Women’s Pub Night | November 21
Friday, November 21 at 7:30 PM
Women of the parish who are 19 and older are welcome to join us at Deacon Brodies Pub (247 Elgin Street) on Friday, November 21, sometime between 7:30 PM and 10:30 PM (or as late as people want to stay) for a time of fun and fellowship. Please come prepared to pay for your own drinks and food.
Women’s Potluck Breakfast | November 8
Saturday, October 8 at 9:30 AM
The women of the parish are invited to a potluck breakfast on Saturday, November 8 at 9:30 AM. Our speaker will be Hannah Willmann. Please join us for food, fellowship, and inspiration. Please register below.
Parish Night Out - Saturday, October 25
Parish Night Out is a great opportunity to get to know fellow parishioners as you share a meal together in a home setting.
The next Parish Night out is on Saturday, October 25. To participate, please sign up to either host a dinner or attend a dinner with fellow parishioners. The HOST provides the home/beverages and the GUESTS provide the meal (main course/casserole, salad or veggie dish, bread & dessert). If you are interested, please sign up at the link below.
Choral Evensong Services
Our next Choral Evensong service will take place on Saturday, October 11 at 5 PM.
Choral Evensong is a traditional evening service of prayer, music, and scripture. It combines hymns, psalms, and anthems sung by our choir with readings from both the Old and New Testaments, creating a peaceful and reflective time of worship. The purpose of these services is to take time at the end of the busyness of our weeks for quiet reflection, helping us to pause, give thanks for the week that’s passed, and prepare our hearts for worship the next morning.
We hope you’ll join us at 5 PM on the first Saturday of each month for this beautiful, meditative experience. We look forward to sharing this sacred time with you!
Men’s Breakfast | October 25
Saturday, October 25
All men and older teens (16 and above) of the parish are invited to the next Men’s Breakfast on October 25. Marc Banzet, who recently returned to Ottawa after living the last few years in Switzerland, will be our speaker. Coffee will be served at 8:30 AM, and breakfast will begin at 9 AM.
The cost is $12.50, and the catered breakfast is included. The deadline to register is Wednesday, October 22. Contact the church office if you have any questions or need more information.
Mid-Week Eucharist Service
Mid-week Eucharist Service will resume on Sep 3 at 12:15 PM.
Join us for our Mid-week Eucharist Services on Wednesday at 12:15 PM. This is a spoken service and is a great way to spend some time in worship in the middle of your busy work week. Some of our major feast days (Saints' Days) are celebrated at these services. Everyone is welcome.
The Alpha Course
Thursdays 6:00pm - 8:00 pm (September 18 - November 27)
ALPHA is designed to be a safe place to learn about the Christian faith in a relaxed, friendly environment. Over the span of 10 weeks, we explore a number of questions like: Who is Jesus? Why did Jesus die? How and why should I pray? Does God heal today? Each evening we share a meal together, watch a video, and then spend time in discussion. ALPHA is also a great way to connect with new friends, build community, and grow in your relationship with God.
The course will run Thursdays 6:00pm - 8:30 pm (September 18 - November 27) at St Peter & St Paul's Anglican Church.
Wednesday Morning Bible Study on Genesis Part 3
Genesis: From dysfunctional family to seeds of heavenly citizenship
Wednesday mornings at 10:30 AM in the lower chapel
Our Wednesday morning Bible study series in Genesis resumes after Thanksgiving on October 15 at 10:30 AM. Led once again by Fr. David Crawley and based on Genesis chapters 28-50, we conclude our journey through this fascinating book of origins which wonderfully anticipates the Gospel of Jesus.
Entitled “Genesis: From dysfunctional family to seeds of heavenly citizenship,” we will by grace complete our journey through this fascinating book. This study will be over 7 weekly sessions leading up to Advent. Come and grow with us in the bigness of the Good News. No prerequisite needed but it might be good to read over Genesis chapters 1-27 if you plan to register.
Sunday Service Online
We invite you to join us online as we live-stream our services on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/StPandPOttawa/
Click to access the Worship Guide to follow along with the service.
Parish Update
THE COLLECT FOR THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Set us free, loving Father, from the bondage of our sins, and in your goodness and mercy give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in our Saviour Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
As many of you are aware, we have a Friday evening drop-in ministry called A Place To Go. I have often noted that while food is a big draw for people who come to A Place To Go, it is not the only thing, and for some, it isn't even the primary thing. Community is a big reason why people show up week after week.
This should not surprise us. Medical researchers tell us that we are in the midst of “a loneliness epidemic.” According to a 2021 survey conducted by Statistics Canada, 13 percent of Canadians ages 16 and older report often or always feeling lonely. That is a lot of lonely people. As a single adult who lives alone, I am familiar with the feeling of loneliness. Even when we know the Lord, are part of a wonderful church community, and have supportive family and friends, we are not immune to feeling lonely.
