PARISH PROFILE - The Diocese of Algoma

The Anglican Church of St John the Divine
301 Main Street East
North Bay, On P1B 1B3
http://www.stjohndivine.ca
Mission Statement
Our primary purpose as the Church of St John the Divine in downtown North Bay is to be a
welcoming, nurturing and worshiping community which demonstrates by word and deed the
love of Jesus Christ for all creation.
PARISH PROFILE
1 Corinthians 5:8
The above graphic and scripture reference is the Parish Motto adopted by the
Parish Assessment Team and presented to the Wardens and the Parish
Advisory Committee for approval. This theme will imbue every aspect of Parish
Ministry.
Just who are we, you may ask? The People of God at St John’s is a diverse group. The
majority of parishioners are over age 65, and are lovingly referred to as the ‘youth group’
mainly because of their youthful enthusiasm and eagerness for the work of the church.
Within the parish are various active groups living out our Mission Statement to be a
‘welcoming, nurturing and worshiping community’. Through our Parish Motto ‘Celebrate the
Feast. Come’ we offer an invitation to all. More about our ministries will follow in this
profile.
In recent years, we have heard the call and responded, that God wants us to ‘go out where
he is’ and be involved in deeper ministry with the poor, the homeless, the disadvantaged,
the hurt, the lonely. In fact, that point was driven home quite soundly to the Concurrence
Committee when we reviewed the answers to the two questions we posed to each and every
member of the parish, as well as to ‘those out there’ and ‘those who can not be here’:
What kind of a parish is God calling us to be?
What kind of a pastor does God want us to have?
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Here is a summary listing of the points made by parishioners about what kind of parish
they felt God wanted us to be, and what kind of pastor God wants us to have. They said
that they discerned we should be FAMILY:
Accepting of each other
Scripturally-based
Friendly
Caring
Faith-based
Non-judgemental
Outgoing
Loving
Flexible
Welcoming
Joyful
Inclusive
In regards to ‘inclusive’, it was clear that this word encompassed the poor, rich, lonely,
hungry, well-fed, sick, healthy, aboriginal, all cultures/nations, people of all sexual
orientations … all of God’s creation.
And so, we feel that God’s people, the people of St John’s, is saying this:
God wants St John’s to be a Christ-like parish, and,
God wants us to have a priest who will be a loving leader and shepherd
who will walk with us where God leads us.
In particular, we are looking for an individual with the following gifts:
•
•
•
•
Motivational and organizational skills that will encourage and nurture lay-leadership;
A love of the gospel that inspires innovation;
A heart for those to whom we already minister in the name of Christ, that is, the
poor, the disadvantaged, and the unchurched; and
Skills in stewardship and fundraising.
It is this type of leadership that the congregation needs. This process of discernment was
imbued deeply in prayer over seven weeks, and continues still. Within the parish, the
community, the diocese, indeed, even in other places and countries, individuals are praying
for us, that God’s will be done! At every liturgy, we continue to corporately pray:
Almighty God, who knows the needs of your Church in every place: Look
graciously at this time upon the people of this parish of St John the
Divine; and give to them a faithful Pastor, who shall feed your flock
according to your will, and make a people acceptable unto you; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer.
In the following pages, we hope to let you know more about who we are, our history, our
ministries, and of course, our finances.
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The Good Shepherd Window above the high altar at the Anglican Church of Saint
John the Divine North Bay dates from 1910 when the present sanctuary was
added to the main church building.
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Our History
In the Beginning It was 1883. The CPR railroad was plunging westward through the forests and
alongside the lakes of Ontario, and little settlements were springing up all along the line, mostly
composed of railway workers. A small station was established at Mattawa and the ribbon of steel
soon reached the north bay of Lake Nipissing. The tiny settlement that grew was named North Bay
and, because of its location, was designated a railway divisional point.
Along with the settlements came the Anglican ministry in the person of the Rev. Forster
Bliss. Ordained in 1881, he found himself at the tiny mission of St Alban the Martyr in Mattawa.
