COVID-19 Updates for Churches in the City of Toronto and Beyond

By Blog, Congregational Development Archive, ,

I recently wrote the following letter to the churches of the Presbytery of West Toronto to encourage them to consider resuming Virtual Worship solely as we face a disturbing number of new cases of COVID-19 , and the prospect of increased restrictions within the city of Toronto.  

As much as the specifics of the letter apply to churches within the City of Toronto, I am also deeply aware that these concerns equally apply to Peel Region, as well as other regions of Ontario and other provinces in Canada, including Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Even though the language of this letter might be local, the issues are not. Thus I would invite you to use this letter as a resource for your session as you consider in-person worship in your own community. 

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Looking Forward to Christmas

By Blog, Congregational Development Archive, ,
Zac Cain, unsplash.com

In December of 2013, a week before Christmas, a major ice storm hit the Canada from Ontario to the Maritimes. This storm resulted in 27 deaths, loss of power to over a million residents and millions of dollars in damage. The strongest memory I have of that week was the anxiety over Christmas Eve services. Many churches cancelled altogether. Some, like ours, got power back just in the nick of time. Others chose to go ahead with candlelight services in coats and hats. For many of them, Christmas Eve 2013 was one of the most memorable ever experienced.

This Christmas, 2020 we face another storm, different in its scope but unique because we see it coming. We already know that this coming Christmas will be unlike any other in memory. The only question is how?

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An Incredible Opportunity to Attend APCE 2021 for Free

By Blog, Christian Education Archive, , , ,

ARE YOUR CHURCHES BEFUDDLED BY COVID DISRUPTIONS?

LET US INSPIRE AND SUPPORT YOUR EDUCATORS AS THEY SERVE NOW AND ANTICIPATE CONGREGATIONAL LIFE AHEAD!

The Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) hosts an annual educational event each year that is attended by hundreds of professional and lay Christian educators from across Canada and the United States. These events present a wonderful opportunity to hear the best researchers and practitioners in the field of educational ministry, experience transformative worship, and attend practical and cutting edge workshops.

Like so many significant events, the APCE 2021 event that was to be held in Chicago this February had to be cancelled in light of the pandemic. But, the APCE planning team also knows that we are all in the midst of one of the most challenging times our churches has experienced in this era. And APCE cares; they care deeply about how our educators might respond well in their approach to faith formation given all of the changes and issues our world presents today. And so, APCE has rejigged their 2021 theme and made their annual event virtual. With a cup of tea of tea and your computer you can attend APCE 2021 from the comfort of your home, and you can attend for FREE!!!!

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Five Interactive Advent Living Rooms for Families @ Home

By Blog, Christian Education Archive, , , , ,

What shall we do while we wait?

Advent is all about preparing for the coming of Jesus; preparing by doing things that help us get ready, and preparing in ways that are great fun! There are so many amazing stories to hear and fun things to do over these four special weeks.

I want to share with you a exciting collection of Advent activities you and your church can easily connect with over this Advent season; a collection of five cozily decorated living rooms that open up to wonderful world of videoed stories and music, family friendly devotions and outdoor adventures, tasty recipes and fun Christmas crafts.

These living rooms have been created for churches to request and then upload to their church website each week of Advent and on Christmas Eve.

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How Will We Tell the Christmas Story? A Hybrid Service of Lessons and Carols for a Children’s Pageant or Christmas Eve Service

By Blog, Christian Education Archive, , , , ,
photograph by Mick Haupt, unsplash.com

I’ve been getting lots of questions about how we will celebrate Christmas in our churches this year.

“Will our children be able to present their annual Christmas pageant, with their much-loved costumes and wonder-filled way of telling us the story?” 

and, 

“We will be able to gather on Christmas Eve, in candlelight, and lift our voices in praise as we light the Christ candle and welcome the Jesus into our world?”

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How to Make an Advent Wreath

By Blog, Christian Education Archive,

As we think about Advent, we often think about waiting. We’re just hanging around. Waiting for something important that hasn’t quite happened yet. And, if we wait long enough, it will happen. And it will be great!

If we’re entirely honest with ourselves, we sometimes feel like Advent is season designed to fill time and space until we get to the real event – Christmas.

The Christian year begins four Sundays prior to Christmas Day. It’s seems a bit odd, why don’t we start with the main event? After all, Advent just sits there as a non-season kind of season, or at least a pre-season. It feels like the games that are played before the real season of baseball or hockey actually begins. They are nice enough, they just don’t count, so why have them at all?

Let me just say, “Advent counts!”

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On The Way to Bethlehem: An Advent Devotional Booklet to Download

By Blog, Christian Education Archive, , ,

I want to share with you this year’s Advent Devotional booklet entitled On the Way to Bethlehem.

Starting on Sunday, November 29, 2020 this simply laid out devotional guide will help you begin your journey to Bethlehem. Over the four weeks of Advent you will read wonder-filled stories from scripture that will have you walking with the prophet Isaiah, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the Magi, until you finally reach Bethlehem. There, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day you will hear the story of the birth of Jesus and gather with those you have been walking with to witness this special gift of God.

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The Coming Tidal Wave of Pastoral Departures

By Blog, Congregational Development Archive

by Laura Stephens-Reed, Clergy & Congregational Coach (www.laurastephensreed.com)

reprinted with the permission of the author

[Note: when I originally posted this piece on my blog, I realized that few ministers would feel free to share it themselves. If it resonates, I hope that judicatory leaders, laypeople, and others who support you might have passed it along on your behalf.]

There are many ways I could describe the past six months, but I’m going with “revealing.” The pandemic has clarified systemic issues related to a broken healthcare system, racial inequities, lack of leadership at almost every level (governmental and denominational), and inefficient infrastructure for responding to crises. Specifically, though, I am thinking about how all the shifts prompted by Covid-19 have uncovered how unsustainable ministry is for so many pastors in their current contexts.

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Re-opening, and Possibly Re-closing, Presbyterian Churches

By Blog, Congregational Development Archive,

by Fred Stewart, General Presbyter with the Presbytery of West Toronto

I have had the opportunity to speak to many of you about your reopening plans for your church buildings. Sessions have created a variety of strategies largely based on the different circumstances of their congregations.  A lot of planning and debate has accompanied these strategies. As a result, some congregations have already opened for worship with protocols in place. Some are planning on opening soon. Some are waiting for what they consider a safer time.

However, the last week and a bit have significantly changed the risk factors in many parts of Canada, especially in the neighbourhoods of some of our churches.

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