of being asked to sing with Esprit. To have been able to travel to England, Belgium and Holland with you and Esprit is a great honour. The best news of all we are back at rehearsals as we prepare a concert to celebrate all our accomplishments in Europe! Come celebrate with us: Sunday, October 30 th at 7:30 pm, at St. Clement Catholic Church. Proceeds go to the MCS Choral Scholar Fund and to St. James Food Basket. Verena von Stritzky Esprit Choir in St Martin s Ypres We rehearsed and performed daily. When we had time to ourselves we crammed in sightseeing, canal or river cruises, shopping, museum visits, eating, glasses of prosecco or beer, cups of coffee, chocolate (!!) and for some, a morning walk or run to get the body and the blood moving. The atmosphere on Esprit Choir at Bus in Bruges

8 8 The Lunch Bunch Beat Our last Lunch Bunch before summer break was on June 5 th at the popular Montreal Deli, on Dundas Street, just west of Highway 427. Fourteen of us showed up for egg breakfasts, sandwiches (both deli and other) and salads. During summer service, another Lunch Bunch was held on August 28 th, at Cora s on the Queensway. Again 14 showed up to eat eggs, pancakes, hotdog crepes, and so much fruit! A St. James member joined us, and we were richer for it. Our first Lunch Bunch of the new season is scheduled for October 16, after church service and after coffee time. We will be going to Bounty Restaurant, on Dundas Street, just west of Highway 427. For those unfamiliar with Lunch Bunch etiquette: we order from the restaurant s regular menu, breakfast, lunch or dinner, and pay individually. Some Lunch Bunchers are regulars coming most times, and others come occasionally as their schedules permit. There are always first timers. All are most welcome, and carpooling is provided. Gord Moore arranges the restaurant venue and reserves seating for people. We like to know who will be attending (in case our reserve seating is way off) but last minute eaters are always welcome. Just tell us the morning of, so we can co-ordinate seating at the restaurant. We don t want to end up having two people sitting by themselves away from our group. To sign up, or for information, talk to Gord Moore ( ) or to me, Julia ( ). A good time is had by all. Julia Stavreff Bulletin and Music Dedications Weekly Sunday bulletins can be dedicated, with a note about why, by any member for $15. This both helps defray our paper and printing costs and provides opportunity for special remembrances to be observed. Music can also be dedicated in someone s memory, or in honour of someone s faithful living. A new anthem can be purchased for $75, so please speak to Sharron or Mervin about your wish to support the music program in this way. Upcoming Social Committee Outing to See The Audience The social Committee has obtained tickets for the Mirvish play, The Audience. For over sixty years, Queen Elizabeth II has met with each Prime Minister in a private weekly meeting. No one knows what they discuss. Staring Canada s own Fiona Reid. Friday, January 20th 2017, 8pm. At the newly remodeled Royal Alexandria Theatre, 15 seats in Orchestra Centre ($73 each 35% discount), and 5 seats in Upper Balcony, front row ($52 each 25% discount). Carpooling available. For info or to reserve tickets, call Julia S. at Upcoming Choral Concert Artistic Director Mervin William Fick Esprit Chamber Choir, Back From Europe Sunday, October 30th at 7:30pm St. Clement Roman Catholic Church 409 Markland Drive, Toronto, Ontario Proceeds to benefit St. James Food Basket and The MCS Choral Scholar Programme U.C.W. News Because of declining membership and family responsibilities, we voted to be less involved but continue as able with a lot of congregational help. Our first fall meeting will be Tuesday, October 25th at 1pm. The Pot Luck suppers, which had started out as U.C.W. annual meetings with members and invited helpers, became Congregational Pot Lucks for the last 8 or 10 years, with U.C.W. doing all the set up and clean-up. We re no longer able to handle that so would like them to be handled by a committee from the congregation with us just taking part. We expect to co-ordinate the Holly Tea again this year (first Saturday in December) with the usual help from the congregation. We will hold less meetings but continue as able. Joan Hollowell

