Ministry Milestone

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

This Sunday we celebrated thirty years of ordained ministry for our own, Rev. Irwin Cunningham.  After taking his undergraduate degree at University of Victoria, he went on to complete his M. Div. at Knox College, University of Toronto. He was ordained into full-time ministry at Knox Presbyterian in Victoria, in a service conducted by Dr. Kirk, in June 1996.

Later that year he was inducted into ministry at Faith Presbyterian in Fort MacMurray. While still a student he served in churches in Edmonton, Prince George and Sylvan Lake. Those years in "the north" were a bit like pioneering in ministry--his first baptism, his first wedding, his first change of the clock (he was still eating breakfast at the hour when worship began.) 

He met some rough and ready folk from the oil patch, who became friends and elders in his church. He took on the chaplaincy of the RCMP and gained a whole new perspective on policing and the people who serve in that capacity. He comforted officers at the time of the Meyerthorpe shootings.

For the past nineteen years we have been privileged to have him as our minister, teaching elder, pastor, tech support and friend at Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church. 

In the early years of his time with us, the Bible Study flourished with upward of 20% of the congregation in attendance. With so many engaged in study, our corporate faith deepened and broadened and "showed forth in our lives."    

The Christmas Play became a staple of SPPC's December, with the whole Cunningham family taking part.

2015

The first Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic launched SPPC on a long and nurturing relationship with the House Upon the Rock ministry. A second trip followed two years later and a third was planned when . . .

Then came COVID.

Everything changed. The Mission trip was cancelled. Church services were closed down. All group events were forbidden. 

A graduation card for Benjamin, delivered during COVID

And yet . . . under Rev. Irwin's guidance, SPPC found a way. We held communion service in the parking lot. We learned about cameras and youtube and pre-recorded worship services. 

preaching to a camera and a microphone

watching "church" from home

 While other churches remained closed, SPPC was the first to re-open, allbeit with a very different look. We rearranged the pews. We moved the wall. We measured out seating at six foot intervals.

As restrictions lessened, little by little, folk started coming back to church on Sunday morning, while wearing a mask and singing very quietly into it. SPPC became the model for other churches re-opening their doors as the pandemic eased.

Previously, many of us joked about Rev. Irwin's fondness for gadgets and techie stuff. Now we depended on him to teach us how to run the cameras and the video and figure out how to jump into the post-COVID world through the internet. I'm sure he never dreamed he'd need those skills when he enrolled in theology!

Under Rev. Irwin's guidance and hard work, SPPC recovered from the COVID shut down and is once again holding Bible Study, offering a worship service (no longer socially-distanced). We sing hymns with gusto, celebrate birthdays and anniversaries and anything else that gives us an excuse for cake. In 2023 another team made the trip to the Dominican Republic, then last year, another team, including Rev. Irwin made the trek to House Upon the Rock.

2025

Sunday, in typical SPPC style, we celebrated Rev. Irwin and his thirty years of ministry, with a party after worship.

A few words

Thank you, Rev. Irwin for all you do at SPPC and for your faithful answer to God's call. 

* * * *

Late Breaking News:

Diane found the bulletin from Rev. Irwin's induction service at Fort MacMurry.  

Text from the service:

Irwin Cunningham was born in the Hague, Holland, the youngest of the four sons of Dr. Joseph and Mrs. Edith Cunningham. In his earliest years the family moved from there to Vienna, Austria, then Helensburgh, Scotland and finally to Victoria, where he completed his schooling. In Victoria Irwin became a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church, and later transferred to Knox. He became active in youth ministry both at Knox and St. Andrew's Presbyterian Churches, and quite active in Vancouver Island Presbytery Camping.

 After finishing high school, Irwin studied physics and later history.

 While working on a masters in history at the University of Victoria, Irwin discerned his call to the ordained ministry and his name was put forward to Vancouver Island Presbytery by the Session of Knox Church. The Presbytery certified him to the care of Knox College, where he recently completed his theological education.

 It was after the first year of his studies that Irwin married Diane Attwell, an elder of Knox Church, a fellow youth ministry worker and an active Christian camper. Diane joined Irwin in Toronto and has since supported him in his ministry and studies in Prince George, B.C., then in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, where Irwin interned at Memorial Presbyterian Church, and returning to Toronto for Irwin's final year at Knox College.

