Notices: February 23, 2023
February 21, 2025
Dear St. Aidan’s,
As we find ourselves surrounded by mounds of snow here at the end of February, we look forward to March just around the corner and with it the Season of Lent.
On Tues., Mar. 4, from 5:30-7 p.m., we will gather for our annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children, with proceeds going to support our outreach ministries. The tradition of Shrove Tuesday gives us one last chance to celebrate and fill our stomachs to overflowing before the more solemn season of people ‘giving up’ favourite foods as a Lenten practice.
Then, on Wed., Mar. 5, we will begin the Season of Lent with our observance of Ash Wednesday. We will have two services, at 12 noon and 7 p.m., both in the Nave (our main worship space). We will impose ashes (for those who desire to participate in that tradition) and share Holy Communion as we contemplate what it means to enter this 40 day season of reflection and repentance.
While some emphasize the spiritual practice of giving something up for Lent, I also commend the spiritual practice of taking something on for Lent. In this spirit, St. Aidan’s will offer two special opportunities to gather for conversation and reflection during Lent.
On Sundays, our deacon Michael Van Dusen will lead a Lent Conversation Circle on Sundays after the 10:30 service in the Chapel. The group will reflect each week on one of the Lenten Sunday scripture readings and how these texts open up new perspectives for our understanding our relationships with God, others, and the natural world. No preparation is required—just come ready to listen and learn together. Each session will last 30-45 minutes.
In addition, I have selected our 2025 parish-wide Lent book, which you may read and reflect on individually, at home with your family, or in a small group that I will facilitate (meeting on a weeknight via Zoom, dates TBD). This Lent, our book is Hanging by a Thread: The Questions of the Cross by Samuel Wells. In seven brief reflections, Wells leads readers to reflect on the cross’ enduring power to shape how we live, how we relate to one another, and how we allow ourselves to be enfolded in God’s story.
The church will order a dozen copies of our Lent book; if you would like reserve one, talk with me or email me (priest@staidansinthebeach.com). The paperback may also be ordered through your favourite bookseller, and it’s available on Kindle and Kobo.
As one reviewer reflects: “Hanging by a Thread revisits the harrowing story at the very heart of Christianity. Samuel Wells considers the risk, cost and suffering of the cross in the light of six key contemporary concerns: the reliability of history, the fragility of trust, the fact of mortality, the search for meaning, the nature of power, and the character of love. Recognizing that the cross leaves our easy assumptions and tidy answers by a thread, he paints a picture of a God who, despite danger and disgrace, regardless of how much we deny and reject, gives everything to be with us. This is a profound, moving and inspiring vision of the central event of the Christian faith.”
Whether you give up a favourite food, drink, or social media, or take up a spiritual practice like joining the small group conversations after church on Sunday or commit to read our Lent book, I pray that the Season of Lent will be one in which we are more intentional about committing a bit of time each day to connecting with God. In a tumultuous time in the life of the world, may we be intentional about committing time to silence and prayer, centering ourselves in God so that we may be the people we are each created and called to be.
Grace and peace,
Becky+
Notices at a Glance
Scroll down for details on each of these items.
1. Live Streaming at 10:30 a.m., Order of Service
Annual Vestry Meeting on March 2
2. Social Justice Vestry Motion for 2025
3. Vestry Meeting and Pre-Vestry meetings
Opportunities to Share & Serve
4. We need help setting up and cleaning up for our next Wonder Church service
5. Coldest Night of the Year Walk: Sat., Feb. 22 at 4 p.m.
6. Beach Interfaith Outreach
7. We’re looking for new people to help host our Coffee Hour!
8. We’re looking for people to bake homemade treats for coffee hour
9. Euchre
Opportunities to Gather & Grow
10. Wonder Church
11. Join us for a Lenten discussion
12. Busy Bees Play Group
Other Announcements and How to Give
13. 2024 Donations Tax Receipts will be issued in the coming week
14. New Office Hours
15. Get Ready for the Provincial Election February 27
16. Nursery available during Sunday worship
17. Announcements for the Notices
18. Offerings
Notices for the Week of February 21, 2025 – February 28, 2025
1. Live Streaming at 10:30 a.m., Order of Service - The service will be live-streamed on YouTube, which can be found through the following link. The service may be viewed live or at anytime later through our YouTube channel.
