by Chuck Erion Living with an openness to the call of the Spirit can lead one in unexpected directions — and perhaps few more so than Carol Motuz, a parishioner of Holy Saviour in Waterloo. Carol worked in Ottawa for the federal government for 26 years, and freelanced as a con- sultant for four more years. She then took a master’s degree in pastoral counselling at St. Paul University, part of the Universi- ty of Ottawa. But before setting up her practice in the fall of 2005, she visited her daughter, who was working as a water resource en- gineer in Chhatarpur, India. Carol had been warned that India would be noisy, smelly and dirty, but she loved it from the start, and one night felt she was being called by God to stay there and work with a hospital group called Emmanuel Hospi- tal Association. In the 1960s, India flexed its independence and expelled many of the missionaries whose schools, hospitals and orphan- ages dated from the British co- lonial era. e mission-based hospitals that survived were challenged by reduced fund- ing and a lack of work visas for overseas staff. irteen of these hospitals formed the Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA), which has since grown to a network of 20 hospitals and 42 projects. e mission of EHA is to serve the poorest of the poor, unlike civilian hospitals where bribes are oſten required before treatment. While EHA hospitals receive no government money, they fundraise with corporate and foreign donors. Middle-class patients, attract- ed by the quality of care do pay for treatment, in effect subsidiz- ing those who cannot pay. So Carol returned to Ottawa, sold her house and got rid of most of her possessions. She has adapted well to life in her area of India: eating without uten- sils, using squat toilets or bidets, dealing with minimal water supply, and almost no electricity (Cellphones? Internet? Almost none). She volunteers without pay or travel subsidy. Carol’s background in gov- ernment administration and her willingness to take on all challenges put her in good stead with EHA. Her first assignment in Au- gust 2006 was at a community hospital in Chandragodda, a tribal village in a remote corner of Jharkland, the nearest town being 35 kilometres away. ere she did counselling and strate- gic planning and organized its administrative systems. Soon it was off to Christian Hospital Chhatapur to do more counselling and administrative re-organization. She was asked to create a professional development pro- gram for the organization, and spent the next year travelling to each of the 22 hospitals across northern India, all in rural and remote areas. From July 2007 to November 2009, she taught English and computer skills at the nursing school attached to the hospital in Chhatarpur. en she transferred to an- other EHA hospital in Lalitpur to develop a palliative care pro- gram and a strategic plan. Many other assignments have followed. ANNUAL APPEAL Help us tell the stories of Huron Diocese with your financial support. Page 12 LAY MINISTRY Keith Nethery promos a new program coming for Huron’s lay people. Page 10 WHAT DO THEY DO? A new bi-monthly column profiles Huron Church House staff and their work. Page 8 HURON CHURCH NEWS ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF HURON • Huron Church News is a section of the Anglican Journal • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5 A helping hand to healers I taught English, research methods, and computer usage to nursing students because I feel that was one of the main reasons God took me to India. The first year that I taught, the class was particularly “educationally challenged” — most had come from small village schools — and the nursing school tutors were dismayed and didn’t expect any of them to graduate. I (or more appropriately, God) made it my mission to work with them. I spent a lot of time helping them with schoolwork, but more time encouraging them and even more time in prayer with them for their studies. You can imagine my delight when four years later, all passed and graduated as general nurse and midwife, equivalent to the Canadian registered nurse. — Carol Motuz on teaching in India Carol Motuz celebrates graduation day with the first class to whom she taught English at Chhatapur School of Nursing in India. It’s considered the “miracle” class after a less-than-promising start four years earlier. See INDIA Page 12 New group works to bridge cultures, faiths By John E. Montgomery and Rev. Canon Gaye Whippey e Bridge Builders origin- ated with a motion of Synod in 2013 when Synod recognized that the relationship between Canadian and Native peoples was encumbered by the “doc- trine of discovery.” is is a belief, rooted in the age of European exploration and colonization, that said any land not occupied by Chris- tians could be “discovered” and claimed for a Christian mon- arch. Seeing the Americas and wanting what they saw, Euro- pean nations justified their claims on Turtle Island through this ideology of cultural and re- ligious superiority. e doctrine led to “decisions invalidating or ignoring native aboriginal possession of land in favour of colonial or post-colonial gov- ernments,” in the words of U.S. prairie lawyer and poet Bette Wolf Duncan. e purpose of Huron’s Bridge Builders is to seek a bridge to restore relationships on new sacred ground so that Native input also informs how we are church. Building a relationship on new sacred ground allows for trust to develop between Aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples. e Bridge Builders have been meeting on a monthly basis since January 2014. e need for subject matter experts is especially important when it comes to matters of jus- tice and injustice. ese experts include witnesses or voices that help connect us with the stories that need to be heard. e first voice that the Bridge Builders heard from was Rev. Laverne Jacobs of the Bkejwanong First Nation and a member of the Primate’s Com- mission on Discovery, Recon- ciliation and Justice. We are seeking others. e Bridge Builders, ground- ed in mutual respect, love and support for both Native and mainstream Canadians, gives thanks for what God has done through aboriginal heritage, culture and environment just as we do for European heritage, culture and environment. By affirming mutual deci- sions along the lines of the new sacred ground of restored rela- tionships, we acknowledge and move beyond the imperious decisions of colonial and post- colonial governance. See BRIDGES Page 5 Building a relationship on new sacred ground allows for trust to develop between Aboriginal and non- aboriginal peoples.
Transcript
by Chuck ErionLiving with an openness to
the call of the Spirit can lead one in unexpected directions — and perhaps few more so than Carol Motuz, a parishioner of Holy Saviour in Waterloo.
Carol worked in Ottawa for the federal government for 26 years, and freelanced as a con-sultant for four more years. She then took a master’s degree in pastoral counselling at St. Paul University, part of the Universi-ty of Ottawa.
But before setting up her practice in the fall of 2005, she visited her daughter, who was working as a water resource en-gineer in Chhatarpur, India.
Carol had been warned that India would be noisy, smelly and dirty, but she loved it from the start, and one night felt she was being called by God to stay there and work with a hospital group called Emmanuel Hospi-tal Association.
In the 1960s, India flexed its independence and expelled many of the missionaries whose schools, hospitals and orphan-ages dated from the British co-lonial era. The mission-based hospitals that survived were challenged by reduced fund-ing and a lack of work visas for overseas staff.
Thirteen of these hospitals formed the Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA), which has since grown to a network of 20 hospitals and 42 projects.
The mission of EHA is to
serve the poorest of the poor, unlike civilian hospitals where bribes are often required before treatment. While EHA hospitals receive no government money,
they fundraise with corporate and foreign donors.
Middle-class patients, attract-ed by the quality of care do pay for treatment, in effect subsidiz-
ing those who cannot pay. So Carol returned to Ottawa,
sold her house and got rid of most of her possessions. She has adapted well to life in her area
of India: eating without uten-sils, using squat toilets or bidets, dealing with minimal water supply, and almost no electricity (Cellphones? Internet? Almost none). She volunteers without pay or travel subsidy.
Carol’s background in gov-ernment administration and her willingness to take on all challenges put her in good stead with EHA.
Her first assignment in Au-gust 2006 was at a community hospital in Chandragodda, a tribal village in a remote corner of Jharkland, the nearest town being 35 kilometres away. There she did counselling and strate-gic planning and organized its administrative systems.
Soon it was off to Christian Hospital Chhatapur to do more counselling and administrative re-organization.
She was asked to create a professional development pro-gram for the organization, and spent the next year travelling to each of the 22 hospitals across northern India, all in rural and remote areas.
From July 2007 to November 2009, she taught English and computer skills at the nursing school attached to the hospital in Chhatarpur.
Then she transferred to an-other EHA hospital in Lalitpur to develop a palliative care pro-gram and a strategic plan.
Many other assignments have followed.
