OUR MINISTER

The year 2010 has started in an interesting and challenging way. A devastating earthquake in Haiti has shaken the world and, here in our small piece of eastern Ontario, St. Paul’s has suffered a flood that has left the basement unusable for the time being, and finally, a number of our families are currently battling serious illness.

This seems like a lot to deal with. We could wonder where God is when disaster strikes a country or a family but we know that God is in the rubble of Haiti, in our operating room and treatment rooms, and in the hearts of those helping St. Paul’s clean up. God is never far from us, and we most keenly feel God’s presence in the great challenges of life.

“Do not fear, for I am with you.” (Isaiah 43:5)

I have been humbled and heartened by the response in our pastoral charge to the tragedy of Haiti. Hearts and wallets have been opened and our money and our prayers are with this stricken island country. We will not let up until Haiti is healed.

Our pastoral charge has come together in response to both the St. Paul’s flood and, even more importantly, to help those of us who are facing surgeries, tests, and treatments. These challenges have brought our two communities together in a new way. It is no longer, “them” and “us” but “we” who face the future side by side. I am so proud of each and every one of you. God will surely bless your efforts as you reach out and help.

As we move through this Lenten season, we are acutely aware of Christ’s commitment and faithfulness. May we continue to follow in his path, as we do his work in the Harrowsmith-Verona area.

Lynda

DAILY PRAYER

I love you, O LORD, my strength ….. I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Many thanks to the following individuals who quietly give of their time and talent, they are much appreciated:

· Linda Brown and Diane Buchanan for organizing the Down Home Dinner and entertainment in celebration of Black History month.

If you know someone who should be recognized in any way,

ST. PAUL’S NEWS

The winter months have certainly brought some challenges for St. Paul’s. Maybe we should look at the positives? We have not had to cancel any services because of snow storms and the weather has not been cold enough to warrant services being held downstairs!

Erma Bracken reports that the draft version of the cookbook will arrive soon. Once approved, the final copies will be ready to be sold. This book is sure to be a hit in every household.

The Tuesday lunches continue, despite the flood. Thanks to the Golden Links Hall for the use of their building. It is still the best deal in town for a nutritious, hot lunch.

The Manse has been painted by the volunteers from Rural Visions. More furniture has been donated and the building should be ready for use soon.

The church was filled with music and drama on February 18, as the Harrowsmith and Sydenham Guiding groups came together. The annual Thinking Day program saw Sparks, Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers celebrating 100 years of Guiding in Canada. Although, in recent years, the number of girls in Guiding has decreased, Guiding continues to offer our young women a challenging and rewarding program. As we move into spring (soon, I hope!), you will see the girls involved in many community projects some right outside our own St. Paul’s.

TRINITY NEWS

Winter is nearly over and we can believe the groundhog, we only have about three weeks of winter left.

Trinity folks have had a busy winter season. On December 5^th, our choir, with members from St. Paul’s choir and our community, performed an Advent concert to a full house. The music was enjoyed by all. Our choir also performed for seniors at Helen Henderson Care Centre and Rosewood Retirement Residence.

On December 21^st, members from Trinity and St. Paul’s together packed and distributed food hampers to 29 families in the area. This is truly a great outreach by both congregations to those in our community who are less fortunate.

On 5 consecutive Saturdays in January and February, Trinity held its 3^rd annual Saturday Wakeup Breakfasts. They have become a focal point for the community. This year we served 324 breakfasts and cleared a profit of $1,100.00. We extend a big thank you to those who helped organize this event and to those who helped cook and serve the breakfasts.

On January 12, a massive earthquake destroyed the city of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area in Haiti. An appeal was made for assistance. The congregations of Trinity and St. Paul’s have responded very generously. Currently, we have collected over $2,500.00 to help the people of Haiti put their lives back together.

On February 20^th, Trinity hosted a Down Home Dinner. This dinner was a celebration of Black History month. It was also held as a fund raising event to raise funds for the Haitian relief effort. The dinner consisted of fried chicken, succotash, beans and a choice of pecan and sweet potato pie. The Trinity choir performed several numbers. There was also a black history quiz, a silent auction and line dancing. A fun time was had by all. This event raised about $2,400.00 for Haitian Earthquake relief. With previous monies collected, this makes close to $5,000 raised for this cause. A truly fantastic effort for our congregations!

