Newsletter: September 9th, 2008

Diocese of Montreal News: The Revd Patrick Wheeler will be inducted as incumbent of the newly-formed Parish of Verdun/Ville-Émard, (St Aidan with the Redeemer, St Clement, Verdun and All Saints, Verdun), on Sunday, September 14th at St Clement’s, Verdun, at 4 pm. St. Matthias Church in Westmount will welcome the Rev. Kenneth Near as their new rector beginning November 30th, 2008.  Kenneth comes from the Diocese of Newark where he has been rector of the St. Paul's in Englewood, NJ, for the last 29 years.  He is married to Karen and they have two grown children.  An date for a service of induction will be set later. Diocesan Synod: October 24th, 25th The Convening Circular is online here. Check out the agenda and motions.

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MDTC Tuesday Evening Course
 

 

Mission Shaped
INTRO

Six weeks to rediscover mission
and re-imagine the church

MDTC Tuesday Evening Course
October 14th to November 18th, 2008
at Montreal Diocesan Theological College
3475 University, Montreal, Quebec.  H3A-2A8
                                            Registration  $60

New world, new church? Our world and our lives have changed radically in the last twenty years, but has the church adapted to this change? Do we need a changing church for a changing world? Are new forms of church really possible?  If so, how can they be developed?

 

An inspiring and encouraging course, ideal for individuals, leadership teams, small groups,
mission shaped intro looks at fresh expressions of church through a mix of teaching,
reflection and story.

 

The evenings combine presentations, group activity, film and music clips, worship and prayer.

Session 1: October 14th
Rediscovering Mission and What That Means for the Church.

Session 2: October 21st
Changing World, Changing Church

Session 3: October 28th
Re-imagining Church and Community

Session 4: November 4th
Re-imagining Church and Worship

Session 5: November 11th
Re-imagining Church - Leadership and Discipleship

Session 6: November 18th
Where do we go from here?
 

Presenters: Nick Brotherwood, pastor to emerge, a community of 18-35 year olds.
Tim Smart, director of Lay Education and pastor at Grace Church, Sutton.

Brochure and registration is available here.

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More COURSES  &  EVENTS in 2008:

PWRDF: Montreal Unit
PWRDF 50th Anniversary Dinner and Celebration. Thursday, September 11th, 2008
With guest speaker Bishop Philip Poole, Chair of National PWRDF.  Tickets are $10.

Ribbon of Hope and Photo Exhibit: Facing AIDS, Facing Reality
At Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm.
Sponsored by the Montreal Unit of the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund.

 

Fresh Start
is a diocesan-led program for clergy in new cures and for lay leaders in the congregations where they serve.  Visit the web site to find the updated schedule.

Fresh Start is designed to:

- assist with the transition issues inherent in any new ministry;
- sharpen the skills of lay leaders and clergy for congregational development;
- strengthen relationships needed for ministry among the clergy of a diocese;
- deepen the trust and interconnectedness between clergy and the lay leaders of   congregations and the bishop and bishop's staff.

Fresh Start seeks to strengthen the relationships among Anglican clergy, congregations, and dioceses during critical periods of transition in clergy leadership of the congregation.
 

Thomas More Institute of Montreal
Check out the interesting course offerings for this fall and winter.
Register now; fall classes begin September 22nd.

Pre-Retirement Workshop for Clergy
On September 17, 2008, a Pre-retirement Workshop is planned for all clergy who are 55+. Spouses are welcome to attend as are all clergy who have not yet reached 55+.

This will be an opportunity to hear from people such as Judy Robinson who will discuss General Synod pensions and Continuing education funds; information re: government pension plans; retirement moving benefit; maintenance of priestly vocation after retirement; information on tax deferred plans, group medical insurance, wills, etc.

We are not asking for intent to register at this time, but simply giving you notice so that you will be able to set the date aside.

If you have any questions or concerns or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact Janet Griffith.
 

Living in the Presence
This fall Christ Church in Beaurepaire is offering a new and innovative (for us) program in contemplative prayer, to be facilitated by the Rev. Cedric Cobb, recently retired as Incumbent at St. George’s, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue.

Our program, “LIVING IN THE PRESENCE: An Introduction to Christian Contemplative Life” will introduce you to spiritual exercises, meditations and other practices that you can easily do to become more present, enhance the quality of your life and get your minimum daily requirement of soul nurturance.

For more information open this pdf
 

The Jesuits: Transmitters of Galileo's Science
A public lecture hosted by the Faculty of Arts on Thursday, September 18th at 6 pm
Stephen Leacock Building, Rm 232 (McGill University).
Lecture by Rivka Feldhay, Professor of History of Science, Tel Aviv University
Poster in pdf
 

Youth Festival: Annual Outdoor Concert
on Saturday, September 20th, from 11 am to 5 pm.  Music and Dance for all.
On the grounds of Christ Church Cathedral, 625 Ste. Catherine O., Montreal.
Free admission.  For more information contact Jessica Bickford

 

Vision Day
Saturday, September 20th, from 10 am to 3 pm.  Cost $10 includes lunch.
at St. James Anglican Church in Rosemere.
328 Pine, Rosemere, QC, J7A-1T8
To register call the Rev. David Hart  450-472-3065
See the flyer in pdf  Contact Nick Brotherwood about the program.