ANNUAL APPEAL Help us tell the stories of Huron Diocese with your financial support.Page 12
LAY MINISTRYKeith Nethery promos a new program coming for Huron’s lay people. Page 10
WHAT DO THEY DO? A new bi-monthly column profiles Huron Church House staff and their work. Page 8
Huron CHurCH newsANGLICAN DIOCESE OF HURON • Huron Church News is a section of the Anglican Journal • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5
A helping hand to healers
I taught English, research methods, and computer usage to nursing students because I feel that was one of the main reasons God took me to India. The first year that I taught, the class was particularly “educationally challenged” — most had come from small village schools — and the nursing school tutors were dismayed and didn’t expect any of them to graduate.
I (or more appropriately, God) made it my mission to work with them. I spent a lot of time helping them with schoolwork, but more time encouraging them and even more time in prayer with them for their studies. You can imagine my delight when four years later, all passed and graduated as general nurse and midwife, equivalent to the Canadian registered nurse.
— Carol Motuz on teaching in India
Carol Motuz celebrates graduation day with the first class to whom she taught English at Chhatapur School of Nursing in India. It’s considered the “miracle” class after a less-than-promising start four years earlier.
See IndIa Page 12
New group works to bridge cultures, faithsBy John E. Montgomery and
ated with a motion of Synod in 2013 when Synod recognized that the relationship between Canadian and Native peoples was encumbered by the “doc-trine of discovery.”
This is a belief, rooted in the age of European exploration and colonization, that said any land not occupied by Chris-tians could be “discovered” and claimed for a Christian mon-arch.
Seeing the Americas and wanting what they saw, Euro-
pean nations justified their claims on Turtle Island through this ideology of cultural and re-ligious superiority. The doctrine led to “decisions invalidating or ignoring native aboriginal possession of land in favour of colonial or post-colonial gov-ernments,” in the words of U.S. prairie lawyer and poet Bette Wolf Duncan.
The purpose of Huron’s Bridge Builders is to seek a bridge to restore relationships on new sacred ground so that Native input also informs how we are church. Building a relationship on new sacred ground allows for trust to develop between
Aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples.
The Bridge Builders have been meeting on a monthly basis since January 2014.
The need for subject matter experts is especially important when it comes to matters of jus-tice and injustice. These experts include witnesses or voices that help connect us with the stories that need to be heard.
The first voice that the Bridge Builders heard from was Rev. Laverne Jacobs of the Bkejwanong First Nation and a member of the Primate’s Com-mission on Discovery, Recon-ciliation and Justice. We are
seeking others. The Bridge Builders, ground-
ed in mutual respect, love and support for both Native and mainstream Canadians, gives thanks for what God has done through aboriginal heritage, culture and environment just as we do for European heritage, culture and environment.
By affirming mutual deci-sions along the lines of the new sacred ground of restored rela-tionships, we acknowledge and move beyond the imperious decisions of colonial and post- colonial governance.
See BrIdges Page 5
Building a relationship on
new sacred ground allows for trust to develop between
Aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples.
J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S P A G E 3P A G E 2 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5
HuronChurch
NewsVolume 65, Number 1
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PublisherThe Right Reverend
Robert F. Bennett Bishop of Huron
Diocese of Huron Huron Church House 190 Queens Avenue
London, Ontario N6A 6H7 Phone: 519-434-6893
Huron Church News is published by the Diocese
of Huron as a section of the Anglican Journal.
Average circulation 14,000
HCN Board of Trustees Canon Robert Towler, Chair
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Let Huron Church News know about your news, at the parish, diocesan or individual level. Send stories (or tips) about where a sense of mission and
purpose has taken you, how God is moving in your lives, what’s life-changing in your midst, what has caused you to rejoice, and who is living their passion.
Sandra Coulson, EditorEmail: [email protected] (Note: this is a new email)
Interest from Invested Funds $29,500.00Misc Income $100.00
Total Receipts $69,600.00
DISBURSEMENTS
Diocese of Huron "Fairshare" $27,500.00Diocesan Outreach: Huron Church Camp $5,000.00Council Lay Training $2,700.00Monica Place $4,000.00College Chapels: $4,500.00Canterbury, Huron, Renison($1500 ea.)
Children/Youth Ministries $2,000.00Social Action and Nurture:Mission to Seafarers $400.00Henry Budd College $400.00Dr. Graham Homes $600.00Special Requests $300.00
‘Pudding factory’ gears up for 66th timeby Jennifer Uttley
Since 1949, the Anglican Church Women of St. John the Evangelist Church in Kitchen-er have been making Christ-mas puddings. It is the parish’s largest fundraiser and requires lots of volunteers, including not only members of the parish but also friends and extended fami-ly members.
It was Mildred Robertson, St. John the Evangelist’s beloved ACW president for many years, who brought the pudding reci-pe with her from London, Ont., when she and her family settled in Kitchener in 1945. The reci-pe, handed down through many generations, used all natural in-gredients.
We believe that in the first year the ACW made 200 pounds of pudding, selling it for 50 cents a pound. The price today has increased to $10, which reflects the higher cost of all the ingre-dient. This year 2,250 pounds of puddings were made in one-, two- and three-lb. sizes.
This year’s factory began on Friday, Nov. 7, when a group assembled to sort the fruit to be sure that there were no unwant-ed bits in the mix.
On Saturday, the equipment was moved to the parish hall and on Sunday it was set up fol-lowing the service.
On Monday, beginning at 8.30 a.m., the work started with greasing cans and mixing and steaming the three-lb. pud-dings. Enough one- and two-lb. puddings were also made to
allow steaming to start early on Tuesday morning.
Tuesday began with early steaming and more measur-ing, mixing, filling, weighing, pounding and covering cans for steaming. Cleanup of cans and equipment began as soon as the finished product was turned out, so volunteers were needed
well into the evening. Wednesday, puddings were
wrapped in wax paper, bagged and covered in colourful cello wrap. Cleanup continued with can washing.
Thursday, wrapping and cleanup were finished and on Friday orders were ready for pickup.
Almost 2,000 lbs. of pudding were preordered and record-ed in a spreadsheet with labels printed for the bagged orders. Email orders increased this year as we maintain an email list to remind previous customers of the date for pudding orders.
Every day during Pudding Week, there are coffee breaks and a lunch break when all in-volved are glad to sit down and relax. Volunteers prepare the refreshments and we often have homemade treats to help restore our energy. Fellowship is an im-portant ingredient in the pud-ding factory and these breaks give us a chance to get to know some people we hardly know, or to catch up with those we do.
At the ACW meeting in De-cember, the members take plea-sure in assigning the pudding profits, together with funds from our other projects, to or-ganizations in our community and elsewhere. A portion of this money is given to our church for ongoing projects. — with historical details from Dede Boulden. http://www.stjohn316.com/wp/wp-con-tent/uploads/2013/12/ ACW-Pudding-Factory-History.pdf
Members of the ACW at St. John the Evangelist, Kitchener, have made and sold Christmas pudding every year since 1949.
Do you know that the ACW has adopted a hymn as its very own?
It’s The Love of Jesus Calls Us, by Herbert O’Driscoll. You can find it in the Common Praise hymn book, Hymn 434.
As ACW chaplain Rev. Patricia Allison explains, “It
expresses the heart of the ACW mission: to sing in joyful praise, to give heartfelt thanks, to be companions on the journey, to go where Jesus leads, to be co-creators and to seek God’s kingdom through service to others.”
Hymn expresses heart of ACW mission
London Deanery
St. Anne’s, ByronMary Catherine Turner
Hilary GrayKaren Hoke
Betty RyckmanBeverley Aggerholm
In Memory
The ACW of Christ Church in Lion’s Head celebrated their annual ACW Sunday on Nov. 16. Christ Church ACW president Peggy Beghetto, front row centre, welcomed sister ACW members from St. Edmund’s Church in Tobermory.
Christmas hope goes beyond a dayA
s you read this edition of the Huron Church
News, we probably find ourselves somewhere in the middle of the 12 days of Christmas. It is the shortest of the church seasons, these 12 days beginning on Dec. 25, but one of the most important.
