Safe Church – a safer place to be

Posted on September 2, 2016November 4, 2016

The Safe Church regulation of the Diocese of Fredericton aims to ensure a working, learning and spiritual environment that is safe for all members of our communities. In our Bishop’s words “It is a matter of us getting our house in order.” The Safe Church training programme intends to reach these goals by systematically educating all church leaders and those who minister about the regulation, policies and standards held officially in the Diocese of Fredericton.

Both the implementation of standardized complaint procedures and the maintenance of Safe Church event standards are intended to allow for easy adoption throughout the diocese.

“Safe Church” means the protection of clergy, lay leaders and ministers, employees, volunteers, congregation members, families and visitors so that all may share ministry in a secure atmosphere.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Comprehensive training of the Safe Church regulation, policies and standards
Helpful forms and templates for ease of implementation
Knowledge of all complaint procedures
A variety of learning aids, including video, diagrams, quizzes and activities
Two delivery methods tailored for groups and individuals
Convenient Safe Church Event Checklist makes planning simple
Diocesan Safe Church Training Certificate after the program is completed

FACT OR FALLACY?

With Safe Church, we can never rent our hall again.
Fallacy! Under the Safe Church program, other community and church groups will still be able to rent the church hall. The community group will be asked to sign the “Agreement to Use a Diocesan Facility,” which maintains several Safe Church standards, and sets the conditions of use.

With Safe Church, we won’t be able to use our old buildings anymore.
Fallacy! Many of the older buildings may not meet complete safety standards, but will be required to update when future renovations take place. If an older facility does not include washrooms or emergency release doors, these standards need not be implemented unless the parish decides to make renovations, at which time the building should be brought up to standard. With Safe Church, we will not be able to maintain our programs for children or youth.
Fallacy! For most parishes, Safe Church should be easily implemented, with only minor changes such as the police record check, two adult standard and the open-room standard to ensure each program or ministry complies with the regulation. Safe Church has been designed to allow for a smooth, uncomplicated transition.

Safe Church is intended to prevent misconduct.
Fact! The Safe Church program is intended to create an environment of understanding and respect for all members of the church, by applying procedural and planning standards. This safe environment protects clergy and lay leaders in their ministry, as well as volunteers, employees, congregants, families and visitors.

TWO WAYS TO TAKE THE COURSE

Online: The online Safe Church programme allows (will allow) individuals to take training both on their own time and at their own pace. The online course involves five modules and quizzes that systematically provide an overview of the Safe Church regulation and, the course is completed on the participant’s schedule. The link to online training will be available here when available!

Group: The group Safe Church programme is for whole parishes/congregations or groups in which multiple people need the training and would prefer to participate together. The group course involves a two-hour presentation on the content of the Safe Church regulation, delivered by a diocesan Safe Church training team member, followed by a brief group activity that applies the information to potential scenarios.

It is suggested that most parishes/congregations offer initial group training on the regulation.

Diocesan Safe Church brochure
Diocesan Safe Church Regulation

A Word of Thanks from Belize (Cathedral Missions)

Posted on August 6, 2016September 10, 2016

A word of thanks from Amieka Myers in Belize

Trusting the Call – Matt Allen August Newsletter

Posted on August 6, 2016September 19, 2016

What does it take for you to go somewhere you have never ever been before? For some people they become filled with fear and never want to go, others they just need the money and they are already on the plane, and others still just need to hear the voice of God and they will be there no matter what the barrier.

I had the privilege of going down to French Guiana at the end of July to celebrate the 20th anniversary of having an Inter-Varsity group (GBU) in French Guiana. In 1996 there was a group of university students from Martinique who came to French Guiana to plant a GBU in the second largest city, Kourou, and there were a bunch of bumps along the way but they knew that they were called their so they faithfully followed. Since then GBU in French Guiana has expanded to the other university in Cayenne and onto 3 different High schools. All of this has happened by the initiative of volunteers and students because there are currently no staff workers there.

For me it was also my first time in French Guiana and it was a mixture of exciting and scary to go to a place where I did not really know anyone but I had heard so many good things about. For me, seeing the teaching that was there, the way in which they celebrated and my time interacting with students it was a strong confirmation that I am being told to go somewhere I haven’t really ever been before. I am stepping out in faith and I hoping and praying that my contributions can have the same impact as those first students had when they first got off the plane and started ministering on the University campus. But so far what I have seen is so encouraging.

Funding report

This past little while I have been back in Winnipeg and I have been able to fundraise the first 30% of my budget so in the next month I am aiming to get to 100% of my fundraising. I want to thank all of those people that have already supported me. If you or anyone you know would like to support the ministry of Inter-Varsity I would love to come and meet with you and tell you how that might be possible.

Matthew Allen

August 2016 Newsletter in PDF format

Liberian refugee family has arrived!

