Diakonia. Spring Warden s Message

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1 Lay Readers Association of the Diocese of NS and PEI Diakonia Spring 2017 Warden s Message Abraham said, My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Genesis 18:4-5 Greetings, We are called to be gracious hosts. Hospitality is about making room for the outsider. Abraham welcomed three travelers at his tent by the oaks of Mamre. In the Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. They asked, when? Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me. The good folks at St. Stephen s Church, Chester, showed our Association hospitality when they hosted our 2016 annual meeting. Our key presenter was The Reverend Lisa Vaughan, Diocesan Vitality Coordinator, who spoke on Radical Welcoming: Stepping up to the next level of Hospitality. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen. Later in the year, the Belcourt Centre in Rustico, Prince Edward Island, played host to our annual Fall Conference. Allie Colp, Family Ministry Coordinator, led workshops on intergenerational Inside this issue: ministry. Our parishes reach out to people aged anywhere from 5 President s Message 3 months to 95 years. It is a challenge to ensure that under such a Area Representative Reports 4 From the Editor s Desk 20 wide tent that our worship does Lay Readers Prayer 23 not get watered down. The key to Echoes from the Past 24 success is to create an open space Association Executive 26 where all can participate in the Area Representatives 27 liturgy, the work of God AGM Minutes 28 The Association also welcomed a newcomer into our Exec Annual Meeting Info 34 utive. Marilyn Massie-Clarke, a Spring This 2017 issue contains information on the upcoming Annual Meeting Diakonia

2 Lay Reader from Christ Church, Dartmouth has taken on the Vice President s position saw David Harrison assume responsibilities as President. Mr. Harrison brings many skills to the table: besides serving on the Executive for several years, he is our Webmaster. He is also the Diocesan Coordinator of EfM (Education for Ministry). We are blessed to have him on board. Kuddos to everyone who offer their gifts to our association: members of the Executive, Board of Standards, Area Representatives, and each of you in your respective parishes. Special appreciation is extended to Victoria Henrikson, the Editor of the Diakonia, who graciously agreed to be Secretary of the Board of Standards and the Association. Lay Readers everywhere continue to benefit from the diligence of very dedicated individuals. One more special note. Owing to a shift in the date slated for the 2016 annual conference, neither the Warden nor the President nor the Vice President could attend. So, veterans stepped up to the plate: Past Presidents, Shirley Williams and Dennis Eisan, and former Lay Reader, The Reverend Darlene Jewers, provided the logistical and spiritual leadership. Talk about hospitality at a moment s notice. We owe each of them a note of gratitude for their willingness to serve and take on challenges. Much of the ministry of Lay Readers is, like the patriarch Abraham, about giving rest and refreshment to others, about serving those who happen to come to the door. May God bless you in this important ministry. Yours in Christ, The Reverend Thomas W. Henderson Warden of Diocesan Lay Readers He alone loves the creator perfectly who manifests a pure love for his neighbour. Venerable Bede ( ) Diakonia 2 Spring 2017

3 President s Message The executive has met a number of times since our last Annual General Meeting in Chester. We received a request from the Healthy Parishes VSST to investigate the possibility of creating a training video on Pastoral Visiting. This is well under way, with possible presenters and a curriculum being looked into. We hope to have this videotaped within the not-too-distant future. We have developed a long term service award that can be given to Lay Readers who have provided service to their parishes over a lengthy period of time. It needs to be noted that this service can span over different parishes and dioceses. The recipient (s) need to be recommended by their parish to our Warden, The Rev d Tom Henderson. Please get the application (available on the website - to The Rev d Tom as early as possible. The applications for Lay Readers in Training and the Licensing of Lay Readers have been updated and are also available at the link above. We are in the process of updating the Lay Readers Handbook and it should be available through the above link, shortly. We will again have a table at Synod (May 25, 26 and 27,) please drop by. Our annual meeting will be held on June 10 at Christ Church, Dartmouth. I hope to see many of you there. A reminder that our Annual Conference will be held at the Belcourt Centre in PEI on September 15, 16 and 17. David Harrison President Spring Diakonia

4 AREA REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS DARTMOUTH REGION Greetings once again from the Archdeaconry of Dartmouth! Isn t it wonderful to be seeing signs of spring, disappearing snowbanks, a pheasant running across the lawn and lots of sunshine! It s uplifting and so is being in touch with the nine vibrant churches within our region! St. Peter s, Eastern Passage and Christ Church Chapel, Cow Bay ~ currently have seven active lay readers: Charlene Billard, Wayne Williams, Laura Bregante, Anthony Hiltz, Barb Bergeron, Dave Keeping and Linda Jakeman. A number of the Lay Readers are involved in a small Bible study group and help lead it. Some of them are also in the choir (three of them). Two Lay Readers are taking the lay pastoral visitors' course at Holy Spirit and will be doing some pastoral visiting along with home communions. Oh, and two were elected to the Parish parochial committee. The Rev d Michelle Schofield Bull has been doing some refresher training with the Lay Readers this winter, and it s been going well. In the meantime, they continue to take half the services of Morning Prayer at Christ Church, Cow Bay, including preaching, and they, along with The Rev d Michelle, take monthly services at Ocean View, though they are hoping to have a Service of Communion there sometimes instead of Evening Prayer. They are also very active in their participation in Sunday morning Eucharist's and are generally leaders in their parish. Three of them also attended the MORE Mission workshop recently held in HRM. Christ Church, Dartmouth ~ Marilyn Massie-Clarke, Alan Turner, and Joan Halsey have been Lay Readers there for some time. Lay Readers are involved in an ecumenical service which takes place on Wednesdays at lunch time. It is a time of transition at Christ Church as The Rev d Bruce Murray prepares to leave and The Rev d Kyle Wagner comes aboard as their new Rector on March 1 st, so it will be interesting to see what lies ahead of this eager group of Lay Readers. Diakonia 4 Spring 2017

