It is mid-February and we have just recently been informed that the limits for social gatherings have finally been relaxed to allow us once again to have activities in the Royal Hall. It is not a 100% return to normal, but clearly a push in the right direction. With a little more care and patience, we will soon see all restrictions lifted. These steps can only be greeted as great and wonderful news. The past two years have been very challenging for everyone. With your participation and support, and by getting vaccinated, together we have made a difference to get to this point. Now we can start to make plans to get back to where we once were.

Mother Nature did let us know who’s the boss a few weeks ago, and as I write this, we did get another blast of winter. But there is plenty of sunshine and increasing daylight each week – we are heading towards Spring and can look forward to warmer temperatures, Spring is the annual renewal of nature – and I’m sure we can apply that resurgence to events that are happening at the church, especially in light of relaxed pandemic restrictions.

The next major event would be the church’s AGM on Sunday, April 3 after the service. We will still do a combined in-person and zoom meeting, but hope to see many faces one way or the other. Please make sure you sign up as a member and read the AGM notice (see pg.10) for more details. Two weeks later it will be Easter with all the festivities around that special time. We are hoping to celebrate the inauguration of the upgraded sanctuary on Easter Sunday – another great reason to join us that day. 

We will have to wait and see how the next bazaar day (Sat May 14) unfolds. There will be the pick-up of imports and sandwiches of course, and hopefully some sort of outdoor “hyggefest” as we had last time.

In addition to the special events noted above, we will also try to get our regular weekly activities going again starting early in March. In addition to the regular Sunday services, these include meetings of Church Café, Golden Age Club, and Folk dancing, as well as occasional Movie Saturdays. Our plan is to livestream at least two services each month, but make sure you check the newsletter Calendar and the main website for specific details. Once we get going, we hope to try other events as well. Feel free to pass on some suggestions. 

Many of you have seen the on-going upgrade in the sanctuary. The progress is slow but steady, and we are grateful that we can still have services while the upgrade is in process. The fund raising for the sanctuary is also on-going. We have raised about $30,000 so far as a total of both funds. That is an impressive amount and I would like to thank all of you who have helped to do this. But we still need to raise more if we can. The more we raise now, the less we will have to draw from our reserves. Many of you added an extra amount when you signed up for your membership. Whether you give at the collection plate, or with your membership, or via e-transfer or credit card – any and all donations are appreciated and gratefully received. As a registered charity, this is how we can survive - for now and into the future. It really is in your hands.

Try to make an effort to join us at the church if you can. This is your church – even from a distance. It is always a pleasure to see and have a conversation with real people. After the service we can now get back to our former format of having coffee in the Royal Hall with a small sandwich or two. We are always looking for volunteers to help with this. 

Best wishes for a happy and safe early Spring, 

Sune Overgaard