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March 27, 2026
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Your news this week:
Holy Week Services
Spotlight on Our Community: Cecilia Concerts
The Palestine Land Exercise
Search Committee Survey
Saint Andrew's Supports Social Justice: Transgender Day of Visibility
United Church of Canada Survey
Green Tip of the Week
On The Stage at Saint Andrew's
| | The Palestine Land Exercise | | |
On Sunday, April 12, our worship service will focus on Justice and Peace in the Holy Land. A light Middle Eastern lunch will be served after the worship service.
Following lunch, there will be a participatory event titled The Palestine Land Exercise. This role-based interactive activity explores the history of Palestinian–Israeli relations from the late 19th century to the present day. The session will last approximately two hours.
If you are interested in participating in this event, please email Linda Scherzinger: lindakseven@gmail.com.
There will also be sign-up sheets for the Palestine Land Exercise at the back of the sanctuary on Sunday.
| | Spotlight on Our Community: Cecilia Concerts | | |
Saint Andrew's is pleased and proud to host Cecilia Concerts on our stage.
For nearly forty years, Cecilia Concerts has been a cornerstone of cultural life in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They present chamber music of the highest calibre in settings that are welcoming, bilingual, and accessible. They believe that live music has the power to connect, to uplift, and to transform, and they strive to make those experiences available to everyone in our community. They bring some of the world’s most acclaimed classical musicians to the province, making global excellence accessible to local audiences.
Their stages have featured thousands of classical and genre-defying artists from Nova Scotia, across Canada, and around the world, including many GRAMMY, JUNO, Prix Opus, and international prize-winners, alongside next-generation performers shaping the future of chamber music. Their Main Stage Concerts series is the centrepiece of our annual programming, presenting acclaimed soloists, ensembles, and chamber groups in thoughtfully curated performances that reflect their values of artistic excellence, inclusion, and cultural connection.
The Stage at Saint Andrew’s is more than a concert venue, it is truly a community, with many of our community members interconnected. An example of this - this week’s Cecilia Concert will include Nick Halley, percussionist, and Artistic Director of Capella Regalis.
For tickets and information, visit ceciliaconcerts.ca.
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The survey regarding the hiring of new clergy is still available.
You may complete it using a paper copy (available in the office or at the Welcome Table on Sunday) or at this link. There is a locked box on the table for completed paper surveys.
The survey must be completed by March 29.
Your input is very important and we urge everyone to participate. Thank you.
| | Saint Andrew's Supports Social Justice: Transgender Day of Visibility | |
Each year on March 31, the world observes Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) to raise awareness about transgender people. It is a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the disproportionate levels of poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces compared to cisgender (non-transgender) people.
International TDOV was created in 2010 by trans advocate Rachel Crandall. Crandall, the head of Transgender Michigan, created TDOV in response to the overwhelming majority of media stories about transgender people being focused on violence. She hoped to create a day where people could celebrate the lives of transgender people, while simultaneously acknowledging that due to discrimination, not every trans person can or wants to be visible.
In 2018, approximately 75,000 people in Canada were transgender or non-binary, representing 0.24% of the Canadian population aged 15 and older.
The International Transgender Day of Visibility recognizes the struggles, sacrifices and achievements of those who fought, and continue to fight, for gender equity. This day highlights our friends, family, colleagues and neighbours who contribute to the diversity in Canada, and it encourages us to recognize that transgender and non-binary individuals continue to resist oppression by simply being exactly who they are.
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Tuesday, March 31, the Bedford United Church Inclusivity Team is hosting a free screening of the documentary Will and Harper to mark the International Transgender Day of Visibility. Show time is 7pm.
Following the film will be a time of discussion and Q & A facilitated by a member of the trans community.
They'll have popcorn, other snacks and beverages for sale. You will also find information about the local trans community, what it means to be affirming, and the loving response of the United Church of Canada.
| United Church of Canada Survey | |
The United Church of Canada has launched a short survey inviting anyone connected to the life of the church to share their awareness and experiences with Toward 2035, the framework introduced in 2025 to guide our shared direction for the next decade.
