<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>September 2021 Archives - The Toronto Anglican</title>
	<atom:link href="https://theanglican.ca/topics/september-2021/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>https://theanglican.ca/topics/september-2021/</link>
	<description></description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 16 May 2023 18:11:21 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-CA</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>
	hourly	</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>
	1	</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4</generator>

<image>
	<url>https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/aflv.png?fit=32%2C32&#038;ssl=1</url>
	<title>September 2021 Archives - The Toronto Anglican</title>
	<link>https://theanglican.ca/topics/september-2021/</link>
	<width>32</width>
	<height>32</height>
</image> 
<site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">208154589</site>	<item>
		<title>Church to host birthday celebration for Tutu</title>
		<link>https://theanglican.ca/church-to-host-birthday-celebration-for-tutu/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[The Anglican]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2021 19:50:34 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Parish News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September 2021]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://theanglican.ca/?p=174329</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Desmond &#38; Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation will celebrate Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s 90th birthday on Sunday, Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. at Grace Church on-the-Hill, Toronto.  The church installed and dedicated a new stained-glass window last fall in Archbishop Tutu’s honour. Archbishop Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work as an anti-apartheid and [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/church-to-host-birthday-celebration-for-tutu/">Church to host birthday celebration for Tutu</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Desmond &amp; Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation will celebrate Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s 90th birthday on Sunday, Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. at Grace Church on-the-Hill, Toronto.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">The church installed and dedicated a new stained-glass window last fall in Archbishop Tutu’s honour. Archbishop Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was the chair of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<figure id="attachment_174330" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-174330" style="width: 773px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20200927_006.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="174330" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/church-to-host-birthday-celebration-for-tutu/20200927_006/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20200927_006.jpg?fit=773%2C1000&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="773,1000" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="20200927_006" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Rev. Florence Li Tim-Oi.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20200927_006.jpg?fit=309%2C400&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20200927_006.jpg?fit=773%2C1000&amp;ssl=1" class="size-full wp-image-174330" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20200927_006.jpg?resize=773%2C1000&#038;ssl=1" alt="Stained glass windows" width="773" height="1000" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20200927_006.jpg?w=773&amp;ssl=1 773w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20200927_006.jpg?resize=309%2C400&amp;ssl=1 309w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20200927_006.jpg?resize=768%2C994&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 773px) 100vw, 773px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-174330" class="wp-caption-text">Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Rev. Florence Li Tim-Oi.</figcaption></figure>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">“The 2020 installation of the stained-glass window honouring Archbishop Tutu’s life and witness has sparked keen interest in the wider community,” says the Rev. Canon Peter Walker, incumbent of Grace Church. “Without it, we wouldn’t have been asked to host this milestone event celebrating a Nobel Prize-winning churchman and reformer.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">The Sept. 26 event will feature speeches, entertainment by jazz singer Jackie Richardson and the Nathaniel Bett Chorale, and a book launch by the Rev. Michael Battle of the General Theological Seminary in New York. Archbishop Tutu plans to speak virtually to the audience. Prof. Battle will also preach at the Sunday morning service.</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">The event is free and open to the public. There is a fundraising goal, however, for an Archbishop Tutu bursary to be awarded to a Toronto School of Theology graduate for further study and work in peace and reconciliation ministry. The University of Toronto has agreed to co-sponsor the bursary.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">“Given the timeliness of this topic in a Canadian context as well as Archbishop Tutu’s 90th birthday milestone, I think this event is exciting for our church to be hosting,” says Canon Walker.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">For more information, visit Grace Church on-the-Hill’s website at <a href="https://gracechurchonthehill.ca">gracechurchonthehill.ca</a>.</span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/church-to-host-birthday-celebration-for-tutu/">Church to host birthday celebration for Tutu</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">174329</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Garden grows more than food</title>
		<link>https://theanglican.ca/garden-grows-more-than-food/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Shane Watson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2021 19:45:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Parish News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September 2021]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://theanglican.ca/?p=174325</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>As Bob Sanderson, mayor of Port Hope, said at the ribbon-cutting celebration on June 12, the sign says it all: In this garden we grow food, but also community, love and hospitality. Our prayer is that the seeds of friendship and faith will flourish here. All who yearn to cultivate good things are welcome. The [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/garden-grows-more-than-food/">Garden grows more than food</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<a href='https://theanglican.ca/garden-grows-more-than-food/st-john-port-hope-pic-3/'><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-3.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Four young children smiling for the camera" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-3.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-3.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-3.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="174326" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/garden-grows-more-than-food/st-john-port-hope-pic-3/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-3.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="1024,768" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="St-John-Port-Hope-pic-3" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Children enjoy a section of the garden.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-3.jpg?fit=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-3.jpg?fit=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1" /></a>