9 9 FIRE SAFETY During Worship Services EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN Preparedness for Fire Safety requires that everyone is totally familiar with the EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, for an orderly evacuation. Here are the Emergency Procedures in written form, prepared by the Property Committee. Please review them carefully. Preparation for Sunday Morning Ushers and Congregation Know where the exit signs are located Be aware of closest exit from where you are sitting Identify the exits Front Door, Side Door, and Alcove through the Choir Room Wheel Chair, Walkers and those using a cane need extra help through the doors and down the steps at the front of main doors; they will also need help moving WEST along sidewalk (Bloor Street). If the Alarm Goes Off: AND YOU ARE IN THE SANCTUARY Leave Sanctuary CALMLY out to sidewalk, walk WEST, Emergency vehicles will be using the driveway. Do not go along driveway or parking lot Do not go back into the church Do not retrieve personal belongings Do not use elevator Children will be taken care of by their teachers Children will be directed to walk West to the bridge and Parkette EXIT QUICKLY BUT ORDERLY, HELPING THOSE WHO NEED HELP AND YOU ARE IN THE CE BUILDING Exit through back doors, walk West to bridge. If emergency is towards the kitchen and back door, exit through Alcove doors: - exit men s washroom staircase up to top floor, -turn left, -go through fire door -exit Alcove door, -walk to Bloor Street and go West. Do not use elevator. Wedding Robert Pauksens and Antonella Mari July 8, 2016 at Graydon Hall Manor presided by Rev. Brian McIntosh Plan to Attend Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting of Bloordale United Church Sunday, October 23 rd 2016, after the worship service Come for an update on what s been happening at Bloordale and on Phoenix discussions. St. James Food Basket Needs Our Help When you go shopping, please pick up one extra item for our food box, if you are able. Each week, we suggest a food item, to help feed the hungry. Past weeks suggested items have been: peanut butter, cereal, canned tuna or salmon, toothpaste, pasta, beans or lentils, canned fruit, cookies and crackers. Please put items in Bloordale s food box, located in the sanctuary, and we shall take it to The St. James Food Basket. HELP WITH A RIDE Programme Let s give some help, in the form of a ride, to many of our members who no longer drive but might like to attend church and church gatherings. If you could be part of our HELP WITH A RIDE programme, please call Joan Hollowell If you would like a ride, let us know and we will try to pair you up with a driver on route

10 10 COUNCIL REPORT SEPTEMBER, 2016 This coming year promises to be an active and challenging one for Council and, in fact, all of us at Bloordale. Our agenda will be exceptional in its scope and therefore in its demands on our collective time and energy. There will be extraordinary additions to our Council and committee agendas. The following identifies the priorities and should help us to anticipate and to sustain focus. PHOENIX : The project to explore amalgamation with St. James will enter a new phase. The plan of the joint Phoenix committee includes a monthly bulletin on its progress. These bulletins will be delivered to all Council representatives at the monthly meetings and will also be available at the table by the office as they are published. The best efforts will be made to keep us all informed. JOINT ACTIVITIES WITH ST. JAMES: As the church calendar is developed, joint services and social activities will be arranged. We shall all have the opportunity to be good hosts as well as good guests, according to the occasion. The first of these is a joint service and welcoming BBQ at Bloordale September 18 th. JOINT COMMITTEE DISCUSSIONS: As reported by Phoenix in the spring, there will be opportunities this fall for a representative from each of our committees to meet with their counterparts from St. James in order to help formulate vision and purpose for a new church and to discover common ground. Phoenix will provide an organizational framework to aid and guide discussions, beginning Sept. 13 th at Council. The first joint discussions are planned for the afternoon of September 25 th at St. James. At this stage, the intention is to enlarge the circle so that the outcomes reflect the views of many, not solely the ten members of the joint Phoenix committee. As our delegates return from these discussions, there can be sharing of outcomes with our various committees. Further, the outcomes of these discussions will help Phoenix in planning broader consultations with our congregations in the future. REMITS, UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA: We shall be called upon to respond to a series of remits as authorized by the 42 nd Annual Council in Each of five remits includes a study guide to show how the church s operations would be changed should remits be approved. Responses to Remits 1,2,3 & 4 are to be returned by June 30 th, Remit 5 will be due February 28 th, Details of each study and our internal procedures will be available on a timely basis. Each will require engagement by Council and our committees. Brian will guide this process. The full support of all is encouraged. Roy Harvey, Chair of Council NIGHT FALL TRIVIA CHALLENGE Family Fun ages BLOORDALE UNITED CHURCH 4258 BLOOR ST W, ETOBICOKE SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12 TH, 2016 from 7:00pm 9:30pm Doors 6:15pm // Tickets: $20 for adults/$10 for ages 8-15 (Limited to 200 people Tickets on sale NOW!!) Door Prizes 50/50 Draw Free Slice of Pizza & Snacks Cash Bar & Refreshments for purchase Prizes for Winners Contact Roxanne D or Nancy

