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Churches journey toward Easter
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A little goes a long way
York-Scarborough eyes priorities
TheAnglican THE NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF TORONTO
www.toronto.anglican.ca
A SECTION OF THE ANGLICAN JOURNAL
MAY 2018
Anglicans called to pray Goal is to know, share Jesus Christ BY MARTHA HOLMEN
FOR 11 days this May, Anglicans are being called to a simple yet powerful task: prayer. From the Feast of the Ascension (May 10) to Pentecost (May 20), Christians around the world will pray together for more people to come to know Jesus Christ. Thy Kingdom Come, started by the Church of England in 2016, has grown into an international and ecumenical movement. Its goal is to encourage Christians to engage in prayer that deepens their own relationships with Jesus and brings others to know Jesus better. In 2017, more than half a million people from 85 countries pledged to pray. Last year, Anglicans in the Diocese of Toronto were among those who joined the global wave of prayer, encouraging each other to commit to daily prayer and hosting special services. “You can make this as simple or as complex as you want,” says the Rev. Douglas Woods, associate priest at St. Luke, Peterborough. “We took the simple option: we tied knots in a piece of string to make a ‘rosary’ to remember people we wanted to pray for each day.” Continued on Page 12
An image from Thy Kingdom Come.
ROCK ON
The cast of ‘Get What You Need,’ a comedy about a church that tries to raise money for a new roof by hiring the Rolling Stones, rehearses at St. Margaret of Scotland, Barrie on April 5. The play will be performed at St. Margaret’s on May 12. The cast and crew are from the Nottawasaga Deanery and the Barrie area. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door and can be purchased from the church. Proceeds from the play will go to the David Busby Street Centre in Barrie. PHOTO BY MICHAEL HUDSON
Nominees at town hall meetings All invited to meet nominees in leadup to episcopal election BY STUART MANN
ANGLICANS in the Diocese of Toronto will have an opportunity in May to meet the nominees in the upcoming election for a coadjutor bishop. Town hall meetings will be held across the diocese May 14-17 so that Anglicans can meet the nominees in person and listen to their viewpoints. Here are the dates and locations of the meetings: • May 14 – Meet the Nominees Town Hall at St. John the Baptist, Dixie, 719 Dundas St. E., Mississauga, at 7 p.m. • May 15 – Meet the Nominees Town Hall at St. George, Allandale, 24 Burton Ave., Barrie, at 7 p.m. • May 16 – Meet the Nominees Town Hall at St. Paul, Lindsay, 45 Russell St., W., at 7 p.m. • May 17 – Meet the Nominees
Town Hall at St. James Cathedral (in Snell Hall), 65 Church St., Toronto, at 7 p.m. Initial planning had set aside time for a town hall meeting dedicated to youth and young adult members of Synod. Based on feedback received, this separate town hall meeting has been cancelled. Interested youth and young adult members are encouraged to contact Jillian Ruch, chair of the Archbishop’s Youth Ministry Team, by email at yorkscarboroughyc@ gmail.com to confirm attendance at one of the other four gatherings. In addition to the town hall meetings, video interviews of the nominees will be posted on the diocese’s website on May 7. The election of a coadjutor bishop will take place at an Electoral Synod on June 9 at St. James Cathedral beginning at 9:30 a.m. The coadjutor bishop would auto-
matically succeed to the See as the 12th Bishop of Toronto on Jan. 1, 2019. Archbishop Colin Johnson, who is the current Bishop of Toronto, plans to retire at the end of December. The Bishop of Toronto or diocesan bishop is the chief pastor of the Diocese of Toronto, the most populace diocese in the Anglican Church of Canada. The diocese stretches from Mississauga to Brighton and north to Haliburton. It has about 229 congregations and ministries in 183 parishes. To further help Synod members and Anglicans in general learn about the nominees and the election process, a page has been created on the diocese’s website that contains information and a number of resources. They include: • The Convening Circular, a publication that contains the notice of meeting, agenda,
registration information, and biographical information on each of the nominees who had put forward their names by April 13. (Nominations received after April 13 will be included in a Supplementary Convening Circular.) • Episcopal Ministry, a document that outlines the responsibilities and gifts required for the ministry of the Bishop of Toronto. • Video interviews with Archbishop Johnson that highlight the various aspects of being the Bishop of Toronto. • A Profile of the Diocese, a document that provides information about the diocese. The webpage also includes a list of the nominees that is updated as needed every Thursday. Visit www.toronto.anglican.ca/upcomingsynod.
CLERGY HONOURED FOR LENGTH OF SERVICE – SEE PAGE 9
2 TheAnglican
HOLY WEEK & EASTER
May 2018
JOURNEY TO EASTER
The Anglican sent photographer Michael Hudson to churches to capture the sights of Holy Week and Easter. On this page: Wendy Graham hands out palms on Palm Sunday at St. Anne, Gladstone Avenue, Toronto, and children of the parish take turns reading the gospel, assisted by Shauna Cairns Gundy; palms are attached to St. Anne’s processional cross; the Rev. Jo-Anne Billinger and Randy Williams wash feet during the Maundy Thursday service at St. Paul the Apostle, Rexdale, and Patricia Harquail and Mr. Williams strip the altar after the service; exchanging the Peace at St. Paul’s; after the stripping of the altar and sanctuary at St. Paul’s, the church is darkened and the cross is carried out. Opposite page: the Rev. Sherman Hesselgrave of Holy Trinity, Trinity Square speaks during the Ecumenical Good Friday Walk for Justice in downtown Toronto; walkers listen to speeches at Old City Hall, one of the stations on the walk, which explored the importance of the $15 minimum wage, workers’ rights, poverty and the law, and the impact of homelessness on the Indigenous population; the Rev. Margaret Rodrigues of St. John, West Toronto, carries a placard in the walk; Archbishop Colin Johnson lights a candle during the Easter Vigil at St. James Cathedral and baptizes members of the Mandarin Ministry during the service, which included a candlelit procession and singing by the cathedral’s choir; members of St. Bride, Clarkson and others from local Baptist, United and Presbyterian churches gather on a beach beside Lake Ontario in Mississauga for a sunrise service on Easter morning.
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St. Olave’s Church
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Mary G. Griffith
St. John’s Willowdale
1087 Lillian St., Willowdale, Ontario, M2M 3G1
Seeking Choir Conductor for Chinese (Cantonese) Congregation. We need someone
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May 2018
HOLY WEEK & EASTER
TheAnglican 3
444 TheAnglican TheAnglican TheAnglican
COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT
Our Kingdom Faith-OurCome Hope is changing lives Thy
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came across a how pastoral don’t remember I letcame across a pastoral ter from the Bishop of letfirst learned about prayer ter from the Bishop ofand to theI guess clergy or Toronto how to pray. Toronto to the clergy and laity proposing a signifiit was as a small child. I laity proposing a significant fundraising effort. In it he was taken to church. I went cant fundraising effort.schedIn it he a graduated toproposed Sunday School, although proposed a graduated schedule ofnever offerings to out achieve could figure how a ule of offerings to achieve a substantial goal and anaindisomeone could ever get substantial goal and an individual appeal to each church family in the perfect attendance award – no way! vidual appeal to each of church family in diocese by “Now a member their parish “tothe I learned I lay me down to sleep…” diocese by a member of their parish “to every one’sprayer door and rouse the ina knock ratheratdepressing if you think knock at every one’sa door and rouseofthe inhabitants to devote small portion what about it for a young child in a society where habitants to devote a small portion of what them todeath promote so God children has bestowed most neverupon experience closeGod haswork.” bestowed upon them to promote so great up. TheaLord’s Prayer was better – but what great a letter work.”came from John Strachan, the did That “hallowed be thy Name” mean? One That letter frominJohn Strachan, the first Bishop ofcame Toronto, January 1854! school child exclaimed indignantly, “My first Bishop of Toronto, in January 1854! The Our Faith-Our Hope: Re-imagine name’s not Harold. I’m Fred!” The Our Faith-Our Hope: Re-imagine Church campaign began with an idea first I watched my grandmother pray by Iher Church campaign began with an As idea Igradufirst proposed Synod and a decade ago. bed when Ito visited, we said graceit at proposed to Synod a decade ago. As it gradually took shape, we Sundays determined it would meals – but only on andthat Thanksallya took shape, we determined that it would be cooperative program shared between giving or special occasions. Oh, yes, and the be a cooperative program shared between diocese and parishes that responded to thethe when the minister came. diocese and parishes that responded toenthe us to generosity God’s many As I grew,of I learned a bitgifts moretoabout to us to engenerosity of God’s many gifts gage God’s mission. WeIidentified the goals prayer, especially when really, really need-of gage God’s mission. We identified the goals of Local Parishes, Building the edStrengthening something or urgently called for help in Strengthening Local Parishes, Building the Church for Tomorrow, Our an impossible situation.Revitalizing I would pray forInmy Church forand Tomorrow, Revitalizing Our Inheritance Giving to Others. family and friends and some of the needs in heritance and Giving tohas Others. Canadian North manywere clergy and the The world. And, of course, there long Canadian North has many clergy layThe catechists in charge of minister parishes who and work prayers at church that the said. lay catechists in charge of parishes who work without a stipend. Many are isolated in com(Iwithout was notaraised in the Anglican Church, stipend. Many are isolated in comthat face traumatic pastoral somunities in my church only the minister saidissues the munities that face traumatic pastoral issues including, unfortunately, the accumulated prayers as we bowed our heads.) including, unfortunately, the accumulated suicides. pain of dealing I learned a bit with moremultiple when I was con- The with multiple suicides. The pain of dealing Diocese of Toronto madeIadiscovered grant of $500,000 firmed. But in university, the Diocese ofFaith-Our Toronto made a(OFOH) grant ofto$500,000 from Our Hope fund Anglican prayer book, and(OFOH) I took off. So a from Our Faith-Our Hope to fund request from the Council of the North and a many prayers for manyof things and situarequest from the so Council the North and Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples to tions. I started to pray daily, andPeoples have done Anglican Council of Indigenous to hold regional circles where clergy and lay sohold for regional close to 50 years. circles where clergy and lay leaders could mutual But I still hadcome moretogether to learn.for The daily leaders could come together for mutual learning, support and refreshment. Sowith far, 276 office of Morning and Evening Prayer learning, support and refreshment. So far, 276 have participated from half a dozen dioceses. the Psalms and scripture readings have have participated from half a dozen dioceses. The DioGrants ranged $100,000. nurtured my life;from they$500 areto how I understand ThepeoDioGrants ranged from to $100,000. cese of the Arctic, for$500 instance, brought cese of the Arctic, for instance, brought peo-