<a href='https://theanglican.ca/garden-grows-more-than-food/st-john-port-hope-pic-1/'><img decoding="async" width="960" height="960" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-1.jpg?fit=960%2C960&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="A bathtub flowerbed next to a sign describing the garden" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-1.jpg?w=960&amp;ssl=1 960w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-1.jpg?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-1.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-1.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="174327" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/garden-grows-more-than-food/st-john-port-hope-pic-1/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-1.jpg?fit=960%2C960&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="960,960" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="St-John-Port-Hope-pic-1" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;A bathtub repurposed as a flower planter welcomes visitors to St. John the Evangelist’s new garden.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-1.jpg?fit=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Port-Hope-pic-1.jpg?fit=800%2C800&amp;ssl=1" /></a>

<p class="p2">As Bob Sanderson, mayor of Port Hope, said at the ribbon-cutting celebration on June 12, the sign says it all: In this garden we grow food, but also community, love and hospitality. Our prayer is that the seeds of friendship and faith will flourish here. All who yearn to cultivate good things are welcome.</p>
<p class="p3">The spiritual garden at St. John the Evangelist, Port Hope is an outdoor space that facilitates connections within the congregation and the local community. The goal of the project is to leverage existing connections with our community and to be open to the wider community even when the buildings are closed. The garden symbolizes that the church is never closed. Though borne out of a desire to provide an outdoor interactive space compatible with physical distancing requirements, post-pandemic it will continue to provide a place to build community.</p>
<p class="p3">The St. John’s team planned the project in partnership with Port Hope 4 Future, a local environmentally minded group; and Punk Rock Produce, growers of community gardens who encourage others to grow food to donate. The garden has already attracted the attention of the local community. The Rev. Jesse Parker, incumbent, remarked with tears of joy that the garden has filled the space with the laughter of children – thanks be to God!</p>
<p class="p3">A Reach Grant of $5,000 from the diocese provided seed funding (pun intended). That was supplemented by contributions of time and materials, as well as donations for celebration stones engraved with messages in tribute to the people who have been rocks of faith in the community. The garden and the celebration stones were blessed by Bishop Riscylla Shaw at the opening celebration, when about 40 people came together within COVID-19 rules to participate. We hope to have a larger celebration in the fall. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Features include food gardens to feed the hungry and flowers that are a feast for the eye. A significant children’s area (a literal “kinder-garden”) includes a chalkboard, seating for outdoor Sunday School, planter boxes, play boxes and a mud kitchen, along with food for the kitchen. There are even houses for birds, bees and bats! There are spots to absorb the sun and sheltered benches to recover in shade. There are quiet corners and a place where a windchime plays the notes of “Amazing Grace.” There are new things, never used, and old things finding new purpose. In this garden, there is a community of long-standing members and new passers-by who enter in.</p>
<p class="p3">This is a place that has already been filled, yet also invites more in. It’s like a container holding a plant that grows beyond the pot that holds it. This place will grow and adapt, with features gradually expanded, added and changed.</p>
<p class="p3">All are welcome here, as the old cast-iron bathtub repurposed as a flower planter at the garden entrance symbolizes. Yes, even old bathtubs that have seen better days and that were once relegated to a dark corner of someone’s yard are now full of flowers. With God, those who thought they were not welcome anywhere have a place near the front. A symbol of renewal and welcome for all — a slice of the Kingdom of God.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/garden-grows-more-than-food/">Garden grows more than food</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">174325</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Church called to help refugees</title>
		<link>https://theanglican.ca/church-called-to-help-refugees/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Powell]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2021 19:42:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Parish News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September 2021]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://theanglican.ca/?p=174323</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>St. Jude, Bramalea North is a community parish in Brampton. Since it opened in 1977, St. Jude’s has become more multicultural, alongside the surrounding area. On any given non-pandemic Sunday, visible minorities make up half the congregation. Many of the key leadership positions in the parish are filled by people who weren’t born in Canada. [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/church-called-to-help-refugees/">Church called to help refugees</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p2">St. Jude, Bramalea North is a community parish in Brampton. Since it opened in 1977, St. Jude’s has become more multicultural, alongside the surrounding area. On any given non-pandemic Sunday, visible minorities make up half the congregation. Many of the key leadership positions in the parish are filled by people who weren’t born in Canada.</p>
<p class="p3">When the Rev. Jeff Stone arrived in 2017, one of his first challenges to the leadership team was to find St. Jude’s mission goal in the wider neighbourhood. Since then, we have developed and strengthened some missions. We made children’s ministry a focus, and a Deacon’s Cupboard food donation box, which had until then been used only to stock food hampers three times a year, was expanded to serve people on an as-needed basis.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">These things happened organically, but St. Jude’s would soon find yet another call to mission: God decided that we were a good place for those seeking refuge in Canada.</p>
<p class="p3">One of our key parish leaders is herself a refugee. But over the last four years, we have seen a number of refugee families make St. Jude’s their place of worship. Three families of refugees consisting of 14 people from the Middle East and Africa have added greater diversity and gifts to the congregation. While we already had strong roots in the Caribbean community, the Holy Spirit has blessed us with new families and a new focus.</p>
<p class="p3">This year, the Rev. Jeff Stone brought a proposal from AURA (Anglican United Refugee Alliance) to our vestry to sponsor two families from Afghanistan, totalling eight people. The motion passed, and we’re now in the process of working with AURA to start the sponsorship process. While these families aren’t Christian, we feel called to help them escape from the life-threatening situation they’re in. The Samaritan man and the assault victim in Jesus’ parable belonged to different nations and followed different religious practices, yet they were undeniably neighbours. The whole point of the parable is to define the meaning of the term “neighbour” and to illustrate that loving your neighbour as yourself is like loving God “with all your heart, mind and strength.” This is the greatest of all the commandments, Jesus tells us.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Through the activity of the Holy Spirit, St. Jude’s has found one of its missions: helping and welcoming refugees into our community. Thanks be to God!</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/church-called-to-help-refugees/">Church called to help refugees</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">174323</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Easter garden proclaims faith</title>
