Dates & UpdatesRosedale Presbyterian Church, June 2017

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Rev. Wes Denyer bounces with Paige while Rayne jumps with Deane.

Bouncy fun!

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NoteworthyClass of 2017We congratulate these young people from our church family as they have taken various steps forward in their life journeys.

Post Graduate:Alexandra Stiver, daughter of Clarence and Arija Stiver (A.B. Princeton University and M.Sc. London School of Economics) graduated in May with a Ph. D from the Department of Computing and Communi-cations at the Open University (England). Alexandra lives in London and is working on projects for a “Smart Cities” initiative.

Undergraduate:Ally McElwain (B.A.) daughter of Mark McElwain and Susan Capling graduated from the University of Western Ontario with combined majors in Business (Ivey School) and Economics. She will be starting work in July at the Canada Pension Plan Invest-ment Board in Toronto.

Adam WInterton (B.Sc.) son of Brock Winterton and Janet Heisey, graduated from Dalhousie University (Halifax). He is care-fully considering his options for next year.

Matthew Sherar, (B.A.), son of Michael and Jane Sherar and grandson of Doug-las and Lou Henderson, graduated from

Queen’s University (Kingston) after majoring in Physics, Math-ematics, and Computer Studies. He will be working with the Royal Bank in the area of Artificial Intelligence.

Secondary SchoolZoe Sherar, daughter of Michael and Jane Sherar graduated from Bloor Collegiate Institute (Tops Program). She will enroll in the Arts and Science program at the University of Guelph in September.

Irene King

Farewells ...We are sorry to say good-bye to Jeanne Isley and

David Hunter as they move to Scotland. They have been active members of the congregation for a number of years, and will be missed. Best wishes to them both!

In appreciation

Tony Keith and Annemiek Miller present flowers to Mary Legge on behalf of the choir. Mary is our “Music Director Emerita” and continues to be very supportive of the choir. The presenta-tion recognized her ongoing support, and in addition acknowl-edged her donation of new music to the choir’s library - a modern setting of the English carol, “There is no rose of such virtue”, a very recent work by Philip Stopford. The choir sang this anthem during the service on May 14, Mother’s Day, in what may have been its first Canadian performance.

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New members

On May 14, six youth members re-affirmed their baptismal com-mitments. Above, from left to right are Jeremy, Alex, Christian Education Director Jen Bell, Deane, Rayne, Rev. Wes Denyer, Michelle and Catherine (Girlie).

PerformanceRebecca Genge will be present-

ing her graduating recital on Wednes-day, June 28th at 4:30 in Walter Hall at the University of Toronto. She is completing her Masters of Music in Historical Performance and will be presenting music from the early Ger-man baroque as well as Bach’s Wed-ding Cantata, BWV 202. Admission is free!

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Minister’s Message

On the day Jesus is crucified, he has a confronta-tion with the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate.

Pilate asks Jesus this famous question, “What is truth?”In this age of “fake news,” what is truth?Is it objective reality? Is it what you feel, what you

subjectively think, or what you want or wish to be true? Not too long ago, we were heralding the age of the in-

formation revolution – an age in which information would be valuable and those who had information would be pow-erful. We seem to have quickly moved beyond that golden age to the new age of “information overload.” Now, what is real information or truth, has to be sifted out of a sea of false information and lies … and it can be very challenging to discern the difference between the two.

In this age of conspiracy theories and accepting as truth the things you want to be true, the words of Jesus in that meeting with Pontius Pilate are refreshing, “I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”

Even though politicians and those in power may want to “spin” the truth for their own purposes, I take comfort in the thought that beneath all of the many perspectives of those who desperately want to cling to power, there is

By WES DEnyErGod’s truth. Scripture tells us that this kind of truth is not self serving. It works for the reality of a better world for all God’s children – rich or poor, black or white, male or female, Christian or Muslim, gay or straight. This truth recognizes the inherent value of every human being and points toward a world of justice, prosperity and peace for all people.

