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COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

CONGREGATIONAL PULSE

APRIL, 2019

Harvest Hunting

Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” - Matthew 28:19

Harvesting wild blackberries is not easy.

They ripen in the heat of the summer in places with little shade. If you

don’t go out when they are ripe, you won’t find any to pick.

Also, you may go out one day and pick all of the ripe ones, leaving

behind those that are still red for another day — or, more likely, for the birds.

And then there are the thorns.

It always seems like the best berries are those at the bottom where

you have to push through the thorns to get to them. But the trouble is worth

it.

How much like making disciples for Christ berry picking can be! It’s not

easy work.

35 Jesus traveled among all the cities and villages, teaching in their

synagogues, announcing the good news of the kingdom, and healing every

disease and every sickness. 36 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he had

compassion for them because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep

without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The size of the harvest

is bigger than you can imagine, but there are few workers. 38 Therefore,

plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for his harvest.”

Matthew 9:35-38.

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One of the things discussed at the Annual General Meeting was an

apparent desire to do more outreach and mission work collectively as a

congregation. Our mission as Christians is to share the Gospel of Jesus

Christ.

Many think, that mission happens abroad, in countries with different

climates and living conditions. We often consider the people that need to

learn of Jesus to be not like us.

God calls us to all people, not just strangers.

God does not always call at convenient times.

God calls when the harvest is ready.

It may be a neighbor who has had surgery or a young mother on the

side of the road with a broken-down car. Sometimes it is a need bigger than

ourselves but we can join others in helping those close by as well.

God places in our lives opportunities to sow love for the harvest.

These are the times we need to be aware of God calling us.

Ready to venture into the berry patch when the Lord of the harvest

calls.

Blessings

Barry

Community Presbyterian Church Phone: 343-881-1444 111 Church Street, Box 1073 email: commpresbchurch@storm.ca Almonte ON K0A 1A0 website: pccweb.ca/commpresbchurch

Office Hours: Tuesday – Thursday 9:30 - 12

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Advanced Calendar APRIL 2 Session 7 pm

9 Board of Managers 7 Food Bank Donations 14 Palm Sunday

19 Good Friday-Walk of the Cross Noon-1:30pm 21 Easter Sunday Breakfast 8:30 am 28 Interval House donations

MAY 5 Anniversary, Pot-luck Luncheon, Food Bank 7 Session 7pm, WMS 1pm 8 Heather Club 2pm 12 Mother’s Day

26 Interval House donations JUNE 1 Yard & Bake Sale 8am – 1pm

2 Food Bank donations 4 Session 7pm, 8 Messy Church Workshop in Renfrew 11 WMS Lunch at Good Companion

12 Heather Club 2 pm 16 Father’s Day 30 Interval House donation

JULY 7 Food Bank Donations 22-26 Vacation Bible School – 9am-noon 28 Interval House Donations AUG. 4 Food Bank donations 25 Interval House donations SEPT. 1 Food Bank donations 3 Session 7pm, WMS 1pm 11 Heather Club 2pm 29 Interval House Donations

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" GOD'S DREAM" 1. GOD SENT US HIS SON TO FORGIVE, AND TO TEACH US THE GOOD WAY TO LIVE; SO BE HONEST AND TRUE IN ALL THAT YOU DO, AND BE FAITHFUL TO HIM, LIKE HE'S FAITHFUL TO YOU. CHORUS OH, WE'RE GLAD TO BE PART OF GOD'S DREAM; AND IF YOU LOVE JESUS, YOU'LL KNOW WHAT WE MEAN! LIVE YOUR LIFE IN HIS LOVE, HE'LL INVITE YOU ABOVE, TOGETHER FOREVER WITH GOD IN HIS DREAM. 2. OUR DEAR FATHER CARES FOR US ALL, GENTLY GATHERS US UP WHEN WE FALL. WHEN YOU FIND, YOU CAN'T COPE, LOOK TO JESUS FOR HOPE; ASK HIM INTO YOUR HEART, AND HE'LL ANSWER YOUR CALL. CHORUS. 3. WE ALL HAVE A SMALL VOICE WITHIN. IT REMINDS US EACH TIME WE MAY SIN. AND WHEN WE HEAR THAT VOICE, GOD GIVES US THE CHOICE, TO YIELD TO TEMPTATION, OR WALK CLOSER WITH HIM. CHORUS. 4. WHEN LIFE ON EARTH DRAWS TO AN END, WE'LL SEE JESUS OUR SAVIOR AND FRIEND. AND OUR VOICES WE'LL RAISE IN SWEET HYMNS OF PRAISE, ETERNITY HAPPY WITH JESUS TO SPEND! CHORUS. THEN REPEAT FINAL LINE OF CHORUS TO END SONG.

