Pastoral Visiting
The Lay Pastoral Visitor volunteers provide pastoral support via phone calls and visits under the guidance and supervision of the clergy of St Timothy’s. The people supported are usually those who are unwell, isolated, lonely, grieving, and perhaps unable to come to worship in person. If you would like a pastoral visit or are interested in being part of the Pastoral Visiting Team please contact the office.
Prayers for Those in Need
Those in need are prayed for on a daily basis. We also have a prayer chain. A small group of individuals who commit to daily prayer for those whose needs are brought to their attention. If you wish to be remembered in prayer for any reason whatsoever, please contact the church office.
Volunteer Opportunities
There are many places to volunteer at St. Timothy’s: working with the Chancel Guild, as Greeters and Servers, helping with the various outreach activities, helping broadcast the services, and other volunteer opportunities. Contact the office if you would like to lend a hand.
Outreach
Following Jesus’ call to us, outreach has been an important element at St. Timothy’s since 1933, when the first church service was held in what is now our gymnasium. The Outreach Committee provides leadership to the parish in helping determine the causes and programs we support with the portion of our givings and revenues, both internal and external to the parish. We also help raise awareness among the parishioners about worthy causes that they may support with their own funds.
Funds allocated to the outreach budget provide for financial donations in support of several excellent community organizations. During COVID, our donations have been directed to organizations providing food to those less fortunate than ourselves, including Able Kids Rehab in Malawi and closer to home, Flemingdon Park Ministry, Moorelands Kids, North York Harvest Food Bank, The STOP Community Food Centre and the St Stephen in-the-Field Anglican Church meal program.
In 2021 and 2022, one-time COVID Emergency Grants were approved at Vestry, and funds disbursed to St Stephen in-the-Field Church and All Saints Church and Community Centre (for their frontline work in delivering food and other supports to those most in need in downtown Toronto), Toronto Urban Native Ministry (for their frontline support to First Nations residents of Toronto), St Bartholomew’s Church (for their food program in Regent Park) and The Anglican Diocese of Mishamikoweesh in Northern Ontario and Manitoba. Understanding that First Nations were particularly hard hit by the pandemic, the parish directed 30% of the One-time Special COVID Donation to First Nations-run organizations.
Hands-On Work
For many years, parishioners enjoyed a fall weekend at Moorelands Camp, building and helping with the end of season clean-up.
Our most recent project has been the Little Free Pantry. Envisioned by the outreach committee, built by a congregation member and painted by the youth group, the Little Free Pantry sits along the path to the parish doors. During the Pandemic, this has served as an opportunity to meaningfully and safely engage with those in our community and neighbourhood in providing nutritious, hygienic and accessible food. Anonymous neighbours regularly contribute to the stock in the pantry.
In the spring of 2023, we have planted the first two beds of our Community Garden, with the produce going directly to the Little Pantry.
For many years we have had two Christmas gift projects. Once again, in 2021, we participated in Moorelands Christmas Sharing, adopting two families and providing grocery gift cards and Christmas gifts for six children in two families. We also gave gift cards at Christmas to the twenty-six residents of St. George House. In addition, we continued to hold our annual collection of baby items on Mother’s Day to support Moorelands Kids’ Baby Bundles program.
On June 4 2022, the Outreach Committee and the Parish hosted a Queen’s Jubilee Tea on the front lawn of the church property. It was a joyous occasion with entertainment provided by a Bagpipe and Drums band and also some very energetic Morris Dancers. Gallons of tea, lemonade and myriad sweets were served; the community and church members and 3 corgis had a grand time, and in conjunction with parishioners givings, over $3000 was raised for the Spirit Garden to be built in City Hall Square to remember the victims of residential schools.
Encouraging parishioners to give as they wish.
The Outreach Committee spearheads the annual Faithworks campaign as well as an Advent Conspiracy project – in 2021 – in support of Water First (via PWRDF) . In 2021 , over $20,000 was given to these causes through the church. St Timothy’s has raised nearly $225,000 for Faithworks over the past 25 years.Support for Others from the Church Budget.
The Old Orchard Blossoms
The Old Orchard Blossoms is an outreach group of St Timothy’s Church with approximately 15 active members supporting the work of the Stephen Lewis Foundation and its Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. Founded in 2006, the women of the Old Orchard Blossoms were inspired by the amazing African grandmothers supporting their grandchildren and other orphans created by the HIV and AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Their mandate is to raise awareness of the grandmothers’ supportive role in the HIV and AIDS epidemic and to raise funds to assist grassroots projects run by and for African grandmothers. These amazing grandmothers are central to the life of their communities and to a whole generation of orphaned children.
Our members today include women from the church and the community. To date, the Blossoms have raised over $250,000 – our contribution to the $40 million raised for the Grandmothers Campaign by 240 grandmother groups in Canada. This money has been raised through a variety of projects including concerts, pub nights, wine tastings, sales of greeting cards, our fair-trade marketplace, and by participating in the annual national fundraising walk, “Stride to Turn the Tide.