As Christians, we are called to stand with Jesus and “testify to the truth.” Perhaps the first step in accomplish-ing that will be to trust that there is a God who holds this universe in the palm of that divine hand, whose thought establishes truth and opens us up to the possibility of dis-covering and living that truth in our own lives.

And what might that look like? I think most of us already know … listening to the concerns and fears of a Boarding Home resident, serving a meal to a homeless per-son at Evangel Hall, helping a child whose family is new to Canada puzzle through her English assignment at the St. Jamestown Homework Club or opening our wallets for projects helping those who cannot help themselves.

I suppose, as always, the truth begins by responding with love, care and generosity towards all those whom God loves.

An election for elders took place earlier in the spring. At the June Communion on Pentecost, June 4, five new people became mem-bers of session, and several other elders entered into another term of service.From left to right: Bill Herridge, Michelle Nidenoff, John Sheer, Marg Tuer, Victoria Leigh, Sheila Tait, Charles Fensham, Sara Ta-man, Alexandra Johnston.

Ordination of Elders

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What is truth?

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Ann van roonOn June 11, Walter van Roon and his family provided

a special coffee hour for the congregation in memory of Ann, his wife of 58 years who passed away in January. Ann and Walter became members of our congregation in June 1986. On display was a portrait of Ann, and photo-graphs of her textile crafts. Many recalled when some of these crafts were featured in the RPC Fall Festival in 2007.

Ann was born in The Netherlands on March 30, 1936 and grew up in Rotterdam. After high school she went to secretarial school where she learned shorthand in both Dutch and English – a skill which was to prove very use-ful. She and Walter were married in 1958 and immigrated to Canada just six weeks later, going to Lethbridge where Walter had found work. Ann studied English every night, and, after the birth of their first child, Olga, secured a posi-tion in a travel agency. Walter says that it was this extra income that enabled them to return home for visits regu-larly in those first years.

Ann continued to work part time while two more children were added to the family. She was passionate about the arts, including music, and made sure that all the children received a musical education. They became mem-bers of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Lethbridge, and Ann became a very active visitor to seniors and shut-ins, often taking the children with her. In 1979 the family moved to Vancouver.

Here Ann attended Capilano College to study needle crafts using natural fibres and dyes. In 1981 she acquired her first loom and participated in her first craft fair. The sales of many of her pieces encouraged her to continue and expand her hobby. When the family moved to Pickering,

We remember ...Ontario in 1985 she participated in even more fairs, produc-ing an even wider selection of garments in lovely vibrant colours. She took up pottery as well, and took orders for vases and bowls colour coordinated with woven table-cloths. She added painting to her accomplishments and loved to create watercolour paintings of the Dutch country-side. Her intricate embroidered scenes decorated her home and those of her children.

Early in the ‘90’s, they moved to a lovely property in Ajax, steps away from Lake Ontario where for many years Ann continued her crafts, enjoyed her wonderful grand piano, and created a beautiful garden. She and Walter en-joyed many trips overseas, and throughout North America. Sadly, the last ten years of her life were taken from her by Alzeimer’s. She was in a care facility near their home, where Walter was her constant visitor.

We give thanks for the beauty which Ann created in her life. As Walter expressed it, “We celebrate the magnifi-cent legacy that she left behind with hundreds of works of art. Her family loved her very deeply. With gentle relief, her suffering is now over. We will always love and cherish her.”

Our prayers are with Walter, her children and four grandchildren as they remember her.

Walter van Roon (to the right of the portrait of his late wife Ann) with his children and grandchildren.

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Goodbye Brooke

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Brooke Alyea has served our congregation well, both as our Christian Education director and as our office administrator. We are sorry that in July she will be moving to Montreal to pursue graduate studies. We will miss her, and wish her well in her future endeavours. Here she is shown with Ijeoma Ross (on the left) who was chosen by the Personnel Committee as our new office administrator, beginning in August.

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Board of Managers

Kitchen renovation:Pat Keith (for many years our hospitality convenor)

presented a proposal which had been approved by the Board at its meeting earlier in the month. This is to give the kitchen its first major renovation since it was installed 62 years ago when the “Christian Education wing “ was added to the church sanctuary.

