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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
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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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