One Toronto parish, the Church of the Redeemer, Bloor Street, is making ambitious plans of its own. From Sept. 23 through Oct. 14, Creation Matters @ Redeemer invites you to join with them and with Christians around the world to pray and reflect during a “Season of Creation.” Shifting the observation of the season a little later so as to encompass the Thanksgiving weekend, Redeemer has planned evening and morning services, music, panel discussions and guest speakers, including National Indigenous Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald, Primate Fred Hiltz, and former United Church of Canada moderator Bill Phipps. For more details, see www.theredeemer.ca.

“Season of Creation” is a time to celebrate and give thanks to the Creator for the lakes, rivers, ravines, trees, and parkland we enjoy; for the abundance of food and the rich diversity of living things sustained by the Earth. It is also a time to consider how individually and collectively we are carrying out our baptismal promise to “safeguard the integrity of God’s creation and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth.”

The post Church celebrates Season of Creation appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Heavy rain threatened to wash out the tourney but organizers, players and fans decided to press on. The rain eventually let up, leading to an enjoyable day of cricket, food and music.

Teams from nine churches took part: St. Thomas à Becket, Erin Mills; St. Peter, Erindale; Trinity, Streetsville; Holy Family, Heart Lake, Brampton; Church of South India, Toronto; St. Joseph of Nazareth, Bramalea; St. James the Apostle, Brampton; St. Jude, Brampton; and St. Bede, Scarborough. A tenth team, called All Angels, was made up of individuals from churches that did not send teams.

Bishop Jenny Andison, the area bishop of York-Credit Valley, said the opening prayer. “We would like to extend a huge thanks to Bishop Jenny for attending and helping us increase the recognition and profile of the ACCF,” said Ranil Mendis, one of the organizers. The tournament will be held again next year.

The post Rain no match for cricketers appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The program was called “Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus.” Each morning, 52 children (the castaways), 20 adults and 17 teenagers would meet at the morning “Castaway Sing & Play” to learn a Bible point and a key Bible verse.

The program was designed to emphasize to everyone involved that when life causes you to feel like you have been shipwrecked, Jesus has promised to rescue you. The theme was reinforced as the children travelled from one station to another. These stations included: “Imagination Station,” where children learned, through engaging science experiments, how God can make the impossible possible; “KidVid Cinema,” a daily video clip featuring children living out their faith and having an opportunity to explore their own lives and faith; and “Ship Rec Games,” fun-filled games that allowed the children to celebrate their outdoor voices and God-given energy.

To describe how lives, both young and old, were enriched throughout the week could fill a novel. We listened to children share some of the difficulties they have experienced in their young lives. At the beginning of the week, they tentatively asked questions such as, “Is God real?” and were grinning from ear to ear when they were told that God loves them.

It was music to our ears to hear the children singing the songs and dancing with their crew leaders with no inhibition. The teenagers who were volunteering this summer were outstanding.

A highlight was our ability to give each child and teenager their own Bible to take home with them. The Bibles were provided by the Canadian Bible Society. The older children received a copy of Spark magazine, provided by Gideons International. We would like to thank both organizations for their generous contributions.

To celebrate the Vacation Bible School, the participants’ families were invited to a Sunday worship service that included testimonials from children, teenagers and adults, as well as music and video clips from the week. A barbecue lunch was held after the service.

Sheila Dickson is the youth and family coordinator at St. Andrew, Alliston.

The post ‘Castaways’ learn that Jesus will rescue them appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

During the conversation, Mylo said he wished he had a place to get away from it all. “I just wanted something for me and other kids where we could be ourselves and forget worrying about those things anymore,” he says.

His comment struck a chord. “In my world, if a child asks you if you can build a safe space for them, you say yes,” says his aunt, the Rev. Erin Martin, the incumbent of St. James the Apostle, Sharon, located about 50 km north of Toronto.

Ms. Martin and Mylo’s mother, Kit Woods, had an idea. What about creating a safe place for LGBTQ youth and their friends at the church? The women, who are sisters, asked some parishioners if they would like to help. They said yes, and in 2016 A Safe Place was born.

Held in the parish hall, the twice-monthly gathering gives LGBTQ youth and their friends an opportunity to hang out together and be themselves. There is no structured program. Sometimes they simply shout out “I’m gay!” or “I’m trans!” or “I don’t know what I am!” It is a release for some of the kids because they can’t say it at home. Often they share stories about their lives such as being misgendered or rejected because they are gay. Then they rally around each other for support. It isn’t all serious – they have a lot of fun as well.

