Parish Retreat
Our fourth annual parish retreat will take place on May 29 - 31 at Camp IAWAH.
This all-ages retreat has been a highlight for our church family, giving us the opportunity to worship, learn, play, eat, and laugh together in a beautiful setting, located only a 90-minute drive from the church, just outside of Westport, Ontario. While we encourage people to come for the whole weekend, there is also the option of only coming for the day on Saturday. There will be separate teaching and special activities for children during the teaching sessions.
There is also an opportunity to donate to a scholarship fund to offset the costs of those who are unable to afford the retreat registration fees. To contribute to the retreat scholarship fund, you can e-transfer funds (offering@peterpaulottawa.com) and indicate “Retreat Scholarship Fund” or you can donate cash or a cheque made out to St Peter & St Paul’s Anglican with “Retreat Scholarship Fund” written on the envelope and on the memo line of the cheque.
To apply for a scholarship, please select the scholarship amount (50% or 100%) that you would like to apply for when registering for the retreat. If you are applying for a scholarship, please choose ‘Pay in Person (cash or check)’ to complete the registration. Please wait for an email from the church office when the scholarship has been applied for BEFORE you pay the outstanding balance.
Please register by May 25.
Parish Night Out | Saturday, May 2
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, May 2. 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 below by Sunday, April 26.
Men’s Breakfast | April 25
Saturday, April 25
All men and older teens (16 and above) of the parish are invited to the next Men’s Breakfast on April 25. Coffee will be served at 8:30 AM, and breakfast will begin at 9 AM. Pastor Ben will be our speaker.
The cost is $12.50, and the catered breakfast is included. The deadline to register is Wednesday, April 23. Contact the church office admin@peterpaulottawa.com if you have any questions or need more information. Please register below
Building for His Kingdom Campaign - Advance Commitment Gathering | April 19
On April 19, we are going to host an Advance Gift Gathering, in the Augustine College Space at 6 PM, for anyone who is committed to our church and desires to see the church grow.
During this evening, we will share a meal together and spend time talking through the vision and purpose of the Building for His Kingdom campaign. No commitments will be received at this gathering. Instead, we will invite you to prayerfully consider how God may be leading you to participate in the weeks ahead.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP below by Wednesday, April 8.
Women’s Retreat at Camp IAWAH | April 17-19
Last April, several churches in our diocese came together for a Love Covers women’s retreat at Camp IAWAH. We had a wonderful weekend of praise and worship, teaching, prayer ministry, fun activities, food, and fellowship. About a dozen of us from St Peter & St Paul’s attended.
The women of the parish are invited to join this year’s Love Covers women’s retreat with the theme of “Living in His Love.” Deacon Jane Manary Parent will be our speaker and Pastor Michelle will be the retreat chaplain. The cost is $270 and scholarships are available.
Please register your intention to attend below.
This information is for planning purposes only, to coordinate carpooling and to provide an opportunity for retreat scholarships. From this form, you will find a link to the actual registration page where payment (or a scholarship) is required. For more information, you can talk to Pastor Michelle or contact the church office.
Midweek Eucharist Service
Join us for our Midweek 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.
Parish Update
COLLECT FOR SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord is risen! Alleluia!
“The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy.” (Psalm 126:3)
Friends, thank you to all those who participated in worship, led music, offered reflections, prayed, read scripture, served up front and behind the scenes at this year’s Holy Week and Easter Sunday services. With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, we created beautiful expressions of worship to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for what He has done for us through His passion, death and resurrection. The Living God is clearly at work in, among, and through us as a parish. The Easter Sunday service was particularly joyful, with 288 people in attendance, we shook the rafters with our praises and connected with many new and old friends. Praise the Lord for His abundant provision, His extravagant love, and His powerful healing presence!
As we continue to celebrate Easter, we will also be moving into the public phase of a capital campaign that we are calling “Building For His Kingdom.” To access our Vision Brochure click here.
The goal is to raise $2 Million, which will help us secure our building envelope (foundation work, window restoration, bricks), continue renovating our ministry space, and launch a number of new ministries that will help us live out our strategic mission to share God’s transforming Love from the heart of Ottawa, so more people would come to Know Jesus.
Over the next 5 weeks, we will be working through a sermon-series exploring a biblical model of stewardship. Each Sunday, we will focus on the core values behind generosity.
Sunday, April 12: Gratitude – Bishop Dan will help us launch the campaign. He will be focused on how gratitude is the foundation for generosity.
Sunday, April 19: Impact for Ministry – We will look at how the project being funded will help us expand our ministry impact from the heart of Ottawa.
Sunday, April 26:Revealed in Prayer – We will focus on how prayer opens our hearts to God and helps us listen to what He is saying, and we will be asking you to pray, “God, what do you want to do through me?”