5 Lay Readers in-training Vanessa Turner and Christine Beantnall have been put forward to the Bishop for licencing as Lay Readers. Sadly, Emily Peters, one of their fellow Lay Readers-in-Training, passed away quite suddenly this winter, close to her fiftieth birthday. Our condolences go out to all who knew and loved Emmy. St. Andrew s, Locks Road ~ Martha Barnstead and Edy Guy- Francois are the two very active Lay Readers at St. Andrew s. Both are involved in the Worship Committee helping to plan services and coordinate music and they work together with their part -time priest, The Rev d Robert Richmond. Their associate priest The Rev d Bert Chestnut, is ministering in Old Crow, Yukon now so Edy and Martha are busier than ever. Edy is an active member with the Cursillo movement and participates in most Ultreyas. Recently, she was a guest speaker at All Saints Cathedral for the Saints Alive group, which meets once a month to hear a keynote speaker. Martha works at Dal and reaches out as a Big Sister to a high school student. She s also active in the ACW. Martha is instrumental in coordinating music for the Advent Evening Service. Edy and Martha are involved in organizing all special services throughout the year, a special highlight being the Hanging of the Greens, which is so well received! St. Alban s, Woodside ~ Allan Conrad and Jim Hamilton are still active as Lay Readers and Vicki Fioratos is continuing with her Lay Reader-in-Training program. She is only part way through - she's a teacher and is busy with many school things as well as parish activities, including training our servers. She hopes to complete her Lay Reader training in the fall. She has joined the Lay Reader roster with Allan and Jim. The three of them take turns assisting with worship, leading the psalm and prayers of the people, and serving the chalice. On the Third Sunday of Advent, in place of the sermon, Jim presented a wonderful monologue in which he retold the story of Martin the Cobbler, a shoemaker who longed for a deeper relationship with Christ, and meets Him in the people who visit his shop. Jim researched and prepared the monologue, complete with props and costume! It's based on a short story by Leo Tolstoy, "Where Love is, God is". It was a very moving performance. Spring Diakonia

6 St. Luke s, Dartmouth ~ in speaking with Dave Parsons, I learned there are presently five active Lay Readers. All are thankful for Marilyn Elms recovery from illness and that she is gradually getting back to her regular routine as Lay Reader. During the Lenten time, Dave Parsons, Jaqueline Keddy, Lynne Fitzmorris and Marilyn Elms will be participating in a course of selfexamination and reflection, under the guidance of The Rev d Marilyn Newport. It is called Of Conscience and Consciousness ~ Self Examination, Confession and Awareness. Doug Legge, who is presently away, has been participating in a version of the course that is available on-line. Church of the Holy Spirit, Dartmouth ~ is fortunate to have a large pool of Lay Readers to draw from including: Marie George, Gerry and Ethel Nelson, Rita Colbert, David Spencer, Betty Pitt, Bev Woodward and Irvin Walsh. Besides being involved in a number of other church ministries, this allows them to have three teams of two to take Communion to the Berkley twice a month. They offer a service, usually with three hymns and several prayers. This is well-received by the residents. Recently, five members of their group received a Recognition of Service Certificate issued by our Warden, The Rev d Tom Henderson and presented to Louise Hallett, Ethel and Gerry Nelson, Betty Pitt and Bev Woodward. These were presented during a Family Eucharist. Well done good and faithful servants for all your years of ministry! Church of Saint Andrew, Cole Harbour~ There are twelve active Lay Readers at this Parish and three on leave of absence. They include Dawn Marie Giles, Janet Crotty, Murray Elliot, Victoria Henrikson, Shirley Williams, Paul Kent, Linda Rouleau, Stephen MacHardy, Shirley Osboune-Jodrey, Frank Smith, Karel Van Allen, Wade Thornham, Barbara Vallis, Karen Withers, and Sherryll Murphy. On February 12 th during the Parish visit by Bishop Ron Cutler, all Lay Readers were presented with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Parish. A very touching part of the service was when each Lay Reader received a special bookmark which contained a reflection on how that Lay Reader had touched someone s life. They also received a beautiful handmade card. On that day, Diakonia 6 Spring 2017

7 Dawn Marie Giles, Barbara Vallis and Karen Withers were presented with their license and purple ribbon. Besides regular rotational duties, Lay Readers are involved in a host of Parish ministries including pastoral care, and take turns leading services of worship at local nursing homes including Oakwood, Parkland and Bissett Court. St. John s, Westphal ~ Lay Readers have been involved in a trial transition from having two services of Eucharist at 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. and going to one service of worship each Sunday at 10 a.m. This has involved a merging of two choirs and two rather different styles of worship. They alternate contemporary and organ music. It seems to be well received by most and so everyone gets to worship with the whole St. John s family! This allows me to not always be sitting in the choir, playing the ukulele. I ve had a couple of opportunities to don my alb, and carry out the typical duties of a Lay Reader, administering the chalice and so on. Dennis Eisan, Lewis Hillier and Cory O Connell do these things on a regular basis. All Lay Readers participate in group Bible Study with Dennis, Lewis and I at the Monday night group, which I lead and Cory at the Tuesday night group, led by Fr. Dave. Cory now has his Lay Reader-in-Training Certificate. He is involved in teaching Sunday School (in partnership with his mom), coordinates the Green Team and is a Diocesan Synod Delegate and General Synod Delegate and has also helped organize a fundraising supper. This, while remaining an honour student and preparing for university next fall! Dennis has taken on another year as parish warden, and is involved in a number of committees as well. I continue to chair the Spiritual Development committee and Dennis sits on this committee, as well. St. John s has a new Parish Nurse and I m a member of the Health and Wellness committee and am available to go out with our Parish Nurse, to take Home Communion to our shut-ins, should they desire it. We ve incorporated the use of Anglican Prayer beads as part of our Monday Bible Study worship time and I ve introduced them to the Tuesday Night Bible Study group, as well. So this form of contemplative prayer is spreading within our congregation and beyond. Lewis and his wife Vinie continue faithfully hosting the Monday night Bible Study in their home. Their gift of hospitality is amazing! Spring Diakonia

