News Letters
January 28, 2026 – Weekly News
Download the PDF Jan. 28, 2026 As I sit here on a very snowy Sunday, wearing my sweats, as I have been under the weather since Friday, I marvel at the amount of snow that has fallen with more in the forecast. Being a born and bred Canadian, snow does not intimidate me. There are pictures of me, in my youth, standing beside a snowbank which was a good 2 feet higher than me. I have plowed through the highways…
January 21, 2026 – Weekly News
Download the PDF Matthew 4:12-23 CommentaryChelsey Harmon This is a different version, or perhaps we could say a similar story, to the discipleship calling narrative we had in the Gospel of John. Some of the same players are here though, even if in lesser roles: John the Baptist looms in the background and Andrew and his brother Simon Peter are here again—seen by Jesus. We even get an emphasis on prophecy being fulfilled and themes of light and darkness (albeit this…
January 14th – 2026 – Weekly News
Download the PDF Last week we all had to endure a day of very high winds. Now, I have to admit, I can tolerate heavy downpours of rain, blizzards, sleet, hail, etc. However, strong winds make me very uneasy. I had the “pleasure” a couple of years ago to witness a tree being blown over onto my back fence wiping out a good portion of it. Not only that, but spears of branches were impaled into the ground just as…
Minister’s Message / Annual Report 2025
Dear Graceview Family, This year marks 25 years since Graceview’s formation through amalgamation — a silver jubilee of shared faith, worship, and service. Though our building has stood since 1960, it is the steadfast devotion of our congregation that has truly sustained God’s work here. Our ministry this year shows a congregation that is steady, resilient, and anchored in Christ. Worship remains reverent and spiritually enriching, and our care for one another continues unabated. Even amid the challenges facing mainline churches across Canada,…
January / February 2026 – Graceview
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What is Shrove Tuesday, and What Does it Have To Do With Pancakes?
“Shrove” is the past tense of the verb “to shrive”, meaning “absolve from sin”, and seems to be currently used only in relation to “Shrove Tuesday”, the day before Ash Wednesday. In the Middle Ages, on Shrove Tuesday morning the church bell would ring, calling Christians to church to confess their sins and be “shriven” – in other words, receive absolution or forgiveness. This was especially important at the start of the Lenten season, a forty-day period leading up to…
Message of Hope
Email from my sister Lynne: I thought you might be interested in this. I found it in a little booklet of devotions for Advent that was given out at church today. Note from me: You know I am a big fan of C.S.Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. (Feel free to roll your eyes and think, “There she goes again.”) I thought it interesting that this appeared in a booklet of devotions given out at a Catholic Church on Marco Island, Florida,…
I Know of a Lovely Garden – Martin Luther
Centuries after his death, Martin Luther’s deep affection for home and children still lives on in his writings. In 1530 he wrote the following letter to his four-year-old son Hans. I was intrigued by it, by the gentle, loving, sensitive message to his little boy, from a man we know as the brave, determined monk who transformed the Christian church and changed the Christian world. To my little son, Hans Luther, grace and peace in Christ. My heart-dear little son:…
The Real Saint Nicholas
“The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving. by grace. through faith, and this is not of ourselves.” St. Nicholas of Myra, patron saint of children, sailors and merchants. St Nicholas is a revered Christian saint who is celebrated for his piety, generosity, and numerous miracles. Little is known about the historical Saint Nicholas. The earliest accounts of his life were written centuries after his death and probably contain legendary elaborations.…
Hiemingas Celebrating St. Nicholas 2025
Dear friends!! We have had so much to be thankful for this year – not only joys, but also the challenges. We are finishing off the year experiencing the joy and light of the birth of Jesus. This began as we celebrated the Dutch tradition of “St Nicholas” (Dec. 5-7) We opened our time together in prayer of thanksgiving for food and time together. Every year St Nicholas Celebrations become even more special. In past we have made a gift…
Guest Minister – Rev. Dr. Ernest Van Eck
Guest Minister – Rev. Dr. Ernest Van Eck On Sunday, November 9, (Remembrance Day Sunday) we were blessed with the presence of Rev. Dr. Ernest Van Eck, Principal of Knox College, in our pulpit. Many people commented on his sermon, and a few of you, including me, confessed to having some difficulty understanding his charming South African accent. His most excellent sermon is worthy of a second look. It is printed below with his permission, and an introduction by himself.…
December 24, 2025 – Minister’s Message
When the Bells Ring: A Renewed Hope for the City As this year draws toward its close, I find my heart lingering on a moment of grace God provided for me earlier this month—one that arrived at just the right time. I had the privilege of being invited by the Canadian Bible Society to the 25th Anniversary Bells on Bay Street breakfast worship event at the Fairmont Royal York. The gathering began at 7 a.m. on a snowy Toronto morning,…