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Category Archives: Ministry
Missions Committee provides support throughout the pandemic
“Serving God in mission, sharing Jesus with the world” is the mission statement of the Christ Church Cathedral Missions Committee.
The committee works together with the Cathedral congregation to reflect the teachings of Jesus and the heartbeat of Christian history. The committee's goals are to: raise awareness about mission work, prayerfully and financially support missionary efforts, and encourage action by the congregation.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee has been conducting business virtually, primarily through email, and has been able to continue communications and support for several long-standing mission partners.
Annual financial assistance of $1500 was provided to support the stipend for Canon Paul Jeffries at Bishop McAllister College in Uganda as well as $1500 for Reverends Kara and Nelson Mejia and their Honduras Mission Fund.
A $350 donation supported the mobile medical clinic in Ho, Ghana - a campaign initiated by the Diocese of Fredericton.
$250 was donated in response to an urgent appeal by PWRDF for financial assistance in August 2020 to assist with humanitarian needs following the Beirut explosion.
The Cathedral Missions Committee has remained in touch with members of the Refugee Family Sponsorship Team. In October, members of the committee assisted others in helping the Weah-Gmah family move to their new home.
A related committee under the Bishop and Chapter responsibility of Mission/Outreach maintains communication with St. Hilda's Anglican School in Belize.
Like so many others across the globe, our mission partners faced unforeseen challenges over this past year. School closures threatened to jeopardize the entire ministry at Bishop McAllister College. A shut down of the tourism economy in Roatan placed Rev’s Nelson and Kara in the position of needing to feed regular meals to over 200 residents in their community. When both of these partners reached out, the Cathedral offered additional assistance of $250 each and shared their messaging with the congregation via the missions web page and corresponding links on the Cathedral website and Facebook pages.
The committee posts online updates to keep the congregation informed of ongoing developments with our mission partners and continues to ask for prayerful support. In the year ahead, it is hoped that guest speakers can be invited back to the Cathedral.
The Missions Committee welcomes new members and is happy to answer questions. Contact the Cathedral Office or communicate directly with committee members Brad McKnight, Sam Mayo, John DosSantos or Kurt Schmidt.
Details from the Missions Committee update in the Christ Church Cathedral Annual Report for 2020.
Variety show supporting Mary Sumner House
Mark your calendar for June 13th!
The Cathedral Branch of Mothers’ Union is pleased to present 'Prelude to Summer', a variety show which will feature local talent including music, dance and a magic show! It will be held outside on the Cathedral 'green', Sunday, 13 June following 10:30 a.m. worship. View the program in the 13 June Sunday bulletin.
A freewill offering will be collected in support of Mary Sumner House, the worldwide body of Mothers' Union. A variety of giving options are available:
- Freewil
l offerings accepted onsite - Donation
s by e-transfer to <lilian.ketch at gnb.ca> - Mail a cheque to Diane Radford: 105 Sutton Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 6L4
- Use an offering envelope noting 'MU fundraiser' (tax receipt will be mailed)
- Give online through the Cathedral website GIVE NOW link or our Facebook page and note 'MU fundraiser' (tax receipt immediately through email)
Pandemic precautions will be in effect. Bring your own lawn chair for social distancing with your bubble. Food will not be served, but we encourage you to bring your own picnic lunch to eat while you enjoy the entertainment. In the event of inclement weather, the show will be held inside the Cathedral without the picnic.
Mothers’ Union Canada is part of a global movement that has its work created, developed, coordinated and implemented by a group of people who work at Mary Sumner House in England. The COVID-19 crisis has detrimentally affected operations, and Mothers' Union needs support to continue the spiritual, practical and emotional support they have given worldwide for almost 150 years. The Cathedral Branch pledged $500 towards Mary Sumner House, and looks forward to this fundraiser for an important cause.
COVID-19 Vaccine: Why not pay it forward?
by Ann Deveau
As the pandemic has dragged on, disrupting all our lives, I've been waiting impatiently to get my first shot of a vaccine to protect against COVID-19.