BULLETIN COVERS, YOUNG ARTISTS

OK, we have lots of photos from the adults, well a good selection, but none from our youngsters. How about some drawings or sketches from our Sunday School children?

Contact Don Coleman at 613-374-2445.

ST. PAUL’S FLOOD OF 2010

The January thaw took on a different meaning this year at St. Paul’s – a flood! On January 25, the entire downstairs was completely covered. The water was six inches deep in some areas! Fast work by volunteers was needed to move furniture to higher ground and save as much as possible. By late afternoon, most of the water had been removed, the rain had slowed and the damage assessed.

To date, the walls have been prepared for renovation. Work on the walls should begin next week and then the flooring can be replaced. Some alterations have been made to the outside of the building (downspouts, drainage holes) to allow maximum rainwater dispersal. The Property Committee will be looking into other upgrades outside to ensure that this will not happen again.

As I walked into the church on the morning of January 25, my first thoughts were “Oh, my!“ It seemed a monumental task to get the church back to what it was before the flood. Immediately, I realized that first of all, the task would be decreased by the number of willing helpers. Secondly, I counted my blessings because I knew I could go home to a warm safe house at night. Put into that context, it’s really just a small bump in the road!

(Notice the water ripple in the middle)

WINTER WEEKEND WAKE-UP BREAKFASTS

Our Trinity United Church Winter Weekend Wake-Up Breakfasts have been a resounding success for the past three years. The greatest benefit has been the socializing which has taken place among the 942 attendees that we have served. Total income, for the past three years, has been $4971.50 with a cumulative profit of $3089.00. The organizing committee wishes to thank the many patrons who have supported us and the team of over 30 volunteers who have assisted with this fun and rewarding venture.

Not only has a reasonable financial profit been realized by our church, but we also have collected and donated food items to the local food bank, contributed a breakfast for Linda Bates’ Haitian School Assistance Group in 2009, and this year provided a breakfast for the Play Group mothers through the Childcare Centre. We also collected over $200 for the Haitian Relief Fund.

We thank the many church and community members who have contributed to make this occasion a fun event as well as a financial success. If you are interested in assisting in this most enjoyable event or serving on the organizing committee, please contact us.

John and Ann McDougall

Doug and Lynda Boulter

Breakfast Organizing Committee

BAPTISMS

We recently welcomed into the St. Paul’s church family

· Katherine Patricia Walker, daughter of Kurt and Carrie, granddaughter of Dennis and Donna Walker, and great-granddaughter of Ruth Bauder

· Jared McKenzie Hoag, son of John and Suzanne and little brother to Matthew

· Calen James McNutt, son of Chris and Mary Anne McNutt

IN MEMORIUM

The Trinity congregation mourns the death of

· William John Campsall, son of Bill and Margaret

· Phyllis MacIntyre, mother of Douglas MacIntyre and Bert Mountney

The St. Paul’s congregation mourns the death of

· Olive Wallace, a long-time member and sister of Dorothy McCulloch

BOOK REVIEW

Rush Home Road

By Lori Lansens 2002

Reviewed by: Don Coleman

Addy Shad was born in the early part of the 20th century in the fictional town of Rushholme, near Chatham Ontario.

Rushholme was a black community that was a terminus of the underground railway and was settled by fugitive slaves in the mid 19th century (Rusholme is most likely North Buxton, Ontario). The story starts when Addy is elderly. She is living a quiet life in a trailer park near Chatham. A neighbour sends her 5 year old daughter, Sharla, over to Addy’s so that Addy can look after her. Sharla’s mother then leaves with her boyfriend never to be seen again.

Addy takes Sharla in and becomes a mother to the young girl. Sharla’s presence helps Addy revisit her troubled past. It helps her to come to terms with the past hurts and tragedies in her life and find forgiveness. The novel weaves between two time frames – Addy’s current life with Sharla and Addy’s past life. It is a moving story of black woman’s struggles while living in small town Ontario in the 20th century.

Rush Home Road is available through the Kingston-Frontenac Public Library.

