June 19, 2025
Greetings from St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church!
Golf happens to be one of my favourite things to do during the summer months so let me begin this summer letter with a story about golf & peace. It was the deciding round of play of the 1983 U.S. Open Golf Tournament. A player named Larry Nelson was tied for first place. But then he hit a difficult situation. His approach shot to the sixteenth green left him sixty-two feet from the hole. His fans groaned. In the world of golf, sinking a sixty-two-foot putt is about as likely as a hole-in-one. Larry Nelson paused for a long moment. Then he raised his head, sized up the terrain, and stroked his ball. It rolled downhill for a spell, then up an incline, then down another slope, and up another, and finally it curved, and then Ker plunk! Into the hole it went. Some called it the shot of the year. Bolstered by this magnificent putt, Larry Nelson went on to win the tournament, his first victory following a two-year slump.
One of the reporters who flocked to get his comments after the tournament asked him if he had been praying during the match, especially before that fateful putt.
“Yes,” Larry Nelson answered.
“Were you praying you’d make the shot?” the reporter asked.
“No,” Nelson said.
“Well, then, what were you praying for?” asked the reporter.
Larry Nelson’s answer should help all of us. He replied simply, “Peace.”
Is there anyone reading this right now, who is not, one way or another, seeking peace; peace in your heart and peace in your relationships with others and especially peace with God? That is our prayer for you.
With summer here I want to fill you in on some of the up-coming events and activities. First of all, you will need to know that St. Paul’s United Church and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church will be involved in some shared worship experiences. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church will be at St. Paul’s United Church for the Sundays of July 6, 13, 20 & 27 and St. Paul`s will be at St. Andrew`s for the Sundays of August 3,10,17,24 & 31. All services will be at 10:30 a.m.
There will be a 5–day VBS Club the week of July 28 to Aug. 1st in New Liskeard. First Baptist Church in collaboration with St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and St. Paul’s United Church, will host the 5-Day Club. The theme this year will be an “Intergalactic Voyage: Discovering God’s Goodness.” Enroll your children by calling Pastor Amos at 705-647-5026.
We at St. Andrew's are pleased once again to welcome back our Christian friends from the Light Presbyterian Church in Mississauga. A team of 25 students (grades 7-12 ) and five adults will be leading K-Pop Fest on Sat. Aug. 2 at 4 p.m. Some activities include Taekwondo & dance. The program will be followed by a Korean Banquet at 6 p.m. The group will worship with us on Sunday Aug. 3 at 10:30 a.m.
Please accept this letter as our personal invitation to you and your family to become part of the church family at St. Andrew’s. If you have any questions about our church or any of our ministries, or if we can help you in any way, please call me at 705- 647-8401. “A friendly welcome awaits you!”
God Bless,
George Paraskevopoulos, Pastor