 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| Handle with prayer! |
|
ANiC news
ANiC
and ACNA events calendar
January
30-31 – Southern Ontario clergy
gathering, near Milton, ON
February
2, 9am – Toronto-area men’s
breakfast, near Newmarket
February
3 – The Revs Melvin Tai and Len Finn ordained priests, Christ the King (Toronto)
February
5. 7pm – Living Water, Healing Streams ministry
launch at St Peter & St Paul’s (Ottawa)
February
8-9 – Prayer seminar at St Aidan’s Windsor,
ON
February
9, 1pm – Inaugural service for Good Shepherd
Calgary in RC Church at 504 – 30 Ave NW
February
10 – ACNA World Missions Sunday
February
16 – Liveword Women’s Conference,
Vancouver, BC – Theme: “On eagle’s wings”
March 4-6
– ACNA’s 2013 Anglican 1000 church
planting summit in Wheaton, IL
March 11-13
– 2013 ANiC Clergy Retreat with Canon Phil Ashey at Cedar Springs,
Washington
March 13-15
– Leadership Training Institute 2 at Cedar Springs, Washington
April 17-19/20
– ANiC regional
assemblies in both Vancouver and Burlington
May 13-15
– ACNA clergy women’s retreat in Woodbridge, Virginia
October
21-27 – GAFCon 2 planned for Nairobi, Kenya
Happy
anniversary!
Our
diocesan and moderator Bishop Don Harvey celebrated 20 years in the episcopacy on January 25. Please join us in congratulating
him and Trudy and praying for God’s continued blessing on their ministry.
Welcoming a new
congregation
A
forming multicultural congregation, Christ the Redeemer,
under the Rev Melvin Tai recently joined ANiC as a project. Melvin will be
ordained to the priesthood – together with the Rev Len Finn – on February
3 at Christ the King (Toronto). Melvin+ began the ministry with
“A Quiet Place” – a
downtown Toronto outreach ministry located at Spadina and College streets –
which invites university students, immigrants and other visitors to enjoy a
coffee, cookies, rest, prayer or conversation. ESL classes are also offered to
help international students improve their English. Melvin+ invites all in ANiC
family to stop by when in Toronto.
World Missions Sunday, February
10 – Consider ARDFC
Archbishop
Bob Duncan has declared February 10 World Missions Sunday in all ACNA churches.
In his letter,
he encourages us to focus this day on our call to world mission through prayer,
testimonies, stewardship and education.
For
your February 10 special missions offering, please consider ARDFC and our
project helping the Diocese of Recife build a training centre in an impoverished
community in NE Brazil. See the ARDFC website for more information. ARDFC’s treasurer, Claus Lenk, informs us that the first $20,000
for our current ($61,600) ARDFC project has been collected and sent to Recife.
Check
out the ARDFC website for
resources for World Missions Sunday – including fact sheets, a
presentation, and a short (amateur) video of a Diocese of Recife pastor discussing
the need for our project – as well as a Liturgy and Prayers of the People.
Ministering
to disabled and abandoned children in a Chinese orphanage, July 16-31
Ka Man Ng,
who will be leading the short-term mission team to China to bless and share God’s
love with these little ones, says there are still a couple openings on the team.
If you have been thinking about this opportunity, act now! A video and
information on the trip is posted
here. Mission trips can be personally transformative.
March 9,
Vancouver Island women’s conference
A Liveword Women’s Conference, “On Eagles’ Wings”, will be held at ANiC’s Christ’s Church
Oceanside, meeting at 2925 Northwest Bay Road, Nanoose Bay, BC on March
9 from 9:30am to 3:30pm. Three godly women speakers will bring Exodus 19 alive
as they apply it to our life and faith today. This conference is identical to
the one being held in Vancouver on February 16. Come and bring your friends! Be prepared to be inspired by the excellent teaching,
uplifting music and great fellowship. Details and registration for both the Vancouver
and Vancouver Island events are online.
