As I thought about this coming Advent and Christmas season, I was looking for a way for us to engage with the Christmas

story in fresh ways. After all, the accounts of the Nativity in the Bible are some of the best loved parts of the entire Scriptures but, precisely

because of that, the stories are so familiar that we think we already know everything there is to know about them. We should never assume that

about any Bible passages because they always have hidden depths in them. So, how to help people hear them as if for the first time?

As I pondered these questions, I was inspired by what was happening in our music program where we have seen growth, not only in our adult choir, but also in

several ensembles and groups in the past year. In order to give a chance for all of these groups to participate in the special music themed service on December 17 (more about that elsewhere in this newsletter) they are putting together a program called, “Christmas through Many Voices.”

I liked the idea of listening to different voices tell the Christmas story so I decided to use that approach in my preaching as well. I have decided to let

various characters in the Christmas story – minor or supporting characters who are not given the chance to voice their own thoughts about it – the chance

to tell us the story of the first Christmas. These will be some of our narrators:

December 3: Elizabeth December 10: The sheep December 17: Gabriel, prophets,

the sun

St. Andrew’s Hespeler Presbyterian ChurchSt. Andrew’s Hespeler Presbyterian Church

73 Queen St. E., Cambridge, ON73 Queen St. E., Cambridge, ON

N3C 2A9 (519) 658N3C 2A9 (519) 658--26522652

www.standrewshespeler.cawww.standrewshespeler.ca

Advent Edition, 2017Advent Edition, 2017

December 24 (am): Quirinius December 24 (pm): Cow, Matthew December 31: Herod the Great

Scott McAndless

Many Voices at Christmas

New Use for an Ancient Teaching Tool

In 2004, the Church Doctrine Committee of the Presbyterian Church in Canada published a document called, A Catechism for Today.

A Catechism is one of the most ancient teaching tools ever invented. It is a lengthy document that consists of a series of questions with supplied answers. It was considered to be a good tool for teaching basic knowledge and came into common use, for Catholics, Protestants and even secular education, in the time of the Reformations. Catechisms were usually taught by rote with students memorizing long passages.

Rote memorization is generally not seen as a great teaching method today because it doesn’t encourage deep understanding or critical thinking, nevertheless, the Doctrine Committee decided to revive the catechetical format because it offers such an excellent summary of the basic teachings of the Christian faith and we are living in an age when many are not very familiar with those teachings.

Our Christian Education Committee was looking for some tool that they could use to help our children and everyone in the church to deepen our understanding of the basics of the faith and decided that this 2004 Catechism would very helpful. At their suggestion (and with the enthusiastic agreement of Session) we will be making use of the Catechism throughout 2018.

The document is broken up into 52 readings and so, each week, we will be including a reading from the catechism in our bulletin. If you attend every week next year and cut out the reading and take it home, you will have a copy of the whole thing by December 30, 2018! Let’s see who manages to do that!

Some might prefer to have a bound copy, however. The Christian Education Committee will be giving each child in the Holy Sherlocks class a copy that they will be able to take home at the end of the year. Anyone else who would like one to use in their family may order one through the church for $7.50.

Each week, through the year, the Holy Sherlock class will deal with the reading for that day and talk about what it means. On many Sunday’s the catechism reading will also guide the minister in the preparation of the sermon and other parts of the service so we will all be learning together. What an excellent initiative from our Christian Education committee!

Some Extra-Special Sermons

As indicated above, the minister will be using the catechism to guide him in sermon topics in the New Year. There will be some exceptions to that, however. For example, in the Anniversary Dream Auction, the minister put the chance to choose a sermon topic up for auction. The winning bidders, Andy Cann and Jean Godin, will name the topic one Sunday in January and February respectively.

Corey Linforth

Christmas Through Many Voices

On Dec 17th, the Adult Choir and all the musical groups at St. Andrew's (there are 6!) will be sharing their unique voices to present “Christmas Through Many Voices.” This will be the first time that all of these group have shared music on the same day. We will have many styles from contemporary pop pieces to hymns originating in the 17th century. As always, Adult Choir will be the cornerstone of this presentation with three pieces. They will be joined by additional members from inside and outside of the congregation and they will be joined by the Youth Band.