Soon Mr Bliss was charged by the bishop of his diocese (Ontario) with extending his missionary
work westward along the line. This he did, and as well, established the first Masonic Lodge in the
area in 1884, Mattawa Lodge #405.
On August 15, 1883, Mr Bliss held the first Anglican service in North Bay. Without a proper
building the service took place in the CPR engine room. Fifteen worshippers gathered that day. One
hundred twenty five years later, outdoors under a big tent, a hundred and fifty people gathered
right next to the original site to celebrate God’s word and sacrament.
With Mr Bliss’s encouragement the little congregation built a rectangular frame structure
on Main Street at a cost of $900. The new church, named St Michael and All Angels, opened for
divine service in September 1884. But demand soon increased the services to both morning and
evening and Mr Bliss could no longer cope, since he had missions to attend to all the way to Sturgeon
Falls. He then turned over the work he had inaugurated to Bishop Sullivan of the Diocese of Algoma.
Now into St Michael and All Angels strode a colourful Irishman, the Rev Gowan Gillmor, soon
nicknamed “The Tramp” from his practice of walking bush trails, railway tracks and frozen lakes to
minister to isolated settlers. In charge from 1885 to 1891, he established the first Women’s
Auxiliary in the Diocese of Algoma in 1887.
Following Mr Gillmor’s departure to further mission work in the Muskoka area, the Rev A.J.
Young, the new priest in charge, worked for and witnessed the construction of a new red brick
building costing $6000, which became the Church of St John the Divine. Why the name change? No
one seems to know, but on August 10, 1896, the Church of St John the Divine opened for service,
with congregations numbering 350 and 300.
The Middle Years Throughout the 1900’s much was done to enlarge and enhance that first brick
church into the splendid building we enjoy today. In 1910 the present chancel, with its striking Good
Shepherd window, was added. In 1923, under the Rev Gilbert Oliver, a large hall was erected. His
successor, the Rev Harry Sims, even during the Great Depression of the thirties, added a
commodious upper hall, the scene of dances, parties, suppers, teas, games and the ‘Little Theatre
Guild’. During the 22-year incumbency of Canon Charles Large, eleven splendid stained glass windows
were added around the nave as memorials to church pioneers. The windows present in sequence the
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life of Christ from his birth in Bethlehem to his bestowing the Spirit in Jerusalem on the Day of
Pentecost.
During the middle years of the twentieth century all the church’s organizations were in fine
form. The women’s groups were doing excellent work, the Chancel Guild and Servers were faithfully
carrying out their duties, the Sunday School was a busy place with many children and teachers, and
the choir numbered 34 (1955).
At least eleven young people, spiritually nourished at St John’s, went on to careers as
priests of the church. But also, the two Great Wars took a disproportionate toll on the young men
of our parish. To this day, the Colours presented in their memory by four remaining veterans remain
memorialized in the church and are used each Remembrance Sunday during a special liturgy.
In 1987, during the rectorship of
Canon Don Landon, a massive renovation
project costing over a million dollars was
begun. Added were thirteen apartments, an
office story, an elevator and an enclosed
corridor connecting the church and the lower
hall. Bishop Les Peterson dedicated the
renewed complex in 1989.
In 1995 we welcomed our first female
priest, the Rev Cheryl Kristolaitis and a year
later we celebrated the centennial of our
church building with a nostalgic look back at
1896, using the Prayer Book of that era.
The later years In 2008, under the rectorship of the Rev Dr G Wayne Short, we embarked upon
a year-long celebration of our 125th anniversary with many special liturgies, gatherings and
celebrations, and were privileged to have Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of
Canada in our midst, not to celebrate our building or our organizations, but our faith, the faith lived
out in the continued work of our parish beginning in 1883. In these latter years, like so many
parishes, we have encountered difficulties and challenges, but, as a people, we have met these and
continue to strive to be ‘a welcoming, nurturing and worshiping community which demonstrates by
word and deed the love of Jesus Christ for all creation’. “Surely the Lord is in this place,” cried
Jacob long ago. Indeed the Lord is in this place, as we, the ‘living stones’ of the parish, carry out our
faith-filled worship and ministry today and into the future.
