Ms. Trinket, in full costume and elaborate hairstyle, was played by the Rev. Andrea Budgey, the chaplain at Trinity College. She was assisted by two “peacekeepers” from the dystopian movie – the Rev. Maggie Helwig, the incumbent of St. Stephen in-the-Fields, Toronto, and Leah Watkiss, the program director for Social Justice, Peace and Care of Earth for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto.

The women put on the skit outside Mayor John Tory’s office as about 25 members of the interfaith group Faith in the City looked on. The group, which is made up of Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists, advocates for better social programs and services for the poor and marginalized.

Her voice full of enthusiasm, Ms. Trinket welcomed everyone to Toronto’s first ever Hunger Games and performed a reaping – drawing the names of two city strategies out of a bowl that would fight each other for funds. (In the movie, Ms. Trinket chooses two young people from her district to fight other teens to the death in the dominant city of the Capitol.)

With great compassion, she reassured those watching that they would get their chance to compete for funds as well. “Don’t worry: every equity-seeking group will have the chance to fight for its life before it’s all over,” she said. When the 10-minute skit ended, she and her helpers left with a flourish, to the applause of those present.

Elin Goulden, the diocese’s Social Justice and Advocacy consultant, said Faith in the City put on the skit to show how the city was not fulfilling its commitments and was making groups fight each other for what little money was available.

She said city council has approved 12 action plans and strategies in recent years to combat poverty and improve the quality of life for Toronto residents. These plans include improved access to child care, more affordable housing, expanded nutrition programs for students, free transit for children and lower fares for low income residents, and enacting the city’s climate change plan. Council unanimously adopted a Poverty Reduction Strategy in 2015 and Mayor Tory has said tackling poverty is one of the most important commitments of council.

However, the city had provided just $9 million in its preliminary 2018 budget to pay for the programs –  far short of the $41 million needed to fund them. Citizens and not-for-profit organizations made deputations to the city’s budget committee in early January to recommend how the $9 million should be spent.

“We believe that the budget process pits groups and citizens against each other to fight for scarce funding for programs that city council has already approved, and that shouldn’t be the case,” said Ms. Goulden. “If city council has approved it, they should find the funding for it.”

She added: “Who’s to say that students in need of nutritional supplements are more deserving than homeless people? It’s pitting people against each other and creating angst and sense of scarcity.”

Faith in the City called on the city to fully fund the programs, plus additional actions that have been approved by council but were not in the preliminary budget. They also wanted the city to set clear targets and timelines for reducing poverty and waiting lists for housing, child care and recreation programs.

Members of Faith in the City and other social justice advocates met with city councillors and staff and made their concerns known at the budget deputations. In late January, the city’s budget committee indicated that more money would be put into the 2018 budget to pay for the programs.

Ms. Goulden described it as a “win” for advocacy. “I think, given that this is an election year, and given the amount of publicity the city has been getting around failing to fund their programs, that they decided to find the money for these programs, at least for this year.”

She expressed a note a caution, however, that the funding would continue. “The problem is that the funding for these measures – some from borrowing, some from taking money from reserve funds, and relying on a hot housing market to generate sufficient Land Transfer Tax – isn’t really sustainable long-term. If this is just an election-year sop, and we go back to austerity next year, we won’t be further ahead. So looking at a modest increase in property taxes and other revenue tools is what’s needed.”

She said Faith in the City will be urging council to provide sustainable long-term funding for the programs and to create a better budget process. “We want to keep holding their feet to the fire, saying that we’re not forgetting what they’ve promised and we do intend them to live up to their promises.”

She urged Anglicans in the city to talk to their councillor. “We have a municipal election coming up this fall, and I think if enough people make it clear to their councillors that they want to see these actions funded in the future and are prepared to see a modest increase in their property taxes over the cost of inflation, we could start to see council implement these strategies.” City council was expected to vote on the 2018 budget in February

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The meeting, hosted by Bishop Jenny Andison, was a follow-up to her first town hall on Sept. 19, 2017. At that gathering, participants were asked what aspects of current ministry in York-Credit Valley excite them and what forms of ministry require additional attention. At the Jan. 13 meeting, attendees (who represented 32 parishes from across York-Credit Valley) reviewed the responses gathered in September and participated in an exercise to narrow them down by identifying, in their opinion, the priority ministries for the area.

