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The Wesley-Knox
Kindred Spirit Connection
Moving in the Spirit
Fall 2019
Letter From the wonderful new administration assistant,
Editor Arlene, is taking over the job of getting
Wesley-Knox’s news out, and I’m sure
Hello everyone, that she will make a smash success of
and welcome it.
back to another It would be amiss if I left without saying
amazing year at some very important thank-yous. To
Wesley-Knox! After a lively summer, Carl Hearn, who saw something in me
filled with some very monumental that he wanted on the KSC, thank you.
changes, we are back in the pews this To my amazing proof-readers for these
fall, with hearts ready to learn and grow last few editions, thank you. To my
right alongside our church in this amazing Reaching Out committee, who
upcoming year. supported me even when my crazy
We have said some hard goodbyes, but schedule kept me from them, thank you.
along with any goodbye comes a great I also would like to acknowledge Deb
hello. I feel the possibility in the air at Lediet and Heather Westbrook, without
Wesley-Knox, and I know that with the whom the last two editions would not
safe hands that we are in, the world is have been possible, thank you both.
our oyster right now. I am stepping down as editor, but you
Personally, my busy summer has can absolutely still expect to see my
transitioned smoothly into an equally smiling face around on Sunday
busy fall, as I have juggled three jobs, mornings (on less hectic weeks). As
have found and moved into my dream always, I hope that any and all of you
apartment, and continue to be a part of feel free to reach out, I so treasure the
a very busy, very loving family. relationships that I have with my fellow
This busyness brings with it some sad Wesley-Knoxers.
news, as I am no longer able to continue With Love,
editing the Kindred Spirit Connection. Maggie Walker
This is my last edition behind the
keyboard, but certainly not the end of
my growth with Wesley-Knox. Our
Upcoming Events:
Nov 3 - Mass Choir Nov 23 - KSS Concert
Dec 7 - Christmas Concert Dec 15 - Singing Sunday and Pageant
Kindred Spirit Connection
Group and Committee Reports
Music Report - Karen Schuessler Where else can this happen? There are so
few places these days where everything is
ranked and rated and judged and qualified,
Well, we’re off and often with the view of an economic return at
running for another some point in the future.
great year of music at This is doing God’s work in the world. This
Wesley-Knox. All the is sowing seeds of love to grow over a
choirs have begun and lifetime. God bless this congregation for
the energy is palpable! continually saying the great “Yes” and
We are happy to be together, singing our trusting the dream!
faith and celebrating God’s love. The “All Choirs Sunday”—where all the
The buzz of excitement extends even choirs sing together—will be on November
beyond our walls. The Children and Youth 3. Always a thrill, this is a great service to
Community Choirs of Wesley-Knox signed bring your friends and neighbours to.
up many dozens of children on September And, lastly, mark your calendars now for this
12, with more to come. This is due to year’s Christmas Concert with our choirs
the generosity and goodwill of you, our and Denise Pelley on Saturday, December
congregation, as well as to the grace-filled 7, at 8:00 pm!
work of Primary director, Mallory Brennan, Well, as usual, it’s pretty dull in the music
and assistants, Mary Bee Haworth and department here at Wesley-Knox! Ha! Not!
Maggie Logan. The gifts of this program will See you in church!
reach far beyond our church and into the Karen
wider world for many years to come. That’s
the way the Spirit works.
One of the miracles of this program is that it
is a “choir” program, and, as such, raises
the self-esteem of everyone in it. In a choir,
each person is welcomed and accepted with
their gift of song regardless of how big or
small it is, and regardless of how they look
or what they eat or their school marks or
their background or who their parents are.
They come and by joining their voice with all
the others, are wrapped in beauty, which is
an attribute of God. The congregation
reciprocates and sends the loving message,
“Way to go”, “Great job”, “Thank you”. A live
feed-back loop of the highest order!
Kindred Spirit Connection
Group and Committee Reports
Adventures in Ministry at Wesley- Church’s “Church Hub” website along with a
Knox - Tony Haworth position description. It will then be matched
On Sunday, August 18 during worship, we with profiles of ministers who are seeking a
said goodbye to our minister of seven years, church home. If you think this sounds like
Tracy Crick-Butler. We also give thanks for online dating, you’re not alone!
Heather Westbrook who is retiring as our We don’t know when our new minister will
office administrator, Lisa Morris who arrive. A representative of our Regional
stepped down as our pastoral care Council (effectively what we used to call
coordinator and Chris Nichols who was our “Presbytery”) recently suggested that this
custodian. They have all made significant may not happen until mid-2020, but it could
contributions to the life and work of Wesley- happen a bit sooner. Either way, we need
Knox. someone to fill-in for the short term.