A close reading of the Gospels reveals that Jesus also experienced loneliness. Although he surrounded himself with a group of disciples, had a special relationship with his mother, and had other friends like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus; Jesus had to walk out some of his journey apart from others.
We see this in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus is greatly distressed and troubled, and he invites his three closest friends to watch as he prays. Three times he finds his friends asleep as he is pouring out his sorrow to his heavenly Father. Immediately afterwards, Judas betrays him with a kiss and Jesus is arrested. Upon his arrest, his disciples flee. When Jesus most needed friends and support, his disciples let him down.
The starkest moment of Jesus’ anguish and loneliness comes during his crucifixion when he cries out, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" or "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
While it is true that Jesus is quoting the beginning of Psalm 22, it does not diminish the pain in his heartfelt cry. Jesus knows the pain and agony of feeling utterly alone and abandoned, particularly as he suffered to take away the sin of the world.
Jesus, who experienced loneliness, understands how we feel. Loneliness does not diminish our worth or our ability to be loved. If anything, it reveals the fact that the Lord made us for relationship with himself and with others.
Loneliness is a feeling – not a fact. It comes from feeling alone when we do not wish to be alone, but it does not mean that we are actually alone.
We may feel betrayed, abandoned, and disappointed in others. We may feel like the Psalmist writes in Psalm 88: You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.
When we feel that kind of despair, we may go looking for love and comfort in all sorts of places: food, drinking, drugs, entertainment, the Internet, personal achievements, and wealth. But none of these ultimately satisfy.
However we have a Saviour who knows our every thought, hears our every cry, and invites us to dwell with Him in whatever state we happen to be in. With Jesus, we are never truly alone.
Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
Because of Jesus, we can know the embrace of our Heavenly Father and the comfort and presence of the Holy Spirit. But sometimes we need to be reminded of this by our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is part of why we need one another; we need the Church.
Sometimes we are the ones that need to remind others of this – or tell them for the first time. And often we need to incarnate this message – You are not alone. You are beloved. – in our posture, words, and actions toward others to help them believe it. This is part of what it means to be the Church.
As we recognize our shared vulnerability and need for belonging, let us remind ourselves and one another that in Christ, we are never alone and we are part of God’s beloved community.
UPCOMING EVENTS – Mark Your Calendars
October 19: Sunday service at 10:30 AM with Jr Church. (Streamed online)
October 22: Midweek Eucharist Service at 12:15 PM.
October 22: College & Careers Potluck (Wednesdays, 6:30 PM - 8 PM)
October 25: Men’s Breakfast at 8:30 AM. Register here.
October 25: Parish Night Out. Register here.
October 26: Please return Pledge Cards. For more information, click here.
LOOKING AHEAD:
November 8: Women’s Potluck Breakfast at 9:30 AM. Register here.
November 8: Choral Evensong at 4 PM.
November 15: Parish Prayer Event: Details to Come.
Parish Night Out - Saturday, October 25 at 4 PM (Dinner at 5 PM)
Parish Night Out is a great opportunity to get to know fellow parishioners as you share a meal in a home setting. The next Parish Night Out is on Saturday, October 25. To participate, please sign up to either host a dinner or attend a dinner with fellow parishioners. The HOST provides the home/beverages and the GUESTS provide the meal (main course/casserole, salad or veggie dish, bread & dessert). If you are interested, please sign up here by Sunday, October 19.
Brothers of St P&P - Men’s Breakfast - Saturday, October 25
All men and older teens (16 and above) of the parish are invited to the next Men’s Breakfast on October 25. Marc Banzet, who recently returned to Ottawa after living the last few years in Switzerland, will be our speaker. Coffee will be served at 8:30 AM, and breakfast will begin at 9 AM.
The cost is $12.50, and the catered breakfast is included. The deadline to register is Wednesday, October 22. Please register here. If you have any question, please contact the church office at admin@peterpaulottawa.com.
Women’s Potluck Breakfast: November 8 at 9:30 AM
The women of the parish are invited to a potluck breakfast on Saturday, November 8 at 9:30 AM. Our speaker will be Hannah Willmann. Please join us for food, fellowship, and inspiration. For more information and to register, click here.
Wednesday Morning Bible Study is back in session
Our Wednesday morning Bible study series in Genesis resumed this week and will continue on Wednesdays at 10:30 AM.. Led once again by Fr. David Crawley and based on Genesis chapters 28-50, we conclude our journey through this fascinating book of origins which wonderfully anticipates the Gospel of Jesus.
Please register here.
Annual Campaign: Please Return Pledge Cards by October 26
Annual campaign packages have been both mailed and emailed. If you didn't receive it, you can access it online here. After prayerful consideration, we ask that you return your completed pledge card by Sunday, October 26. Please put your card in an envelope marked "confidential", and place it in the Sunday offering, drop it in one of the church’s mailboxes, or mail it to the church. If you have any questions, please contact the church office at admin@peterpaulottawa.com.
