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News for Sunday, January 25, 2026

This Tuesday and Wednesday, Roy, our Representative Elder, and I will be attending the Presbytery meeting and educational retreat at Honeymoon Bay on Lake Cowichan. The Presbytery of Vancouver Island serves as an essential middle court of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, acting as a bridge between our local Session and both the Synod of British Columbia and the General Assembly. Rather than being a distant administrative body, the Presbytery is a community of ministers and elders from neighbouring congregations, stretching from Victoria to Campbell River. We gather to provide pastoral oversight, support, and accountability, ensuring that no congregation is left to navigate its ministry in isolation. By sharing resources and experiences, the Presbytery fosters the spirit of connection and community that is at the heart of our identity.

Beyond these administrative functions, the Presbytery plays a vital role in the spiritual health and growth of the church. It is responsible for the care of professional church workers, the oversight of students for the ministry, and mission initiatives that extend beyond the reach of a single parish. When a congregation celebrates a new beginning or faces a difficult transition, the Presbytery provides the guidance and authority necessary to move forward with integrity. It embodies our belief that we are stronger together, providing a framework of order and encouragement that allows the local church to flourish in its witness to the Gospel.

Worship this Sunday

Our service this Sunday begins at 10:00 a.m. You can participate in person or connect with our community online via the live stream. The link is available here.

. The Scripture readings are:

• Psalm 139:1-8, 13-18

• Numbers 21:4-9

• John 3:1-21 – Jesus and Nicodemus, being born anew, God’s love for the world

This week our choir is singing the anthem The Lord is My Shepherd with a German traditional tune, arranged by James Montgomery.

Upcoming

• Next Sunday, February 1, we will celebrate The Lord’s Supper. If you are unable to attend, but would like to receive communion, please contact your elder and we will arrange for communion to be brought to you.

• Our Wednesday Study on the Letter to the Ephesians will resume on Wednesday, February 11. Classes are held at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and you are welcome to join either. Our next session begins the second chapter of the Epistle

• Our next Sunshine Lunch will take place on Monday, February 16 at noon. The theme will be ‘Valentines’. In order that we may prepare for the right numbers, please, sign-up by February 9.

• The Annual Congregational Meeting will take place on March 1, 2026. Reports are due in the office by February 1 and the Congregational Report will be distributed to the congregation on Sunday, February 15.

• 2026 Vancouver Island Presbytery Summer Camps: Your Presbytery Camp Committee has made the following reservations

  • Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park June 8–12

  • Rathtrevor Provincial Park July 15–30

  • Rathtrevor Provincial Park July 30--August 3

  • For inquiries please contact the Camp VIP Registrar at jermareng@outlook.com

  • VIP Camp Website: https://vipresbytery.net

Community Events

• Join Kerstin Pelletier, founder of Metamorphic Wellness (www.metamorphicwellness.ca) on Monday, January 26, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. for a trauma-informed, experiential workshop including nervous system education, breathwork, and a guided co-regulation session. Ages 18+. The meeting takes place in the classroom at SPPC. You can register at: www.eventbrite.ca/e/stuck-in-the- anxiety-overwhelm-loop-tickets-1980364622897

• The Watoto Children's Choir will be in concert at the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Willingdon Avenue on Tuesday, January 27 at 6:30 p.m. This is a fundraiser for the choir, which is associated with the Watoto Church, a large, international Pentecostal church based in Kampala, Uganda. Watoto Church was founded by Gary and Marilyn Skinner. Their mission is “To provide hope and care for children orphaned by war and disease in Uganda, sharing their message globally through music.”

News for Sunday, January 18, 2026

This Sunday we are once again welcoming the Rev. Wes Denyer to the pulpit here at SPPC. Wes and I are doing a pulpit exchange, as I will be preaching at St. Andrew’s in my capacity as Interim Moderator. The worship service at St. Andrew’s will be followed by their annual budget meeting, which requires my attendance this Sunday.

