For each recommendation the report details the scope of the recommended work, the necessity for it, and the consequences of inaction.
A summary of the recommendations by category, with the current available funding, is included as an appendix.
To successfully complete this task will require developing partnerships with donors who share our interest in maintaining a historic heritage property.
Successfully raising the $8.5 to $9.0 million for restoration of the Cathedral is only a partial solution. In addition, we need to develop revenue sources that will support the annual maintenance at its required levels.
An experienced consulting firm was engaged in the Fall of 2022 to assist in the significant challenge of determining fund-raising potential.
This June, join the Great Canadian Giving Challenge!
Your charity could WIN $20,000!
From June 1 – 30, every $1 donated through CanadaHelps gives your charity a chance to win $20,000.
It's a month-long initiative to help you drive donations during a slow time of the year for fundraising. Every June since 2015, we’ve given you a reason for donors to invite others, and create the chance to win a major prize donation from CanadaHelps.Here’s how it works:
Every dollar donated to your charity in June, via CanadaHelps.org or CanadaHelps fundraising tools, is an entry for a chance to win $20,000. Every charity using CanadaHelps is automatically entered: all you have to do is fundraise. The more you raise, the more chances you have to win!
The Mission and Outreach team of the Diocese of Fredericton continued its Christian Forum series with a most timely topic entitled COVID-19, Religious Freedoms & Christian Response.
Dr. Alan Sears, Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Education at the University of New Brunswick, was the speaker, his second time presenting for the diocesan Christian Forum. Alan’s main focus of study and research is citizenship, civic education and the intersection of religion and education.
To help combat the spread of COVID-19, governments worldwide have imposed stringent measures, including limits to public gatherings like religious worship services. Some have seen these rules as violations of their religious rights, and in response, have protested and even engaged in acts of civil disobedience. It is this backdrop that forms the context for Alan’s presentation.
GivingTuesday - the world's largest generosity movement
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, taking place each year after Black Friday. The “Opening day of the giving season,” it’s a time when charities, companies and individuals join together and rally for favourite causes. In the same way that retailers take part in Black Friday, the giving community comes together for GivingTuesday.
GivingTuesday harnesses the potential of social media and the generosity of people around the world to bring about real change in their communities; it provides a platform for them to encourage the donation of time, resources and talents to address local challenges. It also brings together the collective power of a unique blend of partners - nonprofits, civic organizations, businesses and corporations, as well as families and individuals - to encourage and amplify small acts of kindness. Across Canada and around the world, GivingTuesday unites communities by sharing our capacity to care for and empower one another.
“We have two days that are good for the economy.
Now we have a day that is good for the community too.”
While we’ve been focused on the global pandemic for almost exactly a year now, the urgency of working on climate change has not diminished. We should be putting as much effort into stopping that as we are into stopping the pandemic.
Climate change is more than a science issue, it's a spiritual and moral issue too. Our churches have an important role to play. While we tend to shy away from discussions of climate in polite society, that is something that author Jim Antal is calling us to change. Join this discussion group to learn more about how to lead or support your community of faith in engaging to make a difference for future generations.
We will talk about ways to engage with this big, scary topic, and how we can take meaningful action – in our social circles, in our workplaces, in our families, and especially in our places of worship.
If you want to get a taste of the type of information and hope that you will encounter in the book, take a listen to Jim Antal interviewed by Laura Hunter, Minister for Justice and Mission at the United Church of Canada on her podcast “Making Hope Visible”
Here are some places you can get Climate Church, Climate World by Jim Antal (prices vary). Make sure to order yours in time to start the study:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Feel free to bring your lunch.
This initiative is sponsored by the Anglican Diocesan Environment Network (DEN) of the Diocese of NS and PEI and St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Fredericton NB.
How many of us have heard the above phrase in our working lives? It is an exhortation to use your time wisely so you can produce more with less effort and is typically well understood by everyone. Have you thought about stewardship in the same way? We all know of the tax benefits that come from donating to a registered charity, and I have written on this on a number of occasions.
Let’s look at food banks for example. How many of us add a few extra cans of soup, boxes of Kraft Dinner, or pasta to our grocery carts and donate it in the bin after we check out at the cash register?
We all know of the tax benefits that come from donating to a registered charity
Volunteering at a local food bank two afternoons most weeks, I can certainly see the need, especially now with all the restrictions and unemployment due to COVID-19, although New Brunswick is faring better than most provinces.
