Knox News

Advent December 2019

Inside This Edition

Knox United Church2569 Midland Ave. Agincourt ON M1S 1R3

Tel: 416­293­4424 email: knoxunited@bellnet.ca website: www.myknox.ca

2 ­ Worship Corner Worship Schedule

United in Scarborough 3 ­ Expect good things LMessage from Rev. Linda Petrides Loving Our Seniors News Communications 4 ­ Christian Education News White Gift Sunday Men's Group 5 ­ Pastoral Care Outreach (Mission & Service) Alpha 6 ­ Out Of The Cold 7 ­ Fall Fair Corporate Sponsors 8 ­ Events Photos

Every morning when you wake up, what do you expect? Do you expect, "Something good is going to happen?" We set the tone at the beginning of each day. Then we have this attitude of expectancy all through the day. Like a child waiting to open a Christmas gift, we can be on the lookout, "I can't wait to see what's going to happen!" However, many people drag around, thinking, "Nothing good ever happens to me!" They expect a lousy day. Your expectations work in both directions.

On Sunday November 10, we honoured our Veterans for the sacrifice they made that gave us the freedom we have today.

Remembrance Sunday

Minister's Message

continues on page 3

Expect good things!

The Knox Fall Fair was a successfull fundraising event ­ with over $10,000 raised. Please see list of list of local Corporate Sponsors on page 7.

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Advent 2019

Christmas Poinsettias 2019On Sunday, December 1st, the Sanctuary will take on the Christmas atmosphere after the work of members of the Worship Committee and other volunteers on Saturday, November 30th. The Poinsettias were

purchased in memory of loved ones and these names will be included in the Worship Service folder.The Poinsettias will be in the Sanctuary on December 1st, 8th and 15th. After the service on the 15th they will either be delivered to our shut­ins, nonagenarians/centenarians, those recently bereaved or taken home. Others will be left behind to enhance our worship space for the rest of the season.

Worship Corner

Advent/Christmas Worship

December 1st. @ 10:00 a.m. 1st. Sunday of Advent ­ The Candle of Hope is lit­ Communion and Transfer of Membership­ English / Mandarin Sunday

December 8th @ 10:00 a.m. 2nd. Sunday of Advent ­The Candle of Peace is lit ­ White Gift Service: You are encouraged to bring in gifts of non­perishable food and other items which will be sent to Agincourt Community Services (ACSA).

December 15th @ 10:00 a.m. 3rd. Sunday of Advent ­ The Candle of Joy is lit

December 15th @ 7:30 p.m. Christmas Choir Concert ­ The Knox Chancel Choir

December 22nd @10:00am 4th Sunday of Advent ­ The Candle of Love is lit ­ Intergenerational Christmas Service – carols and readings December 24th (Tuesday ­ Christmas Eve ) ­ The Christ Candle, the Light of the World is lit @ 6:00pm ­ Family Service @ 8:30pm ­ Candlelight and Holy Communion

December 29th @10:00 am ­ 1st Sunday after Christmas ­ Child Baptism

You are invited to attend the joint service at the Woburn Collegiate Institute on Sunday, March 1st 2020. The Right Rev. Dr. Richard Bott, Moderator of the UCC will be the speaker at the event. The churches participating so far are:Knox United Church (Agincourt), Birchcliff Bluffs United Church, St. Mark's United Church, Knob Hill United Church, Toronto Chinese United Church, St. Paul's United Church, Malvern United Church, Scarborough Bluffs United Church.

Looking AheadSunday Worship dates to note in 2020

January 5 New Year's Sunday / EpiphanyEnglish/Mandarin Service

January 29 Baptism and MembershipFebruary 2 English /Mandarin ServiceFebruary 9 Finance Congregational MeetingFebruary 16 UCW SundayFebruary 23 Black History Focus SundayFebruary 25 Shrove Tuesday

This editionThanks to everyone who has contributed articles to this edition of the Knox News. Communication Chair, Manley James. Editors and printing: Lynella, Tricia. You may send any suggestions, articles and pictures to the Communication Committee c/o the Church office, knoxunited@bellnet.ca. Next Edition: March 2020.

