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March 20, 2026
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Your news this week:
Sunday Service
Good Friday Tenebrae Service
Lenten Study
Spotlight on Our Community: Our Sextons
Saint Andrew's Supports Social Justice: Brunswick Street Mission
The Palestine Land Exercise
Affirm Committee Meeting
Save the Date: AGM, GLEE Gathering, & Drag Me To Church
Search Committee Survey
Green Tip of the Week
On The Stage at Saint Andrew's
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So much thought and care - from so many - brings us to worship.
Ibukun and Julian think about you as they plan and prepare music; the choir and musicians practice for you; Susan researches and writes for you; the communion team bakes bread and fills cups for you; the sanctuary is set, the slides created, the coffee brewed, the nametags organized, the collection counted, all for you, and for us together.
This is the heartbeat of our community. Or better said - the many hearts and many beats of our community. See you Sunday.
A special note: Our student Minister Lara Stille is completing her practicum, and on Tuesday returns to her studies at the University of Heidelberg. This Sunday, her last service with Saint Andrew's, will be her first experience presiding over the Communion liturgy. What a gift for us, to share in this first with her!
Upcoming services you won't want to miss:
March 29: Palm/Passion Sunday
April 3: Good Friday Tenebrae Service at 7:00 pm
April 5: Easter Sunday
April 12: Justice and Peace in the Holy Land
| | Lenten Study: Final Tuesday | |
TEXTS OF CHANGE
A Lenten Bible Study
Continues This Tuesday, March 24 from 6:30pm-8:00 pm
with Rev. Heather Fraser and Rev. Susan Chisholm
Saint Andrew’s Lower Fellowship Room
March 24/Week 4: Jesus
Each week we have explored biblical texts about change, relating these stories to our story. You're welcome to this last session, whether or not you have attended others. You are welcome!
| Spotlight on Our Community: Our Sextons | | |
Our sextons are the ones setting up for events, tearing down after, quietly fixing things around the church, keeping the many spaces clean, and many other tasks behind the scenes.
Last week we got our sextons together to do some extra training, and to show our appreciation for this fantastic team. We shared thoughts and ideas, did some training, and had a pizza lunch together.
Pictured are from left to right: Beau (he/him), Max (he/him), Suna (they/them), and Pablo (he/him).
These four are friendly, capable and professional, and we’re blessed to have them on staff!
| | Saint Andrew's Supports Social Justice: Brunswick Street Mission | |
Brunswick Street Mission combats the causes and effects of poverty by providing the
community with programming, resources and advocacy to help people achieve well being. Their areas of focus include food security, one-to-one support using a trauma-informed practice under a Social Worker, laundry services for unhoused folks, a free tax clinic for people with low annual incomes, and advocacy for those experiencing poverty and homelessness in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
What Brunswick Street Mission Does:
- In the past year they served over 20,500 breakfasts.
- In the past year there were 11,260 visits to the Food Bank.
- Outreach Program provides trauma-informed supports through same-day, drop-in style services to folk who self-identify as needing support in navigating systems or accessing resources (some of which are provided in-house).
- ID Drop-In provides support in acquiring, renewing or replacing MSI cards, birth certificates, name change, or changing gender markers.
- Experienced and knowledgeable volunteers complete tax returns for low-income individuals. Last year 1163 tax returns were filed.
- Laundry gives unhoused folk access to laundry machines with all supplies provided.
- Red Door Café provides a warm, safe space for community from Tuesday through Thursday. Games, puzzles, books, and a rest area provide a restful environment. Free coffee and snacks are provided.
What You Can Do:
- Contribute through any of the amalgamating congregations.
- Contribute directly by e-transfer, mail or in-person. Click here for details.
- New volunteers are always welcome. Aside from helping others, it is an enjoyable, rewarding and satisfying thing to do. Click here for details.
Looking Ahead
If you have any questions or ideas about how our new church can support Brunswick Street Mission speak to any of the Directors. Bill Chambré is available at bill.chambre@gmail.com.
| The Palestine Land Exercise | |
On Sunday, April 12, the morning 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.
| The Affirm Committee will be meeting next Tuesday, March 24 at 1:30pm. We meet in the Mary Holmes Room. If you are interested in joining the Committee, or would like to check out one of the meetings, you're welcome to come and see what it's all about. We are planning a number of events including our next Drag Me To Church. | |
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Annual General Meeting
April 26
GLEE Club Gathering
May 10
Drag Me To Church
June 6
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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. The surveys must be completed by March 29. There is a locked box on the table for completed paper surveys.
Your input is very important and we urge everyone to participate. Thank you.
| Social Justice Committee's Green Tip of the Week | |
Have a gasoline powered car? Cannot afford an EV? Reduce the environmental impact
of your vehicle through vehicle maintenance, including properly inflated tires and regular vehicle maintenance to improve fuel efficiency and reduce pollution.
Also consider using alternative modes of transport whenever possible like walking, biking, or taking public transport.
| | 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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