Posted on July 28, 2016September 2, 2016

With a violent civil war and years in a refugee camp behind them, Phillip, Esther, Arene and Catherine flew more than 10,000 kilometres from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to Brussels to Montreal to Fredericton this week. The long trip is only the start of their challenging journey.

FIRST CANADIAN PICNIC – The Rev’d Rick Robinson and his wife Nancy took the refugee family from Liberia swimming and for a picnic at Woolastook Park on July 31. Pictured with them are Arene, Catherine, Esther and Phillip. The young people also enjoyed dancing to music at the event which was celebrating Black heritage in New Brunswick.

A smiling welcoming committee waved balloons, welcome signs and Canadian flags at the airport. Parishioners came from the cathedral, Christ Church Parish Church, St. Margaret’s, St. Mary (York), All Saints in Marysville and Anglican parishes around Gagetown. Four exhausted people who hadn’t slept for two nights looked bewildered by all the attention.

“They were overwhelmed, probably feeling as if they had landed on another planet, but we made them feel as welcome, safe and comfortable as we could,” said committee member Doug Milander from the cathedral. “When we drove up to the door of the apartment building and I said, “this is your home,” Phillip began to sob.

“I don’t know what he had expected, but he could not believe what was happening. By the time he saw the spacious rooms, homey furnishings, and all the food, he cried harder. He thanked us and shook our hands many times.”

Phillip’s wife Esther deplaned in an airline wheelchair and walks very haltingly with a cane. The teenaged children look healthy and were curious. Everything is new for them: 24/7 electricity, potable running water, modern bathrooms and appliances.

Representatives of the Archdeaconry of Fredericton await Phillip, Esther, Arene and Catherine at Fredericton Airport on Wednesday.

“This is an incredible and emotional experience for everyone,” said Kelly Humber-Kelly from St. Margaret’s who completed much of the paperwork related to the refugee sponsorship. “Everyone on the committee thanks you for the prayers, funds, and donated items you have given to this project in the past several months.

“But it’s no longer a project. These are people with hopes and dreams, a family who needs our help and loving care to regain their independence and transition to a new life in Canada.”

Updates will be provided as events unfold for the family. Ongoing prayers are appreciated.

Ann Deveau

Catherine and Arene

Waiting for the family

Posted on July 23, 2016July 28, 2016

On July 26^th a family of four Liberians, who fled a civil war and who have been living in a refugee camp for six years, will board an airplane in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, and start winging their way toward Canada.

The family will find a clean, fully furnished, comfortable, bright, three-bedroom apartment waiting for them when they arrive in Fredericton July 27th. The cathedral and 10 Anglican parishes have been collecting funds, furniture and food for the family, comprised of Phillip Weah, Esther Gmah and teenaged children Arene and Catherine Gmah. A team from the cathedral, Christ Church Parish Church, St. Margaret’s, St. Mary’s York and All Saints (Marysville) has been working hard to move furniture and supplies, clean and set up the apartment. Congregations have been enormously generous in donating items. The refugee sponsorship committee expresses gratitude for the help and asks for ongoing prayer for the Liberian family.

When they arive they will be nervously stepping into a whole new world. They will receive a warm welcome from members of the Greater Fredericton Area Anglican Parishes, a refugee sponsorship committee representing 10 parishes and the cathedral.

“We have been praying, preparing and raising funds for many months in anticipation of the family’s arrival, but we have been given only two and a half weeks notice of the specific date,” said Archdeacon Patricia Drummond who speaks for the committee.

“We have a LOT to do before that time, the most urgent being to find a convenient, three-bedroom apartment for a reasonable rent into which we can move the many furniture items and supplies we have accumulated,” she said. “We also need to stock the apartment with groceries. And there is considerable paperwork to do and meetings to set up related to banking, documentation, language assessments, health care, and so on.”

She added that it will be helpful for the African newcomers because it is not the dead of winter, but it will be hectic for the organizers because it is summer when some volunteers are away on holidays.

“In speaking over a scratchy telephone line with the father of the family, I discovered that the family is Christian. We would have happily accepted any faith, but this does make things easier in a number of ways.”

In speaking over a scratchy telephone line with the father of the family, I discovered that the family is Christian …

Liberia is on the west coast of Africa

The archdeacon sincerely thanked everyone for their donations and moral support. Prayers for the family will be very much appreciated.

“Some people have asked if they can still contribute financially, and the answer is yes because we must support this family for an entire year,” she noted. “People in the various parishes have been generous, but we do not yet have enough money to cover the whole year. Cheques can be made payable to Christ Church Parish Church, marking Refugee Fund on the memo line. Any contribution is welcome.”

The only remaining item needed on our 10-page list of furniture and supplies is a chair suitable to use at a computer desk. It does not have to be new but it does have to function.

