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As I hope you can tell, there is a lot to celebrate about

St. Aidan! We want to be a community that not only

celebrates together but also spills out this celebration

into every aspect of our lives – in our homes,

community, and the world around us. Worship, care,

service, hospitality, growth, and learning happens in a

multitude of ways in and through our parish because

you give of your time, your talent, and your treasure.

We hope that as you continue to give and receive you

will see how your tithes and offerings support not only

the ministry of this parish, but also the mission of Christ

in the world.

St. Aidan is a remarkable community with an

astounding ability to minister to one another and to our

community. In order to further our ministry in the city

of Moose Jaw and area, we have a goal to raise a total

budget of $222,700. This is ambitious, but I pray that

your giving will flow out of a grateful heart to God for

the gracious and generous ways He is working among

us.

Fr. Dean+

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At St. Aidan, we believe that God has given us the vision to be -

a caring community, rooted in the Word,

living our faith, and sharing God’s love.

Painting of St. Aidan by Carly Smith

FINANCES AND FAITHFULNESS,

MONEY AND MISSIONS

in

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EEEDUCATIONDUCATIONDUCATION

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St. Aidan is a parish overflowing with parishioners, leaders,

and clergy who are deeply involved in education. We are

blessed with theologians and philosophers, New Testament

and English professors, environmental physicists and social

work professors, school teachers and principals, teaching

assistants and academic vice-presidents, representing

elementary, secondary, and universities, polytechnics,

regional colleges and Christian colleges. As such, St. Aidan

is a hub of Christian education and scholarship in the

diocese and even in the ecclesiastical province. It is for this

reason that we see releasing teaching ministry in our parish

and beyond as a key part of our ministry. St. Aidan leaders

have been heavily involved in the Qu’Appelle School for

Mission and Ministry—the diocesan training school. As

well, the parish recently began offering lectures with some

of our Compline services. Additionally, we love to see our

incumbent priest prioritize serious study of Scripture in his

weekly routine—translating Hebrew and Greek, reading

widely, and even writing a biblical commentary to share

with the wider church! This sets the pace for the education

that takes place throughout the parish, including the

Sunday morning children and youth learning opportunities

through our nursery (ages 1-2 years), our Godly Play

program (ages 3 years to grade 3), the Sunday school classes

for grades 7-12, and our new program this year for grades 4

-6. Approximately 100 people are involved in educational

programs offered through St. Aidan and it makes up 1.8%

or $3,900 of our annual budget in 2017.

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O ur Mission describes how we believe God

is calling us to respond: “Responding to

God’s initiative, we will build a loving community

that fosters communication, acceptance, and respect

for all through worship, education, and fellowship.

We will diligently administer the resources of our

church and fulfill our responsibility to the wider

church community.”

I n order to provide our parish and the wider

community with a summary of some of the

highlights of 2016 at St. Aidan and our plan for

2017, we offer to you our first attempt at a

“narrative budget.” In a budget of this sort, we

provide an overview of how the largest swaths of

our budget commitments relate to our life and

ministry together. We hope that this format will

help to show how finances and faithfulness,

money and mission, can go together.

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Many in our parish will attest to it being the beautiful,

participatory liturgy that connects with their deepest

spiritual hunger. The cornerstone of worship in the

Anglican tradition is Sunday Eucharist. It takes a

veritable army of volunteers and staff to organize and

prepare for worship at St. Aidan. Every week,

approximately 30 people contribute to Sunday services.

This includes roles as diverse as the altar guild, greeters,

altar servers, lay communion assistants, choir members,

lectors, offering counters, sound technicians, and healing

prayer team members. As well, we recognize presiding at

worship to be one of the core elements of our incumbent’s

ministry; in this he is supported by our deacon and the

associate clergy. Behind the scenes, preparing bulletins

and orders of service makes up a portion of the work of

our parish administrator. All this effort is a priority

because worship is central to our identity. Throughout

the church year, seasonal and Compline services, a regular

choir, and selected anthems add to our experience of the

“beauty of holiness” at St. Aidan. Finally, there are

numerous special services that mark significant events in

our life of faith. This year we celebrated 10 baptisms, 2

confirmations, 2 weddings, and 17 funerals—all

experiences of worship, prayer, and the proclamation of

the gospel. In the upcoming year, we will be devoting

approximately 22% (or $49,350) of our overall budget to

supporting worship.