The exercise revealed that the top three forms of ministry the group wishes to continue are nurturing worship and prayer, evangelism, and service to others. In her closing remarks, Bishop Andison observed that these three closely mirror the fundamental activities of the early Church as described in Acts; they reflect ways in which the Church, though always changing, is also, at its core, very much the same. Four ministries were prioritized for increased attention (two tied for third ranking, so both were included): youth ministry, children’s ministry, lay leadership training and innovative “non-Sunday” forms of worship and ministry. Bishop Andison observed that all these ministries could be grouped together as faith formation activities; the exercise clearly identified a need in York-Credit Valley for greater focus on building faithful disciples of all ages.

The final activity at the town hall was a brainstorming session on ideas for moving forward in each of these identified priority ministries. Thoughtful discussion at each table yielded many pages of suggestions, which were shared in a closing plenary session. Bishop Andison indicated all the results from the meeting would be collated and organized for distribution through the area’s webpage. She also said the newly redesigned Area Council would be using the results as a foundational resource in planning their work, and invited interested participants to become involved in potential working groups on the priority ministries.

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“The hope was that whatever was explored would lead to deepening relationships with people in Bolton who were not going to access the church in typical ways, like attending Sunday morning services,” says the Rev. Ruthanne Ward.

(Ms. Ward was appointed the church’s missional partner in 2014 and priest-in-charge in 2017. She is now the priest-in-charge of the Church of the Annunciation, Port Perry. As of Jan. 30, the incumbency of Christ Church, Bolton was vacant.)

A number of ideas were explored, including a hiking church – a group of people who worship God on Sunday mornings by prayerfully walking local trails and inviting others to join them. That concept took root and, once a month during the warm weather months, a group of parishioners get together for a hike.

Perhaps the best example of the church’s outreach is the special partnership it has forged with Caledon Area Families For Inclusion (CAFFI), a local parent network that advocates for improved housing, employment and other opportunities for young adults with intellectual and development disabilities.

“(The young adults) get cut out,” says the group’s founder, Patricia Franks, referring to the number of government support programs that end when young adults reach the age of 21.

Through the efforts of a parishioner and CAFFI member Sian Leyshon-Doughty, the church has been providing free meeting space for the last few years. During the meetings, church members often undertake activities such as baking or making crafts with the young adults, allowing their parents to be more engaged in the discussions. The minutes of those meetings are taken by a parishioner, who previously was not aware of the daily challenges the developmentally disabled face.

Other links between the church and CAFFI have also been formed. This past December, the congregation and CAFFI co-celebrated their third annual Christmas dinner. A pivotal component of those dinners has been the contribution of the young adults from CAFFI, who assist the church volunteers with cooking and setting up the hall.

Another example is a talk Ms. Franks delivered at a Sunday morning service in late January on housing and financial obstacles that persons with intellectual challenges face. She was invited to speak by the church’s social justice committee.

Through these events and others, parishioners have become increasingly more aware and personally invested in the issues facing CAFFI members. “This relationship will continue to evolve as different people become involved, as CAFFI needs change and as, hopefully, our community becomes more inclusive and supportive of all people living with developmental disabilities,” says Ms. Ward.

Submitted by Dan O’Reilly.

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The chair is just one of hundreds of items that have been built or fixed over the years at St. Timothy’s Workshop, located in a building behind St. Timothy, Agincourt.

Each week, a group of men gather in the shop to do woodworking, some metal work and other odd jobs. “We take a look at anything that comes in, and if we believe we can do it, we go ahead,” says Bill Gibson, the group’s spokesperson.

The shop has produced some memorable items. One was the large cross that was used during the diocese’s sesquicentennial celebrations in 1989. The wooden cross was displayed in various churches in the diocese before being carried into the Skydome (now the Roger’s Centre) for a service attended by thousands.

