Category Archives: News

Chair Yoga in the Cathedral

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Join us for Chair Yoga at Christ Church Cathedral, gathering with others for this gentle exercise.

An initiative of the Health Ministry, the classes are led by experienced yoga instructor Monique Smith.

Ideal for both young and old, chair yoga is a unique way to exercise while sitting in a chair. Classes are held in the Cathedral, making it easy even for those with mobility issues.

As Monique explains, “As far as abilities, even beginners will feel welcomed! … The key is to listen to one’s body.”

These weekly classes are sure to provide a stress-free way to exercise your body, mind, and spirit in fun and friendly group sessions.

Chair yoga classes are held on Fridays from 10:15-11:00 a.m., with occasional breaks for holidays. Check our calendar to confirm dates. All classes are open to the public to drop-in, with no need to register. The cost is $5 per session, payable each week. 150 Church Street, Fredericton, NB.

Still curious about Chair Yoga? Learn more in the article, Chair Yoga and Why Seated Yoga Poses are Good for You.

Wildfire destroys Anglican camp in BC

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A cross at the end of a dock is nearly all that remains of an Anglican camp in British Columbia ravaged by wildfire.

Camp OAC (Oakanagan Anglican Camp), like New Brunswick's Camp Medley and Camp Brookwood, offers faith-based summer camping opportunities for children and teens, as well as religious retreats and rentals for secular functions and celebrations.

Campers and staff were safely evacuated on Thursday, August 17, but by that evening fire had destroyed almost the entire camp.

ABOVE: the dock at Camp OAC, as shown in the 2023 Anglican Churches calendar. BELOW: Fire burned 90% of Camp OAC, including the dock. The cross remains.

If you own a copy of the Anglican Church Calendar, you may recognize Camp OAC as the photo featured for the month of August. It shows a cross on a deck stretched out over the Oakanagan Lake, with beautiful forested mountains in the background.

In her pastoral letter, The Most Rev. Dr. Lynne E. McNaughton, Bishop of Kootenay, writes,

"Although most of the dock burned, the large white Cross at the end of the dock remains standing. As always the cross is the sign for us that God brings new life out of death. God will sustain us through this loss and rebuilding, that OAC will once again be a place of life-giving Christian community where children, youth, and adults can experience living in right relationship with nature and God."

The destruction of Camp OAC has triggered an outpouring of sadness from the generations of people who have attended the camp since 1950, and donations towards rebuilding are encouraged. Click here to read the update from Camp Director Ian Dixon and find out how you can help.

Please pray for all affected by wildfires and other natural disasters during this year of increased climate change, and pray for those ministering to serve those in need.

In Memoriam: Archbishop Claude Miller

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Archbishop Claude Miller died on Tuesday, 27 June 2023 after a brief period of illness.

The funeral was on Monday, 03 July at 11:00 a.m. in Christ Church Cathedral with a reception following.

Visitation was held the previous day, Sunday, 02 July 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. at the Cathedral followed by a vigil until 8:45 a.m. Monday with both clergy and lay participating.

Obituary of the Most Rev'd Claude W. Miller, 1944 - 2023
Order of Service on 03 July 2023
Archbishop David Edwards' reflections about his time with Archbishop Miller

Read an article about the funeral, written by NB Anglican Editor Gisele McKnight: Archbishop Claude Miller laid to rest

 

 

Bishop and Chapter News – June 2023

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Bishop and Chapter met on 19 June 2023 with 12 of 13 members present. Minutes of the meeting on 15 May 2023 were adopted.

