We had busy weeks leading up to Christmas at St. James’ in Gillams, with our annual memory tree lighting, Advent candle lighting, and gifts from our Jesse Tree and food bank items, as well as knitted and crocheted shawls donated to the needy.

The post Christmas 2023, St. James’, Gillams appeared first on Anglican Life.

In 1957 The Rev’d W. F. Ralph was deeply concerned about growing the Anglican congregation in this area and the inadequacy of the two small existing churches of Presentation and St. Matthew.  From 1907 the small Presentation Church served the Goulds area, and since 1913 the small St. Matthew’s church served Kilbride. Rev’d Ralph had a strong conviction that some move had to be made to combine the two congregations with a long-range view of building a new church to serve both. At a joint congregational meeting on February 7th, 1958, it was agreed to set up an appeal for one new church building.

In 1958 Rev’d Ralph left the parish to continue his ministry on the mainland. However, Canon T. E. Loder continued the forward movement begun by Rev’d Ralph. Canon Loder retired in July of 1960 and The Rev’d Canon George Martin, appointed by Bishop Meaden, became rector. During these years much clergy and lay leadership led to the “Breaking of the Ground Ceremony” on May 21st, 1961, and then the laying of the corner stone on October 28th, 1962. The official opening service of St. Paul’s took place at 11am on December 8th the 2nd Sunday of Advent with The Rt. Rev’d John Alfred Meaden, the Lord Bishop of Newfoundland, presiding. In the years since, with the inspiration and hard work of many clergy and the congregation St. Paul’s has been an active participant in building God’s kingdom in this area for 60 years.

If you were to read the history of St. Paul’s Anglican Church from the 25th Anniversary booklet, you would see that building the church and participating in God’s work was not always easy. From an article in the 50th Anniversary booklet – Fraser Stanley wrote, “There have been many difficult times over the fifty-year life of St. Paul’s.”  Frazer talks about the many challenges and ends with “What would St. Paul’s do without the ACW?” Frazer continued, “St. Paul’s has come a long way since it opened its doors but we still have a long way to go. With God’s blessing may our congregation continue to grow.”  

Since 1963, much has changed. The people who were so active in the many worship, educational, and outreach programs from years ago are either no longer able to offer themselves for active service, or have passed on to the greater Glory. The world and the people in it have changed. For many, Sunday mornings are now times for recreation and other activities. Shift work and job rotations prevent many from participating in church life. There are headlines such as, “The decline in religious belief and practice among young adults is an oncoming train for which we are not remotely prepared.”  All of these changes can certainly take the wind out of our sails. It may seem that our dreams of building God’s Kingdom are left behind on some distant shore. We may feel our ship is sinking—there is no sight on the horizon of anyone coming to save us. However, we should never lose site that St. Paul’s is not our ship—it is God’s ship. God is always in control and God will continue to give us dreams, maybe leading us in new directions and destinations. How we respond: that is up to us.

Rev’d Ralph could have said this is too much work. Sixty years ago, the lay people (some of whom have family who still worship at St. Paul’s today) could have said, “This it too much to ask physically and financially.” The many clergy and lay people who followed could have thrown in the towel many times. But they did not. They all trusted in God and here we are today celebrating 60 years of building God’s Kingdom, and I would hope to say with many many more years to come.

Yes, things have changed significantly since 1963. We have been blessed with the legacy which both God and those before us have bestowed upon us. We are here today with an acre of freshly turned soil looking forward with anticipation to help feed the less fortunate next fall. We have a Friday Night Kids program that has over 60 young people, many of whom have no affiliation with any church, who come here to learn about Jesus. We are here today with an ACW who continues to be active in keeping St. Paul’s alive in so many ways. God has much more work for us to do in our community.

To God be the glory for the work that was completed over these 60 years; for the present labours, and for the future goals of our visionaries. Blessings to the past, present and future.

The post St. Paul’s in Goulds: Celebrating 60 Years of Building God’s Kingdom appeared first on Anglican Life.

