Parish Update
COLLECT FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A common question that gets asked at ministry conferences is this:
If your church closed tomorrow, would anyone outside your congregation notice or care?
The question points to the fact that churches do not exist solely or even primarily for the benefit of their members, but rather churches exist to be outposts of the Kingdom of God, to be witnesses of and to demonstrate the transforming, saving love of God through Jesus Christ.
And so what do those walking by St Peter & St Paul’s know about us? If they pay attention to our outdoor signage, they know we have worship services and we run Alpha courses.
But even those who don’t read our signs probably have figured out that we offer some kind of free event for the community on Friday nights. They witness the dozens and dozens of people lined up outside our front door between 6:30 PM and 7 PM each Friday, who are then greeted and welcomed inside for food and Christian hospitality.
A Long History
People are usually surprised to learn that this drop-in ministry, which we call “A Place To Go” has been going on in one form or another since the 1970s. A Place To Go, like its even older sister ministry, our annual Christmas Dinner, is a testimony to the generosity and hospitality of generations of Christians who have been a part of this parish. Time and time again, decade after decade, the people of this parish have chosen to keep their church in Centretown because they believed that God had called our church to be a mission and witness in this neighbourhood. Our annual Christmas Dinner and Place To Go drop-in are evidence of their dedication to this.
Living out our Values
When we underwent our Parish Envisioning in 2019, we identified seven core values for our church. These were values that we not only aspired to, but also that our congregation was already living out and desired to grow in. Three of those values are Hospitality, Mercy, and Generosity.
In volunteering with A Place To Go, we have lots of opportunities to live out and grow in hospitality, mercy, and generosity. When we volunteer on-site once a month, we prepare food to be served, serve food, greet people, listen to people who sometimes share their difficult circumstances, offer to pray with people, problem-solve and grow in friendship with both our fellow parishioners and the people in our neighbourhood. We practice following that great command that Jesus gave his disciples: Love one another just as I have loved you, by our simple acts of service.
When we prepare soup or sandwiches off-site once a month and drop them off, we have the opportunity to use the creative gifts the Lord has given us to make delicious meals for people who are in need of food, community, and the love of Christ. Making food for those we don’t know invites us to think, pray, and care for people outside of our own family and friend circles. The food we make is a witness and demonstration of God’s hospitality and his generous and merciful love.
More Volunteers Needed
Currently we are looking to expand our volunteer base in all of these areas: in-person volunteers, sandwich makers, and soup makers. While we are blessed with about 30 in-person volunteers, 16 households making sandwiches, and three households making soup, we need about 25 percent more in-person volunteers and sandwich makers, and about three times the number of soup makers. We have to close our doors about once every five or six weeks because we do not have the volunteer base to fully staff this ministry every week.
Please think and pray about whether the Lord might be calling you to serve in one of these ways. If so, please click here to let us know.
Urgent Need for Soup
Right now soup makers are our most urgent need because we don’t have enough soup for most Fridays in July. Even if you are not ready for a long-term ministry commitment, if you are willing to make a batch of soup, anywhere from 12 litres to 24 litres to 40 litres, in the next few weeks, please contact the church office at admin@peterpaulottawa.com with the quantity you can make, what kind of soup it is, and whether it is vegetarian (we need both meat and vegetarian soups) and when you can drop it off in liquid or frozen form. We have large soup pots and containers you can borrow. If we can get a stockpile of frozen soups in our kitchen freezer, that would help us greatly to get through the summer months. Please clearly mark containers of soup with “PTG, (Name of Soup), Date Prepared, and (Your Name).”
When I hear that question asked:
If your church closed tomorrow, would anyone outside your congregation notice or care?
I can honestly answer, “Yes.”
Because there is a whole community of people who are grateful that we are here, not just to provide food and drink, but to share the generous and merciful love of Jesus Christ with them. Thank you, St Peter & St Paul’s, for making that a reality.
UPCOMING EVENTS – Mark Your Calendars
June 21: Sunday service at 10:30 AM with Jr Church. (Streamed online)
June 21: St P&P at the Ball Park at 1 PM. See details below.
June 24: Last Midweek Eucharist (12:15 PM) before summer break.
