Ven John Robertson, Author at Dialogue

Challenge to us in our diocese—Autumn and beyond!

October 15, 2024

“God does not want us to do extraordinary things; He wants us to do ordinary things extraordinarily well.” The Right Reverend Charles Gore, ﬁfirst Bishop of Birmingham, Church of England. Another helpful quote as we think carefully about our vocation as disciples of Jesus Christ to be faithful and responsible, year-round stewards of our blessings: “Father, enliven the Church for its mission that we may be salt of the earth and light to the world.” – A New Zealand Prayer

Supporting imaginative ministry in our Diocese

May 13, 2024

“We must knock at every door…door and rouse the inhabitants to devote a small portion of what God has bestowed upon them to promote a just work.” With these words, The Diocese of Ontario was conceived in 1854 by Bishop John Strachan, but it took eight long years of struggle to bring it into being in 1862. And the struggle goes on. One hundred seventy years later, the diocese finds itself facing different, but not dissimilar challenges in a dramatically

A white hand puts a coin into a jar full of coins. To the right there is a series of stacks os coins getting shorter towards the right.

A gift that gives back: “the Gift Plus Annuity”

June 1, 2023

For some time now you’ve known about the ministry and projects of the Anglican Diocese of Ontario Foundation and its partners. You may have wished to advance this vital work by supporting the Foundation with a generous gift, for on-going ministry or for special projects. Through our Foundation, you may have wished, too, to support your parish, or the Diocese of Ontario’s varied ministries, or The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, the Anglican Foundation of Canada, the Community Foundation

Five burlap sacks of grain open on top are in front of a neutral background. One in the foreground is spilling Putin front of the others.

Gift Planning 102:

March 1, 2023

The Winter 2022 edition of Dialogue published the first part of a series on gift planning. Under an interesting photograph of a jar, marked FUTURE, Mark Hauser, our diocesan communications officer, thoughtfully included a concise definition which hopefully expands our thinking to the possibilities careful planning provides: “Gift-planning, planned giving, legacy gifts are all part of a growing emphasis on annual financial support for churches, hospitals, universities, and thousands of not-for-profit charitable organizations in Canada.” For example, Mary has decided

Luke’s Place Kingston

December 1, 2022

One of the joys of being a “retired” priest in our diocese is the opportunity of assisting the bishop in supporting parishes here and there to give full-time incumbents a Sunday break—As an aside, there is no such thing as a retired Anglican clergyperson. One is ordained as deacon, priest or bishop for life; we do not hang up our “shingles” at age 65 or 70. Nor do other baptised Christians – the Baptismal Covenant is for life. That’s how

A glass jar win coins in it has a post-it on the front that reads "Future". The jar is in in front of a green grassy background and a white hand is placing a coin in the jar.

Gift planning 101

December 1, 2022

“The Minister of the Congregation is directed to instruct the people, from time to time, about the duty of Christian parents to make prudent provision for the well-being of their families, and of all persons to make wills, while they are in health, arranging for the disposal of their temporal goods, not neglecting, if they are able, to leave bequests for religious and charitable uses.” – The Book of Common Prayer (1979), The Episcopal Church, page 445, at the conclusion

A computer image of a series of slices of bread. The first one is yellow with two fishes on it, the other are all blue. Below text reads: more than enough.

Wealth of Year-round Stewardship resources material readily available for parishes

June 1, 2022

More Than Enough is the 2022 theme for year-round stewardship education and development resources offered to Anglican and Episcopal parishes from TENS…the Episcopal Network for Stewardship. Our diocesan stewardship & congregational development committee is pleased to offer parish membership in this excellent resource centre for every congregation. A helpful array of downloadable print resources is instantly available at no cost, together with information about webinars and consultations, as well as additional material available through Forward Movement publications at modest prices.

An older shite man in a blue shirt and a black jacket is photographed in front of a beige photo backdrop.

Diocese of Ontario Foundation: serving others

June 1, 2022

“Father, enliven the Church for its mission, that we may be salt of the earth and light to the world.” -A New Zealand Prayer Book A number of years ago, while serving as the senior national stewardship and gift planning officer of General Synod, my colleagues and I in our travels across Canada often used this short prayer to help focus on what parish life should really be about. In those far off days, stewardship education was ideally a

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