In a letter dated 22 March and sent to the leadership teams of St Bartholomew’s, Canon Davis Memorial and All Saints’ Parish, Archdeacon Amanda Longmoore informed us that Bishop Todd Townshend has decided that all three parishes will meet together at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday 6 April at All Saints’ Parish. Bishop Todd will be the celebrant and will, after the service, inform us of his decision regarding which building will be used for worship going forward. Shortly after that announcement, each parish will hold a special vestry meeting during which a single-question motion will be put to each congregation. Please read the Archdeacon’s letter by clicking here.

After countless Saturdays of baking, baking and baking, our intrepid team of parishioners has prepared a vast assortment of all manner of edibles to be sold to one and all on Saturday 29 March and this falls immediately upon the heels of our sell-out ham dinner! As the poster below shows, there will be meat pies, fruit pies, quiche, cookies, squares, muffins and fruit loaves available for purchase. If this baked goods sale is anything like the last one, you will need to arrive in a timely fashion in order to ensure that your preferences have not already been sold to someone else. Those interested in helping out on an upcoming Saturday from nine until noon are more than welcome. All supplies will be provided, although you will likely wish to bring your favourite apron. Here is the final countdown baking schedule: 8 March, baking cookies; 15 March, baking loaves and muffins; 22 March, baking meat and fruit pies, and quiche. If you are a non-baker but would like to perform other kitchen duties, your services will absolutely be valued. If your interest is in eating baked goods, be sure to come on Saturday 29 March between 9a.m. and 1 p.m. in support of our parish. Please direct all questions to Heather Norwood by calling the church at 519.344.5167 or in person on Sunday.

His Majesty the King is now an Apple Music DJ. In honour of Commonwealth Day, King Charles has decided to broadcast some of his favourite music from around the Commonwealth. In this wide-ranging show, the King highlights music that is representative of the various people who share a common heritage around the world. This link to an article in GB News will provide you with several options to tune into His Majesty’s show, which has already reached number one in the UK and which is variously broadcast on no particular schedule. The image below has been borrowed from Apple Music, with thanks.

The third instalment in this ongoing series of workshops on civilising our smartphones will focus, in part, and by popular request, on reviewing safe Internet browsing. This is a challenging topic and one that does warrant review. Also by popular request, we will look at increasing the breadth of sending text messages by learning how to add photos and other enhancements to our texts. The big topic, however, will be learning how to use our electronic calendar, from creating straightforward appointment reminders to using the calendar to invite others to joint events, this topic will help open a whole range of possibilities. Once again, because the material being presented is very much participant-driven, missing one workshop does not mean that the next one cannot be attended, but it also means that the agenda must be fluid in order to respond to the needs of the learners. As was the case with this workshop, any and all, whether of this parish or not, are welcome to attend future workshops. If you were a participant in this first or second workshop and left feeling overwhelmed, do not despair! This sort of learning does take time, patience and perseverance, but, rest assured, you will get there! Stand by for the next time and date to be announced…

In a very moving service, St Bartholomew’s Anglican Church was deconsecrated on Sunday 9 March during a mid-afternoon service that was led by Rt Rev’d Todd Townshend. Clergy, parishioners and friends from local parishes were all present. The service included choral communion, a wonderful talk on the magnificent history of the parish, and a moving service of deconsecration. The parishioners of All Saints’ Parish wish the members of St Bartholomew’s all the very best as they determine their future within the Anglican community of Sarnia-Lambton.