I hope that everyone enjoyed a safe and happy Christmas and New Year's.   The year seemed to fly by !

In February, our committee hosted the Pancake Supper.  $460.73 was raised from the evening and the money from this year's dinner was directed to Leur Presence.  This group directed the money to a farm school in South Africa where the money was used for school supplies and sporting equipment.  Thank you to all that supported the evening!  This year's supper will be on Tuesday February 16th, 2010.  Tickets will be on sale January 31, February 7th and 14th.  For $5, you will receive three fluffy pancakes, 2 farmers sausages, fruit salad, carrot & celery sticks, apple/orange juice and tea or coffee.  We will have two seatings of 50 people.  The first seating is at 5:15 p.m. and the second at 6:15 p.m.  Feel free to bring family, friends and neighbours to join us.  We will split plates, upon request, for those with smaller appetites.  We look forward to seeing you!

In March we filled the sanctuary with 57 pots of flowers for Easter.  $246.28 was raised for PWS&D.  Thank you to Dave King for making such beautiful arrangements and to all that took them home.

Our Lenten Coin boxes in 2009 brought in $1232.36 in donations.   This money will go to PWS&D.

Our annual Yard Sale was held in June.  We raised $972.50 for PWS&D.  Thank you for all the donated items and time to make this sale a success.  We will be having the sale again this year and encourage everyone to start saving items now.  Please ensure that all items are clean and in good working condition.  We cannot accept clothing.  Please check with a committee member if you have large items that require pickup.

In October we collected food for the Thanksgiving Food Drive for Quetzal Family Homes.  We were again able to provide a generous amount of food and it was greatly appreciated.  Thank you to all that were able to donate.  Also in October our church assisted with the 10,000 Villages Sale held at First Baptist Church in Simcoe.  Just under $20,000 was raised.

In November our mitten tree was put up in the sanctuary.  259 items were sent to Evangel Hall in Toronto and to Anishinabe in Winnipeg .  We received a letter thanking our congregation for providing these much needed items to those less fortunate.  Again, thanks to Jack and Linda Nicholls for providing the tree.

Throughout December, food donations were given for the Salvation Army Food Drive and 13 presents were provided for children at Quetzal House.  In these difficult economic times, we appreciate that members of our church continue to help others.

A big thank you for your generosity throughout 2009 !!!!

Convenor - Mission & Stewardship Committee Leigh 

ANNUAL REPORT 2008

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a safe New Year’s Eve. We accomplished a lot in 2008 and we look forward to an even more productive year in 2009!  

In February, we held the Annual Pancake Supper. $278.51 was raised from ticket sales and was directed to Guatemala. We thank you for your support and hope to see you at the dinner this year being held Tuesday, February 24^th. Tickets will be on sale February 8^th, 15^th and 22^nd.  For the low cost of $5.00 per person, we offer 3 pancakes, 2 farmers sausages, fruit salad, carrot & celery sticks, apple & orange juice and coffee & tea. We will again have two seatings of 50 people each. The first at 5:15 p.m. and second at  6:15 p.m. Please bring your family and friends and join us for an evening of good food and good fellowship. We will even split plates upon request for those with smaller appetites. See you there!  

In March, we had 45 gorgeous, fragrant pots of flowers to adorn our sanctuary for our Easter service. Thanks again to King Flowers for putting together such lovely arrangements for us! Our Lenten Coin Containers in 2008 raised $1048.00 for PWS&D. This was down from the previous year, however the donations are still very much appreciated and put to good use.  

Our Annual Yard Sale was held in June. We raised $905.00 for PWS&D. Thank you to all those who volunteered, donated and purchased items. Somehow, I always seem to take home more than I bring with me !! Our 2009 sale has been confirmed for Saturday, June 6^th. Please start to collect your items now. This is a good place to donate those Christmas gifts that you received, but don’t really have a place for !! Please ensure that all donated items are clean and in good working condition. We cannot accept clothing. If you have large items that you are unable to transport to the church, please contact a committee member to make arrangements for pick up.  

In October, we collected food for the Thanksgiving Food Drive for Quetzel Family Homes. We were able to deliver a very generous amount of food. As always, the families from Quetzel were appreciative. Our church also assisted with the Ten Thousand Villages Sale held at First Baptist Church, in Simcoe. Over $23,000.00 was raised, to be the most successful sale to date!  

In November, our Mitten Tree was erected in the sanctuary. It has always amazed me how a “Charlie Brown Christmas Tree” can be turned into a thing of beauty when it is lovingly filled with mittens, hats and scarves for the needy. 279 items and sets were sent to Evangel Hall in Toronto and Anishinabe in Winnipeg, where they will be distributed to those who need them this winter. Thank you to all who donated items, and to Jack & Linda  who donated our tree(s).  

Throughout December our members continued to dig deep and keep giving. Food was collected for the Salvation Army Food Drive and 22 gifts were collected and donated to the children at Quetzal Family Homes. Your support, as always, is staggering. We could not do what we do without the generosity of this congregation. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such giving people and we thank you for your continued support. We extend to you our wishes for a healthy and happy 2009.