Waiting for the family

On July 26th 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.

k_and_r_schmidt_at_workWhen 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.

setup“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

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

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:

160629_member_visitation_reportPurposes 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

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 9th,.2016 This  represented the final installment of the more than $120,000 the group has donated over the years to the Cathedral Restoration Fund.

pewter_web

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

pewter_people_cropped_web

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

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.

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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.

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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

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

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.

 

adf_refugee_sponsorshipFURNISHINGS 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

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”

Home Sweet Home

Spin the globe. Halfway around the world sits a refugee family dreaming of a better, safer life.

Spin the globe again. People from 11 parishes in the archdeaconry of Fredericton are collecting furniture and housewares to fill that family’s apartment here.

At this point, neither knows anything specific about the other, nor do they know when they will finally meet and start working together on the transition to a new life in Canada.

HELPING HANDS - Wendy Smith (at right), a parishioner from St. Margaret's Anglican, delivers household goods donated by the congregation for the Syrian refugee family who will be sponsored by the archdeaconry. St. Margaret's is kindly covering all items in the bathroom and personal supplies categories of a long list of furniture and supplies. Ann Deveau (at left) from the cathedral will put the items into storage until the family arrives in Fredericton. The timing is unknown because the archdeaconry is on a waiting list to choose a family.

HELPING HANDS – Wendy Smith (at right), a parishioner from St. Margaret’s Anglican, delivers household goods donated by the congregation for the Syrian refugee family who will be sponsored by the archdeaconry. St. Margaret’s is kindly covering all items in the bathroom and personal supplies categories of a long list of furniture and supplies. Ann Deveau (at left) from the cathedral will put the items into storage until the family arrives in Fredericton. The timing is unknown because the archdeaconry is on a waiting list to choose a family.

Having met its self-imposed national target of 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February, the federal government has slowed its processing of refugee applicants. This is frustrating for potential sponsors. Patience and prayer will be needed in the coming months until a match is made.

While waiting for the bureaucracy to grind its wheels, committee members are raising funds (as of May 1st, donations now stand at $20,030.83), researching apartment prices, finding Arabic interpreters, looking for a doctor and dentist, learning which foods will be needed in a Syrian pantry, getting cross-cultural training, and so on.

Parishioners have asked how they can help the family. Some donations have already arrived and are being stored in the basement of Cathedral Memorial Hall, such as area rugs, desk, bed, floor lamp, coffee table, toaster oven, coffee maker, bedding, sets of cutlery and dishes, coat hangers, and much more.

One parish offered to supply everything needed to outfit a bathroom as well as all the personal supplies.

As the exact composition of the family is unknown, some questions cannot be answered now. Will we need bunk beds? A crib? Dolls and art supplies for wee ones?

Curtains or blinds will be needed, but what size will the windows be in the apartment to be rented later? Some items will just have to wait!

However, here is a list of things most likely required. If you can donate any of these items (clean, in good condition and in working order, please), e-mail Doug Milander and Ann Deveau <amdrm at nbnet.nb.ca> or call (506) 455-3299.

Drop-off and/or pick-up dates can be arranged later this spring. Your support is greatly appreciated.

macpherson

Don MacPherson helps move articles for short term storage

As of 10 June …

LIVING ROOM – modern TV (not the heavy, old, tube-type)

BEDROOMS – mattress and boxspring for a single bed, mattress and boxspring for a 54-inch bed,  3 waste baskets

DINING/KITCHEN – 4 kitchen chairs, hand mixer, muffin tin

MISCELLANEOUS – chair for computer desk, radio, alarm clock, wall clock, paper/pens/pencils, 3 umbrellas, combs and brushes

HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES – broom and dustpan, sponge mop, bucket, laundry detergent, cleaning rags, cleanser, toilet paper, paper napkins, recycling bin, freezer bags, garbage bags

 

 

Ann Deveau

What’s new with Belize? – June 2016

Visit the Cathedral Missions site

Belize occupies not only a chunk of land in Central America, but also a special spot in the hearts of dozens of people from the cathedral who took part in mission trips there in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2013.

“Our work as a church is to reach out and serve our brothers and sisters in Christ,” says Beverly Morell who led the four mission teams. “Belize is a wonderful example of one important way we do just that!”

Although a cathedral team has not gone south recently —  largely due to the falling Canadian dollar which made the trip much too expensive — connections between the cathedral and a tiny Anglican parish in Belize continue.

Education is so important for these young people as is a well-equipped school …

For example, approximately $2,000 is sent annually to help St. Hilda’s Anglican School. It’s an elementary school (pop. 200) in a poor area in western Belize where three of the teams volunteered. The funds pay for school supplies as well as badly needed repairs such as fixing broken toilets and gaping holes in classroom ceilings.

Earth Day posters in Belize

Earth Day posters in Belize

The money for school supplies, including books, printer ink cartridges, paper and coloured pencils, is appreciated by the teachers. For example, it meant that the children had plentiful materials to work with when creating the Earth Day posters pictured here.