A committee made up of Pat Keith, Catherine Lum-mack, Arija Stiver, Sara Taman and the minister, Wes Denyer has been working on the proposal since the fall. They researched the possibilities of improving the rather confined space, including storage, appliances, and counter-top materials, and had secured a reasonable price from a reputable contractor.

The renovation will include new quartz counter-tops and new cupboard doors, refitting the lower cabinets with drawers to facilitate easier access, new appliances, (re-placing the existing stove and refrigerator), and re-wiring including some LED lighting. The original kitchen table will be replaced by an island with storage capability, and, where possible, new storage space will be added.

The contractor’s estimate was just under $44,000, and the budget includes a contingency amount of approximately $6,000 for a total of $50,000. This money will be drawn from the Board’s Facilities Fund.

The report concluded by saying that the “committee

Summer upgrades is confident that when the work is completed we will once again have a kitchen of which we can be proud and which will serve us well into the future”.

After a lively discussion in which some members argued for upgrading the kitchen even more significantly, the Board’s proposal was adopted. It is hoped that the work can be completed in August.

The current kitchen was build 60 years ago. It will be updated this summer.

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A congregational meeting took place after the service on May 28 to consider two proposals from the Board of Managers for significant upgrades to the church facilities.

The new audio and recording system will improve the quality of recorded music as well as providing better amplification for those with softer voices.

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Audio and recording systems:Earlier this year, the Session struck a commitee

consisting of Tony Keith, Sandra Demson, David Hunter and Christopher Dawes, our new Director of Music. Its purpose was to explore the idea of a new recording ministry to improve the church’s ability to minister in our sanctu-ary and to the broader community. It was prompted by the reality that our existing sound system, installed a number of years ago, is failing, and no longer adequately serves the worshipping congregation. In addition, its recording capac-ity is designed for the spoken word, but not for music.

The commitee consulted both live sound and record-ing professionals on what was needed to improve our sys-tem. It also explored the ministerial potential of a system that would not only improve what we have now, but expand it with an enhanced recording system which would be used to record RPC’s services and music. These could be shared with the wider world on our website and through social media. At the same time such a system would enable us to

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Judy Rois and Michele Nidenoff at the launch of their book Chil-dren’s Prayers with Hope Bear. The book is available through the RPC Office or by contacting Wes Denyer at wesdenyer@rogers.com.

Book Launch

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ActivitiesIt’s coming back!

We have been informed that the stained glass window in the chancel, (gone for repairs for many months) is scheduled to be installed July 3-4. We understand that the delay was caused by a medical problem which sent the project’s chief craftsman on sick leave for some time. We will all be glad to see the window’s return.

Continued from pg. 5provide recording facilities to the thriving Toronto musical community.

Other bonuses: children’s voices require substantial amplication and a new system would allow them to partici-pate in the services more fully. There are plans for a pro-gram to create a roster of people with the skills to operate the system. This would enable our young people to acquire valuable technical skills and serve the church by producing the best possible atmosphere for worship through sound.

A Memorial Gift in memory of David Dreyer, Sandra Demson’s late husband, who worshipped with us for the last years of his life, has been designated for this project, as have several other recently received gifts. All members of the choir have pledged to contribute to it, and the Board has agreed to match their contributons. The congregational meeting was told that the Board welcomed contributions from the whole congregation for this project, and givings will be matched by the Board from the Facilities Fund. The total cost is estimated to be about $60,000. This project was also approved by the congregational meeting.

As this issue is completed, we have learned that $28,000 in cash or pledges has been received. With the match from the Facilities Fund agreed to by the Board we now have $56,000. Contributions to take us to our goal should be marked “Audio/Recording Ministry Project”. We hope this project can begin over the summer..

Summer upgrades

Annemiek Miller has kept us informed on the summer plans for our refugee family through items in the bulletin.