The men have made prayer book racks and have refurbished baptismal fonts, railings and churchwardens’ wands. They work on non-religious items, too. Recently they wove the cane bottom of an antique chair. One of the men is building a small lap table so a person can read an iPad in bed. Their current big project is restoring a dining room table.

The shop is fully equipped with table saws, band saws, drill presses, sanders, hand tools and countless other items that have accumulated over the years. But Mr. Gibson stresses that anyone can join the group, whether they’re skilled or not.

“If you can sweep the floors and put tools away, you can join,” he says. “The group is about fellowship – that’s our primary purpose. It’s not to make money or anything like that. It’s just a good group of guys.”

Any money the group earns is given to the church, he says, mostly to pay for the upkeep of the shop building. Most of their orders come to them through word of mouth.

The group first formed in the early 1970s as a men’s club and the numbers have fluctuated over the years. At one time, membership reached 100 but currently there are about 10 men who gather at the shop each week.

Mr. Gibson says it’s a great opportunity for men to “get out of the house” and take up a hobby. In addition to woodworking, they also make wine and have lunch together. “Our primary focus is on fellowship,” he says. “We all enjoy each other’s company.”

The shop is open on Monday and Tuesday mornings until noon, and occasionally on Thursdays. The church and shop are located at 4125 Shepperd Ave. E., Toronto. For information about joining the group or enquiries about items that need to be made or fixed, call the shop at 416-438-4055.

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As vicar, I am a member of the clergy team and share in leadership in the rich liturgical life of the cathedral as a preacher, presider and officiant. I work with the cathedral guilds:  the Altar Guild and Servers Guild, in addition to the Health Council, the Lay Pastoral Visitors Team, the Outreach Committee and the communications department. The vicar has a quiet role of doing the background detail work for liturgical services – daily worship and larger diocesan events. The vicar provides support to help others pray well. I currently supervise and mentor two curates and one theological student. The vicar provides support to the dean and other members of staff, and is a pastor to the cathedral. What I do most is pray. This duty is a joy.

I am preparing to facilitate “Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John” with a small group of others from the cathedral during Lent. I love small circles gathered around scripture. I am excited to return to this spiritual discipline. I am also preparing for a Lenten Quiet Day focusing on prayer, privacy and the practice of spending time in solitude. I am also working with my colleague James as we prepare and put together his ordination to the priesthood service.

The best part of my job is the people with whom I am privileged to work. They are extraordinary – dedicated, diverse, capable and kind. The cathedral staff and all our volunteers are amazing. They have been graciously hospitable to me as the new vicar. It is hard to name just one “best”. Seeing children at the altar rail and having that lovely moment of a shared blessing – this makes me so happy. The list could go on and on. Being surrounded by the exquisite sound of the cathedral choir – that is the best, too. Beauty breaks me wide open to God. The worst part: Keeping my desk tidy. I have such hopes, and I fail at this daily.

I was born in Mississippi, and my family came to Canada when I was three years old. We settled in London, Ontario, where I grew up and attended all of my schooling (except for the first year of my Masters degree). We were members of St. Paul’s Cathedral, attending sporadically during my childhood. However, on Sunday in my mid teens, I found the beauty of the ritual and music drew me. I joined the Servers Guild and began, unknowingly at the time, a journey in faith and prayer. I recall serving in 1976 at the first ordination of a woman priest in the diocese where the Rev. Mary Mills, a long serving deacon, was finally made priest. The dean at the time took me aside before the service and said kindly, “Pay attention.” Over time, I was encouraged by other mentors and clergy to consider pursuing theological study with the intent to seek ordination.

