Meet Our Minister
Reine Boghos, came to St Timothy’s to ‘Preach for the Call’ in November 2018. Though she doesn’t particularly like driving and lives an hour away from the church, thankfully she still accepted our call. Reine attended the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon, and graduated in 2001 with a double major in Theology and Christian Education. When she came to Canada, she continued her studies at Presbyterian College, Montreal.
Reine has been involved in ministry all her life; her father is a minister and she lived close to their church where she was a Sunday School teacher and Youth director. She is a people person, enjoys ministering to all ages, and loves to tell everyone about Jesus.
She is full of energy and excitement always looking for new ideas to help spread the love of God and move the church to thrive. To Reine, ministry at St. Tim’s is like a musical piece, each note has its place in the bigger melody. She truly believes God gave each person unique talents, and together we can make joyful and meaningful musical pieces to glorify our Lord. One of her highlights as our minister was her first baptism. She is keen on children and young people’s ministry, always eyeing improving Christian education at St. Tim’s.
Reine finds time to be involved in every committee, as she feels they are the backbone of the church, with the goal of equipping believers and facilitating spiritual growth.
In her time at home, she and Firas enjoy taking walks together. They enjoy meeting up with friends and watching movies among other activities with their family. Cynthia has now finished her second year at Queens. Amy has finished high school and starts at McGill this fall. Michelle will go to grade 3 in the fall.It is my feeling that we are truly blessed to have Reine as our minister, she is full of new ideas and creativity. She has created different activities for the children, helped with setting up new musical groups, encouraged participation in the service by many in the congregation, and always enthusiastically participates in congregation events. Truly, ‘Love Never Fails!’ as her email signature keeps reminding us.
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Meet Our Music Director
The position of St. Timothy’s Music Director – Louise Thompson
The responsibilities involved are described in prose form, as opposed to points.
Worthy Music is Powerful
It has the power to make us humble, prayerful, and grateful.
Music has the power to provide spiritual nourishment.
It has healing power. It has the power to facilitate Worship.
It provides power for us to express prayerful thoughts,and bear testimony of sacred truths.Worthy music can provide power and protection for the soul.
Words of Russell M. Nelson
I began my music career as an Elementary and Secondary School Vocal Music Teacher in Nova Scotia, and later as an Instrumental and Vocal Music Specialist in four Elementary Schools in Ontario.
In 1974 I worked as an Organist and Choir Director in Military Chapels in Edmonton, Alta., and in 1987 moved to Ottawa and since then I have worked as an Organist and Choir Director in four different churches (3 different denominations) for over 30 years.
In 2012 I joined St. Timothy’s Church as Choir Director and became the Organist as well a few years later. I have been very blessed to work with many dedicated and gifted musicians in our Music Ministry. In weekly choir practices we worked on hymns, choral anthems, and solos for Services, Christmas concerts, and special events held throughout the year.
Covid restrictions have prevented singing together as a choir during the past two years.
However, we have been very, fortunate to have David Gowdy, Molly Olshefsky and Helen Orock lead the hymn singing each Sunday.
I play our 2 manual Casavant organ and Kawai digital piano to provide accompaniment for hymn singing, choral anthems, solos, Prelude and Postlude music and occasional special music for all Services.
As your Director of Music, I attend monthly Worship Committee meetings and meet with
Rev. Reine on occasion at church or via email or phone to discuss suitable music selections for Worship services.
I create hymn and choral anthem arrangements specifically for the congregation and choir. During my time here I have composed an Advent Introit, a general Introit, and a Christmas Choral Anthem.
I am so very grateful to St. Timothy’s congregation for your ongoing support. It gives me great joy to be part of and serve St. Timothy’s family.
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Meet Our Session
Session members: Ken Saah Fon (clerk), Molly Olshefsky, Asliena Bukit-Ginting, Phoebe Gowdy, Mike Powell, Joanne Payne, Michael Orock, Juliet Bosompem, Linda Walker and Rev. Reine Boghos (Moderator).
The Kirk Session is the lowest court of the Presbyterian Church, comprised of the Minister, or teaching elder, and ruling elders, whose ministries center upon leadership, nurture, and the pastoral care of members and adherents of the congregation.
The corporate nature of the Session is seen in the exercise of its leadership and authority, which resides in the Session. It is the responsibility of the Session to oversee the observance of the sacraments, the time and place of worship services, the stewardship needs for ministry, the spiritual nurturing of the congregation, including all aspects of Christian education, and the encouragement of potential candidates for ministry within the church.
The Session is also responsible for the supervision and oversight of all associations of members and adherents, all policies and procedures with respect to the use of church buildings and property, the election and admission of elders, and such other duties as may be directed to it by a higher court of the church. The Session is not responsible to the congregation, but to God, and is under the authority of the Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly. Elders are not spokespersons for the congregation; elders are rulers who provide thoughtful supervision and oversight to encourage growth in the Kingdom of God.