 Irwin then accepted the call to Faith Presbyterian Church, in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Both Diane and Irwin are looking forward not only to serving Jesus Christ, putting into practice many years of study, but also to the possibility of settling into one home for more than twelve months.

 

SPPC and the Blue Bus

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

Exciting Things are Happening with Y.F.C. Blue Bus.

                       by Pam Day

For most of us Summertime is a time of “winding down,” but not so for South Island YFC (Youth for Christ).

The Nanaimo team’s Summer Adventure Camps are the culmination of the year’s contacts with Youth, 84 Juniors and 46 Teens participated in sports, climbing wall, skywalk, tubing down the Cowichan River, beach activities, worship with music provided by the youth, a lot of fun in a safe Christian environment resulted in several Juniors and Teens making the choice to welcome Jesus into their hearts. We pray that they will go forward and allow the Lord to walk with them as they return to their families and local schools and churches.

 Programs such as Blue Bus do take a break from their regular activities, but this gives time for evaluation of the past year and planning for the next.

God has answered many prayers this past year, one of which was to provide more staff and volunteers. Our leader Rick Wismer is approaching retirement, and this has been a great concern.

The Lord has provided! Samuel de Oliveira (and his wife) have been volunteering for a few years now, and he has become the Program Director for the Cowichan Tribes.

Samuel is a younger spirit- filled man who has the energy for climbing gyms, kayaking on the lake and other active sports. Rick still has oversite for the Cowichan and will be there to mentor Samuel, but this takes a big load off his shoulders.

 And more recently, Jon Rothon has come to the Peninsula from Kelowna, where he worked with YFC in youth pastoring, and has hit the ground running!

We are thankful for these younger, energetic men answering God’s call to reach out with the love of Christ to our First Nation’s Youth. Please pray for wisdom and guidance as they take on their roles as true Ambassador’s and Reconciler’s for Christ Jesus.

And not a moment too soon! as the Pauquachin Tribe has given permission for us to expand our present Tuesday after school Teens Program, to include some Thursday afternoons, and Saturday serving days. This sometimes needs volunteer drivers to enable the kids who live further away to participate. If you feel God calling you to do this, please respond to Rick Wismer 250-216-8287.

In addition, the Elders at Tsawout Nation have invited us back to do twice a month Thursday evening Teen Programs again from 6:30 – 8:00pm. Of course, this means that we will need to have some more Volunteers to be able to safely and legally be able to comply! And more snack providers too.

Our Church has been supportive of Blue Bus Ministry for many years, by financing the provision of snacks and providing volunteers to purchase and deliver them, and the occasional volunteers for program help.

 It is a great opportunity to offer sincere recognition of our shameful participation in the aberration of the Residential Schools, and to seek sincere Reconciliation by both word and deed.

For more information or to volunteer, please speak to Pam or call the office, 250 656-2241

Something Different

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

I won a rosette at the Saanich Fair for "something different" in the preserves section. The entry involved zucchini.😀

Something Different at SPPC this week carries no prize winning ribbon. Our secretary had the misfortune to break her arm and has been missing in action for a couple of weeks. So, if you arrive at SPPC on a weekday morning, you'll see "something different." Volunteers are taking turns covering the office hours and doing our best to be helpful to Rev. Irwin and the congregation.

Until you sit in her chair, you may not know just how much the operation of our building and congregation relies on the accumulated  knowledge our secretary. I spent most of Monday asking "where is . . .? "who is . . .? what is. . .?" I now know some answers but I've only scratched the surface.

We miss the usual smiling face in the office and pray our secretary will have a quick and complete recovery.

Something that is not different at the church is the Sunshine Lunch. This past Monday saw the crew serve up the first meal of the Fall term, and what a meal it was. Look at this beautiful and tasty dessert.

The Molloy Hall is a multi-purpose room so making it into an intimate dining room is hard work, but the crew did a wonderful job of creating an attractive visiting space.   

Love the duck watering cans

 

Every table had a centre bouquet to complete the festive air. 

