Archive for the ‘Links’ Category

This summer, act for Indigenous justice

Posted on: May 15th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Links

 

 
By Ali Symons, General Synod Senior Editor  

Medicine wheelMay 6, 2013–Summer 2013 will be a season of landmarks for Canadians committed to truth, reconciliation, and equity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples. June 11 is the fifth anniversary of the prime minister’s apology for residential schools, and Aug. 6 is the twentieth anniversary of the Anglican Church of Canada’s apology for residential schools. 

Canadian Anglicans are reflecting on what progress has been made since then—within our culture and within our church. 

“It seems to me as if several streams are beginning to converge,” said Henriette Thompson, General Synod’s public witness coordinator for social justice.

“The Truth and Reconciliation Commission provides a growing space for deepening commitments among churches, Indigenous leaders, and government. Indigenous youth are actively participating in movements for change and culture and language recovery. Indigenous Anglican aspirations for self-determination are moving forward. Faith communities are supporting greater equity for Indigenous Peoples through KAIROS and its partners—for example, the I am a witness campaign.

“We are working hard to raise awareness and promote participation.”

Several campaigns are available in upcoming months for people and parishes who want to show their commitment to these diverse, but interrelated, issues of Indigenous justice.

1. Organize a June 11 walk and letter-writing event for First Nations children

Our Dreams Matter Too is a June 11 walk and letter-writing event calling for equity for First Nations children—that they be raised safely at home, receive a solid education, and be proud of their cultures. This event is a collaboration between KAIROS (Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives) and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. For a sample letter, a list of walks, and to register your participation, visit the Our Dreams Matter Too site.

2. Make and share a Ribbon of Reconciliation

Launched in 2012 by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), this flexible project encourages non-Indigenous and Indigenous Peoples to give or exchange ribbons to symbolize their commitment to reconciliation. Actions could include an exchange of ribbons between children on and off reserve, or a gift from a church to a local band. Already Canadian Anglicans have found this project offers a helpful way to participate in local TRC events.

An online Ribbons of Reconciliation parish action kit is available. The kit includes an introduction to Ribbons of Reconciliation and a how-to, both provided by the TRC.

3. Use suggested prayers and readings for National Aboriginal Day
Churches may wish to mark National Aboriginal Day (June 21) by using the prayers and readings approved at 2010 General Synod. These propers follow the theme “Journeying together in partnership.” In 2011, the Primate wrote a letter of commendation for these propers, noting that, ”Some of our prayers express contrition, some thanksgiving, and some express our strong need for the continuing guidance of the Creator.”

Above: In many Indigenous cultures, the four-coloured medicine wheel symbolizes balance and connection.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anglican Church of Canada, News from General Synod, May 6, 2013

The Hands of God in Pictures (Resources)

Posted on: April 18th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Links

 

Resources

The Rev. Noelle York-Simmons, an Episcopal priest, spent her sabbatical photographing people’s hands as they received communion. Our hands, she said, tell our story. And our hands, transformed in receiving the body and blood of Christ, “become the next in a long line of hands that act as the hands of Christ.” York-Simmons photographed Christians’ hands while asking, “What is the most important thing you do with your hands?” Her photos and the subjects’ responses are collected and shared on Faith & Leadership, an online offering of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School. Also available are the sermon she preached that initially motivated her interest in the congregations’ hands, and an article in which she reflects on her sabbatical experience. She also maintained a sabbatical blog, on which she chronicled her experience as it unfolded.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Insights into Religion, April 18, 2013

 

Truth and Reconciliation Commission National Event in Montreal

Posted on: April 17th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Links

 

TRC:  Truth and Reconciliation Commission
National Event in Montreal

Queen Elizabeth Hotel, April 24-27, 2013

Open to the public.  Free Admission.

Listen to the stories of those whose lives were affected by the Residential School system.  

Website information.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Newsletter – Centre for Lay Education, April 10th, 2013

 

Fresh Expressions Canada: Four new videos

Posted on: April 16th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Links

 

Fresh Expressions Canada

 

Four new videos

Postcard frontReimagining Church: shaped for mission

To help those who have downloaded the course in actually running it where they live, we have come up with four short videos. The videos, which feature Reimagining Church writer John Bowen, and were videoed and edited by Andy and Sue Kalbfleisch, are

1. How does it all fit together? (an introduction to the course)

2. Bringing it home

3. Building teams

4. Making it ecumenical

You can watch the videos here.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fresh Expressions Canada e-newsletter, April 9, 2013

New grants help churches go green

Posted on: April 14th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Links

 

By Ali Symons, General Synod Senior Editor

 
Church leaders bless solar panels at St. Alban, Richmond, B.C.