OUR KIDS

I met with Brock Norman today for a little chat. Brock is 8 years old, the son of Jason and Sarah Norman and brother to his 5-year old sister, Sophie. Brock is in grade 3 and, while he does his homework, thinks that gym is fun. His home overlooks Desert Lake where he helps with loading wood. The best fun is to play hockey and the worst is getting into trouble. This winter he entered the ice fishing contest on Desert Lake where he won a prize for the 3^rd largest fish, a perch. He has an Alaskan Malamute called Anika, no cats and one goldfish. Family time includes great games of Monopoly, riding his bike and playing baseball. His ambition is to be an astronaut or at least to work with them. Shoot for the stars, Brock, you may just get there.

CHRISTMAS FOOD HAMPERS

Last Christmas, through a combined effort from members of St. Paul’s and Trinity, we distributed 29 food hampers to needy families in our area.

We are grateful for the many donations that helped make this possible. Costco, again this year, donated 30 turkeys. A donation was made by the Milk Marketing Board towards the purchase of milk. Donations of hand-knitted mittens, Christmas cakes, cheese, canned goods, and other food items were made by different groups. These included items collected from food drives by the Harrowsmith Guides, Harrowsmith Public School and Prince Charles Public School. In addition, food items, posted in sticky notes in each church were donated by members from both congregations.

This is a truly remarkable outreach that we do each year to help less fortunate families in our area enjoy a happy Christmas

JUST FOLKS

DAN BELL

If you could pick your neighbour, it would be Dan Bell.

Dan was born on October 24, 1956 and has been a resident of this area his whole life. He is one of nine children (five brothers and three sisters), raised by a single mother - a challenge at any time.

Dan has been married to Sandy for 27 years. He once told me, it was love at first sight! The first time he met Sandy, he knew that he would marry her. They have two children. Heather is 21 and attends the University of Ottawa. Most of us in this area have heard Heather sing at various events. She is certainly a talented lady. Dylan, their son, is 18 and is hoping to attend college in the near future.

Many homes in the Harrowsmith area have had their property value increased because of the fine quality work by Bell Windows and Siding. This business has been operating in this area for 22 years.

I once asked Dan what he would do when he retired. His answer was quick and typically Dan, “I would volunteer more.“ Volunteering is a natural part of Dan’s life. He has been the President of the Harrowsmith and District Social and Athletic Club for 9 years. The club organizes many events for our community including the Santa Claus Parade and Canada Day on the Park. Dan is also a member of the South Frontenac Parks and Recreation Committee Portland District and recently the newly formed Central Recreation Committee. His dedication to the community earned him a Volunteer of the Year for Portland District in 2006.

The Bell family had the opportunity to travel to Cuba just before Christmas. I think they deliberately chose the week we had the most snow! This was a new experience for all of them and now the Social and Athletic Club is thinking about where they should go next year.

The saying goes, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” This applies so much to Dan. He is a good neighbour and a better friend who is always willing to lend a hand when needed.

HEAVENLY HUMOUR

One old man to another:- My wife said, :Watcha doin’ today?”

I said, “Nothing.”

She said, “You did that yesterday.”

I said, “I wasn’t finished.

-0-

One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad."

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yeah," said the son.

"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four.

We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our yard, they have a creek that has no end.

We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.

Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."

HOUSE WRENS

Every home should have its house wren. These tiny birds appreciate a birdhouse with a very small opening - about 3/4 inch wide (too small for starlings!). They don't mind being quite close to your windows, so you can watch them. Spring doesn't arrive for me till I hear their high-pitched chirping when I open the front door. This year my two wren houses were occupied by May 13.

May, two years ago, when I went out the front door, one of the wrens was on my porch railing, madly chirping away just a couple of feet in front of me, clearly trying to get a message across. This behavior was totally different from the usual. "Something's wrong," I thought. I looked over and sure enough one of the houses had fallen out
of the tree. Isn't that amazing that the little bird somehow connected me with a cure for their problem!? The problem was really that the glue wasn't strong enough to withstand the weather, so I've since learned to screw all wooden parts together before I paint and hang the house up.

Sometimes I can buy a birdhouse at Michael's craft store that looks like a church because it's the only one with a door that opens, making it easy to clean it out in the fall. I put a little latch on the door so it doesn't fall open when nest-making starts. Wrens will usually raise two families, sometimes three, in a summer. After they depart in the fall, I clean the house out and store it in a garden shed or garage until I can put it up again in the spring.