We now need a new minister. You may Leadership Council was blessed to have
realize that the search process has recently simultaneous offers of support from Glen
changed. Instead of undertaking a Joint Pearson and former Wesley-Knox minister
Needs Assessment we must now produce a Rev. Tom Hiscock. Glen offered to preach
Community of Faith Profile. While the name on a regular basis and Tom offered to
may have changed, the purpose is pretty provide worship leadership and perform
similar. The profile needs to summarize the other duties of a minister as needed. The
unique characteristics of Wesley-Knox and plan was to engage them until the end of
its people and describe the path we are on the year. Unfortunately, at the last moment
as a community of faith. By the way, the we learned that Tom was not eligible for a
United Church now routinely uses temporary appointment. As a retired
“community of faith” in place of the word minister, some of Tom’s credentials are out-
“congregation”. of-date and he is required to complete two
The key element of developing a Faith online courses before he can get a green
Profile is getting input from our community light from Regional Council. We’re still
of faith. To this end, the Faith Profile Team hoping Tom can step-in after completing
launched a survey throughout September. these courses in late October. Meanwhile,
This team includes Sheila Carson, Dave we have Glen providing strong leadership
Cooper, Tony Haworth, Jacob Horak, David from the pulpit as well as a variety of lay
Knoppert, Ron Olson, Jen Paterson, Brad and ordained leadership, including our own
Prentice and Alex Walker. The team is beloved Rev. Dr. Doug Ross. Many thanks
reviewing the survey responses to craft the
Faith Profile. On completion, the profile will
be presented to our faith community and, if
approved, will be posted on the UnitedKindred Spirit Connection
Group and Committee Reports
Adventures in Ministry Cont’d Community Life - Debbi Jarvis
to the Spiritual Life committee for their hard
work to keep our ship afloat! We will very Thanks to all, both human and canine, that
likely need another supply minister in the helped man our Photo Booth display in June
at the Gathering on the Green. A great time
New Year, until our new minister arrives.
was had by all.
Leadership Council is working on a plan for
this contingency. We have been assured by
Regional Council that there are viable
options.
While this period of change can be
unsettling, it is also an exciting advent time
of rebirth. If you have any questions or
concerns please chat with a member of the
Leadership Council. As sisters and brothers,
let’s continue to build a relationship with
God, make a difference in the world and
create a welcoming place for all who find us
here.
Leadership Council received, on behalf of
the congregation, a heartfelt
thank you card from Rev Tracy, expressing
her gratitude for the beautiful
stole and monetary gift presented to her at
the wonderful celebration held
during worship on Aug 18th.
Tony Haworth, on behalf of Leadership
Council and the Faith Profile TeamKindred Spirit Connection
Group and Committee Reports
Children’s Ministry - Kim Stark
Welcome Back Everyone! I hope everyone had a terrific summer
and that back to school went off without a hitch! It was a crazy
awesome summer here at Wesley-Knox! On July 1st we welcomed a
great team of 4 summer students funded by the Canada Summer
Jobs Grant Program! With their help, we ran 6 weeks of Creative Arts
Summer Day Camps and one week of Adventure Camp (VBS).
This year, Adventure Camp participants went back in time to Ancient
Egypt and the land of Canaan to free Joseph (son of Jacob) from unfair imprisonment
and help him find a way to forgive his brothers. Through role plays, songs, games and
daily trainings, campers got a taste of what life in Ancient Egypt might have been like.
They made ink from berries and nib pens from straws and learned to write in
hieroglyphics and hieratics. They sculpted scarab pendants, grilled and baked
flatbreads and even mummified an ancient Pharaoh (for real!).
At our Creative Arts Camps, campers learned the art of storytelling, built models of Da
Vinci’s Bridge, learned to paint in oil and acrylic, carved adorable animals out of soap
and cast flowers and hearts in chocolate! They also baked and decorated so many
cakes that I never need to see or eat cake again! It was a very busy and active summer
and we were all sorry when it ended.