With thanks to Bernice Cleator for the bulk of this history
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Our Ministries
God has truly blessed us! Even through difficult times and diverging winds and meagre
finances, the people of St John’s continually and joyfully offer themselves for ministry.
We list just a few here for you; some will be detailed more fully:
Open Arms Café
Food Shelves
Community Brunch
Warming Centre
Bliss Gillmor Apartments
Church School
Nursery
Youth Group
Operation Christmas Child
Friendship Group
Men’s Group
Coffee Hour
Chancel Guild
Anglican Church Women
Mary Sherwood Madagascar Ministry
Pastoral Care
Liturgical Service:
Layreaders
Servers & Acolytes
Lectors
Greeters
Sidespersons
Choir
Bible Study
Healing
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Parish Newspaper (Diviner)
… and so many more
Open Arms Café
Every Wednesday evening, about 120 people come in to our parish hall
to share in a full meal prepared by volunteer chefs and servers. Our guests are from the
street: many are homeless, hurting, poor, lost, lonely, suffering, those to whom Jesus said
‘Come to me you who are hungry and I will give you the food of life’. Our guests sit down,
and are served a nutritious hot supper. One of the parishioners has stated that when he
sees the throngs come through the doors, he sees the People of God, and it delights his
heart! Several of the guests have now become part of our church community and some
have been baptised.
(Luke 1:53 the hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away)
Warming Centre
North Bay’s only warming centre is at St John’s! Winters can get
extremely cold here, and on those nights, we open our doors to those who have no place to
go, to those who just have to come in out of the cold for a while, to those who might need
a place to spend the night. Warm beverages and hot food are available. Volunteers man the
hall evening and night. Support for this program has come from various groups and
agencies.
(Matthew 25:40 What you do for the least of these, you do for me)
Food Shelves
Our food bank, open once a week, provides a necessary service to the
increasing numbers of our neighbours in need in the downtown core. This has been a long
established ministry at St John’s.
Community Brunch Another long-established program, once a month a brunch is held for
our neighbours, near and far, who are in need. Here, food and fellowship abound with
people coming from all across the city.
Men’s Group
This parish group, long established since the early days of St John’s,
meets monthly for breakfast and fellowship. During the year, they host several meal
gatherings in the parish hall that not only raise funds for the church but also provide
great community fellowship for the congregation and the wider community. In between
planning and cooking Spaghetti suppers, Turkey suppers, Ham & Scalloped Potato feasts,
Pancake & Sausage Shrove Tuesday meals and more, they find time as well to do a bit of
wall painting here, floor repairs there, and many other ‘surprise’ manual tasks that all serve
to bring them closely together and to set an example to the community of Christian
service.
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Church School
We are blessed with committed people who share their gifts and help
open the eyes and hearts of our young people to the living wonderful word of God through
song, play, crafts and study. We have in the past used the resources of the SPARK
PROGRAM, as well as other ventures, special events and programs. Currently, under the
leadership of a paid Parish leader, there are several children attending weekly. Church
School occurs from the beginning of the Sunday Liturgy until the time for Communion.
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Bliss Gillmor Non-Profit Apartments This building is the former Parish Hall, renovated in
1987 under the leadership of the then incumbent Canon Don Landon, to provide 13
apartment units. With a number of geared-to-income units, it is owned by the diocese and
managed by the congregation through the Bliss Gillmor Board of Directors. This complex is
physically attached to the Church Building. The Parish Hall is in the basement of the
complex. This is an important ministry for St John’s. Previous incumbents to varying
degrees have involved themselves in this vital ministry.
Because of a long history of not being able to accrue a Reserve Fund, Bliss Gillmor has
found itself having to re-finance from time to time in order to meet the mortgage, repair
damaged units, replace roofs and so forth. Some have called it an albatross. Others have
called it an opportunity for us to be church in the downtown core. For a while, the North
Bay Housing Corporation, an arm of the City, managed the rentals, and things began to get
better. Currently, the North Bay branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association has
entered into an agreement with the Bliss Gillmor Board to provide oversight and supply
renters. Because of this, matters are getting better.
