Have you already thought about your Easter eggs this year?
Join Glenview’s virtual Easter Egg Colouring Party in the afternoon of Palm Sunday, March 28th,from 4:00-5:30pm!
It will be an online open house
– if you need to come late or leave early, that will be fine.
You may want to boil your eggs first.
Then, we can dye and decorate our Easter eggs together. This will be an event for ALL ages. More information will be shared closer to the date.
If you have any questions, please email Natalie Jahn.
Join Glenview’s virtual Palm Parade on Palm Sunday, March 28th, at 11:30am! ALL ages are welcome as we sing and wave our palm leaves together.
Starting from 10:45am, a Zoom room will be open for everyone who is interested in making palm leaves together. Just drop in whenever you like.
Alternatively, you can make your own palm leaves
or bring anything else you would like to use instead.
More information will be shared in the next couple of weeks.
If you have any questions, please email Natalie Jahn.
GLENVIEW IN THE GREY ZONE
Session's COVID Task Force met Tuesday March 9 and draws the following to your attention.
The Stay at Home Order has been lifted, but there will be little change in Glenview's current practice regarding work on the premises as long as Toronto remains in the Grey Zone. Until further notice all work that can be done at home must be done at home. Come to the building only if a task can't be completed remotely.
Peter may come to the building alone to record music. No other rehearsal or recording will be allowed.
Entry and exit protocols will continue, but if there is someone working in the church office when you arrive, please enter by the North Door. There will be a check-in book there for your use on such occasions.
Continue to inform Laurence in advance when you intend to be on the premises. If you will be there when James is onsite (Sunday - Thursday), inform him also. He can let you know if you need to enter by the North Door and make sure it's open for you.
Wear a mask at all times inside the building. We will issue an update if there is any adjustment to masking requirements. (Some workplaces now require three-layer masks.)
If you're eligible, we encourage you to make an appointment to be vaccinated as soon as you can. Note that a vaccine will be available to people aged 60 to 64 in many pharmacies soon. https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/select-ontario-rexall-costco-locations-already-booking-appointments-for-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccines-1.5341157. https://www.rexall.ca/covid-19/ontario-vaccine Shoppers Drug Mart requires registration by phone at individual pharmacies. Full list of pharmacies in Toronto: https://www.cp24.com/news/here-is-the-full-list-of-toronto-pharmacies-taking-covid-19-vaccination-appointments-1.5341023
Next Meeting of Task Force April 6.
Glenview Presbyterian Church Easter Campaign
Show your love for your family, friends and your Church by sharing Purdys Chocolates this Easter!
Orders must be placed by March 18th. Shipments will be delivered to the home of Shannon Wiggan, 48 Blyth Hill Road, on Monday, March 29th.
People can pick their orders up at 48 Blyth Hill Road at pre-arranged, staggered times. If you are unable to pick up your order in person, volunteers will be arranged to deliver your purchase to your home, the days of Mar. 30/31st, or April 1st. All people will be required to wear masks, whether picking up, or delivering.
Email invites to support the campaign have been sent out. The fundraiser is being promoted here, in our Friday email. and during "Coffee Hour" on March 14th. Share this campaign with your family and friends! Who doesn’t love chocolate at Easter?
-Glenview supporters go to http://www.fundraising.purdys.com -Click on the "Support" button -Then at the top, enter our Customer Number 59012 in the box that asks for the number associated with the campaign. -You will be asked to enter your email address, and create a password for your Purdy's Account -You will then be asked to “Join A Campaign,” and the Glenview Presbyterian Church Easter Campaign page will pop up. -You click on the menu bars at the centre of the page, and there is a "shop online” option. -You may pick from a number of delicious treats on the order form, or use the Market Place button to view all of the items. Add what you want to your cart, check your order with the “Check Cart” button, and then submit your payment information online in the checkout.
Contact Shannon Wiggan at swigga0860@yahoo.ca to arrange for pick-up of your order on either Tuesday, March 30th, or Wednesday March 31st. We will do our best to arrange for the delivery of your order if you cannot make it to Shannon Wiggan’s home.
Our ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING will be held on Sunday, March 21st , beginning at 11:30 a.m. The meeting will be online, on Zoom. Full instructions for participating in the meeting, and important information you will need before the meeting will be distributed next week.
Christmas Eve Service
December 24, 7:00 p.m.
