The summer months are moving along very quickly. Many of you have been travelling and spending precious time with family and friends. Others are navigating the challenges of health issues and related treatment. We have also had the pleasure of visiting family members joining us for Sunday worship as well as other welcome visitors. I hold all of you in my daily prayers and look forward to the fall when our travellers return. I will be taking my own vacation time from August 14^th – 28^th and Rev. Karen will be presiding and preaching on August 17^th and 24^th.

St. Phillips parish picnic on June 22^nd was well attended and much appreciated by members of St. Matthias parish. We look forward to continuing conversation and shared social events with them as we pray about and consider the future of both parishes. It will be exciting to see where the Spirit of the Living God leads us in these coming month as we explore possibilities.

From September 1^st to October 4^th, the Anglican Church of Canada will join with other Christians around the world to celebrate the Season of Creation. The theme for 2025 is “Peace with Creation”, rooted in Isaiah 32: 14-18, emphasizing the need for justice and restoration in our relationship with the earth. The Season of Creation begins with the World Day of Prayer for Creation on September 1^st and concludes on October 4^th, the Feast Day of St. Francis. At St. Matthias, we will celebrate these events on the nearest Sunday, i.e. August 31^st World Day of Prayer and October 5^th, Feast of St. Francis. On October 5^th we will have our annual blessing of the animals.

Please continue to enjoy these beautiful summer days and I look forward to being back with you to begin the Season of Creation on Sunday, August 31st.

Blessings

Rev. Colleen

We're delighted to announce that we will again have the joy of serving lunch at Our Place!  We've arranged the date of Friday, September 4th.  Specific times and instructions, etc. will be provided soon.  Meanwhile, this is another opportunity to show our love for our neighbours.  

You may recall from the last opportunity, that we received a brief welcome and orientation (hint:  any training we need is happily provided).  Participants all expressed their pleasure at the opportunity --- no, just look at those faces!  

Dear friends, the email system is still not working as we want it to.  In these times of turbulence in computer and automated systems, we've all experienced some of these challenges.  A "test" of this email just went to Cory's personal email from the admin email ... so we're hoping that some items are working.  

Efforts, of course, are ongoing.  In the meantime, if you receive an email from a St. Matthias email address, please be cautious in opening any links or documents.  And definitely ... don't send money or buy gift cards!!  

To contact St. Matthias, please use the telephone.  

Warmest thanks for your patience!

Cory