		<link>https://theanglican.ca/easter-garden-proclaims-faith/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gwen McMullen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2021 19:37:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Parish News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September 2021]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://theanglican.ca/?p=174320</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>St. John the Baptist, Lakefield has stood stately at the corner of Queen and Regent streets since 1866. St. John’s has a great location. People love to go for walks through the village. They often have children in strollers or dogs on leashes. We can’t change the letters on our large sign without someone stopping [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/easter-garden-proclaims-faith/">Easter garden proclaims faith</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_174322" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-174322" style="width: 400px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Lakefield-photo-2.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="174322" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/easter-garden-proclaims-faith/st-john-lakefield-photo-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Lakefield-photo-2.jpg?fit=624%2C468&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="624,468" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="St-John-Lakefield-photo-2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Banner gives hope to passersby. &lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Lakefield-photo-2.jpg?fit=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Lakefield-photo-2.jpg?fit=624%2C468&amp;ssl=1" class="size-medium wp-image-174322" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Lakefield-photo-2.jpg?resize=400%2C300&#038;ssl=1" alt="Blue vertical banner on a pole &quot;Jesus Lives&quot;" width="400" height="300" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Lakefield-photo-2.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-John-Lakefield-photo-2.jpg?w=624&amp;ssl=1 624w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-174322" class="wp-caption-text">Banner gives hope to passersby.</figcaption></figure>
<p class="p1">St. John the Baptist, Lakefield has stood stately at the corner of Queen and Regent streets since 1866. St. John’s has a great location. People love to go for walks through the village. They often have children in strollers or dogs on leashes. We can’t change the letters on our large sign without someone stopping to give a greeting.</p>
<p class="p3">In February, the church’s Growing Forward Together team met by Zoom. One of the items on the agenda was possible plans for Easter. The team comprises six members of our congregation and the Rev. Peter Garcia, our new incumbent. Its purpose is to return the church to a state of health and sustainability so we can achieve our vision.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Rene Jackman, people’s warden and a member of the team, pitched the idea of an Easter garden. We agreed that it was a wonderful idea to put up a life-sized Easter garden on the lawns of St. John’s. It was the perfect setting to show that the Easter message of God’s great love and forgiveness is at the heart of our faith.</p>
<p class="p3">How did we make the Easter garden? Velta, one of our members talented in design and construction, volunteered to make a life-sized tomb. She cleverly designed it using thick insulation and built it in three parts for easier transportation and storage, as we planned to use it another year.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">One family of three girls painted a banner that told the Easter story. Using the elements of this drawing, Prim made a colourful fabric banner. This was installed on the church lawn. Prim also agreed to make an eight-foot-tall banner with the words “Jesus Lives” to be hung on a feather-shaped banner stand. This was placed beside the tomb.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Overlooking the tomb, we positioned a cross in the ground with a crown of thorns and a purple cloth on Good Friday, along with a spotlight to illuminate it at night. Large branches of pussy willows softened the background against the large stones of the church. We placed scripture verses on stakes along the path leading to the tomb, telling the rest of the story beginning at Christmas.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">The final verse placed inside the empty tomb said, “He is not here. He is risen as he said.” Members of the congregation were invited to donate pots of spring flowers to be placed by the tomb for Easter morning. The large church sign was changed to read “Jesus is alive. Hallelujah!” It was a great team effort.</p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">People were invited to walk through the display while reading the highlights of the Easter story as told in the Bible. We found that the Easter garden sparked much interest in St. John’s Facebook group. It encouraged other Christians as they walked or drove by. We were grateful for the interest shown by St. John’s congregation and felt that our efforts were most worthwhile. We showed the community how much God loved the world: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life” (John 3:16).</span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/easter-garden-proclaims-faith/">Easter garden proclaims faith</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">174320</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Parishioners pitch in to furnish rectory</title>
		<link>https://theanglican.ca/parishioners-pitch-in-to-furnish-rectory/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Diane Engelstad]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2021 19:32:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Parish News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September 2021]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://theanglican.ca/?p=174318</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What do you do when you’re a small rural parish in snowmobile country, anticipating the arrival of your new incumbent from Turks and Caicos? (That’s right, those Caribbean islands Canadians flee to for relief from our frigid winter weather.) Well, you roll up your sleeves and get to work to prepare the sunniest, warmest helping [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/parishioners-pitch-in-to-furnish-rectory/">Parishioners pitch in to furnish rectory</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p2">What do you do when you’re a small rural parish in snowmobile country, anticipating the arrival of your new incumbent from Turks and Caicos? (That’s right, those Caribbean islands Canadians flee to for relief from our frigid winter weather.) Well, you roll up your sleeves and get to work to prepare the sunniest, warmest helping of small-town Anglican hospitality this side of the 22nd parallel.</p>
<p class="p3">The parish rectory at St. James, Fenelon Falls, situated next to the church and its community garden, is a small three-bedroom gem, with hardwood floors and charming details, built about 70 years ago. Many incumbents have called it home over the years.</p>
<figure id="attachment_174319" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-174319" style="width: 342px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Coboconk-photo.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="174319" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/parishioners-pitch-in-to-furnish-rectory/coboconk-photo/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Coboconk-photo.jpg?fit=342%2C456&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="342,456" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="Coboconk-photo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Parish volunteers on the rectory furnishing team are, from left, June Rose, Emily Twigg, David Agnew, Gayle McAndrews, Dana Bachman and Jane Handley.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Coboconk-photo.jpg?fit=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Coboconk-photo.jpg?fit=342%2C456&amp;ssl=1" class="size-full wp-image-174319" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Coboconk-photo.jpg?resize=342%2C456&#038;ssl=1" alt="Volunteers pose on an outside staircase" width="342" height="456" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Coboconk-photo.jpg?w=342&amp;ssl=1 342w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Coboconk-photo.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w" sizes="(max-width: 342px) 100vw, 342px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-174319" class="wp-caption-text">Parish volunteers on the rectory furnishing team are, from left, June Rose, Emily Twigg, David Agnew, Gayle McAndrews, Dana Bachman and Jane Handley.</figcaption></figure>
