St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Belleville
67 Victoria Avenue K8N 2A1 Belleville, ON, Canada

Let’s always remember

The Problem of Pain from Pastor Job When we speak of pain we often assume the person suffers from physical pain. And for many nothing could be further from the truth. As a pastor I look at the faces before me at worship to be reminded of the pain almost every person is going through. Then I think of all that is written in the Bible. In the beginning there was no pain. Genesis 3:8 suggests that it was normal for God to walk in...Continue reading

Greetings to the St. Andrew’s family. The minister, Session and the Board of Managers want to extend a warm expression of comfort and care to everyone while we have journeyed through these unknown times separately, but as one with our faith in God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. As you know, we had sent a letter outlining the church’s future in respect to the potential re-opening of the church on October 11, 2020. The minister, Session and the Board of Managers met on Septembe...r 30, 2020 to further evaluate the circumstances. In making that decision we had a few things to consider. Pastor Job will be going in soon for some much-needed surgery. In an effort to ensure he is available for the re-opening of the church and some reservations regarding the current Covid-19 situation, we have decided to change the re-opening date to November 1, 2020. The church has done all necessary preparation for the safety and well-being of the congregants when we return, and we are praying that Pastor Job has recuperated enough to return at that time to lead the congregation in worship. We need to be mindful of the church’s expenses during this time and we are reminded that the time of year for heating costs will be upon us soon. To date, the church has been able to remain in a positive position with the offerings that have been received and we want to extend a thank you to all that have provided them to the church during this unprecedented time. There will be a confirmation letter sent out to everyone prior to the anticipated November 1, 2020 re-opening of worship service along with the rules and actions required by the congregation regarding the Covid-19 guidelines. Please continue to keep the congregation, church and minister in your prayers and God willing, we will be able to open on November 1, 2020. Psalm 121:7-8 (NIV) The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. See more

Good morning. Praise the Lord for he has given us another blessed day to rejoice in his name. The thought of bringing the faithful together for one brief moment today, warms my heart and my spirit. I have to admit these past many months of turmoil and uncertainties have made me closer to God than I could have ever imagined. So many questions and such confusion over not only God’s part in this pandemic but what message he is sending to us all. I was reminded of the verse from ...James 1:12, Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him. God is always challenging us in so many ways, and now is no different. Together, as Christ’s followers we can get through any challenge God gives us. Take time every day to thank God for the good and the bad in our life. It is all a part of God’s plan for each and every one of us. Be strong in your faith and be steadfast in your love for God. See more

For Such A Time As This Pastor Job The heading comes straight from Esther 4:14, a fascinating story when God’s people were being attacked by spiritual, emotional, mental and physical warfare. Out of those ashes comes a young Jewish girl, chosen by the king to be queen, and reminded by her uncle that she got to this position for God’s purposes for such a time as this. It is a fascinating story of how God works for the good of all...Continue reading

Extending the opening of St. Andrew’s Greetings to all the St. Andrew’s family. Pastor Job, Session and the Board met on October 21, 2020 to review the possible announcement of when we all can join in worship within the sanctuary of our church. Considering the present COVID uncertainties and concerns for our congregation, we have sadly decided to extend our possible opening to January 17, 2021. The possible health risks, Pastor Job’s surgery on October 28, 2020 and the well b...eing of the congregation in general have been instrumental in making this decision. We feel God is telling us to be patient and he is reminding us that he is always guiding us in these decisions. This means there will be no Christmas Eve service. There are no congregations celebrating in church services in our Presbytery. We understand that this is a huge disappointment with one of the church’s most spiritual celebrations. This Christmas the Church will need, in the words of St Paul in Romans 12:15, to Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. We will aim to celebrate where we can together in one place but also embrace a wider community that wants to join in the celebration. We hope that Comfort and Joy will enable us to offer God’s consoling love in the wherever we may celebrate this season. Christmas Sharing time is upon us and this year the need is even greater. With our church not opening until the new year, we have had to find a new way to help this worthwhile organization. The Christmas Sharing organization has requested financial donations to allow them to provide gift cards instead of the traditional grocery baskets. St. Andrew’s will be donating $1000.00 from our Christmas Sharing Fund to this cause. To help us continue this tradition next year, we are asking that you send your usual yearly donation for this cause to the church to help replenish this fund for 2021. Stay safe and faithful in your daily life. We are all missing each other, the worshiping and socializing together, and we are sending blessings and prayers to you all. 1 Peter 5:10 - And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. See more

How great thou art!!!!!!

