Connecting Our Dismas Fellowship Communities

April means it's time for some Spring Cleaning!

Spring has a way of nudging us toward fresh starts. But standing at the edge of a cluttered room can feel overwhelming. You see everything at once—the piles, the dust, the things you meant to deal with months ago—and it’s hard to know where to begin.

Yet once you take that first small step, something shifts. A drawer gets sorted, a shelf gets cleared, and suddenly the space begins to breathe again.

Our inner lives work the same way. We accumulate habits, assumptions, and old stories that quietly take up space. Once in a while, we need to do our own kind of spring cleaning—a gentle look at what needs to be released, rearranged, or renewed in our lives.

Spring reminds us that renewal doesn’t happen all at once. It begins with one small, hopeful step.

What kind of tidying or reorganizing do you feel you need in your life? Is there anything you need to finally toss out?

Paul Tuck,

Community Coordinator

Dismas Brockville had thought it might close its doors, but an infusion of new life has meade them rethink and restrain from calling it quits.

Although Eric Richards is stepping down as chair, he still intends to help with the transition of a new leader. More to come next issue!

Bruce Smith sums up the meeting on March 6 ...


Another joy-filled evening with Dismas Fellowship tonight. Terrific meal, exuberant singing, contagious laughter, thoughtful prayer: church at its best. What a grand bunch!

Dismas West was unable to schedule a meeting for April (Easter) so instead, they moved the meeting back a week, meaning they met twice in the month of March, at the beginning and at the end!

After a sad loss of one of our members it was refreshing to enjoy a time of celebration. On March 4, Dismas Guelph met and enjoyed some good food and even better comradery. Attendance has been showing improvement and we were happy to welcome one first time guest.
 On the menu was bbq pulled pork sandwiches with chips and coleslaw. Pam and Rory recently celebrated birthdays, so that was enough of an excuse to order a Dairy Queen ice cream cake!

Paul brought the reflection on the subject of "Spring Cleaning," and shared a poem he wrote called "Spring Cleaning for my Soul."

Dismas KW met on Friday 13. Some folks came early to play cards, while others did preparation work in the kitchen.

William prepared an absolute feast... a buffet! We enjoyed pork chops, baked potatoes, asparagus, and buns. Chris brought a delicious apple-ginger-parsnip salad and Paul brought a salad as well. Then there was a buffet of desserts! Since Lynda is still recovering from hip surgery, Paul led the music and reflection and Pam led in a meaningful time of prayer.

On Monday, March 16, Dismas Cambridge met, even though half of their membership could not attend (March break, medical issues etc) 

Paul ordered pizza and made Dill Pickle Salad, and of course (as always at Dismas) we enjoyed some delicious desserts.

Even though it was a much smaller gathering, everyone enjoyed connecting and catching up. It was a reminder that intimate gatherings are also nice from time to time. It's not the size of the fellowship that matters, it's about the genuine spirit of caring and sharing.

On Friday, March 20, Dismas Fellowship Hamilton met with a great turnout. Jeff and Adam prepared a feast of pulled pork on a bun, fires, coleslaw and tortilla chips. A wide range of desserts followed, but Edgar's pineapple-coconut cake was the biggest hit.

After some lively singing led by Rick and Ian, and the sharing of our values, Paul Tuck brought a reflection about personal growth (since it was the first day of Spring). Ian S. led our closing time of prayer.

Paul Bar shares...


It was a treat night for everyone at DFN East this month as not only was Kevin relieved of his cooking responsibilities, but 37 gathered together to share a delicious Swiss Chalet dinner complete with fries, salads and cookies and tarts for dessert.

Following some music, prayer and reflection, and then considering the month, we contemplated the life and struggles of St. Patrick.

A lively discussion followed regarding the challenges and traumas in our lives and how we have dealt with them, survived them and what we have learned from them.

Elvera Reimer shares....

This month at Dismas Niagara we celebrated our 1 year anniversary!  That’s a huge milestone. Thank you to St. Barnabas Anglican Church for hosting us. Thank you to our Leadership Team. Without your dedication, service and  participation our monthly gatherings would not happen. Thank you to everyone who chose to be a part of our Monday evening events. We love you! And a special Thank You to all the groups who  blessed us in the past year by preparing a delicious supper and dessert for us. We treasure your participation in our gathering. 

Our evening on March 23 was excellent. We had one newcomer and some return guests. A delicious pulled pork meal was provided by a group from Vineland United Mennonite Church. Some of our volunteers and core members helped with serving and with cleanup in the kitchen. Steve led our Circle Time and challenged us to recall something in our lives that seemed bad, but turned out for good. Singing was enthusiastic. Once again, it was a great evening. 

Mary-Jo Mackinnon-Simms writes...

Just wanted to give a big thanks for our successful Dismas meeting last night (March 26). I think it was great, and the four new guys attending enjoyed themselves!! St Joseph’s Hall is such a wonderful space! The food and conversation were awesome ! What a great team we have!

Did you know that you can support your local Dismas Group and receive a donation receipt for income taxes?

The easiest way to support your own local Dismas is to go to the Friends of Dismas Canada Helps Page, scroll down and select which Dismas you want to support.

You can click on the button below and make a secure donation.

You can also make a donation to Dismas Fellowship Network or to the local Dismas of your choosing by scanning or taking a picture of the QR CODE.

It will take you to a secure location to make the donation. There is a box where you can select where you want your donation to be applied.

Do you need help, training, supplies or just someone to bounce ideas off of?

Call Paul Tuck at

(647) 525-8245

Or click below to send an email.