Valentine’s Day Draw leads to Canada Day fireworks

   More than 50 motorcyclists gathered at the Iroquois Legion, branch #370,  on Saturday morning, July  11, 2015, to take part in the 4th annual Canadian Army Veterans Motorcycle Ride.  The purpose of the C.A.V. […]

Voters in South Dundas should have received a copy of a pamphlet in the mail this week that explains how they vote in the upcoming municipal election.

In this election South Dundas voters will have the opportunity to vote by phone, internet or paper ballot.

This pamphlet is not the Voter Information Letter, that will be send out the second week in October.

Electors in South Dundas will personally and individually receive by first-class mail, a Voter Information Letter containing the following information;

1. The toll free telephone number to call and the website to visit to vote;

2. Your confidential and Personalized Identification Number (Voting PIN);

3. A list of the candidates nominated for each office and instructions on how to vote;

4. The telephone number of the Voter Help Center.

As an added security feature, voters will be required to add your date of birth before voting. Anyone unsure if their full date of birth is on the voter’s list, may have to come into the Voter Help Centre (Municipal office) to fill out a form and provide photo identification.

Voting will commence on October 22, 2014 at 9 a.m. and conclude on October 27, 2014 at 8 p.m. 

Voting access by telephone and internet will be available on a continuous six day, 24-hour basis during this voting period. The “vote by telephone” method requires use of a touch-tone telephone. The “vote by internet” method requires use of a computer with internet access.

As in the past no proxies are permitted with these alternate voting methods. Any individual, during the six day voting period, may request assistance at the Voter Help Centre (Municipal Office).

In addition, all County Libraries have established internet access centers for the use of the public at locations in the various communities in the United Counties of S.D.&G.

To accommodate all electors, the Municipal Office will be open extra hours. For futher information call them at 613-543-2673.

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Michael Harvey, co-founder of the Back to Church movement and author of “Unlocking the Growth”, says essentially, “the heart of the “Back to Church Sunday” movement is to get a movement of invitation going. I’m interested in inviting, which is different than bringing.”  He adds that, “It’s okay for people to say yes or no. The problem is, we aren’t hearing enough invitations.”

Harvey’s “Unlocking the Growth” seminar offers ideas for increasing the number of people at church. It is designed to inspire church leaders and lay people to help their church grow and at the heart of the growth movement are invitations to families and friends to come to church.

“It’s so easy to drift away from church these days,” says Harvey. “One day becomes two days and two days becomes two weeks.” He says that after while it has been so long that people find it awkward to return.

“That is why invitation is so vital.”

According to Harvey, research shows that the number one reason people don’t offer invitations is that they fear the answer will be no.

The Back to Church movement began in 2004, and early results were amazing.

Harvey, who on Friday was in his second week of a three week tour which started in Western Canada with stops in Vancouver Island, Edmonton and Winnipeg, then Toronto, prior to coming to Williamsburg, said of the smaller venue “I’m always delighted to visit places like this.”

He explains that the results of the movement are tracked by having churches register. Last September, he says 14,000 churches in 17 countries took part and 200,000 people accepted invitations.

“You can do the math and it’s only about 14 people per church, but it’s a start. We’ve almost convinced ourselves that people aren’t into church, but it’s not true. The welcome to get them past the threshold has got to be invitational.”

In 2004, Harvey gave up a demanding job in London, England to teach church leaders to see new possibilities within their churches. Since then he has spoken to thousands of church leaders and has challenged churches of all sizes to double their congregation in a day.

In addition to the hosting Lutheran pastors, a number of South Dundas clergy accepted the ‘invitation’ to attend Friday’s seminar along with the general public. 

The Seaway cluster of pastors who invited Harvey to speak at Williamsburg included Pastor Norine Gullons of the South Dundas Evangelical Lutheran Parish of South Dundas, Rev. Jo Barkley-Probst of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Riverside Heights, Rev. Bruce Thompson of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Brockville, Rev. Robert C. Wiesner of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Belleville and Rev. Steve Hoffard of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Kingston.

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