The foodbank is open Tuesdays and Fridays, 10am-1pm

Drop off food bank donations on
Saturday, November 15, 1-3pm
in the parking lot north of the church on Centre St.
(Please note Centre Street is one-way southbound.)

All Saints’ Deacon’s Cupboard ministry is a source of food for members of our community.  It is our way of being church and showing the love of God to our neighbours so that everyone can have their daily bread and know of the provision of the Lord.

Food can be dropped off at the church parking lot between 1- 3 PM on the third Saturday of every month. We will have volunteers unloading your car and taking the food supplies into the Deacon’s Cupboard space at the church.

Donations of the following items are in demand:

canned pasta, canned soups, cereal, Saltine crackers, cookies, canned tuna fish, canned sardines, canned tomatoes, instant coffee, canned kidney beans, Kraft Dinner, peanut butter and personal hygiene products for men and women (e.g., soap, shampoo, razors, deodorant and, toilet paper)

All Saints’ is a member of Feed the Need in Durham (FTND). Weekly orders from FTND help sustain and further develop our food supply for those who come in increasing numbers to the Deacon’s Cupboard each week.

To learn more about the Deacons’ Cupboard (food bank), please contact office@nullallsaintswhitby.org or priest@nullallsaintswhitby.org

Thought and Prayer of the Day
by Deacon Gary Gannon

October 16, 2025

Often, the passage of time seems endless. We Canadians likely feel this way around late February when the wonder of the first snowfall seems like a distant memory and the novelty of the new winter coat we bought in the first crisp days of autumn has vanished. You may have also experienced a lengthy passage of time years ago when taking your family on an extended road trip. Oh, the excitement everyone felt in loading their belongings into the trunk of the car; making sure that the kids had things with which to occupy themselves; and confirming that all the necessary roadmaps (I’m dating myself here) were readily available for the inevitable queries about new routes to be taken. These rarified emotions, however, seemed to dissipate after only a few hours on the road!

I clearly remember once being at a loss at what to suggest to our two young ones sitting in the back seat on the long drive to visit my parents in northern Ontario. The aura of relative sibling calm, aided by one or two short pit stops at McDonalds, began to wane around Sturgeon Falls. The one trick still up my sleeve was to suggest to the kids, “Start looking for the smokestacks!” This meant we were getting closer to grandma’s and grandpa’s house. The key was to sparingly use this distraction, at this point, as we still had some distance to travel.

Our earthly seasons are not perfectly aligned with the liturgical ones set by the church. Sometimes the passage of certain church seasons can also seem endless – particularly that of Pentecost. This season begins on Pentecost Sunday and for many Protestant denominations – including Lutherans, Anglicans and Methodists – it is a long period lasting many weeks until the start of Advent in late November or early December.  It is not uncommon for someone to ask at this time of year, “What week after Pentecost is this?” (Note: referring to my trusty Canadian Church Calendar [Anglican edition], this Thought and Prayer is presented during the eighteenth week after Pentecost – only six more to go).

How might one pass time in this current liturgical period? What may we look at to keep ourselves interested in our spiritual journey? My experience with the newly-formed Men’s Bible Study group this year suggests you explore the miracles or parables of Jesus presented throughout the Pentecost season. Biblical scholars cite a range of 24 to 37 recorded miracles performed by our Lord. The exact number of Jesus’ parables is not definitively known, as the total varies depending on the source and the definition used, but most lists range from about 35 to 40 stories. Examples of either a miracle or parable usually appear on any given Sunday during Pentecost, but don’t let the calendar constrain you; find your favourite example to read, ponder and perhaps share your thoughts with someone else. Our Bible Study group seems to enjoy this sharing of the impact their chosen example has made on them. If you are looking for someone to share your choice with – send it my way. Let’s make the trip enjoyable. Thanks be to God.

Prayer
Lord, I ask for Your light to illuminate my path. Remove any confusion or doubt that clouds my mind and give me a clear vision of the steps I need to take. Fill my heart with Your peace, knowing that You are guiding me every step of the way. Amen.

• Ann McNeals, https://graceandprayers.com/guiding-prayers-for-a-faithful-journey-with-god/

 

On any given Sunday in the year, you can make a donation for fresh flowers in memory or thanksgiving of someone or something. The flowers will be used to decorate the chancel, and the loved one or the milestone occasion will be named in the prayers of the people and printed in the bulletin on the chosen Sunday.

You can also make a memorial or thanksgiving  donation in lieu of flowers on any occasion and designate the funds for an ongoing ministry or fund (e.g., accessibility fund, children’s ministry, Christmas hampers fund, pastoral care ministry, etc.). Such gifts from the heart will also be recognized in the prayers of the people and the service bulletin.

Please contact Sharon by email (office@nullallsaintswhitby.org) no later than the Wednesday before the Sunday you wish any dedication to appear. In your message, please indicate the amount of your donation, your envelope number (if applicable), the name of the loved one being memorialized, and the name(s) of those making the donation.

Thought and Prayer of the Day
by the Rev. Jennifer Schick

October 2, 2025

This coming Saturday the church celebrates St. Francis of Assisi, the thirteenth-century Italian whose greatest honour was to be known as il Poverello, “the little poor one of Christ.”

The book For All The Saints describes St. Francis in this way “He grew up in a very wealthy family and seemed to have not a care in the world until he was twenty years old, when a chance encounter with a leper left him appalled by his own uselessness. Soon afterwards he heard Jesus speaking to him from a painting of the crucifixion over the altar of a local church. He threw away his wardrobe and renounced his father’s wealth in order to care for the poor and the crippled. In 1208 he heard the commission which the risen Lord gave to his apostles, “Go, make all nations my disciples,” and knew that it was also addressed to him. Francis began to train his followers for the task of making Jesus truly known and loved among the ordinary people of Italy. Out of this movement developed the Order of the Lesser Brethren, commonly called the Franciscans.

St. Francis is often known most by his love of all creation, as he recognized God in all people, all creatures and even in the elements of nature. He honoured God in all things and gave thanks for all things which came from God. On Sunday at 2pm in honour of St. Francis we will hold a blessing of the animals service on our West Lawn. Bring your pet, a picture of your pet, invite a neighbour who has pet, or just bring your own love of all creation to this outdoor service. We hope you can join us.

Prayer:

Almighty, eternal just, and merciful God,
grant us in our misery the grace
to do for you alone
what we know you want us to do,
and always to desire what pleases you.

Thus,
inwardly cleansed,
interiorly enlightened,
and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit,
we may be able to follow
in the footprints of your beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ

And by your grace alone,
may we make our way to you, Most High,
who live and rule
in perfect Trinity and simple Unity,
and are glorified, God all-powerful,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer from a letter to the entire order written by St. Francis of Assisi