<p class="p3">Parishioners of the Parish of Fenelon Falls and Coboconk saw their opportunity when they realized the rectory would need to be not only spruced up for the new residents, but completely furnished. The Rev. Alvardo Adderley and his family wouldn’t be arriving with a vanload of furniture, but on a jumbo jet from the south.</p>
<p class="p3">Christ Church and St. James’ churchwardens penned a letter to call for donations and all hands on deck. “But we didn’t even manage to send it out,” says Emily Twigg, churchwarden at Christ Church. “The offers of quality furniture and help just started coming in.” In no time there were beds, sofas, televisions, leather armchairs and a stunning dining set. Some things needed a little TLC, so that was given too. There were repairs, fresh paint and stocking of the kitchen to make sure the new family had all it needed for its household. Lynne Jackson, community garden coordinator and parishioner, planted one of the raised beds with tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, okra and summer squash for the family, with an early zucchini already destined for the freezer in the form of zucchini bread.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Parishioners were invited to see the results at a rectory open house on June 26, a rare parish event with COVID-19 protocols still preventing large gatherings, but one that helped channel the excitement for welcoming the new family. The Rev. Alvardo and Michelle Adderley, their two adult children and a grandchild were expected to arrive in July, pending immigration and quarantine requirements.</p>
<p class="p3">Fully furnishing a rectory is uncommon — maybe a first — in the diocese, where clergy generally arrive by land, bringing their household effects with them. But the Parish of Fenelon Falls and Coboconk has always embraced new opportunities placed in its path. St. James was the first church established in Fenelon Falls in the 1830s. Co-founder (and acclaimed artist) Anne Langton didn’t shirk from a whole assortment of church duties, including regular preaching, not a common practice for women of her day. More recently, the wedding of parishioners at St. James marked the first Anglican same-sex marriage ceremony in the diocese. Christ Church, Coboconk, which ordinarily offers hospitality in the form of community pancake breakfasts and soup lunches, adapted to months of COVID-19 restrictions without blinking, by offering a take-out version of its Tuesday “Soup’s On.” Now the parish is looking forward to the joy of welcoming all the culture and diversity the Adderley family will bring with them, and new ways to share the gospel message in this small corner of the diocese.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Parishioners are confident there will be plenty of warmth generated in this whole process — warm-heartedness that will perhaps distract the Adderleys from thoughts of the Caribbean when a certain drop in outdoor temperatures seems to last longer than expected.</p>
<p class="p4"><i>Diane Engelstad is a member of St. James, Fenelon Falls. The Rev. Alvardo Adderley arrived in the parish in July.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/parishioners-pitch-in-to-furnish-rectory/">Parishioners pitch in to furnish rectory</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">174318</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grant seeds pollinator-friendly garden</title>
		<link>https://theanglican.ca/grant-seeds-pollinator-friendly-garden/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cynthia Perry]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2021 19:26:59 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Parish News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September 2021]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://theanglican.ca/?p=174314</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>In the spring of 2019, Church of the Resurrection, Toronto was awarded a city PollinateTO grant. The church’s garden team was excited to have the opportunity to transform half of our garden plots, plus the unnecessary lawn space at the front of the church, into a pollinator-friendly garden full of native plants. Bees, butterflies, moths [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/grant-seeds-pollinator-friendly-garden/">Grant seeds pollinator-friendly garden</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<a href='https://theanglican.ca/grant-seeds-pollinator-friendly-garden/resurrection-photo-1/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="1000" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-1.jpg?fit=750%2C1000&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Detail of the gardens." srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-1.jpg?w=750&amp;ssl=1 750w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-1.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" data-attachment-id="174316" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/grant-seeds-pollinator-friendly-garden/resurrection-photo-1/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-1.jpg?fit=750%2C1000&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="750,1000" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="Resurrection-photo-1" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;In addition to pollinator habitat, the gardens provide a meditative place where people can meet and encounter God.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-1.jpg?fit=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-1.jpg?fit=750%2C1000&amp;ssl=1" /></a>
<a href='https://theanglican.ca/grant-seeds-pollinator-friendly-garden/resurrection-photo-5/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="817" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-5.jpg?fit=1200%2C817&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="A number of volunteers working in a garden" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-5.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-5.jpg?resize=400%2C272&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-5.jpg?resize=768%2C523&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="174315" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/grant-seeds-pollinator-friendly-garden/resurrection-photo-5/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-5.jpg?fit=1200%2C817&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="1200,817" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="Resurrection-photo-5" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Volunteers work on the new gardens at Church of the Resurrection in Toronto. &lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-5.jpg?fit=400%2C272&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Resurrection-photo-5.jpg?fit=800%2C545&amp;ssl=1" /></a>

<p class="p2">In the spring of 2019, Church of the Resurrection, Toronto was awarded a city PollinateTO grant. The church’s garden team was excited to have the opportunity to transform half of our garden plots, plus the unnecessary lawn space at the front of the church, into a pollinator-friendly garden full of native plants.</p>
<p class="p3">Bees, butterflies, moths and beetles depend on specific plants to meet their needs for nectar, pollen, larval and adult food, and nesting materials. Plants are equally dependent on insects for cross-pollination, which creates genetic diversity and ensures the plant’s survival. The city’s pollinator strategy recognizes that habitat can be restored and native plants can be re-introduced. The PollinateTO grants are a way of encouraging volunteer groups with land in the city – such as churches – to lead the way in habitat restoration by creating pollinator gardens.</p>
<p class="p3">Resurrection was well-positioned to take advantage of the city’s generous grant. In past years, existing gardeners had already planted or seeded some native plants, including goldenrod, milkweed, fleabane and New England aster. Oregano was growing wild everywhere, and the bees went crazy over it. The church already had 1,000 square feet of raised garden beds that had been built as a community garden. About half of this area successfully grew vegetables, but the other half was shaded under a magnificent old red oak and wasn’t very productive.</p>
<p class="p3">The grant stipulated that the garden design be 75 per cent native plants, have continuous blooms for insects and contain at least two plants that are larval host species. The plan for the garden must also respect the sun/shade and soil conditions the plants would need. A key part of the design process was to measure the sun/shade conditions of the various raised beds.</p>