“God has been very good to us as we prepare for the family, and we know He will watch over them on their long journey here,” Archdeacon Drummond concluded.

Ann Deveau

Member Visitation 2016 – Report

Posted on July 7, 2016July 22, 2016

It has been approximately 14 years since Christ Church Cathedral conducted an “all members” visitation initiative. Church development literature indicates that healthy churches are those that regularly conduct both “in-reach” and outreach; people need to feel a strong and sustained connection to their church community. Having a new Dean and a renewed Bishop and Chapter, it was felt there is tremendous opportunity for the church to reach out to one another in a visitation initiative.

In the fall of 2015 the lay chair of Bishop and Chapter approached me to see if I would be interested in leading an all member visitation program. I agreed to become the project lead and put together a project plan which was presented to Bishop and Chapter in February of 2016. The goals of the plan were as follows:

Purposes of the Visitation

Sharing and promotion of the unique Cathedral ministries and services through focused discussions
Gathering facts, opinions and suggestions from those visited
Connecting with recent newcomers and non-regulars and
Informing and encouraging increases in our offerings

After some discussion, the Dean suggested adding a fifth area of focus:

Invite volunteer participation for future initiatives.

The project plan outlined a critical path:

announce the initiative at the annual meeting, February 21
evaluate level of congregational support for the project
review of Congregational List, March 31
compilation of visitation materials, March 31
half day training workshop, April 16 (Saturday)
visits begin, April 23 (Saturday)
visits end, May 7 (Saturday)
debrief of visitors, May 29 (Sunday)
final report to Bishop and Chapter, June 30

With some future modification (the visitation was extended to May 28 and the visitor debrief was moved to June 5); the plan was accepted by Bishop and Chapter at the February 15 meeting. The visitation was announced by the project lead at the annual congregational meeting on February 21.

Thirty-six visitors were recruited and were given a half day training session led by the project lead in April. The intent was to familiarize volunteers with the visitor information packages that were developed and assembled for this purpose; select the households to visit and answer any remaining questions.

Visitors were encouraged to select a minimum of five households to visit. They were instructed to telephone their households first to schedule a convenient time for the visit. If the parishioner did not wish to receive a visit from a volunteer, they would be invited to complete the questionnaire online or via hardcopy provided in the Cathedral nave.

Visits concluded on May 28. A de-brief for all volunteers was held June 6 and led by the project lead. The purpose of the focus group was to receive feedback from volunteers – what worked; what didn’t work? – the essence of which would help inform this final report.

Read the full Report

J. Yeamans

Cathedral Pewtersmiths just keep on giving

Posted on July 3, 2016July 13, 2016

The Cathedral Pewtersmiths officially ended their long association at the Cathedral in June 2016, with the presentation of a cheque to Dean Geoffrey Hall. President Charles Davies was pleased to present $11,896.13 during the Guild of St. Joseph summer BBQ event on June 9^th,.2016 This represented the final installment of the more than $120,000 the group has donated over the years to the Cathedral Restoration Fund.

Christ Church Cathedral Pewter

The Cathedral Pewtersmiths began in the mid 1980’s with a generous donation of seed money from Dr. Ivan Crowell and Canon Hubie Drillon. With that money they bought the equipment and installed it in the basement of the Cathedral Memorial Hall. With close instructions from Dr. Crowell, a small group of dedicated members of the congregation began their little business with the promise to donate $7500 to the Restoration Fund. They were more than successful in their endeavours!

Designs with many motifs borrowed from inside the Cathedral and stained glass windows, were drawn and sent to Saint John where a master mold was prepared of rubber. Then the pewter was melted and cast in Fredericton. Many helpers worked with the designs grinding and polishing them in their homes by hand. It was a dedicated group that not only helped design and make the ornaments, bookmarks, jewellery and other items but, they also sold the pieces at the back of the Cathedral, at Craft Shows at the University of New Brunswick, at the Delta Hotel and even in St. Andrews NB. Many pieces

Charles Davies examines pewter

were personally engraved in English, French, Dutch, Greek, German and Chinese, according to the wishes of tourists. This illustrates the wide distribution of the valued pieces from the Pewtersmiths around the world. Many thanks for all the efforts through the years of such a dedicated and successful group.

The president, Charles Davies, has led an interesting and varied life. Born in Quebec City, Canada, his family moved to Wales when he was very young. Educated in England, he spent many years in Guyana. That is where he met his wife, Jean. They were married in 1963. They came to Canada in 1971, expecting to live in Vancouver. However after friends gave them a tour of the Maritimes, they settled in Moncton. In 1985, they moved to Fredericton where Charles sold computers. The Cathedral has become their church home where both Jean and Charles are active members, contributing much to the life of the Cathedral.