Mylo, 14, says it has been a lifeline for him. “I’ve gotten to know so many other kids like me who have gone through what I have, so they get it,” he says. “A Safe Place has cool people and we do cool things like normal people.”

Since it started, A Safe Place has grown from four youths to about a dozen. It is for youth aged 12 to 18. Once they reach 18, they’re asked to be mentors to the younger kids.

The youth come from the surrounding area and as far away as Markham. Some have come out to their families and others haven’t. Some do not tell their parents exactly where they are going. “They’ve told their parents they’re going to a youth group at a church, but they haven’t revealed what kind of youth group it is,” says Ms. Martin. “It’s still not a hundred per cent safe for them in their families.”

A Safe Place has mostly grown through word of mouth or by the youth bringing their friends. Ms. Martin gets calls from organizations across Ontario wanting to learn more. Recently the RCMP’s headquarters in London, Ont., asked if it could raise money for the group.

“We’re just a tiny group but apparently there are not that many like us out there,” she says. There is a similar group in Newmarket but not many others outside of Toronto.

In addition to financial support from the church and outside groups, A Safe Place received a $5,000 Reach Grant from the diocese to get started. Reach Grants help churches try innovative forms of ministry to connect with people who aren’t yet attending church.

Ms. Martin says St. James the Apostle and the surrounding community have been very supportive. In recognition of A Safe Place’s efforts, she was asked to be the grand marshal of the York Region Pride Parade on June 16 and the group was given an honoured place in the parade.

She praises her parishioners. “Even those people who didn’t totally understood what LGBTQ kids were going through could understand that children need a safe place. No matter what anybody believed individually, everybody believed that they wanted St. James to be a place of safety.”

She believes strongly that churches should be places of safety, especially for people who are marginalized and need to have a voice. “We need to be advocates for them,” she says. “Also, we need to be more visible about saying to LGBTQ people, especially kids, we love you and accept you.”

The post Church gives LGBTQ youth a safe place appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Theatre by The Bay, a Barrie-based professional company, had approached the church with a proposal to produce an original play based on Mary’s journals. It would be set in Shanty Bay and presented in our church hall – surely a unique way to celebrate our important anniversary.

Leah Holder, actor, director, and screenwriter, had discovered Mary O’Brien’s story and became deeply committed to transforming it into a play. In Leah’s mind, the observations of this articulate, 19th century woman are social history, far too infrequently presented.

St. Thomas members had little idea of what was in store. The parish hall was taken over with stage lights, a sound system, risers for seating the audience, and blackout curtains all around. Coffee hour was adjourned to the porch for three Sundays!

There were 17 performances in all, and Mary of Shanty Bay was acclaimed a sold-out hit. The four actors were outstanding, bringing the O’Brien family’s story to vivid life in the very location where it all happened. The opening night champagne reception was over-subscribed by friends and neighbours, all showing their support for St. Thomas.

For us at St. Thomas this meant that we were able to welcome hundreds of people to our historic site, introduce them to our founding story, show them around the church and even the graveyard where the principals are buried. On top of this, we met and became friends with the cast and crew whose work inspired us all.

Susan Woods is a member of St. Thomas, Shanty Bay.

The post Play brings history to life appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

This dinner was held this year on May 5. We began at the Masumeen Islamic Centre for a tour of the mosque. All the visitors were greeted with a heartfelt “Salaam alaikum,” which means “Peace be with you.” We saw the classrooms, gym and prayer halls for the men and women. Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer explained the important foundational beliefs of Islam: belief in one God whose presence is everywhere; reverence for the prophets from Adam to Mohammed; and the Day of Judgement at the end of time when all souls will be divided into heaven or hell based on their actions on earth. He also spoke about the obligations to pray five times a day and to fast during Ramadan. After sharing appetizers and more conversation with one another, it was on to St. Peter’s and a dinner of vegetarian lasagna.

At St. Peter’s, the Rev. Canon Jennifer Reid, incumbent, led a tour through the worship space and shared some of the basic beliefs of Christianity and the foundational stories of Christmas and Easter with the group. She did an admirable job of condensing 2,000 years of history into 10 minutes to explain why there are so many Christian denominations. We were treated to a short demonstration of the pipe organ. Our guests enjoyed exploring the space and engaging in conversation with parishioners. Ringing the bell in the tower was a highlight for a number of people.