<p class="p3">It turned out a couple of beds got enough sun to be planted as a meadow. These beds now contain native tall grasses like big blue stem, Indian grass, switch grass, little blue stem and bottlebrush grass, as well as field flowers like purple bergamot, black-eyed Susan, butterflyweed and native blue lupine. One of our most popular species with pollinators is hairy beardtongue.</p>
<p class="p3">The bed under the red oak was planted with forest floor species such as trilliums, columbine, Virginia waterleaf, ferns and witch hazel, which blossoms and turns brilliant gold in the fall.</p>
<p class="p3">Our team felt the garden shouldn’t be just pollinator friendly, but a beautiful and meditative place where neighbours could meet with friends and encounter God. We planted serviceberry trees to provide flowers in the spring, berries for the birds in the summer and beautiful fall colours. Native shrubs, such as nannyberry, red elderberry and wild cherry, were planted to give the garden texture and help it feel like an enclosed space. A sandbox in one of the beds encourages neighbours to enjoy the space. Two picnic tables in the garden invite passersby to sit and enjoy the garden.</p>
<p class="p3">The grant also stipulated that the garden needs an education component, to spread the knowledge of the need for pollinator habitat. Part of the funding will cover signage, which we’ll erect later this year.</p>
<p class="p3">Planting took place in the spring and fall of 2020, in the heart of the pandemic. To help with the work, the church had a wonderful team of volunteers, some of whom had experience with native plants and some who didn’t. With masking and social distancing, we were able to invite families from the church and the Toronto Field Naturalists’ juniors program to participate. Now, regular Facebook posts encourage community members to go on treasure hunts and find the beautiful plants that are budding or blooming.</p>
<p class="p3">This fall, we hope to host a plant giveaway and garden tour day. Visit us on Sept. 25 to get plants to start your own pollinator garden. Anne Purvis, one of our garden team members, completed training provided by Pollinator Partnerships to become a certified pollinator steward and will be available for consultation. If you’d like tips on how to begin a pollinator garden, visit our church Facebook group at <a href="https://facebook.com/groups/TheRezToronto">facebook.com/groups/TheRezToronto</a>, where we have outlined topics to think about before and during your project.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/grant-seeds-pollinator-friendly-garden/">Grant seeds pollinator-friendly garden</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">174314</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Former Toronto mayor shares ideas on climate action</title>
		<link>https://theanglican.ca/former-toronto-mayor-shares-ideas-on-climate-action/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[The Rev. Michael Van Dusen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2021 19:25:18 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Parish News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September 2021]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://theanglican.ca/?p=174332</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>David Miller, Toronto’s former mayor and author of Solved: How the World’s Great Cities Are Fixing the Climate Crisis, discussed the themes of his book with more than 100 participants in a Zoom meeting in May. St. Aidan, Toronto’s eco-spirituality committee and Beach United Church’s environmental action program co-sponsored the meeting.  The core idea of [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/former-toronto-mayor-shares-ideas-on-climate-action/">Former Toronto mayor shares ideas on climate action</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_174333" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-174333" style="width: 266px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/David-Miller-Photo.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="174333" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/former-toronto-mayor-shares-ideas-on-climate-action/david-miller-photo/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/David-Miller-Photo.jpg?fit=333%2C500&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="333,500" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="David-Miller-Photo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;David Miller&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/David-Miller-Photo.jpg?fit=266%2C400&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/David-Miller-Photo.jpg?fit=333%2C500&amp;ssl=1" class="wp-image-174333 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/David-Miller-Photo.jpg?resize=266%2C400&#038;ssl=1" alt="David Miller" width="266" height="400" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/David-Miller-Photo.jpg?resize=266%2C400&amp;ssl=1 266w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/David-Miller-Photo.jpg?w=333&amp;ssl=1 333w" sizes="(max-width: 266px) 100vw, 266px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-174333" class="wp-caption-text">David Miller</figcaption></figure>
<p class="p2">David Miller, Toronto’s former mayor and author of <i>Solved: How the World’s Great Cities Are Fixing the Climate Crisis</i>, discussed the themes of his book with more than 100 participants in a Zoom meeting in May. St. Aidan, Toronto’s eco-spirituality committee and Beach United Church’s environmental action program co-sponsored the meeting.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">The core idea of <i>Solved</i>, in Mr. Miller’s words, is that “by replicating the best and most effective ideas already implemented … we can make a significant leap forward in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and put the world on a path to 1.5 degrees. The ideas discussed in this book have all been implemented somewhere.”</p>
<p class="p3">Allan Baker from Beach United moderated the evening and introduced Mr. Miller, who began by saying, “We’re in a crisis. We need to act. Extreme events are already occurring. Some predictions say 100 million people will be on the move because of drought and lack of food if we don’t act.”</p>
<p class="p3">He then noted that more than half of the world’s population now lives in cities. This percentage will grow to two thirds by 2050, making cities the focus of needed changes. He gave examples of cities that have used different financial and regulatory tools to address climate change in four main areas: electrical generation; transportation; building, heating and cooling; and waste management.</p>
<p class="p3">The Rev. Canon Lucy Reid, incumbent at St. Aidan’s, and Grace Rockett, a parishioner and a member of the Toronto Climate Action Network, interviewed Mr. Miller on his work.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Canon Reid asked about the affordability of some of Mr. Miller’s proposals, to which he responded that the cost of doing nothing is higher. He elaborated by talking about Shenzhen, China, which bought 16,000 electric buses and created the world’s largest electric-bus manufacturing facility. The benefits are not just cleaner air but jobs and better health.</p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">Ms. Rockett asked him about his reference to the “15-minute city.” Mr. Miller credited Jane Jacobs, the urban theorist and environmentalist, with the idea of using cities’ powers to build neighbourhoods where people can live, work, recreate and go to school or church within an easy 15-minute walk.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">After the Q&amp;A time, the Rev. Karen Dale from Beach United reflected on eco-spirituality as a form of justice. “Climate action is a justice issue that requires cooperation based on our relational, interconnected lives, the way we live with one another and with creation,” she said. “If we link the issue of climate action to those who need to be lifted up, and if we care for one another, we will change the way we live with the whole planet.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p3">As the discussion had focused on the role of cities in addressing climate change, the organizers had invited Brad Bradford, the area’s city councillor and a member of both the city’s budget committee and the Toronto Transit Commission board, to comment on Mr. Miller’s ideas. He said he’d been a fan of the former mayor since he’d been studying urban planning in graduate school and Mr. Miller had visited. He also said he had taken notes and would be looking at how to implement them.</p>