Suddenly, the words of my late father penetrate my whiny muttering. Dad would often say: “There's always someone worse off than yourself.”
A bit red-faced, I ponder that bit of wisdom.
More advice floats to the surface.
My best friend, Deb, died of ovarian cancer this spring, still smiling and reminding people to “Cultivate an attitude of gratitude.”
My face gets redder.
After all, because I'm lucky enough to live in a relatively prosperous place like Canada with a good health-care system and with a government that bought zillions of doses in advance, it's certain that I will get vaccinated if I wish to do so. I enjoy privilege and security.
But, if I happened to live in a crowded slum in India, a remote village in Tanzania, or the high mountains of Bolivia, what would be the chances of my family getting the vaccine any time soon? Slim to none, possibly. And that's quite simply wrong.
I decided to take the advice of my wise Dad and my kind friend; be grateful for what you have and share it with someone who needs it. As soon as I get my jab, I'll pay it forward by donating to the Vaccine Equity Fund at the Primate's World Relief and Development Agency (PWRDF).
Canada's Primate, Archbishop Linda Nicholls, has written that seeking vaccine equity is not optional. She noted that our baptismal promises command us to love our neighbour as ourselves.
Archbishop Nicholls was also motivated by the words of her Anglican colleague, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of South Africa. “Everyone deserves more than the crumbs under the table when others are eating a full loaf of bread,” he pointed out.
Our Primate urged Anglicans to speak up for countries often left with “crumbs.”
For example, we can urge our members of Parliament to donate our excess vaccine to less fortunate nations because vaccine inequity threatens everyone while the virus rages. We can ask our prime minister to support a temporary suspension of trade restrictions, which control the price of vaccine, so that production can reach into heavily populated areas.
Aside from advocacy, the Primate suggested something tangible. When Anglicans receive their vaccines, they can contribute to the Vaccine Equity Fund at PWRDF. Each gift will support PWRDF partners in the most vulnerable parts of the world as they prepare for vaccination roll-out, including work already under way to supply PPE, thermometers, sanitation and hand-washing facilities, and accurate public health information.
If you visit the link to donate, you'll see that you can choose an amount which matches your personal budget. You can also dedicate your contribution to someone special, and PWRDF will notify them about your generosity.
It's going to be difficult for PWRDF to send e-mails to my father and my friend, but I won't let that little problem stop me from paying it forward and helping a vulnerable person somewhere get vaccinated against this deadly virus.
What will you do?
Canadian Mothers’ Union Conference
The 2021 Canadian Mothers' Union Virtual Conference will be held online 04-05 June. The theme of the free event is 'Our God Is Still on the Move' and it will feature a keynote address by Worldwide Mothers' Union President Sheran Harper, guest speaker Bishop Bill Hockin, and a virtual banner parade.
Originally scheduled to be held in Fredericton, public health precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led the organizing committee to plan a virtual event, which they hope will be a source of inspiration and connection between Mothers' Union branches across Canada.
In areas where pandemic precautions allow, organizers hope that branches will take the opportunity to gather in bubbles on Friday, June 4, either at a member’s home, church or hall, remembering to be conscious of COVID safety protocols. This will allow for fellowship when worshipping together. All members will also have the option to connect to the conference using a Zoom link from their own home.
There will be no registration fee to attend the virtual conference. With no other costs for travel or accommodation involved, participants are asked to prayerfully consider donations to Mothers' Union's registered charities, the Northern Clergy Families Fund and Mary Sumner House.
Click here for more information about the conference and schedule. Register by 18 May. If you have additional questions, please contact Conference Coordinator Lilian Ketch <lilian.ketch at gnb.ca>.
Mobile Medical Clinic Goal Reached!
Bishop Mathias, in red at centre, with Robert Griffin and representatives of the Ho Teaching Hospital. A partnership with the hospital will see them staff the mobile medical clinic.
The Diocese of Fredericton's fundraising campaign for a Mobile Medical Clinic in our Companion Diocese of Ho, Ghana has reached its goal! $100,000 has been raised in the Diocese, and the rest of the $268,000 project cost has come from Rotary.