St. Andrew’s is currently without a minister and Wes has graciously agreed to step in, taking the majority of the preaching duties as well as serving as a pastoral visitor for one day a week. In the meantime, the lengthy process of searching for a new minister continues and the congregation certainly covets your prayers. Selecting a minister is a difficult and weighty process, demanding keen discernment by the Search Committee members.

So, please, pray for St. Andrew’s:

• for the Search Committee that they will find the right candidate

• for candidates who might discern a calling to St. Andrew’s

• for the Rev. Wes Denyer, who takes on this role of worship leadership, despite having come to Victoria to retire

• for the Session and congregation of St. Andrew’s as they go through elders elections in the next weeks

• for the congregation of St. Andrew’s as they seek to continue their faithful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ in downtown Victoria

Worship this Sunday

Our service this Sunday begins at 10:00 a.m. You can participate in person or connect with our community online via the live stream. The link is available here.

The Scripture readings are:

• Psalm 133:1-3

• Romans 12:9-21

• Matthew 5:21-26

This week our choir is singing the anthem All Thanks and Praise by Mark Patterson.

Upcoming

• Our Wednesday Study on the Letter to the Ephesians will continue next Wednesday, January 21 at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., as Rev. Irwin Cunningham will be at Presbytery the following Wednesday

• We look forward to Friendship Coffee on Thursday, January 22, at 10 a.m. Bring your friends and neighbours to this great time of fellowship.

• The next Sunshine Lunch will take place on Monday, February 16 at noon, the theme will be ‘Valentines’. Please sign-up by February 9.

• The Annual Congregational Meeting will take place on March 1, 2026. Reports are due in the office by February 1 and will be distributed to the congregation on February 15.

• Vancouver Island Presbytery Summer Camps: Your Presbytery Camp Committee has made the following reservations:

  • Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park on June 8–12

  • Rathtrevor Provincial Park on July 15–30

  • Rathtrevor Provincial Park on July 30--August 3

  • For inquiries please contact the Camp VIP Registrar at jermareng@outlook.com

  • VIP Camp Website: https://vipresbytery.net

And may God be with you all!

News for Sunday, January 11, 2026

This week we are holding a CML Luncheon following the  worship service.

The Centre for Missional Leadership (CML) at St. Andrew’s Hall, UBC, was established to enable Christian communities to flourish in God’s redemptive mission. While many North American churches feel a sense of decline, the CML seeks to foster a renewed imagination for the Canadian church landscape. Through research, teaching, and experimentation, the Centre equips pastors and congregations with the vision and skills necessary for fruitful witness. The goal is to help congregations transition toward a missional culture that engages neighbours and neighbourhoods more deeply.

The CML's one-year Certificate Program is designed to educate, empower, and equip teams through learning sessions and coaching appointments. Participants explore creative ways of being the church in a changing culture by asking bold questions and imagining alternatives for worship, spiritual formation, and community engagement. By charting new paths toward a faithful presence in the world, the program helps congregations discover a more invigorating and sustainable future.

A volunteer team here at SPPC are presently participating in the program. As part of the course, in an exercise known as asset mapping, we are asked to better understand the strengths and resources of the congregation. For this reason the CML group invites you to our soup and sandwich luncheon and our community exploration. During this we will ask you to answer, reflect upon and discuss the following three questions:

1. What do you see as the physical assets of Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church (ie. the building, the furniture, the property)? What makes this place stand out?

2. What are the people strengths of Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church? What gifts do individuals or groups in the congregation bring?

3. What are the strengths of Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church as a congregation? What characteristics, qualities or values set us apart?

Worship this Sunday

Our service this Sunday begins at 10:00 a.m. You can participate in person or connect with our community online via the live stream. The link is available here.

The Scripture readings are:

• Psalm 104:1–16

• Amos 9:11-15

• John 2:1–11 – The Wedding at Cana

This week our choir is singing the anthem Come and See the Works of the Lord by J. Paul Williams & Pati Drennan.