Our service will be hosted on Zoom and (if technology cooperates) be live on Facebook and YouTube. It will be a combination of live and recorded content. The complete recording will be available on our website and YouTube channel as soon as possible.
Music that our musicians have been busy recording for several weeks will be the highlights of the service.
The service will conclude with lighting the Christ Candle. You are invited to have a white candle-- a fresh one if possible-- so we can all light the candle together to signify Christ's birth.
We can uphold the spirit of our Christmas Eve celebration, though we'll miss the splendour of our traditional service.
Join Zoom Meeting
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Santa Claus is coming to Glenview!
On Friday, Dec 18 at 5pm, Santa Claus will be zooming in from the North Pole!
Bruce Templeton, author and philanthropist assisted Santa Claus for the past 42 years in more than 1500 visits with children. With his visits, Bruce brings joy and hope to children during the Christmas season. For his volunteer work he was invested in the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador in January 2020.
He is very proud of how children are dealing with the current situation of COVID-19, and he’s looking forward to meeting with them virtually this year!
Part of the Zoom conversation will be a Santa Claus lesson. This Zoom conversation will be designed for children, but EVERYONE is invited to attend!
Please share this event with your friends and families – all are welcome!
We will send out the Zoom link in time for the visit!
Bet you didn’t know Santa is Presbyterian! When he’s not ‘way up north he worships at Saint Andrew’s in St. John’s.
Advent Study!
Plan to participate in our three-session Zoom event.
On Wednesday, December 2 –
There’s Something About Mary
with Natalie
On December 9 –
How do you love a cousin who’s hard to like?
(John the Baptist)
with Laurence
On December 16 –
The REAL Old Saint Nick
with Laurence
All sessions on Wednesday at 7:00.
Watch for the Zoom link.
Photo by Billy Huynh on Unsplash
On November 24 Glenview Session decided that there will be no worship services in the building "until further notice". This means there is no date for resuming services in sight. Some of the current restrictions for gatherings in Toronto will end on or around December 21. At this time it is likely they will be renewed. Others have no end date. For the first time the limits on gatherings apply in full to places of worship. No more than ten people are allowed to gather for religious ceremonies, indoors or outdoors.
If restrictions are lifted in late December it will still be impossible to prepare on site services for Christmas Eve. Preparations are well underway for Christmas worship online. Advent programs are set to begin.
For any foreseeable future, the church must live online.
Our online worship provisions are evolving. We're learning as we go. Those who participate find it a worthwhile experience.
We rely heavily on Zoom. I know some of you are afraid to use Zoom on your computers or devices. It is proven to be safe. It can be uninstalled after each use and reinstalled for each meeting. If you choose not to participate in a Zoom meeting, or you don't have a camera and microphone on your computer, you can phone in via a local number. You can even do that while you're watching on your computer screen.
I'll say it again: As far as worship, gatherings, and programs are concerned, the church must live online. Our website is now the hub of our congregational life.
Please read the following information carefully, and share it with others you may know are not online.
GLENVIEW CHRISTMAS FAIR will go ahead, online. There will be an online store, through which you can view all items for sale and see how many are available. You can easily purchase online through a secure platform, Shopify. You can pay online. You can also choose to pay by cheque when you pick up your purchases. Or pay by e-transfer to Glenview.
We will announce when the online store is open. It will be linked through our website. Pick-up days will also be announced, when curbside delivery will be available. We can also provide contactless delivery if necessary. Sale dates and times will be announced soon in another email, on our website, by word of mouth, and other advertising. Please support your congregation by participating in the sale and recommending it to your family and friends.
2020 OFFERING ENVELOPES are available now. They will be mailed to regular users who we know can't access other ways to give. Mailing envelopes is a costly endeavour. If you would like to receive your envelopes by mail, please email or call the Church Office. Please consider an extra contribution of $10 to help with the cost of postage.
If you haven't already done so, please consider 1) enrolling in Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR) or 2) contributing onIine through Canada Helps or 3) submitting your contribution via Interac e-Transfer. Instructions are on our website, right there on the Home Page. You can, of course, mail cheques to the church or drop a securely sealed envelope through the mail slot in the office door (in the driveway behind the building).