It is a gift of 12 days in which we can rejoice and celebrate the coming of God’s son as one of us.
For Mary and Joseph, the first 12 days after Jesus’ birth were likely filled with joy, wonder, worry and very little sleep. Given the sleep-deprived state of most new parents, they may have wondered if they imag-ined or dreamt the events of the night of Jesus’ birth.
And like most parents, new or experienced, they would have worried about their child. Here they were, parents of a newborn with nowhere to live, kept away from home due to the dictates of those who occu-pied their country.
I wonder if in the midst of their concern, they were able to hold on to glimpses of hope found in memories of angels saying, “Fear not.”
It is these glimpses of hope and of promise, that we want, and need, to hold on to in these 12 days of Christmas.
As I write this, it is Dec. 6 and the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. Today I told my 13-year-old daughter the story of the 14 young wom-en who were murdered at École Polytechnique because they were women. Young women
whose hopes and dreams for their future died with them that day.
What I would like to tell my daughter is that things are different now, that the death of these women was not in vain, that their deaths spurred a change that has made our world -- or at least our country -- a safer place. But I cannot.
We still live in a world fraught with violence, especial-ly against women and children. There are glimpses of hope such as the joint public pledge made by our church’s primate, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, and Rev. Susan Johnson, the nation-al bishop of the Evangelical Lu-theran Church in Canada, that: “I will never commit, condone
or stay silent about violence against women.”
But even these important glimpses are can be too fleet-ing. How many were aware of the statement and how many, a month later, have forgotten about it?
Even as people called to live lives of hope, it can be hard to see the angels and hear their message to fear not.
Maybe one of the gifts of living Christmas as a season rather than a day is that we have longer to listen, longer to live in the hope and promise we hear as we remember that God took the risk to become one of us.
Soon, if not already, many of our neighbours’ Christmas
lights will be extinguished and their trees lying derelict on their lawns. People have moved onto Boxing Day sales, New Year’s Eve parties and the comfort of getting back to their regular routine.
It is a false comfort. True comfort and hope is much more likely to be found in hanging on to Christmas just a little longer. True hope is to be found in reminding ourselves and others that Emmanuel has come, that God is with us, and that is true not only for one day, or even 12, but for all time.
Have a blessed Christmas!Tanya Phibbs is archdeacon of Huron and executive archdea-con at Huron Church House.
archdeacon Tanya PhIBBs
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photo by Sandra CoulsonEach year during Advent, Huron Church House staff support an organization in London by buying gifts, toys, etc. for Christmas. For 2014, staff decided to spread their energies to include overseas Canadian military and their families as a gesture of sympathy for the loss of two of the Canadian soldiers on home soil in late October — Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent in St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo of Hamilton. Many of the staff members were on hand in late November to turn over the gifts to Capt. Michael O’Leary, left, of the Royal Canadian Regiment, acting public relations officer of the 31 Canadian Brigade Group, and Capt. Jan Skomorowski, centre, of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, adjutant of the 31 Canadian Brigade Group. The gifts will be distributed through the Military Family Resource Centres.
From Page 1Moving toward decisions that
are mutually affirming upholds both Canadian and Aboriginal personal and community iden-tity.
We give thanks for how God upholds Native people and every one of us, so we may grow beyond a dominant system, which keeps people together but apart.
Grounded in the gift of each other as spiritual companions and leaders throughout Tur-tle Island, we are beginning to create a new, equal relationship
with safe boundaries for both Native and non-native peoples. When we stand together on sacred ground, it leads to new insights. God is bringing to pass the prayer long prayed by Ab-original leaders to the Creator: “help the people — the Indian people — to show their light to the white man” (Alanis Obom-sawin as quoted by James Treat).
If your voice needs to be heard with regard to building bridges between aboriginal and mainstream culture and faith, please contact Rev. Canon Gaye Whippey at [email protected].
John Montgomery, Rev. Canon Gaye Whippey, Rosalind Elm of the Oneida Nation, Rev. Canon Greg Smith, and Rev. Canon Doug Leighton are part of Bridge Builders between Native and non-natives.
Sharing sacred ground leads to new insights
BrIdges
A salute to Christmas Licentiate in Theology DDeeeeppeenn YYoouurr KKnnoowwlleeddggee ffoorr DDiisscciipplleesshhiipp beginning January 2015 The LTh Courses are also available individually to clergy & lay people. No previous study required.
LTh Homiletics with Rev. Dr. Jeff Crittenden Explore the various structures and styles of sermon prepara-tion and delivery. Dates/Time: Saturday, January 17, 10 am – 3:30 pm at Huron; plus online assignments completed by February 23. Cost: $300; More details online.
Bible Studies (Part I) What Is This “Bible” and How Did We Get It? with Dr. Murray Watson More details online.
Spirituality through Music Through Canterbury College, Windsor. More details online.
For More Information about the LTh & Registration www.huronuc.ca/conted
Faculty of Theology, Huron University College 1349 Western Road, London, Ontario N6G 1H3 519.438.7224, ext. 289; [email protected]
It’s a party, but it changes livesEvery day offers us wonders,
both big and small, if we have eyes to see.
On Oct. 19, something won-derful happened in Southamp-ton, at St. Paul’s Community Hall, that dramatically changed the lives of countless children around the world.
St. Paul’s Church hosted a community Gifts of Hope par-ty at which people of all ages, faiths and circumstances came together to share refreshments, stories and a purpose: to sup-port and give hope to some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
Gifts of Hope is one of the
initiatives of Plan Canada. Plan is one of the world’s oldest and largest international develop-ment agencies with a focus on social justice and an end to pov-erty for children in developing countries.
As in the well-known chil-dren’s story, Stone Soup, every person’s presence and contribu-tion at the party was added to create something beautiful and life-giving. Both the receiver and the giver were richer for it.
All who donated knew exactly what they were giving: real gifts that change real lives, whether it was in the form of livestock such as goats, pigs, roosters and
hens, clean water, sanitation, education or food, to name a few. Each dollar donated means more than we can ever imagine.
The Charlie Bell Trio helped set the tone for the Gifts of Hope party. People enjoyed the music, food, and atmosphere, which was relaxed and fun. There was conversation, laughter, dancing and an air of celebration.
In just two hours, this love-ly gathering of 80-plus people donated almost $9,000 and with Plan Canada’s partner gift matches, the total raised from the event was $44,615.
With all that is wrong in the world this was one way of mak-
ing things right. There is pow-er and healing in a community gathering to do just that.
Plan was so de-lighted with this Gifts of Hope par-ty that it included our Southampton story, photo and video of the event on its website. You can check it out at http://p l an c an a d a .ca/ canadians-raise-hope.
If you missed this party and the idea of it
touches your heart, then plan on attending the next one, set for Sept. 20. In the words of Gandhi, “We need to be the change we wish to see in the w o r l d .” Let’s do it together.
Lenten Speaker Series 2015t
Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - Ash Wednesday - The Reverend Canon Nick WellsSt. Peters Anglican Church, Tyrconnell
29596 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, Ontario
Wednesday, February 25, 2015 - Lent I - The Reverend Canon Christopher PrattSt. John the Evangelist
23 Water Street North, Kitchener, Ontario
Wednesday, March 4, 2015 - Lent II - The Reverend Canon Dr. William CliffThe Collegiate Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, Huron University College
1349 Western Road, London, Ontario
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 - Lent III - The Reverend Canon Georgina Foster-HaigInterfaith Chaplain
London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario
Wednesday, March 18, 2015 - Lent IV -The Reverend Kristen OliverSt. Pauls Anglican Church
210 Michigan Avenue, Point Edward, Ontario
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 - Lent V- The Reverend Adèle MilesSt. Luke the Evangelist - Broughdale
1204 Richmond Street, London, Ontario
london | canadaSt. Pauls Cathedral’ 472 Richmond Street, London, Ontario
corner of Queens & Richmond(519) 434-3225www.StPaulsCathedral.on.ca
P ILGRIMAGE
Lenten Speaker Series and Service begins at 12:15pm in the CathedralService followed by soup, sandwich, and dessert in Cronyn Hall
Please join us and bring a friend to enjoy this year's inspired theme:
The Brotherhood of Anglican Churchmen will hold its Con-ference 2015 for the Diocese of Huron on Saturday, April 25, with the theme of Volunteer in the Church.