ARCHBISHOP’S ARCHBISHOP’SDIARY DIARY ARCHBISHOP’S DIARY B Y A RCHBISHOP C OLIN J OHNSON ByBYAArchbishop Colin Johnson RCHBISHOP COLIN JOHNSON ple from 48 communities together. The feedple from 48 communities together. Thedifferfeedback has been astounding. It makes the God I pray to and the world God a loves so back in has been astounding. It makes a difference peoples’ lives. profoundly. ence inAnglican peoples’ Chaplaincy lives. for the Canadian InThe seminary, I learned to meditate in The Anglican Chaplaincy for the Canadian Forces elected its first full-time bishop to prosilence and was introduced to the practice Forces elected care its first bishop to proepiscopal forfull-time regular and ofvide contemplation as ways to listen toreserve God vide episcopal care for regular and reserve and oblique) their families, and to military inchaplains the (usually conversation of the chaplains and their to military personnel across thefamilies, country.and It only became heart. personnel across of the country. It only became possible because I knew the patternan of initial prayer:endowment Adoration,of of an initial endowment of possible because $500,000 from OFOH. Praise, Intercession and Petition, Thanks$500,000 from OFOH.grant from OFOH to the Another $500,000 giving, Confession, and Oblation, although Another $500,000 grant from OFOH to the Primate’s Relief and Development some were World much more frequent in my Primate’s Worldsupports Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) new work in materplaylist than others. It took me a while to Fund (PWRDF) supports new work in world maternal and child health in Ithe realize that something haddeveloping always enjoyed, nal and child health in the developing world and midwifery northern classical music, services could bein anremote entry point into and midwiferyinservices in remote northern communities Canada.And Ours is the God’s abiding presence. how didlargest it take communities indiocese Canada. Ours is the largest single gift has ever to I me years toany understand that thegiven Psalms single gift any diocese has ever Because given to of PWRDF in its 50+ year history. was saying daily covered that whole range, PWRDF infederal its 50+government year history.grants, Because of that matching and were not simply another passage of grants, that matching federal government gift created a value over $2.5 million. scripture to read butof the prayer book ofSafe gift created a value of over $2.5 million. Safe deliveries and proper health care arethe now Jesus and formed the core prayer of deliveries and proper health care are now available because your generosity. Church through theof ages? available because ofthe your generosity. Parishes around diocese have been is So yes, I can now affirm that my prayer Parishes around the diocese have been bemade physically accessible, youth work not onlyphysically an ever-increasing listing of all is the made accessible, youth work is being funded, leaders areworld, being trained, pioconcerns I have for the the Church, ing funded, leaders are being trained, pioneering ministries in new contexts have been my friends and colleagues, my enemies, neering ministries in new contexts have my been planed and an shortcomings amazing array of creative projown needs, my and offences planed and an amazing array of creative projects have been undertaken locally because of for God to quickly fix at my insistence, but ects have been undertaken locally because of Faith-Our Hope – not just because of the Our also includes adoration of the Trinity and Faith-Our Hope – not just because of the Our financial resources now available, but also praise of God’s graciousness and thanksgivfinancial resources now available, but also because of alove. reinvigoration of imagination ing for God’s because of a reinvigoration of imagination and It’s commitment. so much more than just me and Jesus and commitment. We have succeeded in remarkable ways. having a private chat. Prayer is an ongoWe have succeeded inparticipated, remarkable ways. While not every parish the vast ing, dynamic dialogue between God and While not every parish participated, the vast majority did –company and achieved more than many me within the of the saints, the majority did possible. – and achieved more than many had thought Some of the parishes Church in which we areSome changed transhadnot thought possible. of theand parishes did formally join the OFOH beformed by the conversation, the project encounter. did not formally join the OFOH project cause they wereaalready in the midst ofbesubPrayer makes difference – sometimes cause they were efforts. alreadyOthers in the midst funding addedoftosubtheir stantial stantial funding efforts. Others added to their
to meet capital needs and did asgoals dramatic as parish a lightning bolt, sometimes goals to meet parish capitalthat needs and did into account, asspectacularly nuanced as awell. shiftTaking in light that changes spectacularly well. Taking that into account, at perspective, least $50 million in new funds has been the sometimes as unnoticed at least $50 million in new has been to ministry in funds thechoices diocese and beascontributed character shaped by small made contributed to ministry in the diocese and beyond the lastBut seven years, over our regular over a in lifetime. prayer will change yond in the last seven years, over our regular offerings FaithWorks contributions. things, andand it will change you. offerings FaithWorks contributions. We past are and aLent, different diocese of that. This I invited youbecause to join with We are a different diocese of minthat. Yes, themany money has helped usbecause fund new me, and Christians around Canada, Yes, theadapt money has helped us fund new minold buildings, engage in new istries, the U.S. and beyond, in a journey of “Meetold buildings, engage in istries, adapt mission, support vulnerable people innew ing Jesus in the Gospel of John.” Several mission, support vulnerable people in Christ’s name. than that, has thousand of youMore throughout thethough, dioceseitdid. Christ’sbuild name. More than that, though, it has helped relationships between people, I learned a lot about myself, my colleagues alhelpedpeople build relationships between people, allowed to share personal stories, idenand Jesus. lowedand people to share personal stories, identified trained new leaders, built up confiNow I would like to invite you to join with tified and trained new leaders, built up confidence, and assisted to articulate and Anglicans and other people Christians throughout dence, and assisted people to articulate and share their the world in faith. nine days of prayer from Ascenshare their faith. I have been changed by the experience. sion Day to Pentecost (May 10-20). “Thy I been changed by the experience. I amI have moreCome” confident in individuals, speaking clearly about Kingdom asks families am more confident in speaking clearly about my commitment to it. I have myparishes faith andto and pray for their friends and dismy commitment to it. I have dismy faithaand covered new to give generously. I communities to capacity know Jesus. The Archcovered athe newmost capacity to give generously. I have met amazing Anglicans, heard bishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby wrote, have met theand most amazing Anglicans, heard their stories been moved by their faith“Itheir cannot remember in moved my lifeby anything that stories and been their faithfulness. Iinvolved have rejoiced in the creativity and I’ve been in where I have sensed so fulness. I of have rejoiced in the creativity boldness vision of people and parishesand clearly the work of the Spirit.” boldness of people and parishes (and yes, of to vision be Resources forhonest, prayer,occasionally activities fordisapindi(and yes, to be honest, occasionally disappointedchildren by a few). I think our church is in a viduals, and families, suggestions pointed by a few). I think our church is in a different place ofat Our Faith-Our for parishes arebecause available www.thykindifferent place because of Our Faith-Our re-imagine Hope. We have begun gdomcome.global. Taketo and youchurch. will topart re-imagine church. Hope. We have begun I am profoundly grateful to you and learn something new about prayer andthe the I am profoundly grateful to you and the manyitpeople like you who have made and are power has to change things – to change many people like youinwho have made and of are making a difference our world because you. You’ll deepen your relationship with making a difference in ourAnd world because of your faith in Jesus Christ. I am especialGod and share that gift with others. your faith in Jesus Christ. And I am especially grateful to the lay leaders and clergy The thing about a relationship is that in you ly grateful to the lay leaders and clergy in ouralways diocese who took thethings, initiative and rose are learning new sharing our diocese who took the initiative and rose to itexperiences, so graciously. new deepening (or not) your to The it socampaign graciously. is now officially commitment. We can never think concluded, that we’ve The campaign is continue now officially concluded, butGod the all allocations and the mission got sorted out. If you do, you have but the allocations continue and the mission to share is still on our God invites us begun to worship an idol – not the living, to share is still on our God invitesAs usmy doorsteps. first is paragraph this ever-creative God who revealednoted, in Jesus doorsteps. As myfinancial first paragraph noted, this was not the first campaign, nor will and his abiding Spirit, who wants you to was not the first financial campaign, nor will it be the last – the work of the Church is not know him and–rejoice in of histhe love for you and it be the last the work Church is not over. Let us continue onwards in faith and in the world. over. Let us continue onwards in faith and in hope. hope.
