Reckless Hospitality

Header Image: Daoudi Aissa   By: Bishop Geoffrey Woodcroft Former assistant to the Manitoba Northern Ontario Synod Bishop, Larry Ulrich, told the following story to a gathering of Missional Church disciples: “When I was canvassing for The Heart and Stroke Foundation this year, I was struck by the number of

Hospitality Requires Honesty

Image by Jr Korpa   By: Andrew Rampton As Christendom began to visibly crumble in the middle of the twentieth century, mainline churches began to worry about their future sustainability. The steady maintenance of parishes was no longer assured as attitudes toward institutions like the Church changed dramatically in just

Threaded Back Together: The Joining of St. Chad’s and St. Andrew’s

image by Courtney Smith In late November, I sat down with Rev. Liz Richens to discuss the history that led up to the joining of St. Chad’s and St. Andrew’s, and the ways these communities have chosen to commemorate their individual histories while entering a new chapter as one. This

Moving Beyond the Rhetoric of Christian Hospitality

By: Sunder John Boopalan Let’s begin with a basic recognition: Hospitality is an industry. It is a financially lucrative business model in which professionals are trained to win hearts and wallets with smiles and niceties. It comes of no surprise, of course, that the underlying logic in the hospitality industry

December Issue: Hospitality

In this month’s issue, Bishop Geoffrey Woodcroft writes about Reckless Hospitality that challenges the status quo. While some may question “Why do you risk yourself so boldly? Why do you care?” Woodcroft sees this kind of hospitality as modeled after the way Christ engaged with the world. Sunder John Boopalan’s

Parish Profile: St. Alban’s

Photographer: Leah Nilson Reverend Canon Donna Joy interviewed by Misha Pensato   RLN: How would you describe the St. Alban’s Church community to a stranger? DJ: I would say that St. Alban’s is very committed to nurturing the faith of those who choose to come through meaningful worship. That is

Let Us Give Thanks: Rev. Deacon Penny Cummine

By: The Rev. Canon Donna Joy After careful prayer and discernment, Rev. Deacon Penny Cummine is stepping down from many of her diaconal ministries at St. Alban’s, Kenora including Outreach Committee, Friday Food with Friends, and weekly vesting at worship along with offering a regular Deacon’s Moment. The goal for

The Thelma Wynne Project Continues On…

By: Marlene Pryzner It has been 40 years since the ministry founded by Thelma Wynne was aptly named “The Thelma Wynne Project” by the Women’s Commission of the Anglican Church. Some history and update on this baby layette project seems timely. Mrs. Thelma Wynne was an active Anglican who, following the

2023 Advent + Special Christmas Services

Image: Gareth Harper St. Aidan’s Anglican Church Messy Christmas Saturday, Dec 9, 4 p.m – 6 p.m. A casual and relaxed evening of crafts, food and fellowship, sharing faith and fun! 0 Antiphons with Holy Eucharist Sunday, Dec 10, 8:30 a.m. Nine Lessons and Carols Friday, Dec 15, 7 p.m.

Saints and the Faithfully Departed

Photo Credit: Jacob Bentzinger By: Matthew Bowman “For to thy faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not taken away…” (Preface of the Dead, The English Missal). The Christian tradition I grew up in did not have a well-formed theology of the saints. At best, “saints” was an honorific title

November 2023: All Souls

In this month’s issue, Bishop Geoffery Woodcroft writes about discipleship that extends beyond the walls of church buildings. As the institution of the church changes and is in a period of decline, we must continue to go about our work with grace, carrying out the love of God to all

Parish Profile: St. Matthew’s Anglican Church

St. Matthew’s Anglican Church   How does your church community understand “place”?  We are located in the West End neighbourhood of Winnipeg, Manitoba on Treaty One territory. Our location is significant to our identity as our church has been shaped by our surrounding community.   In the 1950s and 60s

Honouring Legacies of Black Anglicans in the ACC

Header Photo: Maud Slats  This article is a continuation of the feature “Dismantling Anti-Black Racism: An Interview with Black Anglicans of Canada, Diocese of Rupert’s Land Chapter” published in RLN’s September Issue. Interview conducted by: Jude Claude and Misha Pensato   Black Anglican Experiences Given the many instances of anti-blackness

Reconsidering What is Sacred

Image: Jonathan Dyck This reflection was given by pastor and theologian David Driedger as the opening remarks for an event titled Which Violence, Whose Safety? hosted by First Mennonite Church. The event was a non-partisan discussion of the political rhetoric around “violent crime” in the lead up to the recent

October 2023: Harvests

A harvest is both a celebration of our work and a promise for the coming season – that even through the dead of winter, there will be enough. In this month’s issue, Bishop Geoff explores the radical hope expressed in the passover story in Exodus, comparing this to other readings

Anglican Journey

Image: Kentaro Toma By: Mark Friesen I was raised in an evangelical Mennonite church in Winnipeg, and in my teen years made this faith my own. This included being baptized in the church and being active in its youth group. This commitment continued into my adult life although at a

Dismantling Anti-Black Racism in the Diocese of Rupert’s Land

Header Photo: Shreyas Kakad This is an incomplete segment of an ongoing piece on the Black Anglicans of Rupert’s Land, Diocese of Rupertsland chapter and its members. October’s issue will continue this article. Interview conducted by:  Jude Claude and Misha Pensato   The Anglican church became a global church in

CURRENT ISSUE

Transitions

In this month’s issue, an article by Janet Ross from the Centre for Christian Studies shares experiences of transformation from those who’ve participated in leadership and discipleship training at CCS.

April is National Poetry Month, and we have included a poem titled “Spring Delight in Praise of God (IV)” from the book Wonder-work: Selected Sonnets of Catharina Von Greiffenberg co-translated by Joanne Epp, Sally Ito, and Sarah Klassen.

Next, an interview with The Rev. Wilson Akinwale explores his new position as National President and the Board Chair of the Black Anglicans of Canada and his role on the Evangelical Lutheran anti-racism task force. Akinwale speaks to the joys and challenges of these new roles and his hopes for a Black Anglican Church in Canada.

The Rev. Helen Holbrook discusses a recent workshop on change journeys that she led at Holy Trinity aimed at helping parishioners talk through difficult periods of change in their church communities.

The Rev. Theo Robinson shares an announcement of a joint committee struck between Anglicans and Lutherans to respond to rising anti-2SLGTQIA+ rhetoric and provide community support for those within the MNO Synod and the Diocese of Rupert’s Land.

And finally, a parish profile on Stonewall Church of the Ascension offers a window into the faith community of this parish which extends far beyond the walls of the church, into the town of Stonewall and beyond.

I hope you enjoy this month’s articles.

Read and download the April issue here.

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