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amymaclachlan

Keeping ministry healthy and whole

amymaclachlan

Comprised mostly of small churches in rural areas or small towns, the Presbytery of Grey-Bruce-Maitland's outreach projects epitomize small-town living and the closeness, cooperation and interdependency found among the residents there. "It took me a while to sort of find my way here," said Rev. Jeremy Sanderson, presbytery clerk and minister at Knox, Walkerton. "Since then, they've been the greatest bunch of people in the way they relate to each other and support one another. It's a really great place to be."

New Zealand minister reflects on his time in Canada

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Experiencing a sunrise Easter service while the ground was covered with snow is not the only thing Rev. Colin English will take back to his New Zealand parish. He'll tell stories about the people he met in Canada, the welcoming arms of his host congregation, and the realization that the Presbyterian churches in Canada and New Zealand wrestle with similar issues. "It was great to be able to observe what's happening in society on a political level, in particular with same-sex marriage. It's similar to the issues at home," said English, speaking from Trinity, Kanata, Ont. "And I read about reparation with First Nations peoples and coming to grips with things that happened in the past."

Israel: Jesus walked here

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I spent eight exhausting days in the Holy Land as a guest of Israel's Ministry of Tourism; a strategy of the government's to balance the reporting on the country and hopefully to entice others to travel there. During our first dinner, at a restaurant in Tel Aviv, the ministry's branch director of hosting operations, Benjamin-Gad Ninnayi, presented his case passionately: "Why look elsewhere? This country is a diamond, a treasure. There are beautiful things all over the world, but they can't compare to Jerusalem."

Lessons in courage

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Christian Peacemaker Teams operate around the world, showing solidarity with those in the midst of war and upheaval. They advocate for human rights, speak with extremist groups and preach peace amongst chaos. It was created in 1988. Since then, teams have worked in Iraq, Palestine, Mexico, Haiti, North America and Colombia. Their motto, Getting in the Way, has enabled them to do Christ's work in the world's most heated conflict zones.

Malvern promotes peace and harmony

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People of faith in the Malvern neighbourhood of Scarborough, Ont., are working together to make the often troubled community a better place. The second installment of Celebrate Us brought together Presbyterians, Anglicans, Pentecostals, Muslims and Hindus at Malvern's Wickford Trail Park for a family day in August. "No matter what your culture or language, you're welcome here," said Habeeb Ally, the event's MC and disc jockey of an Islamic talk radio program. "We're here to promote peace, love and harmony among ourselves and celebrate our diversity in a grand way."

A united effort crowns righteousness

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As one of the church's largest and richest presbyteries, East Toronto occupies an interesting spot on the landscape. Even though it was only created in 1949 (when the Presbytery of Toronto was divided into east and west), its history includes some of the oldest churches of the denomination in Canada. Despite its fabled past, the presbytery is in the midst of change. Encompassing a downtown portion of the city as well as its northern and eastern outskirts, the demographics of East Toronto aren't quite what they once were. Originally a destination for immigrants from the United Kingdom, the bustling city has grown to include immigrants from non-European countries, changing the community's makeup as well as the people in the pews. Toronto is the most multicultural city in Canada and the presbytery's 25 congregations reflect that fact.

Claiming the joy of our faith

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Christians must find joy in the cross, an animated and passionate Rick Fee declared in his final sermon as the church's leader. He said Jesus himself came and endured for the joy that lay beyond his suffering. It is at the empty cross where joy can be found. "It is not the emptiness of despair or the loss of meaning," he told the more than 400 parishioners who packed the stifling hot First, Edmonton, for the opening of the 131st General Assembly. "It is the emptiness that holds open the possibility for something amazing, something God-given to emerge."

Tsunami-swept areas still being rebuilt

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It has been nine months since massive waves devastated South East Asia in December; wiping out homes, businesses, schools, individuals, families and entire villages. Countless media stories have followed the millions in donations being made. Still, even with checks and balances and a renewed commitment to ensuring funds get to where they're supposed to go, difficulties persist. Corrupt government officials, military control, armed rebel groups and humanitarian violations all challenge aid distribution.

Claiming the joy of our faith

amymaclachlan

Christians must find joy in the cross, an animated and passionate Rick Fee declared in his final sermon as the church's leader. He said Jesus himself came and endured for the joy that lay beyond his suffering. It is at the empty cross where joy can be found. "It is not the emptiness of despair or the loss of meaning," he told the more than 400 parishioners who packed the stifling hot First, Edmonton, for the opening of the 131st General Assembly. "It is the emptiness that holds open the possibility for something amazing, something God-given to emerge."

