The day was planned to bring Indigenous people and settlers together to learn, share and eat lunch as one.

Keynote speaker Callie Hill gave a moving talk about the disappearance of the Mohawk language through government regulation, cruelty and fear. She shared the strides undertaken to regenerate the language among the Mohawk and exciting plans for the future.

Pam Hart shared stories of the quilt; a quilt designed by Indigenous women as a way of telling their own stories.

Patsea Griffin shared her beading talents with us in a porcupine quill earring workshop. She also shared videos of her poetry, songs and stories.

Theo Paradis shared teachings of the drum in a moving drumming and story sharing workshop.

St. Paul’s, through the generosity of Jane Guthrie, offered an opportunity to design quilting squares. Jane will put together a lap quilt in time for a raffle when we commemorate Indigenous Peoples Day, June 2024. Proceeds will be donated to an Indigenous group.

Several Indigenous entrepreneurs attended: Katiebear Beadwork, Theresa Brant Art, Patsea Griffin Beadwork, Turtle Island Coffee, along with resource sharing tables.

Indigenous foods were lovingly prepared and served for lunch; 3 Sisters soup, bannock, scones, apple cake, blueberries and beverages including cedar tea.

The post St. Paul’s holds Indigenous Day of Learning and Sharing appeared first on Dialogue.

I had not thought of Colin for years. It goes back to 1988 when I was a single mom and lived in an apartment in Scarborough with my daughter, Jennie. One day when I went to get my mail, I discovered a set of keys on the floor in front of the mailboxes. “Someone will need these today,” I thought. There was no identifying name on the four keys. One, however, had a Jaguar motif on it. I did remember seeing a beautiful Jag parked in one of the parking spots close to the front door. I checked, and, sure enough, it was there. Each parking spot was allotted to a particular apartment. This spot was for #510, and so I went there and knocked on that apartment door. I immediately recognized the man who came to the door. He was in his mid 60’s and his face was quite disfigured by scars from having had small pox as a child in Jamaica. I had often seen him in the lobby, and he always smiled and took time to chat with me. My daughter loved to roller skate, and he admired her dexterity. I knew his name was Colin.

Colin was surprised to see me and I could tell he was not having a good day as he looked quite frazzled. “Hi, can I help you?” he said. “No,” I replied, “but I believe I can help you.” Then I handed him the keys. “Are these yours?”

The relief on the man’s face was obvious. “Oh, thank you, God!” he said. Then he looked at me and said, “I prayed THAT prayer and then you appeared. I am so appreciative of you finding them and returning them to me.” He looked perplexed and added, “Where were they, and how did you know they were mine, and in which apartment I lived?”

I told him I was a female Sherlock Holmes. We both laughed, and then I explained what had occurred. “You must be an angel,” he said. “I manage a Jaguar dealership and drive a variety of models to and from work. But without having a duplicate key, I am doomed if I misplace my keychain. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!”

Colin kindly gave me a ride to work, as he realized my sleuthing on his behalf would have made me late. When I arrived in that year’s top model Jaguar, which was very sleek and classy, quite a few eyebrows were raised. My ‘stock’ went up in the eyes of the employees of the engineering firm for whom I worked! It was a fun experience to leave them guessing.

Jennie and I saw quite a lot of Colin and his partner before we moved to Kingston. He was a kind and gentle man, full of light and a devout Christian. One day I asked him what the prayer had been that he had prayed just before I returned his keys. “John 14:14, he replied: “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Then he smiled, and added, “And it worked, as you well know.”

So, for Colin, (who would now be close to 100 years, if he is still alive,) and many others, whose lives have touched mine and created great memories, I say gratefully:

Thanks be to God!

dduncanfletcher2@gmail.com

The post Prayer CAN change your life appeared first on Dialogue.