United in ScarboroughJoint Worship Service ­ March 1, 2020

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Knox News

Why don't you start your

day with some scriptures instead? Like Psalm 23, "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life." In the past you may have had disappointments and setbacks yet the truth is that today is a new day. Let go of what didn't work out. Let go of every mistake and failure and expect goodness and mercy to follow you wherever you go. A prophet foretold that a virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Prince of Peace. He came to share our life and lose his for our sake. He

would prove to be God with Us, Emmanuel. Although this all was promised, few could say anyone really expected it to happen as it did. Advent invites us to expect the impossible. Jesus, who came as a baby, God in the flesh, came for you and for me. Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly. Why don’t you expect Jesus Christ today? We set the tone at the beginning of each day.

Respectfully,Bright.

Expect good things!Continued from page 1

Message from Rev. Linda Petrides

At the heart of Christmas is the story of God coming into our lives in the form of a baby; a vulnerable baby placed into our hands to love and to cherish. This child then grows up and teaches us many things about love and forgiveness,

and about peace and hope.The story is simple yet powerful. It is a story that makes our hearts ache for the world to be a better place as we long for peace, for truth, for mercy, for justice and as we yearn for restored relationships in families and among friends. The story inspires us to open our hearts to the needs of others and more than at any other time of year, to show increased

generosity through charity and good will.During this Christmas season, we remember the story of that baby reaching out to us in love and in turn we remember to take the time to also reach out to one another in love. This is one of the blessings of the season. It is a season where we seem to connect with one another a little more than we normally do at other times of the year. It is a season to value our relationships and the love between us.I am thankful for the love and support you have shown to me over the past year and I look forward to continue sharing in this ministry with all of you in the coming year.May God's presence be near us as we continue to work for the building of a better world; for justice, peace and love are near to God's own heart.

With Love and Christmas Blessings,The Rev. Linda Petrides

The Communications Committee is seeking a volunteer who is technologically inclined, willing to learn, help with coordinating social media presence for Knox. For details contact Manley James email: jotham.manley@gmail.com.

Manley Communications Committee

Communications Committee

“This will be a sign for you; you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:10­12

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Advent 2019

December 8, 2019. Everyone is encouraged to celebrate Christmas by sharing God’s blessings with needy families. During December and especially on White Gift Sunday, donations of non­perishable food items, preferably in white bags, and other gifts will be received. The Knox Church School will be preparing the kids to be involved in this effort. Make this a tradition and effective learning experience and consider involving your children in this act of kindness. If you wish to make a financial contribution instead, these can be directed to Knox Outreach Committee for distribution to various charities located in our Scarborough/Agincourt area including Agincourt Community Services Association (ACSA).

This year our Advent “Change­for­Change’ project – will be supporting TreeCanada.ca

Tree Canada is a non­profit charitable organization that promotes the planting and nurturing of trees in Canada's urban and rural areas. Tree Canada believes in honouring the values of the truth and reconciliation commission and have been proud collaborators with First Nation communities and their tree plantings projects since their beginnings in 1992. Together, they build healthier communities and share a love and respect for natural spaces. Please consider donating, which we will be collecting from December 8th – January 5th. We will have a special collection “Tree box” set up for loose change and larger cash donations can be made in a separate envelope in the offering plate with attention to Advent Project: TreeCanada. We also wish to continue to support The Toronto Urban Native Ministry.Each year TUNM gives to 200+ community members in need, and works to provide assistance through

street outreach during the winter (and the summer as well). Please consider donating any items from the list below, which will be collected from December 8th – January 5th. A tree will be set up in the Heritage room for donated items to be placed under and any cash donations can be made in a separate envelope in the offering plate with attention to Advent Project: TUNM.

• Mittens and Hats • New, Unused Socks and Underwear • Hotel­Sized Shampoo, Soap, Laundry Detergent • Hygiene Products­Pads, Tampons, and New Menstrual Cups

• Excess Company Swag (Clothing, Pens, Hats, Lanyards, bags etc.)

