14th Annual Community Outreach Nights 1/2

Dear SMSV Family & Friends,

Happy and blessed Thanksgiving Weekend.

We are delighted to invite you to join us for our 14^th Annual Community Outreach Nights on October 6 & 7, 2023. Every year during Thanksgiving weekend, we are joyful to welcome members and guests to experience God’s love by coming together for spiritual sessions, fellowship, praise, and much more. It’s a great opportunity for our guests to tour the church building, which is recognized as a tourist attraction in the Province of Ontario.

Our theme this year will be “The Open Arms of Christ,” where we will explore God’s unconditional love to all humans, God’s invitation to enjoy fellowship with Him, and God’s yearning for His creation to live peacefully and faithfully with one another. The session titles will be “All that we are in Christ … All that we need in Christ … All that we desire in Christ.”

Our guest speaker this year is Fr. John Boutros from our sister parish, St. Moses & St. Katherine Coptic Orthodox Church, in downtown Toronto. Ordained in July 2012, he was previously a paediatric surgeon. Now, Fr John serves a wide variety of urban dwellers, students, and young professionals. Fr. John is equally passionate for the marginalized, the poor, and those who have no one. Being in a community of disciples of Jesus, steeped in ancient faith and Orthodoxy, rooted in Coptic heritage, he strives to live to incarnate God’s love in a metropolitan setting.

The main sessions for the youth and adults will be held on Friday, October 6^th from 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm as well as Saturday, October 7^th from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm. In addition to those sessions, the church is organizing a Children’s Outreach on Saturday from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Children are welcome to invite their friends to enjoy fellowship and a spiritual meditation on the same theme. The children’s program will include pizza, praise, a lesson, and sports activities in the gym.

We look forward to welcoming you and your guests this weekend for a time of spiritual growth and fellowship. If you are not able to join us in person, please be sure to tune in virtually on our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@coptONsmsv/streams . Please see the attached poster for the details. Feel free to forward the poster digitally to invite friends.

In Christ,

Fr. Thomas & Fr. Pishoy