50th Anniversary Liturgy and CAFE at St Andrews, Grimsby Ontario

The St. Andrew's Grimsby PWRDF Team (Pearl Sweeting, John Murphy, Melita Veinotte and Vel Beaman) began preparing for a PWRDF 50th anniversary event on back in January. With the guidance of our Interim Rector, The Rev. Canon Dr. Brian Ruttan, we followed a Liturgy suggested on PWRDF 50th Anniversary Web site. Getting the program together required many meetings and consultations, but everything melded as we hoped!

On May 3, the Sunday School children carried signs in the church service at 10am, displaying the continents where PWRDF partners work with local and other international aid organizations; the adult and children's choirs rendered music to inspire joy and thanksgiving; drummers and woodwind gave us a special rhythm at both 8am and 10 am services.

Then there was the Café that everyone who entered the Fireside Room for coffee time agreed was innovative, and a success. Several clergy and parishioners agreed this was a terrific idea. Fair Trade coffee was drunk and donated home baking made this effort a pleasure. Not to mention being able to sit at a decorated table to chat with friends. Could we do it again? We'd like to, with the help of those ladies who prepare coffee every week.

On June 9, John Edwards, St. Andrew's Grimsby Auditor and Parish Council Chair, assisted by Dave Kemp drew the winner of a PWRDF 50th Anniversary Café gift basket. The winner will enjoy the "Take a Coffee Break" basket, inspired and prepared by Melita Veinotte for the May 3 day Celebration. The gift draw was to thank parishioners for their support of Fair Trade.

To mention the names of everyone who cooperated and encouraged this 50th Anniversary endeavour would lengthen this report by many paragraphs! We are grateful and wouldn't like to omit anyone's name. The services were different from the usual, but the usual joy was present. Thanks be to God.

Submitted by Pearl Sweeting