April 29, 2026
As we prepare to welcome Dwan Billings to our church on Sunday to tell us all about the effect of Hurricane Melissa on the island of Jamaica, may we all reflect on what “Mission” means to each of us. How can we all incorporate a sense of “mission” in our everyday lives?
Mission work is not merely a task for specialists, but a fundamental, daily calling for all believers to
embody Christ’s love, justice, and compassion in their local and global communities. It is a shift from
seeing missions as a distant activity to recognizing it as a way of life, where every individual acts as a
“missionary disciple” in their own environment.
Key themes in these reflections include:
- The “Go” in Daily Life: Mission is not confined to overseas trips; it involves being the “hands, feet, and heart” of Christ in daily life—whether in suburbs, on public transit, or at work.
- Mission as a Way of Being: Rather than focusing only on “doing” tasks, it’s about a state of being that flows from a personal relationship with God, allowing His love to flow through one’s actions.
- A “Sent” Community: The church is viewed as being sent into the world to continue Jesus’ mission, as described by Pope Francis, who noted, “Every man and woman is a mission; that is the reason for our life on this earth”.
- Partnership and Local Impact: Effective mission often involves long-term investment, such as supporting local education or community needs rather than short-term fixes.
- Overcoming Fear: A strong sense of mission helps overcome fear, fostering a “culture of missions” that sees the world through spiritual, rather than just physical, needs.
In essence, mission awareness is a call to align daily actions with God’s purpose, bringing hope and mercy to a world “yearning” for it.
“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” 1 Chronicles 16:24
Worship Calendar
May 3 Mission Awareness Sunday Matthew 25:35-40 Dwan Billings
May 10 Many Roads, One Way John 14:1-14 Rev. Eric Lee
May 17 God with Us – and in Us John 14:15-27 Rev. Eric Lee
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
SAVE THE DATE!!
Mission Awareness Sunday, May 3 rd , 2026
Our guest speaker this year is Dwan Billings who is the Finance Administration Coordinator for
Presbyterian World Service and Development at the National Church Office, as well as the Treasurer for
West Toronto Presbytery, Jane Finch Reaching Up, University Presbyterian Church and five other
Presbyterian Congregations and three other churches of different denominations. Dwan helps to
strengthen faithful stewardship, accountability and trust. She says that she loves numbers and watching
them fit together is fascinating to her.
With academic training in Finance, Accounting, Marketing and Business Management, Dwan approaches
stewardship not only as a responsibility, but as an expression of faith – supporting the church’s call to
serve, respond and care for others.
The subject of this year’s Mission Awareness Sunday is the devastating effects of Hurricane Melissa on
Jamaica in late October 2025. Dwan and her husband have a property in Jamaica and were there in
March to assess the damage. She has many photos and stories to share with us. Donation envelopes will
be in your program.
Also, there will be cake!! One of the Billings’ four children, Shayden, is turning a year older that day and
we will celebrate with the family.
Please join us.
Graceview’s Mission Team
Common Scents
Please be advised that our church has a scent-free protocol. It seems that some of our dear parishioners feel unwell due to heavy floral smells. Please be considerate of those in our congregation who are affected by strong smells and odors and refrain from perfumes or colognes when coming to worship on Sunday mornings.
Thank you one and all.
A Spring Devotional Update (March 22)
A new edition of These Days (April/May/June), as well as the current edition of Our Daily
Bread (March/April/May) are available on the table in the church vestibule and in the devotional box on the church porch.
Coffee Sign-Up
It is that time of year again when we are looking for volunteers to serve coffee and tea after worship. The sign up sheet is on the bulletin board in the Adamson Lounge.
April – Outreach Team
May 3 – Mission Team with Kathy & Susan
May 10_____________
May17 – Carol & Iris
May 24 – Margaret & Robyn
May 31_____________
Thank you to all of you who have given so willingly of your time and efforts. We appreciate you!!
Mission Moment: April 12, 2026
Gerry Kent describes the United Mission to Nepal (UMN) as “an advocate for those who cannot or do not have the opportunity to seek help for themselves.” Since September 2025, Gerry has taken on the three-year volunteer position of Funding Manager in Nepal for the UMN. On the PCC’s Mission Blog web page he shares the enriching developments facilitated by the UMN in sectors of Nepal. He describes “the hand of God reaching into this area in love, offering healing.” With support from Presbyterians Sharing, Gerry carries out his life-long commitment to serving the people of Nepal in the spirit of Jesus Christ.
Faithful in Little Things
If you are really in love with Christ, no matter how small your work, it will be done better.
By Mother Teresa April 23, 2026
What we need is to love without getting tired. How does a lamp burn? Through the continuous input of small drops of oil. What are these drops of oil in our lamps? They are the small things of daily life: faithfulness, small words of kindness, a thought for others, our way of being silent, of looking, of speaking, and of acting. Do not look for Jesus away from yourselves. He is not out there; he is among you. Keep your lamp burning and you will recognize him.
These words of Jesus, “Even as I have loved you, also love one another,” should be not only a light to us, but they should also be a flame consuming the selfishness that prevents the growth of holiness. Jesus “loved us to the end,” to the very limit of love: the cross. This love must come from within, from our union with Christ.
Loving must be as normal to us as living and breathing, day after day until our death.
We do not need to carry out grand things in order to show a great love for God and for our neighbors. It is the intensity of love we put into our gestures that makes them into something beautiful for God.
Do not pursue spectacular deeds. What matters is the gift of your self, the degree of love that you put into each one of your actions.
Peace and war start within one’s own home. If we really want peace for the world, let us start by loving one another within our families. Sometimes it is hard for us to smile at one another. It is often difficult for the husband to smile at his wife or for the wife to smile at her husband.
In order for love to be genuine, it has to be above all a love for our neighbor. We must love those who are
nearest to us, in our own family. From there, love spreads toward whoever may need us.
It is easy to love those who live far away. It is not always easy to love those who live right next to us. It is
easier to offer a dish of rice to meet the hunger of a needy person than to comfort the loneliness and the
anguish of someone in our own home who does not feel loved.
I want you to go and find the poor in your homes. Above all, your love has to start there. I want you to be the good news to those right around you. I want you to be concerned about your next-door neighbor. Do you know who your neighbor is?
Always be faithful in little things, for in them our strength lies. To God nothing is little. … Practice fidelity in the least things, not for their own sake, but for the sake of the great thing that is the will of God. …
Do not pursue spectacular deeds. We must deliberately renounce all desires to see the fruit of our labor, doing all we can as best we can, leaving the rest in the hands of God. What matters is the gift of your self, the degree of love that you put into each one of your actions.
Do not allow yourselves to be disheartened by any failure as long as you have done your best. Neither glory in your success but refer all to God in deepest thankfulness.
If you are discouraged, it is a sign of pride, because it shows you trust in your own powers. Never bother about people’s opinions. Be humble and you will never be disturbed. The Lord has willed me here where I am. He will offer a solution
If you are working in the kitchen do not think it does not require brains. Do not think that sitting, standing,
coming, and going, that everything you do, is not important to God.
God will not ask how many books you have read, how many miracles you have worked; he will ask you if you have done your best, for the love of him. Can you in all sincerity say, “I have done my best”? Even if the best is failure, it must be our best, our utmost.
If you are really in love with Christ, no matter how small your work, it will be done better; it will be
wholehearted. Your work will prove your love.
You may be exhausted with work, you may even kill yourself with work, but unless your work is interwoven with love, it is useless. To work without love is slavery.
Contributed By Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa (1910–1997) founded the Order of the Missionaries of Charity and dedicated her life to serving the poor of India.