Starting from the left: Denise Kettle, communications officer, Helen Meade, altar guild, Phyllis Matthews, vice-president, Rev’d Faye, Norma Simms, president, Darlene LeRiche, secretary, and Linda LeRiche as treasurer.  

The post St. Paul’s, Grand Bay, 2024 ACW installed appeared first on Anglican Life.

In a free and open democracy, citizens are entitled to effective and efficient service delivery from public institutions. As well, effective internal controls and monitoring are required in ensuring our laws and regulations are adhered to. And in the workplace, unless we all strive for truth, justice, and righteousness then it’s difficult to be able to deliver effective and efficient public services. 

In earlier days as a member of the RCMP, stationed in Ottawa, I was director general of the RCMP’s audit & evaluation directorate. For senior RCMP commanders geographically positioned in the provinces and territories, to just have a proper attitude towards accountability was deemed not sufficient. It required them to have a technical structure for audits and performance evaluations that was organizationally sound, with appropriate timelines for delivery of reports. These reports would in turn be subject to oversight control by the Commissioner, and subsequently to the office of the auditor general of Canada. 

Accountability processes at the various governmental levels (i.e., federal, provincial, and municipal) are too often not demanded by internal governing bodies that are responsible for doing so.  And those who are accountable often rely too heavily on subordinates to ensure that accountability processes are in place. Such behaviour can sometimes be deliberate and serve as a shield for one’s own accountability obligations. Also, such a distorted view of accountability easily creeps in when those entrusted with a responsibility begin to believe they should be exempted from public scrutiny, because their appointment implies they are already trusted. This is when ‘Trust but Verify’ kicks in. Good faith and noble disposition are not sufficient. Nobody in a government workplace should harbour the view that ‘I’m beyond having to render an account.’ 

The missing link all along has been the effective accountability for the use of authorities for which people have been entrusted. Nowadays more and more stress is placed on being result-oriented in a client-sensitive culture. The importance of effective accountability is going to become correspondingly greater, and each manager will be expected to have an agreed statement of anticipated results and performance standards. 

The Apostle Paul, in both his Letters to the Corinthians and Ephesians, writes on the requirement of building each other up, premised on the importance of edification over gratification, meaning others over self; freedom over legalism; and respect over condemnation. And in the workplace, one needs to determine not only if it’s lawful, but is it beneficial and does it build up? Does it build you up, and others up, for the overall good of the community? To strive to do better, to become a better person, rather than just striving to become the best. 

The post Reasonable and Probable Grounds to Believe appeared first on Anglican Life.

Cuthbert’s spiritual journey began when he experienced a divine vision, which led him to join the monastery of Melrose in 651. When plague claimed the life of the prior, Cuthbert, who had been affected by the same sickness, emerged as a healer and became the next prior. Throughout this period, he reportedly performed miracles, leading the people of his time to believe that he had a connection with the divine. 

Transferred to Lindisfarne in 664, Cuthbert became the prior there introducing many reforms, and he also extended his religious authority to Durham (it’s in Durham Cathedral that you’ll find his tomb today, and also the statue called “The Journey”).

Cuthbert’s love for wildlife conservation became evident during his time as a hermit on Inner Farne in 676. He dedicated himself to prayer and constructed an oratory and cell. What sets Cuthbert apart, however, is his successful efforts to protect birds, leading to his association with “St. Cuthbert’s” (eider) duck—he is said to have tamed the ducks so well that they would nest everywhere, even next to the chapel altar, without fear. Cuthbert also placed the ducks under his protective grace, so that no one should eat or even disturb them. He became intersted in eider ducks when he saw that the people in Farne were eating the birds and their eggs, and that the birds were becoming more scarce as a result. In this way, Cuthbert was one of the earliest wildlife conservationists. His commitment to safeguarding birds reflects a deep ecological consciousness which many of us in the Church feel today. This advocacy for wildlife preservation was not just a byproduct of his spiritual calling, but also a clear illustration of his understanding of humanity’s responsibility towards the environment.