<p class="p3">Mr. Miller answered a few questions from the chat. One of the first had to do with priorities. Mr. Miller said that if the city required the 1,000 inefficient apartment towers in Toronto to get exterior cladding, it would reduce emissions by 45 per cent. “We’ve got to move beyond voluntary programs,” he said.</p>
<p class="p3">As I wrapped up the evening, I noted that Mr. Miller had agreed to speak without any fee but had said that we could, if we wished, contribute an honorarium to the Mrs. Joan H. Miller Scholarship Fund. The fund, named for Mr. Miller’s mother and administered by the Toronto Foundation, supports people seeking a second chance to return to school. The two churches made a contribution. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">The immediate reaction to the evening was positive, judging from the emails, text messages and coffee-hour chat the following Sunday.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/former-toronto-mayor-shares-ideas-on-climate-action/">Former Toronto mayor shares ideas on climate action</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">174332</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Church marks 110 years of mission, ministry in Agincourt</title>
		<link>https://theanglican.ca/church-marks-110-years-of-mission-ministry-in-agincourt/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Chung]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2021 19:21:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Parish News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September 2021]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://theanglican.ca/?p=174310</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>On a beautiful sunny day in June – the first day of summer – St. Timothy, Agincourt held an uplifting service to celebrate 110 years of mission and ministry, to give thanks for God’s many blessings and for the good things that continue to happen in the parish. The morning included the dedication of a [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/church-marks-110-years-of-mission-ministry-in-agincourt/">Church marks 110 years of mission, ministry in Agincourt</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p2">On a beautiful sunny day in June – the first day of summer – St. Timothy, Agincourt held an uplifting service to celebrate 110 years of mission and ministry, to give thanks for God’s many blessings and for the good things that continue to happen in the parish. The morning included the dedication of a collecting of artistic works and gifts, an inspirational message from Bishop Andrew Asbil, beautiful worship, energizing music, a legacy tree planting and a coffee hour to reconnect past clergy with current church members – all shared with 115 attendees on Zoom. The service was one of a number of activities during the year to remember St. Timothy’s pioneers of faith from yesterday and today, and to provide a solid foundation for its pioneers of faith in the future.</p>
<figure id="attachment_174313" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-174313" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_138.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="174313" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/church-marks-110-years-of-mission-ministry-in-agincourt/20210620_138/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_138.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="1200,800" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="20210620_138" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Steel pan players provide beautiful music.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_138.jpg?fit=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_138.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1" class="size-full wp-image-174313" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_138.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1" alt="Two musicians playing steel pans" width="800" height="533" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_138.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_138.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_138.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-174313" class="wp-caption-text">Steel pan players provide beautiful music.</figcaption></figure>
<p class="p3">The idea for celebrating the 110th anniversary originated from a ministry fair in 2019 sponsored by the stewardship committee, where members of the congregation enthusiastically shared how they served God and our community. As Monica Wolkowski, a member of the stewardship committee, reflected on the enthusiastic response, she thought of using the upcoming anniversary as a way to keep our ministries in the forefront. The congregation rallied around the idea as a great way to maintain the energy behind our ministries and strengthen personal connections during the isolation of the COVID-19 lockdown.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">The service began with the Rev. Andrea Christensen welcoming clergy and church family past and present, as well as neighbours from the surrounding community, to celebrate God’s goodness and love in worship. She spoke about a number of projects that had been completed for the anniversary, including a recently filmed welcome video that celebrates diversity, discipleship and mission through the testimonies of some of the newer members of our church. This was followed by an acknowledgment of the previous Indigenous occupants of the land on which the church sits, and a procession led by 10-year-old server David Conn.</p>
<p class="p3">In his sermon, Bishop Asbil talked about the challenges faced by the founders of St. Timothy’s, who faithfully built up a church during the previous great pandemic, and he affirmed the ministry being done today. He reminded us that the name Timothy means “one valued by God,” and that this applies to each member of the church – God values us and will be with us always. He urged us to continue wrestling with God on how to transform the world, to fight our selfish nature and use our heavenly gifts to help others, fighting hunger and injustice. He also revealed that his wife, Mary, was baptized here, a fact very few in the congregation knew.</p>
<p class="p3">Later in the service, Bishop Asbil blessed “Conversations with God,” a new collection of artistic works. The creative prayers, reflections, paintings, crafts and illustrations represent the pioneers of our faith today and throughout the past years, while providing a sense of hope, energy and excitement about the gifts of St. Timothy’s future pioneers of faith. Bishop Asbil also blessed new vestments and linens, lovingly created by Peggy Perkins as an anniversary gift from her and her husband Reg.</p>
<figure id="attachment_174311" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-174311" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_151.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="174311" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/church-marks-110-years-of-mission-ministry-in-agincourt/20210620_151/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_151.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="1200,800" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="20210620_151" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Bishop Asbil plants commemorative tree.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_151.jpg?fit=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_151.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1" class="size-full wp-image-174311" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_151.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1" alt="Bishop Asbil places soil at the base of a new tree" width="800" height="533" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_151.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_151.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20210620_151.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-174311" class="wp-caption-text">Bishop Asbil plants commemorative tree.</figcaption></figure>
<p class="p3">At the end of the service, the small congregation walked outside to a garden beside the church to plant a legacy tree. They were greeted by beautiful dance-inducing steel pan music. After a short prayer and blessing, Bishop Asbil enthusiastically placed several shovels of dirt at the base to complete the dedication of the tree.</p>
