The pandemic has revealed many things – not least that community is fragile and isolation changes everything.

This Sunday we celebrate communion, and lift – LIFT – our voices and our spirits in song and prayer.  The coffee will be on. Communion will be served. Susan will reflect on the link between isolation and burnout, to which neuroscience, social-science and religion all have something to say.  And the choir and the Mostly Righteous will raise the roof.

Let worship change your everything.

Healing Pathway is a ministry that offers transformational opportunities within a heart-centered, inclusive community. The training promotes self-care and assists in restoring wholeness, balance, and harmony at all levels of being – physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually through grounding techniques, meditation, and a series of healing sequences. Healing is experienced individually and for receivers when an intention is set, and there is a connection to the Divine.

The foundation of the program lies in the tradition of healing within the Christian faith but is open to people of all faiths and spiritual paths.

Now that summer is over and we are all getting back to our somewhat normal schedules, including returning to church, we would like to start offering coffee again in the sanctuary before service. It has been very sporadic over the past year mainly because we do not have enough helpers.

We currently have had only 2 or 3 volunteers which makes it very challenging to offer coffee each week. In order to continue with this fellowship we would like to encourage people to step up and offer to assist. It does not require a big commitment, only 1 hour before the service and 1 hour after. If we have enough helpers it may only be once every couple months.

There are folks who have expressed their delight to have coffee again, but very few have offered to help. Please give some thought to this. 

Anyone who wishes to help or has any questions, please contact Janet Skiba at janet.skiba@gmail.com or 902 499-0327. 

I will gladly walk you through the whole process. 

Did you know that St. Andrew’s has co-sponsored another refugee family?

We have partnered with the Afghan Society of Halifax (link to https://www.afghansocietyofhalifax.ca/), Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (link to https://baptist-atlantic.ca/), and a community church allll the way in Texas, U.S. to support the Momini Atayee family to come to Halifax.

Meet Sughra, Aminullah, Negar, Ehsan, Negin, and their mother/grandmother Nikbakht. The family arrived at the end of August via a special Canadian program that fast tracked refugee applications from Afghanistan, due to the situation with the Taliban returning to power there.

They were staying in neighbouring Pakistan and were awaiting the opportunity to come to Canada, having fled persecution, mainly due to their involvement with women’s rights in Afghanistan. We are so excited to welcome them!!

It is with our dedicated refugee support network, partnerships, and community support that we can practically move mountains and be a part of many families’ new lives in Canada.

Join YMCA every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in our Upper Hall (Gym) for Forever Fit, a gentle fitness class designed for folks 55+, or anyone wanting to stay active who would like a class with a slower pace, including optional modifications for cardio, weights, and stretching.  

Forever Fit is fun, the music rocks (that’s what Thunder says anyways), and there’s lots of people to meet. These classes often fill up the gym! 

Monday and Wednesday classes are 9:30-10:30am and Friday from 11am-12pm. If you are a YMCA member, fitness classes are included, and membership starts at $28 bi-weekly. You can also purchase a 12 or 24 Forever Fit punch card, bringing the cost to approximately $5.50 per class.  

If you want to join a class, find out more information HERE and contact the Coordinator.  

FACE of Poverty Consultation is a faith based group that works to improve the lives of those living in poverty or close to the poverty line.

Our work is done through advocacy, letter writing and education. We will be hosting a ZOOM webinar on October 17th, the day that marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Please consider registering for this FREE event to learn more about the complicated social phenomena of poverty and how organizations are working to change this. 

Reserve tickets HERE on Eventbrite