Earlier this year, Session adopted a practice of blended worship for music, meaning we include both contemporary and traditional music in each worship service, so this is the perfect way for us to celebrate Christmas this year.

There will be three mini messages that day looking at the Christmas story from different perspectives.

In addition to all of the talented people we have here at St. Andrew's, we will have a few guests. There will be a ringer for each section of the choir: Sarah Pearson (soprano), Hollie Dunkeley (alto), Marcel Van Helden (tenor), and Gerry King (bass), and Anthea Conway-White will be joining us on flute.

Guest Flautist, Anthea Conway-White

Anthea Conway-White graduated with a MMus in Historical Performance from the Royal College of Music (London, UK) in 2016 and earned an Hons. BMus with high distinction and triple majors in performance, music theory, and music history from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2014. That same year, Laurier awarded her the Faculty of Music’s Gold Medal and she won a Leading Edge Award from Arts Awards Waterloo Region. She also holds an ARCT in flute performance with distinction from the Royal Conservatory of Music and won that institution’s 2012 Gold Medal for Music Theory by earning the highest average mark in Canada for the eight theory and history exams then required to earn an ARCT in any subject. Anthea is a freelance performer on both modern and baroque flutes. She has performed with many ensembles, including the Nota Bene Baroque Players, Toronto Masque Theatre, Toronto Bach Festival, Theatre of Early Music, Spiritus Ensemble, and the K-W Chamber Orchestra. She also enjoys teaching private lessons to people of all ages.

Anthea with her Baroque flute. (She will

be playing the modern flute)

Instead of having one person chose five favourite hymns, for our Advent/Christmas newsletter I asked some staff members to chose one of their Christmas hymns and share why.

Corey Linforth

Favourite Hymns: Christmas Edition

Jan Bancarz: My favourite Christmas carol is Joy to the World. The reason it is my favourite carol is for the following reasons:

It is a happy song that delivers the best news ever! It is the first Christmas carol I learned to play on my keyboard! Jesus has come! And when hearts welcome Him and “prepare Him room”, we now have a reason to sing, along with heaven and nature!

Sins forgiven, tasting His goodness, experiencing the “wonders of His love”, citizens of heaven, the blessed hope of not only seeing our Lord but spending eternity with Him—this is reason to sing and shout!

This carol also speaks of Jesus ruling and it reminds me of the wonderful prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7 – “ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of

Peace . Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.” Joy to the World – the Lord has come and is coming again!

Corey Linforth: My favourite “Christmas” hymn is We Three Kings. The reason it is my favourite is quite simple. When I was little, my mom had a porcelain Christmas tree that had colourful marbles that looked like ornaments and lit up. It played a music box version of We Three Kings and the whole thing was very magical to me. I loved it. So, the hymn has managed to stick as my favourite.

Scott: McAndless: I like to go for the unusual answers, so I’m going to say that my favourite Christmas Carol is #134 in our Book of Praise: Lord you were rich. I have two main reasons:

1. The lyrics are a wonderful and beautiful statement of the meaning to the incarnation. It is all about God entering into our human experience and sharing our frailty with us.

2. I love the tune which is an old French Carol, especially because Holly Cole sings a hauntingly beautiful version of an English translation that I love to listen to every year at Christmas: What Is this Lovely Fragrance Softly Stealing.

Spotlight on Hymns

Longest Night Service

This year, the music for the longest night service will be provided by Marg McKenzie-Leighton, Heather Robertson, and Corey Linforth. The three of us will be singing a variety of trios with little solo sections. The music selected is gentle and reflects on the Christ Child. The piece I am most excited about is a piece by Canadian composer Eleanor Daley called Each Child. The text talks about how every child brings light and magic into the world the way the infant Jesus did. In addition to being well-known as a composer, Eleanor works as a music director at a church in Toronto. I have always found her music to be meaningful and touching and I am happy to be able to share it with St. Andrew’s thanks to the wonderful voices and talent of Marg and Heather.