Diocesan Open House

Posted on June 28, 2016July 9, 2016

The “Open House” on 19 June 2016 was a success! A first for the Diocese, the event offered a counter-balance to the reality of recent annual Synods where it has become difficult to provide a venue for diocesan groups and ministries to tell their story. Pleasingly, Christ Church Cathedral contributed well, with several displays by Cathedral groups and ministries.

Doris Norman and Diane Rayworth host the Cathedral Matters display

Included from the Cathedral: the Guild of St. Joseph, Cathedral Quilters, Parish Nursing (with a diocesan emphasis), the Cathedral Matters and Lucy’s Sewing Group. Of course many others from around the diocese, some of which are also recognized Cathedral ministries, took advantage of the opportunity. Tours were offered of the Cathedral, the Synod Office, Bishop’s Court and Discipleship House and Farraline Place. It was a glorious weather day and considered all in all a great success.

Charles Davies at the display for the Guild of St. Joseph

“Anglicans are not very good at telling our stories,” said Dean Geoffrey Hall. “Perhaps its the humility that is such a hallmark of the Anglican faith. We just want to serve, and seldom are we looking for credit for the enormously significant ways in which we serve our Lord. That’s a good thing. We’re not looking for credit. But not telling others about the good things God is doing through us leaves us diminished. We find ourselves feeling down because more is not happening. Plenty is happening. Not all that could be, but much. Its important for us to find a balance between a healthy witness and being the servants we are intent on being.”

View the Cathedral Facebook Open House Album with photographs from the day. Read the 28 June eNews story — “Open House draws a crowd.”

Plans being made for refugee family from Liberia

Posted on June 27, 2016July 11, 2016

The Archdeaconry of Fredericton refugee sponsorship committee has been waiting for months to bring a Syrian refugee family to Fredericton. A couple weeks ago we were advised that the backlog of applications is now so large (thousands!) that it would be well into 2017 before we could even think of being matched with a Syrian family.

It’s disappointing. However, there are literally millions of other refugees, some of whom have been waiting in crowded camps for years. We were told that, if we would agree to sponsor an African family instead, it could take only a few more weeks or months before they would step off the plane in Fredericton.

Liberia is on the west coast of Africa

The committee, made up of 10 parishes and the cathedral, prayed, discussed and decided to help a family of four from Liberia in West Africa now, instead of waiting until 2017 for a Syrian family. Our application is being reviewed by the federal government, and we are waiting for news.

We have a few details: the father is Phillip, age 47, who has worked as a farm hand; his wife is Esther, age 50, a trader, probably selling fruit, fish or charcoal in an outdoor market; her children are a son, Arene, age 19, and a daughter, Catherine, age 16.

The family profile does not indicate how long they have been living in the refugee camp, situated in the neighbouring country of Côte d’Ivoire. Knowing there have been two civil wars in Liberia, we suspect it might be years. The parents have been subjected to violence and torture.

We do not yet know their religion, but the file says they can speak English and French plus their native language called Grebo. Their educational levels are very low, especially given the ages of the children. Conditions in the camp are not good concerning health care, dental care, education, etc.

If our application succeeds, it will be a huge challenge for this family to adapt to life in Canada.

If our application succeeds, it will be a huge challenge for this family to adapt to life in Canada. Think of our weather (the average annual temperature in Liberia is 28C!), the different culture here, their lack of education, and limited work experience. It is possible that they may never have enjoyed 24/7 electricity, running water, and all the amenities we take for granted. Life here may be overwhelming for them.

That is why the committee continues to prepare to welcome and help them. Financial donations have reached about $22,000 — we need $30,000 to look after them for one year. Thanks to you, donations of furnishings are going extremely well. (See list of remaining items sought.)

The Missions Committee at the cathedral will keep you posted on the progress of the archdeaconry’s application. Please pray for this refugee family and for our efforts to bring them out of violence and misery to a safe home in peaceful Canada.

FURNISHINGS LIST (remaining items needed as of June 22, 2016)

LIVING ROOM – modern TV (not the heavy, old, tube-type)
MISCELLANEOUS – chair for computer desk

Items can be dropped off at Cathedral Memorial Hall during business hours.

If you wish to help support the family, you can provide a cheque, payable to Christ Church Parish Church, noting Refugee Fund on the memo line. The treasurer at that church is maintaining an account on behalf of all the parishes taking part in the sponsorship.

Ann Deveau

The diocese, demystifed

Posted on June 14, 2016June 18, 2016

You’re invited to the open house on Saturday

Sandra Craft had a mission when she became part of Diocesan Council: take some of the mystery out of diocesan affairs. The best way she could think of was to hold an open house.

Sandra is the vice-chair of Diocesan Council, which will host an open house on Saturday, June 18, from 2-4 p.m. Visitors are welcome to tour Christ Church Cathedral, visit the synod office and Bishop’s Court, and take in mission and ministry displays …

Read “the diocese, demystified”

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