Come and Celebrate our Birthday Sunday, January 28 at 10:30 a.m.
We will celebrate in worship with great music. We will celebrate Holy Communion. We will welcome a special guest, The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Crawford. He will return to the pulpit from which he preached his first sermon, in September 1998!
Jeffrey grew up at Glenview, was a member of congregation, worked as assistant caretaker in the summers, , was ordained to ministry at Glenview, and served as Minister-in-Association following his ordination. He is thrilled to be the Anniversary preacher.
Jeffrey is married to The Rev. Courtney Morris Crawford. Together they are proud parents of Nathan (5) and Hannah (2).
He is currently Lead Minister at Westmount Presbyterian Church in London, ON. Jeffrey has served the Presbyterian Church in Canada at all levels- national, Synod, Presbytery and congregational.
Jeffrey is a lifelong learner. He is a graduate of Victoria College (B.A.) and Knox College (M.Div.) at the University of Toronto, and Drew University (D.Min.) in leadership & practical theology. His doctoral thesis focused on the formation of Christian community in worship. Jeffrey is currently engaged in Co-Active Coaching education.
Come and celebrate!
Jeffrey Crawford
It's been awhile since we've celebrated the life and work of the great poet Robert Burns. He was a Hipster before his time, and many other things he doesn't always get credit for. After morning worship on Anniversary Sunday we'll share in a Burns Lunch. We'll have an excellent luncheon meal, after it has been appropriately blessed. And a taste of haggis, after it has been appropriately addressed. We'll toast "The Land We Left and All Who Love It" and "The Land We Live In". Pipers will entertain. The "Immortal Memory" will be observed. Mark the date. Tickets for lunch are $30 ($5 for children) and will be available on Sunday and until Sunday, January 21.
How does a Confirmation Class turn into an exercise in testing the tensile strength of toilet tissue? When the topic is "We wander far from God": The sins we commit and the Sin of the World. We started with a few layers on our semi-willing model's wrists, then arms, then shoulders and ankles. When we realize we've done wrong, we can ask and be forgiven. Sometimes we're able to undo the harm we've done and clean up the messes we've made. But life in this world ties us up in Sin. It takes us beyond anything we can fix. So we have to rely on God's free mercy and unconditional love... which leads us to the next lesson, "Jesus is the way to God." (Thanks to Shannon Wiggan, who didn't know just what would happen when she was recruited!) Click on an image to advance the slide show.
The Presbyterian Church in Canada is engaged in church-wide conversation about human sexuality. Key concerns are the denomination's position regarding homosexuality, marriage, and the eligibility of LGBTQ+ persons for office and leadership in the church.
Two official bodies are leading the conversations. The Life and Mission Agency of the denomination (staff and a committee from across the church); and the General Assembly Standing Committee on Church Doctrine (representatives nominated by Presbyteries and theological faculty of our colleges). The Church Doctrine Committee is divided. They seek input from Presbyterians through several media. One is an online survey.
Glenview Session encourages you to follow the link below and express your views. There will be opportunities for response within our congregation, as well. We are asked to respond by January 31, 2018. To respond to the survey you do not have to read all the documentation provided. There is a summary in the survey.
Link to Church Doctrine Committee Survey.
This fall, our youth group and Kidsview students have been learning about the Moses and the exodus from Egypt. While our younger children were manna in the kitchen, our older students competed in a series of trivia questions and challenges based on the ten plagues.
We will observe Remembrance Day in both services on Sunday.
Our guests at the 10:30 service will be members of the Saint Andrew's Society of Toronto on their annual Church Parade.
At a ceremony on Monday, October 23, Heritage Toronto presented an award to Glenview and our architects in honour of their work on the new north entrance, lobby, and elevator. The award was accepted by architects Elizabeth Davidson and Janet Harrison, and Nancy Thornton, on behalf of Glenview. The trophy will be at Glenview for all to see on Sunday. It will be on permanent display near the elevator, soon.
This is a press release from Heritage Toronto.
The William Greer Architectural Conservation & Craftsmanship Award for a small project goes to Glenview Presbyterian Church.
Wanting to serve its community the best it can, Glenview Presbyterian Church embarked on a project to provide full accessibility to its facility by adding new barrier free walkways, accessible washrooms and an elevator.
Adding an elevator required a new three floor addition on the north side of the building. This elevator lobby, anchored by the existing sandstone walls of the church which emphasizes the heritage aspects of the existing façade, now serves as the building’s main entrance. The result is a space that allows visitors to appreciate the existing stained glass windows, stone coping and sandstone cladding now situated in the lobby space.
The project was commissioned by The Trustees of Glenview Presbyterian Church, and completed by Harrison Duong Architects Incorporated (formerly Janet L. Harrison, Architect) and Davidson Langley Incorporated Architects.
Come and get a better view of the trophy on Sunday. Meanwhile, share the happiness!
Update
ViewPoint Youth went back out in the neighbourhood on Sunday afternoon, gathering groceries. Donations continue to come in to the church and you can add to the pile until Wednesday morning.
Trick or Eat - Let's Scare Hunger Away!
On Friday, October 20th, 4:30-6:00 Glenview Youth will distribute bags in neighbourhoods around the church. Neighbours are invited to fill the bags, or as many bags as they like, with food.
On Sunday, October 22, after worship Glenview Youth will be collecting the bags in support of the North York Harvest Food Bank. This annual event in partnership with local Churches, helps us tackle hunger in our own communities.