FROM THE DEAN

Cathedral

  • outside corporate Communions (2); committee/group meetings (4); Thy Kingdom Come (18-28 May) Novena weekdays; Ordination (30 May); weekly staff meetings (4); work planning with Director of Music; marriage preparation (1) Wedding (17 Jun); home visits (4); 3 home / hospital communions; 2 Cathedral funerals / 2 attended; Evensong - Installation/Collation (04 Jun); Staff and Deacon reviews underway (3); collaboration with I. Cutler re deacon appointment; generally running behind on pastoral visitation; proposing vacation 24 July - 13 August
  • Recommend publicizing “Help Wanted.” Various needs including: communion administrators; home communions; hospital visitors; lectors; intercessors; servers, website content and maintenance, social media maintenance; others identified by committees
  • Vacancies: Chapter Vice-Chair | Chapter Property | Nominating

Diocesan

  • Synod Finance Committee (1); Diocesan Council (1)

DECISION

  • Appointment recommendation to the Bishop. That we recommend our Bishop consider the appointment of the Rev’d Isabel Cutler, as Deacon at Christ Church Cathedral
  • Administration of Communion. Request our Bishop grant permission for Donna Beek to administer communion.
  • Approve transfer of 400 shares of BMO securities to Diocesan Consolidated Investments (Cathedral Anglican Church Women)
  • move an additional $20,000 unrestricted investments to operating fund for summer cash flow bringing the total to $70,000

DISCUSSION

June Report of Planning Study - Source Alliance having returned the final report of the feasibility study (January - May) regarding Cathedral restoration, Our Bishop chaired this portion of the meeting. The Report suggests an urgency as well as several options for consideration. The Report was shared with members of the Chapter with a request that it not yet be made public. Our Bishop requested some time to make several key contacts and that the Chapter continue in discernment.

REPORTS

Treasurer - May offerings $36,860. Year-to-date deficit to 31 May -$39,739. Summer cash flow deficiency anticipated

Administration and Finance - interview of tour guides this week; June staff reviews underway

Worship - no report

Property - Unforeseen Cathedral furnace repair to be completed in the next few weeks - $34,000 to 38,000 estimated total cost

Health and Pastoral Care - no meeting of purview groups as of yet

Mission Outreach - in process: considering policy for request for benevolent funds; Belize Missions Yard Sale for St. Hilda scholarships; Mijia’s from Honduras visit 25 June

Communications - weddings at the Cathedral website post series; video for St. Saviour Latvia - Night of the Churches event;; Thy Kingdom Come “daily short readings” videos; publicity for current events

Christian Formation - planning for 30 Sept Day of Truth and Reconciliation; fall 2023 Life in the Eucharist

Welcome and Hospitality - assisted with refreshments for a June funeral; Mejia visit refreshments/luncheon 25 June

UPCOMING

NEXT MEETING

  • Monday, 11 September 2023                                                            GMH

Bishop and Chapter News – May 2023

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Bishop and Chapter met on 15 May 2023 with 11 of 13 members present (11 0f 13). A printed version of preaching for the Fifth Sunday of Easter was circulated. (Audio here) Conversation re post-resurrection Sunday themes, contrasting planning from business and a spiritual perspective. Minutes of the meeting on 20 March 2023 were adopted.

FROM THE DEAN

Cathedral

  • outside Communions (3); committee/group meetings (3); Lenten book study; deaneries clericus; summary of Easter worship - total attendance 245; Vacation 11-25 April; MU Diocesan Rally 29 May; Ordination 30 May; Coronation Evensong 14 May; weekly staff meetings; marriage preparation (2); home visits (4); hospital/home communions (6); 1 funeral/3 funerals attended; challenge in meeting current pastoral needs.
  • Chapter vacancies: Chapter Property Committee, Vice-Chair, Nominating Committee membership.

Diocesan

  • Diocesan Finance Committee (1); Bishop’s Counsel 26 April; Clergy Day 04 May

Up-coming

Ascension Day 18 May; Thy Kingdom Come 18-28 May (Novena weekdays 5:15 p.m.); W. Turney funeral 30 May; V. Sinclair funeral 10 June; Ritz/Saulnier wedding 10 June; Installation of Canons and Collation 11 June; Swanwick/English wedding 17 June

CORRESPONDENCE

  • Anglican Church Women Executive - letter dated 04 May 2023 expressing serious concern about the vacancy of the position of parish nurse and requesting there be a search undertaken to fill the vacancy
  • Canadian Heritage - response to inquiry. Canadian Heritage does not support church heritage renovation projects

DISCUSSION

  • Parish Nurse - high degree of awareness of the need for Cathedral health ministry under our circumstances. The Dean initially responded to the correspondence with the reminder that the parish nurse staff position was included in the 2023 Budget with the hopes that monthly budget targets could be met. Further consideration needed

DECISION

  • Funds transfer - up to $50,000 from unrestricted invested funds to provide for cash flow May to September

REPORTS

Treasurer - 5 Sunday April (including Easter) revenue $50,785, slightly exceeding the budget target of $48,499 for the first time in 2023. The Year to Date deficit of expense over income stands at - $13,594.