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 changing cultural landscape, and in a demanding fiscal environment. How can we lead with courage, fearlessly – summoning the passion and conviction of our forebears – and respond to the complexities we face with all the ingenuity and creativity that God has given us? We believe the answer lies in our united and collective support for the Anglican Diocese of Ontario Foundation…and support of our parishes and diocesan-based programmes as well

Bishop Strachan and his emissaries journeyed vast distances over primitive roads, across rough waters in frail vessels. The 21st century has new and equally challenging obstacles to the delivery of ministry. For example, a dramatically changing society has brought about a vastly different Sunday and weekday worship experience in this century from that experienced in the days of Bishop Strachan. The evolution of new technologies and the explosion of administrative demands on parish ministry, an ageing population, and increasingly high expectations of parish clergy for effective ministry all pose demands…and creative opportunities.

Such challenges can diminish our energies and erode the health and vitality of our ministry, but only if they are not addressed with clarity and vision.

The Foundation is one vehicle to help us come together as a faith community, to set the stage for our vibrant mission and ministry, for the next one hundred seventy years. Walk with us on this journey, and with our ecumenical and community partners, and we trust that as you explore our website, follow us through today’s wonders of communication, and use your imagination, you will grow in your enthusiasm and willingness to support the work of the Foundation and that you will share our passion for new ministry in God’s service.

It took a long time to establish our Anglican Diocese of Ontario Foundation, first proposed with foresight by Bishop George W. Bruce in 2003, together with a group of senior diocesan lay and clergy leaders. By 2009, all the legal hoops and planning were met, and fund-raising began through individual and parish memberships in a new, independent charitable organization, supplemented by a substantial legacy gift, memorial gifts, a bishop’s dinner, and a revenue-sharing agreement with General Synod, leading to a successful diocesan appeal, Love in Action. To date, $273,031 have been made by the Foundation to parishes, diocesan and community groups for a wide variety of ministries and programmes, ranging from accessibility grants to support for new parish thrift shops and our Anglican-Roman Catholic refugee support group, DOORS. Archdeacon Bill Clarke, president, sums up the purpose of the Foundation: “Our Foundation is here to help generous people support the imaginative visions of others for ministries in the Diocese of Ontario.”

Eric Friesen, broadcaster, writer and speaker on music, culture and faith, a supporter of the Foundation and People’s Warden of St. George’s Cathedral, sums up the purpose well: “I have been captured by a double vision for the Foundation: to support and revitalize our parishes in both creative and practical ways, and then, with this Foundation strengthened, to serve our broader community in the kinds of missions which are crying out for support. Since we live in the federal prison capital of Canada, we have a special responsibility to enhance the spiritual and material lives of inmates, and the need to support and root new immigrants here should also be a priority. All of this and more we can do with your parish and individual support.”

“Fearless Generosity” annual appeal, inviting parishes and individuals to become members, will help made additional grants available for a wide variety of ministries and programmes throughout 2024 and beyond. Application forms for memberships and grants are available on the Foundation website, www.dioceseofontariofoundation.ca or by contacting Archdeacons Bill Clarke or John Robertson by email: foundation@ontario.anglican.ca. Please see our advertisement in this edition of Dialogue for more information.

The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today’s work superbly well

– Sir William Osler

The post Supporting imaginative ministry in our Diocese appeared first on Dialogue.

The Parish of the St. Lawrence in Brockville has done just that by embarking on an ambitious series of innovative renovations to their church in order to meet the deadline for the 2025 Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The standards of the AODA mandate that organizations ‘must remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities.’

The parish has replaced doors, put windows in exterior doors, installed automatic openers in exterior doors, sensory plates at the tops and bottoms of stairs for people with sight issues and increased lighting in dark areas. They also constructed a driveway at the front of the church, allowing people to drive up right to the main door.

AFC provided a $15,000 grant towards the accessibility project. The Ven. Michael Read, incumbent, says he is grateful for the funding they received in 2023. “Saint Lawrence Church supports full and active ministry in our community including a weekly Happy Hearts Seniors Program,” says Read. With the people and the building working in tandem, Read says “Happy Hearts promotes holistic health for seniors which includes diabetic and wellness check-ups, low-impact exercise, memory strengthening exercises, and a light lunch.”

With the parish accessibility projects now completed, St. Lawrence is well situated to become a full community leader and partner for programs for seniors and those with disabilities. Says Michael, “The future of our parish depends on our having a fully accessible facility, for people of all abilities, but most especially for our older citizens.”

