The Star of Bethlehem by Edward Burnes-Jones

We sometimes say a person has an epiphany when they suddenly "see" something that they had not been aware of before.  The light goes on.  A eureka moment.  The Season of Epiphany is a celebration of our experiences of seeing Jesus in our daily lives in ways and places that are new.  The Epiphany Blessing on the new year is that the Divine Presence will light up in our consciousness over and over again in new ways throught the year and that the year will become a journey of revelation, a journey into new light.

May your Christmas be blessed by a sense of God's presence and may that love hold you and yours in light.

From the staff at the Diocesan Office

David+, Henry and Lorea

 Roberto Ferrizzi's, Madonna of the Poor

This group of youth had lots of fun while raising money for the World Vision 30 Hour Famine and learning about the local and international food crisis'.

To get involved in diocesan youth activities, contact Diocesan Youth Coordinator, Emily Carr.

 For more pictures check out the Youth page on the Navigation side bar.

This “Word to the Church” is one of the products of our time together. I hope that it demonstrates the vitality and importance of our ministry amongst youth. 

 I share it with you here, to share it with your congregations, and all those concerned with the present and future of our ministry amongst youth. 

Peace,

Emily Carr

Diocesan Youth Coordinator, Anglican Diocese of Saskatoon

A Statement Reflecting the Visions and Conversations at Stronger Together

Sept 16, 2011 – Stronger Together 2011 was a consultation on regional, national youth ministries. The aim of these ministries is to better facilitate and enable youth ministry at the local level. Leaders from both the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada gathered for this three-day consultation.

Young people are a prophetic voice our church needs desperately to hear and respond to. Are we willing to pay attention?

From September 13-16, 2011, a group of 24 Anglican and Lutheran diocesan, synodical and national youth ministry leaders from across Canada gathered at Camp Columbia on Thetis Island, British Columbia. We were also joined for some of our time by +James Cowan, Bishop of British Columbia and Bishop Probal Kanto Dutta of the Diocese of Durgapur in the Church of North India.

As Lutheran and Anglican leaders passionate about the integral ministry of young people within the church, we gathered for a time of spiritual renewal, to strengthen our relationships with one another, to equip ourselves for our specialized regional ministries, and to continue to vision and dream the future of youth ministry across the expansive geography of our land.

We come away from our time together energized, encouraged and ever more passionate about the ministry amongst youth to which we have been called by God. Youth ministry is our vocation. We are not party planners or Friday night baby sitters. When we get older we don’t graduate to “real ministry.” God has called us to equip the saints for ministry amongst young people, and we are responding to that call.

Ours is a God who calls us into mission for others, and ours is a church marked by mission. Together, Anglicans and Lutherans alike, we must intentionally invite young people to participate fully in God’s mission alongside us. To do so will require no small amount of humility, partnership, resolve and vision.

We acknowledge that ours is a world in a time of great flux and rapid change. We need not fear. In such a time it is imperative that our ministry amongst young people not waver in its commitment, even as we experiment with new ways of sharing and living the gospel with the young people in our midst.

Together we shared numerous stories of ways in which youth ministry takes place in deep and meaningful ways without any form of youth group. We must explore a vast array of new ideas and opportunities to minister to youth. Youth Group is not the only model of youth ministry.

We must rediscover what it means to minister in our whole parish. Our ministries must not simply serve the people who enter our buildings, but ripple out into the neighbourhoods and communities within our parish boundaries and beyond. If we fail to do so, we are falling short of God’s call.

As a church we must free ourselves of the worry of self-preservation and free our churches of the fear of closure. It is not our job to preserve the institution for its own sake, or for the sake of young people who we hope will come after us. What we must do first and foremost in this time of rapid change is grow into God’s call to love and serve the people God has put in our path.

We have come to understand, and need the entire church to know that our common ministry amongst youth must be fully integrated into the life of the church. This is not simply the ministry of the specialized few, but of the whole people of God. It is our ministry as the Baptized to all people.

As we took time together to look back over the last three years in youth ministry, we were excited to see how much we have been able to accomplish with such limited financial resources. Events such as the first joint National Youth Gathering (2010), National Youth Ministry Forums (2008 and 2011), Local initiatives, Diocesan and Synod events, vision and action around new staff hires, Justice Camps, Ask & Imagine, and the work of the Youth Initiatives Task Force and Working Group, among many others.

We have found new ways to minister as Anglicans and Lutherans within our individual denominational contexts, and we have found new ways to minister together. We have become stronger, together. We wonder what our ministry might look like with the commitment of long-term sustainable funding to help support our ministry.

Throughout our time at Stronger Together 2011, we believe that we have lived and worked together in the spirit of Full Communion. In the presence of Jesus, we have laughed and cried, inspired and been inspired, shared frustrations, fears, joys and excitements. We have broken bread together and listened deeply to the similarities and differences amongst our churches.

We began this week not knowing what we could learn from one another. We came to this place highly attuned to our individual and denominational contexts. But what we have found through working together is that we have so many experiences, visions, ideas and concerns that we all hold in common. Indeed, Bishop Probal commented as he listened to our discussions and stories that he could easily be in a meeting in his own Province of Northern India – the concerns, experiences and visions are so very similar.

We are convicted and convinced that the spirit of our communion binds our two churches, and binds us in the shared responsibility to respond to God’s urgent call amongst young people, now.