February
8-9, Prayer seminar in Windsor, ON
The Rev
Garth Hunt will lead a prayer seminar “Developing Intimacy with God” on the
weekend of February 8-9 hosted by St Aidan’s, Windsor.
The seminar will be at Parkwood Gospel Temple, 3005 Temple Drive, Windsor, ON.
The schedule is:
Friday, February 8. 7:30 –
9pm
Saturday, February 9, 9am –
4pm
For more information and to
register, please contact Pat at 519-966-0994 or St Aidan's office at 519-962-5931.
Please bring your lunch. Tea and coffee will be provided.
February
5, Healing ministry launches in Ottawa
The Revs
David Crawley and Liba Straznicky are launching a new ministry of Christian
healing in Ottawa called Living Water, Healing Streams. All are invited to the
inaugural service at St Peter &
St Paul’s, 152 Metcalfe St, Ottawa on Tuesday,
February 5 at 7pm.
The launch
(email) invitation states: “The aim of Living Water, Healing Streams is to walk
and work in the power of the Lord as He brings His healing to the lives of
those who seek His presence. Through biblical instruction, group workshops,
seminars, retreats and personal prayer, God’s desire that all creation come
into unity and wholeness in and with Him will be sought and claimed.”
Parish
news
Church of the Ascension (Langley, BC) – The Rev Richard Roberts, who is part of Ascension’s pastoral team, writes
that he is currently in Uganda with his wife Jenny assisting with the implementation
of two water development projects for which Africa Community
Technical Service has raised funds. The larger of the two is a three-year,
$2 million project undertaken in partnership with the Ugandan Diocese of Ankole
and with the help of 3-1 matching funding for the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA). It will provide clean drinking water to more than 15,000 people –
as well as provide health and sanitation education and HIV/AIDS testing.
Good Samaritan (St John’s, NL) – The missions team to Guatemala, including Bishop
Charlie and Judy Masters and Archdeacon Darrel Critch, posted their photos and
experiences on their blog.
At the conclusion of the trip (January 25), Father Darrell tweeted “What a week
on a Mission Trip in Guatemala; built 7 houses, painted the Arms of Jesus School
and library.”
Please email parish news to Marilyn or call 1-866-351-2642 ext 4020.
Anglican
Church in North America (ACNA) news
Archbishop Bob Duncan joins
March for Life
Our Primate Archbishop Bob Duncan was among 15 Anglican bishops
walking in the 40th Annual March for Life in Washington, DC on January 25. Archbishop
Bob is quoted saying “I am honored to stand,
along with my fellow bishops of the Anglican Church in North America, in
recognition of the millions lost through abortion and to demonstrate our commitment
to uphold the sanctity of life for all of God's children.” After the event, some sources estimated that as many as ½ million participated in the march in Washington.
More
than 55 million children have been aborted in the US in the 40 years since the
landmark Roe v Wade court ruling. To mourn the 40th anniversary of that ruling,
pro-life leaders laid 3300
flowers on the steps of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC on January
22. The flowers honoured the 3300 babies aborted each day in the US and the
same number of women forever scarred by those abortions.
According to CTV
News, today, January 28, marks 25 years since the Supreme Court of Canada
ruled that legal restrictions on abortion violated a woman's charter rights. Since
that time, Canada has been the only democratic country in the world that has no
laws or restrictions on abortions.
In his
excellent 3-minute Anglican Perspective
video, Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council offers
three reasons to oppose abortion: the Bible, the Church’s teaching, and reason
itself. Why not show your support by joining Anglicans for Life? A just-launched website – Life United –
offers a compilation of resources.
Members of ACNA Task Force on Holy
Orders announced
A statement on
the ACNA website reiterates the multi-step process by which the Task
Force on Holy Orders will tackle a thorough, theologically grounded examination
of the hot button subject of gender and holy orders. The task force is lead
with Bishop David Hicks of the REC Diocese of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. The
other six members are: Bishop Kevin Allen (Diocese of Cascadia), Mrs Katherine Atwood
(Diocese of Fort Worth), the Rev Dr Leslie Fairfield (Diocese in New England and
formerly with Trinity Seminary), the Rev Canon Mary Hays (Diocese of Pittsburgh),
The Rev Tobias Karlowicz (Diocese of Quincy), and Bishop Eric Menees (Diocese
of San Joaquin).