Our workArchbishop is resurrection Serving Finlaywork was a privilege
GA
inviting smile, odbroad is good. broad inviting smile, firm handshake and firmword handshake and the “welcome” When I was about the word “welcome” theold, memories we 15are years there was are the memories we have when Angela and I first “the incident of the running have when Angela and I first met Terence Finlay,seared Bishopinof cows” that is forever met Terence Finlay, Bishop Toronto, in the summer of of my mind, and on summer my left palm. Toronto, inbeginning the ofmin1997. I was my Growing up on a1997. farmIwas abeginning daily adventure, was my ministry asparticular the incumbent of St. Joseph of day and this muddy, rainy spring istry as theBramalea. incumbent of St. Joseph of Nazareth, brought meBramalea. new perspective on the preciousNazareth, entered hissoggy office,bottom there was a nessWhen of life.we Down at the of the When we entered his office, there was a warmth and genuineness experienced by barnyard, the genuineness fence neededexperienced fixing, as allby theboth warmth and both of us in our first meeting with Bishop Finlay. cows were onfirst the meeting other side of it. GoingFinlay. to of us in our with Bishop know us He was very interested in mingle g ettingintoamong investigate required me to etting the to know us He interested in gshared andwas ourvery young family. We stories the herd to get right up We close to thethe fence for and our young family. shared stories of our Christian journeys and family life. It a of good look at thejourneys gap. My father had run our Christian and family life.have It a was a pleasure to engage with him and barbed wire across the top with of thehim page-wire, was a pleasure to engage andhe have sense of the pastoral care and support of- a but these clever cows had found their way sense of the pastoral care and support he offered clergy and their families. I had no idea through underneath – the grass was definitely fered clergy and their families. I had no idea that six years later I would be working closely greener on the later otherIside. that six wouldassistant be working with himyears as his executive andclosely As Ihim wasas examining the fence, my brother with his executive assistant and Archdeacon of York. started driving tractor over to help repair Archdeacon ofthe York. I got to know Terry, as he was affectionateit and to to work onTerry, rounding upwas theaffectionateloose got know as he d, when I became a member of the Posly Icalle beasts. The cowsIwere startled and began toPosd, when became a member of theHe ly calle tulancy Committee and a regional dean. run; one of them barged between medean. and the tulancy Committee and a regional He gave wise counsel and offered good insight infence. Iwise wascounsel terrified. In sticky mud almost gave and offered good insightHis into challenging matters facing the Church. up my knees, matters I was not goingthe anywhere toto challenging Church. His was a calming voice andfacing a non-anxious presfast, overvoice backwards into the pathpresof wasexcept aHe calming andepiscopal a non-anxious ence. offered strong leadership the other frightened cows, so I grabbed the ence. He offered strong episcopal leadership in the diocese, both pastorally and morally. He nearest (mostly)both solid object andand hung on forHe in the diocese, morally. was a model of deeppastorally faith and prayerful dear life. It was the topfaith wireand of the fence – the was a model of deep prayerful thoughtfulness, and was genuinely concerned barbed wire. My hands were a bit torn up, but thoughtfulness, and was genuinely concerned of the clergy and laity about the well- being I about lived. Coming out of that experience, the bigbeing of the clergy and laity the wellunder his episcopal leadership. under his episcopal leadership. In the spring of 2003 I received a call from the spring ofoffice 2003 Iinviting receivedme a call from theInArchbishop’s to meet the Archbishop’s office inviting me to meet with him. I thought I was going to be invited with I thought I was going to be invited to sit him. on another committee of the diocese. He to sit on another committee of the diocese. He
BISHOP’SOPINION OPINION BISHOP’S BISHOP’S OPINION BYishop BISHOP PETER FSENTY By B Riscylla haw BY BISHOP PETER FENTY quickly got to the purpose of our meeting and quickly to the purpose of our meetingaand asked if got I was to be considered ger picture waswilling the sheer will to surviveas that asked if I was willing to be considered as a candidate for executive assistant and “Hang took over without a moment’s thought. candidate for executive assistant and vacant archdeacon. The position had become on. Do not let The fear position take over. Stay alive atvacant all archdeacon. had become when IArchdeacon Johnson was elected costs.” came out of Colin that experience a differwhen Archdeacon Colin Johnson was elected suffragan was surprised he ent person, bishop. in moreIIways than one. when suffragan bishop. was surprised when he met with me just before the clergy conference We with in theme established Church are in a time met just before the clergy conference year and offered me the position. ofthat great transformation, which can feel chathat year offered me the position. was aand privilege and distinct honour to otic,It disruptive and deeply unsettling to our It was a privilege and distinct honour to serve as his executive assistant and archdeaaccustomed ways of walking together. We are serve as his executive assistant and archdeacon. I got to know Terry even better and sometimes afraid, and in our tender con. I gotmuch to know betterhumanity and learned fromTerry him. even I witnessed the depth we feel hurt andfrom betrayed by the changes that learned much him. I witnessed depth of his faith and his concern for every the parish in leave our comfortable pews behind. I encourof his faith and his concern for every parish the diocese . He showed compassion, particu-in age you to hang on, for dear life, and be not showed compassion, particuthe diocese larly for the. He marginalized and minorities in afraid. What we are doing together in commularly for the marginalized and minorities the Church and in the wider community. in nity isChurch life-bringing, andwider for many, life-saving. theArchbishop andFinlay in the community. was very disciplined in At this time in our calendar year,disciplined we come in Archbishop Finlay was very his work. He worked long hours and paid atface-to-face with the resurrected Christ. The his work. worked long hours and paid tention toHe detail, thoroughly reading docu-athumanity ofdetail, Jesusthoroughly was transformed bydocuhis tention to reading ments, letters or any material needed for experience of death and resurrection; and ments, letters or also any material needed for his meetings. It was evident that he cared wisdom, hisItlife-bringing teaching, his divine meetings. was also evident that he cared deeply for the wider Church and appreciated word to us, this: “MyChurch peace Iand give to you, do deeply for is the wider appreciated the importance of ecumenical r elationships. not be afraid.” of ecumenical r elationships. theOne importance of the qualities I admired about Terry InOne the of changes that weI have to make toTerry the qualities admired was his willingness to make timeabout for people. accommodate the newtotimes, let us love was his willingness make time forand people. He made himself available to clergy laity one another, discerning freshtoways of beinglaity He himself available clergy whomade needed to meet with him. I was and often disciples togethermeet in our beloved flawed who needed with him.with Iand wasothers, often asked to jointo him in meetings human-made Church. As we share the good asked to join him inthat meetings with others, and it was evident he always listened innews of Jesus, continue tohe find wayslistened to work inand it was evident that always tently. Terry was a pastor, mentor, friend and tently. Terry was a pastor, mentor, friend and confidante. confidante. Another quality I admired in him was his Another I admired in him his in was all stahumility. Hequality engaged with people all stahumility. HeHe engaged people intalking tions of life. was aswith comfortable tions of life. He was as comfortable talking
and engaging on the street for truth, justicewith andpersons reconciliation. We arecorand engaging with persons on the street corner or drop-in centre as he was with persons boldly and radically loved ner orcalled drop-in centre as he was into withbeing persons serving in public office. byserving Jesus, in bypublic the Holy Spirit, who empowers office. One thebe challenges he faced was the us to feelof and the intense and radical love One of the challenges he faced was the position on human sexuality. While ofChurch’s God for all humanity, for all of creation. We Church’s position on human sexuality. While in office he upheldbetween the doctrine and discipline are in the doorway, what was and in office he upheldleaving the doctrine and officiated discipline of the office, what is Church. to come.On In our Church, it he is aofficiated time of of the Church. On leaving office, he in a same-gender marriage, for which he had transition, change, marriage, transformation; a time of in a same-gender for which hewho had by his diocesan bishop, to be disciplined re-formation and redefining how we worship by his diocesan bishop, who to be disciplined was once his we archdeacon, executive how assistant together, how allocate resources, we was once his archdeacon, executivethe assistant and suffragan bishop. In receiving admoniprioritize our ministries. Learning together and suffragan bishop. In receiving the admonition, he told his successor in office that he exhow tohe ask thehis right questions and by ever tion, told successor in office that hewas expected nothing less from him and that he asking more questions in faith, we can expand pected nothing less from him and that he was exercising his episcopal ministry responsibly. our awareness of this threshold moment we exercising ministry responsibly. I believehis thatepiscopal Archbishop Terence was leadare occupying right now. I believe that Archbishop Terence was leading the diocese in the direction of being more From 2diocese Corinthians 10:15: “Ourof hope is that ing the in the direction being more welcoming to those who were vulnerable, aswelcoming your faith to increases, ourwere sphere of action those who voiceless and in vulnerable, the minority. marginalized, may be greatly enlarged, so that we minority. may provoiceless and in the marginalized, He made a very significant difference in the claim the good news.” Contemplative inquiry He made a very significant difference in the life of the Diocese of Toronto. It is not surpriswill forward as communities, as lifemove of theus Diocese of–Toronto. It the is not surprising, therefore, to hear and read very comfamilies, as children of God together – intocoming, therefore, to hear and read the very plimentary reflections that many have shared the future in reflections faith in Jesus, who is the living plimentary many shareda about their experiencesthat of him. Hehave exercised way. The whole of creation ishim. involved in what a about their experiences of He exercised servant ministry throughout his ordained life, God is doing in Christ. Our work isordained resurrec-life, servant ministry throughout and for that we give thanks tohis God for his extion work, as we the give gospel touches all aspects of and for that thanks to God for to hishave example. I was privileged and honoured our life together and we develop connections have ample. I was privileged and honoured to had the opportunity to know him as my bishofhad grace. is inviting us into new life bishin theJesus opportunity to The know him ashas my op, mentor and friend. Church been him, in vital connection with the Spirit ofbeen Life. op, mentor and friend. The Church has blessed to have had him as a faithful bishop. Even when you have every justification to blessed to have had him as a faithful bishop. He will be missed and leaves a legacy of exbeHe afraid, remember these powerful teachwill be missed and leaves acompassion legacy of ex-and emplary leadership, humility, ings that Jesus shared:humility, My peace I leave with emplary leadership, compassion and profound faith. We are grateful to his family you. Do not be afraid. I am with you always. profound Wehim are grateful to his family for havingfaith. shared with the Church and Thanks be toshared God. for having with the ChurchWe and assure them of ourhim prayerful support. give assure them of our prayerful support. We give Archbishop Terence Finlay back to his CreArchbishop Terence Finlay back to hiswe CreGod with the same graciousness exator God with the May samehe graciousness exator perienced of him. rest in peacewe and perienced of him. he rest in peace and rise with Christ inMay glory. rise with Christ in glory.