A vision day enables people to:

• find out more about fresh expression of church at first hand.
• learn about how the church can express itself anew
• meet others who want to see the Gospel recognised as relevant today.
• discover resources for developing a congregation's outreach

The programme will include:

• an overview of developing fresh expressions of church
• worship, prayer and reflection in a variety of styles.
• stories of fresh expressions of church in your area.
• workshops in particular areas of interest.
• advice on how to get started and where to get help.

19th Annual Montreal AWARE Weekend for Women
September 19th to 21st, 2008   Theme: "And All Will Be Well"  from Julian of Norwich
Speaker: Patricia Stokes   Music Team: from Kingston, Ontario.  Chaplain: The Ven. Janet Griffith-Johnson

The Retreat is in the Laurentiens at the beautiful CAMMAC Music Centre, situated on Lac Macdonald.
Visit the website for more details: www.awareconference.org   
 

Reflecting on Lambeth 2008
A morning for clergy, with Bishop Barry Clarke in attendance.
Thursday, September 25th, from 10 am to 12 noon, with lunch.
at Diocesan College, 3473 University, Montreal. 
Please RSVP to Tim Smart if you plan to attend.

See the brochure for 2008-2009 dates.

 

Lay Readers - Diocese of Montreal
Saturday, September 27th, 2008.  9 am - 2:30 pm.  Cost $10
“Proclaiming the Good News with a Clear Voice” Workshop
Carol Hague: Voice Trainer
Join the Lay Readers as our coach helps us to find our voice.
At Montreal Diocesan Theological College, 3473 University, Montreal.

Lay Readers Sing-A-Long
Tuesday, September 30th, from at 7:00 pm to 9 pm
At Trinity Memorial Church, 5220 Sherbrooke W. (metro Vendome).

This is "U-pick" event - from the Book of Common Praise, and the LRA Praise songbook
 

Quiet Day at St. Paul's, Cote des Neiges
The parish of St. Paul's Cote-des-Neiges will be having a Quiet Day on Saturday, September 27th from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
The theme will be one of "thanksgiving" preparing us "in spirit" for Thanksgiving Sunday.
The leader for this time of reflection will be the Rev. Joyce Sanchez.

All participants are asked to bring a bag lunch. Coffee/tea and dessert will be provided. Please bring a friend. This day is open to both men and women.
The address: 3970 Ch. Cote Ste. Catherine (across from the Jewish General Hospital),
a ten minute walk from Cote Ste. Catherine metro stop.
 

Building Relationships with the International Church: Engaging Relationships that Empower  The Responding Church Leaders Forum, October 1st, in Montreal.
"More and Canadian congregation are looking for a relationship with the international church.  How can we ensure that these partnerships remain transformative and beneficial for everyone involved?  Special guests Ernest Fraser and Harold Percy join local church leaders in a vital discussion addressing lessons learned and best practices for partnerships." 

Wednesday, October 1st, 10 am - 12:30 pm. Best Western Ville Marie, 3407 Peel, Montreal.  www.worldvision.ca/forum  
 

Diocese of Montreal - Clergy Conference
Sunday, October 5th to Tuesday, October 7th, at Manoir d'Youville in Chateauguay.
"Resurrection Words - Conversations with the New Testament and with each other."
With Bishop Tom Shaw of the Diocese of Massachusetts and the Rev. Dr. Ellen Aitken,
Dean of the Faculty of Theology, McGill University.
 

CBC 2008 Massey Lectures
Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth.  Lecturer: Margaret Atwood
"Legendary novelist, poet, and essayist Margaret Atwood delivers a surprising look at the topic of debt. In her wide-ranging, entertaining, and imaginative approach to the subject, Atwood proposes that debt is like air - something we take for granted until things go wrong. And then, while gasping for breath, we become very interested in it.

Payback is not about practical debt management or high finance. Rather, it is an investigation into the idea of debt as an ancient and central motif in religion, literature, and the structure of human societies.

Margaret Atwood writes “These are not lectures about how to get out of debt; rather, they’re about the debtor/creditor twinship in the broadest sense – from human sacrifice to pawnshops to revenge. In this light, what we owe and how we pay is a feature of all human societies, and profoundly shapes our shared values and our cultures.”

Lectures given across Canada in October.  (October 20th in Montreal) And then broadcast on CBC Radio Ideas from November 10th to 14th.
 