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen/Lo, how a rose e'er blooming/A Spotless Rose is growing

At this year’s Christmas service, there will be two pieces that originate from a German text from before the 17th century. It first appears with a tune in 1609 and, amazingly, we still use the same tune today. I don't have a lot that I want to say about this hymn (given how old it is, we also know very little about its history), but I do find the two popular English translations, the first by Theodore Baker in 1894, and the second by Catherine Winkworth in the early 20th century, fascinating in the ways that they are different and the same. I've shared the first verse of each version I've referred to below so that you can take a look for yourself. Perhaps foolishly, I actually did not realize that these two poems that I knew originated from the same German text.

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, aus einer Wurzel zart, wie uns die Alten sungen, von Jesse kam die Art Und hat ein Blümlein bracht mitten im kalten Winter, wohl zu der halben Nacht.

Lo, how a rose e’er blooming, From tender stem hath sprung. Of Jesse's lineage coming, As men of old have sung; It came, a flow’ret bright, Amid the cold of winter, When half spent was the night.

A Spotless Rose is growing, Sprung from a tender root, Of ancient seers’ foreshowing, Of Jesse promised fruit; Its fairest bud unfolds to light Amid the cold, cold winter, And in the dark midnight.

At our Dec 17th service (the one with all the music! See the “Christmas Through Many Voices” article) one of our small ensembles (Randy Vermaas, David Krueger, and myself) will sing an arrangement of Lo, how a rose and the Adult Choir will sing an arrangement of A Spotless Rose. The adult choir piece has a new tune, but also includes a flute line which quotes the tune of Lo, how a rose that we know from our hymnal.

Joni Smith

Christian Education News

Sunday School News: New Year’s Eve happens to fall on a Sunday this year, so Sunday School on December 31st will be quite different. We are going to have our very own New Year’s Eve party! Come in your (church appropriate!) pajamas if you like. In fact you can just hop out of bed and come to church because the first part of our party will be having breakfast together. After breakfast we will do some fun activities and then play some games. At 11:00 am, along with the entire congregation, we will ring in the New Year (well it will be the New Year in China at that time) with some noise makers and some sparkling fruit juices. I can’t wait to see everyone there!

Pop Cans: Please keep the pop cans coming in. With the money raised by cashing in the pop

cans our Holy Sherlocks class gets to investigate, learn and vote on a mission project or charity to support. This past year the Holy Sherlock class organized a Bake Sale and combined with pop can proceeds of $750 were directed to PWS&D’s Sunday School Challenge: Farming for the Future. We will soon be investigating new programs, projects and charities to learn about and help out. Thank you for your continued support.

Youth Ministry: Youth Ministry at St. Andrew’s is about to change! We have several wonderful youth at St. Andrew's. They are involved in the youth band, the Tech Team, Sunday School and Nursery. They help out in so many ways, at the Pancake Supper, the float for the Santa Claus parade and a variety of other ways, too. Our youth are not our future because they are important to us NOW.

Throughout the past year we have gotten together to have a pizza supper and watch Netflix, we have worked together on the Pancake Supper, we have painted the new youth room, The Spot. We are thankful and grateful for Corey Linforth and Amy Lightfoot for their continued support of our youth with the Youth Band. In some ways we have been a busy group, but our youth deserve more. They deserve to have more people take notice of them and get involved with them. Recently the members of Session unanimously agreed to partner/mentor with each youth. This is an exciting first step to a new kind of Youth Ministry here at St. Andrew's. It will take some time to organize and implement. I have been working with Mike Wasyluk, Emerging Generations Engagement Facilitator with the

Presbytery of Waterloo-Wellington to brainstorm ways and ideas to work with our youth. In the new year we will be having workshops to re-learn how to talk with youth, how to show them that we

The Youth Band sang recently in worship

genuinely care. We have much work to do, but I'm excited to think about how our Youth Ministry might grow in 2018. Eventually we will be asking the congregation members to become involved, too. As for our youth, we hope that you will talk with us. Let us know what you need, what you would like us to do for you! Together we can build an amazing Youth Ministry that includes all of our youth.