I was ordained in 1985 in the Diocese of Huron, serving first as the assistant to the dean at St. Paul’s Cathedral, then appointed as the chaplain of Huron College and the University of Western Ontario and incumbent of the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist. I then became rector of St. James in Ingersoll, Ontario. I left that ministry and went on an extended parental leave for five years, welcoming three children into the world. During this time, I was an honorary assistant at Bishop Cronyn Memorial, in addition to doing private spiritual direction work. Next, my husband and I ventured west and shared ministry as co-rectors of St. Timothy’s Anglican Church 100 Mile House, B.C., in the Diocese of Cariboo, where we were privileged to work with Bishop James Cruickshank. I then became the dean of the Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior and rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Kamloops, where I served for 12 years. Then came a term as the executive director of the Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre in Sorrento, B.C.

Throughout my ministry, I have tried to achieve a spiritual discipline of prayer. What brings me joy is seeing people engage deeply with scripture and discover that they are theologians.

My favourite passage from scripture is Matthew 13:45: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, the merchant went and sold everything and bought it.” I find that this passage holds for me the message about the journey: that the search and the finding is the Way and that when the sought-for pearl of beauty and value is found, it is worth my all. Keep searching, keep finding, and keep giving up all for this Holy Way – this Kingdom of God.

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The inconvenient truth about congregational health, however, is that 75 per cent of our parishes are experiencing either no growth or decline. For some, the decline is gentle and hardly noticeable; for others, it has been severe – losing 40 per cent or more of their Sunday worshippers since 2009. As the decline intensifies, it leads to low morale among existing congregants and may eventually signal the closure of a church and disestablishment of the parish.

Across the mainline Protestant denominations in Canada and the global West – including Anglican, Evangelical Lutheran, Presbyterian and United churches – the decline has been happening since the 1970s. It is only recently, however, that the pace has accelerated, due to the aging and passing of the first born of the Boomer generation. Other denominations are not immune. Evangelical churches and the Roman Catholic Church are beset with closures. Mega-churches, once touted as the saving grace for some denominations, are closing too.

The reasons for decline are countless – and have been discussed time and again in this column. At the top of the list is societal change. When going to church stopped being obligatory and Sundays became a day just like any other, it was only a matter of time before church worship itself became just another choice.

It is very hard to grow a church, let alone start one from scratch as we are currently doing at St. Stephen, Maple. They take special leadership, commitment and a knack for thinking outside the box. If we assume that people have spiritual needs beyond a nice walk down a country path, then we need to find a mechanism that captures their attention and engages their participation.

To this end, I have identified seven indicators that lead to church vitality in our diocese. Not every parish that is growing is doing every one of these things, though most are.

1. Giving to church ministry is exceptional. In our diocese, the average gift per year through envelope giving or pre-authorized giving is $1,325. In our healthiest parishes, the average gift is $1,800. Our top giving parish has an average of over $4,000 per giver – and it is not in downtown Toronto.
2. There is a breadth of engagement in outreach. Our top parishes often give more than 10 per cent of their total offertory to outreach initiatives such as food banks, hot lunches, Out of the Cold, after-school clubs, FaithWorks, mission trips to the developing would, etc. Churches need to look beyond their own walls and seek to involve as many parishioners as possible.
3. Newcomers are welcomed and invited to become involved in the ministry of the parish. The role of the greeter should be more than simply handing out the order of service. We need to present our very best to newcomers: welcome them at the door, interact with them at the sign of Peace and during coffee hour, and then invite them to become involved in some ministry.
4. Clergy are active in promoting discipleship and Christian formation. The Rev. Canon Harold Percy (now retired from Trinity, Streetsville) notes in his book Your Church Can Thrive that “the failure to make disciple-making a priority is the basic cause of our current malaise and stagnation.” He contends that churches need to teach the gospel, teach people how to pray, read scripture, forgive, worship, give generously, model Christ in their lives and give witness to the work of the Holy Spirit.
5. The church makes connecting with young people a priority. Parish leaders often lament the absence of young people in their pews. Connecting with adolescents needs to be part of our core witness. How do we involve young people? Ask yourself: Are they serving at the altar? Do they participate in reading the word of God, singing, playing an instrument, welcoming newcomers or organizing events? In this digital age, working with young people takes time and patience. Failing to engage with them is a sure way to turn them off Church.
6. The church has a well-maintained website and uses various communication methods. If you are still promoting the strawberry social from 2014, then something has gone amiss. Healthy parishes use their online footprint to communicate with church members and seekers alike. They post sermons, weekly bulletins, ministry opportunities and lots of photos of church members doing stuff.
7. Healthy churches experiment with new liturgies, music, missional engagement, giving vehicles and roles for volunteers. If we believe that we have already tried that or that a certain idea will not work, then we have no chance of being successful.