<p class="p3">The festivities ended with a Zoom coffee hour, including a display of some of the new artistic works. Past clergy spoke about how the congregation had supported them, sharing their love for the people of St. Timothy’s. The rich, humorous conversations were a wonderful way to cap off a day of thanksgiving for 110 years of ministry and to share mutual encouragement and support as we look forward to fulfilling our mission of serving our God in Agincourt in the future.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/church-marks-110-years-of-mission-ministry-in-agincourt/">Church marks 110 years of mission, ministry in Agincourt</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">174310</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>‘I never realized how good a conversation can be when thinning radishes’</title>
		<link>https://theanglican.ca/i-never-realized-how-good-a-conversation-can-be-when-thinning-radishes/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[The Rev. Susan Spicer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2021 19:00:31 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Creation Care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September 2021]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://theanglican.ca/?p=174308</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>When asked what she likes about working in the community garden at her church, Elise, who is a member of the St. George, Pickering Village youth group, says, “I’m only in it for the beetroot!” That’s because her grandmother’s recipe for beetroot is one of her favourite dishes. Until this summer, Elise didn’t know how [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/i-never-realized-how-good-a-conversation-can-be-when-thinning-radishes/">‘I never realized how good a conversation can be when thinning radishes’</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p2">When asked what she likes about working in the community garden at her church, Elise, who is a member of the St. George, Pickering Village youth group, says, “I’m only in it for the beetroot!” That’s because her grandmother’s recipe for beetroot is one of her favourite dishes. Until this summer, Elise didn’t know how beets grow, but now she’s watching a whole row growing in the parish’s new community garden.</p>
<p class="p4">Elise, her sister Marissa and their friend Jess came the first night, when the community moved 40 cubic yards to create the beds – and got blisters to show for it. Since then, they’ve been regulars in the garden, coming to help with the planting and watering. Their mother Michelle says she’s pleased they’re taking part. “I want the girls to know where their food comes from, that farmers work hard to produce it,” she says.</p>
<p class="p4">“I learned that you can use straw on the plants and keep the water in,” says Marissa, who’s excited to taste the watermelons she helped plant.</p>
<p class="p4">For me, the best part has been working together safely after months of youth group meetings and church online. I never realized how good a conversation can be when you’re thinning radishes. And there’s so much to learn – how to sew seed, plant seedlings and hill potatoes, about pollinators and companion planting. All the gardeners have some wisdom to share, and we’re blessed with some very experienced folks. The best joy is being outside, working together in touch with the earth, having neighbours stop by to ask what we’re doing, and inviting them in.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p4">I don’t expect we’ll have a bumper crop this year because of a late start. But that doesn’t matter. We’re working together, we’re growing food and looking forward to sharing it with others, we’re meeting our neighbours. We’re grateful for the Reach Grant that got us started, the work of many hands, the blessings of sunshine and seed and rain. The best part is the genuine excitement that happens when we gather to work in the garden, look down the rows and see how much everything has grown.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/i-never-realized-how-good-a-conversation-can-be-when-thinning-radishes/">‘I never realized how good a conversation can be when thinning radishes’</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">174308</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Church gardens create community</title>
		<link>https://theanglican.ca/church-gardens-create-community/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2021 18:53:28 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Creation Care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September 2021]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://theanglican.ca/?p=174303</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>On one level, they seem fairly usual: a group of people gathering to garden. But on second thought, the radical nature of the activity is unmistakable. In a world where insects are disappearing, these gardeners are creating habitat by planting pollinators. In a culture where growing food is increasingly rare, these gardeners are planting vegetables [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/church-gardens-create-community/">Church gardens create community</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p2">O<span class="s2">n one level, they seem fairly usual: a group of people gathering to garden. But on second thought, the radical nature of the activity is unmistakable. In a world where insects are disappearing, these gardeners are creating habitat by planting pollinators. In a culture where growing food is increasingly rare, these gardeners are planting vegetables and teaching others to do the same. In a society where time is money, these gardeners are giving their time freely. In a time of isolation, these gardeners are creating community.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p4"><span class="s2">The gardeners in question can be found in various Anglican churches throughout the diocese. Their gardens are as unique as the communities where they’re found. St. Mary, Richmond Hill has had fairly extensive pollinator gardens for a number of years. This year, the seven volunteers who maintain the gardens decided to clear out an area overgrown with evergreens and put in a memorial garden for those who have died from COVID-19. The garden has been planted with native perennials and shrubs and, according to Lyne Webb, one of the garden volunteers, a bench will eventually be added to create a place for reflection.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p4">A labyrinth space to remember those who have died during the pandemic has also been dedicated at St. Joseph of Nazareth, Bramalea. The labyrinth will undergo further planting in future years. This summer, the 11 members of the gardening committee focused on creating more welcome pollinator gardens at the front entrance of the church. They expanded older, narrow beds and planted native grasses and perennial flowers. The need to remove a couple of old and diseased trees also created two large piles of mulch that were used to create paths around and under the trees on the street side of the church. Sylvie Thériault, one of the volunteers, says this park area is welcoming for the surrounding community. “You don’t need to be a part of the church to use this space,” she says. “It can be a shady place to sit on a very hot day.” The church hopes to install some benches under the trees as well.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p4">Beyond the pollinator beds, St. Joseph’s is also hoping to create vegetable beds in a big space in front of the parking lot. The volunteers hope to tap into a City of Brampton grant for that work, but in the meantime, the area will be planted with wildflowers this fall.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>