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May June2018 2017 June 2017
TheAnglican TheAnglican The Anglican is published under
The Anglican is the authority ofpublished the Bishopunder of Toronto the authority of the Bishop and the Incorporated SynodofofToronto the and the Incorporated Synod ofexpressed the Diocese of Toronto. Opinions in Diocese of Toronto. expressed The Anglican are notOpinions necessarily those ofin The Anglican not necessarily those of the editor or are the publisher. the editor or the publisher. Canon Stuart Mann: Editor Canon Stuart Mann: Editor Address all editorial material to: Address all editorial material to: The Anglican The Anglican Street East 135 Adelaide 135 Adelaide Street East Toronto, Ontario M5C 1L8 Toronto, M5C Tel: (416) Ontario 363-6021, ext.1L8 247 (416) 1363 Tel: free: 247 - 8006021, - 668ext. - 8932 Toll - 668 - 8932 Toll free: 800-7678 (416)1-363 Fax: (416) Fax: 363 -7678 E-mail: editor@toronto.anglican.ca E-mail: editor@toronto.anglican.ca Circulation: For all circulation inquiries, Circulation: Forchanges, all circulation including address new inquiries, including address changes, new subscriptions and cancellations, subscriptions and cancellations, call the Circulation Department at call Circulation at (416)the 924-9199, ext.Department 259/245, or email (416) 924-9199, ext. 259/245, or email circulation@national.anglican.ca. circulation@national.anglican.ca. You can also make changes online: You also make changes online: visit can www.anglicanjournal.com visit www.anglicanjournal.com and click Subscription Centre. and click Subscription Centre. Annie Fenn: Advertising Annie Fenn: Advertising Address all advertising material to: Address all advertising material to: Fenn Company Inc. Fenn Company Inc. P.O. Box 1060 P.O. King Box City,1060 Ontario L7B 1B1 King City, Ontario L7B Tel: 905-833-6200, ext.1B1 22 Tel: free: 905-833-6200, 22 - 4810 Toll 1- 800 - 209ext. - 800-- 209- 4810 Toll free: 1 (905) Fax: 833 2116 (905) Fax: 833- 2116 E-mail: anglican@churchadvertising.ca E-mail: anglican@churchadvertising.ca
The The Anglican Anglican Church Church
In the Anglican Communion: Inglobal the Anglican Communion: A community of 70 A global community of 70 million Anglicans in 64,000 million Anglicans congregations in in 16464,000 countries. congregations in 164 countries. Archbishop of Canterbury: Archbishop The Most Rev. of andCanterbury: Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, The Most Palace, Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, Lambeth LambethEngland Palace, SE1 7JU. London, London, England SE1 7JU. In Canada: Canada: of about 600,000 members Incommunity A A community about 600,000 in 30 dioceses,ofstretching from members Vancouver in 30 dioceses, stretching from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland and north to the Island to Newfoundland and north to the Arctic Ocean. Arctic Ocean. Primate: Primate: The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz, The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz, St. Church House, 80 Hayden Church House, 803G2 Hayden St. Toronto, ON M4Y Toronto, ON M4Y 3G2 Tel: 416-924-9192 In the Diocese of Toronto: Incommunity the Diocese of Toronto: A of 254 congregations in 210 A community of 254 congregations in 210 parishes covering 26,000 square kilometers. parishes covering 26,000 squarewho kilometers. Of the nearly 5 million people live Of the the nearly 5 million people who live within diocesan boundaries, 376,000 within thebediocesan 376,000 claim to affiliatedboundaries, with the Anglican claim to be with the Anglican Church, withaffiliated about 80,000 people Church, about 80,000 people identifiedwith on the parish rolls. The diocese identified the parish The diocese is home toonmany ethnic rolls. and languageis home to many ethnic and languagebased congregations, including African, based congregations, including African, Caribbean, Chinese, Filipino, French, Caribbean, Chinese, Filipino, French, Hispanic, Japanese, and Tamil. The City of Hispanic, Japanese, andpopulation Tamil. TheofCity of Toronto has the largest Toronto has the largest population aboriginal peoples in the country. of aboriginal peoples in the country. The Archbishop of Toronto: The Most Archbishop Toronto: The Rev. ColinofJohnson The Most Rev. Colin Johnson York-Credit Valley: York-Credit Valley: The Rt. Rev. Jenny Andison The Rt. Rev. Jenny Andison Trent-Durham: Trent-Durham: The Rt. Rev. Riscylla Shaw The Rt. Rev. Riscylla Shaw York-Scarborough: York-Scarborough: The Rt. Rev. Kevin Robertson The Rt. Rev. Kevin Robertson York-Simcoe: York-Simcoe: The Rt. Rev. Peter Fenty The Rt. Rev. Peter Fenty The Diocese of Toronto: TheAdelaide DioceseSt. ofE., Toronto: 135 135 Adelaide E., 1L8 Toronto, Ont.,St. M5C Toronto, Ont., M5C 1L8 1-800-668-8932/416-363-6021 1-800-668-8932/416-363-6021 Web site: http://www.toronto.anglican.ca Web site: http://www.toronto.anglican.ca
COMMENT
May 2018
TheAnglican 5
Parliament of Religions coming here W BY THE REV. CANON GARY VAN DER MEER
hen I was first looking for a connection between St. Anne’s and a synagogue to learn about Passover, I contacted a rabbi whose synagogue often holds orientation events for Christians. “I would be happy to help, but from what I have heard you say about becoming a neighbourhood church, it might be better for St. Anne’s if you get to know a downtown synagogue,” he said. He recommended Elyse Goldstein, a Reform rabbi at a newly planted congregation on the campus of the University of Toronto. “We are not interested in spiritual tourism,” she told me. “It’s either friendship or we don’t have time for it.” Friendship is what we have done. We met for coffee, then visited each other’s services. For our first shared learning event, we brought together roughly equal numbers of Jews and Christians on a weeknight to present, explore and compare our traditions of Chanukah and Christmas. Our people sat in mixed table groups for the initial “getting to know each other” conversation, followed by our presentations on the traditions and significance of our upcoming celebrations. The conversations grew in volume; we enjoyed hearing each other’s experiences and learning together. Over four years, we have come a long way together and have had a variety of learning evenings and annual sermon exchanges. City Shul comes to St. Anne’s and Elyse preaches on the Christian lectionary texts. St. Anne’s goes to City Shul and I preach on the synagogue’s lectionary texts. I attend Yom Kippur and Elyse comes to Christmas Eve. We also have a friendship with our local mosque. I met Ilyas Ally, the assisting imam of the Islamic Information & Dawah Centre, at a social justice event. When we realized we were neighbours, we decided to meet for lunch. When St.
The Rev. Gary van der Meer (centre) has coffee with Imam Shabir Ally, founder of the Islamic Information & Dawah Centre, and Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, founder of City Shul synagogue, in 2016. Anne’s started its annual Christmas concert, I invited Ilyas to give the closing prayer. The Christmas concert brings together local people, including many who do not participate in any religious services, and we wanted them to know about the friendship that exists between St. Anne’s and the mosque. News and world events often give the negative impression that religion fosters violence and intolerance. Our friendship is always well received. When we announced our shared refugee sponsorship plans, the audience was
excited with us; when we introduced our refugee families the next year, it was to a standing ovation. We have had shared learning events and a shared sermon, but our relationship with the mosque became most real in the meetings of our shared refugee committee. As the diocese’s new Interfaith Officer, I appreciate questions about starting an interfaith friendship between your congregation and communities near you. What has surprised me more has been how many such friendships and partnerships already exist.