 From left to right: The Rev. Amy Bunce, The Rev. Shawn Sanford-Beck, The Rev. Dianne Mesh, The Rev. Peter Norman, The Ven. Peter Yeung, The Rev. Canon Michael Stonhouse, Mrs. Jessica Latshaw, The Rev. Alex Parsons, The Rt. Rev. David Irving, The Rev. Jim Halmarson, The Rev. John Seib, The Rev. Quenton Little, The Rev. Ken Watts, The Ven. Dan Hughes, The Rev. Dr. Dave Tyler, The Rev. Paula Foster and The Rev. Dr. Jan Bigland-Pritchard (other clergy were present who were not available for the photograph).

Click here for a short meditation

Come out for an evening presentation on the Diocesan mission project in Baja.  The deadline to submit names of those participating in the project is getting close.  Come and get the full story on the project and see if this is a project in which you would like to participate.

DATE:                    Wednesday, September 14, 2011

LOCATION:         St. John’s Cathedral Hall

                                816 Spadina Cr E

                                Saskatoon, SK  S7K 3H4

WHO:                    Members of all parishes     

TIME:                    7 pm

This evening will provide information about the Mission through a Power Point presentation.   Discussion, Coffee and Dessert will follow the presentation.

Everyone Welcome!

What does this mark mean to me?

How is my parish living out this mark?

     What would I like to see change in my parish to make this mark more effective?

  How could this be done?

1.  To Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.

2.  To teach, baptize and nurture new believers.

3.  To respond to human need by loving service.

4.  To seek to transform unjust structures of society.

5.  To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

Internal Outreach Project

Your ideas for an outreach project are welcome

The Diocese of Saskatoon is actively seeking an outreach project that Anglicans can work on together to meet a very real need in the Diocese. The project should facilitate Anglicans looking outside of their own parish boundaries, meeting together to work on the project, but not being overwhelmed by the commitment and responsibilities.

For example; A soup kitchen for families in an area of Saskatoon where there is evidence of need would be held every Saturday of the year in a church or facility in the neighbourhood of that need. Each Anglican parish in the city would be asked to provide sufficient volunteers to prepare soup and sandwiches, serve and clean up afterwards, four or five times a year.

What ideas and suggestions do you have, perhaps on the basis of a need you have encountered? It may be that this project would involve working with another organization that is overwhelmed and would welcome a consistent flow of volunteers.

A subcommittee of the Diocesan Outreach Committee has been asked by Bishop Irving to request your input so that in the late summer a project could be identified and more detailed planning initiated. Please contact: Christine Bennett: pigeon3@shaw.ca or Mary Tyler: dave.tyler@shaw.ca

External Mission Project

The 2012 Baja Mission

How would you like to help build a house for a poor family in 10 days? How would you like to experience something of the third-world with new friends? How would you like to gain a wider and deeper vision of the family of the church? How would you like to make a profound difference in the lives of children, teens, adults and a whole community for generations to come? Did we mention that this is a wonderful opportunity to put your faith into action?

Then, you and your parish want to consider sponsoring yourself or one or more of your members of your congregation on our Diocesan mission in early June, 2012. The mission to the Baja is being organized by the Diocesan Outreach Committee. It is the hope of the committee to have at least one member from each parish of the Diocese on the mission.

The Diocese is contracting with Absolute Leadership Development (a Canadian-based, not-for-profit organization) through its program, Hero Holidays, to make all this possible. Hero Holidays, through their local staff in San Diego and the Baja Peninsula, provide transportation, accommodation, meals, building materials, tools, and supervision in building homes for pre-selected families who are in need of safe shelter.

Through previous missions, Hero Holidays has built over 60 houses in the northern part of the Baja peninsula for families of mostly field labourers.

Here are some details as you begin planning to take part in this mission:

Dates and places: The mission is tentatively scheduled for around June 5-15, 2012, with 30 participants, flying from Saskatoon to San Diego, overnight in a hotel, and then you travel by bus to Vincente Guerrero Mexico. Based in safe and clean accommodations, you travel each day by bus to a nearby village to bring new hope to a poor family.

Costs: If we plan to build two houses, then the cost per person (not including air fare; personal medical insurance; spending money and the cost of two meals) is $1275. If we plan to build three houses then the cost is $1475. In total, plan for a total cost of $2000 per person. We are planning to arrange a group booking for flights to get the best rate. All funds will be paid to the Diocese of Saskatoon 2012 Baja Mission Fund.

Fund-raising: Each parish will raise funds for their member(s). Each parish will decide the way in which their representatives are chosen. If space is available, individuals may choose to pay their own way. Even if a parish or congregation has no one to go on the mission you still may raise funds and contribute them to a diocesan fund, established especially for the mission. These funds will then be used to allow someone from another parish to attend, who could not otherwise afford to go.

Health and skills: Participants need to be in reasonable health.  You don’t need to have any experience at building, though that can be helpful. Just be able to learn how to swing a hammer, hold a board, work a paint brush and have a great time!!!

Deadline for registration: October 31, 2011 with an initial deposit of $300. Full payment due April 1, 2012.

For more information: Book a date for someone to come to your parish or congregation to make a presentation. Contact: Rev. Ken Watts: (306)-343-1332 st.timothy.rector@sasktel.net.or the Diocesan Office at anglicansynod@sasktel.net