Bulletin Board is the Diocese’s bi-weekly e-bulletin for clergy and lay leaders. To subscribe to Bulletin Board, sign up online. To submit an item, email editor@toronto.anglican.ca.

Diocesan business

Parish leaders invited to workshops
Each episcopal area is holding a Zoom workshop for parish leaders, especially those new to their positions. If you’re a leader in your parish or thinking about becoming one, you are strongly encouraged to attend. The invitations are extended to churchwardens, deputy churchwardens, parish administrators, treasurers, administrative staff and clergy. Check the Supporting Parish Leaders Workshops page for updates and to register.

York-Credit Valley: April 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
York-Scarborough: April 21 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Trent-Durham: April 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
York-Simcoe: April 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Diocesan Centre closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday
The Diocesan Centre will be closed on both Good Friday (April 2) and Easter Monday (April 5) for the Easter weekend.

Make outdoor mailbox secure
We have been informed that a number of churches in York-Scarborough have had their mailboxes vandalized and cheques stolen (and deposited). If you have an outdoor mailbox, please look at making your box as secure as possible.

Changes to episcopal area coverage
The diocese is taking steps to ensure there is support for all deaneries and parishes.

Bishop Riscylla Shaw continues as the Area Bishop for Trent-Durham; she will also now have care of North Peel in York-Credit Valley, and Nottawasaga and Tecumseth in York-Simcoe.
Bishop Kevin Robertson continues to be Area Bishop for York-Scarborough, but has now taken on Mississauga in York-Credit Valley, and Holland and Huronia Deaneries in York-Simcoe.
Bishop Andrew Asbil has taken on York Central in York-Simcoe, and Etobicoke-Humber and Parkdale-Toronto West in York-Credit Valley.

If you are unsure of your deanery, check out the Area pages and find your parish. Bishop Riscylla Shaw will attend Area Council meetings in York-Simcoe, and Bishop Kevin Robertson will attend Area Council meetings in York-Credit Valley.

With transitions occurring amongst our administrative staff team also, the Diocese is covering off the Trent-Durham Area Office differently going forward. In addition to their existing responsibilities in York-Simcoe and York-Credit Valley, Jenn Kean and Arleane Ralph will be providing support to Bishop Riscylla Shaw together, with Jenn taking administrative responsibility for the deaneries of Peterborough and Victoria-Haliburton, and Arleane taking administrative responsibility for Durham-Northumberland and Oshawa. For a full break-down of how divisions have been made for the next few months, please see the attached chart.

Clergy and employees reminded to review benefits and life insurance coverage
Take a moment to review your pay stub to see what coverage you have for medical premiums and life insurance. For medical premiums:

If only you are covered, it should read “medical insurance premium single.”
If you have one dependent (spouse or child), it should read “medical insurance premium married.”
If you have two or more dependants (spouse and/or children), it should read “medical insurance premium family.”

For life insurance premiums:

If the coverage is only for you, it should read “life insurance.”
If you and one or more dependants are covered, it should read “life insurance married.”

If you feel that your information is not correct, contact Keri Stilling at kstilling@toronto.anglican.ca or 416-363-6021 ext. 239. You should also get in touch if you get married, separated or divorced, have a baby or adopt a child. If you have a child over age 21 not attending university, or any child over age 26, and you believe they are still on your benefits, you will need to complete paperwork to have them removed.

Tax documents mailed
Clergy should note that T4s and the T1223 forms for calculating their Clergy Residence Deduction for line 231 of their tax return will be mailed together in the same envelope on Feb. 25. If you do not receive these documents, contact Keri Stilling at kstilling@toronto.anglican.ca or 416-363-6021 (1-800-668-8932) ext. 239.

The Bishop’s Company Cabaret seeks musicians
Now in its second year, The Bishop’s Company Cabaret is looking to celebrate artists within our Anglican community as we raise funds to support the continuing work of the Bishop’s Company. We aim to share this evening with everyone in the Diocese of Toronto and provide a selection of diverse performances that reflect our community at large. All are welcome to apply. The submission deadline is Friday, April 2. Share examples of your work and let us see what we can expect. Selected artists will be notified on Friday, April 30. Only those selected will be contacted. Once selected, artists will need to submit biographical information, a photo, social media links (if applicable) and a pre-recorded performance for viewing on the evening of Friday, Oct. 15. Final submissions are due Sept. 17. Submissions and enquiries can be made to The Bishop’s Company.