It is interesting to note that some of the residents of Bliss Gillmor have a close
connection with the parish, and attend Sunday liturgy, as well as participating in special
events, such as Men’s Club-sponsored dinners, Open Arms Café, Community Brunch,
Bazaars and other events.
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Our Finances
Our financial situation is not the best. Even though we do struggle we have always paid our
Apportionment to the Diocese (26% of givings). It appears that almost all our money goes
to paying our Diocesan Apportionment and operating costs, but nonetheless, we perform
wonderful outreach ministry with support by the wider community. Currently, we are ‘in
the black’ with our finances, and there are positive signs that we are moving towards a
stronger financial base. God has been increasingly supplying our need both financially and
with resources.
Every year, through the Parish Bazaar, and the Men’s Club Fundraiser Dinners, thousands
of dollars are brought into the church operating fund, as well as by other groups and
events. Currently, 77% of St John’s funding comes from parishioners’ free will offerings,
which is good, but, 50% of the givings are made by only 10% of identifiable contributors,
and, 70% of the households give at a level of less than $1000 a year. We understand that
this is a typical profile for many parishes. The annualized income is around $150,000 with
expenses about $130,000. (These are rounded figures based on January to June, 2014
financial statements)
At the very beginning of this process to seek an incumbent, we had to ask ourselves if we
needed to have a full-time priest, or a part-time priest. This was the subject of deep
prayer and discernment, but to a person, the Holy Spirit let us know individually and
collectively that God wants us to have a full-time incumbent! The Concurrence Committee
urged the Wardens and the Parish Advisory Committee to adopt, as soon as possible, an
effective stewardship program. It is being developed and will commence in early autumn.
We truly believe that as we embark on our journey ‘out there’, God will provide. We see
that this is true, for currently, we are operating ‘in the black’. We are supporting a halftime priest, and we have hope and trust, for the future.
Further on in this report, you will be presented with various other financial documents and
assessments.
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Liturgical Life
Worship is somewhat evenly divided between the Book of Alternative Services and the
Book of Common Prayer. Regular Divine Liturgy occurs each Sunday at 1030h. Summer
attendance averages between 50-60 congregants, and regular attendance throughout the
rest of the year averages 70-80 each Sunday.
During the last twenty-five years or so, there has been much experimentation with varied
liturgical forms authorized by the Bishop, ranging from the use of the Kenyan Liturgy,
contemporary liturgy from BAS resources, and traditional BCP. The 125th Anniversary
Celebrations embraced modern liturgy with Bishops and Archbishops presiding, as well as
past incumbents and guest presiders. Various forms of Eucharistic bread, modes of
receiving, liturgical dance and musical instruments have been utilized with positive
response. This year, the Sundays of Easter, including Pentecost, has seen the weekly use
of the joyful Kenyan Liturgy and the Gospel Acclamation ‘Listen Now to the Gospel’ from
Nigeria.
Recent practice is to have the Sunday Liturgy printed in the weekly bulletin. This makes it
easier for those who find the books too heavy, and for newcomers who find flipping
through a prayer book confusing. This appears to be working well. Hard-cover prayer books
are available for those who wish to follow in these.
There is a Bible in each pew. Several versions are presented in order to allow the reader a
variety of translations to further deepen understanding of Scripture.
The ministry of Layreader is strong in the parish. Lay leadership is encouraged and greatly
utilized. A trained committed body of Greeters, Servers and Sidespersons welcome
everyone, especially newcomers and visitors. The parish also has a strong body of trained
Lectors who fulfill their ministry faithfully and well.
A magnificent pipe organ enhances worship, as well as an electronic keyboard. At the
present time, there are two alternating organists, and a third in training. In the past
guitarists and pianists added greatly to worship. We have a dedicated Choir of about 10
members, as well as a Funeral Choir.
There is a belief amongst the congregation that since we believe Jesus is truly present in
our worship we must then demonstrate this belief to all in our liturgical celebrations
through posture, language and music. Vibrant liturgy leads to a deeper commitment of
faith and living the Way. We embrace the admonition of 1 Corinthians 5:8 to ‘Come,
Celebrate the Feast’.