The Arm Of The Lord from Pastor Job If you read Numbers 11 you will notice that the people of Israel, a people chosen by God to bring a Saviour into the world in Gods time, were wasting precious time grumbling and moaning. Numbers calls them rabble. They started to complain about the food they were eating, the manna that fell from heaven each night without fail that they ground and baked. There was always enough and they remained healthy. Now they wanted a change in menu,...Continue reading

Gracious Heavenly Father. As the nation struggles to journey through this pandemic we know you are with us. While we ask for your strength and blessings to keep us safe, we think of the flock of your followers at St. Andrew’s. There are so many struggling with health issues, stress, depression and loneliness. We ask you for prayers and comfort and a reminder that you are always with us. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

The One Way Street Pastor Job Because of my various vocations in life and also because I started driving at a very young age, I have had several occasions to turn the wrong way down a one-way street. It usually happened when I found myself in unfamiliar territory, focused more on finding the right destination than street signs. It has also happened because of my own inattentiveness. Thankfully, it has never caused an accident. ...Continue reading

Dear Congregants of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Belleville As we all know, as a result of the growth of cases of the Coronavirus in Ontario, on March 16, 2020 the Provincial Government recommended the closing of all churches across Ontario. St. Andrews last service was March 15, 2020. Not only was this devastating for all places of worship, but it also saw the entire world change with the growing outbreaks and realities of the power of this virus. It has been a long... six months of devastation, as the world as we knew it changed forever. On June 12, 2020 the Provincial Government announced that all places of worship could open at a 30% capacity. The Kingston Presbytery met and suggested that churches in our Presbytery wait until at least the first of September 2020 to consider re-opening. There were strict guidelines, requirements, rules and expectations of churchs administration to provide and maintain a safe environment for congregants to re-enter the church. During these trying and troubling times, the Pastor, Session and the Board of Managers have diligently watched and reviewed the stages of closures, mask wearing, social distancing, health agencys guidelines and updates, and as we see some slowdown of the Covid-19 outbreak and number of cases, we came together to discuss the possibility of re-opening our place of worship. On July 15, 2020, Pastor Job, Session, the Board of Managers and the church custodian met to discuss this in detail and with great caution. There were mandatory guidelines for ensuring the church was prepared to allow congregants into the church and ensure that the church was a clean, healthy environment. The requirements for signage, cleaning and preparing the sanctuary were determined and a list of those requirements were presented to the Board of Managers for completion. A set of rules for church attendees was prepared and will be mailed to each congregant prior to the re-opening of the church. On August 14, 2020 the same group met to ensure we were moving in the right direction to be prepared for the re-opening. At that time is was decided that we hope the church will re-open for worship on October 11, 2020, Thanksgiving weekend. It will be a true celebration of thankfulness. There will be more information mailed to each of you prior to opening day but know that God is with us in all we do in his name. Blessings to you all and thank you for your patience and understanding through this true test of faith. Pastor Job, Session and the Board of Managers Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. See more

Sick And Tired? Sick and tired is a repetitive phrase these days. Sick and tired of the world situation, of the political scene, of the changes because of the pandemic, of standing in line, of not being able to meet with friends, not able to give and receive hugs and the list goes on. When you hear that, it just means fed up in the vernacular of today and has nothing to do with poor health or insomnia. Medically and Biblica...Continue reading

