Education for Ministry, or How to Be the Best Christian You Can Be!

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Education for Ministry, or How to Be the Best Christian You Can Be!

by Nancy Greene-Grégoire, EfM Coordinator for the Diocese of Montreal since 2017

I have always wanted to know what I am supposed to be doing here on this earth. It was an existential question when I was a teenager and I continue to think about it.

Am I doing the right thing? Is this what God wants me to do? How do I know?

I don’t pretend to have the answers, but I do know that I can talk about these questions in my Education for Ministry (EfM) groups in a safe and supportive environment.

In a recent EFM class, my classmates and I discussed what EfM means to us. We agreed that the EfM program deepens our connection to God because - through sharing our stories and thoughts on the readings - we become connected to each other.

When we are close to others who are close to God, we too feel closer to God. Yes, we can experience this within our church communities, but here is an opportunity to go deeper into relationships with others.

One person described it like this: “EfM has allowed for a better way of seeing more of God and expanding God in my mind. God is in everything and this class has helped reinforce and expand that knowledge and that way of growing in faith.”

One participant quoted Edith Wharton ,“There are two ways of spreading light: To be a candle, or the mirror that reflects it” and said that with EfM the emphasis is on trying to be the best you can be and reflect God’s love.

Another student said that “EfM gives me that feeling of community. I’m building my trust in people. EfM helps me share thoughts and ideas with others and most importantly I am really getting a better sense of what God is calling me to do.”

Yet another student said that “at first when listening to others in the group and sharing, I was kind of reluctant to say what I wanted to say but I’ve built up courage and this has strengthened my faith.”

But “ministry” – isn’t that what our priests do? In fact we are all called to ministry, to serve others. The apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:1 “Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.”

One participant compared EfM to a pilgrimage. He said, “It reminds me of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales with people travelling together telling each other stories on the way from London to Canterbury.

I’ve learned a whole new set of perspectives. I see the program very much in the words of the poem of Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken, where as an EfM student, I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.”

Being a mentor keeps me grounded. I want to be there when people learn about their own faith, and how God is in each of us and that we are all here to do God’s work in different ways. Sometimes all you can do is pray, and that is just as important as someone who is active in the community. I learn all the ways that God works through us to bring heaven on earth.

The course content is spread over four years, with participants needing only to commit to one year at a time. In the first year we study the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament, followed by the New Testament in second year. Year three is the History of Christianity and in the last year we read recent writings in Theology, Ethics and Interfaith relations. A group can have students in all four years.

This year, Orpha Adams, Florence Collins and Dion Lewis graduated from the Dio group in downtown Montreal, and Kate Murray is graduating from the Sutton group at Grace Church.

Would you like to join us in September? The groups in Lachute, Montreal and Sutton all have room for new students. We are a sponsoring diocese of EfM Canada, so students receive a discount of $100. Please get in touch with me at ngreene@acm.org or 514-862-5367.

Learn more about EFM

photo credit: Janet Best

Bishop's Charge 2022

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Bishop’s Charge 2022 *click to open

French Version

watch the full livestream HERE

Diocesan Synod 2022 6:00

Opening worship 18:00

Bishop’s Charge 2:22

Synod Presentation The Rev Jim Bennett 4:20

Afternoon Worship 4:29

Mr. Ron O’Connell Finance presentation 4:55

Q&A with Canon Dr. Neil Mancor and The Rev Jim Bennett 6:10 (58)

Update from the Anti-Racism Task Force 6:26 (51)

Presentation from the West Island Black Community Association 7:02

Members’ Forum 7:24 (13)

Join the conversation with the Ven James Bennett at Synod: Racism Listening, Naming: Reconciling

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Join the Conversation at Synod on Saturday, June 17th 2022 from 11:10-12:10 EST

Click HERE for the Livestream

11:10-12:10 Synod Presentation - Racism Listening, Naming: Reconciling - the Ven James Bennett

Learn more about Synod HERE

photo credit: Janet Best

Synod: Everything you need to Know

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DIOCESAN SYNOD EUCHARIST BULLETIN

Title: Racism Listening, Naming: Reconciling

Date / Time June 18, 2022 9am-6pm

Location: Christ Church Cathedral, 635 Ste Catherine W.

Speaker: The Ven James Bennett

Contact Ms Sophie Bertrand for any Synod related inquiries

View the livestream HERE on Youtube (9am-6pm Saturday, June 18, 2022)

Download the Agenda HERE

Learn more

Maps show the diversity and possibilities for our faith communities

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Maps show the diversity and possibilities for our faith communities

by Canon Dr. Neil Mancor (originally published in the Anglican Montreal, June 2022)

Maps & Context

A map can tell a story, but it all depends upon your perspective. Famously the Mercator projection has framed how we see the landmass of the world. But it is also recognized that it distorts the size of landmasses further away from the equator and so makes many central African countries look smaller than they are and northern countries look much larger. This has shaped the way many of us see the world. In contrast the Gall-Peters map tries to correct these distortions and depicts the landmasses a different perspective and shows, for example, just how truly vast the continent of Africa is in relation to Europe. But it is all a matter of how you look at it.

The same is true when we think about the map of our Diocese, the locations of our parishes and the many people who live all around them. As we think about that map (or maps as we are in many places) we might see teeming opportunity in the neighborhoods of our churches. Or we might see places where the population has emptied out leaving us with little to work with. People will often say that we have “too many” churches and need to close many of them. Or we do not have enough churches in the right places. But how can we know if these hunches and guesses are actually true or not. We consult maps. Very interesting and detailed maps which give us in-depth information about the communities in which our churches are located.