8 I look forward to hopefully seeing many of you at our Annual General Meeting this Spring! Blessings to all ~ Billie Myers EASTERN SHORE REGION Greetings from the Eastern Shore! As you read through this report, you will see that the Lay Readers in this Region are being kept busy by their Parish and Rectors. The Parish of Seaforth is very busy. Peter Morgan, the only Lay Reader in the Parish, writes: February 26 th was The Rev d Kyle Wagner s last service in our parish as he has now moved to Christ Church, Dartmouth. We now have The Rev d Capt. Bruce Murray as Priest-in-Charge, with help from our Associate Priest, The Rev d Fred Grainger, until the position of Rector has been filled. Due to health reasons, I only officiate at Morning Prayer for Christ Church these days. Lay people from the congregations of the other churches conduct Morning Prayer services when required at St. Augustine's - Heather Grainger and at St. Mark s - Paul Tulk or May DeBellefeuille. St. James and St. Barnabas do not have Morning Prayer services. Shared Ministry of the Parishes of Musquodoboit and Ship Harbour ~ Catherine Gordon writes: Busy! Busy! Busy! As Lay Readers, all reading this, know what I mean. Excitement rose in early Fall as plans began for the ecumenical event held at Memory Lane, Heritage Village in Lake Charlotte. This event was reported on by The Rev d, Lisa Vaughn in December 2016 of the Diocesan Times. This event was called A Walk through Bethlehem. Stations for the story of Christ s birth were set up with shepherds, wise men, angels, live animals (sheep, donkey, cows, and chickens), children, music and more. Advent and Christmas seasons were hectic with services led by The Rev d Andrew Mortimer and The Rev d Marilyn Murphy with Lay Reader help. Musquodoboit Lay Readers are Dail and Debbie Mills and Catherine Gordon. Thanks to Darryl Faulkner who has relocated from our area. Thanks Darryl for your faithful service. Ship Harbour Lay Readers are Eleanor Keeping, Eileen Humphrey, Diane Russell, and Pat Fahie with two Lay Readers-in-training, Christine Mitchell and Pam Keating. Diakonia 8 Spring 2017

9 Our Lay Readers are involved in many capacities Pastoral Care Team which visits patients in Twin Oaks Hospital, Musquodoboit Harbour, residents of the Birches Nursing Home and outreach to shut-ins. Church services at the Birches are led by Lay Readers on a rotation schedule with the other denominations/ faiths. A Telephone Ministry is led by former Lay Reader, Jean Edwards and is very successful. Included in that ministry are former parishioners, shut-ins, or anyone wanting to feel included in our congregations. A Spirituality Team which includes Lay Readers meets to plan parish events and update articles for our newsletter. Bible Study is held every Wednesday and led by The Rev d Andrew Mortimer. The Lay Readers meet as a group with The Rev d Andrew Mortimer to discuss topics such as church history, leading morning prayer, sermon writing, etc. Lay Readers in our Shared Ministry are making plans for presenting our yearly Good Friday Service to our shared congregations. Much consultation, planning, meeting, revising and discussion takes time, talent and treasure by all. Lay Readers are busy with help from our leaders and congregations. Scheduling of any activity, in rural communities especially, can be a challenge often impacted by many things weather, illness, family emergencies and others. We all try very hard to follow God s calling to each of us and to carry out His wish and plan for our world. All Lay Readers shall respond to the Lord s call to serve the Church! (Quote taken from the brochure entitled, You and Your Lay Reader, a publication of the Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island Lay Readers Association) The Parish of Tangier has one Lay Reader and that is myself, Judy Beaver. Nothing has changed from last year. I continue to help our Rector, The Rev d Lorraine Otto in any way I can - assisting in services, doing the prayers of the people, administering the chalice, doing Morning and Evening Prayer and other duties required from time to time. I am still on the rotation for the Harbourview Nursing Home service which comes around about once a month. I enjoy every minute of the work that I do and am so blessed to have such a great leader in The Rev d Lorraine Otto. Due to the weather, a lot of services Spring Diakonia

10 and fundraising events have had to be cancelled again this year. Hopefully as we are entering into Spring things will improve. I attended the 2016 AGM in Chester in June and the Fall Conference at Belcourt Center in PEI, in September. It is so good for Lay Readers to get together and discover more about the journey they are on as Lay Readers. The Parish of Port Dufferin has two Lay Readers: Molly Gammon and Donna Pye. They are busy helping their part-time Rector, The Rev d Gary Barr with services, doing readings and administering the chalice. They also conduct Morning and Evening Prayer services as needed, visit the sick and shut ins. They also take part in The World Day of Prayer Service and help where needed. The Parish is doing well at this time. The Parish of Ecum Secum is still without a Rector. Faye Levy, the only Lay Reader there arranges for clergy to lead Eucharist Services twice a month and she leads Morning and Evening Prayer on the opposite weeks when she is able. She attended the Fall Conference at Belcourt Centre in P.E.I. in September. The Rev d Katie Tait helped out a lot in that Parish but is moving to Ottawa after Easter, She will be greatly missed by all who know her. I continue to encourage all Lay Readers in this Region to attend the Annual Meeting in the Spring and the Fall Conference if they can. What uplifting experiences. It is my hope that all the Parishes in the Eastern Shore Region will keep me informed of what they are doing so I can include their information in my article for the Diakonia. It is always interesting to see what other Lay Readers are doing. God be with us all as we do his work. With prayers and blessing Judy Beaver NORTHUMBRIA REGION We are still looking for a Lay Reader Representative for our region. If you are interested, please contact Dave Harrison. Unfor- Diakonia 10 Spring 2017

