Please consider joining the team at Congregational Resource Day on May 2nd.
For three years the Diocese has been running an extremely successful day for Congregations to build their knowledge and share ideas and lessons learned. This event is deemed the most successful event in the Diocese and members of congregations from across Ottawa attend.
I would be happy if we had a team of 4-5 attend this day and have provided the details below. The workshop list is pretty awesome and diverse.
Workshop Choices for Session #1
A. Hospitality: The Art and Science of Welcoming and Integration
Hospitality is a key priority identified in our diocesan strategic roadmap – Embracing God’s Future. Three parishes will share their best practices for showing hospitality to newcomers and more broadly to the world beyond their doors. A case study on how to intentionally form a new community, through hospitality, welcoming and integration, will be presented and discussed. Each workshop participant will receive a sample welcoming kit.
This workshop will be presented by members of the Parish Ministry Committee’s Stewardship Subcommittee and parish panelists.
B. Beyond Colouring Pages: Sunday School Projects that Enliven and Integrate the Parish and Broader Community
This workshop will assist congregations of different sizes to engage children and adults, tweens and teens in faith formation activities accessible to members of a varying skill levels and ages. Several projects undertaken by All Saints Westboro will be highlighted: (1) Travelling Jesus, a way of reaching out around the world inspired by the Flat Stanley books; (2) Community Art for all ages; (3) a No Rehearsal Pageant and (4) Worship and Drama. In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from an experienced practitioner some classroom management techniques that contribute to a “happy” classroom. We will be generous with hand-outs!
This session will be presented by Barbara Robertson and Sharon Chop. Barbara Robertson, a retired high school teacher and lifelong Sunday School teacher, is presently working at All Saints Westboro in children, youth, and family ministries.
Sharon Chop, a retired elementary school teacher, has lots of experience managing groups of children and lots of bottles of perfume from grateful parents.
C. Conduct an Inventory of Your Church Communications
Your church communicates with its members, visitors and the wider community via numerous touch points. From road signs directing them to the gathering place to the announcements and bulletins, every touch leaves a mark. Your branding helps all your messages work together to present a consistent appearance and impression. In this workshop, we will perform an inventory of a mid-size congregation using the eyes of an outsider. We will look at paper communications like bulletins and newsletters, voice mail messages, website and other information sources. Participants will leave with a handout for completing their own communications inventory.
Miranda Gray is a Change Management Consultant with a background in newspaper production. She is active in social media in the area of Christian outreach and congregational communication. She is a member of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Orleans.
D. Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)
Using a PowerPoint presentation from the Responsible Investing Association (formerly the Social Investment Organization), this workshop will cover topics such as: the history of socially responsible investing; screens and parameters used to analyse investment; qualifying to be included in SRI; SRI investment options; and the comparative performance of SRI funds.
Brian E. Jackson is a Certified Financial Planner with more than 25 years’ experience providing a variety of financial planning services to individuals. As a professional member of the Responsible Investment Association for most of that time, Brian has a business and personal interest in socially responsible investing. Brian’s career in personal financial services has included working for Canada Trust and the Bank of Montreal, as well as other major financial companies. Brian and his wife participate with friends in liturgies in a home-church setting.
E. Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity mobilizes volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty. This workshop is designed to share information about Habitat for Humanity, its benefit to the community, and the various opportunities that exist to partner with Habitat. The session will offer a brief explanation of the family selection process and criteria, and discuss ways that you can recruit families from your local congregations. Engagement opportunities for your church and members, which include joining Habitat on the build site, preparing lunches for hard-working volunteers, raising funds in the community, donating goods to Habitat’s ReStore, or serving on various committees, will be explored. Come learn how Habitat can provide new and exciting options for the Anglican Church community to serve the wider community.
Marilyn Denison is the Chapter and Family Services Manager for Habitat for Humanity in the National Capital Region and has been with this charitable organization for four years. Marilyn is directly responsible for the selection of deserving families and offers support to all existing and new Habitat families.
F. Get Ready for CLAY 2016: From Here to There in 2016
Looking to encourage and empower the youth members of your parish in their growth as Christian leaders? The Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth gathering (CLAY) is designed for youth from across the country to meet new friends, learn about themselves and their faith, and gain insight into living in the world that God loves through them. CLAY 2016 will take place in Charlottetown, PEI.
If you have youth in your parish between the ages of 14 and 18, please join us to learn about our group experience in 2014 and to explore ways to maximize joint efforts across the Diocese so that more youth from more parishes can benefit from this national event being planned for August 2016.