Diocesan Events

Event provides opportunity for engagement
Toronto Urban Native Ministry invites Anglicans to the following:

Day of Prayer and Fasting in Solidarity with Prisoners
Wednesday, March 24 at 12 noon on Zoom and Facebook Live
“This is a call for help. We want to be treated with dignity and above all we want to be protected in this time of pandemic…” (Declaration of the Inmates of the Laval Detention Centre, Marlon, Carlos, Martin, Rafael, Mehdi, Alan, Karim, and Freddy, March 2021, Solidarité sans frontiers.)

Prisoners across Turtle Island have been fasting to call attention to their human rights violations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This Lent, TUMN invites you to join prisoners in a day of prayer and fasting. We will hold a vigil on Wednesday, March 24 at 12 noon. It will be broadcasted at 12 noon over Zoom and Facebook Live, and will include song, prayer, the word and voices of prisoners, and reflections from Indigenous leaders from Anishnawbe-Aki to Palestine.

Clergy to be honoured at Blessing of Oils service
The annual Blessing of Oils and Renewal of Ordination Vows Service from St. James Cathedral will be livestreamed on Tuesday in Holy Week, March 30 at 10:30 am. All are welcome. Bishop Andrew Asbil will preach. During the service, those clergy celebrating their silver (25), gold (50) and diamond (60) jubilee anniversaries of ordination will be honoured. The event will be live-streamed here.

SSJD to hold two virtual retreats
The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine is holding two virtual retreats:

Understanding Our Dreams Retreat (April 9-10)
God speaks to us in many ways. One of them is through our dreams. Within a Christian context and using the concepts of Carl Jung, you will learn about dream interpretation to be able to reflect on your own dreams and to explore dreams in a group setting. This retreat will be led by the Rev. Greg Little and Lorna Harris. The cost is $85 and the registration deadline is April 7.

Come to the Table (May 7-9)
“Come to the Table” is an invitation to come and receive at the table of God. The table is a beautiful image seen in Psalm 23, the story of the Prodigal, the last Supper and other Gospel stories. The table holds an invitation for us to come as we are and receive fellowship, communion and intimacy. In this retreat, you will be invited to deepen the journey into rest and trust with God and self. We will have both group times and personal reflection opportunities. You will experience contemplative music, poetry, collage and mandala meditations, inspirational messages and more. This retreat will be led by Cath AJ Hardy, a singer-songwriter, retreat facilitator, spiritual director and poet. The cost is $160 and the registration deadline is May 5.

Visit the SSJD website for more information and retreat listings.

Save the date for the Diocesan Clergy Conference, June 8-9
The Diocesan Clergy Conference 2021: Negotiating a Liminal Season, will take place June 8-9 on Zoom. The keynote speaker will be Susan Beaumont, a consultant, coach, author and spiritual director who is known for her work in leadership dynamics for large congregations. She is known for engaging the best of business practice, filtered through a lens of careful theological reflection. The first 200 clergy to register are eligible to receive a complimentary copy of Ms. Beaumont’s book, How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going: Leading in a Liminal Season. Registration will open soon. View or download the poster.

Anglican Church Women to host annual general meeting
You are invited to the diocese’s Anglican Church Women’s annual general meeting, which will take place on Zoom on April 17, 2021 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. This year’s meeting will feature an address from the Most Rev. Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, and its theme is “Challenged to Move Forward”. The invitation with the registration link will be emailed to each church by March 19, 2021, and information will be on the Diocese of Toronto’s website by March 22, 2021. Download the meeting flyer.

Area Events

Workshop explores Indigenous land defence in British Columbia
On March 28 from 1-3 p.m., St. Aidan, Toronto will host Meaningful Allyship and Stories from the Front Lines of Land Defence. In this workshop, Ben Reid-Howells and Rosa Amarilla Montilla Euale will share stories of frontline land defence in British Columbia and models of meaningful allyship with non-Indigenous groups wanting to work alongside such efforts. All are invited.