https://staidansinthebeach.com/live
Click here to view a PDF of the February 23rd Service
Annual Vestry Meeting on March 2
2. Social Justice Vestry Motion for 2025: Our Social Justice Vestry Motion for 2025, "Protecting and Expanding Harm Reduction in Ontario" is now available on the Diocesan website. Despite an overdose crisis that claims the lives of at least seven people in Ontario every day, the provincial government has recently passed legislation that will close ten supervised consumption sites across the province and ban new sites from opening. This year's motion calls on the government both to keep the sites open and to expand harm reduction services across the province. In addition to the motion and accompanying backgrounder, additional resources will be uploaded to the Vestry Motion page over the coming weeks. Printed copies are available in the church entryway, or you can read online here: https://www.toronto.anglican.ca/diocesan-life/social-justice-advocacy/social-justice-vestry-motion/?lang=en
3. Vestry meeting and Pre-Vestry meetings: Our annual Vestry meeting will be on Sun., Mar. 2, after the 10:30 worship service. Lunch and childcare will be provided. For those interested in taking a deeper dive into the 2024 financial statement and the 2025 budget, there will be pre-Vestry meetings this Sunday after the 10:30 service in the Willow Room and via Zoom and Tues., Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m via Zoom. Please contact Courtney Ebner at staidans.warden3@gmail.com for the Zoom link.
The Vestry Reports can be accessed via the 3 following links. Please look these over carefully before the meeting. Printed copies available on request.
Opportunities to Share & Serve
4. We need help setting up and cleaning up for our Mar. 2 Wonder Church service. If you are able to help, please speak with Elizabeth.
5. Coldest Night of the Year Walk: Sat., Feb. 22 at 4 p.m. St. Barnabas Church at Danforth and Hampton is the start and end point of this year's Toronto-Danforth Coldest Night of the Year. This is a family-friendly walk in support of Kennedy House Youth Shelter. This year's theme is "Change the Tune" for people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness. You can register to walk 2 km or 5 km, or sponsor a walker or a team. More information at: www.cnoy.org.
6. Beach Interfaith Outreach: Locations and dates for all lunches are listed in the Beach Metro News. The next lunch held here at St. Aidan’s is Tues., March 4, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. As part of St. Aidan’s involvement in the Beach Interfaith Outreach Committee, we support the Grace Pascoe Care Centre. Your weekly donations to the basket by the church office are gratefully received.
7. We’re looking for new people to help host our coffee hour: Don’t worry, we’ll show you what to do to be a host! You can sign up with your family or friends to serve coffee, tea, and snacks. You can pick a Sunday that works for you, and you can help out once a month or just a few times a year. To sign up, you may find a sign-up sheet for hosting coffee hour in the church entryway (Narthex), or you may email Ella at ekeemmanuella0@gmail.com. Hosts are still needed for these Sundays: Mar. 9, Mar. 16, and Mar. 23.
8. We’re looking for people to bake homemade treats for coffee hour: We're looking for volunteers to bring treats for our coffee hour on Sundays! Whether it's baked goods, snacks, or any other delicious offerings, we would love to have your contributions. Please remember to label any items for allergies. Email Ella at ekeemmanuella0@gmail.com if you're interested in bringing something for an upcoming coffee hour.
9. Euchre: Join us on Tuesday nights from 7-9 p.m. for a fun and friendly evening of progressive Euchre downstairs in the Parish Hall. Beginners welcome. Cost is $5; all proceeds support St. Aidan’s community outreach.