But, not to fret! The Fall line-up of programming in Children’s Worship is better than
ever! As usual, babies and toddlers receive loving, compassionate care from our
nursery volunteers as they get comfortable with the routine of coming to church and
heading up to the Children’s Worship rooms while their parents listen to the service. In
the JK-Grade 5 classroom we are embarking on an ambitious adventure! We are taking
our storytelling curriculum to the next level, with new stories and handmade materials
adapted from the Godly Play Curriculum. We have rearranged the three smaller
Children’s Worship classrooms into: the Art Room, the Creative Response Room, and
the Story Room. In case you are not familiar with it, the Godly Play curriculum uses a
storytelling model with manipulatives (little characters and props we lovingly call Bible
Guys) followed by a creative response time. It is based on the Montessori Method. This
year we have upgraded from one creative response activity per week to a choice of
three or four activities per week. The options include watercolour painting, clay
sculpture, sketchbook journaling, theKindred Spirit Connection
Group and Committee Reports
building centre, the “invitation to play” centre (based on Reggio Emilia methods of
Emergent Education) and the Story Center. We are always happy to see new faces so
consider bringing a friend for this great Children’s Worship experience!
The Grade 6-8 class will be using a brand new curriculum this year called Teen Text. It
is a monthly program created by the Educational Centre and is “where God’s story and
Teen stories connect”. Teen Text is a lectionary-based high school resource that helps
older youth connect the text on the page with events in their daily lives. These
resources guide students into the text, and through a series of open-ended, text-related
questions, they begin to see the Bible as a vital, dynamic relevant resource–one that
can inform them throughout their lives. It encourages thoughtful and creative dialogue
and we are excited to be using it!
Youth Quest (high school) continues with the excellent leadership of Karen Pincombe,
Brad Prentice and Susan Ackland with help from Jane Roy. Jane tells me they are
going great guns already so consider bringing a friend to this wonderful program with
facilitators who really connect with the group.
But wait! That is not all! We have some fun family events coming up as well as our
annual Christmas Pageant and Holiday Bazaar so keep checking the calendar because
things are definitely hopping at Wesley-Knox!
Cheers,
Kim Stark
Director Children and Youth MinistriesKindred Spirit Connection
Group and Committee Reports
Reaching Out Committee - Margo Bettger-Hahn
The Reaching Out Committee meets on the your givings in the Minute for Mission from
second Monday of every month and we the pulpit or in the bulletin.
kicked off the year with our September 9th Check out our updated bulletin board
meeting. We have a number of areas of outside the Centennial parlour! Diane
interest and focus, which includes Knoppert, Jane Roy, Tony Haworth, Brian
communication of activities and action Dalton, Mallory Brennan, Maggie Walker,
within the Church, to the congregation and Leadership Council liaison Jen Cline, and I
the community. The Kindred Spirit would love to have you join us in Reaching
Connection, the Church’s website and our Out! A fun and focused team!
presence on Facebook are the avenues
used to do so. We promote environment
awareness and this year we will be
including
relevant tips in the bulletin weekly. We
hope that you will watch for and embrace
the information. Environmental Sunday in
the Spring is an important time to reflect on
our responsibilities to care for Mother Earth.
We support local outreach and social justice
initiatives, and this year are considering
Reaching Out Events
talks, including lunch and learns, to address Month of October -Annual Food Drive!
loneliness, homelessness, and the Bring your food donations to any service in
Canadian Food Grains Bank, as some October for the London Food Bank! Place your
examples. donation in the grocery cart at the front of the
We are responsible for Mission Sunday in sanctuary.
November and this year the Haworth family November 3rd - 7:30 pm. - Sudan Concert
will be sharing their memories of their recent Joining Denise Pelley is Saidat, Steve Holowitz
and the Jazz Trio, and the Choirs from Banting,
trip to Palestine. The annual Sudan concert
Medway and Victoria Schools.
on November 3rd, another initiative, brings
Cost? It's free, but all donations will be gladly
music and stories that remind us of the
accepted for development projects in South
realities of life in South Sudan, and gives us Sudan! (doors open at 6pm)
the opportunity to support the people there November 3rd - 6-7:15 pm - 100 Days of African
through the work of Canadian Aid for Wildlife Art Show and Sale
Southern Sudan (C.A.S.S.) Reaching All proceeds to South Sudan Development
Out stays connected with the hospitality Projects! Before the Sudan Concert and during
team and also conducts a twice yearly food Intermission, affordable original art
drive for the London Food Bank. Of course, work by Jane Roy will be available for viewing
and for sale. (Piece pictured above)
Mission and Service work matters to us as
well, as we share stories of the benefit ofKindred Spirit Connection
Group and Committee Reports
Pastoral Care Team - Brenda Smith Property Update Cont’d
During this time of change and transition in insulation, steel studs, and about 1 1/2 feet
our church, be assured that love and care of floor tiles along the end and side walls.
for one another continues. It is so important
The company are slated to do their work on
to talk to and listen to one another’s
Thursday and Friday, Sept. 19 and 20. There
concerns. There may be difficult times (such
as illness, bereavement, trauma) when we will be lots of dust and noise as the trench is
would appreciate the presence of our dug. The collection trough in the cement
minister. Please make contact through the floor will be about a foot from the end and
church office where Arlene, our church side walls. The trough in the floor will
administrator, will make the connection to gradually tip downward toward the West
pastoral support. Confidential voicemail will
where water will collect in the sump in the
relay your concerns after regular hours.