Bishop Hicks
asks us to “Please pray for God’s wisdom and guidance as we pursue our work....”
Bishop David Anderson, in last week’s
edition of the American Anglican Council newsletter, addressing the
furor in the Church of England, offers a simplified categorization of the
varying opinions regarding Scriptural teaching on women in ordained ministry.
ACNA honourary appointments
Archbishop Bob Duncan has announced two honorary appointments, both non-stipendiary:
Prof Stephen Noll will
serve ACNA as Special Advisor on the Global Anglican Future”.
Canon Phil Ashey,
COO of the American Anglican Council, is Canon for Special Initiatives [and
will] undertake special assignments as requested by the Archbishop”. Phil+ has
been a speaker at past ANiC synods and will be leading our Clergy Retreat in March.
Other
news in brief
Canada
Archbishop Terry Buckle (retired Bishop of the Yukon) has launched a ministry called “Street Hope Whitehorse”. The ministry seeks to be a presence
on the streets to minister to people, befriending them and serving them with
acts of kindness.
United
States
Anglican Ink
reports that a Circuit Court judge issued a temporary restraining
order, on January 23, forbidding the use of the Diocese of South Carolina’s
name or symbols by anyone other than the leadership of that historic diocese
under Bishop Mark Lawrence. Bishop Lawrence’s diocese has “…filed suit against
the national church alleging that its agents had committed identity theft by
using its name, symbols and seal and by holding out… [a TEC group] as the lawful diocesan ecclesiastical authority.”
South
Carolina left the Episcopal Church last year after TEC Presiding Bishop
Katharine Jefferts Shori deposed Bishop Lawrence and the usual pattern of
litigation has ensued. A full hearing is scheduled for February 1. 31 South
Carolina congregations have joined with the diocese and Bishop Lawrence in the lawsuit, 13 congregations are
supportive but have not yet joined the litigation, and nine missions and two
parishes had not declared how they would act. Eight parishes and eight missions
are planning to remain affiliated with TEC.
Reports
indicate the court injunction is not
sitting well with the TEC faction in South Carolina. Canon expert
Alan Haley appealed to these “loyalists” and provided a point-by-point
rebuttal to TEC leadership’s arguments. However, according to VirtueOnline Presiding Bishop Jefferts Shori went ahead with a meeting of TEC loyalists at
which a “provisional” TEC bishop, Bishop Charles von Rosenberg (East Tennessee,
retired), was installed to lead this TEC remnant – now known at The
Episcopal Church in South Carolina (vs Bishop Lawrence’s diocese which has
always been known as The Episcopal Church of South Carolina.
England
The Independent
reports that evangelical House of Laity chairman, Dr Philip Giddings won a vote of confidence in his leadership and survived an
attempt to oust him following the defeat of the women bishops measure last
fall. In a special meeting of the House of Laity called to vote on his
leadership, 80 people supported Dr Giddings, 47 opposed and 13 abstained. You
can read Dr Giddings address to the special meeting on Anglican
Mainstream, a commentary by Andrew Carey, as well as interesting
background provided by Canon Chris Sugden.
France
According to LifeSiteNews,
an estimated one million or more marchers turned out to demonstrate against the
French socialist government’s determination to impose same-sex marriage. Other
estimates place the number at 1.3 million.
Europe
The Telegraph
reports “…that “millions” of people who hold traditional
“politically incorrect” views could now face new restrictions because of
rulings against three… Christians involved in the European Court of Human
Rights case.”
Egypt
Fox News
reports that an Egyptian court
has sentence a woman and her seven children to 15 years in prison for the crime
of converting from Islam to Christianity. “The case is the latest example of
the increasingly dire plight of the nation's roughly 7 million Christians, say
human rights advocates.“ Freedom of religion has been greatly diminished by the
newly implemented Sharia-based constitution.