11 11 Summer Outing to Snug Harbour Snug Harbour provided a lovely venue for 37 Bloordale and St. James congregants to come together to eat, to chat, and to laugh. For its end of season get-together, Boordale s Social Committee organized dinner at Snug Harbour Seafood Bar and Grill on Wednesday June 22, at 6:30pm. We initially made reservations for 20, then upped to 30, and all in all, 37 showed up. This Wednesday night was surprisingly busy, with 2 other groups having dinner; we were somewhat crowded, but nonetheless had a superb time. We invited St. James to join us and 12 came, complimenting 25 from Bloordale. Members from St. James sat amongst Bloordale folk, everyone feeling welcome. Snug Harbour Seafood Bar and Grill was chosen by the Social Committee for its varied menu, and varied prices. Everyone ordered from the menu and everyone paid separately (as we do on Lunch Bunch outings). Snug Harbour is a seafood restaurant; 21 of us ordered seafood, 6 ordered the popular fish and chips, 6 were carnivores (steak, ribs, and burgers), and 4 ordered the popular standby chicken (including me). Snug Harbour is situated on the banks of the Credit River, in Mississauga. Some diners came earlier and walked the waterfront trail. Nancy H. provided name tags for all and Julia kept an eye on the seating and also surveyed the food choices. All in all, a lovely time was had by all. Stay tuned for our next joint outing! Help Needed for Fall Property Cleanup Saturday November 5th The fall property clean-up will take place on Saturday November 5th. Lots to be done inside and outside, and the Property Committee cannot get it all done without help! Please Join us. The BUC Property Committee Julia Stavreff Consider a Planned Gift to Bloordale United Church Giving a gift to the Planned Gift Fund through your will is one way to continue faithful stewardship beyond your lifetime. When your estate plan is prepared please consider a gift to your church through the Bloordale Planned Gift Fund. A message from your Memorial and Planned Gift Funds Administrative Committee

12 12 Property Committee Needs Help There is a growing backlog of Property Maintenance actions in the Property Committee and limited availability of our Property Committee members to carry them out, due to age and infirmities, attrition, and personal and work commitments of our existing members. At the Sept 12 Property Committee Meeting it was concluded that only the most pressing needs could be dealt with in the next few months, and others, some outstanding for over a year, would have to once again be put on the back burner. The Committee is appealing for help from members of the congregation, who could either join the committee, or, if they prefer, could take on individual tasks that they feel comfortable with doing. The skills needed are gardening skills, and handyman skills for doing or arranging external contractors to carry out a variety of much needed maintenance tasks. To volunteer contact Shirley Scott Upcoming Events Summary Sunday September 18. Joint Service with St. James at Bloordale, 10:30 am. Welcoming BBQ after the church service. Sunday September 18. Service at Wesburn Manor. Bloordale hosts the Wesburn Service at 2:30pm. The Bloordale Choir will sing. Sunday September 25. Joint discussion forum for committee chairs, at St. James United Church from 12:30-2:30pm. Sunday October 2. Brian away, guest speaker Rev John Tenyenhuis. Sunday October 16. Lunch Bunch lunch after the church service, at Bounty Restaurant on Dundas Street. Friday October pm movie night with Brian, movie TBA. Sunday October 23. Semi Annual Congregational meeting after the church service. Tuesday October 25. UCW meets in the afternoon. Sunday October 30. Joint service at St James, 10:30 am Sunday October 30. Esprit concert at St Clement Church 7:30pm Back from Europe. Saturday November 5. Fall property clean up. Saturday November 12. Fall Trivia Challenge at Bloordale 7:00-9:30pm Sunday November 20. Service at Wesburn Manor. Bloordale hosts the Wesburn Service at 2:30pm. The Bloordale Choir will sing. In Memorium Douglas Lloyd Brown December 29, July 26, 2016 In Memorium Joseph Addison McKenzie November 6, June 3, 2016 Native American 10 Commandments The Earth is our Mother, care for her. Honor all your relations. Open your heart and soul to the Great Spirit All life is sacred; treat all beings with respect. Take from the Earth what is needed and nothing more. Do what needs to be done for the good of all. Give constant thanks to the Great Spirit for each new day. Speak the truth; but only of good in others. Follow the rythms of nature; rise and retire with the sun. Enjoy life s journey; but leave no tracks. Bloorbeat on the Internet This issue as well as past issues of Bloorbeat can be accessed on the Bloordale United Church website at:

13 13 South West Presbytery Report Remits and the Future of the United Church All three of Bloordale s South West Presbytery representatives, namely myself as well as Norm Dundas and Paul Rose, are extremely active. Norm is the Chairperson of the Mission Support and Finance Committee. Paul is the Chairperson of the Community Ministries Commission, a member of the SW Presbytery Property Committee, and a member of Norm s Committee, while Brian is active in both the Social Justice and World Affairs Committee, as well as the Community Ministries Commission. Each of these groups are very busy at the moment, with a strategic planning process regarding the future of community ministries having already been underway for about a year, and the Mission Support and Finance Committee undertaking numerous reviews of financial applications about various Presbytery plans and special projects, including a youth ministry clustering initiative. All of the above efforts, and all the efforts of not only South West Presbytery but all four Presbyteries within Toronto Conference, are taken in the context of possible impending major structural change within our denomination, and are provisional in nature at the moment because of that. Congregations such as ours, represented by our Council, are called upon over the next number of months to contribute their votes on five key decisions about the changes proposed to the United Church, and our Congregation is only one of about 1500 Congregations across the country who are being consulted. The process by which our national church makes key decisions involves a number of steps, and the votes our Church Council is called upon to make are done through what are called Remits. For instance, perhaps the largest question facing the United Church as a whole is to significantly change our structure by combining the two middle groupings, Conferences and Presbyteries, into one Regional Council, thereby giving Congregations a more direct link to the denomination as a whole, and hopefully saving money also. The Remit provides some background material for Council members, and outlines the process for voting simply Yes or No on this question by a certain date. Five Remits for Congregations were authorized by the last General Council in 2015, and then materials prepared for the ear-long process of Congregations being asked to vote, which we will be doing this fall. A majority of Congregations must agree with the changes proposed, or the changes will not be made. If you d like to know what the other four Remit questions for decision are, feel free to be in touch with Norm, Paul or myself. And pray for both our Council members and for the United Church as a whole, as we contemplate the most important changes to our denomination we ve ever considered since our founding in 1925, in the hopes of rejuvenating the mission and ministry we collectively undertake in God s name as disciples of Jesus. Brian Further Info on these Remits can be found at Editor. Invitation from Pastoral Care Committee If you like people and like visiting with people and would like to learn more about how to visit people on behalf of Bloordale United Church, the Pastoral Care Committee invite you to join them on Wednesday, November 2nd, 10:15 a.m., in Rm. 15, when the Rev. Dr. Deborah Hart will speak on visiting members of the congregation. Rev. Deborah is currently serving Deer Park United Church and has been providing pastoral care ministry for many years to the congregations she has served. Her talk, about 45 minutes to an hour long, will cover such areas as what it means to represent the church; privacy; praying and staying in touch. Please contact Joan Hollowell at if you plan to attend. Refreshments. Thank You!! To: Amy Bickford, Connie Drummond, Helen Hitchcock, Bob Hitchcock, Shirley Jankus, and Shirley Scott who so graciously volunteered their time to cover our office during Halyna s July vacation. Thank you for stepping into this role and helping out!