Written and composed by Dai Bassett, 2017 Sung at Sunday service March 31, 2019

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SESSION REPORT By: Vivian Young

A brief synopsis of the last seven session meetings:

September 2018 – Three-year term eldership was approved for the session. It was hoped that ten

elders would be elected to represent the congregation. Susan McCuan-Harron offered her uncle’s

grand piano for use in the sanctuary if it is still in good condition. The Board of Managers was

tasked to explore the use of projection screens to enhance worship.

October 2018 - A review of the membership role was begun. Letters were sent to members so

that information could be updated. Session funds were sent to assist those affected by the

September tornadoes. The Anniversary Service for Community Presbyterian Church will be

celebrated the first Sunday of May each year.

November 2018 - Twelve names of people, no longer interested or in attendance, were removed

from the church membership list. Session agreed to have the Board of Managers create a fire plan

for the church. The Elders’ Workshop on November 20th

was well attended and provided useful

information.

December 2018 – The church role decreased by another ten names as it was unreasonable to keep

them on the list. The tentative ballot for voting for elders was prepared. The proposed 2019

budget was moved accepted. Session decided to form a mission committee to explore

opportunities for CPC to do mission/outreach.

January 2019 – The church membership role, always a working document, was updated. There

was a total of 105 members and adherents. Memorial Sunday was planned for Sunday, February 3

and family members of Marguerite Houston, Verna Hardwick, John More, Shirley Wilson, Alex

Bowes, May Lowry, Joan McDiarmid, Merle Ferguson. Florence Virgin and Angela Kerry were

invited to attend.

February 2019 – The ballots were counted for elder and Jason Bagshaw, Margaret Greer,

Marsha Guthrie, Jane Henderson, Jo-Ann Kerry, Kathleen Lesway, Barb MacDonald, Heather

Smith, George Stewart, and Vivian Young all received above the required number of votes. New

members Tim Dack, Arthur Dack, Val DeWitt, and John Aspinall were welcomed as CPC

members on March 3, 2019.

March 2019 - The Annual Congregational Meeting was held on March 10th

. A line was added

to the budget for $10,000 for outreach/mission. Joann Voyce has set up a face book page for the

church and invited people to read and to post appropriate material. Community Presbyterian

Church is planning to have a photo directory assembled in 2019.

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WMS Report By: Vivian Young

The Women’s Missionary ladies met in January in the common room at 105 Elizabeth Street in Carleton Place. Mary Cochran explained how the Prayer Chain works. If prayer is needed for someone, call 613-256-3835 and the chain will be set into operation. Sandy Lowry resigned as Glad Tidings secretary; hopefully Margaret Sams will continue. The decision was made to hold our meetings on the first Tuesday of the month as several ladies were busy on the second Tuesday evening and it made for too full a day.

The Annual Meeting of the Lanark-Renfrew Presbyterial was held in Smiths Falls on Saturday, February 2nd. The theme was ‘Let Your Light Shine’. Patricia Grainger of Ottawa was the guest speaker and presented a power point highlighting her trip to Malawi in April 2018. The WMS is encouraged to continue its financial support of International Ministries and PWS&D. Present that day from Toronto were Rev. Sarah Kim, WMS Executive Director, and Janet Brewer, National WMS President. A discussion was held seeking ways to continue WMS when numbers are dwindling and no one wishes to take executive positions. Janet Mrenica offered to be the leader for 2019 and Irene Nesbitt to be the secretary, so WMS continues – in a new way.

In February CPC hosted the WMS meeting. Preparations were made for the World Day of Prayer on Friday, March 1st. The service was held in Almonte Baptist Church with people from Carleton Place and Almonte attending. Vivian, Kathi and Rhoda participated along with women from other local churches, dressed to represent the women of Slovenia about whom the service was written. Community Presbyterian Church hosts the World Day of Prayer on Friday, March 6, 2020. The country is Zimbabwe.

The March meeting was in Carleton Place. The study was done by Rhoda, using the booklet from Toronto, Stories of Mission. Rhoda read The Raw Carrot Soup Enterprise, a ministry of Paris Presbyterian Church in Ontario. Pansy Splane then shared a few years of her life story – the ones while she was living in Washington, D.C. from 1959 until 1963. It was very interesting!

