Author page: Alex Luyckx

The Knox Events Committee is happy to welcome back the Scott Woods Band and their Country Christmas Show to our historic Sanctuary. The concert will be on Sunday December 10th, 2023 at 3 pm. Join Scott Woods and his talented band for this uplifting 2-hour live family-friendly show, featuring lots of your favourite Christmas carols, fun fiddle tunes, as well as Traditional Country and Gospel songs. Scott will keep you entertained with his keen wit, his prowess on the fiddle, and of course his trick fiddling. Enjoy impressive guitar solos by ‘The Telecaster Master’ Steve Piticco, and smooth vocals and yodeling by Naomi Bristow, ‘Canada’s Yodelin’ Cowgirl. 18-year old Leo Stock, also known as ‘Spaghetti Legs’ will demonstrate sensational step dancing, and Scott’s sister Kendra Woods Norris adds sweet harmonies, and levity to every show.

Tickets are 45$ and are avalaible through the Church Office by calling 906-878-6066, payment by either cash, debit or credit. Additionally you can get tickets through Fitzgerald Insurance at 216 Main St. E. You can also order tickets online through the Scott Wood’s Band Website, scottwoods.ca/event/milton-on-old-time-country-christmas or by calling 1-855-726-8896.

Ontario’s Premiere Rock ‘N Roll Revue is back at Knox Milton. Yes, on the 29th of April 2023, Frankie & The Fairlanes will be performing their latest show Lucky 13, at Knox at 7 pm on April 29th! Lucky 13 first debuted in the Spring of 2022. Celebrating the great Rockabilly music of early Elvis, Wayne Cochrane, Johnny Burnette and more. The surf culture of the 1960s provides some cool songs, and the Fairlanes’ powerful harmonies bring that music alive. The music of Las Vegas has a special feature in Lucky 13 so if you need something to do and enjoy the music of the 60s and 70s, why not enjoy an evening of music in the historic Knox sanctuary.

Tickets Prices Are:

• Ages 13 and Up – $20.00 per person
• Ages 4 to 12 – $10.00 per person
• Ages 3 and Under – Free!

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Knox Office (905-878-6066) or via email knox[at]knoxmilton[dot]com (Hours are Tuesday through Friday 9 am to Noon), or you can visit Fitzgerald Insurance (216 Main Street E, Milton, ON) to purchase tickets. If you want to help advertise this event, you can download and print the poster. Or share our Facebook event.

As we are rushing into the Christmas season again, Knox is involved with two mission opportunities within Milton, both through the Salvation Army. These are great chances to help those in need and are perfect for families to participate.

Chistmas Kettles
This year the Salvation Army Khi Community expects to have Kettles in at least 6 locations around Milton and needs volunteers at each location. They are looking to fill at least 720 two-hour shifts between November 24 and December 24. For those interested in volunteering, registration is available at BookAKettle.com. Once registered, volunteers can book their shifts directly on the site.

Fill a Christmas Stocking
We are supporting the Salvation Army’s toy drive for local families this Advent season. They anticipate a significant increase in people accessing their Toy Shop this year. They are especially short of stocking stuffers for teenagers, so the Missions Committee is challenging the congregation (and the wider community) to fill a stocking and bring it to the church by December 18. Unwrapped items only, please. In a small group? Create a group stocking. Go with another family; let neighbours and friends know about this opportunity to help others this holy season. You can fill your stocking, put items in a bag or fill one of the stockings available in the container in the sanctuary. If you would like more information, contact Carol at the church office.

At the end of August, we said goodbye to our Director of Music, Rachel and wished her well in the next stage of her Journey! But now we have a posting to fill at Knox, and that person could be you or someone you know! As a member of the leadership team at Knox, the Director of Music will be required to lead the musical portion of a thoroughly blended worship service and expand the music ministry at Knox Presbyterian. The candidate will possess an adaptable skill set and leadership capabilities, enabling the music ministry to grow.

Who we are looking for

• You have a strong and growing relationship with Jesus Christ and are active in your Christian faith as part of a church community.
• Demonstrated proficiency and competency in leading worship, choirs, vocalists and musicians.
• Proven strong vocal ability in choral and contemporary worship settings.
• Natural leader adept at collaborating with others within the congregation.
• Experience or willingness to work with individuals of all ages (children, teens and adults).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Solid organizational and problem-solving capabilities.