Instead of buying those extra items, welcome though they are, have you considered donating directly to the local food bank or to Food Depot Alimentaire, the organization that distributes to the food banks?
I’ve illustrated the advantages of doing this in a table. The food banks do not have enough food donations to fulfill their needs so they go out and purchase.
Due to their bulk purchases, the major chains give them a price break — more product for the same dollar amount. I had not thought about this until our parish had the executive of a local food bank give us a talk. If you think about what you spend, then gross it up to allow for the tax relief, then donate that amount, you have spent the same after-tax dollars. However, the food bank is able to use those grossed-up dollars and purchase much more. The end result is that for the same after-tax donation to the food bank, they receive far more product than if you had donated the product itself.
As you can see, the first column is an illustration of giving product directly. The second shows donating the same amount of cash, lowering your after-tax cost but giving the food bank extra.
The last column shows the result of giving so your net aftertax cost remains the same as donating product but the food bank receives three times the product that you would donate directly.
In New Brunswick the tax relief is a little below 50 percent, but I have used that percentage for ease of illustration. This is just one example of smart stewardship where you leverage the tax advantages so your charitable donation goes much further.
Think about all you do and whether there is a way to give smarter and benefit your chosen charities.
We've embedded our CanadaHelps donation form to better meet our needs of those of online givers. We haven't changed the provider of this service but using the embedded form reduces our services charges which makes more of each donation reach us. Canada Helps charges 2.75% for processing. Check it out on Our Facebook page (GIVE NOW tab) or "Give Online Now" on the website.
The Diocesan Synod Finance Committee is looking for people with a keen interest in investments to serve on its Investment Sub-committee. The committee monitors the Diocesan Consolidated Investment Fund (DCIF) and working with its portfolio manager offers advice and recommendation to the Finance Committee regarding these funds. Given the importance of investment income to the Cathedral, many parishes as well as the Synod itself, people skilled in this field who have an interest in serving are being invited to inquire.
If you know of someone you think has the skills and interest, please pass on this request. Those interested are asked to send a brief summary (250 words or less) of background and interest in this area to interim chairperson Scott Fairweather at <fairws at nbnet.nb.ca> (replace the 'at' with '@') or contact the Synod Office (506) 459-1801.
Health concerns in light of the current global viral pandemic (March 2020) and, the Cathedral's response, will influence to some degree who we see in worship over the next little while. At Christ Church Cathedral, we’ll be doing all we can to cooperate with the wider community and attempt to strike the right balance between safety and assuring health for all both spiritual and physical as our top priority. That will include encouraging all to make wise decisions, for the sake of their own health and that of others. We do not wish to unnecessarily impose obligation on those who are not comfortable being in public right now.
During this time of a self imposed regulating of physical contact, Cathedral Staff will continue on duty and, unfortunately, bills will continue to be paid. So, how do we give when we’re not at worship?
take advantage of the convenience and regularity of e-offering
For about half of the 200 or so of our regular contributors, the answer is an easy one. Those who take advantage of the convenience and regularity of e-offering will need not do anyhing different. For the rest of us, there are options.
1. Begin (or modify) e-offering. What better time to start? You don’t need a computer or internet. Choose weekly or monthly giving. The amount or frequency can change with a quick message or phone call to our Envelope Secretary. Complete the form and include a cheque marked “VOID” (many banks provide a downloadable void cheque from their online banking page) Read it's as easy as 1, 2, 3
2. Give through our online giving provider CanadaHelps. From the secure Cathedral profile page (the Give Now! link on Facebook or linked from our website), making a donation is no more difficult than other online transactions, possibly more secure than many. Receipts are returned immediately by email.
3. Hand deliver or surface mail your offering to the Cathedral Office, 168 Church Street, Fredericton NB E3B 4C9. We’re open 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. If it happens that someone isn’t in the office, slip your mail under the office door or through the outside mail slot.
We want to do everything we can to make consistant giving as easy as possible. Contact the Office (506) 450-8500 if you have a question. Your Church Family will thank you for your efforts to stay current in your commitment of financial support. Quite literally, we all benefit!
1. The Tithe Is the First 10 Percent
"Set apart a tithe of all the yield of your seed that is brought in yearly from the field." (Deuteronomy 14:22) Few of us bring in a yield from the field these days. But a "yield" we do possess.