We might be tempted to think we just happened on a great idea. What better place to learn about world religions than at our doorstep in multicultural Toronto? What better time to appreciate what other religions can teach us than when “religious nones” are the fastest growing segment in the census? The time and place are right, but this isn’t a new idea. The Parliament of the World’s Religions is coming to Toronto in November. The gathering was first held in Chicago in 1893. It resumed in Chicago in 1993 and has since travelled to Cape Town (1999), Barcelona (2004), Melbourne (2009) and Salt Lake City (2015). The Parliament will bring together participants from more than 200 religious, Indigenous and secular beliefs from more than 80 nations. There will be workshops and presentations on a number of subjects, including climate change, women’s experiences, Indigenous experiences, youth, and comparing experiences of engaging the next generations across religious traditions. The coming months will offer many opportunities to organize delegations, plan presentations, volunteer and learn as we host 10,000 visitors to Toronto. The parliament’s mandate is “to cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions to achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world.” In the words of the Rev. John Joseph Mastandrea, parliament ambassador and a minister of Metropolitan United Church in Toronto, the gathering “is more than a symbol – the parliament is an instrument of peace.” The Rev. Canon Gary van der Meer is the diocese’s Interfaith Officer and the incumbent of St. Anne, Toronto. To learn more about getting involved in the seventh Parliament of the World’s Religions, visit www.parliamentofreligions.org or email Canon van der Meer at gary.vandermeer@saintanne.ca.
Effective parishes turn outward
H
ow comfortable is your parish with community outreach? Are you able to easily identify ways that your parish is helping people in the community? Has your parish thought about starting an outreach ministry but doesn’t know how to get started? Or is your parish so focused on survival and keeping the lights on that the thought of outreach seems like an absurd idea? Regardless of where you may find your parish on this spectrum, community outreach can be an integral and spirit-filled part of faith communities. Henri Nouwen wrote, “Community is, first of all, a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive, not for ourselves but for each other.” Effective community outreach is one the signs of the vibrancy and spiritual depth of a parish. It can animate a parish in such a way that the abiding presence of Christ is deeply felt and parishioners’ feelings of belonging deepen and grow. The starting point for an effective community outreach ministry is rooted-
THE STEWARD By Paige Souter Following the success of his March column, Seven Habits of Highly Effective Parishes, Peter Misiaszek, the diocese’s director of Stewardship Development, asked others to write on the subject. This is the first in a series. ness in the community rather than in the parish. Let me give you an example of what I mean. Imagine parishioners decide to run an after-school program to address bullying at a local school. But they quickly get frustrated because only one or two children participate. If the parish had been connected to the community differently, they may have learned that the critical issue facing the community was food security. We serve our community best when we understand our community by being embedded in it. The Harwood Institute has developed a five-step process for helping organizations turn outward to the community. I have outlined below how this process
applies to parishes as they seek to live out their faith beyond the walls of the church. First, parishes begin by understanding the community in which they are situated. This requires that parishes seek to understand the community on its own terms. Through community conversations with individuals, groups and organizations, parishes will be able to identify the challenges facing the community and understand people’s aspirations and dreams. These conversations require parishes to keep an open mind, be non-judgemental, and listen deeply. This is not a problem-solving stage. Second, parishes need to be intentional in turning outward to the community. Old habits are hard to break, so parishes need to continually reflect on how well they are listening and responding from an outward orientation rather than from what makes them comfortable. Parishes need to be willing to work with people and organizations with whom they may have never considered working previously. Third, parishes and their community partners together need to develop the conditions that are necessary to foster change, rather than waiting for them to
develop. This means starting from the community’s current stage of development rather than from where we wish it was. This is the reality-check stage. Ministry outreach will be most successful if strategies are developed based on the resources that are currently available. Fourth, we can’t do everything. Parishes need to decide where they can make a difference alongside their community partners and develop strategies that align with that sphere of influence. And finally, parishes and parishioners need to commit. A parish outreach ministry will only be effective if there is a commitment to engage in the ministry together. Outreach ministry is transformational for both the community and the parish. The community will feel Christ’s love as a healing presence as its needs are addressed and its aspirations are honoured. And parishioners will deepen their relationship with Christ and affirm their vocational calling to act with charity and justice in the world. Are you ready to turn outward? Paige Souter is the diocese’s Manager of Annual Giving.
“I WILL GIVE YOU
THANKS
FOR YOU HAVE ANSWERED ME.” PSALM 118:21
2017 Faithworks Results: The Diocese of Toronto’s annual FaithWorks Campaign successfully raised $1,292,169 in support of Anglican-affiliated ministries throughout the diocese and around the world.
GENEROSITY ABOUNDS!
“
By Paige Souter, Manager of Annual Giving Every year, FaithWorks calls on the Lord to help us feed, shelter, nurture and befriend people who face some of the most difficult challenges that life can present, and once again he answered – through YOU! “I will give thanks for you have answered me.” Psalm 118:21
Thank you to every one of our FaithWorks donors, individuals, parishes, corporations and foundations. Because of your generosity, the 2017 FaithWorks Campaign raised $1,292,169 and will be able to support over 30,000 people in need this year. “God’s generosity is evident in the abundant giving of FaithWorks donors,” notes Archbishop Colin Johnson. “They are a powerful witness that God’s generous love changes lives.” Through FaithWorks we see the tangible presence of God in our community. We see faith-filled people answering the cry of those who are homeless, hungry, at-risk of violence, lonely, sick, or afraid. Shelagh McPherson, Chair of the FaithWorks Allocation Committee shares her thankfulness for people who answer the call for help. “I am always so inspired and filled with deep gratitude for the people who continue to open their hearts and support this ministry of love.” FaithWorks believes that it is possible to transform the lives of people who are most vulnerable. We believe it is possible to build communities of hope, compassion, peace and justice. We believe that God’s love will change the world. Thank you for believing too!
PARISH CAMPAIGN Henri Nouwen once wrote that “compassion always reveals itself in community.” We know this to be true in the 145 parishes who so generously supported FaithWorks. Together, they raised $648,555 to support outreach ministries both in the Diocese and around the world. Parishes were able to keep $60,535 to support their own outreach ministries within their local community. The parish campaign also made $32,428 available for Area Ministry Grants. Thank you for being a compassionate presence in our community.
FAITHWORKS MINISTRY PARTNERS Our FaithWorks Ministry Partners are love in action. Each and every day they share the transforming power of Christ’s love with thousands of people in need. We thank our Ministry Partners for being powerful witnesses to the love that is changing lives and changing the world. Diocese-wide AURA Giving with Grace PWRDF Barrie Samaritan House Community Ministries David Busby Centre
Where the money comes from Parishes: $648,555 Corporate: $328,000 Individuals: $237,686 Trusts: $74,000 Other: $3,928
Brampton The BRIDGE Prison Ministry
Where the money goes 2018 Ministry Allocations*: $1,064,452 Parish Retainer: $60,535 Area Grants: $32,428 Campaign Expenses: $151,885 *$17,231 in surplus funds from 2016 were used in ministry allocations
Mississauga The Dam North Durham North House Shelter Peterborough The Warming Room Community Ministries Orillia Couchiching Jubilee House Toronto
“ Two years ago, I found the courage and left my very controlling and abusive husband…I cannot thank Samaritan House enough for touching every part of our lives, such as housing, support, encouragement, hope, vision for the future, stability, strength and courage, safety and a whole new future I would never had thought possible.” Ashley, Samaritan House client
All Saints Church Community Centre Downsview Youth Covenant Flemingdon Park Ministry Philip Asia Centre Toronto Urban Native Ministry
YOUR IMPACT
CORPORATE DONORS
Because of your generosity, FaithWorks’ Ministry partners are able to have a transformative effect in the lives of thousands of people. Here is the impact that you made possible in the lives of people in need last year.
Thank you to our Corporate Donors who contributed $328,000 to FaithWorks. Your generosity makes it possible to improve the lives of thousands of individuals and families.
32,452
109,327
people were fed, sheltered, nurtured and befriended
clients visited drop-in, shelter and outreach programs
6,625 people touched by the prison system were provided with community reintegration, housing and employment supports
$25,000 and above BMO CIBC The Honourable Margaret McCain ODT Scotiabank TD Bank Group $10,000 – $24,000 Anonymous Letko, Brosseau & Associates New England Company RBC Foundation $5,000 – $9,999 Fleck Family Foundation
3,021 families were supported
5,206 refugees and new
Foyston, Gordon & Payne Inc.
Canadians were provided with
Greey-Lennox Charitable Foundation
settlement support, drop-in and food security programs
Nursing & Homemakers Inc. $1,000 – $4,999 Designwerke Inc. The Jackman Foundation
1,187 at-risk women, children and youth accessed safe and supportive housing
712 children and youth were enrolled in programs that help to develop life skills and build self-esteem
7,362 young adults living with mental health challenges were supported 10 families in the Pickangikum First Nations community were provided with clean water and sanitation services
303
430
people impacted by HIV/AIDS received bereavement and spiritual care support
Indigenous Peoples were provided with pastoral, outreach, and mentoring supports
FAITHWORKS Anglican Diocese of Toronto, 135 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 1L8 T 416-363-6021 x244 | 1-800-668-8932 x244 E faithworks@toronto.anglican.ca
T. Rogers Gardham ODT Todd Grierson-Weller Investment Arbitration Counsel Trust Income Anglican Diocese of Toronto Foundation Bishop Kenneth Maguire Trust (for LOFT Community Services)
“I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of our family for being there until the end. Thank you for bringing the strength of faith back into my brother’s life. He is finally resting.” Sister of client, Philip Aziz Centre “I was introduced to the Bridge Program while I was in OCI…Through this amazing experience I have obtained the tools to help me cope with negative feelings and thoughts…The Bridge also helped me with things like getting me on Ontario Works, get into school, get OSAP, provided clothes that have been donated and provided some school supplies. If I did not have this program available to me, I would not be going to college.” Matthew, The Bridge client
8 TheAnglican
INTERVIEW
May 2018
I am a bit of a church geek Janice Biehn is the communications coordinator at The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) and a member of St. Olave, Swansea in Toronto.
range in age from 14 to 87. We’re quite a crew! Over these past 22 years at St. O’s, my faith journey has intersected with being a parent (teaching Sunday School), my career (developing parish communications) and a passion for leading (being a churchwarden). I feel very fortunate to be able to do this work. Bringing together a disparate group of people that has little in common other than their love of the gospel, this church (and singing) – that’s what I’m passionate about.