Opportunities to Gather & Grow
10. Wonder Church: St. Aidan’s is excited to offer a new service designed for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, early elementary children and their families called Wonder Church. This is a 30-45 minute service that includes puppets, music, and prayers. Coffee and treats are provided. All are welcome. Our next Wonder Church is Sun., Mar 2, at 4 p.m. For more information, contact children’s minister Elizabeth at children@staidansinthebeach.com
11. Join us for a Lenten Conversation Circle after the 10:30 Sunday service (Mar. 9 to Apr. 6). The sessions will take place in the Chapel for 30 to 45 minutes. Each session is designed to stand-alone—come to one, some, or all. Discussion will be based on one of the scripture readings of the day, focusing on Lenten and eco-spirituality themes in the scripture as well as personal responses to the readings. No preparation required. If you want to read and reflect on the scripture, the selected passages and reflection questions will be available in advance. If you would like to join in but your schedule does not permit staying on after church, a copy of the scripture passages and discussion guides will be available in the church entryway (Narthex) or by email from Deacon Michael from March 7.
12. Busy Bees Play Group welcomes children ages 0-3 and their caregivers on Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in our Parish Hall. We offer stories, music, and activities. We are looking for lightly used toys for babies and toddlers for our Busy Bees Play Group. Do you like to bake? We are looking for people to bake peanut-free goodies for the Busy Bees Play Group. If you can support us in either of these ways, please speak with Elizabeth.
Other Announcements and How to Give
13. 2024 Donations Tax Receipts will be issued in the coming week. Please ensure that donations@staidansinthebeach.com is added to your contact list so that your receipt does not go to your spam/junk folder. Most donors will receive their receipt electronically by email. If we do not have an email address on file for you, the receipts will be sent by mail. This year, because of the prolonged Canada Post strike, the CRA is allowing donations made in Jan. and Feb. 2025 to be claimed on a 2024 tax return. If you wish to do this, you MUST let the Donations Secretary know before Feb. 28, 2025 so that a donation receipt dated on or before that can be printed. Receipts printed after Mar. 1 may not be eligible for 2024 tax returns.
14. New Office Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.
15. Get Ready for the Provincial Election February 27: A provincial election has been called for Thurs., Feb. 27. View or download this Provincial Election Resource, produced by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto and our neighbours in the Anglican Diocese of Niagara.Make sure your voice is heard! Find out how to get on the voters' list and where and when you can cast your ballot at the Elections Ontario website. Unhoused people can also vote with a Certificate of Residence & Identity from the shelter, drop-in, food bank or community health centre they use most often. This helpful infographic developed by gives more information.
16. Nursery available during Sunday worship: We offer nursery care for children ages 0-3 during the 10:30 a.m. service. The nursery is located in the Beech Room, adjacent to the main basement hall. For more information, please speak with Erika or Elizabeth.
17. Please submit new announcements for the weekly notices to Mary at office@staidansinthebeach.com by Wednesdays at 4 p.m. All notices are subject to incumbent’s approval, and will be edited for clarity and conciseness.
18. Offerings - Thank you for your support. There are a variety of ways to make your donation:
· PAG – set up monthly pre-authorized debits from your bank account directly to St. Aidan’s by completing the authorization form found on the Giving page of our website https://www.staidansinthebeach.com/giving
· PAG Changes – to change the amount of an existing donation, send an email with the details to donations@staidansinthebeach.com
· E-transfer – send to donations@staidansinthebeach.com
· Envelopes – to obtain a set of weekly offering envelopes, send a request to donations@staidansinthebeach.com
· Cheques should be payable to and can be mailed to: The Church of St. Aidan, 2423 Queen St E, Toronto, ON, M4E 1H6, or dropped in our secure mailbox beside the front door.
· Credit card – click on the link Canada Helps: St. Aidan’s or scan the QR code below.