The whole meal was a treat -- just as good as a restaurant --

 and the "help" was terrific.

Speaking of the help, not only did they prepare and serve the meal, they joined the diners at the table so each guest had a personalized experience.    

 

 

 Except for one, the folks at this table were too engrossed in their food to smile for the camera.

The Sunshine Lunch is one of the most long-standing ministries at SPPC. It was designed to fill a need, providing fellowship and nourishment to folks who mostly dined alone. When the first coordinator retired, another picked up the reins. Newcomers have joined the group, both as guests and as volunteers in the kitchen. 

The next Sunshine Lunch is scheduled for October 26 and will have a Thanksgiving theme.  Sign up sheets will be available Oct. 4. Seating is limited, so get your name down early. SPPC welcomes the neighbourhood to our fellowship. You don't have to belong to the congregation to enjoy the Sunshine lunch. If you live alone and would like company and a good meal, call the office (250 656-2241) and add your name to the guest list. 

🎼🎼🎼

If you want to feed your spirit, there is a musical program on offer this Saturday, by the Die Mahler group, including Larry, our  organist. All are welcome.

The Power of a Word

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

September has arrived like a mighty rush of wind. The church calendar is filling up. Fall chores are calling for attention. Clubs, sports teams, organizations -- are all gearing up and calling for volunteers. Somebody asked me about Christmas just last week! There is a sense of rush and hurry and deadlines hovering in every conversation.

So, when I read these words, "I had to flip the narrative from ‘I have to’ to ‘I get to’" it gave me pause. Such a small word. Such life-changing power.

 "I have to" is filled with anxiety, pressure, resentment, irritation, frowns, and impatience. It disrupts conversation, short-changes relationships. It replaces the beauty of sun-rise with the strident scream of an alarm clock. "I have to" is a destroyer. 

"I get to," rejoices in the daily tasks, thrives on accomplishment, bestows happiness. When "I get to," friends and family are drawn closer, work becomes a pleasure, moments are filled with wonder and gratitude at the expanse of what I get to do. 

"I have to" chases me into the garden with the clock ticking as I harvest the onions before the rain. I work furiously, with a scowling face. "I get to," lets me harvest the onions while filled with awe at the bounty of nature. I'm reminded of all the blessings in my life. The onions are pulled and set to dry in the same length of time it takes me when "I have to" but a smile replaces the scowl.

The Bible is full of verses reminding us to rejoice in the Lord, most notably 1Thess 5: 16 . But there are many other examples, Phil.4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always" was written from a prison cell. The Book of Psalms resounds with hymns of joy. Ps 118 This is the day that the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Ps. 100, Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Ps. 95, Sing for joy.

There is no shortage of Biblical references reminding us to be thankful but sometimes "Sunday" words get lost on Tuesday. Flipping "I have to" to "I get to," is less graceful, but it works.

If you are looking at your calendar and your to-do list and feeling overwhelmed, try thinking, "wow, I get to. . ."

New Term

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

We marked the end of summer with a hymn-packed worship service and a hot dog lunch. Now we mark the beginning of the fall term with a celebration of the Lord's Supper. Two Sundays only a week apart, but two very different seasons.

Labour Day marks the beginning of the new school year, and in many households, the beginning of a new season of learning and activities. SPPC is no different. Now that the Saanich Fair is over, it's time to settle into a routine. Choir practice starts again this week. Session meets on Wednesday. The Study group  begins next week. Sunday School activities recommence. The autumn Sunshine Lunch is upcoming. 

Some may feel regret that summer is over, and yearn for the long, unstructured days of heat and sunshine. Others will welcome the return to routine and order as the days get shorter and the temperatures drop. 

How fitting that we bridge the two seasons at the Communion Table, a place for remembrance, fellowship, thanksgiving and proclaiming Christ. A favourite communion hymn begins with the words "Here, O my Lord, I see Thee face to face" and concludes with "feast after feast thus comes and passes by,/Yet passing points to that glad feast above."

Season after season, we can gather at the Lord's table, sure of our welcome, secure in Christ's forgiving love, knowing our souls are fed. Sunday concluded Rev. Irwin's sermon series on Psalms of Ascent. The pilgrim has arrived. The feast that Christ prepared awaits.

