A BIT OF HISTORY
St. Matthew's was the first church in Florence, fully established in 1843. By 1994, it was the last remaining church in the village.
The lovely neo-gothic brick church building was carefully maintained over the years, but by 2024 the utilities and insurance made it too expensive to keep open.
But we had a hall. That hall, across the road from the church, was built in 1994. A modern and attractive facility, it remains open for worship, outreach, and for bookings by community groups and families.
At present we don't know what will happen with the big brick church building.
OUR WORSHIP LEADERS
Harold and Marlene Harvey+ |
The people |
As we are still part of the Rondeau Bay Transfiguration Partnership of Anglican Churches in the Deanery of Lambton-Kent, we share clergy. Harold and Marlene are with us some weeks, and other weeks we are on our own, using the Disciplines studies, or visiting another church.
You can find our schedule on the Services page.
You can find our schedule on the Services page.
OUTREACH
St Matthew's started a Little Free Pantry uptown in the village of Florence during the pandemic and find that now the need is higher than ever. It is emptied nearly daily. See our Home page for more information on that beginning.
Every week in summer/fall, the Inn of the Good Shepherd in Sarnia sends its food truck, the Mobile Market, to us. This summer's hours are Wednesdays from 1:30 to 2 pm. Before leaving, the drivers load us up with the leftover produce.
On Fridays at 9 am, we process those vegetables. Community members join us to learn and help (or teach and help!), as we wash, cut, stew, roast, bag, bottle, freeze... It's a few hours of cooking and fellowship.
Here is a local newspaper story about that: Pickle Power: How a Florence parish builds community with produce
The Inn of the Good Shepherd also provides frozen meat for us to distribute year-round from our hall freezers. We have learned it is a much-needed and much-appreciated service.
Once a month, the Lambton EMS (paramedics) come to provide medical services to our underserviced community. Read about that on our News page! With them now are coming dieticians, nurses, and representatives of programs (Alzheimer's, etc.)
And then there is lunch. Lunch is served to the community -- anyone who walks in -- and to the Inn workers and medical professionals who are with us each time they come. The light meals are carefully planned to include whatever is in season, and recipes are shared with anyone who asks!
The Village Stitchers group meets on Tuesday mornings in St Matthew's Hall to sew quilts for shut-ins, the shelters, Westover Treatment Centre, and the new local respite for farmers and first responders, Three Oaks Cabin, and to knit hats and mittens for men's, women's and children's programs. You don't have to be a seamstress or tailor to join them. Their talented sewers need willing workers to sort, iron, cut, etc. You could even make the tea -- they always break for a well deserved cuppa.
Every week in summer/fall, the Inn of the Good Shepherd in Sarnia sends its food truck, the Mobile Market, to us. This summer's hours are Wednesdays from 1:30 to 2 pm. Before leaving, the drivers load us up with the leftover produce.
On Fridays at 9 am, we process those vegetables. Community members join us to learn and help (or teach and help!), as we wash, cut, stew, roast, bag, bottle, freeze... It's a few hours of cooking and fellowship.
Here is a local newspaper story about that: Pickle Power: How a Florence parish builds community with produce
The Inn of the Good Shepherd also provides frozen meat for us to distribute year-round from our hall freezers. We have learned it is a much-needed and much-appreciated service.
Once a month, the Lambton EMS (paramedics) come to provide medical services to our underserviced community. Read about that on our News page! With them now are coming dieticians, nurses, and representatives of programs (Alzheimer's, etc.)
And then there is lunch. Lunch is served to the community -- anyone who walks in -- and to the Inn workers and medical professionals who are with us each time they come. The light meals are carefully planned to include whatever is in season, and recipes are shared with anyone who asks!
The Village Stitchers group meets on Tuesday mornings in St Matthew's Hall to sew quilts for shut-ins, the shelters, Westover Treatment Centre, and the new local respite for farmers and first responders, Three Oaks Cabin, and to knit hats and mittens for men's, women's and children's programs. You don't have to be a seamstress or tailor to join them. Their talented sewers need willing workers to sort, iron, cut, etc. You could even make the tea -- they always break for a well deserved cuppa.
