FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK
“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David.” (Jeremiah 33:14-15) The new church year begins on Sunday—the first Sunday of Advent. ‘Advent’ derives from the Latin word ‘adventus’ that means ‘coming.’ When Christians hear God’s promise through Jeremiah, ‘I will fulfil the promise I made … I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David,’ we can’t help but think of Christmas and the Angel Gabriel’s word to Mary that her son Jesus would be given David’s throne. Advent also focuses on our Lord’s promise that he will come again; he will fulfil his promise to come again just as he fulfilled his promise in first coming in the Babe of Bethlehem. The theme for this Advent’s sermons is God’s great word of hope spoken through Jeremiah, ‘I will fulfil the promise I made’
IN-PERSON WORSHIP
We continue in Step 3 of the “RoadMap to Reopen”. In this phase there are no percentage capacity limits, but physical distancing and masks are still required. To view the guidelines at Central United, please click here.
REGISTRATION TO ATTEND IN-PERSON WORSHIP SERVICES FOR ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS EVE
Central United is asking members of the congregation who wish to join in-person worship for Advent (Nov. 28, Dec. 5, Dec. 12 and Dec. 19) and Christmas Eve services to register online. There will be two services on Christmas Eve, 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm. Registration will be open until Friday at noon for the following Sundays service. You can register through the church website or by calling the church office. Thank you for registering and helping Central maintain these health measures.
CHRISTMAS GIFT BAGS
Christmas Gift Bags will be offered for sale again this year. Perhaps you’ve bought one or a few in the last 9 years or are looking for a meaningful, charitable gift for someone. Each gift bag contains a tree ornament made by an artisan in a developing country along with a message that the ornament symbolizes a donation was made to the Markham Food Bank. Suggested donation is $20 minimum with 100% of the proceeds going to the Markham Food Bank, with a tax receipt provided. If you are interested to buy 1 or a few, or just make a monetary donation to the Markham Food Bank, please contact Ruth Duffield regduffield@gmail.com to coordinate a porch pick up/delivery or to meet her at Church this Sunday, November 28th in the narthex immediately following the Church service.
COMFORT SERVICE
Our Annual Comfort Service will be held on Sunday, Dec. 5th at 7:00 pm. This service is offered to those who have experienced loss of a loved one and is a good opportunity to reach out to our congregation and community at large. All are welcome to attend and please invite family and friends who may benefit from such a service.
WHITE GIFT SUNDAY
Sunday, Dec. 12th we will celebrate White Gift Sunday during the morning worship service. Your donations of unwrapped non perishable food are appreciated. Cash gifts will also be received – special “White Gift” offering envelopes will be made available. Your gifts of food/money will also be used to assist the Markham Food Bank.
MITTEN TREE
With the Christmas season upon us, the Mitten Tree will once again be up in the Friendship Room. Should you wish to donate, please drop off hats, toques, scarves and gloves by Sunday, Dec. 12th so that we can deliver them to the Salvation Army before Christmas. They can be dropped off at the church on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 9:00 and 1:00 or if you’re attending in person worship on Sunday morning and prefer to drop them off then, that would be fine as well.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
WEEKLY PRAYER MEETING & TIME OF FELLOWSHIP
Please come and join the Thursday prayer meeting tonight at 7:00 pm. After the prayer time we have some time for fellowship to allow us to catch up with each other a little. The meeting is held using the Zoom technology. Please join 10 minutes before the 7:00 PM start time.
Here are the details for those that wish to participate:
Access to Join Zoom Meeting from your PC, Tablet or Smartphone
- Copy this address into your web browser https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8925458525 or click here
- If you are joining with the Zoom App the Meeting ID is: 892 545 8525 (Note that you can also download the Zoom Application and use the Meeting ID to join)
Quick access by phone:
- Call: 647 374-4685
- When prompted press: 892 545 8525 #
- Then when prompted again press: # to enter the call
ONLINE SUNDAY WORSHIP, November 28th
Sunday’s service will be available to watch via livestreaming at 10:00 am and is recorded for later viewing, through the Church website. To watch live or view a recording later, go to the Church website, scroll down and click on Central United’s Live Stream Page or click here. A copy of the bulletin for this Sunday’s Service is attached here.
We suggest, for joining the live stream, that you tune in early. You are encouraged to have your bible handy and please note that the text of this Sunday’s Sermon will be available on our Church website prior to Service time. This Sunday’s Scripture readings are Jeremiah 33:14-16, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, and Luke 21:25-36. You can also find a daily scripture message at the top of our website.
Please join us each week and spread this good word. Share our streaming information with family and friends, and via your extended social network, hopefully, more and more people will hear about our live stream services and join in each week.
ONLINE DONATIONS
Donations for the work of Central United Church can be made online.
- You can donate to Central United by clicking here:
- You can continue to specify how you want your donation to be allocated by either selecting the appropriate category on the website or by typing in your choice in the MESSAGE box.
- Donation receipts will be issued directly by Canada Helps, so there is no need to include your envelope number.
- If you have any questions, email finance@centralunitedchurch.com.
In addition to the online donation option, your church offerings can also be mailed to the church.
THE UPPER ROOM
Copies of the Upper Room November/December 2021 edition are now available. If you would like to receive a copy please let Sharlene Wilson-Bennett (admin@centralunitedchurch.com) know via email and she will be happy to get a copy to you. Please specify if you would like the small or large print copy and be sure to include your address. Alternatively, use the link below to get your copy online. https://upperroombooks.com/home-2/?cn-reloaded=1
PASTORAL CARE
Should you become aware of any illness, bereavement, hospitalization, etc., among people of our church, please notify the church office as soon as possible.
During this time of limitations on in-person visits, Rev. Dr. James Clubine is available for a telephone or video conference pastoral ‘visit’ and prayer. If you would like to book a visit, please contact Rev. Clubine at the church office 905.474.0183×228 or mobile office 416.358.4924 or by email jclubine@centralunitedchurch.com.
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