• $5 Tim Hortons Cards • $10 FreshCo and Dollarama Cards • New, Unused Children’s Toys and Books • New, Unused Boardgames for Kids and Adults

Jayne Knox CE Coordinator

Annual Advent Change­for­Change CE Projects

** The Men’s Group will be having it’s next luncheon on Thursday December 5th at 11:30 at the Rosemary and Thyme Restaurant.This will be the group’s last meeting before Christmas and the Men’s Coffee Hour will resume on Thursday Jananuary 9th, 2020.

** The Congregational Pancake Supper will take place on Tuesday February 25 ( Shrove Tuesday ) at 6:00 pm in the CE Building.Tickets will go on sale Sunday February 2nd in the Heritage Room after the church service.

B. Lundy

Pancake Supper

The Men’s Group

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Advent 2019

It is through the Mission and Service (M&S)

Fund that the United Church of Canada funds its numerous outreach programs both in Canada and abroad. These programs include assistance to many congregations as well as chaplaincies in hospitals and post secondary educational institutions across Canada. In addition, M&S is there to provide emergency relief in places where unexpected tragedies strike.By doing so you are also helping the United Church of Canada spread the word of God to countless people in need.

However, M&S needs the financial support of its congregations. With the financial year coming to a close our M&S donations at Knox are approximately $5,000 behind last year’s total at the end of October.

Please help M&S reach our goal of $55,000 this year by giving generously in these last few weeks. You can be sure that 100% of your contributions are devoted solely to the work of the M&S Fund.

Van Outreach Committee

Outreach CommitteeMission and Service ­ SOS!

An important part of Knox Fellowship is the Coffee

Hour, which follows Sunday services. The Pastoral Care Committee coordinates the Groups who convene Coffee Hour. The committee provides the coffee, tea, sugar, juice, and serviettes. Thanks to Pat Irwin for looking after supplies. Sweets, treats and milk are donated.Most committees take a turn on a monthly basis, including UCW, the Choir and Chinese Fellowship. In September, the Book Club is the host.

In December, it is The Men's Fellowship. A big Thank you to everyone who volunteers! Some committees are very small and may need extra help, especially with our current robust attendance at Coffee Hour. If you would like to help out (with Coffee Hour­ no meetings required!), please contact the church office at 416­293­4424.If you notice that supplies are running low, give us a call.

Joanne

Pastoral Care

Please help M&S reach our goal of $55,000 this year

by giving generously

Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith.Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation.

Alpha is run all around the globe, and everyone is welcome. It runs in cafés, churches, universities, homes—you name it. No two Alphas look the same, but generally they have three key things in common: food, a talk and good conversation.We are offering Alpha again, because folks in our church told us that it is effective in helping people find out the basics of Christianity. Alpha is always being updated. If you are curious what Alpha is like now, you are invited to come and try it out. We hope that you will enjoy it so much that you will invite others to come next time. We will be running two Alpha courses of six sessions—Mandarin in evenings and English in afternoons. The plan is as follows:

Alpha in MandarinFridays starting January 10, 2020 ­ 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm includes supper, video, discussion & child care Cost: freeLocation: Heritage Room, Knox United Church (Agincourt)For more info or to register, contact: Helen Wong at 416­833­1282 or helenmwong@trebnet.comAlpha in EnglishFridays starting Jananuary. 10, 2020 ­ 3:00 pm to 4:45 pmincludes snack, video, discussion & folks are welcome to stay for supper (6:30 pm)Cost: freeLocation: Heritage Room or Christian Education office, Knox United Church (Agincourt)For more info or to register, Tel. 416­293­4424 ext. 0 or Tina at agincountcrossroads@yahoo.ca

Submitted by Tina on behalf of the Knox Presbyterian and Knox United Alpha Team

What is Alpha?