Every meeting closes with refreshments and a social time. Come join us. Date and location of meetings are in the church bulletin.

Vacation Bible School

Just a heads-up for families – the Baptist Church is hosting a half-day Vacation Bible School the week of July 22-26, 9am to noon. Community Presbyterian and Cornerstone Free Methodist will again partner in this project. More information will be forth coming.

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HAITI

CEVIM’s Journey through the Valley of Compassion 2017 - 2019

CENTRE VIE ENFANTS IMMACULEE DE MARIE has been for almost 2 years (18 months) running in a dark valley Starting with the sudden death of its main Leadership and sponsorship Manager Ron Ferguson of Smiths Falls First Baptist Church. His unexpected eternal absence among us created a deep administrative and supportive valley hard to fill up. Since then the cloud had enlarged itself suffocating all our human resources. As the saying goes, each river brings its own pebbles and sand – The Leadership team in Canada has moved on, some to follow other interests, others responding to health reasons and life changes. As much as the dark cloud kept on invading us and that CEVIM’s administration is shrinking, the kids did not stop growing. It has been a dark moment.

Through prayers we never lost our faith or our courage. We kept believing; since it is God’s work – “The Lord must have seen us, as He saw Hagar”.” Surely the Lord sees CEVIM”. In this dark place, we had a discourse with the Lord, and He answered, and he answered: “I see you” and He has shown his light by sending complete strangers to bring us the Manna. Yes the Manna.

Heidy Honrado, of Buffalo, NY, the founder of “ONE ISLAND ONE HEART” miraculously found our information through her friends and applied on behalf of CEVIM to FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN (FMSC). About the same time and in a different State in the USA, Renata Lacerda, active member of the St Catherine Drexel Haiti Mission Team, in Weston, Florida, filled out the same application in our behalf. They had never met each other. We received 72 boxes (36x36 boxes) filled with Manna packages consisting of spiced and fortified rice, vegetables, and dry protein from FMSC. “God kept on seeing us”

We are infinitely grateful to the Community Presbyterian, the Sunday School Children and the Mission Yard Sale Team, and Impact Nations for unceasingly supporting us.

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the Mission team of St Catherine Drexel Haiti Mission for working with us in supporting the children in a way that is solely inspired by God. This connection is unbelievably grand. The SCD Mission team is entirely a divine intervention to keep these children.

Why are we keeping on? Statistics- Because the Lord sees CEVIM operating the same orphanage of 36 rescued children from 2010 of which

8 have grown to be 18 years old and have been integrated in safe families under the mentorship of CEVIM

3 are in grade 11 –

5 in grade 10 learning and practicing sewing – Cosmetology – Tin sculpture and Agriculture (Goats and chicken rearing).

20 are attending school excelling in their respective program from grade 5 to grade 9

In the same vision CEVIM is educating 115 children who are relocated since 2010 in the community of Haut de Saint Marc. Just to clarify that it is not a new endeavor but an extension of the orphanage. These children are receiving the best education and curriculum there is in the country.

CEVIM is keeping on because of the faith and beliefs we have that we are partnering with you in creating a better future for these children.

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Keeping on these kids is valued for the fact that we sent Christella home to her aged grandmother and twice the grandma brought her back with tears stating that she cannot keep her in her neighbourhood knowing and seeing the abuses young women like Christella are confronting on the streets. She said sadly that the men are not even making an exemption for her, despite her age. She said flatly, “Madame, do you want to hear about her destruction after having investing 8 years of good effort in her.”

Why are we keeping on? Because your tender hearts had kept on pursuing your partnership with God through these children. God has seen that your hearts are open to the pain of the world.

Jesus in his compassionate and tender heart fed the crowd that was following him not by miraculously creating the bread, but by miraculously multiplying the existing bread donated by the tender hearted young partner –the boy’s lunch- We are God’s instrumental partners in helping the poor.

Why CEVIM is keeping on? Because the Lord sees your tender hearts establishing his kingdom of Justice, - Equity – Peace – and Love.

CEVIM will keep the children’s growth until the Lord ……… sees them all.

School by Marsha Guthrie

As we enter our Lenten season the children have been introduced to lessons on giving thanks for God’s goodness and preparing for Easter. Stories of Holy Week have begun as we tie it all together. Some of the children are able to use the “flipper flapper” to tell the story of God’s gift of salvation to us. Though still young, those who are beginning to read are learning where to find the four Gospels and in which Testament it can be found.

