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Bulletin Board

Bulletin Board Dec. 12

Bulletin Board is the Diocese’s bi-weekly e-bulletin for clergy and lay leaders. To subscribe to Bulletin Board, sign up online.

Diocesan Business

December payroll deposited early
The December payroll will be deposited on Dec. 20 rather than Dec. 22.

Synod Office to close for Christmas
The Synod Office will be closed from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1 for Christmas holidays. Regular hours will resume on Jan. 2.

Insurance renewal information mailed
AON has just mailed insurance renewal information to parishes, so they should be receiving it shortly.

Should you complete the Personal Tax Credits Return?
Clergy and employees of the Diocese should complete the 2018 TD1 Personal Tax Credits Returns if one of the following scenarios applies:

  • You are claiming other than the basic personal exemption amounts (federal $11,809 or provincial $10,354);
  • You are changing your current claim to the basic personal exemption amount; or
  • You are requesting additional tax deductions or changes to existing additional tax deductions.

If the Diocese’s payroll department does not receive completed TD1 forms (both federal and provincial) by Jan. 18, your taxes will be calculated using only the basic personal exemption. Download the 2018 Federal TD1 Form or the 2018 Ontario TD1 Form. Forward the completed and signed forms to cwilton@toronto.anglican.ca, fax to 416-363-7678 or mail to Diocese of Toronto, c/o Claire Wilton, 135 Adelaide St. E., Toronto, ON M5C 1L8.

Synod members asked to claim lost items
Several items were left behind at Synod, including a pair of reading glasses, a pair of sunglasses, a scarf, a pencil case and two notebooks. To claim them, contact Pamela Boisvert by email at pboisvert@toronto.anglican.ca. These items will be available until Jan. 2. Synod members who still have their electronic voting device should return it to Pamela Boisvert, Secretary of Synod, at the Synod Office, 135 Adelaide St. E., Toronto, ON M5C 1L8.

Parishes reminded to prepare for minimum wage increase
The Employment Standards Act of Ontario was amended on Nov. 27. Many provisions of the Act come into force on Jan. 1. There are several key changes to Ontario’s labour laws, including an increased minimum wage, two mandatory paid emergency leave days, an extension of various personal emergency leaves and several other aspects that affect parish employers and employees. Read “What Clergy and Church Wardens need to know about Bill 148” to learn more.

Diocesan Events

Save the date: vestry motion workshops
The Social Justice and Advocacy department will be holding half-day workshops in each episcopal area to educate interested parishioners about the 2018 vestry motion on housing and homelessness. Anyone interested in learning more about the issue and engaging their parish in advocacy is invited to attend:

  • Trent-Durham: Jan. 13, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at St. Saviour, Orono, 23 Mill St., Orono.
  • York-Scarborough: Jan. 13, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Matthew the Apostle, Oriole, 80 George Henry Blvd, Toronto.
  • York-Simcoe: Jan. 20, time and location TBD
  • York-Credit Valley: Jan. 20, time and location TBD

Learn more about the vestry motion on the Social Justice and Advocacy page.

Vigil prays for gift of clean water
The Keepers of the Water Vigil of Lament and Thanksgiving will be held on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at Holy Trinity, Trinity Square, Toronto. This annual service of prayer, lament and thanksgiving draws from a confluence of Christian and Indigenous traditions to bless the Creator’s gift of water and mourn human complicity in polluting this gift. All are welcome.

Lay anointers invited to training weekend
A training weekend for lay anointers will be held Feb. 9-11 at St. John’s Convent, 233 Cummer Ave., Toronto. A limited number of rooms have been reserved, and commuter registration is also available. Clergy who supervise lay anointers in attendance will be asked to attend a supervision session on Feb. 10. Register online or contact the Rev. Jo-Anne Billinger, chair of the Bishop’s Committee on Healing, at j.billinger@rogers.com for more information. Space is limited.

York-Credit Valley hosts town hall follow-up
Bishop Jenny Andison is inviting all interested clergy and laypeople to a follow-up to the York-Credit Valley September town hall. This gathering will take place on Jan. 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at St. John the Baptist, Dixie, 719 Dundas St. E., Mississauga. Participants will identify ministries and activities they feel God is calling them to invest in and brainstorm concrete steps to undertake in 2018 to move them forward. Register online or see the York-Credit Valley page for more information.

External Events

Retreat on Christian discipleship held in Italy
Church of the Ascension, a Church of England parish in Cadenabbia, Lake Como, Italy, is hosting “Peaks, shallows and deeps: Lakeside reflections on Christian Discipleship Today.” This guided holiday retreat will take place Oct. 7-12, 2018, led by the Rev. Lyn Philips, a retired Church of England priest. It can be booked as a complete package, including accommodation, excursions, lunches and sessions. The cost is 695 Euros. To learn more, see the retreat brochure.

Webinar explores faith communities’ response to climate change
Faith and the Common Good is hosting a free webinar about climate change and energy benchmarking on Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. Keynote speaker Dianne Saxe, Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner, will speak about why faith communities must respond to the climate crisis and what they can do to make a difference. Participants will also learn about how to be part of a new energy benchmarking program, how to book a free site visit, and incentives for retrofits, lighting, heating and cooling. Register online.

Resources

Gifts sought for new bursary
The Douglas C. Cowling Bursary in Liturgical Music is being established through the Anglican Diocese of Toronto Foundation to honour the late Doug Cowling. The $5,000 annual bursary will be awarded to a part-time musician working in a parish in the Diocese to encourage creative musical and liturgical experimentation with the aim of fostering full liturgical participation by all age groups. The first award is expected to be made in 2018. Donations to the bursary fund are being accepted through the Anglican Diocese of Toronto Foundation.

Hymn text from Synod available
The Rev. Sherman Hesseslgrave has written a hymn, “We Sing New Songs of Hope and Expectation,” with the tune Londonderry Air in mind. The overall structure echoes the faith, hope and love of 1 Corinthians 13, but there are many other scriptural allusions woven in. Congregations in the Diocese are welcome to use the text for non-commercial purposes, with attribution. Download the text.

Clergy input sought for research
Bishop Bruce Myers, OGS, of the Diocese of Quebec is seeking clergy to complete an online survey as part of his doctor of ministry studies through Saint Paul University. One of his objectives is to determine the degree to which the theological education of a deacon, priest or bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada influences his or her subsequent ecumenical consciousness and engagement. The survey should take no more than 30 minutes, and participants who are willing may be selected for a follow-up interview. The data collected will be handled with confidence and according to the norms of Saint Paul University. If you have any questions or concerns, email Bishop Myers at bmyer032@uottawa.ca or Saint Paul University’s office of research and ethics at recherche-research@ustpaul.ca.

Staff Changes

Pamela Dwerryhouse is stepping down as property resources assistant as of Dec. 22. We wish her well in her future endeavours.

Wendy Pearson is joining the Synod Office on Dec. 18 as property resources assistant.