The post Saint Lawrence Parish meets accessibility standards with vital upgrades appeared first on Dialogue.

“Say Yes! to Kids is a hopeful and ambitious program that aligns with AFC’s vision to increase community connectedness and fund transformational ministry across Canada,” says Dr. Scott Brubacher, Executive Director. “On an almost weekly basis, AFC receives another impact story of how SYTK initiatives have revitalized ministry and created new opportunities to engage youth and young adults with mentors, their peers, and the church.”

While SYTK was prompted by the pandemic, Brubacher says that the challenges facing young people are no less urgent today. “There is an increasing body of evidence that points to loneliness and isolation as epidemics arising from the pandemic and that younger Canadians are among the hardest-hit demographics,” says Brubacher. “As a church, we can choose to receive that bad news by responding with good news: claiming our place at the table and answering the call to champion community-based solutions to this epidemic.” According to data collected by AFC since 2021, virtually every SYTK program has helped to create a more youth-centred climate in its church or diocese, thereby breaking the cycle of loneliness impacting youth and young adults in their community.

The 2024 SYTK campaign will launch on Tuesday, April 2 and close on Sunday, June 30. A new campaign component will be a liturgical resource to promote the celebration of Say Yes! to Kids Sunday on June 2. “This will provide a spiritual focal point for the SYTK movement,” says Brubacher, “and will be a flexible, adaptable resource that any church can use, whether it has an active campaign or not.”

The hope is that Anglican parishes across Canada will join forces on that Sunday, or another Sunday in the season of Pentecost. Brubacher explains that the resource is intended to be used by all churches, whether they have young people in the congregation or not. “If you don’t have youth to involve as readers, greeters, or elsewhere, the service can be a time of prayer for children and youth in your community and across the country. What matters most is rallying Canadian Anglicans to celebrate children, youth, and young adults in our midst and praying for the creativity and compassion to make young people a vital part of the fabric of our church now and in the future.”

As with the 2022 and 2023 SYTK campaigns, AFC will continue to support parishes who wish to take part in the online, team-based fundraising component, but that is not a requirement to use the SYTK liturgical resource. “Parishes can use the Sunday’s offertory to support their SYTK fundraising campaign, if they are participating as a fundraising partner,” explains Brubacher, “or they can simply use it for their own purposes—to support local or diocesan outreach to children, youth, and young adults. Or parishes may wish to use the offering to make a gift to AFC’s Kids Helping Kids Fund to support ongoing grants for youth-focused programs and initiatives.”

All Canadian Anglicans are invited to be part of the SYTK movement by:

•Pre-registering a 2024 fundraising team

•Learning more about SYTK Sunday

•Reading stories about SYTK ministries in action

•Downloading the FAQs Sheet

•Donating to SYTK

For more information about the 2024 Say Yes! to Kids campaign, download the media backgrounder or contact Michelle Hauser, AFC’s Development & Communications officer.

The post Save Sunday June 2 for Say Yes! to Kids Sunday appeared first on Dialogue.

Having faced a short Epiphany, and an early Lent this year we face the Lenten disciplines with Epiphany fresh in our minds. Ash Wednesday fell on February 14 and the celebration of Easter is not far ahead on March 31. Years like this find us pivoting almost immediately from the celebration of light and the revelation (the theophany) of God in Christ to the whole world, to the implications of our own shortcomings in the Lenten season. The preparations for the Easter feast are already underway in our homes and at our tables.

As a bishop, I am constantly seeking for ways to explain, cajole, preach, assure, win over or otherwise help folks understand the commitment of discipleship and its cost. Jesus regularly assured his followers that they needed to count the cost of following him – up to and including “taking up your cross”. What Jesus calls us to is listed again and again as an act of following him wherever it is he leads us. When Jesus saw a person with the faith or character required, his own apostolic call was “follow me”. When others came to him puzzled and wanting to know what to think about what he was saying and doing, Jesus said “come and see.”

I was raised in a tradition that valued belief above all else. So much so that it seemed less important to ask the questions about what was believed – so long as I could say “I believe”.