We recently introduced instruments again when singing our songs as our lessons were encouraging praise as a form of prayer to God. The children were given the opportunity to try out different instruments – hopefully everyone would find one they liked. One of our boys discovered that the steel columns in the Hall made a great sound when hit with a drum stick! Not sure we can say it was a “joyful noise” but it made it into the sanctuary. Our apologies, friends.

Walk of the Cross

The Walk of the Cross is in its tenth year and will be hosted in 2019 by St. Paul’s Anglican Church on Good Friday, April 19th. Starting at Noon at a place to be determined walkers will make their way around town ending at the Anglican Church for a short service and light refreshments. Folk are also encouraged to go only as far as they can comfortably walk or travel by vehicle from station to station. This is an opportunity for our churches to be united in Christ Jesus, our shared Lord and Saviour.

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HEATHER CLUB by Judy Boomgaardt.

We would like to thank everyone who donated articles and money to help us fill

the 22 boxes for the Samaritan Purse. We will try to do the same thing this year. We will have a box at the church for donations. Please keep your eye out for bargains over the summer.

The Heather Club provided desserts in January and April for the Senior lunches at

the United Church. May 8th meeting will be at the home of Mary Cochran at 2pm. June 11th meeting will be pot-luck at the home of Donna Castonguay at noon. September 11th meeting will be at the home of Jane Henderson. All ladies are welcome to attend.

On the third Sunday of the month we celebrate the birthdays for the month. If you

would like to bake a cake for that month please let me know.

Mission and Community Outreach

The following are the amounts of money collected from the Congregation.

January 1, 2019 to March 31, 2019.

Deacon’s Court $600.00

Food Bank $1,430.00 plus 64 pounds of food

Interval House $490.00 plus donated items

Haiti $1,620.00

Sharing $1,579.50

P.W.S.&D. $75.00

TOTAL YEAR TO

DATE

$5,794.50

Brenda Postma - Treasurer

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On Saturday, February 23, 2019 we enjoyed a well-attended concert by Dai Bassett

and the Burnside Sisters. It was a fund raiser for Hub Hospice Palliative Care and

Community Presbyterian Church.

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A BLAST FROM THE PAST:

I SURVIVED AN HOUR IN THE TOWER

For the past year or so I have been hearing from Jim Cochran, Murray McCurdy and Peter Boomgaardt about the deplorable condition of the church's bell tower. They described how parts of the tower had become a popular Lanark County pigeon retreat with massive amounts of associated residue, both living and dead. They were also concerned about water damage resulting from the deteriorating roof structure over the upper chamber. (As it turned out, three separate roof layers had been installed over the years and they would have to be cut out and replaced with a brand new wood and shingle roof.) Could they be exaggerating? I thought. After all everything looked pretty good from where I sat in my comfortable pew on Sunday mornings and the street view was always very impressive. (It seems that the Almonte Presbyterian Church is the hightest structure in Almonte, with the possible exception of the municipal water tower.) I can now attest after my life altering trip up the tower recently that there was no exaggeration here. Far from it. It was one of those, "you have to see it to believe it" situations. Only if you dare, that is. One day I stopped by the church to visit Peter and Jim as I knew that they were working in the tower, along with handy-man, Bob Anderson. As I pulled up in front of the church, I could see a couple of saw horses and planks set up on the sidewalk. Good, I thought, maybe, I could help them by running some materials up to where I could hear them working, which didn't sound like very far away. Little did I know at the time, that a one-way trip to the top, at least for me, would take about a half hour. The front door was locked so I decided to yell up to the work crew to announce that I was an inspector from the Ministry of Labour checking to see if they were wearing their hard hats and safety boots. It didn't take long for Peter to come down to check me out and eventually let me in. He invited me to come up to see what they were doing while adding casually that Alison Sharpe had made the trip earlier in the day and had no trouble at all. He even pulled out a photo from his shirt pocket to show Alison standing on the new roof of the tower. Alison's initiative was my cue to go for it which led to the first of two lessons I learned that day. The first one: never underestimate the true grit of a spunky lady like Alsion; and secondly, when invited to go up into the tower, ask a lot of questions, give it a lot of thought, say a little prayer asking for God's guidance and then consider politely declining and suggesting a photo would do.