It was Carol Ramer who first told me about house wrens, and now I feel my summer isn't complete without them!

Jennifer Bennett

INCOME TAX BREAK

Here's a way to save on your income tax bill while benefiting your community. When you buy groceries for the food bank at Rural Visions, save your receipt and take it there with you. You can either have it signed and save it, to collect a bunch to hand in later, or you can hand it in immediately for a receipt at the next cheque-sending date. The food bank is desperate now, with so many unemployed in our area.

Always appreciated are canned foods, cereals, baby foods and pasta.

I have seen flowers come in stony places
And kind things done by men with ugly faces
And the gold cup won by the worst horse at the races,
So I trust too.

John Masefield - poet

UPCOMING EVENTS

· Look for an announcement of a choir concert near the end of April or early May

· Sun., May 30 – 5^th Sunday combined worship service at St. Paul’s

· Sun., June 13 – Trinity Anniversary service

· June 27 – Father’s Day

· June 27 – Communion at both churches

· July 17 – Trinity summer picnic at the Adamson’s

NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Rev. Lynda Price - 372-2525 (547-8081)

St. Paul’s – Sheila Anthony - 376-6164

Trinity – Don Coleman – 374-2445

Trinity - Doug MacIntyre - 374-5282

email - douglasmacintyre@hotmail.com

for the next Newsletter is:-

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

(F) – Fellowship Sunday

Date/Designation	St. Paul’s	Trinity	Lay Readers
Sun., Feb. 28 Lent 2	Rev. Lynda away, service at both churches will be led by Jennifer Bennett.		SP – Robert Galbraith TR – Lynda Boulter
Tues., Mar. 2		7:00 PM – Stewards meet
Fri., Mar. 5	7:00 PM – World Day of Prayer Service	9:00 AM – World Day of Prayer Service followed by luncheon.
Sun., Mar. 7 Lent 3	Rev. Lynda away, service at both churches led by Mary Whitney, an Inquirer for Ministry in the U.C.C.		SP – Sheila Anthony TR – John McDougall
Tues., Mar. 9	7:00 PM - Council meets
Sun., Mar. 14 Lent 4		Shortened worship service followed by congregational meeting.	SP – Nancy Moore-Carr TR – Glenda Turner
Sun., Mar. 21 Lent 5 (F)			SP – Eileen van der Zwan TR – Carl Turner
Sun., Mar. 28 Palm Sunday			SP – Brenda Crawford TR – Linda Brown
Fri., Apr. 2 Good Friday	11:00 AM - Combined worship/communion at Trinity 7:00 PM – Voices of Easter Concert, S. Patrick’s Church, Napanee
Sun., Apr. 4 Easter	7:30 AM – Lakeshore worship in Verona followed by coffee and muffins at Trinity. 9:15 AM – Easter worship at Trinity 11:00 AM – Easter worship at St. Paul’s		SP – Elaine Lazier TR – Ralph McInnes
Tues., Apr. 6		7:00 PM – Session and Stewards meet
Sun., Apr. 11 Easter 2			SP – Gayle Robertson TR – Darlene Nicol
Tues., Apr. 13	7:00 PM – Council meets
Sun., Apr. 18 Easter 3 (F)			SP – Robert Galbraith TR – Doug MacIntyre
Sat., Apr. 24	Yard Sale
Sun., Apr. 25 Easter 4			SP – Sheila Anthony TR – Lynda Boulter
Mon., Apr. 26	7:00 PM – Official Board meets at St. Paul’s
Sun., May 2 Easter 5			SP – Nancy Moore-Carr TR – John McDougall
Tues., May 4		7:00 PM – Session and Stewards meet
Sat., May 8		Mother’s Day Pie Sale
Sun., May 9	Christian Family Sunday/Mother’s Day		SP – Eileen van der Zwan TR – Jennifer Bennett
Tues., May 11	7:00 PM – Council meets
Sun., May 16 Easter 7 (F)			SP – Brenda Crawford TR – Carl Sole
Sat., May 22		Whale of a Sale
Sun., May 23			SP - Elaine Lazier TR – Linda Brown