Administration and Finance - advertising, training and hire of tour guides is a current priority

Worship - some decorating will be attempted for the Day of Pentecost

Property - no report

Health and Pastoral Care - exploration of possible programming with UNB student nurses

Mission Outreach - helpful first meeting with those engaged in mission and outreach ministries. Progress towards a draft policy to guide our response to requests made for funding

Communications - Chapter and others encouraged to join a schedule of 2 minutes for ministry presentations on Sundays

Christian Formation - exploring creating opportunities as part of advanced planning for the upcoming 2023 Day of Truth/Reconciliation

Welcome and Hospitality - newcomers event with 35+ in attendance Pentecost will include normal refreshments following 10:30 worship

UPCOMING

  • Ascension Day (18 May) and Thy Kingdom Come (18-28 May)
  • Day of Pentecost (28 May)

NEXT MEETING Monday, 16 June 2023

GMH

Farewell to an artist

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Hugh MacKinnon was an exceptional artist who did extensive restoration work on the Cathedral’s East and West windows. His stained-glass artisanship is present in churches, educational institutions and other sites throughout the Maritimes.

According to his obituary,

"Many church windows in New Brunswick have sunlight shining through his creations, including the small chapel in the Old Arts Building at UNB, where he transformed Molly Lamb Bobak's paintings into lead and glass works of art. If one wanted to know about any of the saints, you could just ask Hugh, who did extensive research on them to make sure he got the window imagery correct."

In retirement, Hugh freely shared his expertise with the Cathedral Property Committee, particularly in his consultations with Heritage Standing Inc., the engineering company assessing structural work required in the Cathedral.

He, and his exceptional artistry, will be missed.

Bishop and Chapter News – March 2023

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Bishop and Chapter met on 20 March with members in person and by way of video conference. 12 of 13 members present. Members were asked to read in advance an article from Alban at Duke Divinity School “Putting the How Before the What,” Stephen Chapin Garner. Discussion about one church’s experience with a “call-based” approach to leadership, passion and energy for leadership and the importance of putting relationships/community as first priority. What could be identified as a crisis of organizational structure might rather be a crisis of faith. Minutes from a short meeting on 13 February 2023 dealing with the 2023 Budget were adopted.

FROM THE DEAN

Cathedral
•   outside Communions (2)
•   committee/group meetings (4)
•   Monday Lenten book study / dropping in on Lenten programs
•   weekly staff meetings
•   Narrative Budget completed and circulated
•   Vacancies
Chapter Property Committee
Diocesan
•   Diocesan Finance Committee (2)
•   Diocesan Council (1)
Up-coming
•   Vacation 11-25 April

FOR DECISION

• Appointments

- Vice-Chair - nomination to the Bishop needed- Advisory Committee on Appointments - appointed
- Nominating Committee - inquiries for appointment to be made
- Safe Church Officer - Diane Wilkins appointed
- Property Committee - nomination needed for Bishop’s appointment

[for more information see the current Chapter By-Law]

• 2023 Budget - slight discrepancy between Annual Report and Chapter-approved not affecting the bottom line. Motion to correct