Chicks, seeds and schoolhouses

amymaclachlan

You might say Waterloo North Church has already been bucking the Presbyterian trend. Rather than offering a single, lightly-attended Sunday service, it has two on Sunday — with 80 people attending in the morning and about 250 at night. The congregation also has a unique approach to mission, where Haiti is the country of choice. It stems from the idea that this developing country has no shortage of labour but needs the money and the materials to build better lives. "We're simply trying to fulfill our mission statement by being a people who continually share the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed," said Waterloo's minister, Rev. Dwight Strain. "And that often means just giving people what they need."

Church staff raises moneyfor girls with rare disorder

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Presbyterians ran for Rett on May 15, helping to raise money for a disorder many parents and doctors don't even know about. Rett Syndrome is a degenerative neurodevelopmental disorder that first appears in girls between six and 18 months of age. It affects about one in every 10,000 to 15,000 girls, with life expectancy believed to be about 40 years. There is no cure. "This run was a concerted effort to raise awareness," said Rob Congram, whose daughter Abby is afflicted with the disorder. "The money was great but the real goal was to let people know this is out there."

Aiming to end child poverty

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Canada's relief and aid community is joining with 50 other countries to help Make Poverty History. The international campaign is supported by the Presbyterian Church through Presbyterian World Service & Development. The campaign has three themes: More and Better Aid, Make Trade Fair and Cancel the Debt. Canada has added the theme of End Child Poverty.

Mexican mine saved from Metallica

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A Mexican town has been spared potential damage by a Canadian mining company, thanks in part to Canadian church leaders. For more than 10 years, the residents of Cerro de San Pedro had been fighting Canadian-owned Metallica Resources' plans to start an open-pit gold mine in their town. To help them in their plight, KAIROS (Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives) sent an ecumenical church leaders' delegation to Mexico in March to investigate the situation. Former Presbyterian moderator, Rev. Mark Lewis, reported on the visit in May. "When we left the little town we promised the people we would do all we could to prevent a Canadian company from doing such harm on foreign soil," said Lewis. "I have never seen faith move a mountain, but now I have seen faith keep a mountain in its place."

Superior’s reach felt across the planet

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Four of the Presbytery of Superior's five churches are located in Thunder Bay (established in 1970 when the towns of Port Arthur and Fort William amalgamated), which was crowned a cultural capital of Canada in 2003. Rather than stifling each other's creativity, the closeness of the congregations fosters cooperation and new ideas. "We've been talking lately of pooling our mission resources," said Rev. Harold Hunt, minister at Lakeview, Thunder Bay "There's wonderful, open communication. You can say what you need to say. It's like opening a window, and letting in the fresh air."

Remembering the tartans

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A special Scottish service has captivated two congregations on two sides of Ontario. St. Columba, Dalkeith, about an hour's drive from Ottawa, and Knox, St. Thomas, just minutes south of London, are home to an annual service celebrating the traditions of its Scottish founders. Kirkin' O' the Tartan has been going strong at St. Columba for 27 years, and at Knox for four. The special service commemorates the hardships their highland ancestors endured after their defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. "It's a time to remember our heritage and what our Scottish ancestors went through," said Joslyn MacGillivray, a member of St. Columba for 12 years.

Fee raps Ottawa over aid

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The church's Moderator has sharply criticized the federal government's refusal to increase its foreign aid to the United Nations standard of 0.7 per cent of national GDP. "It's regrettable that when we're so privileged in Canada, we cannot even meet a minimum goal that was set many years ago," said Moderator Richard Fee. "One has to question priorities and how those priorities are being set."

Youth starve for those who have AIDS

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A group of youth from Toronto starved themselves for a day to increase their awareness of HIV/AIDS and to raise money for the national church's Towards a World Without AIDS campaign. About 50 highschoolers gathered at Knox, Spadina, on April 22 and 23 for the annual East Toronto presbytery event and raised $8,500 for the cause.

Renovated and re-dedicated

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St. Andrew's, Brampton, Ont., is the oldest church in the city and is already a designated heritage building. Thanks to a generous endowment from a long-time member, and the faithful giving of the congregation, the church that was built in 1885 has been lovingly restored, renewed and renovated. The changes were officially designated on April 24 at a special service. "When you receive a large gift, take it and make it even larger," said Rev. Wes Denyer, quoting one of his favourite stewardship teachers, Kennon Callahan. "And that is indeed what we have done. We're looking forward to the future. There are a lot of good things going on here."

China seeks ministers for post-denominational church

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"The situation of ordained pastors in China is totally inadequate," said Rev. Ronald Wallace, associate secretary for International Ministries. With only one ordained minister to every 7,000 church members of the China Christian Council, educating clergy is a top priority – and something the Presbyterian church is supporting. By contrast, in Canada, there is one minister per 180 members. Despite China's severe lack of ministers, Wallace and his colleagues were impressed by the work of the council, which they witnessed during a visit to the Far East in April.