St. Timothy`s Kirk Session meets regularly on the second Tuesday of each month, except July and August, for establishing leadership, pastoral care, and oversight of the congregation, and at such other times as may be required to deal with specific issues
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Our Board of Managers
Board members: David Gowdy (Convener), James Douglas, Peter Olshefsky Donna Mbenoun, Ron Williams, Edward Peprah (Treasure),This is a brief synopsis of the duties of the Board of Managers:
Church Matters, Pay all invoices and salaries. Keep Church Property in good condition. Count and Bank the Offerings each Sunday. Provide envelopes for donors and provide statements of their givings in a year-end tax receipt, and oversee the PAR program. Keep the congregation informed of the financial situation
of the congregation. Prepare a year-end Financial Report, and with the Session, develop a budget for the next year. Appoint and outline the duties of the church custodian and church secretary Via Personnel Committee, consult paid personnel annually concerning contracts and salaries. Put insurance in place and ensure premiums are paid in a timely manner.
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ALVARO DIAZ LANDINEZ
Some of you in the congregation have met Alvaro and know who he is … we cannot do without him! Adjusting his routine according to the use being made of the building, he remains ever cheerful and works diligently cleaning the church facilities and dealing with garbage, etc. Alvaro hails from
Columbia where he trained as an accountant. Alvaro and his family
moved to Canada in 2008 and has been a member of the church staff for
almost 10 years.
When the COVID pandemic caused the closure of St. Timothy’s to all in-person activities, it was decided to continue his employment but shift the emphasis from cleaning to painting. You may have noticed that Alvaro
painted the front entrance to the church, all hallways, and the rear stairwell during this period. As well, all the church windows were washed.
This temporary arrangement worked so well that the Board this spring expanded the scope of his work to include, besides the cleaning
responsibilities, minor repairs, painting, and maintenance. This new
arrangement, too, has worked out extremely well to the benefit of St. Timothy’s. We are most fortunate to have Alvaro on staff and thank him
for his much-valued service to St. Timothy’s.
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The Christian Education Committee
Members: Kelvin Lee (chair), Phoebe Gowdy, Marie-Therese Kamal, Vincent Makombo , JulietBosompem, Odila Clever, Erynne McPhee. Rev. Reine Boghos (ex officio). St. Timothy’s Christian Education (CE) Committee is responsible primarily for the planning, operation, and evaluation of our church programs involving the Sunday School, youth programs, adult studies, and educational events. This involves recruiting and training Sunday School teachers and providing Sunday School material for their teaching.
ChurchServices are created to involve the participation of children (Christmas Pageant) and families (Family Sunday). Bible Studies and special seasonal ‘Devotionals’ have been provided for adults. Membership classes can be provided to encourage young people and adults to join the church.
Fellowship activities have been curtailed because of the pandemic but will be planned for the future. The committee would welcome your ideas and, above all, your participation in the areas listed (especially in the Sunday School where we are short of teachers for our children) and in serving on the committee itself.
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The Mission and Outreach Committee
Members: Molly Olshefsky and Linda Walker
(Co chairs), Charlotte Craig, Michael Orock, Helen Lee,
Marian Wardeh Rev. Reine Boghos (ex officio)
The Mission and Outreach Committee supports the church’s
goal of spreading the Good News through mission projects
and outreach programs. Activities include raising funds for
selected charities, reaching out to the community, and
responding to personal requests for assistance. Each year the Committee chooses, plans, and presents to the congregation various mission projects. Some are ongoing; some are seasonal, and some are special longer-term projects with larger financial commitments. One ongoing project is St. Timothy’s long-time support of the HeronEmergency Food Centre with regular food and cash donations. The HEFC also receives the product from one of the nine church vegetable garden plots. The garden plots rented out annually represent an initiative of both mission and outreach. Seasonal campaigns help those in need in Ottawa through cash and in-kind donations for The Ottawa Mission and women’s centers. St. Timothy’s works with Caring and Sharing Ottawa to purchase and deliver Christmas dinner food hampers. The goal of the current special project selected by the Committee is the provision of seed money for small enterprises which will enable a group of women in Cameroon to generate income for their families. The Committee is also responsible for planning an annual Mission Awareness Sunday service. Outreach activities are varied and centered on many forms of communication. The Committee oversees the design and updating of the church website, Facebook page, and Vistas advertising which are important links to the community. The production of the monthly newsletter, Timothy Topics, provides a connection for all members of the congregation. Although limited by the pandemic, Mission and Outreach normally maintains a Welcoming Committee roster to greet newcomers, prepares printed church information packets, and contacts visitors. Planning for in-person Café Connections, a Friday morning time of fellowship and coffee at the church, changed to overseeing Zoom gatherings during the pandemic. Activitiesv of the Mission and Outreach Committee are so varied that there is an opportunity and need for the involvement of everyone. The Committee thanks you for your faithful financial support of St. Timothy’s mission projects. You are invited to consider serving on the Committee or assisting with any of the activities of special interest to you.