Thank you to all who contributed. The clinic is on schedule to be in Ghana before the year is out, and any further funds donated will be used to purchase more equipment and supplies.
Read the details on the Diocese website: Ho mobile medical clinic soon to be a reality.
Commitment to Education in Belize
Christ Church Cathedral has a special relationship with the staff and students of St. Hilda’s Anglican School, an elementary school in the rural village of Georgeville. Two hundred children attend the school, ranging between kindergarten and grade 8. Cathedral teams have travelled to Belize five times: in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2018. Over 60 Cathedral members ranging in age from 15 to 79 have gone on a mission trip to Belize, and hundreds of people in Fredericton have supported the work through organizational support, donations and prayers.
As part of the Cathedral's ongoing financial commitment to St. Hilda's, in 2020 we sent the school $1000 in August and $1000 in December to contribute to ongoing needs for the students and teachers. Although we were unable to do any fundraising in 2020 due to COVID-19, enough funds were available from efforts in 2019 to continue our support for the school.
The money sent to St. Hilda's was helpful in preparing for opening of the school with the restrictions and regulations of COVID-19. They used the funds to purchase cleaning and sanitation supplies, as well as garbage bins, masks, and gloves for teachers. Teachers were also given a stipend to assist with classroom preparation and arrangements for physical distancing.
According to Ms. Jane, principal of St. Hilda’s, the school typically holds fundraising events throughout the year to help with supplies, but has been unable to do so since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We communicate with Ms. Jane on a regular basis, who recently shared, "I continue to express sincere gratitude to our Friends of St. Hilda’s family. You all have truly blessed us. I keep seeing God working through your sponsorship. When we were at our lowest, that’s when the funds came through. We are truly thankful. Prayers for you all during this time. God’s continued blessing on your ministry."
In addition to support of the elementary school, the Cathedral supports scholarships for selected St. Hilda's graduates. In Belize, the average age at which a child leaves school is 13 years old, because of the prohibitive costs of high school. Unemployment in the country is high, there are many large single-parent families, and almost half of Belizeans live below the poverty line. In 2010, Cathedral mission team members established a high school scholarship program which has allowed St. Hilda’s students to apply for a scholarship to continue their education past grade 8. Some of the graduates supported by the Cathedral have gone on to post-secondary education.
Currently, four students attending high school benefit from Cathedral scholarships. $4000 was sent in August 2020 -- $1000 each to four students, which helps to cover the cost of tuition, books and other required materials. The 2020-2021 scholarship students are Edvin Perez Grade 9, Gian Myvette Grade 10, Jenniah Tillett Grade 11, and Joselyn Herrera Grade 12.
Our congregation continues to support and pray for the students and teachers at St. Hilda’s school, past and present.
Read more posts about Belize missions.
Prayer Network Continues Under New Leadership
Award-winning author Philip Yancey writes that prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet and relate.
“We're supposed to be a praying people,” agrees Carolyn Howlett in recalling why she got involved in the prayer network at the cathedral. “We're on a daily walk with the Lord, and it's important to listen, to care and to bring the needs of other people to Him.”
I
n 1996 a co-ordinator was needed to take over from Reid and Ethel Saunders who had capably led the prayer network for some time. Carolyn offered to step in, never thinking she would be at the helm for a quarter of a century.
“There was a small, willing group of volunteers in the cathedral community to pray for congregational needs and other issues, and it grew over time,” she says.
Sometimes people ask God for all manner of things: to sell their house, to find a job, to survive a divorce, to make it rain.
“We weren't dealing with those types of problems; we focused on requests for healing,” Carolyn says. She stresses that confidentiality was always of the highest importance, and it remains so.
She would inform the other members by telephone -- in more recent years by e-mail -- that a person was struggling with cancer treatments or a serious accident, that a major surgery was under way, that someone was hospitalized and near death.
Isabelle Hockin, one of several longtime members, puts it this way: “I think it’s a huge comfort to people with an urgent concern to know that they can turn to the prayer chain and trust that there will be a group of believers praying for them and/or their loved ones in their hour of need.”
She sees Matthew 7:7 as the guiding principle: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.