11 tunately I did not receive any news from other parishes in time for submission to the editor. Anglican Churches of Pictou County ~ The Lay Readers within ACPC have been fairly busy over the past few months: This past Fall, Ruth Kingsbury organised the 165 th Anniversary celebration at Christ Church, Stellarton. This was well received by everyone and represented a huge amount of work by her! Before Christmas, Julie Wynands organized a Christmas Angel fund raiser and service at Christ Church, Stellarton. Loretta Armsworthy has organized an adult social club that operates one afternoon a week out of the Stellarton Seniors Centre. This allows access to people with mobility issues and is open to the wider community. In mid-january we learned that The Rev d. Aidan Kingsbury would be retiring at the end of the month. The Rev d Aidan has been very involved in the training of Lay Readers for many years. We thank him for his service. Our Rector, The Rev d Darlene Jewers, has started a Lay Reader training course. We have a number of people who wish to become Lay Readers and we also have a number of experienced Lay Readers who have indicated that they would like a refresher. Each of our congregations usually offers Morning Prayer once a month, these services are led by Lay Readers. There are a large number of special care homes in our area of Pictou County. Lay Readers lead worship or assist clergy in each of them every month. Christ Church hosted the Northumbria Region MORE- Mission Workshop on Saturday, February 11 th. It was great to see the number of enthusiastic participants (many of them were Lay Readers). Submitted by Dave Harrison President PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Changes are occurring from one end of Prince Edward Island to the other. We still have ten parishes but we now have twenty-one churches rather than twenty-two. Spring Diakonia

12 There were two clergy changes that continued through the year. In our western most parish, Alberton - O'Leary, they are still discerning their future. A new Priest-in-Charge has been appointed, The Rev d Darroch Fagan. The Parish has re-instated a former Lay Reader and now have three helping The Rev d Darroch, who is part-time. In Summerside - St. Eleanor s, the new priest is The Rev d Colin Nicolle. The long serving Lay Reader, Clair Sudsbury, and the five others have helped make a smooth transition for the new Rector. The Parish of New London misses Bill Pidgeon who has retired after more than a half century of service to New London churches and most other churches across PEI. Bill still helps occasionally with readings and Prayers of the People. Harleigh MacLeod and other parishioners are helping The Rev d Margaret Collins (part-time) with services at St. John the Evangelist Church in Crapaud. Milton-Rustico needs a name change. St. Mark's in South Rustico was de-consecrated and shortly thereafter demolished and is no more, except for the cemetery. Samantha Lutwick continues as a Lay Reader at St. John's in Milton with the Rector, The Rev d Ralph Moore. She also helps out at Christ Church in Cherry Valley. There are no Lay Readers at St. Paul's Church in Charlottetown. There are several Lay Readers at St. Peter's Cathedral led by Dr. Karl Winter who assist Fr. David Garrett and Fr. Ralph Moore. They also help occasionally in Souris and Montague churches in the Georgetown Parish in which Fr. David Garrett is Priest-in-Charge. At Christ Church in Cherry Valley, Don Himelman and Samantha Lutwick assist as Lay Readers to The Rev d Wayne Short (part-time). Don Himelman assists Fr. David Garrett at Holy Trinity, Georgetown, part of the Georgetown Parish. Lay Readers and others acted as volunteers at the national conference of CLAY held at UPEI. There were 837 young Anglican and Lutheran people at the conference. Lay Readers and others attended the day-long More- Mission workshop led by the Bishop's office in the Fall. Submitted by Don Himelman Diakonia 12 Spring 2017

13 CHIGNECTO The past months have been quite busy for many of the Lay Readers in this region because they are dealing with the loss of their Priests or have a temporary or part-time one. Readings, Prayers of the People and Homilies are the normal duties for most Lay Readers. St. James Church, Shubenacadie - the five Lay Readers have been presiding at the Morning Service for more than a year now. They take turns doing the readings and Prayers of the People, along with members of the congregation and each do the homily in rotation, about every two months. A guest Priest, mainly The Rev d Valeria Rhymes, officiated at a Eucharist service twice a month for the past several months. The Rev d Glenn Eason is the Priest-in-Charge until a new priest is installed, hopefully in the near future. The four churches in Shubenacadie, St. Bridget s Roman Catholic, the United Church and the Gay s River United Church are working together on the Area Refugee Sponsorship Committee. St. James Lay Readers are active Committee members. A mother and daughter from Syria, via Lebanon, arrived in February and have successfully settled into the community. Another family of four arrived in October and is now expecting a baby in June. Funding for this has been done collectively by the four congregations. The Wardens and Lay Readers are also actively working with the Save Shubie Committee who is trying to resolve the problems which will arise once the enhanced flood plain rezoning occurs. St. James Church is included in the new rezoned area is the 125 th Anniversary for St. James Church and they are celebrating from Advent in December 2016 until Christ the King Sunday in 2017, with a special activity each month, led by the Wardens and Lay Readers. A simnel cake will be prepared by one of the Lay Readers for Mothering Sunday, the 4 th Sunday in Lent. This is an old medieval tradition. The simnel cake is a rich fruit cake decorated with eleven almond paste balls and one larger one in the middle symbolizing the eleven disciples - minus Judas Iscariot - with Christ in the center. Spring Diakonia

14 St. John's Church, Truro, has six active Lay Readers who participate in the weekly Eucharist services. The completion of their renovations has enabled them to facilitate more activities. During the ACW Lenten Quiet Day on March 18, held at St. Johns', Joan MacDonald, a local Lay Reader, and other Lay Readers assisted The Rev d Vivien Hannon with the Eucharist Service. Truro Lay Reader, Ruth Ann Williams conducts the Eucharist Services at the local Nursing Homes three times a month as she is limited in her activities having had a seriously broken leg three years ago. The Lenten studies at St John s are looking at the approach to God by different faiths. Christ Church, Amherst has several Lay Readers who were away during the summer months, so their activities were limited. They have since resumed their normal schedule. The dynamic of their activities has changed slightly with a new Priest. During the months of June, July and August, their church services were also held in Tignish. The Churches of Pugwash and River John have eleven Lay Readers in the five churches, who participate in all the church services and activities as needed. With a part-time Priest to conduct services, they are kept busy on a weekly basis. The Parish includes Oxford, Wallace, Pugwash and River John. The Rev d Nicole Uzans, their Priest, led a workshop that many of the Lay Readers in the area attended, about exploring new forms of liturgy. At Saint John the Baptist Church, River John, their Priest-in-Charge, The Rev d Bill Cook is leading a Lenten Series of videos Where do we go from here? followed by discussion groups led by the Lay Readers. St. George's Church Parrsboro, with a new part-time Priest, the Lay Readers are active in many ways in the Parish, which now includes Port Greville. The Springhill and Joggins churches also share the Priest. Since the United Church in Parrsboro closed, the congregation has been increased by the addition of some of their people. This seems to have been an encouragement for all. We are fortunate to have so many dedicated people in the Lay Diakonia 14 Spring 2017