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The Stewardship Committee
Mandate: The Stewardship Committee is responsible for supporting major church projects outlined by the Board of Directors by identifying, planning, and executing fundraising initiatives and events. The Stewardship Committee also supports other church committees in planning and executing events that will generate funds towards targeted church projects.
Membership: Members of the Stewardship Committee consist of the following eight (8) members: – John Wambombo (chair) – Ernest Asomani – Eugene Asomani – Isaiah Nkunda – Joanne Payne – Karen Abboud – Rev. Reine Boghos (ex oficio) – Wendy Batson. Meeting: The Stewardship Committee meets every first (1st) Tuesday of the month, via Zoom at 7 PM.
2022 Look-Ahead: The Stewardship Committee has identified approximately five (5) fundraising initiatives to undertake throughout 2022:
– Garage Sale, June 2022 – Corn roast, September 2022
– Bake sale, October 2022 – Cheese & Honey, October 2022 – Christmas Bazaar, November 2022. The above-mentioned events are in various planning stages. The committee welcomes new ideas about fundraising opportunities, human resources, and volunteers.
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The Worship Committee
Members: Heidi Dyck (chair), John Dyck, Helen Orock, Asliena Ginting, Usaha Ginting, Mike Powel, Louise Thompson and Rev. Reine Boghos.
St. Timothy’s Worship Committee, a standing Committee of Session, works with the Minister toprovide worship opportunities and “offer praise and prayer”. Some of these opportunities include Scripture readings, music ministry, decorating the sanctuary, the technical team, and Sound engineers. The Worship Committee appreciates the combined efforts of every volunteer and Committee member. We meet on the 4th Wednesday of each month, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom.
If you feel called to participate on our committee to assist in this Ministry, please contact Reverend Reine Boghos.
– Doug Simpson was a valued member and served as a chair of this committee for many years. The Lord called him home on the 11th of May,2022. He will be missed during our meetings.
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Get to know our St. Timothy’s committees.
The Pastoral Care Committee
Committee members: Molly Olshefsky (chair) Libby Stavely, Shirley MacLeod, Peter Mayum, Ruth Toller and Rev. Reine Boghos (ex-officio member).
The term pastoral ministry relates to shepherds and their role of caring for their sheep. It is a ministry of presence, listening, and prayer…being shepherds or caretakers of God’s flock… offered to those in times of need. 1 Peter 5: 2-3
We are a small group at St Timothy’s who quietly and unobtrusively attempt to offer comfort, encouragement, and prayer for those who might benefit from our ministry by way of a phone call or enjoy a visit. Each has taken the courses offered by The Ottawa Pastoral Care Training Program. We work with Rev Reine in trying to make sure our members are contacted if absent for a while, or if we learn of illness. The family of St Timothy’s is very good at caring for each other. Phone calls are made and drives are arranged very quietly with no expectations of reward. This is pastoral care and we
are a very caring congregation.
Please let Rev Reine or a committee member know if you are aware of a need.
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Get to know our St. Timothy’s committees? The Fellowship Committee
Committee members: Phoebe Gowdy (chair), Molly Olshefsky, Joanne Payne, Clara Stel (consultant), Linda Walker (consultant), Dolly McKyes and Rev. Reine Boghos (ex-officio member).
The Fellowship Committee endeavors to see that opportunities for fellowship happen within and for St. Timothy’s congregation and visitors. In-person gatherings were restricted this year until March because of the COVID pandemic.
The committee drew up a team of volunteers to do the necessary COVID screening upon entrance to the church for worship each week. The restrictions have been slowly scaling back but the screening process has provided an opportunity to greet each other and warmly welcome those returning to worship. With the advent of warmer weather, we recruited volunteers to provide juice boxes and cookies outside after the church service. Cupcakes became the celebratory treat for special events! The chance to chat with each other and for the children to run and play has been a joy! As the weather cools, we will be proceeding prudently but anticipate moving indoors to resume Coffee Hour after church. Volunteers are needed to establish a roster to share in the weekly provision of coffee, tea, juice, and cookies in the Main Hall. Maybe, we will even be able to celebrate quarterly birthdays once again!
Recently, the annual Welcome Back BBQ returned! With just hot dogs, corn, drinks, and some trimmings, the scaled-back version was well received. The committee is also willing to assist other committees with their fellowship or fundraising events. We were able to be a helpful presence at some Celebration of Life services; by calling on willing supporters in the congregation, we were also able to offer assistance to a few families who wished to hold a reception in memory of their loved ones. This committee consults on an “as needed” basis to plan for events and reports to Session monthly. We would be thankful – and rejoice – to have more members serving on the committee or to know who would be willing to be called upon for help at Coffee Hour or at our events. If there are comments or suggestions for events that would enhance the building of friendship and fellowship at St. Timothy’s, please let one of the committee members know so that we can grow and thrive as a church family.
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