The conference will be hosted by the BAC of St. James’, Inger-soll, at their church at 184 Ox-ford St. in Ingersoll.
More information will be available early in 2015. In the meantime, contact persons are: • Scott Naisbitt, BAC president, St. James’, Ingersoll, [email protected]• Dr. Paul Cavers, BAC pres-ident, Diocese of Huron, [email protected]• Rev. Meghan Nicholls, rector, St. James’, Ingersoll, rector@ stjamesingersoll.com.
Online registration for the 2015 Huron Church Camp sea-son, with the theme Tree of Life, opens on Jan. 15 at 6 p.m.
Please note that this is a change of date from the notice published in the December edi-tion of Huron Church News.
To register, go to www.huron-churchcamp.ca.
For more information con-tact camp staff at 519-434-6893, ext. 217, or [email protected].
St. Paul’s, Princeton, had an ecumenical pre-Halloween Messy Church called “Things that Go Bump in the Night!”
Its aim was to dispel the fears that can accompany all the ghosts, ghouls and zombie-like things that inhabit Halloween and other dark, dark nights in secular life.
We focused on Halloween as an ancient festival, which begins the celebration honouring the saints of the Church, so it is not scary at all.
The children did crafts, had plenty of snacks, sang songs and acted in a play about not being scared because Jesus Christ the
Saviour protects us all from the evil in the world and the scary things that go bump in the night.
Many neighbourhood chil-dren, some first-timers, and their parents attended and were led by children and adults of the congregations in the fun and games. We all had a fine supper after, which was prepared by the ladies of Princeton United, the Princeton Roman Catholic Community and St. Paul’s An-glican Church.
I read Rev. Jim Innes’s col-umn “The ABCs of Generation Z” in the November issue with great interest. I have reread and thought about it ever since.
I graduated from university about 50 years ago. ( I have no idea what our generation was.) We were full of hope and ambi-tion as the younger generation is supposed to be.
I was a graduate in agricul-ture, anxious to stamp out world hunger. This was a time when people were hungry on a scale never previously experienced. The rats in India ate more wheat than Canada could produce at the time.
Since that time farmers all around the world have pro-duced healthy nutritious food on a scale that we did not even dream possible.
In spite of this great accom-plishment we have not won the war against hunger. Our gener-ation of farmers has been and is under constant attack not unlike that suffered by Jesus Christ himself. We only need to look at the Social Justice Hu-ron column “Cultivating our bond with God”, by Rev. Chris Brouillard-Coyle on the page facing Jim Innes’s thoughts in the same issue of the Huron Church News.
As a result we have hunger and other food-related issues never before experienced in the history of humanity.
I do however wish Genera-tion Z all the best and hope they have more success than those of us who have gone before.
Best regards,George Roberts
leTTer To The edITor
Generation to generation
Halloween need not be scary Get ready for BAC conference
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Renew is an opportunity — an opportunity for us as the parish of St. Hilda’s-St. Luke’s in the city of St. Thomas to come together to seek our path for our future.
We have begun with our new mission statement — “Delighting in God and Engaged in God’s Purpose” — as an understanding that, through prayerful deliberation
and openness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we can discover who we are and what we are meant to do in God’s plan for us.
Renew also offers us an opportunity to set important financial goals that will allow us to move into our future, stable financially and able to undertake those ministries important to all of us.
St. Hilda’s-St. Luke’s won’t miss opportunity For the past 15 years,
St. Paul’s-Trinity in Wingham has hosted an annual community event featuring a visit from St. Nicholas of Myra on or near Dec. 5.
The evening celebration is open to all ages and has drawn visitors from across the local area.
In the glow of the St. Nicholas tree with St. Nicholas decorations all around, children and parents participate in a short worship service featuring traditional carols and songs.
They hear age-old stories and beautiful legends about the old saint himself.
St. Nicholas announces his arrival with a sharp knock on the church doors and enters in full bishop regalia to the excitement of all.
He shares his story and children learn of his generous heart, his humility and his dedication to serving others — the true spirit of Christmas!
After a brief visit during which St. Nicholas chats with the children and poses for pictures, he is on his way.
After the service, everyone heads downstairs for hot chocolate and homemade treats. There is much chatter and laughter as experienced hands help little
ones to complete a variety of Christmas crafts and decorations.
Upon leaving children discover candies and other treats in their boots. The children look forward to this special moment as they imagine who delivered the treats.
This community outreach project is a wonderful way to involve many parishioners and to share our story with others.
It is a great way to kick off the Christmas season and bring the warmth, joy and mystery of the season to our community.
Sharing a story with communitySt. Nicholas of Myra pays his annual visit to St. Paul’s-Trinity, Wingham, to meet children from the community.
Bishops’ Friends Dinners are growing around the Diocese of Huron.
They range from casual dinners to formal gatherings, and are a wonderful opportunity to share faith and fellowship in our deaneries as well as with our bishops.
They are also a time to visit with others in your deanery as you work together to strengthen our diocese.
After dinner at this year’s round of Bishops’ Friends Dinners across the diocese, attendees were pleased to hear from our bishops about the work they are enabled to do with the financial support of the regional chapters of Bishops’ Friends.
Events are unique to each region and planned locally.
Bishops’ Friends NorthBishops’ Friends North
kicked off the fall dinners on Sept. 18 with a bountiful harvest feast. Gathering lay people and clergy from across the Saugeen Deanery, more than 90 people enjoyed an evening of feasting, fellowship, live music, and silent
and live auctions. Drawing on the
harvest and talents from the local area, an appetizer of apple curry butternut squash soup was enjoyed before a full turkey dinner, fresh bakery rolls and a complement of homemade pies.
There was no cost to participate in the feast with all proceeds from the evening directed to the bishops’ discretionary fund.
John Stewart, a musical troubadour, entertained during the
event. Bishop Bob Bennett and Scott Saunders, who was instrumental in organizing this year’s event, were even convinced to take the stage to sing with John and offered an impromptu rendition of House of the
Rising Sun, much to the delight of the crowd.
John also offered a concert performance to be auctioned
off live that night, with spirited bidders purchasing not one but two events. The proceeds added to the evening’s success.
The organizing committee would like to thank the Elk and Finch Coffee Pub and Bistro, the Off-Shore Bakery, Harrigan’s 100 Mile Market and St. Paul’s Southampton for their generous contributions to the success of Bishops’ Friends North.
KW Bishop’ Friends The KW Bishop’ Friends
event returned to the Galt Golf and Country Club on Oct. 29 for a very pleasant evening of fellowship and visiting for more than 65 in attendance.
Nelson Cuthbert from St. George’s of Forest Hill, remarked how he enjoyed listening to Bishop Bob Bennett relate how he and Bishop Terry Dance use the discretionary funds raised each year at Friends’ events.
Rev. Don Davidson, event chair, observed that by mixing the participants at various tables, great sharing took place around exciting new ministry in the Kitchener-Waterloo deanery.
They were especially pleased to have the Ven. Dr. Bill Harrison attend and have an opportunity to hear his vision of lay ministry going forward in Huron.
Nelson reflected the essence of the Bishops’ Friends in his concluding comments: “It is so valuable to get together as a deanery to support our church leaders in quiet ways through our bishops.”
London Area Bishops’ Friends
On Nov. 12, approximately 60 members of the London Area Bishops’ Friends group met at the Sunningdale Golf and Country Club in north London.
The event began with a social time at which members met or were reacquainted.
Before an excellent dinner, as well between courses, the group was entertained by Jennifer White, a Celtic harpist, composer, vocalist, and storyteller.
