Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian

     

   Weekly choir practice is back on the calendar.  Bible study is back in session. Sunday school has restarted. Regular committees are back at work. The sign up board has plenty of openings. Hard to believe that just a few short weeks ago we were getting ready for Christmas Eve Service amid worries about the electric power.

      In the "big wind" of 2018, some 800,000 households on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands lost power. Given the circumstances SPPC got off lightly. We never lost power completely but we did lose some. We have a three phase power system. A branch came down and touched the lines. We lost two phases. Not dire, but worrisome just before our biggest service of the year. 

     Our electrical services were so unpredictable life got complicated. Lights in the hall worked but not in the office. The organ had power but  the photocopier did not. Heat was erratic.

     Even once full power was restored timed systems, like the outdoor lights, were unreliable. On Christmas Eve the parking lot and driveway were in total darkness. Regular congregants had a hard time finding the gateway so what chance did visitors have?

     Turns out they managed just fine because we had a full house. The service was lovely. Ironically, we turned off the lights toward the end of worship, leaving the sanctuary lit only by candles as we sang "Silent Night." 

     Clean up is now complete, we think. Welcome all to SPPC in 2019--and bring a sweater, just in case.