Our Church is going to experience unbelievable change over the next decade. We will become a lot leaner and there will be fewer of us worshipping on Sundays in the traditional format. That doesn’t mean that the remaining churches cannot be full of energy, vigor and hope. Perhaps worship will take on different forms and be held on different days and in different types of spaces. Perhaps our youth will be engaged in more hands-on ministry. Perhaps our missional engagement will look a whole lot different.

We have seen that while there is a place for traditional ways of doing Church, those that are thriving are doing things differently – they must. It means that stewardship education, too, will need to adapt, becoming more closely aligned with discipleship and faith formation.

Change is unavoidable, but decline can be reversed. Can we, collectively, realign the Church to arrest decline and set our churches on the path to health and growth? Will you take up the challenge to do Church differently in your own worship community and help lay the foundation for a healthy, vital Anglican presence in the years to come?

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As the parents of three teenage daughters, my husband Tim and I are conscious of how teenagers are not simply the Church of tomorrow, which of course they are, but also the Church of the present. We are also keenly aware of the wonderful opportunity that parishes in our diocese have for helping shape teenagers as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Many North American studies indicate that the majority of Christians first began their journeys of faith before the age of 18, and that sharing the good news of God in Christ with others during their childhoods and teenage years can be particularly powerful. This should come as no surprise. During the critical years of late adolescence – a period when individuals are forming their understanding of the world around them, and are really trying to figure out their place in that world – it can be truly life-transforming for a person to hear that God loves them just the way they are (and that because of that love, God has no intention of leaving them that way!). I also believe that the message that our churches can offer – that there is a God who loves us, and who wants to partner with us to help transform the unjust structures in our society and to help create communities of hope and healing – is something that teenagers just might get out of bed for!

We have an opportunity in the coming years to make youth ministry a top priority in our parishes. In the past year, as I have gotten to know the churches of York-Credit Valley, I have seen numerous parishes that already have creative and dedicated ministries for teenagers, and others that currently offer little in this area. No matter where any parish might sit on this continuum, I believe that the Holy Spirit has a great deal in store for any church that decides to refocus its attention, energies and resources onto youth and youth ministry. I also believe that youth ministry needs to be a clear priority, not because of the aging demographics of our churches but because youth are human beings desperately in need of God’s love and mercy. Our strategic plan, Growing in Christ, has identified leadership and formation as one of its key priorities. Let us join in prayer together that we will seek transformative ways to shape in Christian love and wisdom the next generation of young leaders for our Church.

What this means practically will differ from parish to parish. Some might hire a youth minister to strengthen and expand an existing youth program; many denominations that are planting churches in Canada make the hiring of a youth minister the essential second hire after the senior cleric. Our Diocesan Youth Ministry Apprenticeship Program (YMAP) has produced many fine youth ministers currently serving in our parishes, and YMAP can be expanded. Other parishes, which may have a handful of teens, might begin a mentoring program, where older parishioners will befriend teens and begin to read the scriptures with them and look for ways to serve together. And parishes in neighbourhoods where there are currently few teenagers might decide to partner with a parish in the Canadian north, to help financially support its existing youth ministry.

Whatever our context, there is work that God calls each of us to do in sharing with teenagers the joy that is already ours. “For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth”  (Psalm 71:5).