Thank you for your generosity through this strange and troubling time. We've been doing well, though we're well behind meeting our budget. Offerings in October have declined. This may be due to COVID fatigue, or an assumption that Glenview's expenses are down due to the shutdown. Please remember that your church lives on. Bills and salaries must still be paid. Staff work hard to make sure ministry is available to everyone.
ACCESS TO THE BUILDING is restricted to Staff, and they are expected to work at home whenever possible. If you need to come to the building, even if it's just a stop at the door, please arrange a time tin advance. If possible, give 24 hours' notice. Monday through Thursday email or call the Church Office (office@glenviewchurch.ca and copy to james@glenviewchurch.ca). On Friday, access is further limited. Call the office, even if you were in touch on Thursday. If you pass by on Sunday you may notice that James is in the building. He has work to do, including cleaning areas that are occupied by others during the week.
God is with us in this challenging time. Advent begins with words of hope. Our hope isn't dependent on what we can see, or even imagine. It'd not diminished by current circumstance. It springs from the faithfulness of God.
Please remember our Staff in your prayers: Natalie, Jim, Linda, Andrea. James, Peter, Cameron, Parker, Donna, and our new Soprano Section Leader Juiana. They're all at work to sustain Glenview's ministry and mission.
Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash
One thing we’ll miss this year is our Advent Festival, where we’ve decorated handmade stockings for our friends at Portland Place. Another thing we’ll miss is filling them! This year we’ll fill handmade mini-stockings with Loblaw’s gift cards. There’s a Loblaw’s across the street from Portland Place.
The best way for us to gather the cards is through a bulk order to Fundscrip. Each little sock will hold a $50 gift card. You can contribute by dropping off a cheque, made out to the church, or by e-transfer to bookkeeper@glenviewchurch.ca. Be sure to add a note directing your donation to Gift Cards for Portland Place. (Ordering the cards from Fundscrip means Glenview will receive back 3% of the purchase.)
Fundscrip is one of Glenview’s most effective fundraisers, contributing more than $27,000 since we began to work with them. We have 39 supporters and more are welcome! In COVID time we can’t order and pick up our cards from Shannon. We can still buy our cards online and have them sent directly to us. Fundscrip will pay the postage on orders of up to five cards, adding up to $200 to $500. We can also pay for them through ETF or online bill payment. That saves the premium charged for credit card purchases.
Go to the Fundscrip website.
Enter Glenview’s Group Invitation Code: ESSDHX
Enter your name and email address, choose a password, add your postal code and telephone number
Agree to the Terms and Conditions
Click Support a Group
The Fundscrip site is easy to navigate. You can set up a profile that includes arrangements for payment.
You’ll see Current Promotions first. These are businesses that have temporarily increased the rebate to Glenview. For example, the Ultimate Dining Card, good for 16 chain restaurants (including Swiss Chalet!) gives us 7% of the value of each card, rather then the usual 5%. Many businesses offer an eGift option, which you can use yourself or send to a grateful recipient.
Gift cards make great gifts! You can also buy them to use for regular purchases and support your church every time you shop.
We will NOT worship in our building on Sunday
Once again, due to COVID-19 restrictions, we will not worship together "live" for some time. The return to what amounts to a modified Phase Two in Toronto doesn't prevent congregations gathering.
We are exercising an over-abundance of caution in response to current circumstances. Toronto's Chief Medical Officer has recommended that we avoid all gathering places and stay at home as much as we can.
We don't believe it is appropriate for us to invite anyone to leave their home on Sunday morning. We don't want to put anyone at risk. We've met or exceeded all precautions in order to worship in our building the past three Sundays. Recent announcements regarding conditions in the city, and especially in Midtown / North Toronto are of grave concern. Session will resume discussion of opening the building for services at its November meeting.
We will concentrate on providing the best resources possible for worship on this website.
For Worldwide Communion 2020 it's fitting that we remember the first Virtual Communion was Lunar-Terrestrial. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin rested, waiting for the word to leave the Lunar Module, Aldrin radioed Houston and said, “I would like to request a few moments of silence. I would like to invite each person listening in, wherever and whomever he may be, to contemplate for a moment the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his own individual way.”
Then Aldrin unwrapped a package he'd been given permission to carry with him. He brought out bread and wine. He invited Armstrong to join with him, but he declined. He participated by watching as Aldrin read John 15:5 and Psalm 8:3,4. Then Aldrin celebrated the first Virtual Communion, as everyone at the control centre in Houston observed a time of silence.
