May 2020What’s Happening

What’s Inside

4 Try AlphaAlpha Online starts May 6

7 Sight & Sound ProjectCongregation-wide meeting on May 26

Church OnlineJoin our online service, virtual coffee hour and ministries

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A City Made NewSee how we are reaching out to our city

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We envision

A Church Made Alive,

A City Made New, and

A People Made Whole.

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Worship With Us OnlineAll are welcome to join our online worship service every Sunday at 10:30 am. Participate by saying hello in the YouTube chat, leaving a comment, or joining us for a virtual Coffee Hour after the service. Don't let social distancing hold you back from worshipping God together as a community!

For information, visit stpaulsbloor.org/watch-online or youtube.com/stpaulsbloor

Virtual Coffee Hour After the ServiceVirtual Coffee Hour is a terrific opportunity to engage with people you know and those you're meeting for the first time. Gather with us after the service at 11 am for a time of coffee and conversation in small groups. Coffee Hour will be open for an hour, but if you need to drop-off earlier, you are welcome to do so.

Find the Zoom link to join Coffee Hour at stpaulsbloor.org/watch-online or in the video description on Facebook and YouTube.

Zoom Into Our Ministries!Though we might not be there in-person, our Children and Youth Ministries are still running. Join us each week on Zoom as we continue to worship God as a community. For more information, visit stpaulsbloor.org/children and stpaulsbloor.org/youth

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Children's Ministry (4-10 years old)Sunday at 9:30 am

Youth Ministry (11-17 years old)Wednesday at 7 pm + Sunday at 11:30 am

MinistryTimes

Missed a point, or just want to listen again? You can listen to past sermons on our podcasts @stpaulsbloor

Apple Podcasts

What is Zoom?

Zoom is a platform that lets us host large video calls. Join Coffee Hour or our ministries by downloading the Zoom app by visiting zoom.us/download on your computer or smartphone, or call in using your phone.

Ways to Give

For more information on giving or how you can give, visit stpaulsbloor.org/give

Give Online

Pre-authorized Giving

Mail Cheque

Gift of Securities

Join Us for Alpha OnlineLife is full of questions! Who am I? Why am I here? The current Covid-19 crisis has raised even more questions: Where is God? What does the future hold? Is there any hope?

If you have questions about life and faith, you are invited to try Alpha this spring. During this time, St. Paul’s will be offering an online Alpha experience. Through a series of interactive sessions around video and discussion, you can engage these big questions. You're invited to try Alpha and we're challenging you to invite up to 5 friends to join you! It all begins on May 6.

Register today at stpaulsbloor.org/alpha

Continue Supporting Ministry at St. Paul's Even though the physical church is not open, there is a lot of ministry still going on. We are rapidly learning to lean into our vision where we are a church made alive by the power of the Holy Spirit, a city made new by the gospel of Jesus Christ, and a people made whole by the grace of God.

Your financial gifts allow us to offer online Children’s Ministry, Youth Ministry, Sunday worship, connecting with all of our large and diverse parish though pastoral outreach and Connect Groups. As we continue to grow ministry in this new age, we encourage you to consider online giving which is easy and vital in supporting the ongoing ministry of St. Paul's.

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DivorceCare and GriefShare Virtual SeriesThis a tough season, and an even tougher one for those that may be going through a time of grief or divorce. St. Paul's will be running a virtual series for DivorceCare and GriefShare starting in May till August.

DivorceCareTuesdays, starting May 19 to August 11 from 6 pm to 8pm

GriefShareWednesdays, starting May 20 to August 12 from 6 pm to 8pm

To register, visit stpaulsbloor.org/care or for more information, contact Nancy Truscott at parishnurse@stpaulsbloor.org

"For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink;”

Matthew 25:35

Your Financial Gifts Also Support Our Local Partners... Walking down Bloor Street, it’s easy to see the people who are facing the challenge of homelessness. Where can they go during this COVID-19 pandemic and who will help them? Our neighbours at Sanctuary and Church of the Redeemer have long standing ministries to help these vulnerable members of society. During this time of social distancing, they are providing healthy, fresh meals-to-go which people can enjoy. St. Paul’s is honoured to be able to share our chef’s skills with them. Chef Omari will be preparing a weekly meal for each of these ministries and our volunteers will be delivering them to Sanctuary and Church of the Redeemer during the month of May. We are a blessed church and we praise God he is enabling us to bless others with our skills and gifts.

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Congratulations to Mounaf, Saleh and Ghazal!

Four years ago on Monday, February 8, 2016, the Al Osman family arrived in Canada. The family made up of dad Hozayfa, mother Samia Al Kadour and children Mounaf, Saleh and Ghazal were sponsored by the St. Paul's Bloor Street congregation from the country of Syria via Lebanon.

On Saturday, February 22, 2020, Mounaf, Saleh and Ghazal celebrated as they received their Canadian Citizenship. Joined by their parents along with a few friends; Connie, Ezelda, Annemarie and Evadne (past members of the Refugee Committee) they proudly witnessed this momentous Citizenship Ceremony led by Justice Wong.

There were smiles from everyone in attendance, especially the children. Ghazal summed it all up by stating "I cannot wait to go to school on Monday, and tell my friends, I am a Canadian Citizen."

Please join us in celebration, and continual to prayer for the family and the country of Syria.

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The Launch of the Sight & Sound ProjectIn the midst of the social distancing we are currently experiencing, St. Paul’s continues to move forward in planning for the future. We believe this moment will only add to the resilience of this church – God’s church – and the ministry that has taken place here for the past 178 years. We must plan for the future. Barry Parker, in his Vestry (AGM) Reports for the past few years has identified the need for renovations in the main church.

• The electrical system is almost 110 years old and needs to be upgraded to meet current building codes and energy efficiency. (See picture on left of the current wiring)• The current lighting is insufficient, outdated, inefficient and needs to be improved for better visibility.• Enhanced sound projection is a key element to improving the effectiveness of our gathered worship.

For more information on Sight & Sound renovation project, visit stpaulsbloor.org/sight-sound

On Tuesday, May 26 at 7 pm, a congregation-wide meeting will take place to approve the budget and financing of the Sight and Sound project. In this time of social distancing, the Diocese of Toronto is currently developing parameters for these types of congregational meetings. Details regarding the meeting will become available as the parameters are set. Stay tuned to our website for more information.

Reflecting Further After the sermon finishes, we may be thinking to ourselves, "What does this message mean to me? How can I apply this into my own life? I want to learn more about Jesus Christ." Each week, questions are posted online to help you reflect deeper on the sermon message. These questions are available on the sermon page on our website by clicking on "Connect Group Questions."

Want to reflect even further? Sign up to be part of a Connect Group, and journey with others alike as we learn more about Jesus Christ together. For more information, visit stpaulsbloor.org/connectgroups

Sign up or login today at stpaulsbloor.org/media

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Online Sunday Services:Children's Ministry • 9:30 am • stpaulsbloor.org/childrenSunday Service • 10:30 am • stpaulsbloor.org/watch-onlineYouth Ministry • 11:30 am • stpaulsbloor.org/youthVirtual Coffee Hour • 11 am

Give Online: stpaulsbloor.org/give-onlineE-mail: care@stpaulsbloor.org

Stay Connected

@stpaulsbloor