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Every week as bishop, I make a pilgrimage of sorts to a local parish church. I get up, grab some breakfast, pack my bags and head out on the road. Each week is a journey of faith and insight. Each place is different in outward appearance, and yet at the heart are all the same. There is indeed a visit to a shrine – not the physical building, although some churches are very beautiful and many have been made particularly holy because of the continuous prayer of faithful people for a century or two. Rather, I find that the significant spiritual journey is to meet the “holy people of God,” the ordinary faithful people of any parish who give of themselves to sustain a community of prayer, who are becoming more deeply conformed to the life of Jesus, and who are quietly engaged in God’s mission for the welfare of the community in which they are placed.

Almost universally, when bishops are asked, “What is the most life-giving part of their ministry?” many name their visits to parish churches week in and week out. Bishops are not like most priests or deacons; bishops are itinerant. They move from place to place and – in the words of Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury – do the work of “interpreting the strangeness of one community to the next.” They are “one with the apostles” as they proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ and celebrate the sacraments of redemption.

Bishops get to see a lot. While we often must deal with the thorny problems that others cannot find obvious solutions for, what bishops most often encounter are people from all walks of life – “all sorts and conditions of people” as the Prayer Book prayer says – putting flesh on their baptismal promises to live as disciples of Jesus. This is not the stuff of news headlines or videos going viral on YouTube. It is an unassuming, unglamorous “getting on” with the routine business of living faithfully as Christians-of-the-Anglican-persuasion in the world.

It inspires me. It gives me courage. It gives me hope.

These weekly pilgrimages are journeys that sustain my belief and faith because the parishes, and more precisely the parishioners, are the local face of the Church. They are truly the “vicars of Christ,” the representatives of Jesus on earth, even though it sometimes takes some time to discern that.

There are, of course, some outstanding characters. There are some who are lackadaisical. Most are somewhere in between. But isn’t that true of every organization, and in every age? There have always been saints, and always scoundrels. Saints are hard to live up to; scoundrels are hard to live down; and both can actually be a bit of a pain to live with. In my journeys around the diocese and around the world, what really impresses me are the ordinary folk in the middle who try to make sense of their often confusing and challenging circumstances, who try to live with integrity and faith, who try to find some experience of joy and peace and to share that with someone else. They are the backbone of our Church. I continue to be impressed and humbled by this.

Now go back through this article and replace the third person “they” with the second person “you.”  Hear me say this about you!

We are currently in the midst of Lent – a season, yes, but also a pilgrimage. As you know, part of my Lenten pilgrimage this year is to join with others in the diocese, and specifically with a small group of cathedral parishioners, to walk together to meet Jesus in John’s Gospel.  (See www.ssje.org/meetingjesusinjohn/.)

As in all pilgrimages, fellow travellers who weave in and out of your journey are a critical component.  You learn their stories as you walk along the way, you may make new friends and discover unexpected insights about yourself. And you find yourself walking with God.

Pope Benedict XVI described it this way: “To go on pilgrimage really means to step out of ourselves in order to encounter God where he has revealed himself, where his grace has shone with particular splendour and produced rich fruits of conversion and holiness among those who believe.”

During Lent, we journey from the penitence of Ash Wednesday through the “training” or “disciplines” that build and stretch our spiritual muscles. We accompany Jesus on his way, from the triumphal entry into the Holy City on Palm Sunday to the betrayals and his sacrificial suffering and death on the cross at Calvary. On Holy Saturday, we temporarily halt the journey and linger to mull over the disillusionment and confusion that Jesus’ disciples must have experienced, and which we all face at various times in our lives.

And finally, we arrive at the empty tomb of Easter, which turns out not to be a destination but marks the start of another journey – a pilgrimage that will continue to mould the contours of our life. Eternally.

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The King Albert School program began at Easter in 1998, an initiative of parishioners Ethel Morris and Susan Sindrey. “There was this need and interest in trying to reach out to the local children in the school that’s almost behind St. Paul’s,” says the Rev. Warren Leibovitch, the current incumbent. “King Albert School is for the most part considered an inner-city school. Over 60 per cent of the school is on assistance of some kind, and a lot of the children come from families with difficult situations.”

