God's love is expressed in our ministry to anyone who needs love and support.
At Knox we strive to be a caring community for our members, friends, and neighbours. Please call the church office when you are aware of a family member or friend that has been admitted or will be admitted to hospital. Rev Shirley Gale visits Guelph General Hospital twice a week even when we have nobody known to be admitted, just to be certain we haven’t missed anyone.
Any pastoral concerns or crisis please contact Rev Johan Olivier at the church office 519-821-0141 or by email at: Johan@knoxguelph.ca.
PASTOR’S AID VISITORS
A MINISTRY OF KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
For over 106 years The PASTOR’S AID VISITORS ministry has been serving the members of this church family by providing friendly, caring visits to those who are unable to attend church services and fellowship events.
Most of those visited are seniors and these visits not only remind them that they are important and valued sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, but helps to keep these members meaningfully included as part of the Knox family. These visits provide opportunities to hear from these members and to share with them the news regarding the life and ministries of Knox Church.
The Pastors’ Aid Visitors remember these members by sending greeting cards at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and birthdays. In addition, monthly letters are sent to members who live in nursing homes or seniors’ residences in other communities. Each Christmas the Pastors’ Aid Visitors deliver Poinsettias to our members who are unable to leave their homes.
It is the experience of the Pastors’ Aid Visitors that this a ministry they find both enriching and most enjoyable, as one of the Pastors’ Aid Visitors, said, “these visits are some of the most meaningful experiences I have as a member of the church family and as a way to express my faith.”
YOU ARE INVITED!
For more information regarding this ministry, you are welcome to contact Dr. Shirley Gale at:
519-821-0141 (Knox Church) or by email at: shirley@knoxguelph.ca.
Facing Tough Times??
Need an ‘after’ caregiver??
Stephen Ministers are there...
- After the doctors have said there is nothing more they can do
- After the relationship ends but the wound is still raw
- After you’ve received a pink slip with your final pay cheque
- After you have been an accident victim
- After family and friends have heard your story one too many times but you still need to talk
- After it seems everyone has gone and you are all alone
- After a spiritual crisis and you feel hopeless
- After any loss that is important to you
Now is the time to email/telephone Arnold Bethune:
Email: a.bethune@knoxguelph.ca
Church Office: 519-821-0141
Stephen Ministers Training:
Stephen Ministers have 50 hours of training in active listening, responding to feelings, maintaining confidentiality, dealing with crises and many other topics important to care giving. They meet for supervision and take advantage of continuing education when available. Stephen Ministers have police checks. This service is free to members of the community of Guelph as well as members of the congregation.
If you feel you would like to serve as a Stephen Minister, please contact as indicated above.
For more information on this Internationally recognized care giving service, go to
Letters by Rev. John McGurrin
September 16, 2018
Mark 8:27-38
Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
This passage contains both an invitation and a warning.
The invitation is to become a follower of Jesus even to the point of dedicating one’s entire life to living as he lived and following totally his way of living. This invitation comes with a promise. Losing one’s life in this way is really the only way to guarantee one’s life for all eternity. This will result in Jesus recognizing such followers for all eternity especially when he returns in the glory of the Father and all his angels.
The warning is that if one does not choose to become a follower in this way Jesus will be ashamed of him when he returns in result in all his glory at the end of time.
You and I have a choice to make. And whatever choice we make here and now will result in an eternal consequence. Think carefully and choose now.
September 9, 2018
Mark 7:24-37 (NKJV)24 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre [and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter. 30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed. 31 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” |
Dear loved ones in Christ,
There is wonderful news hidden in these two healings Jesus performed as recorded in Mark’s gospel. Not only is it revealed that Jesus cared for the woman’s child and healed her from a distance showing compassion on this woman and her much loved child but he responded to the men who brought their friend to him the hearing and speech impediments. The hidden message is contained in who these people were. They were not part of the Jewish nation, family to whom Jesus came but were foreigners in foreign lands, just as you and I are. Jesus did not just come for one select race of people into which group he was born but shared his blessings and healing powers with all who would come or who were brought to him. This opens our ministry of love and caring to others as well.