I write about the life-changing work that PWRDF supports in Canada and around the world. This includes development and relief programs as well as the inspiring and tireless efforts of our many volunteers in parishes across Canada. Then, once I write the stories, I publish them on our website, social media, in newsletters and more. I also worked on the World of Gifts guide this past year. I’m currently working on the June issue of Under the Sun, PWRDF’s newsletter that is distributed with the Anglican Journal three times a year. This October marks the 60th anniversary of the Springhill, N.S. mining disaster that led to the formation one year later of what would eventually become PWRDF. So we will be rolling out some special projects over those 12 months, including an e-book and a travelling exhibit. The best part of my job is telling people’s stories of strength and resilience in the face of real adversity, and then seeing how those stories engage people to volunteer or donate. I find it exciting to motivate Anglicans to put their faith into action. It’s also very humbling to work in the international development and humanitarian sector. I’m working with people who are devoted to making the world a better place, one community at a time. I read the paper and keep up on world events, but working “on the inside” has opened my eyes. And that brings me to the worst part of my job – feeling like I can’t possibly do people’s stories justice in a few hundred words. There are days when I feel no story I write is going to move the needle a smidge. Part of my job is to follow other humanitarian and development organizations on Twitter, and some days the news can be pretty overwhelming. I was born in Sarnia and raised in London, Ont. I went to Huron College at Western University in London and studied English and French, then on to Ryerson in Toronto to do a graduate degree in journalism. That’s where I
Janice Biehn with Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. PHOTO BY THE REV. JESSE DYMOND
met my husband, Craig Douglas, and we never left Toronto. I worked at various magazines and newspapers in Toronto, and for the last seven years I was editor of ParentsCanada magazine. I loved that job, but it was time for a change. Then I found this job at PWRDF and feel so blessed to have been hired.
well-worn pages of the BCP. As a teenager, I often worked Sunday mornings, so my church attendance waned. At 20, I decided to get confirmed. The classes clicked with a lot of the literature courses I was taking. (To paraphrase the great Northrop Frye, all literature has its roots in the Bible.)
I’m a cradle Anglican, so my faith journey is rooted in the pews. I grew up going to St. John the Evangelist in London, where the late Terry Finlay was the rector and a family friend. My parents are still active members there. As a child I enjoyed the rituals of the service and the music especially. I remember spending a few minutes before each service reading through the bulletin and marking the readings with the silky ribbons in the BAS or dog-earing the
After we got married and settled in Toronto, my husband and I started attending St. Olave’s in Bloor West Village. Like most, the church was more than 100 years old with well-established traditions and rhythms that were familiar to me. In high school I had participated in a rich choral music program and I was eager to rekindle that skill, so I joined the church’s choir. Singing in the choir has become a big part of my spiritual discipline. My fellow choristers
I admittedly am a bit of a church geek. I’m always reading about ideas for growth, looking for exciting events to stage and innovative forms of communication to try. In truth, it’s my love for community and communicating that moves me. Before I became involved in parish leadership, I applied the same focus to my kids’ school and in our neighbourhood. My husband and I also love movies and every summer “curate” our own outdoor film festival in our back yard for neighbours and other friends. We love to travel and have been blessed to do a lot of it, with and without our two daughters (who both attend Dalhousie University in Halifax). We love entertaining and being entertained by friends and family. We love exploring Toronto, skiing, walking our dog and discussing at great lengths why some TV commercials work and others miss the mark. We also rarely miss an episode of Jeopardy! and both feel if team Jeopardy! were a thing, we’d crush it. Five years from now, I pray I’m still at PWRDF, with a few visits to our overseas projects under my belt and by then an expert in the latest forms of communication, some of which probably have yet to be invented. My favourite passage from scripture is Matthew 6:34. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” My mom always told me that things will work out the way they should, and this passage aligns with her sage advice. Now that I am a parent, I see the wisdom in those words and I think of them often.
LOFT Community Services Annual General Meeting TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2018 6:30PM - Business Meeting 7:30PM - General Meeting ST. JAMES CATHEDRAL CENTRE SNELL HALL 65 CHURCH STREET (KING & CHURCH) DOWNTOWN TORONTO
For more information on attending, please contact: Christopher Walker 416-979-1994 ext. 2032 cwalker@loftcs.org
www.loftcs.org www.facebook.com/LOFTCS
The Douglas C. Cowling Bursary in Liturgical Music will be awarded to encourage creative musical/liturgical experimentation with the aim of fostering full liturgical participation by all age-groups of the ‘people of God’.
The bursary will be awarded annually in the anticipated amount of five thousand dollars ($5,000), to a part-time musician currently working within a parish in the Anglican Diocese of Toronto to further the musician’s own liturgical training or provide creative liturgical enrichment in the musician’s ecclesial setting. Applicants should outline how they intend to use the Bursary consistent with the Bursary’s purpose.
Apply with full proposal to cowlingbursary@gmail.com by June 29, 2018
TheAnglican 9
NEWS
May 2018
Receiving their diamond jubilee stoles for 60 years of ordained ministry are the Rev. Canon Dr. Graham Cotter (left) and the Rev. Dr. Peter Slater. Missing from the photo are the Rev. Neville Bishop, the Rev. Canon Thomas Crawford and the Rev. Paul Gibson.
JUBILEE
Archbishop Colin Johnson presents silver, golden and diamond jubilee stoles to clergy at St. James Cathedral on March 28. Receiving silver jubilee stoles for 25 years of ordained ministry are, from left, the Rev. Theodore Bartlett, the Rev. Canon Dr. Andrew Sheldon, the Rev. Catherine Waugh and the Rev. Canon Barbara Hammond. Missing from the photo are the Rev. Mark Andrews, the Rev. Gillian Ball, the Rev. Mary Louise Meadow, the Rev. Canon Dr. Dean Mercer and the Rev. John Runza. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON
The Rev. Susan Climo of Holy Spirit of Peace, Mississauga receives consecrated oil for anointing and healing after the service.
The Rev. Vernon Duporte receives consecrated oil as the Rev. Michelle ChildsWard looks on.
Receiving their golden jubilee stoles for 50 years of ordained ministry are, from left, the Rev. Randal Johnston, Bishop Michael Bedford-Jones, the Rev. Derek Stapleton and the Rev. Canon David Clark. Missing from the photo is the Rev. Canon James Garland.
Bursary honours innovator BRIEFLY BY DIANA SWIFT
IN memory of the late Douglas Cowling – musician, writer, scholar, and revitalizer of the sacred drama of divine worship – his family and friends have established a new bursary in liturgical music. To be awarded for the first time this fall, the annual $5,000 bursary is a tribute to Mr. Cowling’s bold experimentation and commitment to breathing new life into worship in the diocese. Known as an intergenerational connector of people, Mr. Cowling died in January 2017.
“He was someone who had an absolute passion for liturgical reform that would involve the entire congregation in song and music,” says the Rev. Canon David Harrison, incumbent of St. Mary Magdelene, Toronto, where Mr. Cowling was a parishioner. While he championed unorthodox reform and renewed congregational engagement, Mr. Cowling was at the same time an erudite and precise scholar of music and musical history. A founding member of Toronto’s Renaissance-focused Tallis Choir,
he served as a music director and organist at several parishes in the diocese. He was also a scholar of medieval English and was once a member of Poculi Ludique Societas, the University of Toronto’s medieval drama troupe. Starting this fall, the annual Douglas C. Cowling Bursary in Liturgical Music will go to a musician working part-time in a parish in the diocese. Its aim is two-fold: to encourage creative musical and liturgical expression that fosters full participation by the people of God of all ages, and to further the
recipient’s own training to enrich the musician’s ecclesiastical setting. The Cowling family has committed to giving at least $5,000 a year for five years to a fund managed by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto Foundation. The bursary fund currently stands at $38,700, and donations are being accepted by the Foundation at https://goo. gl/xcu7Ss. Applicants for the bursary should send full proposals by June 29 to: cowlingbursary@gmail.com. The date for announcing the 2018 award has not yet been decided.
All invited to cricket festival
The second annual Anglican Church Cricket Festival is coming up and church teams and individuals in the diocese are invited to take part, no experience necessary. The festival will be held on June 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Credit Valley/Sandalwood Park, 10530 Creditview Rd., Brampton. Bishop Jenny Andison, the area bishop of York-Credit Valley, will be the special guest. For more information, contact anglican.cricket. festival@gmail.com.
10 TheAnglican
PARISH NEWS
May 2018
Students at St. Matthew’s Anglican School in Pomona, Belize stand with bags of rice, beans, chicken and split peas for the school’s lunch program.
