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PAGE 2, ST. MARK'S CELEBRAfTON 150 St. Mark's -- A part of Whitby lives' for over a century To some the corner of Colborne and Centre Streets is just another irritation, a 4-way stop at which they come to a grudging hait, and then proceed on their assorted journeys. Some may not even turn their head, while others may take a casual glance at the sprawling brick building which is St. Mark's and dismiss the Whitby landmark of a 100 years with the thought that it's a place where people only go on Sundays. Many, many others however will turn in and enter what has been known as the Methodist Tabernacle, the Whitby United Church and now St. Mark's, but not only on Sundays. They will come every day, the old and the young, the contented and the troubled and. many of their activities will be short on theology but long on Christianity. When the world of commerce and industry opens its doors on Monday to begin another week so too does St. Mark's when a dozen or more volunteers gather, as they do every morning, to give of their time, talent and love for the approximately fifteen children who come to attend the nursery school of the Ajax-Pickering-Whitby Assoc. for Handicapped Children. Meeting in the afternoon may be one of the six units of the United Church Women, that 150 strong group that plays such a vital role in the life of St. Mark's. The U.C.W. has an illustrious record of service within the local congregation and also in its endeavours for the less fortunate in Canida and abroad. Quiet then cornes but only briefly as the halls and rooms soon echo with the voices of the Girl Guide Company and the Canadian Girls in Training, with their programmes which can do so much to enrich developing character. Tuesday brings another day and renewed activity with the nursery group in the morning followed by the beavers, BrowÀies, Rangers and the Venturers, a non-stop hum of youthful activity. The Beavers, a newly organized group for boys age 5-71/2 continues a tradition in St. Mark's, the support of the Scouting and Guiding movement in the community over the past 20 years. Over 220 boys and girls belong to the various groups of the movements which occupy a prominent place in the overall youth porgramme at St. Mark's. Tuesday's activities come to a close with an AI-Anon meeting, for the families who are troubled with alco-iolism. On Wednesday the kitchen area becomes a beehive of activity as the women of Meals on Wheels, a joint effort of St. Mark's, Ail Saints and St. John The Evangelist, come together in a spirit of Christian fellowship to provide a nourishing meal each week for nearly thirty shut-ins. Over seventy women are involved in the proj-ct. preparing the meals and delivering them through- Greetings from Whitby Ministeriail Association Dear Congregy Lion and Pastor: Brethren in Christ, we rejoice and give ail praise to God with you as you celebrate your 150th anniversary! This is most certainly a wonderful achievement for you as a congregation to be able to acknowledge a continuous Christian witness and testimony' of faith and trust in our Savior and Lord for this long period of time. I would commend you during this time of celebration and praise that you set your goals to "press on toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus". Also, that you, as a part of the whole Body of Christ, the Church, will continue to be "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Cor. 15:58) As you look back over your 150 years of congregational life and worship of our Lord, we exclaim with you "God has been faithful" and "God has been good". As you look forward to the days and years that lie ahead, we pray that you will continue to find the "faiîthfulness of God" and "the joy of the Lord" your strength and your life until our Lord returns for His Church. Very sincerely in Christian love and fellowship, The Whitby Ministerial Association The Rev. Louis R. Harvey, President out the community. Wednesday afternoon the women who tend the St. Mark's clothing depot are busy sorting, repairing and packing theclothing which is provided for the needy in our own town and elsewhere. Later, the Cubs and Scouts bring their youthful exuberance to the lower level while on the main floor the Committee of Stewards may be wrestling with the more serious business of seeing that the fuel bills, the insurance premiums etc., are paid. The Committee of Stewards is a 32 member body entrusted with the maintenance of the buildings and the finances of the Church. In another room the 50 member Session may be discussing ways and means of extending and carrying out the Christian ministry of St. Mark's, while at yet another meeting the 9 member Trustee Board might be studying the most meaningful way to spend a bequest. On Thursday the nursery school continues while in St. Mark's House, next door, the Durham Fellowship, a social therapy programme for the mentally handicapped is meeting in one of their sessions designed to aid people in getting back into the mainstream of life. In the afternoon the assembly hall is filled with the· fresh young voices of the Junior Choir while later in the evening the Senior Choir will be rehearsing for Sunday Worship. St. Mark's has been long renowned for its music, the result of the devoted and untiring efforts of its choir members and its organists and music directors. The "B" Cubs and Scouts also invade St. Mark's on Thursday to make yet another busy day. The pace slackens somewhat on Friday as the nursery school holds its final session and in the afternoon the men's shuffle board group meets for some spirited fun and competition. On Saturday the Assembly Hall may be the scene of a hobby show, a youth rally or a rug hooking demonstration, while the parking lot may resound to the cry of the auctioneer at the 4 W's Couples Club annual auction. Satur'day evening the hall may be the scene of a dance or the regular meeting of the 4 W's (We Will Work Willingl '). When Saturday night comes St. Mark's can look back on a week where there might have been a Y.M.C.A. programme, a meeting of the Heart Foundation