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Advent 2019

Knox’s Out of the Cold (OOTC) season began on November 1st with the father and son team, James Gillespie and Chef Bryan along with twenty­five volunteers hosting the first weekend. Forty seven guests were provided with a homemade Italian meal­ minestrone soup, meatballs and pasta sauce, spaghetti pasta, garlic bread and Caesar salad. Chocolate and white cake and ice­cream were served for dessert. Crispers chips donated by Mondelez and baked treats from the UCW complemented the after dinner snacks. John Chandler’s famous scrambled eggs and Dave Amos’s pancakes were on the breakfast menu for thirty sleepover guests. Norine Spencer’s egg salad sandwiches were added to the takeaway lunch bags and warmly received as some guests remarked it was “a good change to what they have had” in the past weeks. Agincourt Community Services Association (ACSA) were happy to receive leftovers from dinner which is used to supplement meals for the drop­in program.Elizabeth Brown, manager of the Closet, is thrilled with the generosity of the congregation’s rally to her request by leaving socks and other essentials in the OOTC box located in the Narthex. She has also been actively collecting items for the Closet from her external network. GlobalMedic, has once again committed to provide personal care packages for men and women throughout the season. The Nearly New Shoppe continues to actively support by providing urgent seasonal clothing needs for guests. Elizabeth’s friendly and welcoming smile has endeared her to our guests. The Knox Sleepover team, essential to the operation of the OOTC, has been joined by Phil Smith, Ezekiel Devanur, Bill Xiongying Gao and Manley James. Thanks is also extended to Jim Ma for translating the overnight responsibilities page into Chinese print. An annual review of Emergency and Fire protocols in the Christian Centre (CC) is provided to all participating in the OOTC season. James Gillespie and Jim Ma, members of the property committee

along with myself have been ensuring these reviews are completed.Volunteering with the OOTC is a helpful way for students to meet the required community service hours. Daniel Devanur is doing just that and so far he has assisted Chef Bryan and the Dixon Hall team by handing out dinner tickets.The Dixon Hall team, contracted by the City of Toronto, is now sporting chic blue vests and picture ID with a new proactive supervisor and a complement of evening and overnight staff. Another new addition is a safety person who has the responsibility of managing guest escalations and the overall site.

Food Safety and Handling practices have been implemented to minimize cross contamination of food items which can lead to serious illness. You will also see hair and beard nets, gloves and aprons and color coded cutting boards being used. Owing to the continual use of the stove a rehabilitation of the burners was completed just before the start of the season. Hosts to date have favourably reported that food is no longer being burned! The OOTC pantry has been expanded to include constant use items and kitchen tools which goes a long way to help host groups with their budget. A new refrigerator is in the works, as additional space is needed to store prepared lunches and dinner and breakfast items.

Respectfully Submitted by Sayeeda Coordinator – Knox OOTC

Knox News ­ Advent 2019Page 7

Advent 2019

Corporate Sponsors of the Knox Fall Fair

A.K. Comics & Cards3850 Sheppard Avenue E.,Scarborough, Ont.416­292­0954 ­ Edward & Allen Kodian

Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd.111 Progress AvenueScarborough, Ont. M1P 2Y9416­298­8101 ­ Roger Keeley G.M

Avis Rent­A­Car4240 Sheppard Ave. E.Scarborough, Ont. M1S 1T5416­754­2847 ­ Vic Seevaratnam

Cedarbrae Golf & Country Club55 Mac Frost WayToronto, Ont. M1X 1N6416­293­4161 ­ Justin O'Leary

Cedarbrae Auto Service4015 Sheppard Ave. E.Scarborough, Ont. M1S 1S7416­299­6772 ­ Sam / Frank Scala

Dr. Ian Baron & Associates125 Village Green Square ­ Unit 119Scarborough, Ont. M1S 0G3 905­475­9807 ­ Dr. Ian Baron

Drive Auto Group ­ Brimell Toyota5060 Sheppard Avenue E.Scarborough, Ont., M1S 4N3416­292­2241 ­ Randy Reddick ­ Corporate Sales Manager

East­Court Ford Lincoln4700 Sheppard Ave. E.Agincourt, Ont. M1S 3V6416­292­1171 ­ MarkSilverman

Food Basics1571 Sandhurst Circle ­ Woodside Sq.Scarborough, Ont. M1V 1V2416­412­3100 ­ Hecter Enriquez