The Music Director reports to Session at Knox, and it is anticipated that the duties associated with this position will require approximately 10 hours per week. Working hours are generally Thursday night from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for Choir Practice and 9:30 to 12:00 noon for Worship Service. The nature of the position will occasionally require mutually agreed upon evening and weekend work. Work is generally performed at Knox Presbyterian Church, 170 Main St. E., Milton, Ontario.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, vision, and passion for Knox in the area of music worship ministries that align with our church’s overall vision and mission.
• Coordinate with the Pastor to create and lead the musical components of a well-planned Sunday morning worship service. This includes leading the music for the Sunday Worship services, recruiting and developing more talent for the existing worship team/choir, and scheduling vocalists for anthems/solos when applicable.
• Conduct regular weekly choir and music rehearsals one evening per week and before church on Sunday morning from September to June. When unable to lead them, arrange for an appropriate substitute leader. During rehearsals, the aim is to coach both the musicians and choir to prepare a quality worship service and develop new music to be introduced to the congregation in future services.
• Encourage and teach Knox’s congregation new hymns/songs during worship services.
• Attend a weekly staff meeting with the Pastor and participate in the planning and implementing of church programs that will fulfil the mission and vision of the church.
• Work with the Christian Educator in planning, implementing and leading music for special events outside of Sunday worship services, including supporting the Children’s ministry and helping with Vacation Bible School (VBS), generally held one week during the summer.
• If requested, coordinate with the accompanist to provide special music for weddings or funerals or recommend a suitable musician. This duty is outside of regular duties, and compensation would be made.

Interested Candidates are asked to submit their resume and cover letter in PDF form, including three references, to the following email address: knox[at]knoxmilton[dot]com by October 31, 2022. Please use “Attention Director of Music Search Committee” as the subject line of your email. If you know of someone interested in this position, you can download a PDF copy of this posting or send them the link to this page.

If you’ve followed along with the Knox Family, you’ll know we said goodbye to Isaac at the end of July, as he has moved on to greater things closer to his home. This left the position of Family & Youth (Christian Educator) open. Please read below for details on the position at Knox Presbyterian Church in beautiful Downtown Milton, Ontario, Canada!

Purpose of the Postion
Working with the Lead Pastor and Session at Knox, the Christian Educator, a committed Christian, is the key individual providing programs for the faith development of all ages at Knox. Accountable to Knox’s vision of “Sharing Christ with Others”, the immediate priority focus is on children, youth and family ministries. This is an evolving program with ongoing priority setting and reassessment of opportunities.

Remuneration and Position Type: Part-Time, 15 hours per week on average. One-year contract with the possibility of becoming a permanent part-time position. Remuneration commensurate with experience and qualification. Please submit your resume and cover letter to the attention of Knox Presbyterian Church, knox[at]knoxmilton[dot]com by Oct 31, 2022.

You can download a copy of this posting in PDF form by clicking here to pass on to anyone who you may feel is interested in the role.

Essential Duties

• Provide Leadership in Children’s Ministries.
  • Recruit and organize a team of volunteers to teach and lead children’s ministries.
  • Evaluate and implement education curriculums.
  • Review, develop and implement Sunday School teaching methodology.
  • Review, develop and implement Sunday School teaching methodology.
• Provide leadership in Youth Ministry
  • Recruit and organize a team of volunteers to teach and lead youth ministries
  • Build a youth community through engaging teaching and experiential programs.
• Provide leadership in Family Ministry
  • Facilitate the integration of new families within the congregation.
• Plan, coordinate and present special seasonal/community programs (i. e. Pageants, VBS, and School Break Programs).
• Other Duties As Assigned.

Essential Responsibilities

• Communicate to ensure an open inviting environment.
• Assist as a consultant to small group initiatives within the congregation.
• Maintain all pertinent records of participants and families in programs; perform other administrative functions as required.
• Ensure compliance with PCC policy “Leading with Care”.
• Report as required to Session, explaining how the Christian Education programs fit into Knox’s vision.
• Recommend annual operating and capital (facility planning) budgets for faith development programs.