“Members enjoyed a wonderful meal in a lovely setting and appreciated hearing of the excellent work our bishops are able to undertake because of the support our members provide,” said Bette Ferguson, co-chair of the London Area Bishops’ Friends.
Those attending their first dinner were introduced and
presented with a Bishops’ Friends pin.
Members were exhorted to seek out new members to support this ministry and to invite them to next year’s event.
Bishops’ Friends Essex
Bishops’ Friends Essex gathered at the Macedonian Centre on Dec. 3, with 160 present.
Many shared the labour of organizing the dinner, including priests and parish administrators around the deanery who help with promotions.
Prompted as the Deanery Christmas Dinner, the atmosphere was festive and Christmas songs were enjoyed by all during the sing-along led by Bill Wilkinson.
The auction, organized by Jane Humphreys, Joyce Zuk and others, was much fun, especially the live portion with auctioneer Terry Fink.
Mike Clark provided the beautiful poinsettias for the tables.
Many sponsors were thanked.
Almost all of the churches participated by claiming a table or two.
Mark Charlton and Stephen Willetts managed the finances following the event, making sure that everything balanced.
“What a great event this has become,” said Amanda Gellman, co-chair of Bishops’ Friends Essex. “We know that we can count on people each year who want to support this cause, and that is what truly makes a difference.”
Coming upBishops’ Friends Dinners for
Huron/Perth and Lambton/Kent are being planned for this spring.
Rev. Pat Byrne sings with the children of St.Hilda’s-St.Luke’s in St. Thomas. They had just received their new T-shirts to match the song they are singing, Draw the Circle Wide, the first step in introducing the church’s Renew project.
St. Hilda’s-St. Luke’s parishioners Nancy and Paul Lovelock and Donna Riddell enjoy the parish picnic in June.
A silent retreat will be one of the innovative fundraisers for the Renew the Cathedral cam-paign at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The Renew Yourself Silent Retreat will be held at the Five Oaks Retreat Centre near Paris from the evening of Monday, Feb. 23, to the late afternoon of Wednesday, Feb. 25.
The experienced facilitators — Linda Charney Alexander, Lynn Prentice and Mary-Lou-ise Starceivc — are volunteer-ing their time for this retreat, so that all proceeds will go Renew the Cathedral.
The campaign will fund ren-ovations to St. Paul’s Cathedral and St. Paul’s Social Services.
The retreat will include time to rest and reflect; daily yoga, meditation and other reflec-tive activities; and opportu-nity to explore the Five Oaks grounds, which include three labyrinths.
Participants are invited to
bring a journal and other per-sonal items that would help their retreat.
Recommended reading is Going In: Illuminating Your Sacred, by Lynn Prentice, avail-able at Mandala Book Shop in London and Grand River Bookstore in Paris.
The all-inclusive cost for the retreat is $365 for shared accommodation, with a $70 supplement a single room.
Some special diets can be accommodated for an extra cost of $2 per meal.
The registration deadline is Feb. 13. Registration is limited to 25 people.
Mail cheque or money order payable to St. Paul’s Cathedral, 742 Richmond St., London, N6A 3E6, with “Renew Silent Retreat” in the memo line.
For more information, contact Betty Ferguson at [email protected] or 226-224-8342.
Silent retreat speaks loudly for Renew
With a little help from our Friends
The Bishops’ Friends Dinners are proudly held in support of special and emergency needs of clergy and their families not covered by the diocesan budget or insurance, for example, financial hardships caused by medical or dental needs of a family member or long-distance travel for an unexpected family funeral.
This discretionary fund, now called the Empowered Leadership Fund, provides invaluable support to those who provide pastoral support to our nearly 200 parishes in the Diocese of Huron.
J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S P A G E 9P A G E 8 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5
by James ColbeckLet the faithful rejoice in triumph; let them sing for joy on their beds.Let the praises of God be in their throats and a two-edged sword in their hand,to wreak vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,to bind their kings in chains and their nobles with links of iron,to inflict on them the judgment decreed; this glory for all God’s faithful ones.Hallelujah!
— Psalm 149, verses 5-9
W ords are important, and that was
reinforced for me in a flash when those words from the closing verses of Psalm 149 registered for what they really say.
It was halfway through our rector’s homily. We in the choir had sung this psalm only a short time earlier. I had been too intent on singing the music correctly to note the psalm-ist’s content — written maybe 3,000 years earlier, in a time of repeated stress, oppression, and subjugation.
However, two days previously I had read something similar in the Globe and Mail about the terror being perpetrated by Is-lamic State and about its leader al Baghdadi’s exhortations to his followers.
Perhaps I might not have registered my concern that Sunday had one of the lessons not been Jesus’ distillation of the 10 Commandment down to two — “Love thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength” and “Love thy neighbour as thyself ” — and had not Rev. Canon Dr. Lorne Mitchell’s homily taken that theme. What a contrast.
Such was my concern and distress by the end of the service that approaching the rector, we arranged to meet the next day to discuss what might be done to address such militant language in the psalms and in the overall worship at St. James’, Stratford.
This was not the first time phrases in the psalms have disturbed me. None, however,
had grated quite so significantly before.
Even as a young boy singing in my first choir in Toronto at Christ Church, Deer Park, I had been aware of an aggressive bias in some of the hymns and psalms. Then it seemed right. That was 1948, ’49, ’50. Cana-dians had been on the winning side of a devastating world war. We weren’t aware of what has become known as a global village.
Days after my meeting with Rev. Mitchell, I took the time to read all 150 psalms. I had never done that before, although I had sung many in several choirs. Some are uplifting and celebratory of our duty to God and the blessings with which we are endowed. Too many are dour and pleas to God to pro-vide strength and forgiveness. Nine carry similar phrasing or intention as Psalm 149.
Partnering with this concern of mine are two words that in today’s society strike me as not only politically incorrect but intensely provocative and easily misinterpreted: Chosen People.
When first coined, they would have helped to uplift the spirits of an oppressed people. Surely, though, today when so many nations of all faiths and cultures are reaching out as partners to aid one another against the rigours of econom-ic, social, political, and military mayhem, how damning it is to say one people are the cho-sen people. Jesus, we are told, directed his apostles to go forth and preach his gospel to all nations.
This was not the first time phrases
in the psalms have disturbed me. None, however, had grated quite so significantly
before.That said, we cannot deny
that through the centuries var-ious branches of the evolving Christian church assumed to justify powers to cleanse them-selves of perceived heresies.
During a CBC-TV At Issue panel discussion, Dr. Saman-tha Nutt, founder of Warchild Canada, remarked that until nations take the time to prop-erly respect and understand the true identity and culture of other nations, there can be no basis for negotiated, lasting peace.
Near the end of the Robin Williams film Good Morn-ing Vietnam, his character, an American Army radio announcer, confronts a Viet-namese youth whom he had befriended but who he discov-ered has plotted to sabotage Americans. The Vietnamese youth says, “We are not the enemy. You are.” And he goes on to explain how foreigners have come into his country and destroyed his people, their vil-lages and crops without know-ing who they are and what they value. Words.
A high school friend of mine is an Anglican minister and a former cabinet minister. I asked him what he saw the difference to be between politics and religion. His response: “None.
Those two words speak of organizations.” He went on to underscore that the difference lies in faith. Words again.
Perhaps that is why the divide between nations in the Middle East and the West cannot be reconciled: the separation of church and state has yet to be understood, implemented, and embraced universally. When the motto of one nation is “In God we trust,” others must be asking, “Whose or what God?”
Words are important. Ide-ologies are crafted to suit the times. Faiths adjust their texts accordingly. This past summer while travelling with a Bap-tist pastor friend, I asked him for his understanding of why there are so many different denominations in the Chris-tian “family”. He enumerated in part some of the influences numerous charismatic person-alities have exerted through the centuries, men mostly who redraft the religious texts that otherwise offended or lacked the necessary impact to teach as they deemed appropriate to their times.
I may seem to have beaten about the bush with regards Psalm 149, but not really. To edit such material takes time, understanding and open discussion to determine the validity and relevance for con-sidering such.
