Did you know that faith-full young adults hang out in the Cathedral on some Friday nights?!
That's right -- since September, a small group of YA-types (people aged between 19 and 30) have been getting together at the Cathedral for biweekly 'Friday Night Lights' gatherings. These gatherings comprise food, fun, fellowship and faith in an informal, no-stress environment.
And a few members of the crew will be preparing in early 2024 for a pilgrimage experience in/to Grand Manan Island in May!
For more information about Friday Night Lights and/or the pilgrimage, please contact Kurt Schmidt, the Diocesan Director of Young Adult Formation.
The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ
By James Bryan Smith
Intervarsity Press / 2010 / 264 pages
According to Dr. Smith, we have bought into false notions of happiness and success. It is these false notions that lead us down the pathways into vices such as lying, anger, lust and judging.
The Good and Beautiful Life follows the Sermon on the Mount guiding us to replace our false beliefs with Jesus’ description of life in the Kingdom of God.
The book is divided into twelve chapters such as Learning to Live Without Anger and Learning to Live Without Worry and Living in the Kingdom Day by Day. As Richard J. Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline says, “Dr. Smith has thought long and hard about the process of human transformation into the likeness of Jesus.”
The book begins with the following: I have never met a person whose goal was to ruin his or her life. We all want to be happy, and we want it all of the time.
What follows is a course in learning to live the way Jesus taught us to live. It is the result of a desire to create a “Curriculum for Christlikeness”.
- by Gail MacGillivray
About the Author:
James Bryan Smith is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, as well as the director of the Christian Spiritual Formation Institute there. A writer and speaker in the area of Christian Spiritual formation, Jim Smith is a founding board member Renovare. Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister and has served in various capacities in local churches. He is also the author of A Spiritual Formation Workbook, Devotional Classics (with Richard Foster), Embracing the Love of God, Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven and Room of Marvels.
Dean Geoffrey Hall and Cathedral Treasurer Jamie Yeamans were pleased to visit Montgomery Street School on 15 December to present a donation to help children in need at the school. They were welcomed by Principal David Burrell and several children, who were thankful for the $2000 donation toward the school lunch and winter clothing programs.
Members of the Cathedral congregation had contributed to a Giving Tuesday campaign to support the programs at the school, which has a number of children in need.
Montgomery Street Elementary School is located up the hill from Christ Church Cathedral, beside the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University. It has a diverse student body. Approximately 250 children are enrolled in Kindergarten to Grade 5, and the child to parent ratio is high. Its Home and School Association, a volunteer group of parents, guardians and staff representatives, regularly fundraises for school initiatives and to support students and families in need.
This is the third year that the Cathedral congregation has been involved. In 2021 and 2022, donated funds were directed towards the lunch program and ensuring that children in need have adequate winter clothing to safely enjoy Fredericton's winter climate. In 2021, funds also helped to create sensory rooms for children with developmental challenges.
We're grateful for the contributions to this community outreach project which will help to feed and clothe our neighbours in need.
Principal Burrell shared this message for our congregation:
I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation on behalf of the staff, students and families of Montgomery Street School to Christ Church Cathedral. Your generous contribution during your Giving Tuesday campaign will have a positive impact on our school community. We are fortunate to have community partners like Christ Church Cathedral who share in our ongoing pursuit of providing assistance for families in need, especially at this time of year. Thank you and happy new year.
David Burrell
Principal