June 28: Hannah Willmann sharing about her ministry with IVCF after Sunday service.
July 1: Canada Day Water Project from 10 AM to 4 PM in 2 hour shifts. Volunteer to serve here.
August 17 to 21: VBS Kids Summer Camp for Children. Register here.
September 16: ALPHA course begins. Register here.
St P&P at the BallPark - Sunday, June 21 at 1 PM
The Subcommittee for the Preservation of Fun invites you to join us after Church on June 21 (Father's Day) for an outing to see the Ottawa Titans at the Ottawa Baseball Stadium. Games are played at the baseball stadium on Coventry Road. These events are fun for all ages (you don't need to be a baseball fan to enjoy the outing). There is a special code of RPCA26 to get a discount. Please click https://tickets.ottawatitans.com/ to purchase your ticket. We will be sitting in Section NN, Rows D-F or BB and CC. Talk to Kris Nanda if you have any questions.
Celebrate Let's Bike Month this June with St P&P Pedalers
June is Let's Bike Month and our parish has a team: St P&P Pedalers. You can join the team to keep track of your bike trips this month. Open to all ages, it's a fun way of seeing how many kilometres you cycle, how much gas and money you save, and how much greenhouse gas emissions you avoid (and possibly win a prize). For more information or to sign up https://app.letsbike.ca/t/69f7a983e2684, or contact the church office at admin@peterpaulottawa.com.
Canada Day Water Project - Wednesday, July 1 at 10 AM
On Canada Day, we will have a team of people handing out water and allowing people to use our washrooms. This is a great opportunity for us as a parish to show the love of Christ in a practical way. There will be three shifts: 10 AM-12 PM, 12 PM-2 PM, and 2 PM-4 PM. We will need people to be inside keeping the washrooms clean and well stocked; and people outside serving water and connecting with the public. Ideally, we will have 5 people per shift: 3 outside, 2 inside. If you are interested in joining the team, please sign up using this form.
ALPHA course - Wednesdays, September 16 to December 2, at 6 PM
We are excited to announce that we will be running the ALPHA course this fall, starting Wednesdays, September 16 (6 PM – 8:30 PM). ALPHA is designed to be a safe place to learn about the Christian faith in a relaxed, friendly environment over a meal.
Over the span of 11 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.
Please pray about how you might take part in ALPHA and who you could invite to come with you. We have postcards at the back of the church you can use to invite friends. If you’ve taken the course before, consider how you can support this outreach ministry through prayer, serving as a table helper, making and serving food, or perhaps taking the course with a friend. If you have any questions, contact the church office at admin@peterpaulottawa.com or 613-235-1636.
Please register here.
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 church office at admin@peterpaulottawa.com.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES
Our Nursery Blessings complete the Parables of Jesus unit this week. We finish with the story of the Lost Sheep from Luke 15:1-7.
As we approach the end of the school year we are approaching the end of God’s Big Story. This Sunday, our Chapel Lambs will explore a picture of what the Kingdom of heaven is like. This is both the Kingdom that through Jesus, we participate in now, and the Kingdom we are waiting for that has not yet been fully realized.
Our Kingdom Kids and Lions of Judah will look at the story of Paul on the road to Damascus from Acts 9. They will see that after Paul meets Jesus and is filled with the Holy Spirit, he devotes his whole life to bringing God’s Message about Jesus to the ends of the earth!
VBS Summer Camp - August 17 to 21
VBS Summer Camp will take place again this summer and will run August 17-21 from 9 AM to 2 PM. You are invited to prayerfully consider who the Lord may be calling you to invite. VBS was designed to reach children who may not otherwise come to church and hear about Jesus. Perhaps you have grandchildren, your own children’s friends or neighbours who may be interested in a week of fun! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Carolyn Vanderheide. Our theme this year: Jesus is the Light of the World. Camp is for children born 2015-2021. Registration is now open here.
Playgroup on Summer Break
Playgroup is taking a pause over the summer months. We will resume gathering in September. Praying for a safe and fun-filled summer break for all our children and parents.
Online Thursday morning Bible Study - Thursdays at 10:45 AM to 12:00 PM
The Thursday morning Bible Study is taking a break for the summer. We will resume in September to study the book of Daniel.
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.