In this case, I earnestly believe the church is at a sig-nificant juncture in its delib-erations about its role in the society. Jesus gave us clear and heart-lifting guidance about that role and what our individ-ual responsibilities to others are when he enunciated his two commandments. How can mil-itancy be justified on one hand and peace, love and forgiveness on the other?
We are torn, are we not, endeavouring to justify the two as valid poles in our temporal journey, given the nature of our species.James Colbeck is a parishioner at St. James’, Stratford. He is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada and was a lieutenant serving in the Royal Canadian Regiment in the 1960s.
One London Place255 Queens Avenue
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ell, father of Andrew Keegan Mackriell, director of mu-sic at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, London, died on Nov. 30 in Salisbury, England.
PasToral ProgressIons
The importance of wordsWhat happens when the militant words
of a psalm suddenly sink in?
H uron’s EnviroAction Committee is
encouraging youth of the diocese to respond to an invitation to action on climate change from the Anglican Communion’s Environment Network.
The archbishop of Cape Town has sent out a news release calling Anglicans “to strength-en our Christian witness in a difficult time and, by doing so, mobilizing the entire Angli-can Communion around the
urgent matter of global climate change.”
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, who is also chair of the An-glican Communion Environ-mental Network, has invited a few bishops from around the Anglican Communion to meet with him in South Africa
in February to exchange ideas and concerns and informa-tion about the responses that churches have already made or hope to make in relation to climate change.
He warns climate change re-sults in rising sea levels, stron-ger storms, longer droughts,
shortages of food and clean water, and waves of refugees and could lead to social and political upheaval in many countries.
“Unless more direct and faithful action, in addition to the reduction of greenhouse gases, is taken soon, the conse-quences for the church and all of humanity will be even more profound,” Archbishop Thabo said.
The goal will be to develop a Communion-wide strategic plan that meets the challenges
ahead and builds “confidence in God’s future” for present and future generations.
To the youth of the Anglican Communion, he says, “What do you want to say to a group of eco-bishops? I ask you to post a selfie or record a video on your smartphone or mo-bile device. Speak in English, French, Spanish or other language.”
Responses can be posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EcoBishopsIni-tiative.
‘Eco-bishops’ seek input from the youth envIroacTIon commITTee
Wide-ranging workload, but always obliging
By Heather MollerWe often hear the question,
“What do they actually do in Church House?” In this se-ries, each staff member of the Church House will be profiled to give you a glimpse of the workings at Church House.
To begin, we will start with Sarah Doucette. Sarah has been with the diocese office for 17 years and is the smiling, friend-ly, obliging person, whom many already know.
Sarah has worked in three departments since she started: parish services, administration and finance, and the bishop’s office.
Two roles that keep Sar-ah busy all year long are the co-ordination of the annu-al diocesan Synod and the co-ordination of the Diocesan Council and sub-council meet-ings. She prepares agendas, takes minutes, and distributes information and minutes.
Sarah begins preparing for the next Synod the week af-
ter the past one ended. This means seeking motions, vestry information and reports from committees; liaising with ven-ues; organizing delegates and observers; and preparing the agenda and the journal of pro-ceedings.
When the phones don’t work, our computers freeze or the database stops producing our required information, we call Sarah. That’s because Sarah oversees, with director of ad-ministration and finance Paul Rathbone, the database, website information, computers and phones.
There are many diocesan committees and Sarah supports and provides administration for many of them, including Huron Church News board of trustees, synod organizational commit-tee, motions committee and nominating committee.
Sarah is also the contact and support for Huron Hunger Fund and the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund
and administers the Three Cantors’ CD sales to support PWRDF. When the Three Can-tors lift their voices to heaven, Sarah may be found at the back of the church ready to sell their CDs to help the needy on Earth.
If you are inquiring about copyright licence issues, it is Sarah you would call first.
Sarah is also one of the main organizers of Church House so-cial and outreach projects and
support for the colleagues with whom she works.
Outside of the office she keeps busy with theological studies, family and grandchildren and involvement with her church, St. Michael and All Angels in London. Sarah is always busy, always smiling and always help-ful.Heather Moller works at Hu-ron Church House as Renew administrative co-ordinator.
Oilsands spark never-ending debateBy Rev. Chris
Brouillard-Coyle
D o an Internet search on “oilsands” and you
will get two distinct streams of content. One will highlight the economic advantages, including job opportunities for northern Alberta. The other emphasizes the environmental costs of oilsands development.
Much of the conversation about Canadian oilsands proj-ects focuses on one or both of these aspects debating back and forth about the facts and their implications. As part of the oil/tar sands immersion during the Anglican Church’s Justice Camp 2014 Land! in Edmonton our group had experiences with both of these realities.
Entering into the facilities for a Meg Energy camp site, it was hard not to see the finan-cial implications of oilsands development as buildings with dorm rooms were surrounded by a resort-like structure that included an extensive gym-nasium, movie theatre rooms, spa, play room, hockey rink, basketball courts, indoor golf and so on.
We were told that access to so many opportunities were vital ways to engage employees who would spend periods of time on site and then could be flown home for periods with their families. According to our host, this opened the door to spending quality time with
his children and, because of his generous pay, would allow him to retire well before 55. As our group gathered a bag lunch from the large variety of food available in the cafeteria, one of our moderators reminded me that in this meal, we, too, were benefitting from the bounty of the oilsands.
The money doesn’t stop with the companies. In Fort McMurray, we saw dozens of coach buses bringing work-ers to and from the mines for their shifts. We were told that workers come from all over the
country and return regularly to their hometowns to spend their considerable paycheques.
We also know that oilsands projects and its offshoots con-tribute substantially to govern-ment coffers throughout this country. We all benefit at least indirectly from the bounty of the oilsands.
It is also true that we are all affected by the environmental impact of oilsands projects. The devastation is particular-ly evident when one looks at open pit mines where topsoil and overburden are completely
stripped away to enable access to the bitumen that will be transformed into oil. To see an open pit mine is to see the land completely raped and bare. It is to look death in the face and wonder how such open wounds could possibly be repaired.
To see a tailings pond that has buoys strategically placed with models of falcons and recordings of screeching to frighten off waterfowl is to be reminded that there is a wildlife impact from the oilsands.
Syncrude, the company on whose tailings pond an entire
flock of ducks died a few years ago, acknowledges the potential problems associated with these polluted sites but also heralds its work in reclaiming the land and the water.
Unfortunately, our guide could not answer how long it would take to reclaim a tailings pond or what considerations are made for the ebbs and flows of our water systems when drawing fresh water for oil-sands productions.
Instead we were treated to views from their certified rec-lamation site, a little bumpier than before, but the wildlife were returning and the small herd of bison that they reintro-duced to the area were surviv-ing, albeit more like farmed bison than wild ones.
In the midst these images, one truth was proclaimed by our industrial guides: the public wants this. There is very little in our lives that isn’t touched by oil. Plastics are made through oil. Farmers require machinery that is run through oil. Even or-ganic, fair trade products need to get to the stores somehow.
Oil is fundamental to our existence right now. If not obtained through the oilsands, then where and how? Haunt-ing questions for those who worry about the environmental impact of the oilsands. Rev. Chris Brouillard-Coyle is co-chair of Social Justice Huron.
At an oilsands project, the surface is stripped away to create an open pit mine.
Food For ThoughT socIal JusTIce huron
WhaT do They do?huron church house sTaFF
Sarah Doucette is easily identified as the one with the coffee mug.
J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S P A G E 1 1P A G E 1 0 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5
Here’s what some of the coaches say about why they love coaching:
Everyone needs times of joy in his or her life. My partici-pation in working alongside congregations as a coach gives me great joy. The other benefit and blessing from working with people in the various churches are to see them using new resources from our tool box and putting them into practice. I am also richer with regards to the new educational programs and processes that I have learned and been able to share with my parish family.”