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OUR DIOCESAN RELATIONSHIP
Several years ago, the Diocese of Algoma adopted a Mission, Vision and Governing Values
statement that we share as a Diocese. The Anglican Church of St John the Divine – North
Bay fully subscribes to this document and has incorporated it into our Vestry Report:
Mission, Vision, Values
Mission
To share in the gathering work of Christ so that His newness of life overflows into our
hearts, homes, churches, and community.
Vision
We are joyful Anglicans, serving, growing, and proclaiming Christ’s love in Algoma and
beyond.
Values
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A commitment to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
A commitment to prayer and spiritual growth.
A commitment to authentic and joyful Anglican worship.
A commitment to maintain and grow healthy churches that care for all people and
practise fiscal responsibility.
A commitment to spreading the good news through evangelism.
A commitment to caring, ongoing relationships encompassing the family of God
through shared ministry.
A commitment to social justice through mission, seeking Christ in all persons, and
living in harmony with the environment.
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Our Community
North Bay, a city of 54,000 people nestled between two beautiful lakes just 340
kilometres north of Toronto, Ontario, and about the same west from Ottawa, and east
from Sault Ste Marie, boasts ‘big city living in a rural town milieu’.
We have one of Canada’s longest airport runways with a beautiful air terminal hosting
international charter flights as well as regular domestic services, an adjacent aerospace
industrial park, Canadore College Aerospace Campus and a military base home to NORAD.
Miles of sandy beach with many public spaces line the southern part of the city, and
include a public marina and the ever popular Chief Commanda Catamaran which cruises Lake
Nipissing during the summer months. For winter enthusiasts, Laurentian Ski Hill is almost
smack dab in the centre of the city!
North Bay is home to Nipissing University and to Canadore College of Applied Arts and
Technology. Both institutions are renowned world-wide for their unique educational and
cultural programs. As well, many Galleries and the Capital Arts Centre which offers toprate theatre and entertainment, round off a diverse and excellent culture.
Follow this link for more information about our amazing city:
http://www.cityofnorthbay.ca/
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WHERE WE ARE NOW
Currently we have as an Interim Priest the retired Archdeacon Emeritus of Temiskaming
Deanery, the Venerable Linda White, who will be our pastor until the end of December
2015, unless a permanent Incumbent is chosen prior to that.
As well, there are five part-time staff: Church Secretary on payroll, and, on honorarium,
Church School Co-ordinator, Verger, Grounds & Maintenance person, and Organist.
The Parish Advisory Council consists of elected and appointed members, as well as the
Wardens, Synod Delegates, and Priest. This group meets in the afternoon on the 3rd
Thursday of the month for an hour.
There are various committees integral to the life of the Parish, including Worship &
Education, Chancel Guild, Choir, Lectors, Acolytes and Layreaders, Building Committee,
Memorial, Endowment, and others, detailed more fully in the Appendix.
Annual Vestry was held February 8 2015. Four particular Motions were passed which
address points made earlier in this Profile:
1
That we maintain the status quo regarding bulletin use, and encourage the use of the
books by those who want to use them.
2
That the Wardens, Incumbent and the Parish Advisory Council engage in a
Stewardship Program as soon as possible, as widely as possible.
3
That St John’s continue with five part-time stipendiary positions.
4
That St John’s continue with a half-time priest until finances permit moving towards
a full-time position.
It should be noted in reference to Item 4 that the monthly offering needed to continue
the mission of St John’s with a Permanent half-time priest would be $11, 667.00. January
offerings were $10, 818.80.
In regards to Item 2, this item is key to whether the parish of St John the Divine has a
half-time priest or a full-time Incumbent in the year 2016 and beyond. A Stewardship
Committee has been formed, and implementation of the program will occur during the
month of October with the assistance of the Diocesan Congregational Development
Officer.
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Presented at Vestry was a proposed budget indicating total income of $151, 606, and
expenses of $141, 585, predicated upon there being a half-time retired priest. A full-time
priest would require an additional $30,000 in annual expenses, meaning therefore that an
additional $20,000 of income would be required to maintain a balanced budget for this
year.
