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Good morning. My name is Dave McKay.

Early in my marriage with Susan I found myself promising that, should we be blessed with a child, I would start attending this church when that child turned one. Our firstborn, Carolyn, turned one in 1977, and so I have attended this church for going on five decades.

During that time I have found plenty to be grateful for here at St. John’s.

I am grateful for the nurture that my three children received at this church. They learned about worship, music, justice and more. They observed wonderful examples of Christian faith and lives. Their church experience, in their formative years, has resulted in them feeling comfortable in churches, even now, after much time has passed.

I am grateful that, in the 1990s, when this church was at a crossroad trying to discern whether God’s plan was for gradual decline or efforts at growth, that the members at that time chose growth. The Discovery service was initiated and people found that there were three styles of worship to choose from on a Sunday morning.

I am grateful for all aspects of worship services here … the thought-provoking homilies by the rector, honorary assistants and gifted lay speakers; the inspirational music by our senior choir and the Discovery band; the adorable, and high-achieving junior choir.

I am grateful that members of St. John’s act as Jesus’s hands and feet in missional ministries like Indwell, Micah House, St. Matthew’s House, Hopital Albert Schweitzer, refugee sponsorship, and more.

I am grateful for opportunities for fellowship and learning, including hospitality after services, and small groups, like Stuff for Guys which I enjoy every second Saturday morning.

I am grateful that St. John’s, as a church, are warm and welcoming to people from the community, especially through scouting (in which my own two sons learned so much); the concert ministry; the junior choir (for which over 60% of the kids are not members of our church).

I strongly believe that everything I have, and everything I am, is a gift from God. Acknowledging that fact prompts me to want to support the ministries in this church. I’m not here to tell anyone what their response to God’s blessings should be. I can only tell you what Susan & I do. We choose to make a pledge to the work at St. John’s, but we also indulge our gratitude by making special offerings on special occasions, or when we experience some unexpected blessing. This year the church will get a special offering of $76 on my birthday, and I believe Susan will be offering her usual $39 on her birthday.

To sum up … I am grateful to God, and I am grateful to this Church of St. John the Evangelist.

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