In the light of the cataclysm that is COVID-19, the Diocese commissioned a series of maps from Environics Analytics to help us answer these questions and find out more about where our opportunities lie. They give us a snap shot of our communities now and project trends into the future. They tell us about the many different people who live all around us. We know about family structures, income levels, ethnicity, language, religious affiliation and Anglican commitment. The picture these maps paint is of a diversity of contexts and possibility for many of our communities of faith.

Context context context. We often like to speak about ministering in our unique context of Quebec. But we do not exist in a single Quebec context but in many, many different contexts each of which requires a different approach for ministry and mission. In fact, our map defines more than 18 different contexts on the Island of Montreal alone. There are different lifestyles, values, hopes and aspirations scattered all around the many different people who live within our geographical Diocese. Environics calls them “PRIZM Segments” and gives them different names to help us understand important demographics, social attitudes and lifestyles.

Included here is a map of the main area of the Island of Montreal where we have our churches. This may look confusing, but it shows just how diverse the populations are. For example, over in the eastern part of this area, around St Hilda’s, the people who live around there are classed as “Les Énergeunes”. But over by the northern part of the West Island in places like Pierrefonds-Roxboro we find “Diversité Nouvelle” mixed with “Mature and Secure”. You can already begin to sense that these are very different segments of the population with very different interests, values and lifestyles. They cannot be approached in the same way.

For example, Les Énergeunes are young, educated and mobile. Most are under 35 and more than half are single. Nearly 2/3 are completely bilingual and well educated. Most of them are in lower-paying jobs because they are still progressing through the early phases of their careers and they typically rent apartments in low-rise apartments in older parts of Montreal. Free of family obligations and mortgages, they pursue lifestyles that cultivate both mind and body. Many like to spend a date at a nightclub, comedy show or jazz concert. They are progressive in their outlook, and open to a wide range of

lifestyles. We even know that they like food that is ethical, organic and gluten free. On our map, many are clustered around St Hilda’s which is a great opportunity for that church. I doubt that a Sunday School will ever take off there, but an organic vegan community meal with lots of room for wide ranging conversation might be interesting. We often ask: where are all the young people? The map tells us where, and we can tailor ministry where they are.

In contrast, over in the northern part of the West Island in places like Pierrefonds-Roxboro there is a different mixture of population segments, particularly Diversité Nouvelle and Mature and Secure. The latter is exactly as it sounds – an older population, many living in bungalows. This is well reflected in many of our churches and they have important concerns around issues like healthcare. Of interest is the growth of Diversité Nouvelle, which is also what it sounds like. A diverse segment of the population reflecting the people of many different countries and backgrounds who have come to make Quebec their home. Diversité Nouvelle stands out for its multi-lingual neighborhoods where those between 35 and 54 own relatively new homes, a mix of single detached homes, semi-detached homes and low-rise apartments. Unlike Les Énergeunes, these people are predominantly married with large family households, with children of all ages. Their interests and concerns reflect this lived reality and churches would do well to think about how they can support both people getting more into their senior years, as well as ethnically diverse families raising their children.

As you can see, there is not one context in which we serve but many. It comes down to that perspective, like with the Mercator map. We could choose to see what is lacking. “There are no young people.” This is true in some locations, but not in others.”There are too many churches for too few Anglican”. This looks true. But every church exists in a community with people living all around. Churches that come to grips with the character, make-up and needs of their locations, understand them and seek to minister with them, will find a sense of purpose and mission. There is a great deal of opportunity for our churches, and that opportunity lies in the diversity of the population all around us.

If you want to find out more about your location – please reach out to me. I am more than happy to talk this through with you.

A Glimpse at Family Day! (New video and photo montage)

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On Saturday, June 4th, 2022, the Anglican Diocese of Montreal hosted a Family Day. The project was inspired by the desire to reconnect and celebrate the joy of children and families following the long and difficult period of isolation during the pandemic. Family Day welcomed hundreds of people, from across the Diocese, to the grounds of St Philips Anglican Church in Montreal West for an energizing, organized, fun-filled community day. The weather and the event coordination were impeccable, resulting in so many smiles, so much enthusiasm and an abundance of community spirit. This was a time of building bridges, spreading joy and making friends; so simple yet with such impact! There was a bouncy castle, live music, pop corn, a picnic lunch, clowns, face painting and crafts... Bishop Mary herself served the cotton candy! Family Day provided a creative, accessible, community-centered ministry opportunity, bringing people together in the true spirit of unbridled JOY and connection! A day to remember!

Le samedi 4 juin 2022, le diocèse anglican de Montréal a organisé une journée familiale. Le projet a été inspiré par le désir de reconnecter et de célébrer la joie des enfants et des familles après la longue et difficile période d'isolement pendant la pandémie. La Journée de la famille a accueilli des centaines de personnes, venues de tout le diocèse, sur les terrains de l'église anglicane St Philips de Montréal Ouest, une journée communautaire énergisante, organisée et amusante. La météo et la coordination de l'événement étaient impeccables, ce qui a donné lieu à tant de sourires sur les visages, tant d'enthousiasme et une abondance d'esprit communautaire. C'était un moment pour construire des ponts, répandre la joie et se faire des amis ; si simple mais avec un tel impact ! Il y avait un château gonflable, de la musique live, du pop corn, un déjeuner pique-nique, des clowns, de la peinture sur visage et de l'artisanat... L'évêque Mary elle-même a servi la barbe à papa ! La Journée de la famille a fourni une opportunité de ministère créative, accessible et centrée sur la communauté, rassemblant les gens dans un véritable esprit de JOIE débridée et de connexion ! Un jour à retenir !