April 10, 2013–Ever wondered how to start making your creaky, leaky, drafty church building more environmentally friendly?

Until May 31, Canadian Anglican congregations can apply for grants of up to $1,000 to subsidize a green building audit—a process that will help churches identify which areas of their buildings need to become more energy efficient.

St. Luke’s, Ottawa, is one of several churches that has already done an audit. In 2012, a group of parishioners spent a day examining their building with a professional green building auditor.

They found flaws to fix: an old, inefficient furnace; a room with hot appliances and cooling systems close together; and a front door so drafty that they call it the “loonie dispenser.”

Now St. Luke’s is investing in cost-saving improvements, leaving them with more money for mission.

“Greening” a building has many benefits, says Randal Goodfellow, chair of both General Synod’s Creation Matters national working group and the Diocese of Ottawa’s Creation Matters committee.

Many churches consider these audits as a step toward living out the fifth Mark of Mission, “to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.”

(The Marks of Mission are used as a ministry framework throughout the Anglican Communion and are a priority for the Anglican Church of Canada.)

Some advocates even talk about these improvements as maximizing “mission per square foot,” said Mr. Goodfellow. The philosophy is to steward the space in the best possible way, considering heating, water use, cleaning products, and even whether pews are the best way to use sanctuary space.

Another benefit is building community.

“[The audit is] done with people from the congregation,” said Mr. Goodfellow. “They become internal champions and this starts or strengthens a green team in a parish.”

Though the application process and audit itself are not time-consuming, parishes must be committed to making change, said Mr. Goodfellow, who produced two videos with partners in the Diocese of Ottawa to promote the program.

“If it’s worth doing in the first place, it’s worth reporting to the congregation and worth undertaking the recommendations,” he said. “That’s when the work starts coming in.”

In exchange for the grant, parishes will host a public information seminar with Greening Sacred Spaces on energy efficiency. They must also provide energy consumption information to the Green Up Database of the Canada Green Building Council. This database will establish a baseline against which parishes can measure their performance, year over year.

The Green Building Audit grants are a result of resolution A180 on climate change, passed at General Synod 2010. A resolution coming to Joint Assembly 2013 will encourage dioceses to establish similar programs.

Grants are provided by General Synod’s Ministry Investment Fund and the audits are done in cooperation with Greening Sacred Spaces, a project of the interfaith coalition Faith and the Common Good.

Grants will cover two-thirds of the audit cost. The number awarded will depend on the number of applications received and the size of churches.

Across Canada there are already excellent examples and plans in place for Anglican churches to go green.

In Richmond, B.C., St. Alban Anglican Church has installed solar panels to offset their energy costs.

The West End Commons, a planned multi-use space built out of St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Winnipeg, will use recycled building materials, upgraded eaves, and energy efficient appliances in its redesign.

(Photo: An example of where a green building audit might eventually take you: church leaders bless new solar panels at St. Alban, Richmond, B.C. Photo by Larry Scherban)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anglican Church of Canada, News from General Synod, April 11, 2013

 

Anglican-Lutheran Joint Assembly to meet in Ottawa

Posted on: April 10th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Links

 

Anglican Church of Canada/Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
 
Parliament Buildings
 
 

April 4, 2013–More than 800 Anglicans, Lutherans, and partners will gather at the Ottawa Convention Centre July 3 to 7, 2013, for a historic joint national meeting.

Inspired by the theme “Together for the love of the world,” members of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada will gather for worship and decision-making on areas of shared work, including mission and development.

Several key events will highlight the churches’ commitment to God’s mission in the world. Anglicans and Lutherans will be invited to make statements on two priority social justice issues: affordable housing and responsible resource extraction. On July 6, Anglican and Lutheran youth from Ottawa are to lead people at the assembly to Parliament Hill where they will participate in an act of public witness and worship.

The Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada share a unique “full communion” relationship. In the 2001 Waterloo Declaration the churches recognized their shared heritage and future. They share in the Eucharist, use each other’s liturgies, and Anglican and Lutheran clergy may serve interchangeably in either church.

In a welcoming letter on the Joint Assembly website, www.jointassembly.ca, the co-chairs of the Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission, the Very Rev. Peter Wall and Bishop Michael Pryse, celebrate the Anglican-Lutheran collaboration that has happened in the 12 years since the Waterloo Declaration:

“Our bishops meet together regularly; congregations, conferences, deaneries, dioceses, and synods all live out our Lord’s fervent wish ‘that they all may be one.’

