Welcome to the first issue of the St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Ottawa, e-newsletter for 2008. Please take the time to review the details of our upcoming events and information items.
If you need more information on any of these events, please contact the church office at 613-235-2551. Also, if you would prefer to be removed from the e-newsletter list, reply to the church office.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------LECTIONARY BIBLE STUDY Led by Rev. Ruth Houtby on Thursday mornings at 11am in the lounge at 174 First Ave. All are welcome. Info. 613-235-0910. Everyone is invited. You can come every week or whenever you are able.
SAY NO TO HUNGER A fundraiser lunch for the Out of the Cold program with Jim Watson, MPP, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and speakers from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Knox Church, Lisgar at Elgin on Sunday 10 Feb. 12:30 to 2pm. Adults $15 (tax receipts available) students/low income $6, kids $2. Rich Lunch or Poor Lunch? Luck of the draw – just like in the real world. Tickets and info. Katie Munnik, 613-238-4774 or katiemunnik@yahoo.ca At last count 17 St. Giles folk are planning to go.
GAZETTE DEADLINE The deadline for the next issue is February 11th. Email your copy to leefourney@rogers.com or provide hard copy to the office.
PASTORAL CARE MEETING Tues. 12 Feb at 11am in Logan Vencta Hall.
ANNUAL MEETING 2008 Sunday Feb 17. Enjoy lunch together and a lively celebration of 2007. This AGM will not be boring! You may even see photos of yourself in the "St. Giles 2007" slide show. Copies of the 2007 Annual Report will be available to pick up Sun 10 Feb. so that you can read the reports and look at the financial data before the meeting.
OPEN MEETING ON THE FUTURE OF GRACEFIELD CAMP 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 20 at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, 971 Woodroffe Ave. The Synod Special Committee on Gracefield is holding a meeting to receive input on future of the camp. The committee wishes to hear from everyone with an interest in Gracefield and more generally to gather views about the role of Christian camping in our synod. This is an important meeting, all those who want to see our camp continue should make an effort to attend. More info from Stan Currie, 613-233-0538.
DATES TO MARK ON YOUR 2008 CALENDAR
● Communion, Sunday March 2 at 10:30 am
● World Day of Prayer March 7 this year at Fourth Avenue Baptist Church
● Second Communion following the service on Sunday March 9
● Palm Sunday March 16 Our choir and guest singers present John Rutter's Requiem at our morning
worship.
● Good Friday, ecumenical service March 21 at St. Matthew's Anglican
● Easter Sunday 23 March with a pancake breakfast before the service.
● We are Serving “Out of cold” meal at Knox Church March 29
● Rummage Sale Saturday April 19
● Ecumenical music night at Glebe St. James, May 1
● Open Doors Mission event May 3 or 10 Theme: Gracefield Camp
● Victoria Day Weekend at Gracefield May 17-19
● Great Glebe Garage Sale Saturday May 24
● General Assembly first week of June - St Giles will be responsible
for delegate registration
OUT OF THE COLD DINNERSt. Giles will be preparing and serving the meal at Knox church on Saturday March 29th. We generally feed about 100 needy people so we require lots of volunteers and also about $250 to buy the food. Call Jean at 613-235-2551 to find out more or sign up. If you can't be there send a cheque to "St. Giles" designated for "Out of the Cold" and you will get a tax receipt.
MEMORIAL FOR DR. JOHN JOHNSTON Those who wish, are invited to contribute to a St. Giles gift to the National Presbyterian Museum in memory of Rev. Andrew Johnston's father. Use the offering plate for marked donations today or next Sunday or mail in this week!
ROOF AND FURNACE FUND
- Do we want to include anything about St Andrew's donations, or
other financial news?
PARKING CHANGES -
Positive News! A proposal to continue free parking after 7 pm and on
Sundays will be recommended to Ottawa City Council.
FUNDRAISING SUCCESS FOR GRACEFIELD CAMP AND CONFERENCE CENTRE
Thanks to all those who contributed to the year-end fundraising campaign. As a result, Gracefield was
able to report a $9000 surplus for 2007 and reduce the accumulated operating deficit. There are plans to repeat the very successful Gala Dinner in 2008.
AMY BRANDON will be returning to Ottawa from Truro, Nova Scotia, to perform four concerts at various
locations in the Ottawa area from March 11th to 16th, Details for each performance (location and fellow musicians) will be published in next months e-news.
Do you own Bell Canada Stock? BCE, Bell Canada Enterprises is a
public company that is pending privatization. This means that shareholders will have to sell their shares. BCE stock is one of the most widely held in the country and many people have held shares for years as part of their investment portfolio. Upon selling, holders will likely benefit from a significant capital gain (increase in
value of the shares since purchase), but will also face some significant tax liabilities as 50 per cent of the gain becomes part of your taxable income for the year.
There is a way to avoid this big tax hit. In May 2006, the Federal Budget
announced that donations of publicly listed securities to registered
charities would be exempt from capital gains tax, effective
immediately.
If you donate a portion of your BCE shares to a charity, such as St. Giles
Church, you can eliminate the capital gains tax on the shares you
donate and receive a tax receipt for the value of the shares you
donate. You can reduce the tax you owe to zero AND provide much
needed funds to the church. You can direct the money to our
congregation of St. Giles Ottawa and/or any mission of the
Presbyterian Church such as Gracefield Camp or Presbyterians
Sharing.
To find out more about this call your own financial adviser and also talk to
Herb Gale at the Planned Giving office of the Presbyterian Church in
Canada, 1-800-619-7301. He can set it all up for you.
Warning - selling the shares and making a donation of the proceeds does not
qualify for the preferential tax treatment.
Turn a tax liability into a giving opportunity!