Faith in Action

Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom of God was not limited to the future. In Luke 17:20-21, Jesus insisted that the Kingdom of God was already “among us“ or “in our midst”. All that was needed to make it reality was for us to centre on God, treat one another with compassion, and tend to one another’s needs. This is the vision that informs our Faith in Action activities. Each year, Wesley-Knox donates over $30,000 to the United Church of Canada to support the national church’s mission, service, and social justice initiatives. Wesley-Knox also supports and undertakes many local initiatives.

Faith in Action Committee Outreach

The Faith in Action Committee conducts food drives, sponsors Rebecca and Bhakita, our two foster children in South Sudan, and supports the work of Canadian Aid for Southern Sudan (CASS). A word about CASS: Glen Pearson and Jane Roy, co-founders of CASS, who are members of Wesley-Knox, have helped educate the congregation and others across Canada about the plight of the Sudanese people. Among CASS’s successes: helping to eliminate slavery and the use of child soldiers, assisting the victims of land mines, digging wells, helping to establish goat herds and small businesses, and building a school. Wesley-Knox has supported CASS for many years by providing a venue for its fundraising concerts and by fundraising within the congregation. In January 2013, that support became more direct when, for two weeks, a team of thirteen from Wesley-Knox joined CASS volunteers and actually worked in South Sudan.

For details on this important project, please go here.

United Church Women Outreach

Wesley-Knox United Church Women (UCW) activities support the Mission and Service Fund of the United Church of Canada and selected charities and social agencies including Mission Services of London, My Sister’s Place, London Food Bank, London Community Chaplaincy, East London Outreach Cluster, Camp Kee-Mo-Kee, and Sleeping Children Around the World. Funds are raised through monthly donations, the Christmas Bazaar, the Artisans and Vendors’ Market, bus trips, fashion shows and garage sales, plus the sale of apple pies, meat pies, Easter eggs and marmalade. For more information about UCW, please visit the main UCW page here.

Wesley-Knox Men Community Breakfasts

The Community Breakfast Program rotates among four South London churches: St. Martin of Tours Roman Catholic, St. James Westminster Anglican, Calvary United and Wesley-Knox, with occasional fifth Saturdays at Elmwood Avenue Presbyterian Church.  At 8:45–10:30 am on the second Saturday of every month from September to June, Wesley-Knox Men and friends serve a free, nutritious breakfast to 100 people or more.

Out-of-the-Cold Dinners

This program was founded by members of the former Centennial United Church and continued at Wesley Knox after the two churches amalgamated in 2006. At 5 pm on the fourth Sunday of each month, Wesley-Knox volunteers serve dinner to about 150 people.

Youth Group Projects

Wesley-Knox youth support the Youth Action Centre, the 30-hour Famine and the United Way through movie marathons and other community projects.
 

Sunday School Projects

Each year the Sunday School collects “Loonies for Lent” for an organization selected by the Faith in ActionCommittee. Recent beneficiaries include Ark Aid Street Mission, aboriginal communities at Sandy Lake, and CASS, Canadian Aid for Southern Sudan. This year’s “Loonies for Lent” was in support of our Syrian Refugee Family.