All Saints, King City hosts discussion series on Quest for Respect
During Lent, All Saints, King City will be hosting a Zoom discussion series on the book Quest For Respect: The Church and Indigenous Spirituality. This book, a compilation of over 40 contributors, will help us address the following questions: What is Indigenous spirituality, and why is it critical for Settler Christians to learn about it? What is the history of Indigenous–Christian encounter? How does spiritual abuse and violence continue today? How might we repair the damage done? And what does genuine respect really look like? The series of four sessions will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. and sessions will be held every second Tuesday thereafter. For the Zoom link or more information, please contact the Rev. Michael Peterson at priest-allsaintskingcity@toronto.anglican.ca.

Resources

Creation care fast resource created for Lent
The Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care has produced a resource for Anglicans who want to undertake a fast during Lent that focuses on creation and issues related to the climate crisis. A Fast for the Earth: Lent 2021 provides a fast for each week of Lent, which began on Feb. 17 and ends on April 3. It begins with a meat fast followed by a consumption fast, a food waste fast, a water fast, an injustice fast, an electricity fast and an ignorance fast. It concludes with a resurrection feast for Easter on Apr. 4. In addition to the full resource, there are also week-by-week pages with ideas to participate in each fast. Find the full resource and helpful tips for participating in the fast each week here.

2021 social justice vestry motion on anti-racism
In light of growing concerns about anti-Black and other forms of racism in our society, and the Diocese’s commitment to rolling out anti-racism/anti-bias training for clergy, staff, and volunteer leaders in 2021, this year’s motion calls parishes to acknowledge the sinfulness of racism and to take action to recognize and dismantle racism within our secular institutions, our Church, and our own hearts. The text of the motion, with a backgrounder and some suggestions for parish action, can be found here.

Job Postings

St. John, Willowdale, seeks pastor for children & young families
St. John, Willowdale, a growing multicultural parish, seeks a part-time pastor for Sunday school children, and for their families to support faith formation at home. Related experience required; theological or pastoral training preferred. Please send a resume in confidence to the Rev. Canon Simon Li at simonli.toronto@gmail.com.

St. John, York Mills seeks youth faith facilitator
St John, York Mills is seeking a part time youth faith facilitator. The successful applicant should be engaging, creative and able to conduct a variety of activities to build rapport with youth aged 11 to 18. They should be open to helping youth with their concerns and giving them faith-based guidance. They should be very familiar with the different types of social media being used by different age groups and be able to use these for outreach. Applications should include an outline of previous experience working with children and youth and the types of activities the applicant would feel comfortable conducting. Applications including references can be sent to annecurtis@sympatico.ca.

St. John, York Mills seeks singer
St John, York Mills is seeking a part time singer to lead contemporary evangelical praise and worship music and work under the direction of our director of music. The successful applicant should have musical talent that spiritually engages and draws people into worship. They should be flexible, energetic, adaptable and an enthusiastic team player. They should be able to sing and also ideally play an instrument. They must be able to read music. An application with references and samples of work (YouTube links or emailed video recordings) should be sent to annecurtis@sympatico.ca.

St. George on Yonge seeks Office Administrator

St. George on Yonge is seeking an Office Administrator, currently working a total of 21 hours per week in the church office due to Covid19. The successful applicant should be an engaging and creative individual who is able to successfully manage a variety of activities, including but not limited to, producing all weekly service leaflets as well as all special service leaflets for funerals, and weddings, as needed. They should be open to helping visitors and members with their concerns and inquiries, while offering friendly confidential service, while directing them to the needed resource and assisting with their inquiry. They should be very familiar with computer systems in use at the church such as QuickBooks, Excel, Zoom, and Word currently needed to produce leaflets, newsletters, weekly email notifications, online services and meetings, newsletters, Vestry reports, financial reporting record keeping, payroll services, payment of invoices, Tax form production and CRA reporting. The successful applicant will be required to complete a criminal record check prior to beginning the position. Applications should include an outline of previous work experience, as well as references, and will be accepted until the end of day March 31, 2021 to cw-georgeonyonge@toronto.anglican.ca.

Staff Changes

Almyra Popat (apopat@toronto.anglican.ca) is the Diocese’s Digital Communications Coordinator while Martha Holmen is on parental leave.