Please join us for our new and revamped Westminster Christmas Bazaar, Bake Sale & Tea! It will offer tables of interesting and unique gifts, baked goods as well as a lovely tea to enjoy while browsing. You won’t want to miss getting some of your Christmas shopping done early and support our church at the same time. We hope to see you there!
December 1st will be a very full Sunday! We will gather to worship, praise and pray to our awesome God! Here's what is happening; We have Communion; It is the start of Advent (we light the candle of hope); there will be a financial appeal for Deacon’s Fund to help those who may be struggling financially; Pageant practice in the Sunday School. Pastor Ruttan will offer Part 3 in the Armageddon series with a message titled 'Are there 'signs' that the end is coming?' Quite often people think that escalating environmental disasters and moral collapse in society are signs that the world as we currently know it is coming to an end sooner than later. But how does this fit with what Jesus says in Matthew 24? One thing is for sure: he offers us the metaphor of giving birth. At the of labour, there is a wonderful new thing (a new life!), but the process leading up to that new life is increasingly difficult. And additionally, gifts are due for our family sponsorship project through Simcoe Muskoka Family Connections. & of course, there will be nursery care. Let's learn and grow together on this first Sunday in Advent.
Please consider joining Pastor Ruttan on Sat. Dec. 7 from 9:30 to 11:30am as he welcomes the Rev. Dr. Jeff Loach, who will lead a spiritual gifts workshop for us in the Fellowship Hall. All the details, an introduction to Rev. Dr. Jeff Loach and pre-work requirements for attending can be found here. Sign up in the foyer and direct questions to Pastor Ruttan.
Sunday December 8th is the second week of Advent when we light the candle of Peace. We will worship, pray and sing the songs of Advent. And for those who missed the opportunity last week to contribute to the financial appeal for the Deacon's Fund, we will be collecting this week as well. There will be full nursery care, and Sunday school from preschool to high school as our young people have one last practice before the pageant next week. During the message, Pastor Ruttan will offer Part 4 in the Armageddon series: 'The difference any of it makes.' When thinking through big topics like the end of the world, it can get cerebral; but it should actually compel us to think through how we might live in hope on a daily basis. That's what we'll explore on Sunday. Let's honour the Prince of Peace together!
This year's Christmas Pageant by the Westminster Presbyterian Church Sunday School will be held on Sunday, December 15th! It's called "Christmas Idol" and is a creative, engaging, telling of the nativity story from a different perspective, highlighting the significance of the birth of Jesus as the "star" of Christmas. This is an annual highlight at Westminster so be sure to be there. Not only will the congregation experience the production itself, but will get to join in with the singing of many favourite and meaningful carols. December 15th is also Mitten Tree Sunday -- this is a day when you are invited to bring in hats, mittens/gloves and scarves for the clients of the David Busby Street Centre. We will also light the third candle of Advent - Joy. Let's worship God together on this celebratory and uplifting Sunday!
WPC ADULT SOCIAL CLUB (ASC) Christmas dinner meeting is on Sunday December 15 at 6:30pm. Please note it is the second week of the month this time. We are limited to 30 seats for our popular Christmas dinner, please book early. Our dinner location is: Scotty’s Restaurant 636 Yonge St., (705) 725-1711. The reservation is in the name of 'Westminster'. Please contact Gayle Atkinson 705 627 9790 (vmail or text) or David and Linda Holloway 705-722-4032 no later than Wednesday Dec. 11 at noon, if you would like to participate. Please call the restaurant after this deadline to make any changes. Thanks!
Sunday January 5th, the first Sunday of a brand new decade, we will gather together as a church family to praise our incredible God. Pastor Ruttan will lead our service His message will talk about committing our activities and pathways to the Lord for his glory: 'It's not always what you're doing but who you're doing it for.' It is also our monthly Q&A session (delayed one week due to Christmas) and will address some of the questions submitted in the past month. This will happen right after the service in the sanctuary. There will be nursery care and the full Sunday School will be in operation. Hope to see you there!
Sunday January 12th we'll gather for a special morning to sing, pray, learn and worship our amazing and life-giving God! During the service several of our young people will offer faith statements as a part of the confirmation process they have been going through with Pastor Ruttan. Some will also be baptized! After the service we will also enjoy some fellowship and cake together. Nursery care will be provided, as will the youngest two Sunday school classes. The older two classes (taught by Laura Ruttan and Mandy Hillyard) will stay in the service to witness the confirmations. Let's honour God, and support these young people, together.
Find that January is a bit of a chore to get through? Join us on the 18th for an "all you can eat" pasta dinner at 5:30. We'll enjoy salad, pasta and dessert. There will be gluten free pasta available and an assortment of sauces. Wear your funniest or most creative hat - you might win a prize! Come out and enjoy some fun, frivolity and fellowship! Tickets are $15 each, children under 8 free. Family rate for 4 or more (over 8) $40. They are available after church on Sunday or at the church office during regular hours starting January 7th.
Sunday January 19th the Westminster Family will gather to worship our incredible God upstairs and down! Pastor Ruttan will explore Romans 8:18-30, a deep passage penned by the apostle Paul about having hope through hardship, and God's big picture vision that is meant to give us perspective for whatever we're dealing with. It's a message that might resonate with us in a particularly significant way at this gloomy time of year! We will also recognize and thank our outgoing elders who have served on our church’s session, but whose term came to an end at the end of 2019. They continue to be elders but are no longer active at the monthly session meetings. At Westminster, elders who complete their term as called “sustaining elders.” They continue to be called upon from time to time to offer help or wisdom at the church. There will be nursery care and the full Sunday School will be in operation. Hope to see you there!