The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul has been active for many years in their efforts to reach out to those in need in Montreal and afar.  The members and friends of the congregation have shown a true desire to make the world a better place to live in. The wishes collected so far demonstrate a willingness to enlarge this ministry.

• Become more involved in our downtown neighbourhood
• Find more opportunities to volunteer to help those less fortunate
• Communicate more with our charitable partners, refugee organizations, and the Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry to understand their needs
• Extend our support to more seniors, the sick and the lonely
• Welcome more Montrealers to take advantage of what we have
• While maintaining our English identity as a church, include more French and perhaps other languages as we reach out to our local community

The congregation of The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul has been known for years as a vibrant, welcoming and caring group of individuals.  However, due to significant struggles to maintain continuity during so much change within its ministry over the last 5-10 years, gaps have appeared that reduce the overall feeling of support experienced by some members, adherents, and/or visitors.  The wishes collected show a strong desire to improve this situation and to create an even deeper sense of belonging for all and support for those who need it.

• Provide more pastoral care
• Increase knowledge of who people are and events where they can have fun together
• Post volunteer opportunities and provide training for more people to become involved
• Celebrate our members’ multicultural backgrounds and traditions in our events
• Make those on the “fringe” feel more welcome and while preserving our traditions, find ways to make ourselves more approachable for new members and visitors
• Create more lectures series on contemporary topics

The survey respondents selected worship, music and preaching as what they most appreciate about The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul.  There is also a desire to continue to grow spiritually and build upon this excellent ministry. The following is a summary of the wishes:

• Provide more practically applicable sermons which contain a call to action
• Consider acquiring inclusive hymn books that use gender-neutral language to fit in more with the values of the younger generation
• Consider retiring the formal wear worn by the elders to appear more approachable
• Provide more discussion groups, retreats, and bible studies
• Create a Christian Book Club
• Include aspects of our members’ multicultural backgrounds and traditions in our worship services throughout the year.

To date, this category has received the second largest number of wishes.  The respondents are deeply concerned about the future of the church and want to actively attract and welcome children, youth, young adults, couples, singles and families to become part of this community.

• Provide more programs to attract young people
• Consider a Sunday afternoon service for young people
• Provide more opportunities for the young people to get to know us and feel part of our community
• Schedule more activities or group events outside of regular business hours for those who work

Traditions, heritage and the desire to provide excellence in worship and music are three aspects of The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul that are held close to the heart of the majority of this congregation. For 100 years, members and friends of this church have played important roles in the development of the city of Montreal, the ministers and music staff have created outstanding services and musical events, and a concerted effort has been maintained to record and share our traditions and heritage.  The respondents’ wishes show a fervent desire to preserve what has been accomplished and to sustain it going forward.

• Continue the beauty, awe, and music of our worship service, and the excellence of the preaching
• Not to abandon tradition in theology or liturgy
• That it will be here for decades to come and as vibrant as it is now

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