or a Preschool Child Development Clinic and probably a dozen other committee meetings which are necessary in a Church which serves nearly a thousand families. It can also look back on a week where through its doors have come the h:;ppy who are planning for their wedding day, the troubled who seek counsel to save a sinking marriage and the grieving who find strength in the Ch·istian Faith in their time of bereavement. Much of life's drama is acted out within these walls which have seen and heard so much over these man;y years. On Sunday the doors of St. Mark's are opened to ail, to the young who may come and learn, the older who may join in Divine Worship to hear the lessons of the Church, to hear and to sing its music. This week hundreds will pass by, but many hundreds will turn in. The sprawling giant which is St. Mark's is no sleeping giant - it has touched the lives of thousands. Rev. John M. Smith B.A. in 1954, has the longesti minister in the history of of devoted ministry to community, is also the presently serving in Whitby who came to St. Mark's record of service of any St. Mark's. His 22 years St. Mark's and to the longest of any pastor The St. Mark's Ce:ebration 150 Committee is very appreciative of the assistance and co-operation of the Whitby Free Press. Without the interest and concern of Publisher Mike Burgess and his staff this special commemorative issue would not have been possible. The Celebration 150 Committee Celebration 150 Committee Chairmen General Chairman: Mrs. L. Richardson Social and Entertainment: Mrs. Wm. Winter Historical: Miss Eleanor Correll Publicity: Neil C. Murkar Finiance: Lorne B. Reid Music: Miss Margaret Webber Hospitality and Invitations: Gordon Tweedy Pulpit: Donald A. Sutton Decorations: Mrs. L. Richardson A SUPPLEMENT TO THE WHITBY FREE PRESS Live Love -- the United Church in the world For many years the individual congregations within the United Church of Canada had very little to say about how or where their "missionary dollars" were spent. Each % year the local congregation was given an objective or allocation and the contributions were forwarded to the Missionary and Maintenance Fund of the United Church of Canada, a rather austere sounding label, and the money was spent according to priorities established by the Board of Missions. Some five years ago, a radical change in policy took pace when, within certain guidelines, congregations were given the opportunity to select projects to which 50% of their mission contributions could be directed. The very sound thought and principle behind the change was that people are more likely to be generous, even sacrificial in their giving if they have some specific knowledge as to where their dollars are going. The Mission and Stewardship objective for St. Mark's in 1976 is $18,000 of which St. Mark's has earmarked $9,000 for specific Live Love Projects in Canada and abroad, ranging from projects as close to home as the Chaplaincy programme at the Oshawa General Hospital to helping maintain a nurse in Nepal. St. Mark's Canadian Live Love Projects for 76/ also include support of the East Labrador and Christian Island Parishes, the Five Oaks Christian Training Centre near Paris, Ont., and the Ministry with the Deaf conducted in the Bay of Quinte Conference by the Rev. S. Bates. The work of the United Church of Canada in Labrador continues to be fascinating and challeng- ing. By air, by canoe, and by skidoo, United Church personnel make their appointed rounds of both coastal and inland communications doing the work of the Church in bringing the Word of God to these isolated people. St. Mark's shares in this ministry through Live Love Projects. St. Mark's has had a very special interest in the folk on Christian Island in Georgian Bay for several years. The United Church maintains a mission on the island which is supported financially by St. Mark's and as noted elsewhere, hundreds of pairs of mitts and countless bundles of clothing have gone from Whitby to these needy people. One of the works by the United Church in many areas, including our own, is the Ministry with- the Deaf. In the Bay of Quinte Conference the dynamic Rev. S. Bates, a frequent visitor to St. Mark's, is carrying out a Ministry with the Deaf which includes services of worship conducted by simulteneous signing manually and speaking, so that families in which there are both deaf and hearing members may worship together. He also acts as counseller, court interpreter and social worker for this very important group in our society. There are special congregations of. the deaf in Peterborough, Belleville and Kingston which are inter-denominational but which derive their main support from the M. and S. The Chapliancy service at the Oshawa General Hospital is a fairly recent innovation and follows thepattern developed in many metropolitan centres when hospitals become so large there is a need for a full (Continued on Page 3) Greetings from Oshawa Presbytery It is a distinct pleasure to extend greetings and best wishes 1o you, the congregation and minister of St. Mark's, Whitby, in this one hundred and fiftieth year of your history. .We try to envision what this period has meant in terms of the ministries of the Chu rch. We th;ik of the Gospel preached - the service 1o needs spiritual and 1o need physical; we think of the young taught in the way of Christ - and the vast amount of moneys given to carry the Name of our Lord to the ends of the earth. We remember that behind all this there was dedication and prayer and vision of the Kingdom that endures. Your past has been impressive. But what has gone before this day is but a foundation for the present and the future. We have tools and means of communication never dreamed of by our fathers. Therefore can we not expect that with like dedication the accomplish- ments of the future will be more glorious and more beautiful than anything that has gone before? We in Oshawa Presbytery certainly belie've that you have a great future. Our hopes and our prayers are with you as you go forward i the strength of Christ. (Rev.) Eldon S. Linstead, Chairman lshawa Presbyter'y. 4