Edible Landscaping at St Faith’s

We know that there are hungry people in our neighbourhoods.  There was a little plot of unproductive land beside St Faith’s.  Joining the dots wasn’t difficult.  More interesting was deciding what to plant and where.  While the primary goal is food production, there is no reason why we cannot have a little fun along the way.  But even fun with plants has some constraints: there is some shading; we must be respectful of our location, a place of worship; pre-schoolers pass by daily; and the garden should be visually interesting and attractive.

In the three raised beds St. Faith’s gardeners have planted two rows of tomatoes to catch the sun. Behind them are rows of bush beans, Swiss Chard and sorrel. Leafy plants do better in slightly shady positions and some varieties, such the ‘Celebration’ variety of Swiss Chard are visually arresting. To the rear of two of the boxes giant sunflowers have been planted, a bit of gamble in this location. The sunflowers are doing double duty: welcoming us with their smiles and also acting as supports for scarlet runner beans. 

Wherever possible, plant species which are mentioned in the Bible have been planted. For example, blue flax (Joshua 2) is good plant to edge the borders. Beans are productive and resilient (Genesis 25: 27-34). One plant which isn’t mentioned in the Bible but which will slither its way in is the wonderfully named Viper’s Bugloss (Echium vulgare). This plant has flowers which resemble the tongue of a snake and so is found in some Biblical gardens.  Perhaps we should plant these in the boxes near the church entrance as a warning against temptation!

Open-pollinated varieties have been planted whenever possible. We can then save the seeds from the best plant from each harvest.  Artificial selection in this way will eventually give us seeds best suited to our particular conditions.

The gardens are lovingly tended and every week the harvest is being brought to our sister Church, St. Augustine’s in Marpole and shared with the people who come to their Thursday evening community meal.

Thank you to everyone for helping to create and care for this new ministry at St. Faith’s –  one more way we are responding  to God’s call to care for those in need in our neighbourhood.

Good Shepherd Sunday

On Sunday, April 17th 2016  St. Faith's celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday.

 

Click on this link to hear the sermon given by The Rev'd Christine Wilson

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/74275025/RCL%20Easter%204C%202016%2004%2017.m4a

 

 ....   God is calling us to be the Good Shepherd… to care for people who are suffering, who are in pain, people who are poor in monetary terms, and poor in spirit, people who are crying out just to be known.   All of us are called to be good shepherds for each other, to support each other as we continue on the journey of our lives.

Thank you to everyone brought offerings of food and clothing to church on April 17^th Good Shepherd Sunday.  These offerings will be shared within our neighbourhood through St. Faith’s Community Pastoral Resource Centre and St. Augustine’s Hudson Street Hub.

 

By showing your support for our brothers and sisters in need you are saying “I care about you, I may not yet know your name but you are important, you are loved.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Hildegard’s Sanctuary is coming to St. Faith’s

There is a new ministry initiative of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster called “St. Hildegard's Sanctuary”, an arts-based, contemplative worship service. 

Stations will be set up around the worship space which have creative/kinaesthetic elements. There may be stations where we paint, write, play with sand or water, light candles - and always there will be time and space for quiet and reflection. 

We will seek the Creator for healing, rest, and sustenance. 
We will share bread and wine and remember Jesus: God with us.
Then go forth sustained by the Spirit to share God’s love however we are called to do so.

All are welcome.

Sunday evenings at 6pm: February 21, 28, March 6, 13, 20

at St. Faith's Anglican Church

7284 Cypress Street, Vancouver, BC.

Facilitated by The Rev’d Melanie Calabrigo. 

 

Continuing to Care for Those in Need in our Community

A New Initiative of our Pastoral Resource Centre at St. Faith’s
by The Rev’d Christine Wilson

St. Augustine’s Hudson Street Hub and the Community Pastoral Resource Centre at St. Faith’s are pleased to share news of our latest initiative.

As many of you may know for the past few years the Community Pastoral Resource Centre at St. Faith’s has been providing compassionate support, advocacy and referral services for people in need in Kerrisdale and Marpole.  We offer a place where people can meet with a care advocate who will make warm referrals to the appropriate dignity resources for housing, food, health and security and provide support in making those connections.  

In Marpole, where there is a considerable number of vulnerable and fragile people, in 2013 St. Augustine’s Anglican Church established the ‘Hudson Street Hub’, expanding its existing outreach ministry -- offering low cost clothing and goods, hosting a Food Bank depot, offering three community meals per week, hosting recreation/socialization programs, and providing workshops and clinics related to the day-to-day issues of people in need. 