Harm Reduction Workshop: Please save Saturday, January 27, 2018 from 10:00 – noon. The Christian Education Committee is hosting this workshop. We will have a chance to learn all about fentanyl and opioids. We will have guest speakers from Waterloo Regional Police Services, the Waterloo Region Public Health Unit, Ray of Hope, Sanguen Health Centre. We will also have a chance to ask questions. This will be a very informative workshop, please plan to attend. Everyone is welcome to join us.

A Mission to Malawi

The Mission and Outreach Committee of St. Andrew’s has agreed to make a mission to Malawi in Africa a key outreach of our church in 2018. This mission is an important operation that can result in a lot of good in the way of the Holy Spirit. But we will need your help in sponsoring two or three of our congregation members who have applied to go and act. Two of the members of the team will actually

be returning for their sixth mission trip to the country! This mission is coordinated by Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D) to help education development, hospital improvement, village health programs as well as HIV and AIDS programs to help inform people on the threat of this disease. The mission will be conducted from April 8-26, 2018 and the deadline to raise the necessary funds for our congregation’s team is mid-March at which point the fundraising period is concluded.

We need to raise $500 per member at this time so we can aid those in Malawi who are in need. Please contact Peter Moyer, Bill Pettit, Jean Godin or Elaine Benson from the Mission and Outreach Committee for further details. (You can

call the church office to be put in touch with any one of these people)

For more information on the Mission, please consult http://presbyterian.ca/im/missiontrips/

Bill Hunter (shown here on a previous trip) is eager to return.

Peter Moyer

Your Mission & Outreach Committee Hard at Work

A few of our congregation members have signed up for a Mission to Malawi trip early in April 2018 and our committee is vigorously pursuing ways of spreading the word, in search of prayer, moral and monetary support. We will be having a fundraising supper on Saturday, February 3rd, 2018, which will be an evening of food and fun with other interesting activities being planned. Have I piqued your curiosity? Tickets will go on sale very soon and a table will be set up after services during coffee time with more information. Please consider supporting these dedicated missionaries in any way possible.

Presbyterian Women

Fundscrip at Christmas

The Presbyterian Women will be hosting their Christmas Pot Luck lunch and program on December 6, 2017 at 11:30 am at St. Luke’s Place. All are welcome to share in the fellowship as we prepare for Christmas. For more information contact Jean Godin or Sylvia Westbrook

Knitters! No need to stop. There will be a packing session in

March for the knitted hats and vests that go to India.

Scott McAndless

An Intermission

Karen Horst, a recent moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (she visited us during our 160th anniversary celebrations), noted the following in an article in the Presbyterian Record during her moderatorial year:

The Presbytery of Waterloo-Wellington (which oversees all Presbyterian churches in this region) has been very concerned about issues of clergy burnout and stress in recent years and seeking ways to help and encourage its ministers.

Thankfully, as far back as 1992 that The Presbyterian Church in Canada recognized that it would be good to provide the option for ministers and congregations to undertake a short season of Intermission in which the minister is not involved in any ministry for ten weeks. It is important to note that our denomination’s intention for Intermission is best defined in this way: “This time is to be for the sake of self, not for congregation, the Church or for acquiring academic credentials.” It is a time for re-creation and renewal of spirit in the life of the minister.

Our Presbytery, in an effort to combat clergy burn out, passed a motion earlier this year encouraging all of the ministers in its bounds to take such an Intermission approximately once every five years of ministry. It also required that all future calls in the Presbytery would include the requirement to take Intermissions. In recent years over half a dozen of ministers and congregations have benefited from an Intermission. Intermissions must be approved by the Session and the Presbytery. Also, intermissions

More than 20,000 clergy left the ministry in 2010 alone in the U.S., and according to a survey done by the Francis Schaeffer Institute, 71 per cent of pastors serving churches today are burned out and battling depression and fatigue. The same survey discovered that 48 per cent would leave their churches today if they could get other jobs. The statistics are similar here in Canada. (For further material see the Alban Institute’s work on clergy burnout and previous articles in the Presbyterian Record.) Certainly, in my travels throughout the church, I am discovering clergy who are faithful, devoted Christians and yet they are struggling to keep their heads above water.

are self-funded in that they do not cost the congregation any more than what is already provided in one’s continuing education allowance. I am pleased to inform you that everything has been approved for me to take an Intermission in 2018. This will be my first ever Intermission after over a quarter century of continual ministry.

