Church Life

One of the foundational texts most of us had to read in secondary school is Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, about a caravan of pilgrims on the way to St. Thomas Becket’s shrine in Kent. We complained about having to read it, but I feel sorrier for kids today not made to read it. It’s good for you. It’s beloved partly because it’s so secular—bawdy and ordinary and alive—and not just churchly.

The travels I have upcoming are a combination of sacred and secular, if a bit more PG than Chaucer’s… Read more

Jason Byassee 

I’ve enjoyed preaching at TEMC this summer perhaps a bit more than senior ministers traditionally have. Our Festival of the Word has brought amazing preachers, as we have had this summer in Paul Scott Wilson and Donyelle McCray from Yale. Thanks for indulging me the chance to preach through Judges with Pastor Dayle and Joanne.

Earlier in the summer I got to preach and teach at Lakeside OH’s Chataqua Institution. This was originally a… Read more

Hello reader friends,
 
If you or anyone you know is thinking of joining our monthly Cover to Cover book club, I am so happy to give you some overview of some of our next selections.
 
With book club I have been attempting to introduce the group to a variety of styles, genres and even time periods in hopes there will be something for everyone. While there isn’t always a projected or overt faith or religious tenet to the books, there is always something that will either apply to a faith walk or at least something to inspire a reader to… Read more

A mentor and friend tells a story of jogging on campus when a car stopped to ask for directions. Its occupants were a family in distress—a member was having a health crisis of some sort. My friend gave them directions to the hospital and then offered all he had: “I’m a minister.” They responded with an earnest question: “Are you a healing minister?” No, not that kind. “Well, then what good are you?” And they sped off to the actual healers.

When we or someone we love is in need of healing, another kind of minister… Read more

One of our longtime leaders taught me something new about our church recently. We celebrated our 100th anniversary in 2013 with a massive granite plaque you can see on the east side of our sanctuary wall. That 4x8’ piece weighs some 1800 pounds, and required a special mounting system and removal of pews to put it in place. Not to worry, it’s not going to fall down—each of six iron bolts can hold up to 1000 lbs. That thing is steady and secure.

It brought to mind for me all that’s been… Read more

Near where we now live in the Annex is a church building you probably know as the Hare Krishna Church. I was stunned to discover recently that two giants in Canadian church history once preached there. Charles Templeton took over a building abandoned by Avenue Road United Church and converted it into a fast-growing evangelical church, before later losing his own faith. A.W. Tozer pastored it as Avenue Road Alliance Church while becoming one of the Canadian church’s best-selling authors. One could trace the… Read more

It’s a common scam: find the leader of a do-gooder organization. Change your display-name so that an email looks like it’s coming from that executive to their staff. Ask the colleague not to phone, but rather communicate only by email, since the senior minister is 1-in a meeting 2-at prayer or 3-otherwise occupied, and request gift cards. My staff knew to call or email me anyway and ask if this was really me. They prepared a warning for others. 

I told one fellow pastor my philosophy, shared more than once from the pulpit: if I were standing in… Read more

Josh Del Rosario has worked at TEMC as digital coordinator since 2016. He began working as our youth ministry coordinator in January of 2024. He is a champion team player, always working to help others on the staff to do our work better. We talked about his older work with us, his newer youth work, and his life and faith.

Tell us about yourself, Josh.

I grew up here in a Filipino household. We came to Canada… Read more

I’ve gotten to know someone who’s newer to worshiping at our church’s 9:15 service. She calls herself a “whooper.” If a song is particularly good, she whoops. ‘Not my fault,’ she said. ‘You guys led the good song.’

Recently we rang the bell and she prepared to whoop. To her astonishment, someone whooped before her. She looked around. There’s another whooper at Timothy Eaton?! The whoopers found one another and rejoiced. He’s been around a little longer, though inactive until recently.… Read more

Friends I am so glad to introduce you to one of the most innovative ministries I know in Canada, and worldwide. Because they’re coming to our church.

A Rocha is an evangelical ministry of creation care and conservation. It started in Portugal—the word is Portuguese for “the Rock,” after the place of its founding. Located on the southwestern coast of Portugal, it is a major migration point for birds flying between Europe and Africa, and was threatened with… Read more