15 Readers Ministry in all the churches. Hopefully as some retire, due to age or health problems, new people will be called to serve. The new Video Training series are most helpful in this regard. Anyone who feels called to this ministry can speak with their Rector/Priest-in-Charge to seek approval to begin Lay Reader training. The videos are readily available to Parishes from Victoria Henrikson, the Secretary of the Association and Editor of the Diakonia. The application forms for Licensing of Lay Readers-in-Training and Licensing of Lay Readers are available on the Association s web page, and should be sent to the Warden of the Association, The Rev d Tom Henderson. Contact information for both these individuals is in this issue of the Diakonia and on the website. Respectfully submitted Anne Williams CAPE BRETON REGION Greetings from Cape Breton Region! As Regional Representative it is my pleasure to report on the activities of our parishes. Parish of Neil s Harbour/Ingonish The Rev d Carolyn Sharp reports that North of Smokey, the life of the parish is blessed by the gracious generosity of eight Lay Readers. Every Sunday, at St. Andrew s and St. John s, Lay Readers provide liturgical leadership: reading scripture, leading the prayers of the people, offering the cup and encouraging and supporting the participation of members of the congregation. Lay Readers also take on other responsibilities. In the absence of the Rector, they lead services and preach. This past year, they helped to prepare young people for confirmation. On various pastoral matters, they offer sage counsel to the Rector and to the Parish Council. The life of the Parish of Neil s Harbour/Ingonish is enriched by their service and for this we give thanks. Spring Diakonia

16 Parish of St. John the Baptist, North Sydney Reid Moore reports that they had eleven Lay Readers at the beginning of 2016 but now have ten due to Bill Witherall moving off Island. Bill served the Parish for many years and best wishes are sent to him in his new home. Having studied and finished the required courses, there are now seven new Lay Readers who received their purple ribbon as Licensed Lay Readers. They are Betty Mansfield, Nancy Boutilier, Lisa Richards, Donna Mac- Donald, Brenda McCarthy, Lisa Bond and Jenny Tyson. Congratulations to all. Margie Ramsey, Phyllis Reno and Reid Moore finish off the complement of ten. A rotating schedule is used around a four-sunday cycle with each group taking their turn participating in the worship service in a variety of ways. They also do monthly home communions for shut-ins of the parish and at the Northside Community Guest Home. Besides Lay Readers duties, all are involved in other aspects of our parish life from providing music, Altar Guild, parish committees, vacation bible school, bazaar, Bible Study, and many other Parish and community events. The Parish is truly blessed to have such a large group of dedicated people. Trinity/Baddeck Parish, Sydney Mines The Rev d Stacey LeMoine reports that there are four Lay Readers and one Lay Reader-in-Training in their Parish. They assist at Worship Services, lead Morning Prayer on the 5 th Sunday of the month, as well as when the Rector is on vacation. They assist at Nursing Home Services, Home Communions, do the Children s Talk, prepare young people for confirmation and lead the Life in the Eucharist program. They also are very involved in other activities of the Parish fundraisers, Bulletin Editor and Music Ministry in Nursing Homes. One of the Lay Readers made a quilt for the Diocesan ACW fundraiser which was auctioned. The Rev d Stacey feels very blessed to have an amazing group of Lay Readers active within the Parish. Parish of the Resurrection (Church of Christ the King and St. Bartholomew s) Over the past 15 months while the Rector was off on LTD, the Parish was blessed with two Retired Priests acting as Priest-in- Diakonia 16 Spring 2017

17 Charge. The Rev d Glen Kent served for six months and currently The Rev d Reg MacDonald is serving until a new rector can be appointed. There were seven Lay Readers and two Lay Readersin-Training until September 2016, when Elaine Young and her husband Frank moved to Dartmouth. Elaine served the parish with joy and love as she cared for all. Best wishes to both of them in their new home. As of October 2016, Nellie Ball has taken a leave due to illness. She is missed as she was always available to serve and preach. She is prayed for daily for healing and a return to serving the Lord. All Lay Readers assist at worship services where they act as Cross Bearer and Servers, reading scripture, leading the prayers of the people and administering the Chalice. They also assist at funerals, services at Nursing Homes and Home Communions. As well as Lay Readers duties, they are involved in other aspects of parish life Spiritual Development, Parish Council, Regional Council, Editor of the monthly calendar, ACW, etc. All Lay Readers are ready and waiting to be asked to serve as called. St. Alban s Currently at St. Alban s there are eight Lay Readers. During the past year, the Lay Readers have been active taking part in Sunday worship services. There is a schedule everyone follows. Morning Prayer services are split between the Lay Readers and The Rev d Brenda Drake-MacDonald. For the month of July, while The Rev d Brenda is on vacation, Lay Readers participate in Sunday morning services. Most of them have presented messages and young people talks. When necessary, they will also teach the Sunday School class and also take part in the Sunday School pageant. When a funeral is held at the parlor and not the church, a Lay Reader will assist by doing a reading, if needed. A Lay Reader is responsible for printing the second reading for the week and assigning someone from the congregation to read it. The Life in the Eucharist involves Lay Readers assisting the youth to prepare and bake the host as well as participating in their first communion. Lay Readers also carry out training of youth as servers. At least one Lay Reader is involved in visiting the sick at the hospital. One Lay Reader reached out to the community by setting up a box with hats and mittens which were free for the taking by those less fortunate. Lay Spring Diakonia