The International Group50 Salome DriveToronto Ont. M1S 2A8416­293­4151 ­ David Imrie ­ Chief Financial Officer

Nick's No Frills3850 Sheppard Avenue E.,Scarborough, Ont. M1T 3L41­866­987­6453 ­ Nick Fantridakis ­ Owner

Helen Blakey Flowers3463 Sheppard Avenue EastScarborough, Ont. M1T 3K5416­291­2117 ­ Marlon Ferrie

Hogan Chev/Buick/GMC/Corvette Ltd.5000 Sheppard Avenue E.Scarborough, Ont. M1S 4L9416­291­5054 ­ Alan Dewar/Craig Turner

Hollis Wealth2075 Kennedy Road,Toronto, Ont. M1T 3V3416­412­8088 ­ Chris Li

Markham Station Restaurant5117 Sheppard Ave. E.Scarborough, Ont. M1S 4N8416­299­4141 ­ Perry Pawagakos

McCowan Foot Clinic1711 McCowan Rd. ­ Suite 104Scarborough Ont. M1S 2Y3416­299­1508 ­ Deborah Dunphy

Ogden Funeral Homes4164 Sheppard Avenue E., Agincourt, Ont. M1S 1T3416­293­5211 ­ David Garvie

Real Canadian Superstore1755 Brimley Road,Scarborough, Ont. M1P 0A3416­279­0802 ­ Christopher Harper

Remezzo Italian Bistro3335 Sheppard Ave. E. Scarborough, Ont. M1T 3K2416­498­8848 John & Paul Stamos

Scarborotown Chrysler4960 Sheppard Ave.Scarborough, Ont. M1S 4A7416­298­7600 ­ Carl Fowler

Scotia Bank4420 Sheppard Avenue E.Scarborough Ont., M1S 1T5416­297­2481 ­ Arvind Soreng

Standard Auto Wreckers1216 Sewells RoadScarborough Ont., M1X 1S1416­286­8686 ­ Attn. Mr. Ken Gold

Today's Automotive 3400 Sheppard Avenue E.Scarborough Ont. M1T 3K4416­498­5568 ­ Stephen Marple

Vittoria Coffee67 Westmore Drive ­ Unit #8Toronto, Ont. M9V 3Y61­800­715­5583 ­ Jacques Simoneau

Thanks to the companies and organizations who supported

the Knox Fall Fair ­ 2019.

Please support the local businesses listed here.

Sunday, December 1 Happy Birthday Jesus Party, CE Bldg.

Tueday, December 31 Chinese Fellowship New Year’s Eve party

Saturday, February 1 Chinese New Year CelebrationSunday February 23 Knox Concert Series ­ Pan Fantasy Steel band Extravganza

Knox United Church ­ Agincourt2569 Midland Ave.

Toronto, Ontario. M1S 1R3Phone: 416-293-4424

email: knoxunited@bellnet.caweb: http://www.myknox.ca

Rev. Bright Yun - Lead Minister ...........................ext 203Rev. Linda Petrides - Minister of Visitation...........ext 202Ross Inglis - Director of Music .............................ext 204Jayne Bossert - Christian Education Coordinator..ext 205Mario Martel - Church Custodian.........................ext 209Tricia Cook - Church Office Administrator............ext 201

Some Upcoming Events

Men's Saturday Morning BreakfastNov 10th ­ Approximately 30 people attended the event.A "Security and Fraud prevention" presentationwas given by Police Seargent Gary Gomez, of the 42 Division. The presentation was followed by a visit from the Toronto Mounted Police Unit. The horses, Elvis and Bunny, stole the show.

Celebrating 171st AnniversaryIt isn't a celebration without a cake.

The guest speaker at the service ­ Rev. Dr. Michelle Voss Roberts (third from the left), 13th principal of Emmanuel College along with some members of Knox Church Council.

A wide variety of food and entertainment complemented the evening

The success of the Fall Fair is made possible by the efforts of the volunteers and donations from the community.

Heritage Sunday

Moon Festival

The Knox Fall Fair