Dear Friends,
Anniversaries come and anniversaries go. Some we celebrate with joy and anticipation, and some, especially those laden with grief, are hard. We acknowledge them and, with grace, we let them pass by. I am particularly struck by the number of parishes in our Diocese that are marking significant milestones in 2026. Our visits on Sundays in September have been peppered with celebrations marking 200, 175 and 150 and 35 years (St. John the Evangelist, Peterborough, Grace Church, Markham, St. Paul, Innisfil, St. Christopher, Richmond Hill). Each occasion has been a wonderful testimony of faithfulness and commitment to Christ. Other milestones, though not nearly as long, are precious too. On the Feast of St Michael & All Angels, I marked the eighth anniversary of my consecration as a bishop. I thank God for the blessings of this ministry, and for the honour of serving as your chief pastor as we seek to serve Christ faithfully in our Church. To God be the glory!
This Sunday we will mark the 30th anniversary of FaithWorks, our Diocese’s annual outreach appeal. For three decades, Anglicans across the Diocese of Toronto have come together to feed, shelter, nurture and befriend people in need – nearly 49,000 each year – through FaithWorks.
As we keep this important FaithWorks anniversary, I would like to invite every parish to join me in reaching for something extraordinary: 100 + 1%. This 30th anniversary challenge is simple: 100% participation and a 1% increase in giving from every parish.
I believe this is an achievable challenge, rooted in the biblical principle of giving proportionately from the gifts that God has given us. For parishes that have not previously participated in FaithWorks, we suggest a goal of at least 1% of your 2025 offertory. For those already giving to FaithWorks, why not increase your parish’s giving by 1% over last year’s gift? Whether a parish currently gives 3%, 5%, 10% or another proportion of its offertory, every parish can participate in the challenge by giving a little more.
Our goal is not simply to raise more money. It is to express, together, our shared commitment to the mission entrusted to us as a Diocese, and to endeavour to grow in that commitment.
This Sunday at Evensong in the cathedral, we will celebrate the extraordinary work of FaithWorks over the past 30 years, and we will especially honour those parishes that have made FaithWorks a consistent and important part of their outreach commitment. What a beautiful example of what can happen when we respond to the needs of our neighbours!
As we look to the future, I am particularly mindful of the growing need for food security across our communities. With more than 130 parish-based food programs across our Diocese, including 13 food banks, providing practical assistance to people who do not have enough to eat is a key component of our ministry. The FaithWorks allocations committee is therefore encouraging every Anglican to give a little extra for food this year. And, to mark our 30th anniversary, every dollar raised above our $1.5 million campaign goal will be directed toward initiatives addressing food insecurity across our Diocese.
I invite you to pray with me for the continued success of FaithWorks and for all those whose lives are touched by the ministries it supports. And I encourage every parish and every Anglican to embrace the 100 + 1% Challenge.
As I begin this ninth year as your diocesan bishop, I ask that God’s Holy Spirit may, in the words of the Confirmation prayer, increase in me more and more – so that I too might be strengthened to give 100 + 1% to the calling I have been given. It is an honour and privilege to do so.
Yours in Christ,
The Right Reverend Andrew Asbil
Bishop of Toronto