Wondering how to calculate your tithe? It's easy! The tithe is the first 10 percent of your gross income—before any expenses or obligations, including taxes. Find out that number for the year, month or weeks and move the decimal point one place to the left. How do we know? God says, "Honour the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce." (Proverbs 3:9). The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines firstfruits as "the earliest gathered fruits offered to God in acknowledgment of the gift of fruitfulness" (See also Genesis 28:22; Leviticus 27:32; Hebrews 7:2, 4).
There's something spiritually significant about giving God our first and best, rather than the leftovers. And it means something to him, too. In Malachi 1:6-12, some of the priests at the Temple got a bright idea. Instead of offering unblemished animals as sacrifices to the Lord, they decided to make sacrificing more convenient and cost-effective. So, they began encouraging people to give their blind and lame animals, instead of the best of the bunch. The priests were giving God the leftovers instead of the first and best. In response, God said, "Where is the honour due to me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due to me? says the Lord of hosts." (Malachi 1:6). God viewed the practice as dishonouring him—because it was!
When God gave his first and only Son as a sacrifice for our sins, he gave his first and best. He deserves nothing less from us.
2. The Tithe Belongs to God
"Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21)
Some people get very defensive when a church leader talks about the tithe. "All they want is my money!" they'll say. That kind of attitude comes from a spirit of fear and judgment, and it is outside of the walk of love we are called by God to make our way of living. Most pastors are trying to help others understand the principle of tithing for their own benefit! But the real question isn't about whether or not a pastor is trying to get your money—it's whether we understand that the tithe belongs to God.
Is God really of first importance in our lives? If he is, there won't be such strong opposition to the idea of giving him our first and best. Scripture says, "All tithes from the land, whether the seed from the ground or the fruit from the tree, are the Lord's; they are holy to the Lord." (Leviticus 27:30).
In other words, when we tithe, we aren't giving our money to a pastor or a church—we're giving it to God. Certainly, it's important to be sure we are giving into good soil, but once we make that determination, our heart needs to release the tithe into God's hands for his purposes. If we don't, release it, there's no way around it—we're robbing God (Malachi 3:8). There is no blessing in robbing.
3. We Present Our Tithes to Jesus
"In the one case, tithes are received by those who are mortal; in the other, by one of whom it is testified that he lives." (Hebrews 7:8)
In the Old Covenant, the people presented their tithes to the high priest. Today, Jesus is the High Priest, so we present our tithes to him (Hebrews 4:14-16). That's why tithing isn't about money—it's about honour. We honour God with our tithe when we present our tithes to Jesus. How do we do this? First, we do it joyfully—we don't murmur. "God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7) Then, it becomes a deliberate act of worship.
"Honour the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." (Proverbs 3:9-10) So, every time we give—we present our tithe to the Lord with honour. That's the heart that leads to increase; that is the heart with which we tithe.
4. We Give Our Tithes in Faith
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)
If we tithe in fear—fear that we won't have enough left over, fear that we won't be able to make ends meet, fear that we won't get a return, fear that it won’t be used properly—we're not tithing in faith. And if we're not tithing in faith, we're not eligible to receive the benefits.
So, don't just tithe—tithe in faith! Do it believing that God will rebuke the evil one for your sake (Malachi 3:11) and that he'll open the windows of heaven over your life (Malachi 3:10). If we aren't tithing faithfully, our priorities are in the wrong place. Our priorities are in the temporal realm instead of the spiritual realm. And it's what's in the spiritual realm that will always bring us out of trouble and bring about abundant blessing.
Faith says, "We're going to tithe first." And faith knows God will take care of us in the meantime.
5. We Tithe Using Words
At harvest thanksgiving this year we read from Deuteronomy 26:2 "Take some of the firstfruits…. and say to the priest ...”
If we approach our giving as a matter of the heart, rather than just bucket-plunking, we'll not only begin to see it as an act of honour and worship, but an act of faith. Part of that act of faith is that we give using words.
In the Old Covenant, God's people would place the firstfruits of their increase—in a basket, present it to the high priest, and say to him, "Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us." (Deuteronomy 26:3). Redemption was being spoken.
For the Christian, Jesus is the High Priest. When we present our tithe to him, we should do so with our words, declaring the benefits and protections. Say out loud, "As I give, I believe the evil one is rebuked in my life, and the windows of heaven are opening up over every part of my life. As you give, it "... it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." (Luke 6:38) And it is!
