*  Mandate Magazine – the new magazine is in and on the back window of the church. Entitled “Living for the Earth” the Mandate is our Mission and Service magazine.

 

     * Hunger Awareness Week: The first week in June has been designated Hunger Awareness Week. If you are interested, you could help in one or two ways.

•      When you have surplus of fruit or vegetables from your garden you donate them to the local food bank

•      Attend a fund raising dinner at Café Sainte Marie on Wednesday June 2, for further information call Tom Marr at 526-4596. Proceeds will go to the Good Food Box program and to local hunger relief providers.

 

     *  Join Askennonia's Choir Practise during 2010 Summer Askennonia’s choir members have expressed interest in singing all summer. We invite any of your members or summer residents who may miss choir practise during June, July and August to come out and meet our members and continue to sing. Cost $3/wk paid monthly.  Wednesday afternoons starting at 1 pm sharp.  Midland Soprano & vocal teacher, Victoria Thompson, will lead the practise over the summer. Call 526-7609 for info or drop by Askennonia in Recreation Centre with a cheque to enrol.

 

 

     * Baptism Sunday at St. Paul's. On Sunday, May 9, 2010 two children were welcomed into the St. Paul's family through the Sacrement of Baptism.

 

These childern were:

     - Annika Rosalee Blodgett, daughtr of Joel and Karen Blodgett

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     -Ner K'Pru Shee, daughter of Ner Ta Shee and Mu K'Trade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      * Inaugural Organ Concert a Resounding Success! On Saturday, May 15 approximately 500 people from St. Paul's and from Midland and the surrounding area were treated to an evening of wonderful organ music and selections by the St. Paul's choir as well as a couple of hymns that those in attendance were invited to join in singing. Reprentatives of Phoenix Organs (Peterborough) who constructed the console and installed the electronics demonstrated some of the sounds of the organ. The organ itself is a hybrid, with about half the sound being generated by 1700 pipes and half being gernerated by electronic equipment. Christoper Dawes, a well known organist in Canada, the United States and Europe, was the guest artist for the evening and his outstanding presentation demonstrated the wide ranging capablitly of the instrument. He commented that St. Paul's now has one of the best pipe organs in Ontario. We thank the development committee under the leadership of Nick Frans and all the myriad of people who worked on making this renovation of our chancel and the installation of this great organ a success.

 

 

 

 

 From the Left - James Anderson and Donald Anderson (Phoenix Organs), Andrew Mead (Mead Organ Services), Paul Sloan (St. Paul's Organist and Choir Master), Nick Frans (Chair of the Chancel and Organ Renovations Committee); at the Organ, guest artist Christopher Dawes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

     *  Camp Simpresca: We are accepting donations to help to sponsor local campers this summer. If you are able to help please mark Camp Simpresca on your envelope.

 

     *  Do you need church envelopes…if so please call the church office at 526-6077. We also have our PAR program which allows you to make your donations as a direct payment through your bank once a month. We have close to 80 families and individuals giving their donations to the church this way.

 

     *  Help Required!! Help is required to clean the church during the absence of our custodian, Mary Ellen who will be away from Wednesday May 19^th to Wednesday May 26^h. If you can give even an hour to help it would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Bruce Wilcox at 526-8553 or the church office at 526-6077. The more we have volunteer the lighter the task.  

 

     *  Finding a New Minister – The JNAC report describing our community and church and outlining the issues that we wish to be addressed by a new Minister has been completed and copies forwarded to the Official Board. The Board is required to consider the contents of the report. If the Board approves, the report must then be distributed to the congregation for their consideration and possible approval. If approved by the congregation, the Report then goes to the Northern Waters Presbytery for endorsement.

Update: The JNAC report has now been passed by both the Official Board (with minor ammendments) and the Congregation and has been sent on to Presbytery for consideration and approval at its June meeting. Following that a vacancy can be declared at St. Paul's and the search for a nwe Minsiter can begin in ernest. Also, once Presbytery approves the report we will post it on this web site.

 

     *  Lenten Fund - Congratulations St. Paul’s thru generous donations from our congregation to the Lenten Fund we have raised $4085.21 through congregation donations towards the Midland Street Outreach Program. With the matching from our Special Projects fund we will be donating $8170.42 to this worthy program in town. If you have not yet made your donation please do so by the end of May. Please make your cheques out to St. Paul’s and indicate that it is for the Lenten Fund

 

     *  Robbert Hartog Books – we still have a few books in the church office, the cost is $25.00 and monies received go to our Outreach programs.

 

     *  From the Gideon’s: I want to pass on a sincere thank you to St. Paul’s congregation for supporting the missionary work of the Gideons. We received $280 in unsolicited contributions from several parishioners as they left the service. This was a result of our visit to St. Paul's and was precipitated by people who value the work that the Gideons are doing around the world. This $280 transfers into at least 6 school class rooms somewhere around the world, which will be able to have copies of God’s word. Without the Gideons and the generosity of caring Christians like your congregation, this would not happen. As Gideons we distribute one million scriptures around the world every 6 days. Your contributions and support is recognized and will not be forgotten here or in eternity. In his service, Max Connolly 

 

     * Planting our Flower Beds - If you have any perennials that you can share please give Mary Ellen at the church a call and or email church with the names so we can plan beds with the local Horticulture Society. A date for this activity will be confirmed later.