REPORTS

  • Treasurer - Financials show a slight surplus having received the grant from the City for summer tour guides. Offerings in January and February slightly below budget. Parish Financial Return due 15 March now submitted.
  • Administration and Finance - helpful update from Envelope Secretary; noted difference in Chapter Budget and Annual adopted version; needs for 23 tour guide programme in view
  • Property - Unexpected Cathedral furnace repairs needed. Early estimated cost $12,000
  • Health and Pastoral Care - Health Ministry has several projects in process: health information session, Medley Tea; on-going: dementia support, Yoga, prayer shawls
  • Mission Outreach - reviewing annual reports and making contact with mission sub-groups and committees (Monday Morning, Belize Missions, Cathedral Missions) Monday Morning Outreach continues monthly with some new support for food contributions
  • Communications - nothing to report
  • Christian Formation - Review of Lenten programming, looking ahead to future. Considering future events on racism, indigenous reconciliation, anti-Semitism
  • Welcome and Hospitality - a committee meeting pending
  • Worship - contacting potential members for servers’ guild

UPCOMING

•   Palm Sunday (02 April) Easter (09 April)
•   29 April Diocesan Mothers’ Union Rally / 30 April Ordination

NEXT MEETING

Monday, 15 May 2023                                                                               GMH

AST 2023 Grad Projects

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AST Graduate Project Presentations 2023

Atlantic School of Theology has some of the brightest students around!

In Halifax or online on March 14 & 15 celebrating their work and cutting-edge research as part of graduate projects

​ Click here to register

Tuesday March 14, 2023

Compassion - 1:00-2:30 ADT

Stephanie Rose - Bridging the Gap: Practicing Infant Baptism in a Post-Christian Society

Catherine Ann Dickson - Who Do You Say I Am? Stories Women in Recovery Tell About Their Experiences of Church

Stacey Mortson - Remembering Whose We Are: Faith in the Face of Dementia

Relationship - 3:00-4:30 ADT

Michelle Robichaud - An Emptiness in My Belly: The Relationship Between Loneliness and Spirituality

Caitlin Smithers - Error 404 (building not found): Experiencing Christian Community Online

Jessie Crabtree - Kindred in the Spirit: Experiences of Friendship in Church Life

Wednesday, March 15

Justice - 1:00-2:30 ADT

Rhonda Schofield - Outside In: Exploring the Inner Workings of Outward-Facing Congregations

Damber Khadka - A Song for Everyone: Exploring Music for Worship in an Intercultural Church

Sarah Giles - Stepping Stones: Taking Indigenous Reconciliation from the Pews to the People

Pandemic - 3:00-4:30 ADT

Laura Rousseau - Unvaxxed and Uninvited: Christians Whose Communities Worshipped Without Them During a Pandemic

Kirsten Evenden - We've Never Done It That Way: Anglican Worship in Virtual Spaces

 

Bishop and Chapter News – January 2023

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Bishop and Chapter met 0n 16 January 2023 by video conference 11 of 13 members present. Members were asked to read in advance “5 Ideas for Managing Your Church Budget in the New ‘Normal’” by Ken Sloane (Discipleship Ministries - United Methodist Church). The “ideas” included: quarterly planning, approaches to past comparisons, recognizing “inflation dollars,” use of technology to making funding the budget more efficient and, study of building assets. Minutes from 12 December 2022 were adopted.

CORRESPONDENCE

•   a note of thanks was received from Sexton Ashley Swim

FROM THE DEAN

•   funerals (2); outside Communions (1)
•   committee/group meetings (3); nominating committee (2); Narrative Budget Team (2); Chapter Executive (1)
•   usual staff meetings weekly
•   Christmas worship attendance: Eve: 187/70/81; Day 16/39
•   Vacancies

Safe Church Officer
Synod substitute (16-35)
Assistant(s) to the Verger
Mission Outreach

•   Diocesan Finance Committee
•   Vacation 11-25 April 2023

FOR INFORMATION

Planning Study - Meeting of Bishop and Chapter, diocesan officers and Source Alliance regarding the planning study being conducted over the next several months to determine potential renovation fund-raising

FOR DECISION

Amendment - minor correction for accuracy to November 2021 minutes
Reception of report - Cathedral Conditions and Issues Report official acceptance
2023 Budget - several issues pertaining to the 2023 budget were discussed and decided. Larger projects can complicate clear communication about giving targets and progress. Consideration of simplifying weekly bulletin updates in 2023 was discussed and may help continue to keep the most important information before us
Annual Meeting - Sunday, 26 February 2023
Investment - movement of some funds for year-end