Take, eat, in remembrance of Me.

Fifth Sunday Voices

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

August 30 was a fifth Sunday in the month of August, so, as per our new protocol, we made it different. The previous fifth Sunday, in May, we expanded our "prayers of the people" format. This month, we expanded the music, that is, we sang nine hymns instead of four, and added a sung blessing. Prayers were shortened and the sermon was a mini-version.

Because the choir is still on holiday, Rev. Irwin got to practice his song-leading skills. 

 

He assured me that the next time we did this, he'd make certain the choir was in attendance. 😄

We finished off the service with a hot-dog lunch, instead of the usual coffee hour after service.

Session decided to hold the lunch inside instead of setting up in the parking lot. Given the change in the weather that was a very good idea!

The lunch included a make-you-own-sundae option, and here is Peter, putting that option to good use.

There was a larger than usual turn out for the service so all the spare hot dogs were quickly added to the grill. Fortunately, the salad makers had made generous portions so no one went hungry.

 

As they used to say in my small town paper "a good time was had by all."

Many thanks to the CML group for spearheading this event and to the many hands to turned to for preparing and cooking and cleaning up afterward. 

Faithfulness

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

The Crack in the Wall -- A St. Faithful's Story         by Tom Kennar

Our clerk of session loaned me a book last week. She thought I might enjoy it, but she should know by now that even the most casual suggestion is grist for the blog!

The author of the book is a priest of many years standing in the Church of England, currently vicar at the parish of Havant. In the fictional world he creates, the church, St. Faithful's, is in the parish of Havnot. 

The characters are the archetypes found in much fiction concerning churches. There is the organist who believes J.S. Bach is the only composer necessary, the sharp-tongued administrator, the ditsy youth leader (always covered in glitter), the gloomy verger who is most concerned with the preservation and the winding of the tower clock, an overly enthusiastic flower arranger, and a newish curate trying to find her place in the faith, a "floppy-haired" guitarist, and an up-to-date church leader who has no room for doubt.

Finally, we meet the vicar, a kindly, wise man of faith struggling with loyalty to his congregation and "progress."

The story kicks off with a letter from the diocese directing St. Faithful's to hold a "Strategic Reshaping Conversation" with the neighbouring church, St. Paddy's.

Not surprisingly, angst follows. Will the vicar retire or move or stay, or be pushed out? Who will wind the clock? The organist and the guitarist battle over "improvisation" with key changes vs printed music that holds to the "rules" of Bach.

It is a dilemma familiar to mainstream churches everywhere, who struggle with declining attendance, budget deficits, and fewer able bodies. Amalgamation is often on the agenda.

At SPPC we are not about to receive a directive from the powers-that-be, but we would dearly love to expand our ministry in the neighbourhood. That is what the CML group is all about. You can read Pam's excellent post about it here.

One of their initiatives is the fifth Sunday worship format. There are only four a year so it seems like a good time to dial it up a bit on Sunday morning. We've already had one Sunday where "prayers of the people" were different.

This coming Sunday, Aug. 30 is another fifth Sunday and we're going to turn the worship hour into a musical hour. There will be prayers and a sermon (very short) but mostly we'll be singing favourite hymns of the congregation. If you love to sing, this is your week, and a chance to bring your singing friends too. I understand there will be hotdogs during the coffee hour. 

  

I won't tell you the end of the St. Faithful's story -- you can ask Janet to borrow her book, or get your own from a bookstore, but there are some statements worth quoting.

Our story is not that we are perfect, or modern, or ancient. Our story is that we belong to one another.

We do not worship wood, or music, or methods. We worship the God who became flesh.

St. Faithful's … had not silenced disagreement It had chosen to love louder. 

At this [Communion] table there is room

Ed. Note: The author made the point that an "altar" is for sacrifice. A table is where people are fed. 

There are several books in the St. Faithful's series as well as a facebook page for Canon Tom Kennar, if you want to explore his ideas more fully.

Happy reading. See you next Sunday, with your voices ready to sing to the Lord.