This workshop will be facilitated by the Rev. Ross Hammond, Donna Rourke and members of Team Ottawa who attended CLAY 2014. Donna Rourke is the Senior Youth Ministry Leader for St. James, Manotick. She has helped two teams of youth get to CLAY gatherings―first a group from her home parish in 2012 and then a larger group from four parishes in 2014, when she was also one of the Home Team Leaders. Ross Hammond serves as the incumbent of St. James, Manotick, and has attended the last two CLAY gatherings as one of the Home Team Leaders. Both are convinced that every bit of effort to attend is worth it for both the participating youth and the group leaders.
G. Beyond Common Praise: Using Contemporary Music in Liturgical Settings
Music is a powerful tool in worship. Whether your church is based in choral/organ music or led by a band, music plays an important part in developing your church’s voice and expressing the hearts of those in your community. This workshop will explore the benefits and challenges of moving your congregation towards a more contemporary musical repertoire. Participants will engage in a variety of topics, including finding your congregation’s voice, fostering a worship culture in your parish, music team dynamics, the barriers of excellence, contemporary music resources, song selection, refreshing old hymns, writing arrangements, and songwriting for your church.
Zack Ingles is the Youth/Young Adult Minister and Music Director at St. Albans Church, in downtown Ottawa. He brings a unique perspective to music ministry from his work in the music industry, audio engineering, education in contemporary/emerging worship studies, and experience leading music in different denominations including, Anglican, Baptist, Alliance, Presbyterian, Vineyard, Pentecostal, and non-denominational churches.
Workshop Choices for Session #2
H. A Journey of Youth Activism: Following “Shannen’s Dream”
Come and be inspired by a group of young students from the Outaouais region who are following the dream of Shannen Koostachin, a Cree youth education advocate from the Attawapiskat First Nation in Ontario. First Nations schools receive less funding per student than provincial and territorial schools and no funding for things like libraries, computers, languages or extracurricular activities or health and safety issues. Through images and presentations by these young people, learn about the history of First Nations people and their struggles for an equal opportunity to grow up safely with their families, get a good education, and be healthy and proud of who they are. The young people draw their inspiration and drive from Shannen’s dream to ensure that all First Nations children receive a proper education.
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is the Canadian Anglican response for emergency relief, refugees, development and justice. This workshop is presented by the Outreach Committee’s PWRDF Working Group and Peacemaking Working Group.
I. Using Church Labyrinths for Pilgrimage, Liturgy and Outreach
The labyrinth as a healing path of pilgrimage is experiencing revival and renewal in North America and around the world. Veriditas, the umbrella organization for rediscovering this ancient spiritual journey, was founded by the Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, an Episcopal priest at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. This workshop will provide information, ideas and resources to interested persons in Ottawa-area congregations that have or might consider a church labyrinth or to anyone interested in learning about, finding and walking one. There are more than a dozen Anglican Church labyrinths in the Ottawa area providing personal renewal, liturgical support and new opportunities for community outreach. Do you know where they are? Do you know what they are? Could a church labyrinth be your opportunity for pilgrimage here and now?
This workshop will be offered by a team of people, all of whom are Certified Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitators (CVLF). Presenters include Phyllis Paryas, a member of St. John’s, South March; Marguerite Rodrigues, a registered nurse and grief educator, who is also from St. John’s, South March; Beverly Chen, a member of St. Stephen’s, Ottawa, who has led Labyrinth sessions at the Galilee Centre, Arnprior, and Cornerstone Housing for Women, Ottawa; and Ian Henderson, who is a life coach.
J. Building Community Using the Trailblazing Program
The Trailblazing program (http://trailblazing.anglican.ca) was developed by Huron College and the Anglican Church of Canada to provide parish-based youth workers (whether paid or volunteer, lay or ordained) with practical theological formation for their changing ministry context. However, the content of many of its stand-alone sessions, including the session on Building Community, is important for the whole church and not simply for those engaged in ministries with youth and young adults. Building community is at the heart of what we do as the body of Christ. This workshop will introduce the format of a Trailblazing session, while simultaneously giving participants an opportunity to explore ways of understanding community and practices that can help us as church to build genuine, healthy communities. It is open to anyone who has an interest in shaping and growing community.
This session will be facilitated by Leslie Giddings and Kiersten Jensen. As Youth Missioner for the Diocese of Ottawa, Leslie Giddings supports ongoing professional development for volunteers and staff who work with youth and young adults in parish-based ministries. She worships at St. John the Evangelist in Ottawa and currently chairs their parish council. Kiersten Jensen serves as the Parish Administrator and Director of Child and Family Ministries at Trinity Anglican Church in Old Ottawa South. She is also the Community Development Coordinator for Open Table Carleton. In addition, Kiersten has lived in and continues to actively support the intentional interfaith community Faith House Ottawa.