The St. Augustine’s Hudson Street Hub and St. Faith’s Community Pastoral Resource Centre regularly support each other’s ministries and cross refer clients.  Because the Hub and the Resource Centre have ministries that are complementary, we have embarked upon a Community Support Ministry Collaboration Project for which we have received a 2016-2017 care+share grant to strengthen our intentional ministry together in order to share God’s love and hope with the most vulnerable members of our community. 

Our latest initiative has been to establish a year round depot for access to free clothing and housewares.  Every Thursday and Saturday St. Augustine’s opens its “Second Hand Rows’ thrift shop where people can purchase low cost, gentle used clothing, housewares, linens, books, movies and more.

We have arranged with Second Hand Rows for our Community Pastoral Resource Centre to offer vouchers which can be redeemed for up to $25.00 worth of merchandise for people in need who are not able to afford the cost.

You can support this ministry by making donations of gently used clothing and housewares which may be dropped off at St. Augustine’s on Thursdays between 10am and 1pm and Saturdays between 11am and 2pm – and encouraging your friends and neighbours to do the same.   (8670 Hudson St. at 71st Ave.)

We are very grateful to the volunteers at Second Hand Rows and to St. Augustine’s Hudson Street Hub for making this wonderful new initiative possible.

“Sharing the Harvest” by The Rev’d Christine Wilson

On Thanksgiving Sunday, members of  St. Faith’s, St. Augustine’s, St. Matthias/St. Luke, Holy Trinity and St. John’s Shaughnessy brought donations of fresh produce to decorate their Altars and included non-perishable food items as part of their offertory.    

St. Faith’s volunteers then collected these goods and delivered them to St. Augustine’s.  UBC Farms provided more fresh produce and Cobs and Safeway donated bread, pastries, cookies, cakes and over 20 pumpkin pies !

On Monday Oct. 12^th St. Augustine’s Hall had 12 tables overflowing with food and over 50 people in the community came by for coffee and conversation while volunteers assisted them to fill shopping bags with food. 

Just before the start of the event, we gathered for this prayer.

“Loving and Generous God,

On this day of thanksgiving we offer our gratitude for your abundant blessings.

Thank you for everyone who has worked to make this event possible, especially for those here offering their time and talent for our sisters and brothers in need of our support and caring.

As we seek to live out your commandment to love our neighbours as ourselves….  may we uphold them in dignity and grace. 

For these few hours Lord, let us together be instruments to bring about your Kingdom here on earth.   Amen”

Throughout the morning, as we worked to be faithful to our prayer, it became apparent that we had succeeded when over a cup of hot cider and of course a piece of pumpkin pie, several people shared that they had nowhere to go and no one with which to share Thanksgiving and I overheard one of our volunteers answer “today you do”. 

 

 

Be Heard ! October 19th is Election Day

By now you should have received a notice letting you know where to vote on Oct 19^th as well as information on advance polls.

If you have not received your card be sure you are registered to vote and for information on candidates in your riding and about when and where to vote.  Visit Elections Canada at  http://www.elections.ca/home.aspx

Just in time for the 2015 federal election, a new non-partisan resource offers support for Canadian Anglicans to engage with parties and candidates on a range of vital issues rooted in shared prosperity and protecting the most vulnerable members of society.

Entitled Compassion, Justice and Reason: An Anglican Approach to Election 2015, the free downloadable resource consists of double-sided sheets on 10 different justice issues highlighted by the Anglican Church of Canada and rooted in the Marks of Mission.

 

June 28 2015 Ordinations

Yesterday, Paul Richards, St. Faith’s Diaconal Intern, and Helen Lingham, Clare Morgan and Alex Wilson were ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons.  Paul and Helen will serve as Deacons in their home parishes of Holy Trinity, White Rock and St. Andrew’s, Langley.  Both Clare and Alex are transitional Deacons, who, God willing, will become Priests in our Diocese.

St. Mary’s Kerrisdale was at full capacity for the service which featured beautiful music, a stirring and sometimes humourous sermon by Bishop Melissa and several touching moments.  There were many teary eyes as Bishop Melissa consecrated our new Deacons and anointed their hands with oil.

 (L-R) The Rev'd Paul Richards, The Rev'd Alex Wilson, Bishop Melissa Skelton,   The Rev'd Clare Morgan, The Rev'd Helen Lingham

Communion

 

Lenore with flowers from St. Faith's and Paul

 

 

Icon of the Holy Trinity given to St. Faith's by Paul

"With Grateful Thanks from The Rev'd Paul Richards

Intern 2014-2015"