REPORTS

Treasurer - December was a strong month for offerings with $84,047 enabling us to finish December in a surplus position ($40,368 offering over expenses). Overall offerings year over year down by $38,000. Underspending on maintenance and staffing, finishes 2022 in a slight surplus position
Administration and Finance - work on 2023 budget with the Stewardship Team working on a narrative version; intend return to staff handbook task; thanks to a retiring offering counter team; new team appointed
Property - continuing to deal with critical issues while minimizing expense where possible
Health and Pastoral Care - Health Ministry struggling to determine what events are appropriate under changing circumstances
Nominating - challenges exist regarding nominations for Chapter

UPCOMING

•   24 January - Source Alliance, Chapter and Diocese
•   21 February - Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
•   22 February - Ash Wednesday
•   26 February - Annual Meeting
•   02 April - Palm Sunday

NEXT MEETING

Monday, 13 February 2023                                                                       GMH

Bishop and Chapter News – December 2022

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Bishop and Chapter met 12 December 2022 in person and with video conference participation, 7 of 13 members present. A short discussion on an article entitled “One Invitation Away from Returning” by Rebekah Simon-Peter (LeadingIdeas - Lewis Center for Christian Leadership). One premise included is similar to that of the “Back to Church”/ Season of Invitation movement: that personal invitation is the one most effective tool for building congregations. The reminder is significant, especially as we move into post-pandemic times when many changed worship attendance patterns. Minutes from 21 November 2022 were adopted.

Correspondence

•   letter of thanks was sent to Vice-Chancellor Kelly VanBuskirk following legal advice requested and received during the Fall

From the Dean

•   outside Communions (1)
•   committee/group meetings (4)
•   usual staff meetings weekly
•   Giving Tuesday successful campaign
•   meeting with Source Alliance
•   Narrative Budget Team (1)
•   Staff dinner at Lexington
•   Funeral out of town (1)
•   Nominating Committee (1)
•   Guild of St. Joseph social
•   Mothers' Union dinner and social
•   Vacancies: Safe Church; Synod substitute (16-35); Assistant(s) to the Verger; Chapter Mission/Outreach
•   Diocesan Finance Committee (1) / Diocesan Council (1) / Synod Planning (1)

For Information

Feasibility Study - Source Alliance continues to work towards the community interview stage of a study to explore wider support for a project to address Cathedral needs summarized in the 2022 Building Conditions and Issues Report. Over a hundred individuals have been identified. A case for support document is nearing completion for use during interviews and to share information about a potential campaign. Funding for the Study accessed from non-restricted invested funds. A meeting of Chapter and Diocesan executive representatives tentatively set for mid-January

For Decision

Stipend and Staff salaries 2023 - cost of living increase of 4% on the 2023 scale of minimum stipends. Dean’s stipend in 2023 $61,324 ($16,414 above minimum). Regulation 7-2 Remuneration and Compensation. A 4.5 % cost of living increase to 2022 budgeted amounts for staff salaries in 2023. In addition, the Sexton’s salary was increased by $3,000. Details will be in the proposed budget for 2023.

Reports

Treasurer - deficit position has improved, largely due to no unexpected expenses and lower than expected fuel costs (milder weather.) We continue showing a consistent decline/under performance in offerings year-to-date at about -10%. With revenue counted from unplanned sources, including from the Diocesan Synod, the deficit stands at $6,685.

Miscellaneous - Giving Tuesday campaign in support of school lunch programme exceeded the initial goal and the total of $2000. Some insulation of Cathedral basement doorway/conversion of choir room lights to led. Nominating Committee is exploring possible nominations for 2023. Formation and Welcome may be collaborating on an event for new congregational members in the new year.

Upcoming

•   Christmas Lessons and Carols, 4:00 p.m. (18 December)
•   Christmas Worship (Christmas and New Year’s on Sunday)

GMH