<a href='https://theanglican.ca/church-gardens-create-community/trish-buchanan-and-chanelle-mcleod-2-st-margaret/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="1000" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Trish-Buchanan-and-Chanelle-McLeod-2-St-Margaret.jpg?fit=750%2C1000&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Two gardeners give each other high fives over a garden" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Trish-Buchanan-and-Chanelle-McLeod-2-St-Margaret.jpg?w=750&amp;ssl=1 750w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Trish-Buchanan-and-Chanelle-McLeod-2-St-Margaret.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" data-attachment-id="174305" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/church-gardens-create-community/trish-buchanan-and-chanelle-mcleod-2-st-margaret/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Trish-Buchanan-and-Chanelle-McLeod-2-St-Margaret.jpg?fit=750%2C1000&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="750,1000" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="Trish-Buchanan-and-Chanelle-McLeod&amp;#8211;#2-St-Margaret" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Trish Buchanan (left) and Chanelle McLeod celebrate a job well done at St. Margaret, New Toronto&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Trish-Buchanan-and-Chanelle-McLeod-2-St-Margaret.jpg?fit=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Trish-Buchanan-and-Chanelle-McLeod-2-St-Margaret.jpg?fit=750%2C1000&amp;ssl=1" /></a>
<a href='https://theanglican.ca/church-gardens-create-community/all-saints-whitby-raised-beds/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="800" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Raised-Beds.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="A number of raised flower beds with young plants growing." srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Raised-Beds.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Raised-Beds.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Raised-Beds.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="174306" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/church-gardens-create-community/all-saints-whitby-raised-beds/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Raised-Beds.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="1200,800" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="All-Saints-Whitby-Raised-Beds" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Raised beds at All Saints, Whitby&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Raised-Beds.jpg?fit=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Raised-Beds.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1" /></a>
<a href='https://theanglican.ca/church-gardens-create-community/all-saints-whitby-three-sisters/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="800" src="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Three-Sisters.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Four gardeners standing in front of gardens." srcset="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Three-Sisters.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Three-Sisters.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Three-Sisters.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="174307" data-permalink="https://theanglican.ca/church-gardens-create-community/all-saints-whitby-three-sisters/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Three-Sisters.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="1200,800" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="All-Saints-Whitby-Three-Sisters" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;All Saints, Whitby gardeners, from left, Claire Bramma, Cecile Wagar, Brenda Vandenberg and Marnee Lacy. &lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Three-Sisters.jpg?fit=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/theanglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-Saints-Whitby-Three-Sisters.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1" /></a>

<p class="p4">For two churches, St. George, Pickering Village and All Saints, Whitby, vegetable gardens are already a reality. Both churches began their vegetable gardens this year (see the related article on St. George’s).<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>With the help of Claire Bramma, a seminary intern who was at the church for 14 weeks, All Saints installed six raised beds for vegetables, a 100-foot border for more vegetables and pollinators, a Three Sisters mound and a shady children’s corner.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p4">Not only does the garden supply the food bank that operates out of the church, Ms. Bramma says it’s also “a sacred space where people can gather and learn.” Such learning has occurred through a creation care Bible study that Ms. Bramma led in June, which related their garden work to the reconciliation of creation.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p4">With the help of congregation members Marnee Lacy, who is Chapleau-Cree, and Cecile Wagar, who is senator of the Oshawa and Durham Region Metis Council, the garden has provided an opportunity to learn from and honour Indigenous traditions. In this way, says Ms. Bramma, the Three Sisters garden is “a tangible way to be physically and visibly involved with raising awareness about Indigenous peoples in the area, along with a chance to reach out to community partnerships.”</p>
<p class="p4">All Saints used the community garden toolkit provided by the Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care as a template for organizing and getting started. Its committee of eight people, with 10 additional volunteers, was able to engage in an accelerated process to get the garden in.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p4"><span class="s2">People from the wider community have noticed the activity at the church, and their enquiries about the gardens have provided an opportunity for the gardeners to share information about the work the church has been doing in the community.</span></p>
<p class="p4">These kinds of conversations have also arisen as the result of a pollinator garden recently planted at St. Margaret, New Toronto. Originally just a grassy area by the church entrance, the garden committee, spearheaded by Chanelle McLeod, has transformed the hard clay and rocky soil into the home of many pollinator plants. According to Ms. McLeod, the garden project “was almost like a face-lift, making the entrance to the church much more inviting.” It has also become a teaching space. “When I explain that it is a pollinator garden, people have asked to learn more about it,” she says.</p>
<p class="p4">Ms. McLeod says she’s glad they started with a small project, since it provided a good basis for thinking about larger projects going forward.</p>
<p class="p4">Even though each church has created a garden that uniquely fits its land and the needs of its community, all the gardeners commented on one common outcome: how the gardens create community. For many, working in the garden is where that community began. Sylvie Thériault says it was a welcome opportunity to be physically in the presence of other people once again. Lyne Webb echoes that thought. “People were glad to get out. We always had a social time when we gardened. With social distancing, we probably got more work done,” she says. “The garden allowed people to meet who didn’t know each other before,” says Ms. Bramma. “It brought a diverse group of people together.”</p>
<p class="p4">The gardens also create a space of connection for those from the wider community. St. Mary’s has a pantry box at its Yonge Street entrance. People who use the box often come into the garden to sit, sometimes sitting on the chapel steps next to the lilies and roses. St. Joseph’s is hoping not only that the park under the trees will find a similar use, but that the vegetable garden that’s eventually planted will be a place where the community can come to learn about growing food.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p4">“I feel that this is where the Holy Spirit is at work in inspiring people to consider how the church can be a wider blessing,” says Ms. Bramma. “The Holy Spirit is using people’s gifts and skills. All these conversations and projects are starting up. When this kind of synergy is happening around the garden, then we know the Holy Spirit is at work.”</p>
<p class="p4">As all these gardens show, the Spirit has surely been working through many of our church communities to create new life throughout the diocese this summer. If your parish has started a community garden this summer, email us at <a href="mailto:creation.care@toronto.anglican.ca">creation.care@toronto.anglican.ca</a> so we can track new gardening initiatives in the diocese.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://theanglican.ca/church-gardens-create-community/">Church gardens create community</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theanglican.ca">The Toronto Anglican</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">174303</post-id>	</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