Cuthbert became bishop of Lindisfarne in 685. Despite his elevated status, Cuthbert chose to retire once again to Inner Farne in 687, where he spent his final years as a hermit. A 14th-century chapel is still standing on the site of his final living place.

In the centuries that followed, St. Cuthbert’s legacy endured, with churches, monuments, and pilgrimages dedicated to him. His body, initially buried at Lindisfarne, underwent multiple relocations to protect it from Viking raids, and finally found its resting place in Durham Cathedral in 999. The destruction of the cathedral by King Henry VIII in 1538 marked the end of an era, but St. Cuthbert’s teachings and deeds continue to inspire. There are those who might think that we have little to learn from someone who lived so long ago and so far away, but with today’s unprecedented ecological challenges, St. Cuthbert’s legacy encourages us to reflect on our responsibility to protect and preserve the natural world wherever we are in it, however we can, even if it feels like a small contribution at the time.

The post St. Cuthbert the Environmentalist appeared first on Anglican Life.

If that wasn’t bad enough, COVID-19 hit. The tailspin worsened. Churches that were feeling the pinch were stressed even further. Some closed for good. Some reopened with fewer numbers attending. It all looks pretty bleak. Well, that depends on how you look at it.
If you step back a little and look some more, you can see how the Church, or more specifically how faithful Anglicans, and no doubt others, have responded and are responding. 

We went online; we found new ways of working; we developed a whole community and reached people who, up to this point, had been isolated. The General Synod moved from developing a traditional strategic plan to developing five “transformational aspirations,” which were renamed “transformational commitments.” At the centre of the graphic which depicts the commitments is “Invites and deepens life in Christ,” and surrounding that are:
• Champions the dignity of every human being; works to dismantle racism and colonialism.
• Embraces Mutual Interdependence with the Indigenous Church (Sacred Circle).
• Stewards and renews God’s creation: protects and sustains the earth; pursues justice for all.
• Nurturing right relationships among people of faith in local, national and global communities and networks.

As well, in many dioceses across this country, we directed our efforts towards discipleship, sometimes using different terms but essentially being a Church seeking to be faithful to its mission.
Looking at those transformational commitments and the focus of many of our dioceses, I see what is central to our call as followers of Christ which is summed up in the two great commandments of loving God and loving our neighbours. 

On the last day of March, we celebrate the heart of our Christian faith—the resurrection. We proclaim there is life when there seems to be only death. So why do we despair when we can’t see the future? “Hope that is seen is not hope,” we read in the letter to the Romans, which then goes on to encourage us to trust in God’s Holy Spirit. What will be gone in 2040? Trusting in that Spirit, we are promised that while our church may look a little different from what it is now, it will still be very much alive.

The post Finding Hope Amidst Challenges appeared first on Anglican Life.

We have an active ACW association—energized not with the hesitation of the timid, but with the flourish of the daring—not just reaching out locally, but also to our foster child in a world often torn by conflict. 

The team is also ever mindful in recognition and keeping in touch with former members who are no longer active—especially recognizing birthdays and Christmas. Our sincere thanks to Stephanie and her choir for their participation in reaching out on these special occasions. 

Gail, a member of our team concentrates on the food bank in our area. In an effort to encourage donations she has erected a small evergreen tree at the church entrance. Each branch is decorated with a message indicating prioritized needs to encourage members of the congregation to pick an item for distribution. 

Maybe one of the most popular and deserving outreach activities that our church is involved with is the School Breakfast Program.

Six years ago, it was initiated by Rev’d Jolene Peters, our rector at the time, together with ten enthusiastic members of the congregation, including Shirley and Dave Glynn, Gertie Henderson, Bradean Mercer, Diane and Rex Hillier, Betty Hiscock, Freda Kennedy, Dave Morris, and Glenda Tapp. Many volunteers have followed suit over the years, while three charter members have remained constant—Glenda, Diane and Rex. Currently there are fifteen active members—five teams of three—who alternate every Wednesday morning to prepare and serve approximately two hundred students at Villanova Junior High School in Manuels, CBS with a nourishing breakfast. 