However, faith is a gift. This is a truth which many miss and fail to understand the implications. Many people who have been hammered upon by the drumbeat of “belief”end up exhausted trying to find a way to “believe” what the Church says or what the Bible teaches, but they get stumped. They can’t quite get their brains to “believe”. Faith and belief are used synonymously. The words are used interchangeably. But there is a subtle difference.

To believe something (in our rational world) usually means the intellectual assent to a series of points. God exists. God loves us. God sent his Son to live and die for us. To the average person who struggles with their own place in the world of doubts, disinformation, alternative truths and conspiracy theories, “believing” almost anything can be difficult. Without acceptable evidence, well trained minds cannot simply believe, and then wonder at what the older generations understood and accepted so easily.

It can be helpful to try and tease this out by asking what the opposite of believing is….and then the opposite of faith. Often I get different answers: the opposite of believing is not believing, while the stock answer for most is that the opposite of faith is doubt.

It’s important to note that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. Doubt can be a good friend of faith, for doubt can keep faith from tipping over into certainty. Certainty requires no faith, it admits no doubt and carries on impervious to the grey areas of life. Certainty does not hope for anything, it will not bear with anything other than itself. Certainty knows itself before it acknowledges anything or anyone else. Certainty knows for it declares it so.

This makes certainty the opposite of faith. Faith includes lots of things, but it does not include certainty. The author of the book of Hebrews points out “Faith is the confidence in what we hope for. The assurance of things we do not see” (Hebrews 11.1) Faith includes confidence, and hope (for things unseen), but there is no certainty here. There is only faith. Faith is an assurance, but not one that is blind to all the other realities that face us.

This is a first step in the change from believer to a disciple. A disciple is an active agent, confident in the constant love of God and hoping for all the gifts and blessings promised by the Lord – but ready and hopeful even when they do not appear. For disciples in difficulty, patience is engaged, compassion is cultivated and the community of believers supports and upholds one another in the actions of being a disciple, walking a way that makes a difference in the lives around us.

Consider for a moment – when others look at us, and at our lives, people don’t ask us what we believe, for what we believe is made manifest in how we live. This is the very definition of being a disciple. Belief is an early step on the road to being a disciple and walking with Jesus in faith.
So here we are in Lent – the time where by fasting and almsgiving and prayer we are meant to prepare ourselves to be better disciples. This time is our extended and focused chance to cultivate our faith, compassion and love to deepen our walk with Jesus and to immerse ourselves in the Paschal mystery. In doing so we will find ourselves giving more of ourselves and loving more deeply – forgiving more readily and softening our hardened hearts. The world needs us to grasp this difference – our kindness, our love, or compassion, our action toward all those around us are founded in our walk as disciples.

It is time to move from being a believer to being a disciple – to walk the way with the Lord in a very real and tangible way. To walk with hope and confidence of what has been accomplished in Jesus life and death and what as been promised. Knowing that the One who promises is faithful beyond our capacity to ask or imagine.

The post Faith, belief and the cost of discipleship appeared first on Dialogue.

What is Community Engagement?

• Anything we do to put ourselves in front of the communities we serve
• It is about being seen and heard about things that matter to us as Christians
• Not just in our church buildings, we need to be seen in the community
• ‘Share the Gospel and if you have to use words’ – actions do speak louder than words
• Our goal is to address spiritual and sometimes more immediate well-being needs or services to support less fortunate people.

Why is community Engagement important?

• We live in a time and place where there are many in our communities who need our support
• It is how we live our faith in the communities we serve
• It can help us to identify spiritual needs and less traditional ways to address them
• Remember that people are more likely to make a choice to join a church after a minimum of 4 visits often for Parish sponsored events – in
• many communities there are a significant number of retiree transplants who would welcome the fellowship that we offer.

How can we approach Community Engagement?

