Briefly

Workshops help parish leaders

The diocese is holding half-day workshops for parish leaders, especially those new to their positions. The workshops are for churchwardens, deputy churchwardens, parish administrators, treasurers, administrative staff and clergy. The purpose of the workshops is to provide parish leaders with the information, resources and support needed to help them do their jobs. Two workshops were held on March 23. Two more workshops will be held on April 6, the first at St. John, East Orangeville in the morning and the second at Christ Church, Brampton in the afternoon. For more information, visit www.toronto.anglican.ca.

Priest writes book on joyful eating

The Rev. Canon Martha Tatarnic, the former incumbent of St. David, Orillia and now the incumbent of St. George in St. Catharines, has written The Living Diet: A Christian Journey to Joyful Eating, a new book  that offers a hopeful perspective on how to understand our relationship with the food we eat and the bodies in which we live. In The Living Diet, she focuses on how the teachings of Jesus offer a different perspective on healthy bodies and healthy food, rooted in eating as an act of relationship. “We know the aphorism, ‘You are what you eat,’” she says. “But Jesus also proclaims that we are how we eat. How we eat communicates much about what we value, who we value, and indeed who we are.” The Living Diet will be published on April 17.

Parish nurses invited to education day

The Canadian Association for Parish Nursing Ministry is holding a church health education day open to all nurses, health care providers, faith leaders and anyone interested in faith community health. It will take place on May 24 from 1-5 p.m. at the Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre in London, Ont. For more details and to register, email [email protected].

ACW holds annual general meeting

The diocesan Anglican Church Women’s annual general meeting and luncheon will be held on April 27 at St. Timothy, Agincourt with guest speaker Alexandra Shimo, author of Invisible North: Life Lessons from a Troubled Reserve. All are invited.  Tickets are $35. For more information, call 416-363-0018 or email [email protected].

Head of refugee alliance retires

Ian McBride, the long-time director of the Anglican-United Refugee Alliance (AURA), retired at the end of January. Mr. McBride worked in the area of refugee sponsorship and resettlement on behalf of the diocese for many years, beginning on the board of what was then called the Working Group on Refugee Resettlement in 1996, and becoming executive director in 1998. “Those of us who have been involved in refugee sponsorship either in diocese or through our home parishes can attest to Ian’s passion and dedication to this work, and how well he has equipped parishes throughout our diocese to live out Christ’s call to ‘welcome the stranger,’” says Elin Goulden, the diocese’s Social Justice and Advocacy consultant.