 

      * Visitors Program:  We have a visitors program in place where people can suggest names of those who would like someone from the church to contact them. You can call the church office at 526-6077 if you have someone who needs or would like a visit!

 

      *  The Annual Music Festival will be at St. Paul’s the week of May 10^th thru 14^th. St. Paul’s Choir will be performing in the Musical Festival on May 13^th at 8:30pm.

 

      * 85th Anniversary of the United Church – on June 6th 2010.  In anticipation of this celebration the United Church twinned pastoral charges across Canada.  St. Paul’s Midland has been twinned with St. Paul’s Pastoral Charge, McAdam, New Brunswick. More on this later!

 

      * Scouting Spaghetti Supper a Success - 4th Midland Scouting would like to thank the congregation of St. Paul’s Church for supporting our Annual Spaghetti Supper.  We sincerely appreciate your continue support.  The Cubs were able to raise $560.00 to help go towards their registration fee for camp this summer.

 

      * Do you need church envelopes…if so please call the church office at 526-6077.  We also have our PAR program which allows you to make your donations as a direct payment thru you bank once a month.  We have close to 80 families, and individuals giving their donations to the church this way.

 

     * UCW Rummage Sale – A sincere thank you to all who participated so willingly in every way to make the event successful – total sales were $1627.00  Well Done!  We appreciate Wendat transferring the after sale material to benefit their many local clients.  See you in October! 

 

     * Bulletin Photos for The United Church of Canada -2012 United Church Bulletin Photos: each year the United Church calls for pictures to be submitted which they use on the covers of the printed bulletins we use each week.  There are entry forms in the church office outlining how to submit your pictures. The deadline for submissions is June 4th, 2010. 

 

     * Confirmation Class: Do you know anyone who might be interested in attending a Confirmation Class? If so here is some information that might help you. There are two weekends scheduled for young people. The first weekend is at Muskoka Woods Sports Resort on March 26 - 28. The second is at Knox U.C.  in Durham on May 14 - 15. If you are interested you could contact Andrea Wheaton a 726-1511, email: awheaton@collierunited.ca  or Ann Harbridge at (705) 435-0209, email: ann.harbridge@sympatico.ca.

 

     * Spring Coats and Jackets: The Salvation Army food bank in Midland will be making spring coats and jackets available without charge.  The spring coat giveaway will take place at the Food Bank offices on Second Street at Dominion, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, March 26th and 27th.  All are gently used and suitable for spring and fall wear.  Hundreds of coats and jackets available in men’s, women’s and children’s sizes.

 

     * Lenten Coin boxes/folders:  There are a number of people with mental health issues or drug/alcohol addictions living in our area, and some have created problems for police and downtown Midland merchants over the last few years. In 2007 the Town of Midland organized the Midland Street Outreach Program to assist these people by counselling them and directing them to the appropriate support services. Currently the Midland Street Outreach Program is operating under temporary funding from the Town of Midland and from donations from other municipalities, churches and concerned people. Additional funding is required to maintain this program.

 

During this season of Lent, please support the Midland Street Outreach Program by using the Lenten boxes/folders available at the entrances to the gym, or by making your cheques payable to St. Paul’s United Church and note on the cheque it is for Lenten offerings. Every dollar donated by the congregation will be matched from the St. Paul’s Special Project Account fund.
Thank you for your support.

 

     * Weekly Bible Study will be led by Rev. Jim McKean, starting May 5th and running until June 30, 2010. After a summer recess the group will begin again on Wednesday, Sept. 8. The group will meet in the Parlor from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. There will be encouragement to be flexable in the structure, and content both of which will be determined by the group.

 

     * Easter Food Drive: Our hallmark food baskets will be out on Sunday, March 21, March 28 and Easter Sunday April 4, 2010. Please mark these dates on your calenders - someone is counting on you for your help. I have talked to Peter at the Salvation Army and he will update me in the near future, on their new programs. I will keep everyone informed as I get the new information. Byron Metzgar.

 

     * Rev. Jim McKean will be in the office Tuesdays and Wednesdays and lead our Sunday Services twice a month.  He will assume full time duties on May 3rd  and will be with us in that capacity until June 30th, 2011.   

 

     *Entry to Great Hall: We would remind everyone that an easy way to enter the Great Hall for Sunday Services is through the door that faces King St. The chair lift is also available for anyone needing assistance with the stairs.

 

     * Our Karen Families: As you know we are about to embark on the next phase of this wonderful project. We have already settled six adults and four children. We are now looking forward, on or about March 4, 2010, to the arrival of another family of two adults and an infant. Three of the women in the current group are sisters. The man in the new group is a brother to these three. We are looking forward to welcoming them into our church family. If you are interested in learning more about Karen History and Culture, as well as reports on the abuse of the Karen nation by local Burmese troops and others, you can visit their web site at www.khrg.org.

 

     *The Observer - The United Church's award winning magzine is available through subscription. Existing subscriptions will automatically renew. Subscription rate is $15.00 per  year. Although St. Paul's covers the cost of renewals, your donation to this important communication medium is welcomed. For new or renewal subscriptions please contact the office at 26-6077 or drop into the church office. To learn more about the Observer go to www.ucobserver.org.