A donation bin will be at Glenview all week. Thank you for your support.
Most Needed Donations Include:
- Canned fruits and vegetables,
- dried pasta,
- tomato sauce,
- lentils and beans,
- powdered or canned milk,
- baby formula and baby food,
- canned fish and meat,
- boxes of macaroni and cheese.
- AND MONEY SO THE FOOD BANK CAN BUY FRESH FOOD AND PACKAGED GOODS IN BULK.
Here’s the graduation picture of Yamen, going from Sr Kindergarten to Grade One. How proud is he!! He couldn’t wait to share the picture. Not bad for a child who has been going to school only since January!
Nabil and Tim went to Costco last week and his eyes were pretty wide. He bought some cheeses, diapers, etc. etc. He filled his cart no problem. It was an enjoyable outing.
Nabil had his first appointment with a dentist at Mt. Sinai Hospital. There will be many more visits. Yamen will see the dentist later this month. His teeth, as reported earlier are not in great shape. There is work to be done. His dental treatment will be free! Yaman’s teeth are fine for the moment. Rawaa also needs work.
The family continues to make friends. The Orabis and three other families went to the beach. They had a BBQ and the men and boys went swimming in the lake. The verdict was….very cold water! Nabil says often that his family are very, very happy in Toronto.
Thanks to Tim and Dan for all your work with the family. Thanks, Tim, for providing this update.
Glenview Family News:
On Sunday, July 23, Chad and Lyn Bark celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversary. That's the Platinum Anniversary, in case you want to send them a late gift! Congratulations to two of our especially lively, loving senior members! Thanks to Jeanette for the pictures.
We were delighted to visit with the whole family last Sunday. They joined us for our barbecue. Nabil and Rawaa were fasting for Ramadan, but the children enjoyed food and treats. They had a great time and expressed thanks afterward. This kind of contact is very important.
The ESL classes for Nabil are progressing. As soon as there is a place in day care Rawaa will also be attending. We are awaiting word from the city.
The boys love their school. Both of them have made friends. Yamen is especially proud of his school work. He never misses a chance to show it to visitors. His English is quite good.
Their happiness in Canada is without question but there are times when Rawaa misses her mother quite a bit as can be expected.
Each day we are with them we see a family who is responsible, happy and thankful for the chance to live here. They have become part of our lives.
We have a new administrative staff person in the Church Office. Metumo Hiwilepo will serve in this new position, covering both administration and bookkeeping. Metumo and her daughter, Kuo are part of our congregation already. Metumo has a Bachelor of Accountancy Degree from the University of Namibia. Her continuing education has included courses in auditing, computer skills, fundraising, and transitioning from accounting practice overseas to working in Canada. She has extensive work and volunteer experience in office settings and in front-line customer service in the United Kingdom, Namibia, and Canada.
For the next few weeks Metumo will work closely with our Interim Bookkeeper, Senior Minister, and the volunteers who have been covering administration since January. Please be patient. Between now and the end of June the Church Office will be in transition. Metumo's learning curve will be steep.
We will continue with limited open office hours until further notice - Mon - Fri, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The office will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, so there will always be someone to take your call or respond to your message.
Thursday, May 11 was a chilly but clear day for Glenview's annual sale in support of Portland Place and Evangel Hall Mission. All the profit on sales of over $18,000 will go to these two ministries in downtown Toronto.
Check out our Flickr Photo Album through this link.
A dedicated group of volunteers from Glenview took part in the City of Toronto's Community Spring Clean up by filling several garbage bags worth of trash in the Blythwood Ravine
The family is heavily involved in ESL and they are doing well. Andrew Woodbury, known to many on our congregation, is is our main teacher. He is an ESL specialist and has recruited some of his colleagues to help. We are grateful to Andrew for his enthusiastic acceptance of our invitation to volunteer. A neighbour of Glenview, Nahla Ghoneim, an engineer from Egypt, responded to news on our website and volunteered to help in any way she can. She has joined the ESL roster. She speaks Arabic, of course, and has great teaching skills. Our volunteer teachers offer two to three sessions each week. Nabil and Rawaa continue to attend classes twice per week. They still have a long way to go but it has been much better since we started these private lessons.
Rawaa had her 27th birthday a few days ago. Tim S. was able to go to the apartment with a card and to wish her Happy Birthday.
The family attended Pancake Tuesday at the church. They are still getting used to Canadian food! The adults ate pancakes and halal sausages, as did Yaman but Yamen is very fussy! The family also attended Out of the Cold on Sunday, March 5. Nabil and the boys had fun setting the tables with placemats and cutlery. We're grateful Andrew and Nayla were also able to come to the pancake supper.
Nabil is very proud of his new glasses. The doctor at the Women's College Hospital Refugee Clinic recommended an eye exam. Nabil's last exam was seven years ago and he has had difficulty for some time. Eyecare is another benefit of the federal government's refugee resettlement program.
As always, thanks to everyone for ongoing contributions. We continue to be able to provide support for the Orabis from within the circle of Glenview and the University Women's Club, and our neighbourhood.
Please accept the Orabi family’s gracious invitation to a reception in their home on March 30th, 7 to 9 pm. For details and to RSVP by March 26th contact Dan Melhem at dmelhem [at] rogers.com or leave a message for Dan at the church office (416-488-1156).
Rawaa and Nahla tackle the English language
Nabil's New Glasses