In last month’s second article about St. John’s Church, Ida, we concluded its history up to the 1985 tornado.
In this final article as part of our celebration and thanksgiving for our 200th anniversary, we will look at our church today. After a long pairing with our original parish of Cavan and more recently with Bethany, we are presently in a new parish with Omemee. While we have had to adapt to changing situations over the years, our priorities have essentially remained the same.
We have always been a bible-based, gospel church with prayer at the centre of our worship. We also love to sing and have been fortunate to have a strong choir and amazing music provided by our musical leaders. We emphasize lay involvement in our worship with half a dozen active lay readers and dozens more lay people who assist with our service in many capacities. We have always tried to have meaningful Sunday School programs for our children and that continues, along with a very inviting Messy Church ministry for young families. For many years we have also run an active Youth Group. Active Bible studies for men and women are the cornerstone of our Christian Education efforts, along with Christian speakers, attendance at conferences and a well-maintained library. In the heyday of the ACW (Anglican Church Women), its members could fill a room, but now a small nucleus carries on, with the grateful support of the entire church. Recognizing that food and fellowship have long been a central part of St. John outreach and hospitality, these ladies cater for funeral receptions, special celebrations, community organizations and a large variety of diocesan activities. They even take food to the Lions’ Club. Recognition of people`s gifts and supporting new ministries has been a wonderful aspect of our growth, and has seen the rise of such events as the Tuesday Nite Live dinners, the Men’s Fellowship Breakfasts and Silent Lake Canoe days.
Our final priority under the leadership of John Amesbury, is an ongoing Outreach ministry. It has certainly become one of the most exciting and fulfilling parts of our church life. We have had the privilege and joy of sponsoring two refugee families. Our first was with a family of three (now four) from Iraq by way of Syria. We developed a very close relationship with this family, and even now from Toronto, they continue to visit our church on a regular basis. Our second family of eight was from western Africa, from Ivory Coast having fled from Liberia. Even though the sponsorship process is completed, we still maintain a close connection and lend a helping and guiding hand wherever we are able. These two experiences have involved our entire congregation, and enriched and fulfilled our lives in many ways. Outreach over the years has seen thousands of dollars raised for Home Grown Homes and other organizations, through the Cavan Run, a community based activity coming up in September. Volunteers reach out to North Cavan School and the One Roof Diner, while financial support is offered to local food banks, schools in Africa, indigenous communities in Northern Ontario and the Arctic, and students attending post-secondary schools. We have also been privileged to be able to support Andy Harjula in his continuous work to support communities in Belize. We have been blessed to be able to serve God in these ways.
One of our final events in this year of celebrating our 200th, is being able to thank our wonderful community for its support over these many years. On Monday, August 5th between 11 and 3, we are hosting a Community Appreciation Day at St. John’s. See the poster below for more details. We are inviting our friends and neighbours to come and join us. We hope you will drop in to say hello, have some free BBQ and listen to some live music. Bring the kids to enjoy our bouncy castle and other activities.
By Phil Winslow and Ted Hodgkinson