A Times of
Israel article warns that Egypt could be on the brink of genocide. The
author notes that, in recent years, hundreds of Christians have been killed and
more that 550 young Coptic women have been reported kidnapped and forced into
marriage with Muslim men, but says discrimination and persecution are on the
rise. “Due to rising Islamic extremism… violence against this ancient [Coptic
Christian] religious minority… The worrying rise in [systemic] violence against
the Coptic community suggests governmental unwillingness to effectively
investigate and prosecute the perpetrators... The persecution of Coptic
Christians has now gone far beyond discrimination, economic extortion,
political exclusion and persecution.” Recently, top Muslim religious leaders
have made nationally publicized threats against the Copts – which the
author considers “incitement to genocide”. Pray for Christians in Egypt,
especially Presiding Bishop Mouneer Anis.
Syria
The Episcopal
News Service reports that the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil
Dawani calls for “urgent action” to stop the sexual violence against women and
children refugees from the civil war in Syria.
Kenya
Following the killing of more Christians by Al-Shabab, a Somali
Islamist terrorist group in NE Kenya, Canon Francis Omondi pleads for the prayers of God’s people. Al-Shabab targets Christians and security
forces.
South
Sudan
All Africa
reports that a summit of African leaders in Nairobi heard reports on
the crisis in southern Sudan. Bishop Andudu of the embattled Nuba Mountain
region said “"I am here on behalf of my people.
This is a war of horror where children are dying every day… In December there
were over 230 bombings [by Sudanese military aircraft].” Others recalling
Darfur 10 years earlier reported that the Islamist government in Sudan’s attack
on this region is far worse. A former UN representative in Darfur said, “Today
in Southern Kordofon and Blue Nile I've seen 'Darfur plus plus' with modern
weaponry at play.”
Shara
Joshep Lago, a Muslim human rights activist and a former observer during the
Blue Nile State elections, said: "I am from Blue Nile… I
have been chased by aircraft and ground forces. I saw a pregnant woman
forced to give birth under a tree and then take her child and keep running. I
call upon the African Union and the League of Arab States to take action to
protect civilians. The humanitarian aspects of the conflict should be a
priority. Otherwise nobody will be alive to enjoy a future peace."
Sri
Lanka
The Anglican
Communion News Service reports that “The Bishop of Colombo has called
members of the Church of Ceylon to fast, pray and lament over the state of the
nation of Sri Lanka after what he described as "the complete collapse of
the rule of law" there… The bishop said the Church needs to repent
for its times of silence and of complicity in injustice. He has therefore
called for a Day of Lament on February 3, a Time of Lament at the Cathedral on
February 4 and for the Church to use Lent as a time to reflect on "what it
means to live as a faithful disciple-community of Jesus in the context of our
nation today".”
The
persecuted church
The Church of
England Newspaper reports that “Over
105,000 Christians were killed because of their faith in 2012, an Italian
sociologist told Vatican Radio last week, with reports from Africa, India and
Asia showing a surge in anti-Christian persecution over the Christmas holidays…
Christians were most at risk in areas with a strong Islamic fundamentalist
presence, Nigeria, Somalia, Mali, Pakistan and some parts of Egypt, in
Communist North Korea, and in countries with strong ethnic national identities,
where national identity is tied to religion. In Orissa State in India…
Christians are considered “traitors to the nation”.”
Soul
food
Resources
on traditional marriage and same-sex marriage
A very
good 4-minute excerpt from
William Taylor's sermon on Marriage and Relationships at St Helen’s Church,
addresses Biblical teaching on marriage that gets to the heart of God’s purpose
for marriage as a mirror of God’s relationship with His people.
In his sermon on Matthew 19:1-12
, Richard Coekin, preaching at Dundonald Church (near London, England), thoroughly
explores Christ’s teaching on marriage and sexuality.
