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The Citizen, 2004-11-25, Page 19Nov. 28 - 1 Timothy 3:1ff Triple-A Leadership "Christ-centred, Bible-believing, Fellowship-friendly, Growth-geared" C~Lit* iVater- Cfilistian Tel10426111'p 10:30 a.m. - Contemporary Worship & Sunday School at Blyth Public School, corner of King & Mill Pastor: Ernest Dow - 523-4848 www.getlivingwater.org MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS 11:00 a.m. - Sunday Morning Service - Sunday School 9:30 a.m. - Sunday Belgrave Service Wheelchair accessible Nursery care available Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831 Celebrating 150 years of Christian Witness and Service! Trinity, Blyth 9:30 a.m. St. John's, Brussels 11:15 a.m. THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA Weecoote4 yea ta corose cued evol atefr mill co- SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28 The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 887-9273 BLYTH UNITED CHURCH Corner ot Dinsley & Mill Street Sunday, November 28 Worship Service & Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Advent I Pea Weleaate Minister: Rev. Dr. Eugen Bannerman Office: 523-4224 Blyth United Church is a welcoming community of faith. We celebrate God's presence through worship and study, and through responding to the needs and gifts of each other. volspNIcommunity Church of Oct/ "The Church is not a 4 Building, 1, It is People Touching People" Sunday 9:15 a.m. - Prayer Meeting 9:45 a.m. - Sunday School 11:00 a.m. - Worship Service Phone 523-4875 308 Blyth Rd. E. - Pastor Les Cook 523-4590 Come celebrate the advent of Jesus Christ with Brussels Mennonite Fellowship 250 Princess Street, Brussels Sunday, November 28 Worship 9:30 a.m. Coffee Break 10:45 a.m Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Pastor Brent Kipfer 887-6388 7'eeade 7:aea ea j4,r ealkettdelt Sunday, November 28 Morning Worship Service - 10 a.m. Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m. BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Pastor John Kuperus Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233 Wheelchair accessible THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2004. PAGE 19. From the Minister's Study Why Tommy Douglas is the greatest Canadian By Rev. Dr. Eugen Bannerman Blyth United Church The CSC has asked Canadians across the country to send in their votes for the greatest Canadian, past or present. Tommy Douglas, the Baptist minister and premier of Saskatchewan, continues to lead the Who's Who of Canadian Greats. Why did Tommy Douglas surge ahead of other great Canadians, like John A MacDonald, Dr. Banting, Alexander Graham Bell, and Lester Pearson? What was there about this little preacher from Saskatchewan that has endeared him to all Canadians? A simple answer is that he is the "Father of Medicare." Douglas told the Saskatchewan legislature when he first came to office in 1944, "I made a pledge that if I ever have anything to do with it, people would be able to get health services just as they are able to get educational services, as an inalienable right of being a citizen." It took Douglas more than 15 years to achieve that goal. In the end, it was Prime Minister Lester Pearson in 1967 who enacted a funding formula based on the Saskatchewan model that brought free medicare to all provinces. Today. nearly 40 million Canadian men. women and children are the beneficiaries of Douglas' dream that every citizen should have equal opportunity to receive the best medical care available. And Canadians are showing their approval by voting for "this little man with big ideas." Maybe the people of Canada are also saying to today's government leaders bent on cutting back on health care, "Don't tamper with medicare." To Douglas the preacher. the Christian religion and democratic socialism were part of the same thinking, "that you were-out to build the New Jerusalem." Faith was of little value if it was not faith-in- action. How do you talk to a man about saving his soul if he's got a toothache, or worse still, he has a child that needs medical care and can't get it, or if the landlord is going to put him out of his house because he hasn't the money to pay the rent'? Are you going to get him concerned about his soul? Surely you have to be concerned about people. Jesus was. And Tommy Douglas was. Jesus went about doing good, healing people of phySical and mental diseases. In his lifetime. Jesus may have restored no more than a hundred people to health. By extending free health care benefits to all citizens, Tommy Douglas has helped to heal many millions of Canadians who could otherwise not afford medical treatment. "You won't find • me very interesting." Douglas once told his biographer, Doris Shackleton. "all I ever do is work." Tommy Douglas - was not Just a tireless worker for the common people he represented. he was an innovator and political reformer such as Canada has never had. Note his list of accomplishments. As premier, Douglas enacted over 100 bills in his first term of office. all designed to improve the living and working conditions of his people. He paved roads and installed electricity and sewage systems. He introduced compulsory • car insurance, hrought in old age pensions, unemployment insurance. and improved mother's allowances; he set up Canada's first small claims courts, and the first publicly4unded medical and hospital insurance plans. He provided for Canada's first air ambulance. And on and on. In the 1940s, these were radical and costly social programs. Now they are mainstream policies ()f all political parties. Tommy Douglas was born in 1904, and died in 1986. Today. a century after his birth, and 60 years after becoming premier ot Saskatchewan. Canadians across the country are voting to give Douglas time. the greatest accolade he could ever I am so delighted the greatest have imagined, the gift of being Canadian was a Christian mini, ranked the greatest Canadian of all ter. Stick With the Classifieds. ' If you're shopping for something special, keep looking In the Classifieds. Every week, you'll find a great selection of listings for everything from apartments for rent to things to buy and see. The Citizen HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH Auburn - 526-1131 ,alse PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-4941 9:30 a.m. Family Bible Hour 10:30 a.m. Morning Worship Service 7:30 p.m. Evening Worship Service 6:'30 p.m. Crusaders for grades JK-6 7:15 - 8:30 p.m. Youth 7:15 p.m. Adult Bible Study BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA Joan Golden - Diaconal Student Minister Church"Officc 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wcl.on.ca Sunday, November 28 Ethel United Church 9:30 a.m. White Gift Service Everyone invited for Brunch following the service Brussels United Church 11:00 a.m. White Gift Service Everyone invited for Soup and Sandwich lunch following the service Beginning the Advent Journey to Christmas Getting started Nine-year-old Adventurer, Morgan Bos, receives her GEMS (Girls Everywhere Meeting the Saviour) badge from counsellor Brenda Sjaarda at the first meeting. (Photo submitted) SING A SONG 0.F Sunday Wednesday