A Stewardship Committee is now active, seeking and evaluating various Programs available,
meeting regularly in prayer and discernment. This group is proposing to the Parish
Advisory Committee that a ‘kick-off’ celebratory weekend of meals, talks and Liturgy on
the weekend of October 2-3-4, 2015 commence the formal Stewardship Process. This
formal Stewardship action will continue until November 1, when pledges are accepted
during a celebratory Liturgy and meal. Supplementing this process, the Stewardship
Committee is also proposing two special events: a Share Festival Children’s Liturgy May 31,
and, a Talents and Treasures event running from Rally Sunday September 13 to
Thanksgiving Sunday October 11. This latter intentional event is to raise money to support
the education of a young Guatemalan girl, the former to end the Church School year and
present the biblical invitation of sharing God’s abundance.
The Budget and other Financial Statements are printed in the APPENDICES section of
this PROFILE.
17 children received First Communion Christmas Eve 2014
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APPENDIX
Page 18
Envelope Secretary Report
Appendix 1
Page 19
Balance Sheet Summary
Appendix 2
Page 20
Profit & Loss Statement
Appendix 3
Page 21
Budget – 2015
Appendix 4
Page 22
Parish Ministries List
Appendix 5
Page 23
Parish Assessment Committee
Appendix 6
Page 25
Concurrence Committee Members
Appendix 7
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Appendix 1
18
Appendix 2
19
Appendix 3
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Appendix 4
Proposed Budget for 2015 Income Special offerings [Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas] 7,000 Electronic Offerings* 40,000 Envelope Offerings* 65,000 Open Offerings* 3,000 Fund Raising 10,000 Rental and Special Use Income 3,000 Sales Tax refunds 5,000 Projected Income 133,000 Opening Balance from 2014 18,606 Total Income 151,606 Expenses Apportionment** 30,000 Bank charges/interest 1,000 Building Maintenance 7,000 Community Outreach & Programs 7,500 Insurance 7,500 Interim Rector Stipend*** 32,000 Other Salaries and Benefits [St John’s staff positions] 24,060 Organ maintenance and repair 500 Office Expenses postage 1,000 Other Misc expenses 1,000 Printing 2,700 Professional services and fees 750 Rector’s discretionary 750 Security Monitoring 525 Synod expenses 1,500 Telephone 1,800 Utilities 20,000 Worship supplies, materials, music, Sunday School and Children’s ministries 2,000 Total Expenses 141,585 NOTES: * these are conservative estimates. If there happen to bequests, a successful stewardship campaign, or a general commitment on the part of the congregation to increase their offering, the income will go up proportionately ** this apportionment is an estimate and may be high. Apportionment for 2013 was $25,397.00 [in 2013 is was $33,932.] The actual apportionment for 2015 for all churches will be confirmed in June. If we have overpaid for the first 6 months, our payments for the rest of the calendar year will be reduced accordingly. *** the budget estimate changes if a permanent incumbent is hired for St John’s. A half time priest who is not retired will cost about $48,000. A three quarter time priest will cost about $63,000 and a full time priest will cost $78,000. 21
Appendix 5
Paris h Min is trie s
Interim Parish Priest: Honorary Assistant: Churchwarden: Churchwarden: Deputy Churchwarden: Deputy Churchwarden: Parish Advisory Council Chair: Treasurer: Interim Choir Director: Interim Organist: Admin. Office Staff: Sunday School Superintendent: Envelope Secretary: Co-­‐ordinator of Greeters: Co-­‐ordinator of Sidespersons: Receptions: Finance Committee Chair: Worship & Ed. Committee Chair: Stewardship Committee Chair: Building Committee Chair: Memorial Committee Chair: Men’s Group Chair: Chancel Guild Co-­‐ordinator: Community Brunch: ACW Chair: Cursillo Representative: Bliss Gilmor Chair: Cemetery Board Chair: Outreach Committee Chair: -­‐ Coffee Hour: -­‐ Open Arms Café: -­‐ PWRDF: -­‐ The Diviner: -­‐ Pastoral Visitors: -­‐ Food Shelves: -­‐ Prayer List: Mary Sherwood Rev. Linda White Father Grant Churcher Peggy Morrison Barb Johnson Janice Turcott Dawn Clarke Eunice Saari Alan Morrison Spencer Moore, Judy Claus Spencer Moore, Judy Claus Dawn Clarke Johanna Kristolaitis Irvine Dyck Admin. Office Admin. Office Dave & Barb Johnson TBA TBA TBA TBA Christine Whatmore Irvine Dyck {vacant} Dave Johnson Estella Pelkey TBA Rev. Michelle Ferguson Father Grant Churcher Pamela Handley Mary Cyr Peggy Morrison Danielle Benoiton Larry Claus Pamela Handley Donna Sakaluk Christine Whatmore Pam Handley 22