18 Readers are very involved in all aspects of the church whether it is the Choir, Altar Guild, Council, Warden, or helping set up for Christmas or for a Sunday service for the disabled. They are up for any challenge The Rev d Brenda sends their way. They are a proud group and love what they do as they open their hearts and mind to the Lord. It is my hope that for the next Diakonia we will have information from all parishes. It is your opportunity to share with all regions of our Diocese what Lay Readers are doing in Cape Breton, beyond the Lay Readers regular duties. May God bless each of us as we continue to serve the Lord our God. Submitted by Georgina Granchelli Diakonia 18 Spring 2017

19 Jesus said, I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Evening Prayer offers the light of the Word to a world that is becoming dark. In a very primitive sense, it acknowledges our fear of the dark and moves us into a right relationship with the dark through our understanding of and commitment to Christ: We have nothing to fear in the dark. Evening Prayer can carry any of us beyond the service and into the awesome presence of God. Starting with the opening sentence, we acknowledge our receptiveness to the Word. Confessing, we empty ourselves into the heart of God, knowing that God s grace and our repentance will allow peace to settle among us. Invited into the soul of the Word, we hear the readings of ancient callings, psalms and the gospel. The creed brings to us our beliefs. And then we pray, drawing on the prayer of Jesus, moving to petitions for ourselves and others, choosing carefully the collects that will touch the needs of the night. Knowing that all of us desire comforting, we pray for the mission of the church and for those who work and those who weep. A thanksgiving follows. We have much for which to be thankful. Gathered together or alone in the presence of the Lord and of the saints, past and present, we have travelled from a place of potential fear to a place of solace, peace and quiet joy. Blessing the Lord, we move in to the night with words of encouragement. We have been reminded that ours is a God of grace, of hope, of power. Taken from Meditations for Lay Readers by Suzanne E. Hunger Spring Diakonia

20 From the Editor s Desk Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit Romans 15:13 As I read all the reports in this issue, I am in awe of the hope I see expressed in your ministry as Lay Readers across this Diocese. You are the heart of your Parishes as you work alongside your Rector/Priest-in-Charge and others to bring hope as part of the living, breathing body of Christ. I pray you will continue to be hopeful in your ministry and in the Association s work on your behalf. I pray you will stay filled with hope, peace and joy as you welcome strangers in your midst. I pray you will stay hopeful as you witness to the powerful love of God working in and through you. I pray you will stay hopeful as you work to share God s love with your neighbours near and far. We need to carry this hope with us not only in our congregations but out into the world in which we live. And, right now the world needs to see God s hope, peace and joy more than ever with so much muscle flexing going on. You are the ones God is calling to share that hope which will make a difference. God s continued blessings on your ministry. Keep hope alive. Yours in Christ, Victoria Henrikson, Editor Upcoming Date to Place on your Calendar 2017 Annual Meeting Saturday, June 10 th Christ Church Dartmouth, NS 2017 Fall Conference Fri-Sun, September 15 th -17 th Belcourt Centre South Rustico, PEI Diakonia 20 Spring 2017

21 Education for Ministry Workshop On April 29, all Lay Readers, clergy, past and present EfMers and any other interested people are invited to attend a workshop at All Saints Cathedral. The Diocesan EfM mentors are hosting a workshop based on a book that is being studied this year in all EfM classes: Care for Creation (a Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth.) Anyone attending will be expected to have read the book which is available from Cost of the workshop will be $ Lunch will be provided. The keynote speaker is Emma Norton of the Energy Action Centre. Emma will address us in the morning and during the afternoon we will break into smaller groups, led by mentors, to practice a Theological Reflection on an aspect of the morning s presentation. Our Unique Call So many terrible things happen every day that we start wondering whether the few things we do ourselves make any sense. When people are starving only a few thousand miles away, when wars are raging close to our borders, when countless people in our own cities have no homes to live in, our own activities look futile. Such considerations, however, can paralyze us and depress us. Here the word call becomes important. We are not called to save the world, solve all problems, and help all people. But we each have our own unique call, in our families, in our work, in our world. We have to keep asking God to help us see clearly what our call is and to give us the strength to live out that call with trust. Then we will discover that our faithfulness to a small task is the most healing response to the illnesses of our time. Henri Nouwen, Priest, Writer and Theologian Lord, I thank You today for Your amazing grace! Spring Diakonia

22 Lay Readers Ribbons, Medallions and Pins Medallions can be purchased for $10.00 each and ribbons (blue or purple) for $5.00 each. The Association also has a Lay Readers pin which is available for purchase at $5.00 each. Orders for these items can be placed through Dennis Eisan by contacting him through any of the following means: a) Postal Dennis Eisan 1309 Main Street Dartmouth, NS B2Z 1B2 b) Telephone (902) c) dennislinda@ns.sympatico.ca A small shipping fee will be added to the cost to cover mailing costs, for example $2.00 for one medallion and ribbon. Area Representation I would like to draw your attention to the list of area Representatives in this issue on Page 26. The Area Representatives are there to provide information on the Association's activities, as well as to bring your concerns to the Executive. They are most willing to be of help to you. Victoria Henrikson Secretary Lay Readers Association Lord, I know I can trust You for today and tomorrow because You are kind, good, loving, wise, and powerful. Teach me not to worry. Diakonia 22 Spring 2017

23 Recognition of Service Certificate Our Association Executive & Board of Standards has just announced their new program of issuing a Recognition of Service Certificate to Licensed Lay Readers within the Anglican Church of Canada. To receive such a Certificate, a Licensed Lay Reader must have over 20 years of service and be recommended by their Rector/Priest-in-Charge. You will find the guidelines on how to obtain such a Certificate and also see what the Certificate looks like by visiting our website at: Lay Readers Prayer Loving and eternal God, who through your Son, Jesus Christ, calls your people and sends them forth to witness and serve in your name, bless each member of the Lay Readers' Association of this Diocese. Give us grace that we, walking in the footsteps of your Son, and being filled and strengthened by your Holy Spirit, may serve you and your Church as faithful stewards in the ministry to which we are called and, by our example, enable others to know and love you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Historian Thomas Greer once described the rise of the church as: 'the greatest strength of Christianity is that there is always something to do and not enough people to do it. The harvest is and always will be plentiful and the labourers few. That alone reduces the risk of inertia and idle indifference among the faithful.' The good news is that none of us are bored. Overwhelmed maybe, but not oblivious and inactive. Spring Diakonia

