One of the most exciting events in the Olympics is the relay. To see the coordination, skill and athletic ability needed, keeps us on the edge of our seats. But there is one aspect that has everyone holding their breath - the hand off or the passing of the baton.

There are many stories in Scripture that speak about transitions, especially when it comes to leadership. As Kirk and Allyson conclude their ministry at KesPres, it is important to remember that ministry will continue because God has provided the church with all it needs through the Spirit of God, who gifts the church and Jesus who does the work, but graciously invites us to join Him in what He is already doing.

For 5 weeks, Kirk and Allyson are going to be looking at 5 important transitions in Scripture, to encourage us and see the skills and gifts needed to help in the handoff and continue the race that has been set out for us. 

Alot can happen in a week, especially in first century Palestine. But then again alot can happen in a week in 21st century Georgina as well. You’re invited whether you grew up in the church or not or a believer or a skeptic to come and consider this Jesus who has changed our world and wants to change our lives.

For the past few weeks we have been looking at “The Aposte’s Creed,” which you might have expected wrapped up on the 17th but we will continue over Holy Week with some of those “words” and “phrases” that define and give life to this season and maybe even new life to us.

It begins on Palm Sunday (March 24) at 10:30am with worship and communion, Good Friday on Friday, March 29th at 10:30am and then on Easter Sunday (March 31) at 10:30am.

Come and see what God has done!

Someone once said, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you believe something.” It sounds “good” on paper but is it “good” in reality? It certainly isn’t “good” when it comes to faith. In a world which constantly pushes against faith and even in a church culture which is often confused about faith, the Apostle’s Creed provides a solid ground of many of the pillars of the Christian faith on which we can continue to build our faith.

Alister McGrath writes, “Faith is indeed something that is caught not taught, but there is more to faith than trusting in God. A faith that remains at this level will be immature and superficial, vulnerable to doubt and of little use in evangelism. The Apostle’s Creed (then) is an ideal starting point for this vital process of consolidating your grasp of faith.”

Join us, over the Season of Lent as we dig into faith.

To help you during this season of Lent, we invite you to pick up a small card with “The Apostle’s Creed” on it to memorize (see below), learn about our mission partner: African Hope Learning Center. and follow along in our Lenten Calendar to support items being taken to the school this spring (see below) and finally to sign up to receive a daily Lenten devotional from the Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts or Redeemer Church.

Join us for an evening whether you are young or old, single or married, kids or no kids. This is a night for all ages when GROW Women meet, GROW Men gather and kids receive supervision. It runs every Wednesday night from 6:30-7:45pm.

What does life look like after all the presents have been opened, the turkey has been consumed and relatives have finally made their way back to their own homes?

What does life look like after the manger is empty, Jesus’ family is on the move and Jesus is nearing the start date of his ministry?

What do our lives look like after Christmas? Has the “big” event made a difference in our lives?

For the six weeks leading up to Lent we are going to look at the few stories of Jesus’ life after Christmas but before he jumped onto the world scene to see what those stories teach us about “Life after Christmas.”

We hope you will make the time to join us as we move beyond Christmas.

The Season of Advent begins on Sunday, December 3 by gathering around the table and lighting the first Advent Candle and concludes with the fourth Candle being lit on Christmas Eve morning at 10:30am. We gather again on Christmas Eve nite for our family friendly impromptu pageant where we invite you to participate in this world shattering, life changing event when God in the flesh moved into our neighbourhood. It is the most wonderful time of the year and we invite you to take time, not just for worship, but daily as the light around us becomes brighter and brighter in anticipation of the Light of the World.

Family friendly worship happens every Sunday morning at 10:30am. You can find us in person or online on either Facebook Live or our YouTube channel. Our Christmas Eve Worship will be Sunday, December 24 at 6:30pm.

During the Advent Season (Dec 3-24) we invite you to use some of the individual and family helps below, that we believe will make Advent more meaningful , especially during the busy-ness of the Season.

1. Advent Devotions from Gospel in Life and Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York.

2. From Biola University a daily devotional sent to you that includes scripture, a devotion, artwork and music.

3. Family Devotions from Focus on the Family. This is a great resource for parents with little ones looking for child-helps.

4. Another resource from Focus on the Family that is a daily devotional.

On Christmas morning at 10:30am we will worship and then on Christmas Eve at 6:30pm we will be doing our Impromptu Pageant. It’s an evening of carols, lessons and candles and an opportunity for you to become part of the pageant. It’s a great evening and we would love for you to join us. And maybe even stay into the New Year with KesPres.

Each Christmas KesPres does what they call a GIVE MORE project during Advent. It’s about not getting caught up in the hype of Christmas and spending more, but spending less so we can give more away. Look for more information soon.

During the Advent season, KesPres has a “GIVE MORE” project, where we are invited to spend less on Christmas so that we can give more where the needs are. This year we are supporting Canadian Foodgrains Bank: a Christian organization offering “a Christian response to hunger.” Previously, we have supported CGB in their response to disaster relief in Turkey and Syria following devastating earthquakes earlier this year.

   At present, it is difficult to look past the conflict in the Middle East. This is a complex situation. We stand with Israel against the horrific acts of violence and terrorism taken by Hamas in the attacks on Israel on October 7thand their ongoing acts of cruelty in refusing to release innocent hostages. At the same time, it is difficult to overlook or turn a blind eye to the harm being done in Gaza on a daily basis to innocent civilians, many of them children, caught in a war between Israel and Hamas, people who are displaced from their homes and have limited access to food, water, shelter and medical care. Indeed, the actions of Hamas have put innocent civilians in harm’s way on both sides of the border. One way we can get involved and care for the “widow, the orphan and the refugee” is through food aid. Canadian Foodgrains Bank supports all those who are hungry, whether in Israel or Palestine. CFB is one of the few trusted partners the Government of Canada has selected to ensure that support goes to those in real need, where it is most meeded and not to those involved in terrorism or executing violence.