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So off I went, straight up winding set of stairs, up some steel scaffolding and a couple of ladders. While Jim, Peter and Bob shouted encouragement, they pulled, pushed and squeezed me though knot holes, key holes, pigeon holes and around the bell which I rang several times figuring it was my only opportunity to cry for help. Maybe for fire department or hydro crew would come by with a cherry picker to rescue me. After much grunting and heaving, I made it to the upper room and stuck my head out a two foot hatch to check to see if a helicopter could pluck me off, if need be. However, I didn't make it as far as Alison, as she climbed through the roof hatch and had her picture taken standing on the roof top. And that is what I call leadership!

As I looked out over the beauty of Almonte, I paused for a moment to thank God for the original builders of the tower and for Jim, Peter, Murray and Bob who worked so hard under very difficult conditons to secure the tower for many years to come. (Its amazing to think that they had to rip four by eight sheets of plywood into two foot strips to be able to get the material through the hatches and around the bell to the top. If shivers the timbers in the tower to think how much this project would have cost if outside contractors had been called upon to do it.)

Yes, I had made it to the top room and it was a good feeling. However, it wasn't such a good feeling the next morrning as I woke up looking like a pretzel, feeling like I had been worked over by a carrot scraper, and what used to be my left leg was now my right arm...But, I would do it all over again at the gong of a bell !!!

Brent Connelly – September 17, 2012

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Into the Valley from My Daily Journey with Christ, a devotional of Living Truth

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16

What are the things that move us to tears? A beautiful piece of music, a heart-wrenching movie, a hungry child, a story of triumph or one of despair? There are countless things that move us to tears, and to those whose hearts are filled with the Holy Spirit, they see the face of God in almost everything that brings a tear to their eye.

The Christian life is relating everything to God. In the hard things, we turn to God for His strength, or we see His work that has yet to be accomplished and our hearts cry out to do it. In the things where we feel the deeply soulful artistry of God, our praise of Him cannot always be uttered in words as nothing we say will aspire to the wondrous, all-consuming presence of God that overtakes us.

When he places us on that mountain peak for however brief a time, we are given a glimpse of heaven that we must take back down into the valley. Oswald Chambers writes this:

“We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God’s perspective and have wanted to stay there. But God will never allow us to stay there. The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain.

“If we only have the power to go up, something is wrong. It is a wonderful thing to be on the mountain with God, but a person only gets there so that he or she may later go down and lift up the demon-possessed people in the valley……

“We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions of life – those are simply intended to be moments of inspiration. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life, and that is where we have to prove our stamina and our strength…

“Those times of exaltation are exceptional and they have their meaning in life with God, but we must beware to prevent our spiritual selfishness from wanting to make them the only time.”

God does not intend for us to stay on the mountain, revelling in His presence. We are meant to go back down into the valley to feed the hungry child, help the despaired, and accomplish what God causes our hearts to cry out to do.

Prayer: Lord God, as wonderful as it is to experience being with You in moments of exaltation, grant me a heart that wants to go into the valley and work with You. Thank you, Lord.

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BIRTHDAYS APRIL MAY 2 Karen Dorman 5 Jane Henderson 9 Mike Guthrie 8 Kathleen Lesway 10 DieuDonne Batraville 8 Rhoda Anderson 11 Heather Smith 11 Barry Devereux 11 Ryan Guthrie 19 sandy Lowry 13 Cheryl Barker 22 John Blais 19 Peter Boomgaardt 26 Victoria Blais 19 Murray Daniel Guthrie 27 Sarah Thompson 24 Jill Guthrie 28 Lois Lowry 26 Bill Young 28 Garry Postma 27 Ruth Bowes Jessie Acheson 29 Sheila Risatti JUNE JULY 4 Isla Guthrie 1 Murray Guthrie Sr. 10 DJ McCurdy 3 Murray McCurdy 15 Sarah McKInnon 6 Henri Knoetze 20 Edith Bowes 12 Jack Virgin 21 Betty McCubbin 16 Brody Thompson 25 Johandre Knoetze 18 Andrew Styles 30 Meaghan Guthrie 19 Grete Halsall 21 Barbara MacDonald 22 Martin Knoetze 23 Emily Thompson 24 Margaret Sams 28 Ruth Berger 29 Murray Guthrie Jr. 31 Olive Simpson AUGUST SEPTEMBER 4 Judy Boomgaardt 3 Tilana Knoetze 4 Maureen Koblovsky 6 Dianne Wood 5 Rev. Barry Carr 7 Margaret Greer 13 Laura Guthrie 10 Mary Cochran 23 Lindsey Bowes 16 Susan McCuan-Harron 25 Reece Guthrie 29 Beth MacIntyre 26 Beverly Blais 29 Joan Read 31 Marsha Guthrie