A new series of updates will share the Anglican Church of Canada’s ongoing journey towards healing and reconciliation between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginal peoples. Prepared by Archdeacon Jim Boyles, these occasional updates will focus on the church’s work during the term of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on residential schools.
“I smile every time I tell someone I’m going to Jerusalem,” said Kerri Brennan, a theological student from the Diocese of Ottawa. Ms. Brennan is one of three students preparing to serve with an overseas diocese as part of the 2010 Theological Student International Internship Program (TSIIP), coordinated by General Synod’s Partnerships department.
For 15 years the Primate’s Theological Commission (PTC) has helped Canadian Anglicans think more clearly about their faith. The current team of 12 theologians will hold their last meeting from Jan. 20 to 23 in Niagara Falls, Ont. After that, the commission will be on hiatus as the Primate discerns how best to approach future theological work.
“It changes you in ways you can’t put into words.” This was Jeffery Hooper’s response to the three months he and his wife Michelle Taylor spent in Uganda with General Synod’s Theological Students International Internship Program (TSIIP). The Hooper-Taylors were in Toronto for a debriefing at the Canadian Churches Forum for Global Ministries from Oct. 15 to 18, along with TSIIP participant Nicolas Alexandre, who visited the Philippines.
Vision 2019 Sunday, Sept. 13, is the next big push to get Canadian Anglicans weighing in on the future of the church before the Oct. 1 deadline. Churches across Canada are gathering responses to the question, “Where is your church now, and where do you want the Anglican Church of Canada to be in 2019?” Already hundreds of thoughts have poured in: affirming, critical, in emails or in art—it’s been a healthy variety.
In just less than a year, over 500 Canadian Anglicans and visitors will gather in Halifax, N.S., for General Synod—nine days of decisions, conversations, and worship. “We’re expecting perfection,” said the coordinator of General Synod planning, Margaret Shawyer, with a grin.
How can we add new sparkle and life to Canadian church music? Members of the Anglican Foundation were mulling this over back in 2006, and decided to hold a competition for new musical settings to the Eucharist.
The Rev. Dan Graves has a simple plan to get his church involved in Vision 2019 Sunday on June 7. During the Prayers of the People, the young and old of Holy Trinity, Thornhill, Ont. will take a quiet moment to write one prayer for the Anglican Church of Canada. Then they’ll drop it off in the offering plate.
Little Nolan Schick may have what it takes to be a future Anglican leader. At 10-and-a-half months, he already owns four Bibles and is popular in his parish, with his charming new ability to wave “hello” and “bye bye.” It is Nolan who poses as a baby bishop on posters and web banners advertising Vision 2019, a church-wide exercise to discern the future of the Anglican Church of Canada.
How do churches pray for someone heading for Afghanistan? How can a community welcome home a parishioner injured in battle? A new resource offers answers to these questions and practical advice on how Canadian Anglican churches can care for military members and their families.
This past weekend marked another milestone in the Anglican Church of Canada’s discernment around issues of sexuality, as the Council of General Synod (COGS) heard updates on several related pieces of work at its meeting in Mississauga, Ont.
Trinity Sunday, June 7, is a time to think big. All parishes are encouraged to think about the future of the Anglican Church of Canada by joining in on Vision 2019, a church-wide exercise to discern, dream, and decide where God wants the church to be by the year 2019.
The Primate’s Theological Commission, a group of 12 Canadian Anglican theologians, has issued the Galilee Report, which addresses questions about human relationships and the blessing of same-sex unions.
No one ever really knows what ideas will arise from Sacred Circle. It’s a unique time and space when Canadian Aboriginal Anglicans can meet, pray, worship, and dream about the future. This year Sacred Circle will meet in Port Elgin, Ont. from August 9 to 15, with the theme “The Mighty Wind of the Spirit: the New Beginnings.”
Now it’s your turn. It’s your turn to tell the leaders and the planners of the Anglican Church of Canada what you want your church to be.