You can read more about the Call and Vision behind this work on The Call and Vision webpage.
Whether you participate in worship, serve in a ministry role, volunteer, or simply feel
connected to this community, your perspective is valued. The survey asks about your
familiarity with Toward 2035 and what support you or our Community of Faith may need as this work unfolds.
There are no right or wrong answers. Your input will help shape future communication and resource development across the church.
Take the survey here.
Estimated time: 5–10 minutes
Survey Deadline: March 31, 2026
Thank you for taking a few minutes to add your voice.
| Social Justice Committee's Green Tip of the Week | |
When food is wasted, all the resources used to produce it are also wasted.
Consider freezing your food before it spoils, remember to label the date and
contents. Offer extra food to a friend if you will not eat it all in time.
Do not discard food scraps in garbage. Food rots in landfills, it produces
methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. In Canada,
landfill emissions from food waste account for 17% of national methane emissions.
| | On The Stage at Saint Andrew's | |
Cecilia Concerts: IDENTITY: A Song Cycle
Saturday, March 28 at 7:30pm
The Toronto world premiere of the song cycle IDENTITY was described by soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee as 'a truly astonishing happening; a feast for the eyes and ears.'
In early June 2020, during the Black Lives Matter movement, Torontonian baritone Elliot Madore opened up on social media about his struggles with unabashedly expressing his identity as a biracial person. Director Joel Ivany and Madore came together to find a way to present to the Canadian arts community the universal themes behind Madore's moving Instagram post. To give voice to these complex questions of multicultural identity, they turned to JUNO Award-winning composer Dinuk Wijeratne - whose genre-defying fusion of global musical traditions has established him as Canada's leading voice in cross-cultural composition.
Wijeratne's globally-infused score seamlessly blends Western classical music with an array of musical traditions, including those from South Asia and the Middle East, as well as modern Pop and Jazz idioms - creating a musical language as multifaceted as the identities it explores.
With poetry by acclaimed African Nova Scotian artist Shauntay Grant, whose powerful verses navigate the intricacies of 'self', the work features performances by GRAMMY Award-winning baritone Elliot Madore, bassist Tyler Emond, percussionist Nick Halley, and Wijeratne himself on piano. IDENTITY pioneers a new soundscape for multicultural storytelling—exploring how we choose to define ourselves.
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Cecilia Concerts
Charlotte Thiele, Bryan Cheng, & Silvie Cheng: Legacy
Saturday, April 11 at 7:30pm
This program brings together German violinist Charlotte Thiele, our 2025/26 Musician-in-Residence cellist Bryan Cheng, and pianist Silvie Cheng for a performance that seamlessly blends emotion, intensity, and virtuosity.
The program features Alexander Glazunov’s "Sérénade espagnole" and "Chant du ménestrel", works that bring warmth and lyrical beauty to the stage, as well as Dmitri Shostakovich’s "Piano Trio no. 2 in E minor", a piece rich with dramatic contrast. The trio also performs Lili Boulanger’s evocative "2 Morceaux pour violon et piano", alongside Astor Piazzolla’s "Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas," a vivid portrayal of the four seasons in Buenos Aires, showcasing the trio’s mastery of both classical and contemporary styles.
With each work, Thiele and the Chengs offer a dynamic, multifaceted musical journey. Together, these internationally acclaimed musicians bring a deep sense of collaboration and artistry, having performed at countless prestigious venues worldwide. They have also shared their talents with renowned orchestras, bringing their chamber music expertise to larger ensembles across the globe.
| | All are welcome at Saint Andrew's | | | | |
Sunday Service: 10:30am
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 9:00am -1:00pm
Contact & Newsletter Submissions
(902) 422-3157
info@saintandrewshfx.ca
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