Dear Congregants of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Belleville As we all know, as a result of the growth of cases of the Coronavirus in Ontario, on March 16, 2020 the Provincial Government recommended the closing of all churches across Ontario. St. Andrew’s last service was March 15, 2020. Not only was this devastating for all places of worship, but it also saw the entire world change with the growing outbreaks and realities of the power of this virus. It has been a long... six months of devastation, as the world as we knew it changed forever. On June 12, 2020 the Provincial Government announced that all places of worship could open at a 30% capacity. The Kingston Presbytery met and suggested that churches in our Presbytery wait until at least the first of September 2020 to consider re-opening. There were strict guidelines, requirements, rules and expectations of church’s administration to provide and maintain a safe environment for congregants to re-enter the church. During these trying and troubling times, the Pastor, Session and the Board of Managers have diligently watched and reviewed the stages of closures, mask wearing, social distancing, health agency’s guidelines and updates, and as we see some slowdown of the Covid-19 outbreak and number of cases, we came together to discuss the possibility of re-opening our place of worship. On July 15, 2020, Pastor Job, Session, the Board of Managers and the church custodian met to discuss this in detail and with great caution. There were mandatory guidelines for ensuring the church was prepared to allow congregants into the church and ensure that the church was a clean, healthy environment. The requirements for signage, cleaning and preparing the sanctuary were determined and a list of those requirements were presented to the Board of Managers for completion. A set of rules for church attendees was prepared and will be mailed to each congregant prior to the re-opening of the church. On August 14, 2020 the same group met to ensure we were moving in the right direction to be prepared for the re-opening. At that time is was decided that we hope the church will re-open for worship on October 11, 2020, Thanksgiving weekend. It will be a true celebration of thankfulness. There will be more information mailed to each of you prior to opening day but know that God is with us in all we do in his name. Blessings to you all and thank you for your patience and understanding through this true test of faith. Pastor Job, Session and the Board of Managers Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. See more

Words of Comfort and Assurance Pastor Job Scripture contains many words of comfort. One of my favorites is the scene portrayed in Zechariah 3. The people of the south of Israel had returned to their God-given land after the Babylonian captivity. God had allowed them to be exiled because of their sinful disobedience. Now came a period of restoration. Zechariah as a prophet and a priest received a number of visions that are loaded with mean...Continue reading

Be Not Afraid from Pastor Job We live in a world that, in my view, has two extremes. On the one hand we have those who live in fear. They worry about what may happen to them in the storms of life. They look at changes and are fearful. They seek answers in the wrong places, look for peace of mind where no peace exists. They dont know where to turn. The other extreme looks only at themselves. With an arrogance that says they have the ability to fix it themselves, a misplace...Continue reading

Just had to share this . Hope it makes you smile. I did!

Let us stay strong together and remember that God is always with us. Blessings to all.

DO I MATTER? Many people go through the same routine day after day. Are you one of them? I know I am. There may be times as you go through each day that you wonder if you matter to anyone. You feel taken for granted, no one ever tells you that you are important or loved. Perhaps you have lost a loved one to illness, death, family breakdown, disagreement among friends, rejection, or one of many reasons. And you feel alone, unwanted, and unimportant. The truth is - nothing is ...Continue reading

Where Is Your Focus? Joshua chapter 3 tells a fascinating story. Its a story that gives many lessons for today, even though it took place so many years ago. The Israelites were preparing to cross the Jordan River near Jericho to enter the Promised Land. What was intended to be a short trip from the slavery in Egypt turned into a long journey of 40 years through their own ignoring of the Living God and not continuing to trust in Him. The disobedient generation had now died o...Continue reading

Happy Canada Day to the St. Andrews family and community.

O Come, My Soul, Sing Praise to God A funny thing happens as I grow older, something you may also experience. Things come to memory from my early childhood. With the prompting of my wife, Jacqueline, she reminded me that this week is Fathers Day, and asked if I remembered a hymn that had a statement in it about Father? Of course I do, and now I have a difficult time getting the tune out of my head. The words are from Psalm 103, one of the best-known and best-loved Psalms ...Continue reading

JUST REMINISCING Today we received word that the government is allowing places of worship to open again with 30% capacity. Many are wisely hesitating because there are so many unanswered questions. How do we open, when, what are the rules? I imagine each congregation will have to make some key decisions. This virus is not over, God has not put an end to this particular storm of life. And for some, this storm has created other storms. There are those who suffer from lonelines...Continue reading

Prayers I start every morning by thanking God for the new day for me to live and share his Word. I end every day thanking God for the glorious day he provided to me, whether there be trials and tribulations or joy and happiness. Prayers are a glorious thing, because no matter where we are when saying them, we know that God hears us. I truly miss our Sunday worship services with Pastor Job. He never hesitated to remind us to pray for those who needed Gods comfort, with illnes...s, sadness, depression or loneliness. He reminded us to always pray for those in our lives and those in this world that needed the strength that prayer offers. Let us always remember that there are many, many people within our church and personal families, our community, our country and this world, that are always in need of our prayers. Thank you, Lord, for teaching us and giving us the gift of prayer. See more