Forgiveness as A Way of Life
Lectures at the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, 3415 Redpath (corner Sherbrooke & Bishop)  with the Rev. Dr. Gregory Jones of Duke University

Friday, October 17th at 7 pm        Practicing Forgiveness: Living Opportunities
Saturday, October 18th at 10 am  Loving Enemies: Confronting Challenges
Sunday, October 19th at 11 am    Dr. Jones preaches at the Sunday Service
  (Free-will offering at all events.)



Mission Sunday - October 19th, 2008
Theme is 'Celebrating the African Church'.
Our new Diocesan Companion Diocese is Masasi, in Tanzania,
(and this site also) where the Rev. Mark Rogers is leading a delegation from Montreal during the month of September.  Please find here three bulletin inserts for this year's Mission Sunday celebration.

BAS Eucharist
BCP (1962) Eucharist
BCP Morning Prayer
 

As last year please feel free to change & adapt the material as best meets your local context. The hymn choices, in particular, are suggestions.


Ecumenical/Bilingual OutMass
"Celebrating the Gifts of Gay and Lesbian People in our Churches and Communities."
Saturday, November 1st, at 3 pm at Grace Church in Sutton,
52 Principale sud, (Route 139).
The Rev. Canon Joyce Sanchez, guest preacher.
Everyone is welcome to participate.  For further information, please contact Tim Smart 

United Theological College - Continuing Education
Workshop with Ched Myers 
November 5 - 7, 2008   "Resisting Practices of Empire, Renewing Communities"
Over the past two decades, Ched Myers has worked with several peace and justice organizations and movements.  With Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries, he focuses on building the capacity for biblical literacy, church renewal and faith-based witness for economic and political justice.  See pdf

PREACHING WORKSHOP WITH REV. DR. TIM OLSEN
November 7 - 9, 2008
"The Pig and the Elephant: Preaching in a Culture of Affluence"    See pdf
 

Diocese of Montreal - Stewardship Day
on Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 with the Rev. Canon Charles LaFond, Canon for Stewardship and Congregational Development in the Episcopal Church, USA. 

Charles LaFond, priest and monk in the SSJE (Society of Saint John the Evangelist), treats formation around stewardship as a combination of spiritual reflection, conversion of life and the provision of the latest tools being used in the church and non-profit sector to encourage increased giving.  Charles has consulted with more than 20 dioceses and 200 parishes and is currently developing curriculum for small-parish stewardship programs. He is an adjunct professor at Virginia Theological Seminary teaching a winter term in stewardship, fundraising, strategic planning and communications.

All clergy are requested to attend along with 1-3 laypeople from each parish.

 

2009

Radical Abundance: A Theology of Sustainability
The 2009 Trinity Institute Lectures, January 21st to 23rd.  Web-casting.

"As we rethink how to grow, build, supply, consume, dispose, and recycle everything in our lives, we often fail at partnering with the marginalized and powerless, and thus adversely affect them. Building sustainable communities goes hand-in-hand with thoughtful building of infrastructures and physical spaces. Is there a theological basis for living abundantly while striving for justice and sustainability?"

"In 2009, Trinity Institute will explore sustainability through the lens of liberation theology, which views Jesus not only as redeemer but also liberator of the oppressed. It posits a vision of Christians working together toward social justice by considering all people as full partners in healing our planet and our communities, regardless of their social or economic status. Only in striving for sustainable relationships, rather than accumulating and consuming more for ourselves, can we discover true abundance."
 

A Pilgrimage the Holy Land
Hosted by Bishop Barry Clarke - February 12 - 21, 2009
Come Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Synod of the Diocese of Montreal
TOUR PRICE: $2,069 CAD per person sharing a twin room
Departure from Toronto/Montreal to Tel Aviv on Olympic Airlines via Athens.

Included in your tour:
Meeting/assistance at the airport

- Return transfers to/from the airport
- 8 nights at selected four-star hotels
- Israeli buffet breakfast and dinners daily in the hotels
- 6 full days of sightseeing in Israel
- Half-day tour of Athens including the Acropolis
- Porterage at airport and hotels
- Air-conditioned transportation
- English-speaking licensed tour guide throughout
- All entrance fees to places of interest
- All hotel taxes and service charges
- Your personal travel information kit

 

The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus
with guest speaker Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of NT at Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville, TN.
April 17th and 18th, 2009 in Montreal. 
Further details will be posted at later date. 

"A self-described 'Yankee Jewish feminist who teaches in a predominantly Protestant divinity school in the buckle of the Bible Belt,' Levine combines historical-critical rigor, literary-critical sensitivity, and a frequent dash of humor with a commitment to eliminating anti-Jewish, sexist, and homophobic theologies."

See the book, The Misunderstood Jew at Amazon 

PWRDF Presents "The Three Cantors"
on Saturday, May 9th, at Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal.
(More information later on.)
 

jesus is available at www.wearefishermen.com