Since then, St. Paul’s has run the program twice a year, at Christmas and Easter. At lunchtime on two days in a row, volunteers from the church walk a group of children the few blocks from their school to the church. Though organized by St. Paul’s, the school supports the program by coordinating permission slips and providing educational assistants to join the kids. “It’s seen as a positive for the children in terms of learning, interaction and stimulation,” says Mr. Leibovitch. “They get to have some fun and get an hour and a half away from school.”

In recent years, so many kids have signed up that they’ve been split into two groups, one for grades 1-3 and one for grades 4-6. Activities each year include crafts, storytelling, music and conversation. “There’s always something to take home, and there’s always a nutritious meal provided if kids don’t have a lunch,” says Mr. Leibovitch.

At Christmas, the highlight for the older kids is the pageant, complete with costumes and carols. “They choose what they want to be, if they want to be one of the wise men or Mary or Joseph – that’s usually a battle – and there are a couple of narrators usually dressed as angels,” he says. The Easter program is similar: there are seasonal crafts, everyone hears the Easter story, and the older kids learn how to make palm crosses. The programs have been running on a three-year cycle of different activities because of the number of kids who come back year after year.

The initiative has recently taken on an ecumenical aspect. Since Easter 2017, St. Paul’s has partnered with The Centre Community Church, a new church plant reaching out to less fortunate families in Lindsay. Pastor Mike Kleinhuis and volunteers from that community help provide leadership and music during the two days. The program is also supported by the local ministerial of churches.

As many religious institutions worry about their declining influence in secular society, Mr. Leibovitch says the St. Paul’s community is well aware of how unique this partnership between church and public school is and says he actively encourages the relationship. “I’ve been very clear to say we have to keep doing this. If we ever miss one season, we could lose that continuity,” he says. “The challenge has always been when a principal changes. You always hope the new principal will be brought on board. So far we’ve been lucky.”

Since arriving at St. Paul’s in 2008, Mr. Leibovitch says he has heard only positive feedback about the program. “Some of these parents have very little connection with church or have had a 30-year gap of ever being near a church,” he says. “The neat thing is the kids go back and share what they learned, so the parents are also learning.”

The program can also help families form a lasting connection with the church. “Every time we bump into one of the boys or girls out there in the community, they’ll remember seeing us,” says Mr. Leibovitch. He credits the Christmas and Easter activities with making St. Paul’s more accessible to local kids. “It’s not a scary place, it’s not just that big building near the school, but a place they can feel comfortable coming into.” Some of the older kids have even dropped in on the church’s youth group to see what it’s about.

As the program comes up on its 20^th anniversary, Mr. Leibovitch says he’s grateful for the many dedicated volunteers who have given their time and energy over the years. “We know there’s a seed that’s been planted, that’s the most heart-warming part. We’re planting seeds, and we just don’t know how it will bear fruit in the future. As Christians that’s what we’re called to do,” he says. “I’m hoping it continues for many, many years.”

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Mr. Harper, who is the diocese’s Indigenous Native Priest, used to have two long braids stretching halfway down his back. He had to get them cut off when he went to school – a devastating experience, he recalls – and kept them off as a parish priest.

But his hair is getting long again, enough to make a pony tail – a sure sign that he is settling into his new life and ministry in the diocese. “I’m walking an amazing path where I am allowed to be who I am for the first time,” he says. “I’m relishing every moment.”

Mr. Harper admits that he was “terrified” when he started the job a little more than a year and a half ago. Coming from a parish in Thunder Bay, where he was the incumbent, he didn’t know what to expect. His main task was to serve as a pastor to the diocese’s Indigenous population – a tall order by any means. The City of Toronto alone has about 60,000 First Nations, Metis and Inuit people, and about half of them are Anglican.

He was also starting during a watershed moment in Canada’s and the Anglican Church’s history. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 2015 had released its final report into the history and legacy of Canada’s residential schools. Included in the report were 94 “calls to action” urging governments and institutions to address the harm caused by the schools and move forward with reconciliation.

His first priority was to “get the lay of the land” – meeting people both in and outside the Church, to discuss whatever was on their minds. He says it has been a journey of discovery and revelation.