We finished at Solel Synagogue with dessert and conversation with Rabbi Audrey Pollack and Arliene Botnik, the director of education at the synagogue. Rabbi Pollack greeted us with the words “Shalom Aleichem,” pointing out the similarity of the Hebrew greeting to the Arabic greeting, and talked about the Torah and Jewish identity. We had an opportunity to see the beautiful hand-written Torah scroll and hear her chant a portion of it. Mrs. Botnik talked about the history of Solel Synagogue and took us on a tour of the kosher kitchen, explaining the laws of kashrut. The evening ended with Rabbi Pollack leading the blessing prayers to close the Sabbath. She also explained the meaning of each blessing of light, wine, and spice, as symbols of the sweetness of the Sabbath.

It was a wonderful evening exploring the three Abrahamic faiths and getting to know our neighbours. Although there are differences of belief between the three groups, there are also many similarities including a desire for peace, and service to the community.

The post Faith groups share beliefs over dinner appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post Rare gift appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The endowment, he wrote, “will lay a sure foundation for the Church of God in Canada for all future time, and also provide for her rapid increase.”

Bishop Strachan, who was the first Bishop of Toronto and the founder of the diocese, did not live to see his dream realized. But a new trust fund may see it come true after all.

The John Strachan Trust, named after the indefatigable bishop who left a lasting mark upon the city and province, had its official kickoff on May 23 at the Eglinton Grand, a former movie theatre and historic landmark in midtown Toronto.

The gala evening, attended by about 100 people, included a short film, comments by Archbishop Colin Johnson – who is the 11^th and current Bishop of Toronto – and a cameo appearance by Bishop Strachan, played by actor John Rammell, a member of St. James Cathedral.

The evening began with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, followed by opening remarks by Stephen Rodaway, ODT, chair of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto Foundation’s board of directors. The foundation is the diocese’s key fundraising arm and manages several endowments, including The John Strachan Trust. It also provides support and consultation to parishes for legacy giving and parish endowments.

The centrepiece of the evening was a film that showed Archbishop Johnson carrying out his ministry as the Bishop of Toronto – leading Synod, teaching and preaching, celebrating the Eucharist, advocating on behalf of the poor, instituting clergy into their new parishes, meeting laity and more.

The film was shot over six months by videographer Nicholas Bradford-Ewart with the support of Martha Holmen, the diocese’s Digital Communications Coordinator, and Michael Cassabon, the diocese’s Manager of Major Gifts and Legacy Giving.

“Our goal isn’t just to raise money – it’s to help people understand what the Bishop of Toronto does, and we thought a great way to do that would be to make this video,” says Mr. Cassabon, who works on behalf of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto Foundation. “We wanted to do something really fresh and engaging that captured the diversity of the Bishop of Toronto’s ministry.”

The film opens with an evocative scene of Bishop Strachan, played by Mr. Rammell, writing his letter to the people of the diocese, circa 1854. It then fast-forwards to the present with scenes of Archbishop Johnson, who narrates the video. It ends with a stunning aerial shot of St. James Cathedral and the Toronto skyline.

The film was shown on the theatre’s big screen and watched by the guests from their seats. The art deco theatre, built in 1936, was the ideal venue for the gala. “We wanted it to be fun and whimsical,” says Mr. Cassabon, who organized the event. “We wanted to do something that would perhaps intrigue people and pique their curiosity enough to get them to come out and see what it was all about.”

In his comments following the film, Archbishop Johnson reflected on his final year in office – he is retiring at the end of the year – and the importance of establishing a firm financial footing for those who will follow him in that role. “I am only the 11^th Bishop of Toronto since 1839, and I hope there will be 111,” he said. “But it’s not about me – it’s about the office of the bishop. It’s my hope that as I leave office and as another bishop takes office in this long line of continuity, we may be well on our way to realizing John Strachan’s dream of a fully funded endowment for the perpetual sustainability of the work and ministry of the bishop.”

He added: “The world is changing and will continue to change, but the mandate of the Church is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and to form disciples, and that will remain because it is the mandate given to the Church by Christ himself. At the end of the day, this campaign is about ensuring there are funds to do the work that Jesus calls us to do as a Church and as a diocese.”