6. Giving the Tenth Protects the Other 90 Percent
"I will rebuke the locust for you, so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not be barren, says the Lord of hosts." (Malachi 3:11)
Isn't it "the locust," which threatens to destroy, for no good purpose, that which we hold dear?
"I can't afford to tithe." Have you ever heard or said those words? You may have even thought, “When I can afford it, I'll tithe. “ Some of us may have been thinking that for 10 years, and we still don't think we can afford it. That should tell us something. What we're doing is not working.
Here's a simple truth about giving the 10 percent: Give God what is his, and he will protect what is yours. As you honour God with the 10 percent that belongs to him, he'll get involved with the rest. The other 90 percent will go further than ever before because you've got the generous heart God wants you to have when making financial decisions. Good financial decisions is what stewardship is all about. The majority of us don't make them. It’s the witness of every tither that the tithe given is never missed.
The tithe of our income belongs to God. It lays the foundation of our financial success and abundance. There’s a protection plan attached to the tithe.
If you're not a tither, you can look back in your life, and you can see where your fruit was destroyed, where your situation didn't work out, where your job didn't come to full fruition, where you weren't able to do what you intended to do. What's missing in all of that is assurance that we have invested in what really matters. Of one thing we can be assured, what we invest in the work of God matters and it is blessed. With that blessing also comes enormous blessing for us.
7. Tithing Is the Only Area of Life Where God Says "Test Me!"
"Put me to the test!" (Malachi 3:10)
This is God himself speaking, and God is saying, "Prove me in this." This is the only time in the whole of the Bible where God instructs us to test him, and it is the one area where most people have withdrawn from proving God. He tells us the evil one will be rebuked. "See if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing." (Malachi 3:10-11) Have you ever tried to test God? Have you experienced a result? Why not?
Tithing is a lifestyle choice, not a hobby. A tither is a giver from the heart. So, don't just toss some money in a bucket and wait to see what happens. It is necessary to test the Lord with the giver's heart. That's when harvest comes. If we're not sowers we're not entitled to the harvest. Harsh reality. Vivid truth.
8. Tithing Is a Covenant Connection
"They have transgressed my covenant that I imposed on them. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have acted deceitfully, and they have put them among their own belongings. Therefore the Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they turn their backs to their enemies, because they have become a thing devoted for destruction themselves. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you." (Joshua 7:11-12)
Refusing to give based on Scripture's direction, disconnects us from the Covenant which blesses. When we tithe, we give God the legal right to intervene in our affairs, to bless us richly, and to defend us against the destruction the evil one brings.
Why should we wait until our back is against the wall? Why not begin now? Meditate on the blessings God's Word promises. Learn to act on the Word now, and when Satan tries to put you in a financial corner, failure will result. Live into the covenant of God and there will be little which can ultimately prevail.
9. God Created the Giving Heart for Our Benefit
"Honour the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." (Proverbs 3:9-10) Has that been quoted before?
Tithing isn't sowing—it's giving back to God what belongs to him. As a result, we will live in the overflow! That's the harvest. A good harvester is one who plans to give back what is already owned.
10. Our Giving Only Opens the Door to Blessing
"Then you ... with the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house." (Deuteronomy 26:11)
Being a wise and obedient steward of what God has given us is the least and the most that God requires of us. Perhaps it all begins with the proper handling of what belongs to God—the tithe. Tithing is an open door to the blessing that God set forth to bless us and keep us.
In Deuteronomy 28, God spoke to the Israelites about the curse and the blessing. But just prior to that, in Deuteronomy 26, he spoke to them about letting him in on their finances—through the tithe. Why? Not because God needed the money, but because they needed the help. They were going into the Promised Land where there would be many challenges. He told them about tithing, the curse and the blessing ... and in that order.
It's still the same for us today. If you've been thinking, “I believe in tithing but, I just can't afford it,” you're going backward. Because if you don't invite the blessing, you invite the curse.
These are 10 truths about giving. Is any of this magic or empty promises? Put these truths to work in your life—perceive them as the revelation they are—and just see if the result of God's promises don't increase. Are you hesitant to walk the life of a tither—take the plunge. Read the verses in scripture about giving, its central role in the walk of faith and, act on them. Start to tithe! Then, buckle your seatbelt and get ready for a truly exciting journey!