“It is therefore with a real sense of excitement that we approach this first-ever joint national gathering.”

Select parts of Joint Assembly will be held separately, including elections and discussions about specific church business such as governance. Both churches will use electronic voting technology for on-the-floor elections and polls.

Guests at Joint Assembly include keynote speaker the Rev. Dr. Christopher Duraisingh, Episcopal Divinity School; the Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches; the Rev. Martin Junge, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation; the Rev. Canon Dr. Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Director for Unity, Faith, and Order, Anglican Communion; the Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion; Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; and Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

All are asked to remember Joint Assembly with this special prayer written for the occasion.

(Photo of Ottawa Parliament Buildings by archer10 on Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0])_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anglican Church of Canada, News from General Synod, April 4, 2013

Stewardship latest topic in growing online community

Posted on: April 8th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Discussion, Links

 

By Ali Symons, Anglican Church of Canada
 
 

 
 
Glen Mitchell, the Diocese of New Westminster’s director of stewardship and gift development, leads a team of writers in the new stewardship forum
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

A new stewardship forum is the latest addition to The Community, the Anglican Church of Canada’s growing online conversation space. Called “Growing Good Stewards,” the forum supports people who cultivate generosity—whether personally or in their parishes.

“I think frankly [stewardship] has been thought of as people having their hand out. It’s a lot more than that,” said Glen Mitchell, forum leader and director of stewardship and gift development, Diocese of New Westminster.

In a recent post, Mr. Mitchell wonders how the symbolism of the Eucharist and the offering intertwine during a service. What does it mean to have our money right up there at the front of the church, with the bread and wine?

Seven stewardship experts from across Canada will lead forum conversations, including Kevin Smith, regional gift planning consultant in the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, and Alex Parsons, diocesan stewardship/planned giving officer in the Diocese of Saskatoon.

All Canadian Anglicans are invited to join in, ask frank questions, and share stories—here and elsewhere in The Community.

Since its launch in February 2012, more than 20,000 people have visited The Community. The space now hosts 13 blogs, with the most popular addressing church life: children’s ministry, congregational development, and liturgy.

The Rev. Kyle Norman’s “Pop Culture Piety” blog has inspired the most comments on The Community, with his musings on tattoos, church branding, and reality TV.

Readers are increasingly sharing The Community’s content in their social spaces. One of the Rev. Dr. Jay Koyle’s recent posts—”Lent as metaphor and model for the church today”—was shared more than 80 times on Facebook.

The Rev. Jesse Dymond, online community coordinator, encourages readers to participate more in The Community.

“My hope is that alongside the growth we’ve seen in readership, we’ll continue to see growth in both contribution and discussion,” said Mr. Dymond.

“While Anglicans in many different dioceses are represented, I’d love to pull in voices from other parts of the country that can speak to unique ministry contexts.”

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anglican Church of Canada, Info! News from General Synod, April 4, 2013

Take an audio tour of Archbishop Justin’s prayer journey

Posted on: April 7th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Links

 

 

[Lambeth Palace -- Press Release] Listen to four programmes recorded by the BBC’s Daily Service during Archbishop Justin’s prayer journey last month

Archbishop Justin, wearing his Coventry Cross of Nails, is greeted by the people of Coventry and Warwickshire. Friday 15 March 2013. (Photograph: Coventry diocese) 

In the lead up to his enthronement last month, the BBC’s Daily Service joined Archbishop Justin in four locations on his journey in prayer around the southern province.

The shows, originally broadcast during the prayer journey, feature hymns, sermons and interviews with the Archbishop.

On the final day, Archbishop Justin said: “What I’ve learned more than anything else is people’s hunger to pray – not necessarily to pray with me, but just to pray.”

Day one: Norwich (Thursday 14 March)
On a cold, bright morning in Norwich, Archbishop Justin begins his prayer journey during an extraordinary week for many Christians worldwide – with Pope Francis set to be inaugurated in Rome and his own installation at Canterbury Cathedral.

As the programme notes, Archbishop Justin’s journey emphasises prayer as both “a duty and a joy”. This is reflected in some of the hymns sung by Norwich Cathedral choir, including ‘Awake, my soul, and with the sun thy daily stage of duty run’.

“This prayer journey begins in a place that has so many memories for me,” says the Archbishop, whose grandparents lived in Norfolk. “This encourages me to look forward to see what God will bring over the next few years.”