K. Tips for Stewardship from the Secular World
In today’s world, every not-for-profit needs to be savvy about how to bring in donors and then steward that relationship. “Stewardship” in the secular, not-for-profit world is as deliberate as in the for-profit world. Donors are “moved” from level to level for increasingly larger investment in the cause. If we as a faith-based community are to survive financially in this new world, we need to better understand why people give (time, talent and treasure), and how we can use that knowledge in our efforts to do God’s work in His world. Kim Chadsey will share her knowledge and suggest ways to incorporate these “tips” into our stewardship process.
Kim Chadsey is a certified fundraising executive working as the Associate Executive Director of the Kiwanis Music Festival―National Capital Region. Having also served as Executive Director of Operation Come Home and a trainer with the Canadian Association of Fairs, Kim brought close to 15 years of fundraising experience to her service as a volunteer and contracted helper with M&M Consulting for the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa’s GIFT Campaign. She is the Clerical Secretary of the Synod for the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and also serves as diocesan volunteer on the Parish Ministry Committee’s Stewardship Subcommittee, GIFT Grants Committee and the Financial Development Advisory Panel. She is an active member of St. Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church in Alta Vista, serving as churchwarden and as a member of their parish stewardship committee.
L. Living Ecological Justice: Anglicans and Creation Care
What place does creation care have in your personal faith journey? In the life of your parish? Come and explore theological perspectives on ecological justice. Consider the 2010 General Synod resolution to highlight creation care and climate change in parish life. Examine the role that Anglicans can play in living out the fifth Mark of Mission “to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.” Materials used in this workshop will be drawn from Living Ecological Justice: A Biblical Response to the Environmental Crisis.
Karri Munn-Venn is a policy analyst with Citizens for Public Justice―a national, Christian organization working for justice in Canadian public policy. She was the co-editor of Living Ecological Justice (2013) and Living Justice: A Gospel Response to Poverty (2011). Karri has a Master of Arts from Carleton University and attends All Saints Westboro with her husband and three young children.
M. Embracing God’s Future: Exploring the Roadmap
Over the last two years, hundreds of people from all across the Diocese participated in developing a strategic roadmap for the Diocese of Ottawa―part of the Embracing God’s Future initiative. The Roadmap, with its five practices and five priorities, was approved by Synod in November 2014. Parishes and Diocesan Council are putting hearts and minds to the next steps of realizing God’s dream for the Church in our time. It is an exciting, hopeful, complex and challenging journey. This interactive workshop will update folks on work taking place throughout the Diocese and consider ways to make use of the Roadmap in parishes.
Members of Diocesan Council and Diocesan Staff will bring this workshop to you. To check out the Roadmap go to: http://www.ottawa.anglican.ca/EGF2014/Section-4-Embraci ng-God_s-Future-A-Strategic-Roadmap-for-the-Diocese-of-O ttawa.pdf
Workshop Choices for Session #3
N. Am I Prepared to Help If It’s Needed . . . ? Homelessness and Mental Health
The Community Ministries of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa are happy to present this practical workshop on homelessness and mental health. The goals of this session are to help congregations to better recognize individuals who are homeless and/or may be experiencing mental health problems, increase parish leaders’ knowledge of services available, and decrease stigma. The causes and consequences of homelessness are complex and affect a diverse cross-section of the population. By the end of this workshop, congregation members will have a better understanding of these issues, as well as the ability to provide comfort to someone who is experiencing homelessness and/or mental health issues and support them in their journey.
Presenters for this session will include four of the Executive Directors from the Diocese of Ottawa’s Community Ministries: Sharon York, Sue Garvey, Shea Kiely and Jen Crawford. Their combined experience and expertise in the areas of mental health and homelessness will provide an in-depth overview of the issues many members of our community face.
O. Bringing Back the Millennials
Most of our churches were shaped in the 60s and 70s, if not before. Millennials are the generation that came of age in the 21st century. How do we bridge that gap and make our church relevant and meaningful for students and young adults? This workshop will explore ministry with students and young adults by drawing on the experience of St. Albans Church, a new congregation in downtown Ottawa serving a neighbourhood of students and young adults. A panel of millennials will join us to share their insights.
The Rev. Mark Whittall is not a millennial, but he is surrounded by them in his role as the incumbent priest of St. Albans Church and author of the blog post “Why Millennials
Are Coming to Church.” It’s a topic he’ll be exploring further in his new book, Don’t Let It Get Weird. Zack Ingles is a millennial and is the Youth and Young Adult Minister at St. Albans Church. Zack’s responsibilities include the uOttawa Campus Ministry and The Open Table.