Please GIVE MORE this Christmas Season.

We all have conversations every day: some are casual encounters, others are with people we know. But are those conversations actually meaningful?

For 10 weeks, every Sunday morning at 10:30am, Kirk and Allyson are going to be looking at just a few of the conversations Jesus had during his ministry. And for 10 weeks, every Wednesday nite from 6:30-7:45pm, during GROW Family, we are going to learn together how to put those lessons into practice, with the help of “The 9 Arts of Spiritual Conversations.”

We are going to get ready by learning the Art of Noticing, the Art of Praying and the Art of Listening. And then, we will get started by learning the Art of Asking Questions, the Art of Loving and the Art of Welcoming. And finally, we will keep it going by learning the Art of Facilitating, the Art of Serving Together and the Art of Sharing.

So join us as we take Jesus’ “Great Commission” seriously, to go and make disciples, and learn together how we can be a part of re-writing the story of our community. Sunday worship is in person and virtual while GROW Family is for all ages and happens in person every Wednesday nite. (Childcare is available on both Sunday and Wednesday)

A Sunday morning program for kids three years of age to grade 9 where we teach kids how much God loves them and how they can love God back.  

At present, the program we are using for the kids aged 3 to Grade 2 is Tru Wonder. (Parents/Caregivers/Guardians please kindly follow sheets that can be done during the week that reinforce what was taught on Sunday.)

For the students that are in Grades 3 - 9, the program we are using is Forged, Faith Refined.

Prayer is not something that comes easily to everyone. It’s maybe the reason the disciples asked Jesus to “teach them to pray" and why Jesus taught them the prayer he did. The words may be familiar, maybe too familiar, but once we grasp Jesus’ prayer, it will not only change why you pray and how you pray but who you pray to. Along with learning this familiar prayer on Sunday mornings we also invite you to join us over the next 40 days as we pray daily. This will not only be long enough for prayer to become part of your daily routine but long enough to understand why 40 days is so important in Scripture. The adventure begins on Sunday, July 30th. 

Prayer Calendar

Prayer Helps:

https://www.navigators.org/resource/prayer-tools/

31 days of prayer

30 thankful prayers

30 day guide for praying through your community

How to pray: simple guide for normal people

Praying through…Overcoming obstacles that keep us from God

Christian Missionary alliance - 40 days of prayer/daily devotions and weekly devos for adults and kids (video) - everything is downloadable. https://cmalliance.org/events/40days/#:~:text=Weekly%20Prayer%20Gatherings,is%20power%20in%20praying%20together

Gospel Coalition - praying for the church around the world in 40 days https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/40-days-prayer/

Books on Prayer:

Prayer - Tim Keller

A Praying Life - Paul Miller

Draw the Circle: The 40 day Prayer Challenge - Mark Batterson has daily Youtube Videos: 40 Day Prayer Challenge

Sheltering Mercy and Endless Grace (vol 1&2) Prayers based on the Psalms - Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Hilt

Every Moment Holy Vols 1&2 - Douglas Kaine MacKelvy

To Light Their Way and Every Season Sacred - Kayla Craig

Pocket Prayers- Max and Andrea Lucado

Online Course:

NT Wright - $30US https://www.ntwrightonline.org/portfolio-items/lords-prayer/

A new sermon series beginning at KesPres

Join us on our Lenten journey that begins with ashes and ends with an empty tomb. You are invited to to travel with us (in person or online) every Sunday morning and 10:30am (EST) as well dig deeper with either of these Lenten Devotionals.

1. Redeemer Church

2. St Andrew’s Hall

You’re also invited to follow along with our Lenten Project. This year we will be supporting the relief efforts in Turkey and Syria. Please print off, give generously and then bring your gifts on Easter Sunday.

Christmas is a time for giving. And nothing gives us more joy than to be able to give a gift that lights up someone's face, to hear the words, "It's perfect." But Christmas does not come easily for everyone. In fact, for many people, Christmas is depressing and anxiety producing because they don't have the resources to make Christmas perfect, and often not even as good as they would like it to be.

 Each year, many of us are moved by the sacrificial giving we have seen in Jesus to give to those in need. We think particularly of children having something to open on Christmas morning. But how do we know what they would like? Or if it would fit? How do we choose for people who we don't even know?

 So what if this year, we did something different? What if we helped people choose for themselves? What if we empowered our neighbours to purchase the things they actually want or need through giving them gift cards? And we did it early so that they could shop before Christmas, or if they want, save it until after Christmas? What if we gave them the gift of choice?

 We can confirm that each of the 23 recipient families (this can include families with children, single parent families, couples or individuals) we have identified will receive a grocery gift card through our current donations.

 We are asking you to consider supporting this Giving Christmas campaign through giving gift cards for Walmart or Giant Tiger, where people have the option to purchase clothing, other goods, and or additional groceries. Or, give a special financial donation through KesPres - whether in the offering plate at church or through online giving or through a cheque in the mail: please be sure to mark your gift "Giving Christmas" to help us know that is how you want this gift directed. All gifts must be received by Dec 11th in order for them to be delivered for recipients to use them in time for Christmas.

You can use any of the online links to give with memo: “Giving Christmas” or if you have questions please email Allyson at allyson@kespres.ca