Appendix 6
Parish Assessment Committee
In the last few years, the Diocese of Algoma implemented a Strategic Planning Process wherein each Parish
and Congregation in the Diocese would embark upon an assessment process in order to ‘take a snapshot’ of
where each parish was in its spiritual and physical life. The Parish of St John the Divine eagerly embraced this
program under the auspices of the Diocesan Congregational Development Officer, and subsequently, has
embarked on an intense evaluation of where we are, where we should go, and what our resources are. A
Committee comprised of a cross-section of the congregation has been meeting monthly for more than a year to
digest the Report compiled by the Congregational Development Officer and to make recommendations to the
Parish Advisory Committee.
The Committee recommends that St John’s adopt ‘Celebrate the Feast’’ as their Motto, believing that this
represents and encompasses all that we do as a parish. It also urges that this statement of values be adopted:
The Parish of St John the Divine in sincerity and truth is called to be a Christ-centred,
Spirit-led, Scripture-based prayerful community that upholds the following values:
Inviting
Learning
Teaching
Visioning
Participation
Hope
Charity
Peace
Sharing
Compassion Helping Loving Listening Missional Patient Trusting Cooperating
Adventuresome
Respecting
Kindness
Welcoming
Empathetic
Joyful
Understanding Generous Accessible
We would like to see every committee and group and activity in which the Parish is involved to
reflect this vision. We would urge the Motto be placed on all communications. We would like
the value statement to be given to the committees so they can ensure that they can
prayerfully consider these values and the Mission of the Parish and adopt at least three of
them as they make plans and decisions for the future of the congregation. We also
recommend that the Parish Advisory Committee ask the various committees and fundraising
coordinators to designate its funds for a specific purpose or cause in line with our mission and
values.
The Committee recognises the importance of capturing the imagination of the congregation and of getting the
congregation ‘on board’. We want the congregation to tell us where they think we as the People of God are now,
where we should be going, and how we are to get there. What does it look like to be, to do, the Mission
Statement? When we see a hunger, do we feed it? How is God setting the feast? What does God want us to do
in the coming year? What are the outcomes? How do we tell the stories of it?
Several physical and liturgical recommendations for change have been proposed, such as the removal of several
pews at the back of the worship area to better facilitate open space for gatherings and children’s activities,
the moving of the altar forward to better facilitate Communion by removing several steps in order to get to
the altar, that members of the congregation lead in the Prayers of the Faithful, that the Parish Offices be
moved from upstairs to the main level and that the vacated space be converted into additional apartments for
the Bliss Gillmor facility, that two pews on each side of the main aisle, in the middle of the worship area, be
reconfigured to allow for wheel chairs and walkers, that the various ministries of the parish be included in the
Prayers of the Faithful, that allowance be made for witnessing and sharing by members of the congregation,
that the modes of communion better reflect the realities of people today, that there be a series of
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instructional Eucharist celebrations, and that there be ‘teaching moments’ during worship, just to mention a
few. Some of these are currently being addressed and acted upon.
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Appendix 7
Concurrence Committee
(in alphabetical order)
Dennis Chippa
Dawn Clarke
Molly Cleator
Stephen Kitzul
Heather Murray
Peggy Morrison
Janice Turcotte
Warden
Layreader
Committee Chair
Warden
Warden
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