— Archdeacon Perry Chuipka
Some of our ways of doing church require keeping, while others require renewing. Dis-cernment between the two is the work of God’s people together. If we do this work
with openness and trust in God, pondering and praying together, the rewards of the experience are priceless! That is why I appreciate my coach-ing experiences so much.
— Shirley Sewell
I love coaching because it is a creative process that involves deep listening, and perceiving themes with groups of people trying to discern God’s call to action and change.
— Marilyn Malton
Coaching unfolds the creative talents of Anglicans granting them ownership of issues, deepening opportu-nities to serve Jesus, and a chance to work with passion-ate fellow believers.
— Rev. Paul Silcox
I like coaching because it is so uplifting to help church-
es from across the diocese discover and unlock their abil-ities. Despite the challenges we face, as Christ has prom-ised, our churches can have life and have it abundantly.
— Sandra Coulson
Coaching offers the unique opportunity to experience the Spirit at work, that amaz-ing moment when a Christian group submits itself to, and takes delight in, the purpose of God for their community.
— Rev. Bill Crosby
Working alongside congre-gations as a coach is a very rewarding privilege because you have the opportunity to engage with people who are very passionate about their church. It is exciting to see their ideas form together into goals for action toward a positive future.
— Paul Townshend
H uron’s team of Congregational Coaches
exists to coach the Church to a deeper experience of vocation and mission. We have passion and vision for our work — and besides that, we have a lot of fun at our meetings.
The Congregational Coaches are inviting new coaches — lay people or ordained — to join our team.
We are looking for people who have skills in presenting material to groups and facili-tating them with some of the resources coaches have to offer.
Coaching is a volunteer position, but you would be reimbursed by the diocese for travel costs and supplies. Some parishes are able to offer an
honorarium for your work with them.
You would be asked to plan workshops and other programs with churches and diocesan groups in your area of the diocese.
We provide training and mentoring for new coaches. Coaches always work in pairs, so new coaches are teamed with experienced coaches in the early stages.
To begin the process of discerning whether coaching is a ministry that you can offer, please contact a co-chair:• Marilyn Malton: 519-884-4404, ext. 28628 or [email protected]• Perry Chuipka: 519-357-3437 or [email protected]
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‘EfM’ – a resource to build your faithA
h yes, the glorious time of making New
Year’s resolutions, usually with no plan as to how you will accomplish them and thus they pass quickly into an unfulfilled history.
Ah yes, the glorious time of making New Year’s resolutions about faith, about reading the Bible more, about gaining a broader understanding and . . . see result above.
Well, let me travel two de-cades back into my murky his-tory and pull out a diamond in the rough that is coming soon to Huron and will in fact allow
you to follow through on your pledge to learn more about God, Jesus, the Bible, theology, church history and so on.
In my time in the Diocese of Calgary, I was attracted to a program called EfM — Educa-tion for Ministry. Its genesis is in the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., but for many years there has been a Canadian branch.
Simply put, EfM is a four-year, lay-driven, educational program featuring study in Old Testament, New Testament, church history, theology and ethics. It involves a significant time commitment over four years, but the result is an ability to answer the questions that have travelled with you for many years.
EfM is an excellent resource to help one process faith issues and respond to the ideas and questions of others. In short,
it can be an effective tool for evangelism.
Libi Clifford, a member of St. James’ Westminster in London, first encountered EfM while living in Chilliwack, B.C. Perhaps a little hesitant, but in need of something faith-build-ing, she entered the program.
I am much better equipped to relate Scripture to daily
life. Libi Clifford
on Education for Ministry
Her term for the first year: “fantastic!” She completed two years in Chilliwack and when she moved back to London, took the last two years with her group via Skype.
“If you have questions about faith, EfM is a safe place to
explore, and with help, come to your own answers. The group is mentored, not directed, which provides that safe place,” says Libi.
When asked about the “aha” moment of EfM, Libi says with-out a doubt it was the challenge of writing her own creed. While some in her group needed mul-tiple sheets of paper, after much reflection Libi came up with the following:
“I believe in God the Father, the Creator, Who formed my world, and allows me to live in it. I believe in God the Son, the Shepherd, Who loves me unconditionally and is a role model to live by. I believe in God the Holy Spirit, the Em-powerer Who gives me spiritual fulfillment and works within me to live a righteous life.”
Libi suggests few days go by without reference to her creed. And that, she says, is one of
the true strengths of EfM: “You come to look at life more in terms of God’s presence in ev-ery situation. I am much better equipped to relate Scripture to daily life.”
When EfM rolls out in Huron sometime this fall, Libi hopes to have completed the mentor training that will enable her to guide others through the pro-cess as she was encouraged by the mentor in her program.
More information on EfM is coming shortly. You can search EfM on the Internet, or Libi would be happy to tell you more ([email protected]), as would Archdeacon Bill Harri-son, the new director for mis-sion and ministry in Huron, at [email protected]. Keith Nethery is rector of St. Stephen’s Memorial in Lon-don and the media relations officer for the diocese. [email protected]
Is congregational coaching a calling for you? congregaTIonal coaches
Finding our prayer of the heartBy Rev. Anne Jaikaran
M any years ago as a young undergraduate
student I joined the prayer group in my hall of residence. I believe it was the first time I had ever heard anyone pray extemporaneously and I was amazed at the words that just seemed to flow out of the other girls’ mouths.
Up to that point I had thought all prayers said in pub-lic came out of the prayer book. Now here were these girls (I’m talking of the ’70s, so it was an
all-girls’ residence) talking to God as if God were sitting in the room with us.
I envied them the ease with which they carried on their conversations with God for all to hear and couldn’t imagine how I would ever pluck up the courage to open my mouth.
I was frightened of not hav-
ing the words, frightened that I would stutter and stammer until I came to a grinding halt mid-prayer, and I do not think I was alone in that fear among Anglicans.
Spontaneous prayer does not tend to be our strong point.
anglIcan FelloWshIP oF Prayer
From Page 10And we do have so many
beautiful prayers in both our prayer books which often express our thoughts far better than we could articulate them, but there are times, particularly in one-on-one situations, when what is needed is a simple prayer that is personal and specific to the situation being prayed for.
It took me many, many weeks and a lot of silent rehearsals be-fore I finally opened my mouth to pray in that student group and I would not say extempora-neous prayer has ever become an experience with which I
am completely at ease, but, as a parish priest and an on-call chaplain for London Health Sciences Centre, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and I have come to realize that praying with and for others has nothing to do with me and my words; it’s all about the heart.
In recent years I have led a prayer workshop in various parishes exploring the many types of prayer and, without fail, the session that has moved participants the most is the one on extemporary prayer.
I send people off in pairs to share with one another a situation for which they would appreciate prayer. They then
write a prayer for their partner based on what they have been told and pray it out loud. I have seen people return to the group in tears. For many it is the first time they have written their own prayer; for others it is the first time anyone has ever prayed specifically for them.
Praying for others extempo-raneously is all about everyone’s hearts. The heart of the one praying reaches out to the heart of God and to the heart of the person they are praying for. Then God’s heart reaches back out to touch the heart of both the one praying and the one being prayed for. I believe that neither God nor the one being
prayed for hear our spoken words so much as they hear the words of our heart.
While we Anglicans might sometimes have difficulty finding words, we always have a heart and that is all God needs. Rev. Anne Jaikaran is a mem-ber of the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer Huron executive.
Interested in learning more about extemporary prayer and other kinds of prayer? Plan on attending the Bishop’s Prayer Conference on Saturday, May 2, at Church of the Ascension, London.
See Prayer Page 11
Prayer
Changing weather, changing moodsW
hether or not others consider us as kind,
warm, and even-tempered, our moods are vulnerable to the changing weather.
Seasonal moodiness is such a common occurrence that the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) has given it a name: seasonal affective disorder (SAD). About a tenth of the population is diagnosed with severe SAD.
Such effects include de-creased feelings of well-being,
decreased energy, changing sleep patterns, and changing eating patterns. Sometimes it is noted by our withdrawal from family and friends, or a lack of focus, or a knowing sense of despair, sadness and/or anxiety, or an increased desire for carbs, or a decreased sex drive.