Parish provides food, trees in Belize A fundraising campaign in the Parish of Ida and Omemee that raised $5,700 has gone a long way to help the residents of a town in Belize. On a recent mission trip to Dangriga, located south of Belize City, the Rev. Peter Mills and four others from the parish were able to use the money to buy paint for the local Anglican church and 3,326 pounds of food for four schools and two families. They also bought 260 fruit trees for local farmers and
provided bursaries for students to attend high school or college. The group helped the congregation and local volunteers paint the exterior of Christ the King Anglican Church in Dangriga. Mr. Mills preached on the second Sunday he was there and helped to build a handicap ramp at the church. The mission trip was part of an ongoing effort by Andy Harjula, a member of St. John, Ida, who has been travelling to Belize to provide
Members of Christ the King say thanks after their church receives a fresh coat of paint. assistance for the past seven years. “We saw Andy’s commitment to the people there, and it was very moving,” says Mr. Mills. “I saw the value of cultivating relationships of trust.” Mr. Harjula and his wife, Maureen, accompanied Mr. Mills and his wife, Trish, on the trip. Also taking part was a resident of Ida.
EARTH HOUR
Environmentally concerned members of St. Martin, Bay Ridges, Pickering observe Earth Hour on March 25 with a potluck meal, games and storytelling once the lights were turned off for an hour at 8:30 p.m. PHOTO BY EUGENE FARRUGIA
Fund helps needy near church A bequest from two long-time parishioners of All Saints, Peterborough is helping disadvantaged people who live close by. Sisters Kay and Edna Lee, who died in 2010 and 2012 respectively, left a bequest to All Saints that became The Doris Fund, named in honour of their older sister. The bequest specified that the funds should be used to help people who live in close proximity to the church. The fund made a donation to the New Canadians Centre to support newcomers who are facing emergencies. “I had some dental work done in Lebanon but it was not good,” says Hayja Abosaba, a refugee. “My tooth got infected and it was causing me so much
Members of five churches follow the cross into St. Barnabas, Toronto. PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. BARNABAS
Good Friday walk draws large crowd Dalfaa and Hayja Abosaba (centre) stand with, from left, Wendy McNab, Diana Gregg and Tracy Gemmiti of The Doris Fund. pain. When I came to Canada, I went to a dentist right away and they repaired my tooth and treated the infection.” During 2017, the Doris Fund provided assistance for the breakfast programs at two primary schools. It also supported Collective Kitchen cookery classes for area residents and provided emergency financing through the Peterborough Housing Resource Centre to help those in crisis stay in their homes and avoid eviction. As members of All Saints, Edna
and Kay Lee lived their faith daily. When a member of the parish needed help with her two-year-old quadruplet sons, Edna was one of a team of volunteers who drove two of the boys to nursery school four days a week. Both sisters visited nursing homes to read to residents. They taught in the church’s Sunday School for years and drove people to church who would not otherwise have been able to attend. Submitted by All Saints, Peterborough.
ST. Barnabas, Toronto was part of the annual Good Friday Ecumenical Walk on Danforth Avenue on March 30. Five churches – Riverdale Presbyterian, Holy Name Roman Catholic , Eastminster United, the Danforth Church and St. Barnabas – walked from church to church, following the Stations of the Cross. The 300plus walkers followed the cross into each church, then, after 15 or 20 minutes, walked on to the next one. The final church was St. Barnabas. This year, St. Barnabas was pleased to have the Rev. Dr. Anita Gaide of the East Toronto Latvian Lutheran Church and members of
her congregation as part of the St. Barnabas presentation. The Latvian Church congregation has worshipped at St. Barnabas for 50 years. St. Barnabas served hot cross buns and beverages to all who took part in the walk, which has been held for nearly 20 years. Each year, the number of participants increases. “To be part of the walk and worship with other churches and to see each church filled to capacity was an amazing experience for all who took part,” says Helen Taylor, the assistant churchwarden at St. Barnabas. The church will be celebrating its 160th anniversary in June.
May 2018
AnglicanClassifieds
11
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PRAYER CYCLE FOR MAY 1. Christ Church, Brampton 2. The Postulancy Committee 3. Holy Family, Heart Lake (Brampton) 4. St. James the Apostle, Brampton 5. St. James, Caledon East 6. New Curates of the Diocese
IN MOTION Appointments
• The Rev. Colin Bowler, Assistant Priest, Parish of North Essa, March 18. • The Rev. Andrea Budgey, Interim Priest-in-Charge, St. Theodore of Canterbury, Toronto, April 2. • The Rev. Susan Spicer, Priestin-Charge, St. George, Picker-
LOOKING AHEAD
To submit items for Looking Ahead, email editor@toronto.anglican.ca. The deadline for the June issue is May 2. Parishes can also promote their events on the diocese’s website Calendar at www.toronto. anglican.ca.
Music & Worship APRIL 28 - Women and Songs IV with Healey Willan Singers, 8 p.m., St. Martin in-the-Fields, 151 Glenlake Ave., Toronto. Tickets $20 adults, $15 students/seniors. Call 416-5190528 or email healeywillansingers@ yahoo.ca. APRIL 29 - A Bluegrass Eucharist featuring selections from “The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass” by Carol Barnett, 7 p.m., Church of the Redeemer, Bloor Street and Avenue Road, Toronto. Music led by the Redeemer Choir and a bluegrass band. MAY 5 - Opus 8 presents “What Is Our Life?” at 7:30 p.m., St. Martin in-theFields, 151 Glenlake Ave., Toronto. Opus 8 asks the eternal questions of the human condition through a program of ravishing choral music. Admission is pay-what-you-canafford donation. Cash bar. MAY 6 - MusicFest 2018: Magical Music from the Movies, including handbells, band and choir, 2 p.m., St. John, York Mills, 19 Don Ridge
COUNSELLING
COUNSELLING
DAVID A.S. WRIGHT
Pastoral Counsellor Registered Psychotherapist
B.A. M.Div. Registered Psychotherapist
• Pastoral Counsellor • Individual / Couple Psychotherapy • Psychoanalysis • Supervision / Consultation 204 St. George Street Toronto, Ontario M5R 2N5 Tel. 416-960-6486 7. Wycliffe College 8. Trinity College 9. St. Joseph of Nazareth, Bramalea 10. AURA – Anglican-United Refugee Alliance 11. Trinity Church, Campbells Cross 12. St. Jude, Bramalea North 13. Peterborough Deanery 14. All Saints, Peterborough 15. Christ Church, Campbellford 16. Christ Church, Norwood
ing Village (Ajax), May 1.
Vacant Incumbencies
Clergy from outside the diocese with the permission of their bishop may apply through the Diocesan Executive Assistant, Mrs. Mary Conliffe. First Phase - Parish Selection Committee in Formation (not yet receiving names):
Dr., Toronto. Proceeds aid Sleeping Children Around the World and the church. Tickets for adults $15, children $5. Call 416-225-6611 or email musicfest@sjym.ca. Children dressed as their favourite movie character get in for free. MAY 6 - Rock Eucharist: The Music of Aretha Franklin, 7 p.m., Church of the Redeemer, Bloor Street and Avenue Road, Toronto. MAY 9 – JUNE 20 - Kingsway Organ Recital Series, May 9, May 23, June 6, June 20, 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., All Saints, Kingsway, 2850 Bloor St., W., Toronto. Details at www. organixconcerts.ca. MAY 10 - Celebrate Ascension with Bach, 7 p.m., Church of the Redeemer, Bloor Street and Avenue Road, Toronto. MAY 12 – Special organ concert, 7 p.m., to celebrate the 70th anniversary of St Matthew, Islington, 3962 Bloor St. W., Etobicoke. Thomas Gonder will be performing on the new Phoenix Digital Organ. The concert will include vignettes of the history of St. Matthew’s and its hopes for the future. MAY 12 - The Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir performs at St. Aidan, 70 Silver Birch Ave. at Queen Street East, Toronto, 7:30 p.m. Contact the church office for tickets, $25 each. Call 416-691-2222 or email staidan@eol.ca MAY 27 - Rock Eucharist: The Music
The Diocese is on
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. To connect, visit
www.toronto.anglican.ca
Susan E. Haig LL.B., M.Div.
110 Eglinton Ave. W., Suite 303D Toronto, ON M4R 1A3
416.605.3588 17. Christ Church, Omemee 18. Parish of Belmont 19. St. Barnabas, Peterborough 20. Bishop’s Working Group on Intercultural Ministry 21. St. George-the-Martyr, Apsley 22. St. George, Hastings 23. The Bishop’s Company 24. St. James, Emily 25. St. James, Roseneath 26. St. John the Baptist, Lakefield
• St. John, Bowmanville • Parish of Haliburton • St. Hugh and St. Edmund, Mississauga • St. Thomas à Becket, Erin Mills South • Parish of Churchill and Cookstown • Trinity, Aurora Second Phase - Parish Selection Committee (receiving names via
of Blue Rodeo, 7 p.m., Church of the Redeemer, Bloor Street and Avenue Road, Toronto.