Recently I learned of a very disheartening trouble from a person who comes regularly to assist me with my handicapped needs and I was moved to offer prayer for her troubles. Although she was not a Christian I took her hands and offered prayer to God in the name of Jesus for her health problems. She graciously accepted this as simply as if it were me saying a simple ‘Good Luck’. Imagine her joy and surprise when a few weeks later after a doctor’s visit she admitted to me that her problem was gone. Again, I took her hands in mine and offered prayer of thanksgiving for Jesus answering my first prayer for her. Just a little witness but a seed of faith has been sown.
April 8, 2018
John 20:19-31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they have forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So, the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Dear Friends, He LIVES !!!!
This was the glorious announcement Jesus was making to disciples in those marvelous days and weeks after his three days in the tomb. The marks of his crucifixion were still visible and very real, but he was indeed alive. And if the disciples and we ourselves put our faith in this marvelous reality we shall enter life eternal with him.
“But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”:
Father God we praise and bless your name for this wonderful action to include us in your kingdom by removing all sin from us in Christ. AMEN.
April 1, 2018
Romans 6:3-11
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
Wishing you a joy-filled and blessed Easter this year.
Even as we die in his death so we shall live eternally with him and with the Father. This is our inheritance forever as He has removed our sin forever. There can be no greater gift than this. For all time and beyond time death, punishment and all suffering is ended, removed by grace through faith forever. In this we find our hope, our trust, our peace. What a marvelous, miraculous weekend.
Father in heaven we celebrate this eternal gift of life unending. Help us so to live in gratitude always that others will see our inner and outer joy and that we may share the reason for the peace that is in us and that they may feel welcomed to this grace and glory and so join in faith in Christ glory be to his name always. AMEN.
Twiddlemuffs Ministry
The Twiddlemuffs Ministry began in April, 2017. "Twiddlemuffs" -- therapeutic hand muffs are knitted for those with dementia to provide them with warmth and tactile stimulation for their often restless hands. Caregivers report that Twiddlemuffs help reduce agitation and the amount of medication needed.
Since April, 2017, Knox Church has distributed over 200 Twiddlemuffs to seniors homes and hospitals in Guelph.
In late 2017 a number of Twiddlemuffs were delivered to the staff at Guelph General Hospital as part of the hospital's "Seniors Friendly" initiative.
Pneumonia Prevention Vests
Pneumonia prevention vests and also hats are knit to reduce pneumonia deaths of children in India. These are sent in cooperation with those knit at St. Andrew's Women's Missionary Society.
Patterns for Muffs, Vests, Hats
Patterns are available from the Church Office (519-821-0141) (office@knoxguelph.ca) or from Dr. Shirley Gale (shirley@knoxguelph.ca) either by email or printed copy.
“ALZHEIMER’S COFFEE BREAK”
SEPTEMBER 23, 2018. - METCALF HALL
As many of you know, the Alzheimer’s Society welcomes the support provided by organizations and churches. One of the ways we can support them is through an “Alzheimer’s Coffee Break” fund-raising event. These provide both an opportunity to make a donation and receive up-to-date information regarding Alzheimer’s/Dementia disease, related research, and the various options of support offered to the public by the Alzheimer’s Society. Please note that the proceeds from this “Alzheimer’s Coffee Break” event will be used for Guelph residents.
AS A WAY OF EXPRESSING OUR APPRECIATION
Knox Church will be sponsoring a
“ALZHEIMER’S COFFEE BREAK EVENT” on SEPTEMBER 23, 2018
IN METCALF HALL following our Worship Service.
Anyone wishing to make a donation (tax receipts will be provided for donations $20 & over) may do so at that time, or, if you prefer, you may pick up information regarding the Alzheimer Society “Fall 2018 & Winter 2019 Program Guide” and the various ways you could make a donation in the future. Donation boxes will be available at the coffee station and information table.
PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND: Members of the Knox Church family and their families, friends and neighbours, are encouraged to show their support for those struggling with dementia and for the work of the Alzheimer’s Society.
Jesus said: “‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these
brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’ Matt 25:40