• Remember that the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results – be receptive and ready to try different things
• It is less about what we offer and more about how we offer – eg: making visitors welcome
• Partnerships – we don’t have to do it alone – many organizations need space or other forms of support that mean we can be part of a larger whole – who else is supporting others in our community and how can we help?
• Ecumenical – there are other faith groups facing some of the same challenges that we do and with whom we can work together – learn what other faith groups are doing and join in
• Caring for the environment – in our facilities, in our communities and in our country
• There is no ‘one best way’ ‘cookie cutter’ or ‘silver bullet’ approach – we need to tailor our approach to what we already do well, to what we have passion for and to what our community needs. This may mean taking it to the community instead of waiting for the community to come to us – eg: have a table or stall at community events – sponsor an event
• Doors open/lights on for community events – eg: Terry Fox water and rest stop, parade drop ins
• Make sure we are checking our phones for messages frequently
• Have signage that is easily visible from the street and especially that announces service times, upcoming events and easy points of contact.

Within our Diocese we already engage in a wide range of activities from lunches and dinners, community meals programs, meals-on-wheels, language classes, thrift stores, garage sales and give-aways, tree planting, working with seniors, cook books, supporting the homeless, providing transportation, sharing medial assist equipment, warming centres, refugee support programs, Fellowship Open Tables, Messy Church, special music programs, ecumenical services, bible studies, housing and supporting food banks, Christmas hampers, housing for homeless and seniors, and more.

I would be delighted to lead a discussion about this important topic and opportunities to test or try; or to be a resource for parish mission/vision planning; and/or to help brainstorm ideas for your future. russellgrant@outlook.com (416) 931-7153.

The post Check-in on community engagement with coordinator Russ Grant appeared first on Dialogue.

The fashion industry produces more clothing each year than it ever expects to sell. Much of what is produced is discarded within the season of production. According to an analysis by Business Insider, 85% of all textiles made go to dumps each year, generating 92 million tonnes of textile waste, most of which ends up in developing countries, some of whom burn what is unsuitable for their climate.

The UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion reports that the fashion industry is the world’s second biggest consumer of water, generating roughly 20% of the world’s waste water. Denim is especially thirsty; one pair of jeans requires 2000 gallons of water. Furthermore, much of that waste water is heavily polluted with very toxic bleaches and dyes.

Add to that the distances clothing is shipped from the manufacture of fibres to the construction of garments to the wholesaler and then to the retail market, all on different continents. The whole process emits 10% of the world’s total global greenhouse gas emissions.

Most of what we wear consists of petroleum in some form, often blended with other fibers, making recycling impossible. A major problem with the various polyesters is that they shed microfibers, mostly during laundering. Washing one load of polyester clothes can release 700,000 microplastic fibers into the environment. It is estimated that half a million tonnes of these microfibers end up in the sea each year. Polyester, made from fossil fuels, is non-biodegradable. Microfibres from synthetics are a major contributor to microplastic pollution as they enter the waste water and then into the food chain. Consequently we all have microfibres in our bodies. Washing machine manufacturers are researching ways to filter out microfibers, but so far there is nothing on the market to solve the problem.

Another feature of fashion recently is the addition of plastic to clothing in the form of glued-on glitter and sequins. These, of course, wash off into the waste water stream as well.

As Christians we strive to love our neighbours, so we are always concerned about labour practices and how our choices affect those who are involved in the industries that we support with our purchasing power. Historically, many garment workers have laboured in unhealthy and/or unsafe conditions, earning low wages. The tragic collapse of a multi storey garment factory in Bangladesh in 2013 (the Rana Plaza) made retailers and customers more aware of how garment workers are treated, especially in developing countries where most of our clothes are produced.

By 2023, substantial progress had been made on fire and building safety in the Bangladesh garment industry. But many textile workers around the world labour under poor conditions for very low pay.

So what are our options as Christians who care about the earth and fellow humans? Slow fashion, as opposed to fast fashion, promotes buying fewer, better quality, longer lasting clothes, preferably made locally. The upfront cost is greater, but they pay off in durability. We can choose natural biodegradable fibres, such as linen, wool, cotton, hemp, bamboo and silk. We can spot clean and reduce laundering. We can mend and repair, or have a skilled tailor or seamstress mend or adjust a garment. Most towns have used clothing outlets where we can donate and purchase gently used clothing at good prices, thus keeping fabrics out of dumps.

With some thought, we can be both well dressed and care for our neighbours and our planet home.

The post Care of Creation and the Fashion industry appeared first on Dialogue.