The Bishop of Toronto is the chief pastor of the diocese, providing oversight to some 230 congregations and ministries in 183 parishes. The office of the Bishop of Toronto is currently funded by an endowment and a portion of the diocese’s operating budget. The John Strachan Trust seeks to raise $2.5 million, of which about $800,000 has already been pledged or received. If the trust reaches its goal, the costs of the office of the Bishop of Toronto will be offset in the diocesan operating budget by income from the trust rather than parish assessment.

Mr. Cassabon is confident the trust will reach its target. “As Bishop John Strachan wrote, we can raise the money if we make people ‘fully alive to the importance of the measure,’” he says.

For more information on The John Strachan Trust, visit www.toronto.anglican.ca/foundation or contact Michael Cassabon at 416-363-6021, ext. 242, or email mcassabon@toronto.anglican.ca.

The post New trust launched at film gala appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The gift will come out of the diocese’s Ministry Allocation Fund, 10 per cent of which is tithed to projects or ministries outside the diocesan budget. Previous grants have included $100,000 to the Diocese of Athabasca to help youth after the fire in Fort McMurray, $500,000 for refugee sponsorship, and $100,000 to replenish the national church’s Anglican Healing Fund.

The new centre, which will be built near Front and Cherry streets in the city’s West Don lands, will include healing gardens and outdoor therapeutic spaces, meeting and counselling space, a Family, Child and Youth unit, expanded services for LGBTQ clients and palliative care services.

The centre will be owned and operated by Anishnawbe Health Toronto (AHT), which provides traditional health and healing programs for First Nations, Metis and Inuit people and their non-Indigenous family members in Toronto. Founded in 1987, AHT is Canada’s first fully accredited Indigenous community health service.

“We’re really excited to have this tremendous support from the Anglican Church,” says Julie Cookson, the executive director of the Anishnawbe Health Foundation, the fundraising arm of AHT. “We’re grateful that this has come forward and we’re hopeful this campaign is the start of a friendship between AHT and the Indigenous community and other groups across the city.”

Toronto has about 70,000 Indigenous people, the largest and most diverse Aboriginal community in Ontario. According to a recent study, 90 per cent of the community lives at or below Canada’s low-income line and one-third are precariously housed or homeless; chronic health issues such as diabetes, asthma and arthritis are much more prevalent than in the general population. Mental health issues affect 80-90 per cent of AHT’s clients.

AHT currently provides services at three locations in Toronto, including its main centre at 225 Queen St. E. The organization plans to move all its services to the new building in the West Don lands. Construction is expected to begin in 2019 with completion by the end of 2020.

The total cost of the project will be $31 million, with $17 million coming from Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long Term Care’s capital program, an estimated $4 million from the sale of AHT’s Queen Street property and other government sources, and $10 million from a public fundraising campaign. The land was a legacy gift of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, held in Toronto in 2015.

Ms. Cookson says the new building will convey the cultural richness of the Indigenous community and foster reconciliation through the reclamation and restoration of traditional healing practices. One of the Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action (#61) calls on churches, in collaboration with Indigenous organizations, to establish funding for healing and reconciliation projects at the local level.

She says the four-storey building will be part of an “Indigenous hub” for the city. “It will be space where the Indigenous community and the city can come together and recognize the strength and beauty of Indigenous culture.”

Archbishop Colin Johnson said he was pleased that Diocesan Council approved the grant. “It recognizes the ongoing commitment of the Diocese of Toronto to healing and reconciliation – in this case specifically with Indigenous populations that live in the City of Toronto and beyond,” he said. “The urban Indigenous population is one of the most underserved, and this reaches out using money that we have raised through the sale of property to support people for whom connection to the land is so important.”

As part of its commitment to healing and reconciliation, the diocese contributed $5 million to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement and created the Robert L. Falby Memorial Endowment for Aboriginal Ministry. The diocese’s Our Faith-Our Hope campaign gave a $500,000 grant to the Council of the North and the Anglican Council of Indigenous People for healing work with clergy and caregivers in remote communities. The Rev. Chris Harper, the diocese’s Indigenous Native Priest, serves as pastor to the diocese’s Indigenous population.

The post Diocese supports new Indigenous health centre appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post With gratitude appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.