“I’ve seen it all,” he says. “One of the most wonderful things has been to see the amazing diversity of the Church, from people who are willing to embrace new thoughts and ideas about Indigenous peoples, to others who are in outright denial or think that Indigenous peoples don’t even exist.”

He has visited 36 parishes and is already booked into November. “It’s been wonderful,” he says. “All the churches have been gracious and welcoming.”

When he’s invited to a church, he usually preaches. “I stay true to my calling as a priest – I preach the gospel,” he says. “I don’t preach the gospel of the TRC or the gospel of Indigenous ministry. I try to bring it under the lens of what we can be – how the gospel speaks to all nations and is a hope for everyone.”

He will spend as much time at a church as he is needed, whether for one service or three. He will also speak at informal parish events. “One of the greatest things I’ve been doing is simply speaking with people and answering questions – often questions they’ve always wanted to ask but were afraid to. In those situations, I always say that you can’t offend me, so go ahead and ask anything.”

In addition to parish visits, he has led workshops, seminars and a clergy retreat. “I’ll speak on whatever the organizer is looking for. Usually it’s about what Indigenous spirituality is and what it could be. I’ll also speak about the TRC – what’s been happening and where it is now.”

When he’s discussing the TRC, he often touches other subjects as well, such as Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women and the Sixties Scoop, the name given to the practice in the 1960s of taking Indigenous children from their families and placing them in foster homes or up for adoption. “I try to bring everyone into the history of where we have been as a Church and as Canadians,” he says.

He has been humbled by what he has seen and heard on his travels. “I’ve discovered that the people of this diocese live true to their Christian calling – they are a people of hope, and there is the potential for something wondrous to happen. I think what the churches are saying and realizing is that they need to allow the Holy Spirit to move, even when they want to resist.”

A number of churches across the diocese have made efforts to learn about Indigenous issues and respond to the TRC’s calls to action. These have included field trips to reserves, holding a Blanket Exercise, inviting a speaker, joining an advocacy group, visiting a former residential school, donating goods for remote communities, taking part in a demonstration, going on a youth exchange and saying prayers on Sunday.

Indigenous spiritual practices are much more prominent in the diocese than they were a few years ago. Smudging ceremonies are increasingly common, as is the practice of acknowledging that a service or meeting is taking place on traditional First Nations land. Clergy and lay people are involved in reconciliation efforts at the national, diocesan and parish level. The diocese recently gave $100,000 to the national church’s Healing Fund.

“This is an exciting time to be in the Church and to see what the Spirit is doing among us,” says Mr. Harper. “Change is huge because it stirs the stagnant water, but it’s also good and I want people to see that.”

Looking ahead, he is excited about the creation of a national Indigenous church within the Anglican Church of Canada, possibly as early as 2019. He also sees the potential for an Indigenous congregation forming in the diocese within the next five years, possibly sharing space with another church or on its own.

“I think people in the diocese are starting to understand that one way of doing things is not the answer for all peoples,” he says. “We have a great diversity of churches, and each one speaks to a certain people. They listen and say, ‘Yes, this is my home.’ Indigenous people have not found that yet within the Church.”

One of the things he hopes to do more of in 2018 is visit rural churches. “I’d like to see what’s going on and help them in their ministries, especially if they relate to the TRC.”

His second goal is to get out on the land, something he hasn’t been able to do much of since moving to Toronto. “I’ve always been in rural parishes and places where I could step out into nature. A city park just doesn’t cut it. I’d like to connect to the land and re-energize my batteries.”

Most of all, however, he looks forward to continuing to meet people. “As Indigenous Native Priest, I’ve discovered that my calling is to work with the churches and to help them embrace diversity and change. I try to get people to see that we don’t need to be held back by fear and trepidation, but that we can walk bravely forward into the future that is in the plan and movement of the Spirit.”

He adds: “It’s all about embracing people around us. We’ve hugged ourselves for too long and it has become a straightjacket. We need to open our arms and welcome others into the Church.”

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