It seems that the shortening days are the main trigger for SAD. The decreased sunlight disrupts our body’s internal clock. Consequently, according to several scientists, SAD can look like a kind of hibernation.
Those severely affected with SAD will likely require counsel-ling and/or medications. And it will be important to begin by consulting one’s doctor.
For the majority of us, compensating for seasonal weather change may be much
simpler — such as making sure that we don’t feel cloistered by joining fellowship groups and/or exercising regularly, and/or scheduling time outside to breathe fresh air and soak up direct sunlight, whether hazy or bright).
I have personally found it helpful to make a seasonal trip to the clothing store and purchase the needed wear so that getting outside, even in the more extreme weather, is more comfortable and desirable.
Other recommendations to fend off SAD (from groups like CMHA) are massage therapy, mindfulness meditation, thera-peutic touch, aromatherapy, tai chi, and yoga.
Light therapy has also been found effective in approximate-ly 70% of all diagnosed cases
of SAD. This is a self-imposed exposure to bright light, using approved light therapy units for between 15 to 30 minutes.
Sometimes, with doctor approval, light therapy and melatonin are used together. Melatonin is a hormone found in animals and plants, and available in tablet form in phar-macies and health food store as a nutritional supplement.
Whatever proactive measure you may choose, it will be im-portant to note two matters.
Mood changes, created by shifting weather, are subtle.
According to the work of Dr. Matthew Rudorfer at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, “though SAD will go away on its own, it could take five months or more.”
Many suffering from SAD
(severe or mild) are confused by the advance of a miserable mood. And many fail in their attempt to compensate by simply trying harder to be-come more available. They only succeed in making themselves more miserable.
As I see it, it’s in situations like this when we must trust our own bodies and accept our mood as a valid barometer of our emotional well-being. And it’s okay to take a break from our relational demands.
Fortunately, Rudorfer prom-ises, that SAD is “generally quite treatable and the treat-ment options keep increasing and improving”.Rev. Jim Innes is the rector of St. John’s Church in St. Thom-as. [email protected]
Have a thought for Christ the refugee babyI
n the days after Christmas we celebrate a number of
feasts, one of which is the Holy Innocents.
Mary, Joseph and the Christ child have had to flee to Egypt, and the murderous king Herod in his rage, decrees that all the little boys of Bethlehem must die. Why? Because Herod fears for his throne.
While fear makes Herod tremble in his palace, his fear forces Joseph to take his little family away from the tyrant who would seek the baby’s life. The baby is bundled against the
desert cold and they go on their way to safety.
We often forget that Jesus was a refugee at the beginning of his life. Herod, who was fearful of Rome but even more fearful of change, had threatened the life of the little child who will change everything.
This is the kind of thing that the powerful fear: an unknown force that will upset the balance of power, or a single person who can inspire others to throw off the intolerable burden that has been readily accepted in the past.
Our world has been filled with refugees before then and ever since.
We are called to be the people who recognize in the stranger the very One who is our sav-iour. We are meant to see in the other a wounded self and, in seeing, make the difference for the one in need. This is the way
that Jesus intended it to be.The world we currently
inhabit is one that is filled with refugees for the same reasons that the Christ child fled into Egypt: The powerful who fear their kingdoms being usurped once again victimize the pow-erless out of their own fear of losing what they have.
This Epiphany, as you cele-brate with those to whom you are close, have a thought for those whose lives have been turned upside down by the wars, insurrections, bankrupt-cies, crimes and tragedies of the world.
Think of the displaced per-sons whose only crime was the place or tribe or people into which they were born.
As you think of them, consider the ways that you might make a change in your world for their sake. Consider the ways that you, as a person
blessed beyond measure with education and freedom, can seek out those who have been displaced from their homes.
You need not look far. They are your neighbours. They are both on the streets where you live and far away in camps hop-ing for a better life.
Christ comes to us in total vulnerability and seeks to be known to us in the love of our closest, our nearest and our dearest. Christ also seeks to be sheltered in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned.
Look around you and see the refugee who could be the Christ walking among us today, and do not turn away, but rath-er, come and worship.Rev. Canon William G. Cliff is rector of the Collegiate Chapel of St. John the Evangelist. [email protected]. 519-438-7224, ext. 294.
rev. canon BIll clIFF
Extemporary prayer workshop a deeply moving experience
P A G E 1 2 A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F H U R O N C H U R C H N E W S J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5
The part I like best about being a journalist is the opportunity to hear the stories of people from so many different walks of life.
Some stories have been heart-warming and others heart-wrenching. Some have been inspirational and others were the lives of, well, eccentrics who leave grin on my face.
Since taking over as editor of the Huron Church News in July, I have found the stories in the Diocese of Huron to be no differ-ent, as people live out their faith in the glory of God, the love of Jesus Christ, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
There’s Rev. Mary Belnap, whose whole life – through good times and bad– seems to have been preparing her for her voca-tion as a deacon. And what a
blessing she has been to the people of Sarnia who are down on their luck.
There’s the Parish of the Trans-figuration where everything came together for a “hay bale garden” to grow vegetables for food banks.
There’s Christ Church in the village of Markdale where mem-bers chose to jettison weekly Sunday School for a twice-yearly after-school program. They’re high-fiving with the eight-year-olds and getting invitations to birthday parties from five-year-olds.
On top of that are the colum-nists who draw on their own life experiences, committees who bring such passion to their minis-tries, and those who tap into the rich history of Huron.
And that was just a very small
sample from the first issues that I have been involved in.
I know there are more stories out there. I would like to keep Huron Church News going so that our diocese has a venue where we can share our stories and ideas.
I hope you do, too. That’s why we send out this yearly appeal to you, the readers, for financial sup-port for the publication. By contrib-uting financially to Huron Church News, you can help spread news that is indeed good news.
Sandra CoulsonEditor
Sharing your stories. Huron Church News is the public communication device for our Diocese.My/Our Contribution to Huron Church News
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Teaching English is part of Carol Motuz’s work for the Emmanuel Hospital Association in India. She always wears a sari while teaching, but sometimes, as in this photo, needs a shawl because it can get cold in India.
IndIa: Her life at Indian hospitals ‘drenched in prayer’From Page 1Currently, Carol is designing
a nursing program to expand maternity and natal skills — all nurses are qualified midwives — to include obstetrical surgery.
She continues to spend sev-eral months each year in India. The rest of the time she spends in Canada, where she now lives in Kitchener-Waterloo to be close to her daughter’s family.
She intends to spend many months a year in Canada un-til her grandchildren are older, when she may return to spend-ing longer periods in India. But then, as she says, “Every time I make plans, God chuckles and says ‘Yeah? You think so?’ ”
What is the religious life like
while working in a Christian hospital in India?
Carol participates in daily de-votions: during Lent that’s a 1½-
hour service. Most services are in Hindi, but her administrator speaks English and summarizes for her.
She described her life there as “drenched in prayer.” No deci-sions are made without exten-sive prayer, and prayer works. “The things that were on the prayer list one month would end up on the praise list the next,” she recalls.
When the construction of a new hospital was stalled for lack of funds to pay the builders, the staff prayed about it. The work-ers carried on and, out of the blue, a call came announcing that a former patient had left a sizable estate to the hospital.
Carol speaks of the intimacy between God and the people with whom she works. This is part of the larger culture of In-dia, whether Muslim, Hindu, aboriginal or Christian. There is
no separation between the indi-vidual and a spiritual awareness.
“You get the sense that God is really close. He’s everywhere, in everything. Worship is life and life is worship.”
I came away with a warm im-pression of Carol’s compassion, simplicity and generosity of spirit. She is living her calling, helping Indian nurses and doc-tors to assist India’s countless poor. Chuck Erion is editor of the newsletter at Holy Saviour, Waterloo.
To learn more about Emman-uel Hospital Association, go to www.eha-health.org.