24 ECHOES FROM THE PAST ---- By Warren B. Ervine, All Saints Church, Bedford, NS ---- I am happy to continue providing selected articles from the early issues of DIAKONIA. This article describes the origin of the name of our newsletter, exactly as it was printed in the first issue, Vol. 1, No. 1. WHAT S IN A NAME By now you have seen the name of our newsletter and you might be wondering where it came from. Diakonia is the Greek word for service and, along with its cognate, diakonos, meaning servant, is the origin for our English word deacon. The word, diakonia, is used many times in the Greek original of the New Testament; in fact, more than any other to describe the activities of ministry among early Christians. Christ used the word to summarize his ministry when he stated The Son of Man has come, not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as ransom for many (Mk 10:45). Paul tells us that the Spirit has given us a variety of gifts so that we shall have varieties of service for our Lord (I Cor 12:5). He also uses it to describe his own ministry (Col 1:25; II Cor 6:4; I Tim 1:12) as well as that of Epaphras (Col 1:7) and Timothy (I Tim 4:6). There is probably no better word we could use to describe what the activities of a Lay Reader should be. The most obvious and visible sign of our service usually occurs on Sunday mornings and to many people this may be our only image. But our service extends far beyond that. There is service to our Bishop, to our Rector, to our parish Church and indeed, to people everywhere, whether or not they are Christian. It is the essence of our commitment to Christ in everything we do. There are several other reasons for using diakonia. Although it is not a word of our common language and so may be obscure to most people, but we know what it means. In much the same fashion, then, we may be asked to serve our Lord in ways we may not understand. Similarly, we are urged to serve people everywhere without the need for recognition. It is always nice, too, to have a motto or statement of purpose that is meaningful and prominently displayed. Since DIAKONIA is the first word you read when you open your newsletter, it should remind you why you are a Lay Reader. Diakonia 24 Spring 2017

25 C.S. Lewis Quotes Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself. At present we are on the outside the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the pleasures we see. But all the pages of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Someday, God willing, we shall get in We will put on glory that greater glory of which Nature is only the first sketch. Dear God, thank You for showing me, in the greatest way possible, that You love me. Help my life to demonstrate my love for You. Spring Diakonia

26 Lay Readers Association Executive as of June 2016 WARDEN The Rev d Tom Henderson 76 Old Halifax Road West RR#2 Windsor, NS B0N 2T t_w_henderson@hotmail.com PRESIDENT David Harrison 3252 Trafalgar Road RR#1 Hopewell, NS B0K 1C djh@djharrison.ca VICE-PRESIDENT Marilyn Massie-Clarke c/o Christ Church 61 Dundas Street Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4H (leave message) christ.church@ns.aliantzinc.ca PAST-PRESIDENT Shirley Williams 13 Highland Crescent Dartmouth, NS B2W 2L swilliams0435@outlook.com SECRETARY Victoria Henrikson 1 Beck s Way Dartmouth, NS B2V 2C butterfly1@hfx.eastlink.ca TREASURER Wayne Hamlin 28 Overlook Drive Kentville, NS B2N 2P waymar@ns.sympatico.ca DIAKONIA EDITOR Victoria Henrikson (see contact information above) WEBMASTER David Harrison (see contact information above) Lay Readers Association website address: Diakonia 26 Spring 2017

27 Area Representatives as of June 2016 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Don Himelman 22 Mutch Drive, Apt. #109 Stratford, PE C1B 1S CAPE BRETON Georgie Granchelli 115 Patnic Ave. Sydney, NS B1P 3G CHEBUCTO (Halifax) Vacant CHIGNECTO Anne Williams 2200 Hwy 2 Milford, NS B0M 1Y s.sheck@eastlink.ca DARTMOUTH Billie Myers 160 Dempster Crescent Mineville, NS B2Z 1J billiedmyers@yahoo.ca EASTERN SHORE Judy Beaver Hwy #7 Murphy Cove NS B0J 3H judybeaver8@hotmail.com FORT SACKVILLE Lois Durant 157 Tanglewood Drive Mt. Uniacke, NS B0N 1Z joyce.munroe@ns.sympatico.ca NORTHUMBRIA Vacant SOUTH SHORE Roger Demone 24 Orphans Home Road Oakhill, NS B4V 0E rogerandcharlene@hotmail.com VALLEY Vacant Spring Diakonia

28 DIOCESAN LAY READERS ASSOCIATION of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island ANNUAL MEETING June 11, 2016 The Annual Meeting of the Diocese of NS & PEI Lay Readers Association was held at St. Stephen s Anglican Church, Chester, on Saturday, June 11 th The Rev d Tom Henderson, Warden, presided at the opening Eucharist Service. He spoke about St. Barnabas, it being his feast day. He was an associate of St. Paul. Registration was completed by Wayne Hamlin. There were 40 members registered. The Business meeting was called to order by Shirley Williams, President, who welcomed everyone and led the reading of the Lay Readers Prayer, in unison. Present The Rev d Tom Henderson, Warden; Shirley Williams, President; David Harrison, Vice President; Wayne Hamlin, Treasurer; Victoria Henrikson, Diakonia Editor; Dennis Eisan, Past President; Anne Williams, Secretary; Billie Myers, Lois Durant, Judy Beaver, Roger Demone, Area Representatives and Gerry Nelson, Board of Standards. Regrets Father Ian Whistler, Rector of St. Stephen s; Pauline Liengme, Eugene Cooke, Keith Hennessey, Jim McConnors, Alan Turner, Georgie Granchelli, Sharon Green, Shirley Morris, Barbara Eisenhower, Rob MacMillan, Velvet Eiluk, Connie English, David Spencer, Edy Guy-Francois, Marie George. Minutes The Minutes for the June 6, 2015 Annual Meeting were read by Anne Williams, David Harrison's name was omitted from the Board of Standards membership. So, noted and corrected. Acceptance of the corrected minutes moved by Anne, seconded by Victoria Henrikson. Motion Carried. Diakonia 28 Spring 2017