Food is provided by the Kids Eat Smart program, as well as generous local donations 

Here at St. John the Evangelist, we are very proud of our team for their perseverance in keeping this project active for such a long time. And I’m sure they are determined to continue with this outreach indefinitely. 

“Your people will be volunteers In the day of your power
In the beauties of holiness.”
Psalm 110: 3 

The post Our Christian Outreach Journey appeared first on Anglican Life.

The post Corner Brook’s Nine Lessons and Carols Advent Ecumenical Service appeared first on Anglican Life.

Most of the readers of this publication, and indeed most of the members of our congregations, are no longer young. It is tempting to leave this work of saving the planet to the younger generations, and we must acknowledge that in many cases they are the leading lights of efforts to effect the necessary changes. But that does not absolve the rest of us from responsibility. 

It is also understandable if we perceive the problem as just “too monumental” for our measly efforts to make any difference, and throw up our hands in despair. Understandable, but again, not excusable.

For us as Anglicans, this should be a no-brainer. Every single time we welcome someone into the family of God through the sacrament of Holy Baptism we “join with those who are committing themselves to Christ and renew our own baptismal covenant.” After stating our credal beliefs in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we make a series of promises, the last of which is to “strive to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth.” More than belief or agreement, this series of questions entails calls to action. 

PWRDF is in the final year of what was to have been a three-year education focus, Creation Care: Climate Action. The global pandemic has meant that this process has taken four years, but PWRDF is now preparing to launch the education focus for Year Three: “Climate Change and Health.” All learning modules for Years One and Two, “Climate Action and Food Security” and “Climate Change and Gender,” are still available from the PWRDF website at www.pwrdf.org, and especially lend themselves to group learning experiences. 

This year’s focus began on Ash Wednesday with the 2024 Lenten resource, “Seeding Health: Lenten Meditations on the Climate Crisis and Well-being,” authored by biblical scholar Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat. If you have not signed up to receive the resource, it is not too late. You can still register for the remaining four weeks of Lent and the entire resource is available for download in PDF format from: https://pwrdf.org/lent2024/. On weekdays Dr. Keesmaat offers a reading from scripture, a reflection and a prayer; on the weekend, she invites us to ground the text in our own lives and situations through a series of questions to consider. The week ends with a “PWRDF Story” that highlights ways PWRDF partners around the globe, realizing the connectedness of all creation, are acting to safeguard creation. 

In the church, we are expert at studying important issues and talking about important issues; maybe a little slower to implement, to act. But where to begin?  Education is always a good first step, so I commend the excellent PWRDF resources noted above. For the crucial next step, the action, a tool developed by American marine biologist, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, can be most useful. Dr. Johnson has designed a Venn diagram for climate change and creation care (three intersecting circles) which asks us to consider three questions:
• What are you good at?
• What is the work that needs doing?
• What brings you joy and satisfaction?

The centre of the diagram, where the three circles intersect, is where your climate actions will be found. See Dr. Johnson’s website, https://www.ayanaelizabeth.com/climatevenn, to learn more about it, to download the tool and to watch her excellent ten-minute TED talk on climate action. The talk is her answer to the question, “What can I do to help address the climate crisis?” Dr. Johnson acknowledges that the challenge is enormous and involves transformation, but also asserts that “there is something meaningful each of us can contribute to climate solutions. This is the work of our lifetimes.”

And this is the work of our faith, the work we have covenanted to be about. So, let us as Vestries, Parish Councils, ACWs, Sunday Schools, Confirmation classes, and people of faith, commit to reading, reflection, prayer, and action for the care of all of creation in this and every season of our lives.

The post Creation Care: Not Seasonal But Covenantal appeared first on Anglican Life.

A huge thank you all ACW ladies for all the support over the past year and to president Margaret Oake for her leadership.

Many thanks to The Rev’ds Neal and Beverly Buffet for attending.

Wishing you all a year of joy, happiness, and peace.

The post St. Andrew’s ACW (Fogo) Holds End of Year Fellowship appeared first on Anglican Life.