The Bible Reading Challenge sponsored by the Christian Education Committee has only one week left! Together, we are reading the whole Bible by Sunday, February 7th!

If you have bible reading cards at home, don’t forget to finish up your reading, bring the cards back to the church, and hang them on the “completed” clothesline. There aren’t any cards left to be taken, but don’t stop reading! You can read any section of the Bible you like, and mark what you have read on a blank card.

Come out and celebrate with us on Sunday, February 7th following the morning worship service. The CE Committee will be providing lunch (including cake!) to celebrate the fact that together, we have read the whole bible over the last month or so.

Youth, Adults, Members, and Newcomers are invited to participate in an exploration of what it means to live the Way of Christ today. This will be an opportunity for those thinking about making a profession of faith and becoming members of the church, as well as for others wishing to explore and renew the faith practices that keep us on the Way.

Topics will include hospitality, reading and interpreting scripture, worship, prayer, Eucharist (thanksgiving), stewardship, and repentance (turning to the way). Each session will include DOING the practice, as well as LEARNING about and REFLECTING on it. Each one will include relevant scripture, teaching about the church’s historical practice, and resources/tools for taking up this practice within the Christian community.

If you love God a little and would like to love God more, come and join us on February 14th (Valentine’s Day) after the morning worship service. We will meet each week after worship from Feb. 14th to Mar. 28th, and a light lunch will be provided. Speak to Rev. Amanda if you have any questions and to indicate your interest in taking part in the program.

St. Andrew’s has the honour of hosting the closing worship for the Saskatoon Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on Sunday, January 24th at 3:00 PM. Speak to Rev. Amanda if you would like to help out with the service either by greeting at the door or singing in the choir.

This year’s theme for the Week of Prayer is “You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:48) and it is a celebration of 100 years since the 1910 World Mission Conference in Edinburgh, which marked the beginning of the modern ecumenical movement. This year’s resources have been prepared by the Churches of Scotland, so our closing worship is being planned with a Scottish flair! Come out and enjoy the bagpipes, as well as shortbread and other Scottish favourites being prepared by some of the women of our church.

This Sunday, January 17th, we welcome the Rev. Dr. Herb Gale to St. Andrew's. Herb serves the Presbyterian Church in Canada as the Associate Secretary for Planned Giving. He will be sharing in the 11:00 a.m. worship service as our guest preacher, and then giving a presentation on Planned Giving following worship in the lower hall.

Everyone is invited to stay for a linger lunch following worship, which will be provided by the Stewardship Committee. There is no charge for the lunch, but you may make a donation towards PWS&D if you choose. After lunch, the Rev. Dr. Herb Gale will give a presentation, and there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions about Planned Giving.

The Stewardship Committee also invites you to bring your own bowl & spoon for lunch.

Haiti Earthquake Appeal

A massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, the capital of impoverished Haiti on Tuesday, causing widespread death and destruction and leaving relief workers scrambling to pull people from the rubble.

Over three million people are estimated to have been affected by the powerful quake, leaving homes and schools in ruins, destroying infrastructure and trapping people in the debris. The city is without electricity and the telephone network has broken down. The UN headquarters has collapsed and people are sitting in the streets with nowhere to go. While a full assessment is still ongoing, thousands are estimated dead with millions of dollars of damage.

PWS&D Responds

PWS&D is responding to this emergency situation through the Action by Churches Together Alliance. ACT staff on the ground are carrying out assessments of damage and the needs of survivors. While international aid is being flown in, ACT has been working on the ground from the moment the earthquake occurred. ACT is planning to send a rapid support team of at least a response coordinator, a communicator, two water and sanitation experts and a finance expert. ACT members are also preparing to send water and sanitation materials, hygiene kits, and psychosocial workers to the devastated area.

You Can Help

The people of Haiti need your prayers and financial support to bring hope and relief. Congregations and individuals are encouraged to bring help to the situation by making a donation to PWS&D. Donate by phone by calling 1-800-619-7301 ext. 291, donate online, or donate through your offering at St. Andrew's this Sunday. Please mark all donations “Haiti Earthquake Relief.”

Presbyterian World Service & Development is the development and relief agency of The Presbyterian Church in Canada.