In May, the mother, Aisha, who is a fine seamstress expressed a wish for a sewing machine. Thanks to the gen-erosity of Mary Legge, she now has an excellent machine and looks forward to a summer of pleasurable sewing.

The children are out of school at the end of June, but they have been enrolled in summer programs in the com-munity. In July, the two older ones will attend a summer school program with a focus on English for half days with (very likely) swimming classes in the afternoon. For the first three weeks of August, they will attend the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office summer day camp. Also in August, the two boys have been enrolled in a fully subsidized week long day camp at Monarch Park Stadium.

There is an urgent need for drivers to take the children to the swimming classes in July and some day camp ses-sions. Please call Annemiek if you have weeks in the city and could be part of a driving roster.

Dates and Updates appears online, and because of the privacy concerns of the family we are not including any pictures. However, a photo collage of the family over the past six months is posted in the church hall and everyone is encouraged to view it there.

Update on our refugee family

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ActivitiesMovie NightThe movie night group has met on the last Friday of each month throughout the year. We view a movie at 4:00 P.M., enjoy a potluck meal, and then have a discussion. Shown here enjoying conversation after the meal: (left to right) Erica Dodd (Brenda Reid’s sister visiting from Victoria), Jetta Bickford, Sheila Tait, Brenda Reid, Marjorie Ross.

Bake Sale

On June 18, the Church School held a bake sale to raise money for Camp Cairn. Claire Marshall, Brooke Dufton and Dorothy Roberts check out the baked good.

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June Communion and lunch

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On June 13, a group of the congregation’s long time members came together for a quiet communion followed by a pleasant lunch in the lounge. The Pastoral Care Committee assisted with the arrangements. Shown here are: (left) Barbara Roberton and Jane Snook; (Above) Joyce and Jahn Morden, Ann Laidlaw, Brenda Reid, Marg Tuer and Brooke Alyea.

From the ChoirAn update on several of our section leads:Nancy Olfert, our long-time alto soloist, has received

a knee replacement (her second). She reports the operation went smoothly, and she is faithfully doing the prescribed exercises.

Rebecca Genge, one of the music students who has led our soprano section, will be part of the program at the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart in August. She will be soprano soloist in some of the works they present, including Bach’s St. John’s Passion, and Cantatas 146, 147,&149 under the direction of Hans-Christoph Rademann and Helmuth Rilling.

Floyd Ricketts has been our tenor lead for the past few months and earned applause for the spiritual he sang at the Easter service. He will be moving to Montreal to enroll in McGill’s music department to pursue a doctoral degree in choral conducting.

Our best wishes to all of them.

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Congregational Picnic

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June 4 was a rainy day so the picnic (bouncy castle and all) moved into the Great Hall. Top left: Rayne watches Timothy while Owen runs behind and Jake and Paige play in the fore-ground; Duane Oldham watches the activity while Paige takes a break; Jake shows off his painted face and balloon sword; Feite Kraay and Alex enjoy their lunch and Kate Laidlaw, Ann Don-aldson-Page, Ruth Brunzema, Brooke Dufton and Chelsea at the buffet.

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Appreciation Sunday

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On June 18, RPC expressed its appreciation to the people who participated in teaching church school and helping out with Messy Church. Clockwise from top left: Michelle holds her rose; Edge and Oliver watch the activities; Pat Keith and Annemeik Miller with their roses.

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Dates & UpDates: IjeoMa ross: IjeoMa@rogers.CoM, 416-778-8876; MarjorIe ross: Mj.ross@rogers.CoM, 416-920-3778

Calendar July

Services will be held at Rosedale United at 159 Roxborough Dr. July 19 Summer BBQ - 6 pm - RSVP Wes Denyer (wesdenyer@rogers.com)

AugustAug. 16 Summer BBQ - 6 pm - RSVP Wes Denyer (wesdenyer@rogers.com)

Around RPC

Clockwise from top left: Rayne with Deane and Taylor who were celebrating birthdays; Brooke Alyea takes a turn in the bouncy castle and Oilver presents Christian Education Co-ordinator with a rose on Appreciation Sunday.

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