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FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:10-1. In the coming week, as we celebrate the good news of our Saviour’s birth, may you and your family experience the great joy of knowing that He was born for you, and as we begin a new year may the knowledge of His presence with us dispel all of our fears.
Being here at Central UC has made this Christmas very special for Chris and I. From both of us, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP 10:00 A.M.
Central United Church welcomes you to join our Worship Service Sunday mornings at 10:00 am. In worship we proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour; God’s word is read and preached, sacraments celebrated, faith sung and prayers offered.
Sunday services are also livestreamed (and recorded) through the Church website or you can join here. A copy of the bulletin for this Sunday’s Service is attached here.
This Sunday’s Scripture readings are Micah 5:2-5a, Luke 1:39-45 and Luke 1:46b-55. You can also find a daily scripture message at the top of our website.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES
We hope to see many of you here at the church on Christmas Eve. There are two Christmas Eve worship services this year, and hopefully one (or both!) of them will be part of your family’s plans for the evening.
At 4PM we’ll have a more casual, upbeat service with music and stories that will be fun for all, especially the excited young wiggle-bottoms!
At 8PM we’ll have a more traditional, contemplative service with special music, beloved Christmas carols, and a time of meditation.
Both services will revolve around the story of that very first Christmas, bringing back to the forefront of our hearts and minds what this is really all about: the goodness of our Heavenly Father, who humbled himself and came to earth in the form of His own Son, to live and walk amongst us, and who now lives with and in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to all humankind!
WEEKLY PRAYER MEETING &
TIME OF FELLOWSHIP
You are welcome to join the Thursday prayer meeting tonight at 7:00 PM for a time of prayer and fellowship. The meeting is held using Zoom technology.
Here are the details for those who wish to participate:
Access to Join from your PC, Tablet or Smartphone:
Copy this address into your web browser https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81293996881 or click here.
Quick access by phone:
1. Call: 647 374-4685
2. When prompted press: 812 9399 6881 #
3. Then when prompted again press: # to enter the call
DONATING APPRECIATED SECURITIES
TO CENTRAL UNITED IN 2024
With the significant run up in the stock market this year, many investors have significant unrealized capital gains. Donating securities to a Central United Church in 2024 can provide tax benefits, including:
- Capital gains tax exemption
- Donating eligible securities to a registered charity is exempt from capital gains tax. This means you don’t pay tax on any gain realized in the securities. CUC receives the total value of the securities at the time of sale.
You can claim a donation tax credit for the value of the securities on
the date the charity receives them.
- Here are some things to consider when donating securities to charity. Please contact your investment advisor to discuss your unique situation:
To ensure your gift qualifies for a 2024 tax receipt, you should
complete your donation before the following deadlines:
- Securities: December 13, 2024
- Mutual funds: December 6, 2024
If you are interested in donating securities, please contact Lindsay Duffield (lindsay.duffield@rogers.com) or Scott Wetmore (swetmore@rogers.com).
CHARITABLE DONATION YEAR-END
TAX DEADLINE FOR 2024
As you review your year-end charitable donations, please keep in mind that any donations to Central United need to be received by Tuesday, December 31st in order for you to receive a 2024 tax receipt. If you would like to get a status on your YTD givings to CUC, please contact Sally Sandiford (sally_sandiford@hotmail.com).
Thanks for supporting Central United Church with your time, talent and financial generosity as we journey together and inspire each other to lead lives that honour God.
CENTRAL’S NEW WEBSITE IS NOW LIVE!
Central’s new website is designed to be modern and user-friendly, aiming to attract, invite, and connect people to Central, encouraging them to come, grow, and journey with us. Over the past few months, an external web designer has collaborated closely with an ad hoc committee to create a vibrant and dynamic platform for Central: centralunitedchurch.com.
We extend our gratitude to everyone who has taken pictures for the website. While we have given serious consideration to each request brought to our team’s attention, we regret that we cannot accommodate them all due to design and practicality considerations. We value your input. If you notice any errors, do not want your photo to be posted, or have comments, please leave us a note here.
REFUGEE OUTREACH
This Christmas it gives us pleasure to buy Christmas gifts for a number of refugee families who are struggling. Please watch the church bulletin board for more specific information.
Many thanks to those of you who have donated suitcases & good used winter coats to the refugee homes run by ‘The People’s Church’. This outreach will continue until the end of January. Please contact Éilis Wu at #416-889-6742, eilisannwu@gmail.com and she will arrange for pick up.
OFFERING ENVELOPES
For those of you who use offering envelopes, your boxed set for 2025 is available for pick up in the narthex. If we have missed your name and you would like a set for your weekly offering, please speak to Sharlene or Sally Sandiford. Please ensure that at the end of 2024 you destroy your old envelopes and begin using the new set that has been assigned to you.
BOOK CLUB
Calling all book lovers – people of all ages! Everyone is invited to join Central United Church’s Book Club every 4th Wednesday of the month from 10-11:30am. We meet both in person & virtually. Good company, great books, compelling conversation & yummy treats!
Upcoming: Wednesday, Jan. 22nd – The Women by Kristin Hannah!
Kindly message Helen at gratsos2002@yahoo.ca for details!
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.
If you would like a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Diaz at the church office 905-474-0183 or by email ldiaz@centralunitedchurch.com.
STAY CONNECTED…..
We want to help you stay connected so if you happen to be wondering “who’s doing what” in terms of duties, the list for this week is below….
December 22nd 2024
LAY WORSHIP LEADER: Ron Wyse
MUSIC: Sarah Wyse
POWER POINT: Alan Heighway
GREETER: Lynn Turner
WORSHIP HOST: Trevlyn Ganes
COFFEE HOUR: Small Group 3 (John Frotten)
SUNDAY SCHOOL: Sharon Gayman Laird
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