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"Vision 2019 is an opportunity to say 'here's what I think our church needs to be about.'"
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Messages from the Diocese of Athabasca

Message from Parish of the Northern Lights

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

On September 13th our congregations were invited to respond to the Vision 2019 project.  We are a 5 point parish in North Central Alberta at the lower end of the Diocese of Athabasca.  Three of our congregations are Anglican, one is Lutheran and one is a shared ministry partnership of Anglican & Lutheran.

Unfortunately, not many members took advantage of the invitation to respond.  However, here are the responses received.

I am saddened by the current state of the Anglican Church of Canada on a national level.  I see bullying tactics being used by many “conservatives” and “liberals” alike in an attempt to force members, parishes, and Dioceses to take sides in issues that those same bullies do not want to “discuss”.  Certainly not willing to discuss in open, Christ-centered conversation.  They would rather turn away from the table fellowship.

At the same time that I am saddened, I am also excited.  I am excited because I believe we are being shook up for a reason.  I am also excited at the local level to witness, and be a part of, the ongoing full communion discussions, projects, and programs taking place with other denominations.

I pray that our church will move in to the future focused on our calling as Christians to bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth. Kingdom first, Anglican second. That means being faithful to the Gospel, sometimes saying no, and sometimes yes.  We must put Christ and the Cross first in all that we do.   I pray that we will seek to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, comfort the afflicted and shine light into the darkness of the world.  I pray that we will listen twice as much as we speak.  I pray that we will refuse to be bullied.  I pray that we will continue conversations at all levels because if we say there is no room for conversation, we are saying there is no room for God.

Lesley+

I think we are in a real crisis and need new leadership that is listening to what God wants us to hear.  We need more visiting around the Diocese and Parishes.

Maybe we need to look at the length of time a Bishop stays in office – a little stale being there too long.  We need to find a way to minister to the younger generation of today so that we have a full church in 2019.

(author unknown)

We are improving in attendance and have services every week, Having a minister and a lay minister willing to come with strong messages has helped.

In 2019 with the help of our Lord we will have a larger Christian family.

Cecil H.

Where we are now – God bless us, we are working to stay like we are.

Where do I want the Church to be in 2019 – just hope it will be as good as it is now and we pray for the Lord to help keep it there.

(unknown)

Where we are now – In crisis, not focusing on CHRIST.  Too many distractions – political and personal.

Where would I like the church to be in 10 years?  Still open so we can worship the Lord.  I have my doubts, maybe it is lack of faith.

Jo S.

Message from Iain L., Peace River AB

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

My vision for the church in 2019 is that we will actually have a vision – a shared sense of what our common life and mission is about.

To get there will take work. In terms of church politics, we will have to “turn our swords into ploughshares” – stop fighting the win-lose battles, and start cultivating the ground for agreement in mission. We will have to stop claiming that the things that matter most are the things that are pushing others out of the church altogether. Maybe the only way to do that is to lock some of us in a (figurative) room long enough, until the war stops, and we rediscover our shared heart for the good news.

In real life, that can probably happen with some combination of theological conversation, shared experience – and unceasing prayer. I can picture a domestic version of “Volunteers in Mission” that helps rural and urban, eastern and western, northern and southern, social-gospel and evangelical, discover some of each other’s true devotion and service.

On a broader canvas, I look forward to hearing more, more directly, about what is happening in parishes across the country, both in church and out of it. The “Amazing Grace” project and this one are just the beginning. New technology really is giving people a voice, but there are still voices going unheard and unsought. We can change that. When we actually know what God is doing through our neighbours in the rest of the church, we can start learning to respect and celebrate it.

But there is also a role for national voices who can piece together what local churches are saying, and shape it into a form that can be offered back to the church as a way of capturing our shared vision. We need that, in part, so that we can actually operate as a national church, having something to say and something to offer to our country and to the world. But we also need to re-express our Canadian Anglican identity in a way that gives courage and confidence back to local churches – so that each of us knows it matters to the rest of us, that our particular church is where it is, doing God’s work in our own setting.

Over the next 10 years, I hope someone or some group will puzzle out that picture. Maybe it will turn into a new kind of mission statement – one that includes the realities of what God is actually doing in our midst, along with our sense of what we might be missing. Maybe it will be a story about Christ crucifed and risen, a story that is reflected in the many stories of the Anglican church across Canada. But we need some way of recognizing in ourselves, as a whole church in so many different expressions, the desire to “know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and the sharing of his sufferings.”

Iain L.
St James’ Cathedral
Peace River AB

Message from Christ Church, Grande Prairie AB

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

VISION 2019
THE ANGLICAN PARISH OF CHRIST CHURCH
GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALBERTA

On September 13, 2009, worshippers at Christ Church, Grande Prairie, were treated to a PowerPoint presentation on “Paternalism in the Anglican Church”, which was summarized in one sentence:  “Paternalism in the Church is BAD.”  As part of our efforts to take ownership of our own Church, the worshippers then answered these questions:

In ten years, where would Jesus want this parish to be in terms of
worship,
education,
prayer,
evangelism,
fellowship and
loving service to others?

In ten years, where would Jesus want the
Anglican Church of Canada to be in terms of
education,
prayer,
evangelism and
loving service to others?

While there were some time constraints imposed on the congregation by the context of Sunday morning worship, respondents were able to create the following lists. (more…)