14 14 Opportunity to Learn Reiki Awaken and magnify your natural healing energy to benefit yourself and others. Reiki means Universal Life Energy and is a gentle, safe and effective hands-on approach to activate our bodies natural ability to heal. Anyone can learn from children through seniors. Be part of the healing stories. Experienced Reiki Masters Coral Prebble and Nancy Violo with a team of volunteers will teach, inspire and support you Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, October at St. JamesUnitedChurch, 400 Burnhamthorpe Rd., Etobicoke. Cost is $150 and a charitable receipt for $125 will be provided. Register on-line at or call for limited spaces. Congregational Retreat: Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary On Saturday, September 24, as part of Creation Time, you are invited to join in a fun and inspiring trip organized by St. James United Church to the newly opened Farm Sanctuary in Campbellville. We will enjoy a guided tour and learn amazing things about pigs, sheep, goats, donkeys, horses, rabbits and more. Bring a plant-based picnic lunch (no meat, eggs, cheese or dairy products), closed toed shoes, and clothing to suit the weather. We will carpool from St. James United Church leaving at 11:30 a.m. and return by 4:30 p.m.. Space is limited and on a first-come firstserved basis. The cost is $10 per person and free for children under 3 years. Payment must accompany registration. Rev. Coral and Barbara Wane will be at Bloordale on September 18 to receive registrations. All are welcome. Coral Drama I m Still Here at St. James United Church A research-based drama on living with Dementia An act2studio works production Principal Researchers: Christine Jonas-Simpson, RN, Ph.D. Gail Mitchell, RN, Ph. D. Written by: Vrenia Ivonoffski with Gail Mitchell, Renate Krakauer and Christine Jonas- Simpson Director: Vrenia Ivonoffski I m Still Here is a powerful 50 minute presentation at St. James on Saturday, October 29 at 1:00 p.m. It is a researchbased play that illuminates the realities of living with dementia and Alzheimer s Disease in the early and later stages of the journey. Artists collaborated with researchers, educators, caregivers and health professionals to bring shared experiences and cutting edge research to life. The goal of I m Still Here is to foster meaningful interaction and reduce unnecessary suffering among patients, caregivers and their families due to misunderstanding and stigma. The drama will be followed by a Q & A with the cast and a staff member from the Alzheimer Society. Tickets can be purchase ahead of time or at the door for $15 each and include light refreshments. Coral

15 15 From the Editor: Bloorbeat Submission Guidelines When you items to Julia and myself for Bloorbeat, please include words about the specific content in your header and in any file names, e.g. not just Bloorbeat but Bloorbeat Upcoming Events. This makes it much easier to locate the items in my rather busy inbox when putting the Bloorbeat together. In general, for text-based submissions, please avoid use of fancy fonts, headers, spacings or tab settings because these create more work for me and make it more difficult to maintain a consistent style in the newsletter. Straight text, in 10 point font, with bold (but not underlined) headings in 14 point font, is best. For photographs of church related items we can handle the standard graphics formats such as.tif,.gif,.jpg,.png or.pdf. We print in black and white but post on the church website in colour For advertisements, PDF or uncompressed TIFF are the preferred formats. Please check picture clarity and text clarity of your ad printed in chosen size in black and white on a laser printer and viewed in colour at chosen size on a computer monitor. Invitation for Submissions to Bloorbeat Spiritual perspectives, committee news, community happenings, and ideas for changes and improvements to make Bloordale an even nicer place than it already is are all welcome. Please submit or discuss your ideas with our Communications Committee chair Julia Stavreff, , stavreffj@stavreff.com BLOORBEAT PUBLICATION SCHEDULE Following is the publication date and the deadline for submissions for the upcoming issues. Publication Date 2016 Submission Deadline Nov 13 Nov Jan 15 Jan 8 March 19 March 12 May 14 May 7

16 16 Bloorbeat Advertising Would you like to advertise your business in Bloorbeat? Prices per issue of Bloorbeat are: Business card size $ 20 ¼ page size $ 40 ½ page size $ 70 Our printed pages size is 8 1/2 x 11 To advertise, please call John Pauksens, or pauksenj@gmail.com Bloorbeat is published 5 times a year by the Communications Committee of Bloordale United Church 4258 Bloor St. W. Etobicoke ON M9C 1Z7 (416) bloordale@bellnet.ca Website: Committee Chair Julia Stavreff Editor John Pauksens Distribution Coordinators Joan Hollowell Shirley Scott