Another aspect of the relationship is assistance for higher education. In Belize free education stops at Grade 8. Many families live below the poverty line and cannot afford to send their children to high school. Former missioners and other donors have helped put several St. Hilda’s graduates through high school: Ashley Jones, Amieka Myers, Anfernee Vasquez, Jamal Whitty and Tianney Lamb.

Also thanks to donors from the cathedral family, three students from St. Hilda’s are currently attending high school: Aaliyah Augustine, Paul Jones and Anique Hernandez.  Paul explains why the financial support and encouragement mean so much to him: “I come from a poor family, but I want to show other children like me that it doesn’t matter where you came from, you can still achieve the goal you set your mind on.”

1606_belize1

Earth Day 2016 at St. Hilda’s

Originally, it cost $700 CDN per year per student, but the decline of our dollar means that it now costs $1,000 CDN annually per student. Although the existing students will be supported until graduation, unfortunately a high school scholarship cannot be offered to a St. Hilda’s graduate in 2016.

A couple years ago other donors at the cathedral kindly pooled resources to send two of the high school graduates to college. Although Anfernee Vasquez dropped out after a year, Amieka Myers intends to graduate with an associate in education certificate in 2017.

“Education is so important for these young people as is a well-equipped school,” says Brad McKnight, treasurer of the cathedral’s Missions Committee. “Our committee is considering a fund-raiser in late fall or early winter to make sure the financial support remains solid well into the future. Stay tuned for news about specific plans and for opportunities to volunteer.”

By Ann Deveau

Read the June 2016 letter from Principal Jane Martinez

Divine Renovation

Divine Renovation: From a Maintenance to a Missional Parish
By James Mallon
Novalis Publishing/2014/286 pages

Fr. James Mallon is pastor and priest at the Roman Catholic Saint Benedict Parish in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He speaks frequently on the topic of church renewal and has hosted internationally acclaimed DVD series on Catholicism and Dogmatic Theology. St. Benedict is an amalgamation of three former parishes and under Fr. Mallon’s care has achieved remarkable success in becoming a Christian community focussed on mission outside of its doors as opposed to an inward- looking maintenance ministry. In this book, the author offers practical guidance and a step by step blueprint on that process.

Its time to start making disciples. The future of the Church depends on it.

The Church today is faced often with the overwhelming task of maintaining property. While our buildings are an enormous gift from our past, they can also become one of our greatest burdens if we are not successful at becoming the missional church we are called to be. Jesus does not call us to be caretakers but, rather to serve him by serving the world and making disciples. “Its time to start making disciples,” says Fr. Mallon. “The future of the Church depends on it.”

Chapter two focusses on a grounding of the theory to be presented from Roman Catholic specific papal encyclicals and denominational specific documents. That goal completed, Divine Renovation progresses towards an insightful read for the Christian of any denomination. It is particularly applicable for any denomination that recognizes sacramental dimensions of the faith. “The sacraments are our greatest pastoral opportunity” and, perhaps one of the reasons I find it easy to recommend this book is that I agree wholeheartedly with most, if not all, of the author’s fundamental beginning points as well as the conclusions. Changing the “culture” of the Christian Community is necessarily at the heart of a transformation from maintenance to mission. It is that change of culture that consumes the majority of this text.

The practical road map leading to the transformation of church culture is divided into several sections. These might be alternatively titled: “Fr. Mallon’s marks of a healthy church.”

  • Giving Priority to the Weekend
  • Hospitality
  • Uplifting Music
  • Homilies
  • Meaningful Community
  • Clear Expectations
  • Strength-based Ministry

Inspiring, practical, challenging and a bracing call are among the terms others have used to describe an insightful book. A good read for anyone who cares about how to do Church in our current context. Fr. Mallon addresses the clergy of the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton during the clergy conference in August of 2016.

Geoffrey Hall

Called to Mission – Matt Allen

Matt Allen has been a regular member of our congregation this past year and is preparing to serve God in a mission abroad with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. He is self-financing his salary for this mission and the Missions Committee would like to share his request for support.

“I am coming on staff with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. Over the past year I have been working with Inter-Varsity in Fredericton. But now I am feeling like God is calling me to an International placement with Inter-Varsity. I am looking at a placement in either Martinique or France to work with the local student groups and see how they can grow and make a larger impact on their campuses and in their countries. Right now both of those locations have less than five staff working there.

So I want to partner with them and see how we can grow. Right now I am fundraising for my salary and my budget costs. I am looking to fund-raise $40,000. Would you be willing to support me either financially or through prayer. If you would like to join my newsletter email me at <mallen at ivcf.ca> and if you would like to financially support me you can at ivcf.ca/donate/mallen” – Matt Allen

ivcf

View this post on the Missions Committee site

Brad McKnight