Sunday, May 3: Lived in Faith – We will explore how giving is part of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
Sunday, May 10: Sacrificial Giving – On this final Sunday, we will be focusing on sacrificial giving, and we will be asking you to consider making a financial commitment as we seek to build for His kingdom together.
$2 million might seem like a lot of money, but the good news is that we have already received 5 lead gifts totalling $410,000. Five households have already contributed, helping us achieve 20% of our goal. Praise God!
If you would like to give an advance gift, or if you would like to find out more information about the campaign, we will be hosting an Advance Gift Gathering on Sunday, April 19, at 6 PM upstairs in Augustine College space.
If you would like to attend, please register here. We will need to know numbers because we are going to be serving dinner.
Also, we are recommending a 21-day devotional that will help us prayerfully discern how the Lord might be calling us to give. To access the devotional you can click here, or you can pick up a print copy at the back of the church this Sunday.
The 21-day devotional will begin on April 19 and end on May 10.
Friends, we have an opportunity to continue the work we began over 10 years ago, move forward in faith trusting in God, and better equip our parish to be the church God is calling us to be, here in our corner of a world that needs to know Jesus.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
UPCOMING EVENTS – Mark Your Calendars
April 11: Choral Evensong at 5 PM.
April 12: Sunday service at 10:30 AM with Jr Church and Confirmations. (Streamed online)
April 12: Hospitality Hour following Sunday worship in Stiller Hall.
April 17-19: Women’s Retreat at Camp IAWAH. Register here.
April 19: Advanced Commitment Gathering at 6 PM. Register here.
April 25: Men’s Breakfast at 9 AM. Register here.
May 2: Parish Night Out at 4 PM. Register here.
May 29-31: Parish Retreat at Camp IAWAH. Register here.
Choral Evensong This Saturday
If you can’t get enough of Easter hymns and celebration, come join us this Saturday evening at 5 PM for our service of Choral Evensong. Meditate with us on God’s Word and join in singing our prayers to the Lord in thanksgiving for His salvation won for us by His resurrection. The service runs an hour long and is an excellent way to prepare our hearts for Sunday worship.
Hospitality Hour after Church
Plan to join us for fellowship and refreshments following our Sunday services on April 12 as we celebrate those who are being confirmed and on April 19 as we celebrate a baptism!
If you would like to assist with the Hospitality Committee, you can sign up here.
Myrtle Richards (1934-2026)
Myrtle Richards, longtime beloved member, former parish secretary, and altar guild legend, died on April 7 in Montreal, just a couple weeks after her 92nd birthday. She will be greatly missed.
Myrtle Richards’ funeral will take place at St Peter & St Paul’s on Saturday, May 16 at 1 PM with a reception following. All are invited to attend.
Administrator on Vacation from April 13 to 21
Volunteers and staff members will be checking emails and phone voicemail, but our response time may be delayed. Thank you for your patience.
Women’s Retreat at Camp IAWAH: April 17-19
Women interested in participating in the Love Covers women’s retreat at Camp IAWAH on April 17 to 19 have until Tuesday, April 14 to register. This year’s retreat has the theme of “Living in His Love.” Deacon Jane Manary Parent will be our speaker and Pastor Michelle will be the retreat chaplain. Please register your intention to attend here.
This information is for planning purposes only, to coordinate carpooling and to provide an opportunity for retreat scholarships. From this form, you will find a link to the actual registration page where payment (or a scholarship) is required.
For more information, you can talk to Pastor Michelle or contact the church office. If you have already registered for the retreat and signed up for carpooling, expect to receive information about transportation by Thursday, April 16.
Building for His Kingdom Campaign: Advance Commitment Gathering: April 19
On April 19, we are going to host an Advance Gift Gathering, in the Augustine College Space at 6 PM, for anyone who is committed to our church and desires to see the church grow.
During this evening, we will share a meal together and spend time talking through the vision and purpose of the Building for His Kingdom campaign. No commitments will be received at this gathering. Instead, we will invite you to prayerfully consider how God may be leading you to participate in the weeks ahead.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP here by Wednesday, April 15. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Evan Baker or Pastor Ben.
Brothers of St P&P - Men’s Breakfast - Saturday, April 25
All men and older teens (16 and above) of the parish are invited to the next Men’s Breakfast on April 25. Pastor Ben 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, April 23. Please contact the church office at admin@peterpaulottawa.com if you have any questions or need more information. Please register here.