Sales MAY 5 - Flea market, rummage and bake sale, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Christ Church, Scarborough Village, 155 Markham Rd., Scarborough. MAY 5 - 38th annual spring sale, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., All Saints, Kingsway, 2850 Bloor St. W., Toronto. MAY 5 - Garage sale, 8 a.m. to noon, St. John the Baptist, 719 Dundas St. E., Mississauga. Furniture, clothing, toys, books and more. MAY 5 - Spring Market Bazaar, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., St. Thomas, 101 Winchester Rd. E., Brooklin. Bake sale, book sale, tea room, vendor tables and more. Call 905-655-3883. MAY 6 - Art fair and bake sale in the garden, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., St. Martin in-the-Fields, 151 Glenlake Ave., Toronto, in support of PARC’s music program. The Parkdale Activity and Recreation Centre provides services to community members who may be dealing with issues such as homelessness, addiction, mental health, and poverty. MAY 12 – Spring sale, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., St. Peter and St. Simon the Apostle, 525 Bloor St. E., Toronto. Jewelry table, baked goods, bistro and more. MAY 26 - Plant sale, 9 a.m. to noon, Christ Church, Stouffville, 254 Sun-
LIGHTING THE WAY
Members of St. Mary and St. Martha, Toronto, take part in Archbishop Colin Johnson’s video message for Easter. Posted online during Holy Week, the video focused on the Easter Vigil. It reached more than 75,000 people in its first week and received about 470 likes, shares and comments, making it one of the most watched videos produced by the diocese. To watch the video, visit the diocese’s YouTube page, www.youtube.com/tordio135. VIDEO IMAGE BY NICHOLAS BRADFORD-EWART
Area Bishop): • St. Andrew, Scarborough
Ordinations
The following individuals will be ordained transitional deacons at St. James Cathedral on May 6 at 4:30 pm: • Jeff Boldt • Alison Hari-Singh • Roshni Jayawardena • Ken Johnstone
set Blvd., Stouffville. Indoor sale of perennials, annuals, house plants, cement mushrooms and stepping stones. MAY 26 - Yard Sale Day, 8 a.m., Holy Trinity, Guildwood, 85 Livingston Ave., Toronto.
Workshops & Gatherings APRIL 28 - Spring fair, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., St. Cuthbert, Leaside, 1399 Bayview Ave., Toronto. Art gallery, barbecue on the green, baked goodies and more. Profits from the fair support St. Cuthbert’s and its outreach programs. APRIL 28 - Blessing of the Bicycles, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., St. Martin in-theFields, 151 Glenlake Ave., Toronto. Come for a safety check, a hot dog and a blessing for a safe season. MAY 5 - Boogie in your grooviest ’70s threads at Saturday Night Fever Gala, 7:30 p.m., St. John, West Toronto, 288 Humberside Ave. Cash bar, silent auction, food and more. Tickets $35 per person or $20 ages 19 to 25. Partial proceeds to fund fees for campers at St. John’s Summer Discovery Camp. Visit www.sjwt.ca. MAY 5 – Spring tea party, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Grace Church in Scarborough, 700 Kennedy Rd. Tickets are $15 for adults; $5 for children under 12. Lots of fun, prizes and surprises. Wear your favourite hat.
• Andrew Kaye • Johanna Pak • Shelley Pollar • Brian Sugg • Morning Wang
Celebrations of New Ministry
York-Scarborough • The Rev. Jennifer Schick, Priest-in-Charge of St. Bede May 27, 2018 at 4 p.m.
MAY 5 - Spring fling, Caribbean dinner and dance, 6:30 p.m., St. Dunstan of Canterbury, 56 Lawson Rd., Scarborough. Cash bar, door prizes and more. Tickets are $25 and must be purchased in advance (none available at the door). Call 416-283-1844. MAY 10 - Ascension Communion at 6 p.m., followed by light supper. From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Rev. Canon David Brinton discusses theological themes in contemporary fiction by many famous and lesser-known authors, St. Olave, Bloor Street and Windermere Avenue, Toronto. MAY 25 - “Broadway on Yonge,” a night of song and dance presented by The Yorkminstrels Show Choir, 7:30 p.m., St. George on Yonge, 5350 Yonge St., Toronto. Tickets $15 for adults, $10 for children. Email lbaillie@rogers.com or call the church office at 416-225-1922 for tickets or information. MAY 29 – Handbell workshop, 7 p.m., Holy Trinity, Guildwood, 85 Livingston Rd., Toronto. JUNE 9-10 – 160th anniversary of St. Barnabas, 361 Danforth Ave., Toronto.If you were a member of St. Barnabas in the past or have family connections with the church, contact office@stbarnabas-toronto. com. There will be a dinner and variety show at 6 p.m. on June 9 and the anniversary service at 10:30 a.m. on June 10.
12 TheAnglican
NEWS
May 2018
Large turnout in York-Scarborough Area begins to identify priorities BY STUART MANN
OF all the good news that came out of York-Scarborough’s town hall meeting on March 3, the most impressive fact may be the most overlooked: that 110 people from across the episcopal area gathered on a Saturday morning to talk about Church. The crowd that filled St. Andrew, Scarborough’s parish hall was a clear sign that Anglicans are not only passionate about their churches but also willing to share ideas with Anglicans from other parishes to build up the body of Christ. “It’s one thing to get excited about what’s happening in your own backyard, but to get excited about what’s possible with other Anglicans in other parts of YorkScarborough – that’s really great,” says Bishop Kevin Robertson, the area bishop. The gathering was part of a yearlong effort by Bishop Robertson to get to know the clergy and laity of his area – “their needs and concerns, their joys and struggles,” he says. Bishop Robertson, who was consecrated in January 2016, has been meeting with clergy in deanery clusters and with laity on parish
The Rev. Claire Goodrich Dyer (centre) speaks during a table group discussion at York-Scarborough’s town hall meeting. PHOTO BY HEATHER GIFFEN
visits, but this was the first time everyone had a chance to come together to talk about mission and ministry. “I felt it was important to take those conversations I’ve been having to the whole group in all 59 parishes, or at least those who wanted to come out, and ask them what they saw as the needs of the Church in their own local setting and in York-Scarborough,” he says.
The morning was divided into three sections: two table-group discussions followed by an open forum. Participants sat with others from different parishes, then were asked the first question: As you look around your neighbourhood and community, where do you see God at work, and where are the needs? After a discussion and a short break, they were asked: Based on
the needs that were identified, how would you prioritize what your church should be doing to respond? What is your church doing well and not well? What does your church need to start doing, continue doing and stop doing? The questions produced lots of conversation and ideas – enough to fill about 60 flip-chart pages. The group identified three main priorities: finding new and better ways to
Women knit dolls for kids in Cuba
Anglicans encouraged to pray Continued from Page 1
BY ANNE BAILLARGEON
THE Craft Club at St. Timothy, Agincourt is a group of ladies who meet every Tuesday morning to create hand-crafted items to sell at their annual Christmas event, or to donate for outreach. Our most recent project was the production of 415 knitted “comfort dolls” for outreach. The son of one of the group’s members went on his fifth trip to Cuba in early April. The people whom he visits are extremely poor and are very grateful for his friendship and the items that have been donated for them. This year, at one of the events he attended, 300 children were present. Around Christmastime, when he asked his mom if she could make some knitted dolls to be given to the children, she said she could perhaps manage to make 70 at most. When another member of the
engage with neighbours, especially those who don’t know about the Church or the Christian faith; youth ministry and children’s ministry; and meeting the needs of a multicultural, multilingual society. The open forum also produced several good ideas, including developing a local catechesis program. Bishop Robertson says the event surpassed his expectations. “One of the clergy told me afterwards that he came to the town hall because he thought he had to, but walked away feeling that we had a great conversation and was encouraged about ministry in the area.” Bishop Robertson plans to bring the information to York-Scarborough’s clergy conference in Niagara Falls on May 9-10, then to develop a mission plan for the area. “I’d like the area to set out some concrete steps to address the three priority areas, in really specific ways,” he says. “I’m hoping we can do that over the summer and into the fall. Then we can call the whole town hall group back together and make sure we’ve set out some benchmarks for what success will look like.” He hopes parishes will create mission plans as well. As the only episcopal area in the diocese that is located entirely within a city, York-Scarborough has a unique opportunity to create a plan for urban mission and ministry, he says. “I’m really intent on moving along this understanding of what it means to be an urban church. I don’t know where that’s going to lead, but I think some really good stuff is possible.”
Doris Micks (far left) and members of St. Timothy’s Craft Club with their 415 knitted dolls. PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. TIMOTHY’S Craft Club heard about his request for dolls, she told the group, which agreed to join in the project. Since early January, our Tuesday mornings have been a lovely time of fellowship, with flying fingers and the click of busy knitting needles to the accompaniment of warm, friendly chatting. While some of us knit dolls, others stitched facial features on ones that had already been fin-
ished. Most of the knitters were St. Timothy’s parishioners, but there were also several friends and neighbours of members as well. We were very grateful for everyone’s contributions to this project. Since we surpassed the original target of 300 dolls to be given at the children’s event, the extras were also donated to give to other children whom he might encounter
while in Cuba. On March 18, all the dolls were taken to the 10 a.m. service, where they were the subject of the Children’s Talk and were blessed by the Rev. Andrea Christensen, St. Timothy’s incumbent, before beginning their journey to new homes and families in Cuba. Anne Baillargeon is a member of St. Timothy’s Craft Club.
Mr. Woods promoted Thy Kingdom Come at St. Luke’s last year and coordinated his efforts with other churches in the diocese. He says one of the things he likes best is its focus on prayer as central to Christian life. “You can pray wherever you want. It’s nice to get together with other people to share the time of prayer, but if that’s not possible, you can just pray wherever you are,” he says. Thy Kingdom Come’s website includes free resources for individuals, families and churches. Family activities range from blowing bubbles to launching prayers into the sky, while churches can find liturgical templates and ideas for prayer walks, stations and labyrinths. To learn more and sign up, visit www.thykingdomcome.global.
Food for Life
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund www.pwrdf.org