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One of the reasons that we gather and serve together at St.

Aidan is to grow in our ability to follow Christ faithfully.

Last year we had a number of initiatives that contributed

to that. In February, Tracy Macfarlane initiated a “Brave

Women Day Retreat.” Ellen Duffield was the keynote

speaker and director for this encouraging and

empowering day for over 70 women from our parish, city,

and across the diocese. In our various Lenten groups, we

grew together through poetry, film, and spiritual

disciplines. Our Inklings events took place four times last

fall and continue to be unique growth facilitators at St.

Aidan. In these sessions, we learn about one another’s

lives and loves. This year, attendance at Inklings ranged

from 50 to 100 people each evening. Particularly

remarkable has been the growth of our youth group over

the past years at St. Aidan. Each week, roughly 25 young

people in grades 5 to 12, along with a team of sponsors

and leaders, meet at St. Aidan for worship, the study of

Scripture, and to learn to care for one another. In order to

ensure the sustainability of this ministry into the future,

we are increasing the honorarium for our youth minister

to $18,000 for 40% of his time and are seeking ways to rely

less on the fund that originally enabled this ministry.

Growth makes up 12% or $25,900 of our annual budget.

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St. Aidan Church has a physical home: our building. The

way the church building is designed and how it is kept is

itself an expression of our worship. As a place of prayer,

the nave and chapel are formed to inspire our thoughts

to God. Our offices serve as work spaces and rooms for

discussion and collaboration. Maintaining and

improving our built environment requires significant

investment of resources. This year we anticipate the cost

of maintaining and improving our parish building to be

approximately $37,400 or 17% of our budget.

Additionally, due to the parish’s generosity in the Living

the Mission campaign and through specially dedicated

gifts, we have recently equipped our parish with a

suitable hall and kitchen. This space is dedicated to

meeting, fellowship, and celebration. Soon this space

will be available as an accessible and appropriate space

for our parish family and to the community.

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After we’ve been fed at the Lord’s table, we are sent out to

“love and serve the Lord.” This takes place in numerous

ways. For example, our Sunday lunches are open to

members of the community looking for a small meal and

some fellowship. This ministry has recently received new

leadership and has aimed to move our parish into more

environmentally and economically sustainable practices. As

a “Eucharistic people” we share good food and wine (and

beer!) as an extension of our table fellowship established at

communion. This takes place at several events, including

the Easter Vigil and the Agape Supper on Maundy

Thursday. With an array of amazing cooks, wine experts,

and brewers in our parish, we aim to supply some of our

central gatherings with refreshments over which we build

friendship and community. Monthly, a team from St. Aidan

joins the crew at Riverside Mission to serve food and meet

people in their community. We also contribute annually to

the Primate’s World Relief and Development Organization

(PWRDF), and the Anglican Foundation. Every year, many

people contact the parish seeking food vouchers and other

kinds of help. In the past year, our parish has also

contributed to the Salvation Army Community and Family

Services, Moose Jaw Transition House, Hunger in Moose

Jaw, Meals on Wheels, school supplies for immigrant teens

at Central Collegiate, Samaritans’ Purse Christmas

Shoeboxes. Approximately $8,200 of this parish’s budget is

dedicated to hosting and giving to the community and

much more has been given directly to PWRDF and other

agencies by our parishioners.

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In order to share and invite others into the good things

taking place at St. Aidan, our parish maintains an excellent

website. We also advertise on the local radio station before

Christmas and Easter and maintain outdoor bulletin boards

on our church property. Communications make up 0.4% or

$875 of our annual budget.

Often taking place around the edges of our bustling parish,

there is a dedicated group of people who attend to those in

difficult circumstances, extend friendship to those who are

grieving, and provide advice to those seeking guidance.

The pastoral care team ministers quietly and effectively to

30+ people who are in care homes or in hospital. Our

deacon exemplifies the ministry of service by interpreting

the world to the church and the church to the world. She

does this through countless pastoral care sessions with

individuals in our parish and beyond. The ministry of care

also takes place through our priests who meet one on one

to offer counsel or a listening ear. Particularly exciting this

year is the group from our parish who are undertaking

training in spiritual direction to serve the parish and

diocese in this crucial ministry. Ministries of care at St.

Aidan receive approximately 18% of the budget or $39,100.

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