Upcoming

• Following the service this Sunday, the Certificate for Missional Leadership seminar group invites you to a luncheon and community exploration. We are seeking your insights into SPPC!

• The following Sunday, January 18, we once again welcome the Rev. Wes Denyer to the pulpit. Rev. Irwin Cunningham will be leading worship at St. Andrew’s, Victoria, where he is currently serving as Interim Moderator.

• Our Wednesday Study resumes on January 14 at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. We are studying the Letter to the Ephesians with the Bible Project.

• We look forward to the next Friendship Coffee on Thursday, January 22, at 10 a.m. Bring your friends and neighbours to this great time of fellowship

• Mission & Outreach thank you for your very generous donations to our recent food bank drive. We received $2,533 in monetary donations, along with a large quantity of non-perishable items requested in the bulletin. The food bank expressed their sincere gratitude for our contribution. Additionally, we are pleased to announce that the winner of the poinsettia draw was Emily Smith.

• 2026 Vancouver Island Presbytery Summer Camps: Your Presbytery Camp Committee has made the following reservations

  • Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park onJune 8–12

  • Rathtrevor Provincial Park onJuly 15–30

  • Rathtrevor Provincial Park on July 30--August 3

  • For inquiries please contact the Camp VIP Registrar at jermareng@outlook.com.

  • VIP Camp Website: https://vipresbytery.net

And may God be with you all!

News for Sunday, January 4, 2026

As we gather for the first Sunday of 2026, we stand at a unique threshold where the start of the calendar year meets the sacred celebration of Epiphany. The turn of the year is a natural time for reflection, allowing us to look back with gratitude and forward with hope. While the months ahead remain unwritten, we find peace in the assurance that God remains our constant guide. As we enter this new season of life together, let us commit our hearts to discerning where the Spirit is leading our congregation, trusting that the one who has been faithful in the past will continue to sustain us in the days to come.

This Sunday we also celebrate Epiphany, remembering the journey of the Magi who followed a celestial light to find the Christ child. Their story serves as a powerful reminder that the grace of God is a gift intended for all people, transcending borders and beckoning seekers from every corner of the earth. Just as the star guided those ancient travellers, may the light of Christ illuminate our path in the coming year. Let us strive to be a people who not only seek that light but also reflect it through our service and our love for our neighbours, bearing witness to the hope that has dawned upon the world.

In the coming weeks, we will continue to explore how God is at work within Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church and our wider community. A new year often brings a desire for change, yet we find our truest transformation when we remain rooted in the Word of God. Let us enter this season with expectant hearts, ready to see the "new thing" the Lord is doing among us. We look forward to walking this path with you in worship and service.

Worship this Sunday

Our service this Sunday begins at 10:00 a.m. You can participate in person or connect with our community online via the live stream. The link is available here.

The Scripture readings are:

• Psalm 66:1-6, 16-20

• John 1:35-51 – Behold the Lamb of God, Call of disciples, “Come and see.”

This week our choir is singing the anthem God bless us, everyone by Jay Althouse & Sally Albrecht.

Upcoming

• Our Certificate for Missional Leadership seminar group would like to invite everyone to stay after Church next Sunday, January 11, for a delicious luncheon and a community exploration. We need your insights!

• Our Wednesday Study on the Letter to the Ephesians will resume on January 14 at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

• The next Friendship Coffee will take place on Thursday, January 22, at 10 a.m. Feel free to bring a friend.

• The Pastoral Care Committee would like to thank you all for your generosity during the Toonie Drive. You helped to raise $140.00 and 10 shut-ins received White Gifts!

Community Events

• Beacon Community Services is presenting a Hearing Loss Information Session at the SHOAL Centre (10030 Resthaven Drive) on Monday, January 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. There is a $5.00 registration fee. For more information or to register, please contact SHOAL reception at shoalreception@beaconcs.ca or 250-656-5537.

May God be with you all as we celebrate this New Year!