Knowlege, Skills, Education & Experience

• Proven experience in developing and leading educational programs/events.
• Proven team player with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• A post-secondary graduate in education and/or Bible College training or equivalent.
• An innovative thinker, enthusiastic and able to work with minimal supervision.
• Solid organizational and problem-solving capabilities.
• Able to adapt to a flexible work schedule. Familiar/or willing to become familiar with the Presbyterian Church polity, history and beliefs.
• Comfortable with technology (communication platforms).

We are excited to be running a VBS program here at Knox this summer.

This year’s VBS is Rocky Railway by Group VBS. VBS will be running from July 18-22 from 9 am-12 pm.

Children will discover that they can trust Jesus’ power through life’s ups and downs. Each day has a different focus that will be explored through a wide array of areas at Rocky Railway. The Sing and Play Express is where children join together in singing and worshipping together and being introduced to the theme and verse of the day. They will explore the Bible passage more in a Bible Adventures station. The imagination station is where they explore their creativity with science fun gizmos. At locomotion games, they will get to expand upon the Bible point and connect with it through games. Kidvid Cinema lets them meet other children through the videos who also trust Jesus in life’s ups and downs. Finally, there are choo-choo snacks where a kid-friendly snack is provided, and kids can have a fun friendship building time.

We look forward to all of those who join us on the Rocky Railway this summer!

You can download and complete the registration form and email it to Issac! Sign up as space is limited and fills up fast!

This Sunday (April 10th) is Palm Sunday the day when Jesus triumphantly entered the city of Jerusalem with great fanfare. It also marks the start of Holy Week and Knox has several special services throughout this week, these services will be hosted in a variety of methods.

• Palm Sunday – Sunday April 10th, 10:30 am: Join the congregation as we see the return of our Sunday School Palm Sunday parade during our morning worship service. You can attend this service in-person or online via Zoom.
• Holy Week – The Pathway of Passion, Presence & Power – Sunday April 10th, 7:00 pm – Join a special musical sermon by Father Mark Curtis, this special musical presentation will be both in-person at Knox and online via Zoom.
• Holy Week Services – Monday through Thursday, 12:00 pm – Join the churches of Milton as each day a minister shares a reflection at the noon hour during Holy Week. Visit our Facebook Page and go to the Events section to attend these events through Facebook Live.
• Good Friday – Friday April 15th, 10:30 am – Reflect upon the sacrifice of Christ as we look towards the empty tomb. Service will be held in-person and online via Zoom.
• Easter Sunday – Sunday April 17th, 10:30 am – Christ is Risen! Join us as we celebrate the life of Jesus through song, drama and the word! Service will be held in person and online via Zoom.

It’s cold out there, this past week has shown that winter has hit Milton hard. And while there are many who have roofs over their heads and heated home, we are reminded that not everyone has that option. Knox is pleased to continue our support of Milton Transitional Housing & Re:Soul by again participating in this year’s Coldest Night of the Year fundraising event in support of these two local organizations. Knox Walks is back in business and will be walking on Saturday February 26th, 2022 and raising money for these two groups.

Mike Luyckx has volunteered to captain the team this year, so please reach out to him with any questions and if you want to join the team. But if you cannot walk, then any donation will be helpful and support not only Knox’s team but the organization as a whole. You can donate directly to the Knox Walks Team at the Coldest Night of the Year Site and if you wish to learn more about Coldest Night of the Year, you can visit their site at cnoy.org. We are looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you on the Coldest Night of the Year Walk.

A couple of notes about the walk from the CNOY website.

• In-Person Walk: Most CNOY locations (public health guidelines permitting) will host an organized, in-person event – complete with 2km + 5km signed routes, rest stops, volunteers, and snacks at the end.
• Virtual Walk: All CNOY locations will welcome virtual fundraisers who self-organize either with friends or individually, walking any day in February on a route they choose.

In order to ensure the safety of our congregation and volunteers, Session has made the difficult choice to put our Christmas Eve worship services online only. As such both, our Family Service and Carols & Lessons services will be streamed online through Zoom.

6:30 pm – Family Service
You can attend our Christmas Eve Family service online one of two ways. First, you can attend via Zoom or you can watch it through Facebook. The Service will open at approximately 6:20 pm.

8:00 pm – Carols & Lessons
Our later service at 8 pm will feature your favourite Christmas Carols and the entire Christmas Story in a series of scripture readings from across the whole span of the Bible.