The Lord Is My Shepherd The 23rd Psalm. What this psalm tells us is that God is always with us. God is with us in scripture. God is with us in our prayers. God is with us in our deepest struggling and unknowing. God is with us in it all. And this well-worn psalm brings us back to that deep and needed truth: Even in the hardest of times, we are not alone. We can find comfort in these words, as they speak to us here, in June of 2020. We can find comfort in these words because ...Continue reading

PENTECOST 2020 Before Jesus left his disciples standing on the Mount of Olives, he told them to stay in Jerusalem because in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:5) In his gospel Luke words it slightly differently. There he has Jesus telling the disciples they were going to receive power from on high. They were really going to need it! Ten days after Christs ascension they were still waiting. They probably had no idea what they were waiting for ...Continue reading

Blessings from the St. Andrews Family! Heavenly Father, Come quiet our hearts from lifes distractions. Settle down upon us. Draw near to us as we draw near to you. You, Oh Lord, are the Creator of all things. You hold all things together. You are the Giver of life. Every good and perfect gift comes from you. ... You give us everything we need for life and godliness. You are preparing a place for us to be with you forever. Our words are not adequate to express how our hearts have changed since we first started loving you. Youve made all the difference in our lives. We love you. We praise you and give you thanks for your unending love. There isnt anything in us or about us that you dont completely understand. You know us completely. And so if were honest with You, You know that we need to admit our weaknesses, asking you for help and strength and courage. We cant rescue ourselves. Youre our only hope. Lord, we need your guidance, your support and your light to show us the way, the way to you and your grace. We continue to pray for the sick within our congregation and community, for those handed the task of financial struggle to keep the church thriving, for those who may need strength to continue on with their week of turmoil. We know you are with us. Please hear our prayers, Amen See more

This is St. Andrews "Tree of Hope". It has brought Gods love to our congregation and continues to do so now. This is a very uncertain moment for our world as we collectively respond to this new coronavirus and its growing spread around the globe. In most of our lifetimes, there has not been a pandemic that has so gripped our attention and impacted us so greatly. We are trying hard to understand the rapidly changing news, and at times it can feel overwhelming. We are shari...ng this moment together and at the same time, it feels deeply personal as we wrestle with our own thoughts, fears and choices in the midst of this global crisis. As we look to respond to all that is happening around us, I believe it is so important that we draw near to God to seek his wisdom, comfort and strength, and to his Word for guidance, assurance and courage so we respond as our faith would call us to respond: To be compassionate to those who are suffering or fearful; to be generous to help where we can; to be discerning and share our faith with those who are looking to God for answers; to fervently pray for those in authority; to rest in Gods protection and sovereign will; to be courageous to support family and friends; and so much more. It is natural for us to feel afraid. God understands. Theres a reason the Bible is filled with instances of him telling his people not to be afraid, because he knows we are human: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9). Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27). God wants to cast out our fears with his perfect love (1 John 4:18). And as we surrender our fears to him, he replaces them with his comfort and peace a peace that comes by trusting him. In this moment of uncertainty and crisis in our world, I would encourage you to look to God and ask him how you can respond in faith and to be a witness for him. We can easily be consumed by all that is going on, but it is at moments like this that God calls us to be courageous. Maybe you can reach out to someone you know who is alone and scared with a word of comfort and prayer. Maybe take time each day to check in with friends, family members, neighbours or co-workers so theyre not spiritually and emotionally lonely at a time of quarantines and isolation. This is an ideal time to deepen our relationships and an opportunity to find new ways of interacting with one another to strengthen and encourage each other. See more

HAPPY ASCENSION DAY 2020 from Pastor Job Thursday, May 21st is Ascension Day. Yes, Thursday. As I get older, I start to remember how things of my youth had a different level of importance. When Ascension Day arrived, always on a Thursday, 40 days after Easter Sunday, we attended evening worship as a family. No arguments allowed, no questions asked, Ascension Day was that important! The church celebrates five extremely important days Christmas, Good Friday, Resurrection Day...Continue reading

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HAPPY MOTHERS DAY 2020 from Pastor Job Mothers Day is upon us right in the midst of these difficult times. We may be accustomed to sending flowers, at least a card. The sad part is, that for many, especially if mom is in a retirement home, nursing home, or long care facility, there can be no visit to see that smile on her face when she sees those who she has loved for so many years. And, in many cases, those for whom she has prayed for so many years gone by. For many, this ...Continue reading