Parish Night Out - Saturday, May 2 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, May 2. 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, April 26. For further information, please contact the church office at admin@peterpaulottawa.com
Now Hiring: Weekday Sexton
Our church is expanding the role of the weekday sexton to 20-25 hours, Tuesday through Friday. We are now receiving applications for this important position that involves cleaning and maintenance of the parish building and grounds. A job description may be found here. Please send letters of interest to hr@peterpaulottawa.com
Parish Retreat: May 29 - 31
Our fourth annual parish retreat will take place on May 29 - 31 at Camp IAWAH.
This all-ages retreat has been a highlight for our church family, giving us the opportunity to worship, learn, play, eat, and laugh together in a beautiful setting, located only a 90-minute drive from the church, just outside of Westport, Ontario. While we encourage people to come for the whole weekend, there is also the option of only coming for the day on Saturday. There will be separate teaching and special activities for children during the teaching sessions.
There is also an opportunity to donate to a scholarship fund to offset the costs of those who are unable to afford the retreat registration fees. To contribute to the retreat scholarship fund, you can e-transfer funds (offering@peterpaulottawa.com) and indicate “Retreat Scholarship Fund” or you can donate cash or a cheque made out to St Peter & St Paul’s Anglican with “Retreat Scholarship Fund” written on the envelope and on the memo line of the cheque.
To apply for a scholarship, please select the scholarship amount (50% or 100%) that you would like to apply for when registering for the retreat. If you are applying for a scholarship, please choose ‘Pay in Person (cash or check)’ to complete the registration. Please wait for an email from the church office when the scholarship has been applied for BEFORE you pay the outstanding balance.
Please register here by May 25.
Lift is Working Again
Thank you for your patience over the past several weeks as we were waiting for our lift to be repaired. Our lift is again operational.
Looking for Sandwich Makers and Friday Night Volunteers
Our church runs a weekly drop-in on Friday evenings from 7 PM to 9 PM called A Place To Go. This ministry gives us the opportunity to provide Christian hospitality to our neighbours in Centretown and it provides a place for food, fellowship, community, and prayer for those who may not have anywhere else to go.
We depend on a large number of volunteers to make this ministry happen. A team of about seven volunteers (different ones each week) including a team leader prepares Stiller Hall, the drinks, and the food for serving. We pray together before opening the doors at 7 PM and then serve our guests. We have a lot of fun and get plenty of exercise! We also spend time in the kitchen washing dishes, running them through the sanitizer and putting them away.
In addition to our in-person volunteers, we rely on a team of soup makers and sandwich makers. Our sandwich makers make four loaves of sandwiches at home and then drop them off at the church once a month. Sometimes sandwich makers who live close to one other will bring one another’s sandwiches. Those making sandwiches can submit grocery receipts to the church for reimbursement.
A Place To Go is in need of people who are willing to make sandwiches 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.
Meals Ministry
Do you like to cook or buy and deliver meals? Our Meal Train Ministry is looking for people to cook and deliver meals. Providing meals is a practical way of supporting others during a challenging time. It is a real blessing to receive a meal following surgery or recovering from an illness. It is also a wonderful gift to young families after the birth of a new baby. If you are interested in joining the team or learning more about this ministry, please email Carolyn Vanderheide at carolynvanderheide@gmail.com
CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES
Our Nursery Blessings will spend a second week hearing the story of Easter. Repetition and review are an important part of the learning process. Last week the story was told using our peg people and props. This week they will hear the Easter story from a book.
Our Chapel Lambs will hear the story of Jesus’ appearance in the upper room from Luke 24: 33-49 this week. We will then explore what He tells the disciples in verses 44-49 over the next 4 weeks.“This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Our Kingdom Kids heard the amazing resurrection account last week. Easter Sunday isn't just about an empty tomb, it is about a physically resurrected Jesus Christ. We continue to hear the stories of those whom Jesus encountered between the time of His resurrection and His ascension. This week Jesus tells two men on the road to Emmaus why He had to die.
The Lions of Judah continue to unpack the Easter Story. This week we will discuss how the tearing of the temple veil upon Jesus’ death symbolized the sudden removal of barriers between God and humanity.
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 2022-2026.
Playgroup on Wednesday Mornings
Playgroup is at 10 AM on Wednesdays and is for parents and caregivers of children up to the age of 5. This has become an important time of connecting during a season of life that can be isolating. All are welcome!
AGM of Centretown Churches Social Action Committee
The Annual General Meeting of CCSAC (Centretown Churches Social Action Committee) will be held on Tuesday, April 28 at 7 PM at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, 400 Sparks Street. The speaker is Kaite Burkholder Harris, Executive Director of the Alliance to End Homelessness. St Peter & St Paul’s is a member church of CCSAC. All are welcome to attend.
Online Thursday morning Bible Study - Thursdays at 10:45 AM to 12:00 PM
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. If you are interested in joining, 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, please contact the church office at admin@peterpaulottawa.com
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.
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.