P. Who are the People in Your Neighbourhood?For parishes to extend beyond the walls of the church and reach out to the wider community, they need to be able to identify, gather, and review important information about the neighbourhoods in which they are situated. This workshop will demonstrate how to use the neighbourhoodstudy.ca resource developed by the Centre for Research and Education in Community Services (CRECS) at the University of Ottawa to understand strengths and challenges for each neighbourhood in Ottawa. Using the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study (ONS), participants in this session will examine defined neighbourhood boundaries, identify existing community resources, and utilize census data, e.g. family composition, religious affiliation, language, education levels, visible minority population, and income.
This session will be facilitated by Leslie Giddings and Kara Brisson-Boivin. Leslie Giddings is the Diocese of Ottawa’s Youth Missioner and currently serves as chair of the parish council at St. John the Evangelist, Ottawa. Her parish council used information gleaned from the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study to help them focus their parish’s ministry and mission efforts. Kara Brisson-Boivin is a PhD Candidate in Sociology at Carleton University. Kara has experience as a warden and member of parish council(s) and is currently assisting with the implementation of the Embracing God’s Future Roadmap as a member of the Engaging God’s World Task Force.
Q. Faith @ Work
The real battles of faith today are being fought in factories, shops, offices, and farms, in political parties and government agencies, in countless homes, in the press, radio and television, in the relationship of nations. Very often it is said Church should “go into these spheres,” but in fact the Church is already in these spheres in the persons of its Laity (World Council of Churches document, 1954).
The Embracing God’s Future Roadmap names engagement with the world as a priority. Taking a broad, biblically based definition of work, participants in this workshop will explore the opportunities, challenges and tensions which Christians may experience when they are engaged as people of faith in their weekday worlds after Sunday. What helps individuals to stay rooted and true to their values on the job? What can congregations and clergy do to better support church members as they seek to “love and serve the Lord” throughout the week?
The Rev. Deacon Lisa Chisholm-Smith’s diaconal ministry includes a focus on spotlighting and strengthening the ministries of Christians in and through their daily life and work (whether paid or unpaid). This includes making workplace visits. In her educational work on staff with the Diocese of Ottawa, she serves as Baptismal Ministry Missioner and, among other things, organizes events such as Congregational Resource Day.
R. Bookmending
This hands-on workshop offers participants the opportunity to learn basic bookmending skills that will help prolong the life of books such as hymnals, prayer books (such as The Book of Alternative Services), pew Bibles and choir books as well. Participants in this session will learn the dos and don’ts of bookmending, which tapes and glues to use and how to decide when a book has breathed its last and is beyond repair. Enrollment is limited to 15 people.
Janis Perkin is a recent retiree after 37 years of service with the Ottawa Public Library. Bookmending became a part of her skill set early in her career after she trained with other bookmenders in the library. She has used this skill in many settings, including school libraries, other church communities and her own parish, St. Mark the Evangelist in Ottawa. She remains passionate about books and their preservation in this age of ever increasing book prices and e-book usage. Quoting Jorge Luis Borges, Janis says “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
S. Social Media for Your Parish
How does your parish relate its mission and message to media? You have a mission and a message and information you need to share regularly―and, not just with your members, but with visitors, partners and the wider community. When it’s not Sunday morning, how do you communicate now? Are there people you’re not reaching? What social media can best help your parish improve its communications?
This workshop provides practical suggestions and strategies for parishioners and church reps who have started―or who want to start―using social media on behalf of their church, and who want to be more confident and informed users.
Jennifer Bulman works with consultants and small business owners to get them up and running on social media. Well-known for her career and social media workshops, she blogs on career and social media topics at www.aurelia.ca. Jennifer is a parishioner and musician at Christ Church, Ashton, and is communications rep for Carleton Deanery Council. Jennifer’s husband, Henry Troup, will co-present and provide his technical expertise.
FEES AND DEADLINES: 50.00 per person by April 20th.
Your fee includes:
• The opportunity to participate in 3 workshop sessions
• Lunch & Refreshments
• Book display
• Networking opportunities
SCHEDULE
8:15 a.m. 9:00 a.m.
3:30 p.m.
LOCATION
Saint Paul University, 223 Main Street, Ottawa ustpaul.ca
To Register Click HERE and then email me at huntleypriest@bellnet.ca to let me know you are attending. Financial assistance is available via our church if cost is a barrier to your attendance.
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