An hour-long
video from The Heritage Foundation features a panel of the authors
of What is Marriage?, a book originally published by
the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, which is recognized as the
definitive academic argument supporting traditional marriage. The panel
examines marriage as a social institution and the functions it serves to
advance the well-being of society. Some points they
make include:
| • |
The
framing of the debate determines the outcome. If it is framed as simply about
expanding the pool of people for whom marriage is a possibility, then the
equality/ emotional argument holds sway. If the debate is framed by the
definition of marriage – What is Marriage? – the historic view of marriage is very difficult to argue against. |
| • |
Social
sciences demonstrate that family structures matter to the well-being of children. For example, marriage breakdown directly correlates with the rise
of the welfare state, growth in the prison population and other substantial
economic and social costs. |
Books
on healing by ANiC and ACNA authors
ANiC
clergyman, the Rev Dr Terrence McGillicuddy of St Brigid of
Kildare Anglican Mission in Medfield, Massachusetts, has written a
book now available on
Amazon titled, Sacred Dreams
& Life Limiting Illness: A Depth Psychospiritual Approach. The book
comes out of Father McGillicuddy’s vast experience as a chaplain and pastoral
counselor and friend to terminally ill people. It examines the psychological
and spiritual significance of end-of-life dreams and how these dreams can help
transform and offer inner healing to those n the midst
of a terminal illness.
Another
book on healing comes
from a retired ACNA priest – and 34-year professor of physics at Penn
State – who has been active in the healing ministry with the Order of St Luke for more than 15 years. The
Rev Peter Ostrander has written New Testament Healing which takes a clear, Biblical and Spirit-filled approach to the subject. It too is available on
Amazon. The book systematically explores and discusses the healing
accounts recorded in the New Testament and explores the gamut of topics from
"The Role of Faith in Healing" to "Contemporary Healing
Models."
Resources
Silence – A Christianity.ca article explores the value of silence in worship. The author writes “Silence was a part
of biblical worship and was held in high esteem by the early Church. However,
the "sounds of silence" in worship were lost to a great extent during
the Reformation, and the noise level of many church services has increased
steadily until the present day. Silence needs desperately to be recovered in
our worship services if the words that are spoken and sung are to have any
depth or ring of truth to them, in the same way that lament needs to be
recovered in order to make our praises more honest and less hollow.”
"Programmed
for productivity, we design our Sunday morning gatherings accordingly,"
[Marlene Kropf, author of “Unhurried Worship”, a Leader Online article] asserts.
"We fill every moment with words and move through the actions of worship
with assembly-line efficiency. How difficult it is to 'be still and know that I
am God' (Psalm
46:8)! And yet this is what Sabbath-keeping calls us to do."
Parish websites – A United
Methodist Reporter article discusses parish websites as the “front
door” for every church. The author writes:
“Every congregation in the United Methodist Church has a new front door.
It’s the Internet. People don’t use the Yellow Pages to find a church anymore,
nor do they glance at the church ads in Saturday’s newspaper. They’re not going
to drive around town looking for the most attractive church building, either.
Potential guests to your church will most likely Google for churches in their
community and check out their websites. If your website is ugly, outdated,
neglected or amateurish, discerning church shoppers will likely pass you by before
ever setting foot in the real door of your church.
“I
remain convinced that personal invitation is the best way of attracting new
people to your church, whether that invitation is to worship, join a small
group, or participate in an outreach project. But even the friends, family
members, co-workers and neighbors whom you invite will likely also check out
your church’s website.”
The
author goes on to list criteria for assessing church websites.
Just for laughs
It’s so
cold… that when I turned on the shower this morning, I got hail.
www.mikeysFunnies.com
Thought
"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly." ~Thomas Paine
And now
a word from our sponsor
Beloved,
I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh,
which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles
honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your
good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
Be
subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him
to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the
will of God, that by doing good you should put to
silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using
your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor
everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Servants,
be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle
but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one
endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you
sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For
to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you
an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither
was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in
return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself
to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his
wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have
now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter
2:11-25 ESV
... back to "Newsletters" main page
|
|
|
 |