Wesley-Knox is fortunate to have a team of former shower area off the gym. From
trained individuals, the pastoral care team, there a pump will expel any water to the
who are available to be present and listen to Teresa Street side of the building. A
concerns when we need a friendly face and membrane on the walls will lead any water
warm hand to help bring the assurance of down into the
our faith to the difficulties and concerns that
trough. The trough will be covered by
confront us.
cement and will need a few days to cure.
Our subcontractor will install new steel
studs over the membrane, new styrofoam
insulation, and new cement board.
Following that the board will be taped,
"mudded" and painted, and the floor tiles
will be laid. Some of the tiles have been
saved and some new ones will complete the
floor.
As you can appreciate this is a lengthy
process with volunteers pitching in
to speed things up and to reduce the cost.
Hopefully we will be able to get
Property Update - Neil Eadie
back in the gym early in October. Many
As of the publication date, the gym is in the
thanks to Ron Olson for his key part
midst of having the sump system installed
in this job. Thank you to the various groups
by Advanced Basement Systems. Our
who have been very accommodating in
subcontractor and a couple of volunteers
changing schedules and adjusting their
have cut 32 inches from the existing cement
plans.
board, an equal amount of styrofoam
NeilKindred Spirit Connection
Group and Committee Reports
Resources and Renewal - Sheila LeClair
The role of the Resources & Renewal Committee is an interesting one. It’s made up of a
number of teams of people, all of whom have different responsibilities for keeping things moving
forward at the church. Here are just a few of the things we do:
We look after the many demands of our church building.
● This fall’s big project is working on the gym to hopefully eliminate future flooding. The
gym was out of commission this spring for a number of days because of significant
amounts of water that had gotten into the space. This has been a HUGE project and any
assistance you can give in helping with things will be greatly appreciated.
● Light bulbs in the sanctuary have been changed out to LED and we now have energy
efficient lighting in our church sign out at the front of the building. The new bulbs, both
inside and out, should last for a significant number of years.
All projects that are proposed for our building are looked at from 3 perspectives:
1. Is it an immediate need or is it something we can plan for at a later time?
2. How can we do it in the most financially responsible way possible?
3. Are we being as “green” as we can be and will it make things as accessible as possible?
Renting out our facilities to community groups. This includes negotiating contracts and ensuring
that we are able to meet the groups’ needs. There are 2 major reasons why we want to rent our
facilities:
1. It’s a wonderful way to open our doors to the community and welcome new people into
our church.
2. It’s an important revenue generator.
Counting and depositing the money that comes into the church each Sunday. We have set up
teams to do this so no team needs to do it more than once a month.
Taking responsibility for the finances of the church. What does this include?
● Reviewing the financial statements prepared by our Treasurer on a regular basis.
● Developing a Stewardship plan. What is Stewardship? It’s ways of asking people to give
to the church – not just financially, but also with our time and talents. Wesley-Knox
needs all three of these things. As Winston Churchill said: We Make A Living By What
We Get; We Make A Life By What We Give.
● Meeting with the Trustees and our Investment firm to review our investments and ensure
our returns are meeting the Investment Policy approved by the congregation.
● Ensuring that adequate processes and controls are in place to protect the physical and
monetary assets of Wesley-Knox.
This is just a quick overview of the work of this committee. We would love to add to our
numbers. There are always one-time projects that need doing. If you have an interest in helping
out in any area, please contact me at sheila.m.leclair@rogers.com or talk to me after church. My
sincere gratitude goes out to each member of the Committee who has worked so tirelessly to
make Wesley-Knox a wonderful and safe place to be.