Feasibility Study Survey
As part of the feasibility study process, we sent out an email to the congregation on October 2 with a link to take a brief online survey. The survey builds on our First Impressions Gatherings that we held in September and will allow everyone to give more detailed feedback to help us discern what God may be calling us to do as a parish in terms of our building and potential new ministries. We ask that everyone take the survey with an open mind and heart, knowing that their responses will not be seen by either clergy or lay leaders. Please click here for the survey.
Faith and Politics Seminar Series at Laurentian Leadership Centre
Trinity Western University’s Laurentian Leadership Centre (LLC) is offering a four-week graduate seminar series on Faith and Politics on Tuesday evenings during the month of November. Registration is limited to 16 people and an undergraduate degree is required. Cost is $50. For more information, click here.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES
Give thanks with a grateful heart! Jr Church children have been sharing the things they are grateful for. You are invited to take a look at our Jr Church bulletin board - located in the main stairwell on the north side - to see our tree of thanks.
Nursery Blessings continue in the Psalms Unit. This week they read Psalm 8.
From the very beginning, we want the children in our care to know that God is the highest authority. God made us, He loves us, and He made us to know and love Him in return. We are, put very simply, God’s beloved children. Chapel Lambs will spend a second week learning about the good days in the garden of Eden.
Our Kingdom Kids continue to learn about Abraham’s journey. Abraham is counted righteous not because of works, but because of faith. He believes God’s promises. He believes, with only stars to count, for at least 13 years, until, miraculously, Isaac is born. We hear the story of Isaac’s birth and the promise of descendants.
Lions of Judah continues to look at the book of Judges focusing on the story of Samson. The memory verse for the group is Micah 6:8: He has shown you what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Registration Forms
Junior Church registration for the 2025/2026 school year can be found here.
Junior Church is for children born between 2014-2021.
Nursery registration for Nursery can be found here.
Nursery is for children born between 2022-2025.
Playgroup
We continue to gather on Wednesday mornings in the Nursery from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. A reminder that playgroup is for children 0-Pre-K and their caregivers. This has been a very positive time of connecting. Playgroup is open to everyone including friends and neighbours from our communities. Please consider who you may want to invite to join us. If you have any questions, please contact the church office at admin@peterpaulottawa.com.
Online Morning Prayer Monday - Saturday at 8 AM
Join us every morning (Monday - Saturday) at 8 AM to take part in Morning Prayer over Zoom. We gather virtually for about a half hour to worship the Lord, read Scripture, pray, and enjoy Christian fellowship. It is a wonderful way to begin the day. We use the 2019 Book of Common Prayer as our guide, but you do not need to own a prayer book to participate; all the words are on the screen. If you are interested in joining us, please contact the church office at admin@peterpaulottawa.com.
Online Thursday morning Bible Study - Thursdays at 10:45 AM
The Thursday morning Bible Study is studying the Book of Judges. We meet online via Zoom every Thursday from 10:45 AM to 12 PM. Anyone interested in joining us, please contact the church office at admin@peterpaulottawa.com.
Volunteer Opportunities
Hospitality Team
Thinking you would like to volunteer somewhere, but are afraid of making a regular commitment? The Hospitality Team may be for you!
The Hospitality Team hosts Hospitality Hours after church, receptions, potlucks, and other parish events in Stiller Hall. You are welcome to join us once a year, once in a blue moon, or every time we host an event. You are welcome even if baking is not your thing. You can set out dishes, plate cookies, put jugs of water in the fridge, bring dirty dishes into the kitchen, help load or unload the dishwasher –there are lots of different things to do. You will receive an email when there is an upcoming event and you can respond or ignore, depending on your availability. Join the team by signing up here.
A Place To Go
For those looking for more of a regular commitment, our church runs a weekly drop-in on Friday evenings from 7 PM to 9 PM called A Place To Go.
A Place To Go is in need of people who are willing to make sandwiches once a month; who are willing to make a large batch of soup once a month; and who are willing to volunteer at the church from 6 PM to 9:30 PM once a month.
If you would like to learn more about A Place To Go or volunteering, please click here or speak with Pastor Michelle.
CHURCH RESOURCES
Church Office: The church office is open from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM Tuesdays through Thursdays. You can reach the office by phone at 613-235-1636 or by email at admin@peterpaulottawa.com.
Worship: We gather together for worship at 10:30 AM on Sundays, both in-person at the church and online on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/StPandPOttawa/)
Please use the Worship Guide to follow along with the service. You can join us in person at 152 Metcalfe Street.
Parking: There is a paid lot directly behind the church on Gloucester Street that offers all-day parking at a flat rate on Sundays. For street parking, please check posted signs and pay stations.
Online: Check out our Facebook page for livestreams of our services, audio recordings of our sermons, and other news and posts. You can listen to our Parish podcast and sermons on your favourite podcast app by searching for “peterpaulottawa” and subscribing. And there is also our Website where you can listen to our sermons and podcasts, sign up for events, and read an extended cut of the weekly parish update.