My personal goals for the Intermission are the following:

Spend time in meditation, prayer and in reading; Work on some personal passion projects — a book that I believe that God has laid on my heart and

a Podcast retelling stories from the Bible; Spend significant time without the mantle of leadership or pastoral responsibility; Be present with my family.

I believe that my time away from St. Andrew’s will be meaningful for you as well. I trust that you will find ways of engaging in leadership and pastoral care that will draw you closer together during my absence. The adage, ‘Absence makes the heart grow stronger’ applies too in that a break in the routine of our relationship will likely increase our appreciation for each other’s gifts and abilities.

Prior to the beginning of the Intermission, determinations will be made regarding pulpit supply and pastoral care coverage. While on Intermission, I will not be available to the congregation. My absence will be covered by a collection of available ministers within our presbytery. Members of Session and our Deacons will also play a significant role during this time. We’ll give you more details as the time approaches.

The Intermission will begin on Monday April 16 for a period to ten weeks. I am very grateful to the Session and to the Presbytery for their encouragement and support in me taking this Intermission. It is a gift to be nurtured in this way and I am confident that this intentional Sabbath rest will be a blessing to me, my family, and St. Andrew’s and our future ministry together.

Scott McAndless

Have you heard my podcast?

I have been putting out a weekly podcast since Thanksgiving. Each week I have been telling a story from the Bible in an engaging and entertaining way. In the first season of my Podcast, which runs from October 11 to December 20, I have been telling the Christmas story. So why not listen? You can find the podcast by searching for “Retelling the Bible” on the Itunes store, on Google Play, Stitcher and on many other podcasting apps. You can listen on a smartphone, a tablet or on a computer. So I hope you enjoy it and tell other people

about this new way to learn about Bible stories.

Important Upcoming Dates

Date Place Time Event

Sat. Dec. 2 Queen Street Noon Hespeler Santa Claus Parade. Come on out to cheer our float or to be part of the action!

Sun. Dec. 3 Sanctuary 10 am First Sunday in Advent, Celebration of Communion

Sun. Dec. 3 St. Luke’s United 3 pm Community Blue Christmas Service

Wed. Dec. 6 St. Luke’s Place 11:30 am Presbyterian Women’s Christmas Pot Luck

Thurs. Dec 7 Gymnasium 5 pm Thursday Night Supper & Social (always special in Advent)

Sun. Dec 10 Sanctuary and elsewhere

Starts 10 am Second Sunday in Advent, Advent Family Service, Celebration of Baptism, more fun afterwards

Sun. Dec 10 Foyer Last day to order Fundscrip cards and get them by Christmas

Thurs. Dec 14 Gymnasium 5 pm Thursday Night Supper & Social (always special in Advent)

Sun. Dec 17 Sanctuary 10 am Third Sunday in Advent, Christmas Through Many Voices!!

Thurs. Dec 21 Sanctuary 7:30 pm Longest Night Service with Communion

Sun. Dec 24 Sanctuary 10 am Service for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

Sun. Dec 24 Sanctuary 6 pm Family Christmas Eve Service

Sun. Dec 24 Sanctuary 8 pm Candlelight Communion Service

Mon. Dec 25 Your house Enjoy Christmas with your family!

Sun. Dec 31 Sanctuary and downstairs

10 am New Year Eve service and party

Sun. Jan 21 Sanctuary 10 am Andy gets to choose the sermon topic

Sat. Jan 27 Sanctuary 10 to noon Harm Reduction Workshop

Sat. Feb 3 Gymnasium TBA Spaghetti dinner in support of mission trip

The Back Page

Well, you have now read through this entire newsletter. Now let’s see how much of it you remember. Can you fill out this whole crossword puzzle without looking back?

ACROSS 3 A teaching tool 4 Emerging Generations

Engagement Facilitator 7 Mother of John the Baptist

9 The Word of God made

flesh 11 Host of the Blue Christmas

service

DOWN 1 Governor of Syria 2 Food eaten in support of Mission 5 A country in Africa 6 What kind of flute is Anthea holding? 8 A short season away from ministry 10 A particularly dangerous opioid