Buzz Aldrin is a Presbyterian Elder. He got a blessing, and a Communion kit, from his Minister. It was the best way Aldrin could imagine to commemorate the significance of what his colleague called, "One small step for a man. One giant leap for mankind."
For some of us our first Virtual Communion in June was a bit of a leap. Still, we appreciated the experience of community, whether it was live or recorded. On Sunday we will take a few moments at the beginning of Coffee Hour to share in Communion. What does it matter if we are in a church building, at home, or even on the moon? we will be together.
If you would like to participate, please have some bread and a beverage (wine, juice, water, or whatever you like to savour) and follow the service. Laurence will preside from his home.
Join Zoom Meeting
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OLD TESTAMENT CONCEPTS OF GOD
A six-session study on Zoom
beginning Wednesday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m.
Led by Natalie and Laurence
How is God named in the Old Testament?
Is the Old Testament God the same as the Christian God?
Is God a Mother AND a Father?
AND MORE!
Zoom Invitation
Glenview Church is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Old Testament Concepts of God
Time: Sep 30, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Wed, 6 occurrence(s)
Sep 30, 2020 07:00 PM
Oct 7, 2020 07:00 PM
Oct 14, 2020 07:00 PM
Oct 21, 2020 07:00 PM
Oct 28, 2020 07:00 PM
Nov 4, 2020 07:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 872 0840 5486
Passcode: 273918
One tap mobile
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Dial by your location
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Meeting ID: 872 0840 5486
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Returning to Worship at Glenview
We will worship in the Sanctuary on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. We’ll be following precautions required by Toronto Public Health and our pastoral concern for all who come.
We need to know in advance who, and how many will attend. Please call the church (416-488-1156) between 1:00 and 9:00 p.m. on Saturday. Leave a message to tell us you plan to attend, and who will be coming with you. There is a page on our website on our website you can use to register your intention to come.
When you come on Sunday morning you’ll find that the only entrance to the Sanctuary is through the main (east) door into the Narthex. Please be aware that entry will take more time than usual. Come early. The door will be open by 10:00 a.m. Please observe physical distancing as you approach the door and wait to enter.
Just inside the door there will be someone to greet you. You’ll clean your hands. If you don’t have a mask, one will be provided for you. You’ll wear a mask inside the building at all times.
When you step further inside someone else will greet you, and ask you to sign in, with your name, telephone number, and email. You’ll also answer some questions about your health, contacts with others, and travel. We need that information in case we have to provide it to Toronto Public Health. In the unfortunate event that someone who has attended our service is tested positive for COVID-19, TPH will carry out contract tracing.
You will be directed to enter the Sanctuary through the centre doors. As you approach that entrance you’ll find a place to leave your offering. The plates won’t be passed through the pews. If you’ve been giving by mail, online, or through PAR, please continue to do so.
When you enter the Sanctuary, someone will greet you and escort you to one of the safe spots for seating. We will have about 50 places for individuals, couples, or families to sit at the appropriate distance from others.
The Balcony, West Transept, and Chapel will be closed.
Families with children will be invited to sit toward the front of the Nave, so they can see and hear elements of the service that are especially for them.
If you think you’ll need a sip of water during the service, please bring a filled water bottle. If you need to go to the washroom, you may leave the Sanctuary through the door to the right (west) of the Chancel. The Accessible Washroom beside the Office will be available. There will be room for one person to wait outside the washroom door. There will be no other access to the corridor.
If you bring a jacket or sweater you will not be able to hang it in the Narthex. You may find you need it in your seat. All windows and doors will be open, to provide as much ventilation as possible. (Overhead fans won’t be running. They’re designed to defeat natural ventilation and save heat in winter.)
You won’t be offered a service Bulletin in the Narthex. There will be no Hymn Books, Psalters, Bibles, or copies of Living Faith in the pew racks. All announcements and words for worship will be on the screens.
For the time being we will worship without congregational singing. There will be worship music and spoken prayer. You can hum or whisper behind your mask. We will greet one another, and share the Peace of Christ at distance, with gestures. Worship Leaders will speak behind a screen.
The service will not fill an hour. Some familiar elements will be missing. Our time together in one space will be limited, as is advised for indoor gatherings.
