There are many organized occasions to socialize and get to know fellow parishioners better. Please contact the church office to join any of these events.
Sundays
Coffee Hour
Follows the 10:00am Eucharist service every Sunday. A wonderful opportunity to get to know new friends and keep up with old ones. Over the summer, lemonade is served on the front lawn after the 10am service. There is also a chance for an on-line chat after the service for those who attend the service through Zoom.
Weekdays
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: conversation and bookclub
Parish volunteers, clergy, and a diverse bunch of international students and newcomers to Canada gather for conversation and relationship building. The ESL Bookclub meets bi-weekly before the sessions, and students and clergy often go out for lunch or volunteer at the church following the class.
WELLNESS PROGRAMS
Chair Yoga, Therapeutic Yoga, Meditation through Art, etc.
Tuesday tea
An open-office hour with Rev. Irina to chat, play games, and socialize over a cup of tea.
toddler drop-in playgroup
Choir
St. Timothy’s Choir meets for rehearsal each Thursday, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm during the fall, winter and spring (Sept~June). Under the direction of Music Director Ed Connell and with the help of our brilliant leads, they prepare to lead the sung liturgy, the hymns and an anthem for the main Sunday service. They are a stable group, but always happy to welcome others in the parish who would like to join their ranks. Once or twice a year they have a social evening with treats and lots of laughs. (They also laugh, chat and enjoy the weekly rehearsal process.) Being part of the choir is a very special way to contribute to the life of the church, and St. Timothy’s music program has been one of its strengths for years.
St. Andrew’s Group
Meets every Wednesday from noon to 1pm: in person during the warmer part of the year, and on Zoom during the winter — for a natter, chat and mutual support. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for women to enjoy each other’s company while using our talents to raise some money for both the Church and various charities. Our chief fund raising vehicle is the making and selling of handicrafts – knitted and crocheted items – directly to customers and through sales like Christmas Kitchen and Mother’s Day Baby Bundles projects. We also donate many knitted and crocheted items (primarily hats, scarves, sweaters, baby garments and blankets) to charities that have the facilities for distribution. We have members with many talents, the interest or ability to knit or crochet is a bonus. Bring a smile, a joke or a story and you will be welcomed. For an invitation to join please contact Janet Fraser – janet.fraser@sympatico.ca.
Monthly
Book Group
The Book Group meets monthly throughout the year with about 12 active members gathering to discuss a book. Titles range from fiction to non-fiction, history and biography. They continue to discuss a book monthly and also have a monthly Coffee Chat meeting just to socialize together.
The Men’s Breakfast
The Men’s Breakfast occurs on the second Saturday of each month (minus July and August) with a core group of 18 – 20 men attending. The aim of the group is for the men to get to know one another better resulting in closer friendships. Breakfast is typically prepared by a pair of fellows according to a monthly rota. It is served at 8:30 and following breakfast, the group may have a get together in the Parlour to review different topics. Other times, one of the men may speak of his life and spiritual journey. The Men’s Breakfast group hosts an annual Mothers’ Day Breakfast before the 10am service and all women, whether they are mothers or not, are invited to attend. The men, many clad in tuxedos, serve the women a delicious breakfast and clean up afterwards – both much appreciated by the women. This group also provides the Starbucks coffee in the narthex before the 10am service.
The Downtown “C” Group
This group meets monthly, as it has for some 25 years. There is normally a break between July and August. Beginning in September 2022, the plan is to meet in the Parlour of St. Timothy’s. Originally made up of interested businesspeople working downtown, most members are now retired. It is open to anyone interested. Featuring lively and loving debates over lunch, the members read a variety of books.
Round Table
The Round Table is an open group of 8 – 10 people who meet once a month to share their thoughts around a chosen book. They look for Progressive Christian authors whose books will kindle discussion to stimulated discussion of where each person is at in their faith journey and how church traditionally expresses this faith.
Annual
Christmas Kitchen Preparation
As the holidays approach the annual Christmas Kitchen has become a not-to-be-missed community event. This one day event includes high quality baked goods, silent auction, youth shopping room, and a visit with Saint Nick! Holding this event requires a lot of preparation.
In January/February when the Seville Oranges are in season, we gather to prepare marmalade. Then in the fall, the Christmas Kitchen Cooking sessions begin. These increase in frequency as the Sale approaches. We gather to prepare the things that are top sellers such as fruit cakes and tourtieres. No matter what one’s skill level is, there are always jobs one can do. This is a time of fellowship and fun as we work side by side to prepare for the event.
Breakaway Weekend
Put on hold the last two years, this event has occurred for 20+ years, around the beginning of February at Fair Havens Bible Conference near Beaverton. We had roughly 80 attendees in the last few pre-pandemic years. A guest speaker gives three talks to the adults over the weekend while the children have supervised fun. People arrive when they can on Friday night to find a hot-pot dinner waiting. A break-the-ice session happens around 8pm setting the relaxed and friendly tone for the weekend. Fair Havens provides meals on Saturday and Sunday, giving attendees many opportunities for conversation. There is time to enjoy the country air Saturday afternoon, participate in a pick-up hockey game, cross-country skiing, skating on a frozen pond or going for a walk. On Saturday evening the always-entertaining Saturday Night Alive occurs. This ‘talent’ show consists of skits, musical performances and other acts parishioners dream up. An informal Eucharist is held Sunday morning followed by a hot lunch before everyone gets on their way.