Sheila LeClair, Chair of Resources & RenewalKindred Spirit Connection
Group and Committee Reports
Website Update Wonderful World of Handbells
We are looking to train an additional person The Wesley-Knox Handbell Ringers are
in managing the website. This role is not excited to commence their fall rehearsal
time-consuming, we are looking for an session. 6 members of the group attended
additional person to provide support to our the 3 day OGEHR Festival at Fanshawe
current webmaster (Mallory). The website is College last June, where they joined 300
currently a WordPress site which means other Ringers in massed performance. The
you do not need any working knowledge of theme was Peace, and we will bring this
coding or computer programming. We have theme forward in our fall performance on
a full manual which we can provide. If you November 10. If you have an interest in
are interested, please contact the
learning about handbell ringing, please
communications team at
speak to Cathie. If there is enough interest,
communications@wesleyknox.com.
perhaps we can set up a morning
workshop to investigate your skills.
Cold Weather is Coming!
Warm toques, large mitts and scarves are a
welcome gift to our Community Breakfast
and Out of the Cold meal programs at
Wesley-Knox over the colder months.
Starting in November we will have need of
donations to the Mitten Cane at the back of
the Sanctuary. There you will find donated
wool for you to take home to create a warm
article of clothing. I can just hear the knitting
needles now!!!
We Need You!
Choir Security We have need of a small group who could
We can always use volunteers for Thursday take on the task of being the custodial rep
night Community Choir practice security when a funeral is scheduled in the daytime
patrol. Your hours? 4:40-6:05 at the side hours. As mentioned prior, Bill is at school
parking lot door. Smiling faces greet you during the day. If we were to have a funeral,
as the kids pile in to attend rehearsal and we could use some assistance. If you could
parents are most appreciative of a warm give a few hours on short notice, we would
Wesley-Knox hello! Feel free to add your be interested in hearing from you. Please
name to the schedule posted on the bulletin contact any member of M&P, Cathie Banks,
board outside the east door. Or call Cathie. ChairKindred Spirit Connection
Group and Committee Reports
Some Warm Welcomes from M&P Inclusivity Report
An official welcome aboard to Bill Jacklin As our ad-hoc committee has come to the
our custodian. No doubt you have seen end of its one year timeline, we have sent
Bill around over the summer months when forward our report to the leadership council,
activities were fairly quiet. Now we are in leaving our future in their trustworthy hands.
full swing, activities are happening morning, This past summer has been a busy one for
noon and night, almost everyday of the our committee, as we continued to plan and
week. Bill is attending school now, as well run events. During Pride Month Wesley-
as working at W-K. This means you may Knox hosted an interactive art installation in
not see him so much anymore. He is putting association with Iridesce, a body of the
in the required hours, but a lot are on United Church of Canada that functions as
Saturdays, and late afternoons and a ‘Living Apology’ as commissioned by the
evenings. 42nd General Council in reaction to the
And another official welcome to Arlene Church’s history with LGBTQIA2+
Roberts our new Office Administrator. communities. Iridesce’s Barb McGill came in
Arlene moved to London from Port Elgin in to facilitate and organize the installation.
2018, where she was the Office Indigenous Solidarity Day was held on
Administrator at the United Church. She Friday June 21st, at the YMCA grounds at
comes to us with very creative ideas, Elmwood and Wortley. Several of our
technology efficiencies and a warm committee members attended the 5:30 am
welcoming smile to boot! In the past she Sunrise Service. It was a very entertaining
created and produced a weekly newsletter and educational day. Wesley-Knox again
that would replace the bulletin insert, giving took place in London’s annual Pride Parade,
room for detailed coverage of upcoming and we had a very good attendance on
events. We are looking at how this might such a hot day. This summer we also had
work for Wesley-Knox. Watch for some the opportunity to bring Leroy Hibbarb in to
upcoming changes. Meanwhile, drop in and preach for a Race and Culture Sunday.
meet Arlene. Office hours are Monday- The committee thanks you all for your
Thursday, 8:30-2:30. (1 hour lunch). Friday support, and we look forward to keeping WK
8:30-12:30. an open and accepting place.Films at Wesley-Knox Fall 2019
7:30 pm in the Centennial Parlour
Runaway Bride October 4th
Julia Roberts, Richard Gere
Maggie Carpenter has a reputation
for getting almost to the altar before
fleeing from her weddings.
Hocus Pocus October 18th
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker
A newcomer to Salem struggling to find
his place, awakens a trio of witches that
had been executed in the 17th century.
Rocketman November 1st
Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell
Elton Johns early years as he
grows and finds his way into
the music that has become
so famous.
Mystic Pizza November 15th
Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts
A coming of age story set
in Mystic Connecticut. A
delightful movie as we follow
three teenage girls.
The Lion King November 29th
Donald Glover, Beyonce
The Classic story re made
with live action characters.
www.wesleyknox.comYou can also read