Listen to the BBC Daily Service recording from Norwich.

Read more about Archbishop Justin’s visit to Norwich.

Day two: Coventry (Friday 15 March)
On day two, Christian drummers lead large crowds into the ruins of the old Coventry cathedral, where the Archbishop prays for reconciliation and “the hope for the world that Christ brings”.

Against a backdrop of stained glass fragments, shattered by the German bombardment in 1940, Christians from many denominations gather with the Archbishop to pray “for themselves, for peace and for their enemies.”

The Coventry Litany of Reconciliation, which is prayed daily at the Cathedral and used throughout the world, is led here by Archbishop Justin and the Bishop of Coventry, Christopher Coxworth.

Hymns include John Bell and Graham Maule’s ‘Take this moment’ – itself a prayer for transformation.

Listen to the BBC Daily Service recording from Coventry.

Read more about Archbishop Justin’s visit to Coventry.

Day three: London (Saturday 16 March)
Standing at the birthplace of his ancient predecessor, Thomas Becket, the Archbishop starts his journey through the City of London – a place of wealth and poverty, sinners and saints.

With crowds and local clergy, Archbishop Justin walks past reminders of Christian witness and proclamation: from the St Paul’s Cross to the statue of John Wesley.

The capital is “a good place to remember the competition between faith and work, and how we turn that into cooperation,” the Archbishop notes.

Between visiting St Paul’s and Southwark Cathedrals, the Archbishop walks across the Millennium Bridge and along the South Bank with a dancing choir, whose lively outdoor singing is mixed with hymns from the cathedrals including ‘I’ll go in the strength of the Lord’.

Listen to the BBC Daily Service recording from London.

Read more about Archbishop Justin’s visit to London.

Day five: Chichester (Tuesday 19 March)
On the final stop of his journey, two days before his public ministry begins, Archbishop Justin is greeted by hundreds of people lining the streets of Chichester.

“Having the Archbishop of Canterbury here gives us a vote of confidence in all that this diocese is doing,” says one man. “It’s a day of great hope and encouragement to us all.”

During the programme, Archbishop Justin reflects on a reading from Mark 4 in which Jesus stills a storm that has terrified the disciples.

“Sometimes we feel deeply overwhelmed by the storm, and the response throughout the Bible to this is ‘Where are you God?’ That kind of prayer is entirely reasonable, entirely Godly, entirely Christian.”

Listen to the BBC ‘Daily Service’ recording from Chichester.

Read more about Archbishop Justin’s visit to Chichester.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Episcopal News Service,  April 4, 2013

Easter pastoral letter from Anglican, Lutheran leaders

Posted on: March 29th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Links, News

 

Bishop Johnson and Archbishop Hiltz

March 25, 2013–Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, has issued this joint Easter pastoral letter with Bishop Susan C. Johnson, National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. The two churches share a full communion agreement that includes joint mission work and a joint national meeting in July 2013. This letter is designed to be read in parishes on Easter Sunday.

Dear friends in Christ,

Grace and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

We write to share greetings with you in these days when our shared thoughts and reflections are so focused upon the dramatic and sacred events surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We do so recognizing that these events took place in a real place, in the city of Jerusalem, and to express our appreciation for the long and always deepening relationship that we share with the living stones who are our Lutheran and Anglican partners in the Holy Land.

We are grateful for new opportunities for partnership that have been realized in recent years, in particular, an invitation for our two churches to serve as companions to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem as they work toward the goal of establishing a Full Communion relationship with one another.

As members of a small delegation from Canada that was invited to do this work on behalf of the Lutheran World Federation and the Anglican Communion last April, our prayers for the peace of Jerusalem are particularly fervent and heartfelt during this Holy Week. We are, therefore, inviting you to join us in this work of prayerful companionship in your own Holy Week observances and worship. We invite you to pray for the leaders and members of our partner churches, for government leaders and partners in civil society, for all who work for peace and reconciliation, and for all people of faith in this place that is sacred to so many of the world’s population.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

‘May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls, 
and security within your towers.’

For the sake of my relatives and friends
I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good. (Psalm 122:6-9)

May God grant you and those dear to you, a full and rich experience of the story of Easter-not a story that we Christians explain, so much as a story that explains we Christians!

Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!

 

Download this pastoral letter as a PDF.

(Photo: National Bishop Susan C. Johnson, ELCIC, and Archbishop Fred Hiltz, ACC. Photo by Michael Hudson for General Synod Communications)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anglican Church of Canada, News from General Synod, March 25, 2013