Feedback was usually positive, regardless of the outcome of the particular situation. Typical comments include “the prayer chain made all the difference” or “it uplifted us at a difficult time” or “it helped me with my grief.”
After 25 years
, the time has come for Carolyn to pass the torch to another member of the congregation who also believes that being a Christian means leading a life of prayer.
Linda Waugh has been a member of a Charis group for more than 20 years and has always been willing to pray for others.
“I have been thankful for their prayers when I needed them,” Linda explains. “Prayer is powerful, and it is very comforting to know there are others praying for you. In turn, I was glad to be able to pray for other members when they needed prayer.”
Linda thinks it's possible that some people in the cathedral family don't realize that they can ask for confidential prayers for themselves, their friends and family members who need God's love and healing.
“I hope people will feel free to get in touch with me, so that the good work done in the past can be continued for a long time to come,” she says. “My e-mail address is <lmwaugh at live.com> which will likely be published often in the church bulletin for people's convenience.”
Linda is also thankful that Carolyn has agreed to continue as a member of the prayer network.
“It's such a part of me,” Carolyn says, absolutely confident that prayer is effective in bringing God's compassion and comfort to people in their times of trouble.
--by Ann Deveau
Update from St Hilda’s Anglican School in Belize
The following is a letter sent March 11/21 by Ms. Jane Martinez, Principal at St. Hilda’s Anglican School, to Kelley Hall of the Belize Mission Committee.
Good Afternoon Kelley,
I pray all is well with you and your family. I wanted to send you an update so that you know what is going on at St. Hilda’s Anglican. Due to the Covid19 situation, we are only at school Monday and Tuesday. We are still doing distance learning. Teachers print packages every week for students and they also do online sessions twice a week. It has been truly challenging because both teachers and students have to adapt to a new way of teaching and learning. My staff has been very vigilant in this exercise and I must commend their efforts.It is being said that the vaccine will be given to teachers soon and classes will resume in April. I’m not sure if that will work out. Some people are hesitant about getting the vaccine because much controversy surrounding it. There has been no Education or information given to the public and people are hesitant.The high school students have gotten some reports so I will forward that to you as well. I’m still waiting for two more students to send theirs. They have also been doing online learning and receiving packages.I am including pictures of some repairs that we were able to get done in one classroom as well as the signs that we set up. I also bought folders for teachers to create a portfolio with lessons and packages that are sent out. Overall, I must say that we are blessed because we have all been able to cope and have stayed healthy.I continue to express sincere gratitude to our Friends of St. Hilda’s family. You all have truly blessed us. I keep seeing God working through your sponsorship. When we were at our lowest, that’s when the funds came through. We are truly thankful. Prayers for you all during this time. God’s continued blessing on your ministry.Blessings,Jane
Pandemic Yellow Level at the Cathedral
Zone 3 (Fredericton and area) is currently in the Yellow Level of the New Brunswick Pandemic Recovery Plan.
In-person worship at the Cathedral continues and Memorial Hall is open to the public, both with restrictions. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Monday to Friday.
Pandemic precautions outlined in the latest revision of the Cathedral Pandemic Operational Plan (11 March 2021) will be followed. These include:
- Worship gatherings are limited to 90 individuals (based on 50% of total capacity)
- Meetings where 2 metres of distance with masks is maintained
- 2 metres of physical distance between bubbles is required
- Face masks are mandatory indoors at all times (with an exception for “leaders or performers whose activities require vocalization” while maintaining 4 metres of physical distance between bubbles)
- Congregational singing with masks and 2 metres of distance between bubbles
Please note that we continue to be encouraged to limit contact outside of single household bubbles, especially in confined spaces. Please continue to pray for those who are at risk and those providing care and helping to keep us safe.
Worship reservations
With current limits of individuals, worship reservations continue to be required. Reserve online by visiting Cathedral Signups by 8:00 p.m. on the previous day. Telephone reservations are needed in real time (not by voicemail). If reserving by telephone, please contact the Cathedral Office (506) 450-8500 during office hours, 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon, Monday to Friday.