At the end of the service, please stay in your seat until you’re directed to move to the west aisle. You will enter the Narthex and move to the left. The west door will be your exit. There are some stairs on the way to the west door. If the steps are a barrier for you, please wait in your seat until someone can guide you to the east door and the ramp outside.
We’ll continue to post worship resources on our website, for those who can’t come, or who choose not to come out of concern for their health.
Our Virtual Coffee Hour will continue on Zoom, beginning at Noon.
Glenview is a longtime partner of Evangel Hall Mission in downtown Toronto.
The COVID-19 lockdown has presented challenges for EHM, and for the residents in their 13-storey apartment tower. Staff worked out a way to safely receive donations of clothing and other items, like bottled water. When the call went out, we responded right away. Donations came directly to the church. Shannon Wiggan also invited regular Fundscrip customers to buy and donate gift cards so she could purchase some items.
Natalie Jahn received donations at the church. She and Shannon took everything down to the Hall on August 26. Thanks go out to everyone who helped.
EHM still seeks donations. Contact Natalie educationoutreach[at]glenviewchurch.ca if you’d like to help.
Glenview welcomes Natalie Jahn, Leader for Christian Education and Outreach
My name is Natalie Jahn, and since Tuesday I’m working as Christian Education and Outreach Leader with Glenview Presbyterian Church.
As I haven’t met most of you yet, let me briefly introduce myself.
I’m 27 years old, and was born and raised in the southwest of Germany. Since my confirmation, I was actively involved in the congregational life of several churches, and later on in social work through volunteer work and internships. Through that work, I discovered how much I love working with people, listening and reflecting together upon the relation of life and theology. I studied Protestant Theology in Heidelberg, Germany and Beirut, Lebanon and finished my studies with a Master of Theology in 2018. As I continue to be interested in academic studies, I’m still connected to the University of Heidelberg through my PhD in Practical Theology.
In 2018, I came to Toronto to join my husband who is an ordained Presbyterian minister, and soon afterwards, I started working with Leaside United Church as Interim Youth and Young Families Leader.
If I’m not busy with church work or my PhD, you might find me doing sports, reading or spending time with friends.
I’m very much looking forward to getting to know you and the many programs at Glenview Presbyterian Church. Christian education and outreach have always been fields of interests of mine, and I have been actively involved in both areas in Germany, Lebanon and Canada. I’m excited to continue learning and to explore creative ways to live and share God’s love together at Glenview and beyond.
You can reach me through my email address: educationoutreach@glenviewchurch.ca.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you and getting to know you in the following weeks and months!
Warm regards,
Natalie
When will we have services in the Sanctuary again?
That's the BIG question!
Session met by Zoom on Tuesday evening to form an answer. Our target for a first service in the building is Sunday, September 13. This is a target. Circumstances beyond our control may change our plans.
A Team has been named to formulate a policy and procedures for opening. This is not just about worship. It covers all access to and use of the building. After worship, rentals are of great importance. The Team represents Session and the Finance and Property Team, Members are Laurence DeWolfe, Bob Gannon. Eileen Graham, Carla Lyon. James Mason, and Nancy Thornton. They have been commissioned to develop all protocols necessary for us to have a service in the Sanctuary on September 13; and to do the same work regarding rentals and all use of the building from outside the congregation.
What do we know so far about returning to the building for worship? Worship won't be what it was. Coming back to the building doesn't mean going back to the way things were on Sunday, March 8. The way we're present to one another when we gather will be different. Music won't be the same. Congregational participation will be limited. Preaching will be different. Services will be shorter.
Will we still have worship resources online? Yes. In order to reach as many people as we can, we will continue online. For the foreseeable future this will be with recorded content. The goal is to combine live-streaming and recording. This will be the new norm. There will be regular worshipers who simply can't risk attending a public gathering. Others will choose not to come on some Sundays, out of an appropriate abundance of caution.
There are so many more questions! Yes. That's why we'll all need to watch this space! There will be communication via all media available to us, as often as possible. That includes informed word-of Please hold those important questions for now. Many of them can't be answered yet.
You have to register to attend but it’s easy to do at bit.ly/3cWLsuH. Here are some of the details and participants:
The evening of June 26th
Rev. Charles Fensham – preaching
Rev. Mark Chiang – leading communion
Rev. Paulette Brown – call to worship
Chris Fischer – music
And others…