29 All reports are printed in the current issue of the Diakonia. Some extra copies are available for those who did not receive one. All Lay Readers-in-Training names should be added to the Diakonia mailing list. Board of Standards The Rev d Tom reported that the required second clergy person has been appointed to the Board. The Rev d Darlene Jewers, from the Churches of Pictou County, joined the Board last Fall. The revised Application for licensing of Lay Readers and Lay Readers-in-Training has been approved by the VSST Vision Strategy Support Team for use. The Rev d Tom explained how the application has been changed. All application forms should be sent to the Association President. The New President is David Harrison. A request for another video to be made for the Training series about Pastoral Visiting. All Lay Readers are encouraged to view the Training Videos as a refresher course. Any change of address by a Lay Reader should be sent to Victoria Henrikson, for the Diakonia mail out. Diakonia Victoria acknowledged the work her husband Victor does for the preparation of the layout of the Diakonia. He also does the preparation for the mail-out. His help is invaluable. Victoria has the copies of the Training Videos available for anyone wishing to borrow them. Victor Henrikson has designed for the Associations Recognition of Service Certificate to be given to Lay Readers who have 20 years of Service are recommended by their Rector or Priest-in-Charge a description of the ministry of the recipient is required The name of the Recipient, Parish and Rector are required on the application. The Associations brochure explains the Ministry of Lay Readers to help new applicants and serving Lay Readers, Clergy, and AST Spring Diakonia

30 students. Victoria had copies for all present. Roger Demone commented that it would be most useful for clergy, as many clergy don't know what Lay Readers can and can't do. Each Parish should have a copy of the Lay Readers handbook. The last edition 2008, is available on the Association s Web site. A question arising from the brochure concerning the age to start the process of becoming a Lay Reader: A person can be enrolled at 16 years of age, as guided by the Rector and Parish Council. It Takes two years to become a Licensed Lay Reader, so they would be 18 years old before being allowed to perform all the duties. We should not discourage teenagers to become involved in Ministry. Wayne Hamlin commented that young people can be crucifers and readers. There are two issues of the Diakonia prepared each year. The Fall issue is a teaching issue, the Spring one has the reports. Anyone with an idea for articles for the Diakonia is welcome to send them to Victoria. Treasurers Report Wayne Hamlin, Treasurer, moved that the Financial Statement be approved as circulated, seconded by Warren Ervine. The bank balance as of March 31 st, was $8, Motion Carried. Wayne moved acceptance of the proposed budget for as circulated, seconded by Ethel Nelson. Motion Carried. Questions about the differences in Revenue were explained by Wayne as due to the late arrival of Parish monies. The Parish donations are voluntary so there is no way of knowing how much there will be each year. Wayne explained that any surplus money cannot be given to a charity; it must be used for Lay Reader education, which is why the Fall Conference is subsidized for each attendee. It is also used to fund the speaker/presenter at the AGM and Fall Conference. The President, Shirley Williams reported that the Belcourt Centre Diakonia 30 Spring 2017

31 in PEI, booked for September 16 th -18 th will be subsidized so that each attendee will only have to pay $50 for food and lodging, plus their travel costs. Warren Ervine, a previous President reported that when the NS & PEI Lay Readers Handbook was originally prepared in 1980, only five Diocese in Canada had a handbook. The Rev d Art Nash helped him compile the Handbook. David Harrison moved that all reports printed in the last issue of the Diakonia be accepted as circulated, seconded by Dennis Eisan. Motion Carried. Victoria noted that there are several copies of the Diakonia available for anyone who doesn't have one. Warren Ervine was the 1 st editor of the Diakonia in the fall of St. Bea's probably has the history. July 1 st 2016 is the deadline for articles for the next Diakonia. Any suggestions for articles for the Diakonia are always welcome. Victoria needs to know new or changed addresses, or addresses for the delivery of the Diakonia. Notification of retired or deceased Lay Readers is also needed. It was noted that the Parochial Forms need to have complete Lay Reader information on them. Victor Henrikson keeps the Association s database up to date. New Business Election of Officers President Vice President Past President Secretary (temporarily) Treasurer Diakonia Editor Web Master David Harrison Marilyn Massie-Clarke Shirley Williams Anne Williams Wayne Hamlin Victoria Henrikson David Harrison Shirley stressed that there are only about four meetings a year, held at the Church of Saint Andrew in Cole Harbour, Dartmouth. Shirley asked for nominations from the floor. Marilyn Massie- Spring Diakonia

32 Clarke volunteered for Vice-President, none for Secretary. Motion to accept the new slate of officers as presented, made by Shirley, seconded by Warren Ervine. Motion Carried. Area Representatives Prince Edward Island Chebucto Northumbria Chignecto Eastern Shore Dartmouth Chebucto Fort Sackville Annapolis Valley South Shore Don Himelman Vacant Pauline Liengme Anne Williams Judy Beaver Billie Myers Vacant Lois Durant Vacant Roger Demone There were no nominations from the floor, so the current Area Representatives were declared elected. The Rev d Tom thanked them for their service. Auditor Wayne Hamlin moved, Warren Ervine seconded that Cecil M. Verge be appointed Auditor. Motion Carried. Members Concerns The lack of contact between the Area representatives and the Lay Readers in the local churches was stressed. All Lay Readers were asked to keep their Representative informed as to events, activities and concerns so that the Board is aware of them and so that they can be reported in the Diakonia. It was noted that the Regional Meetings are a good way to become informed about things in the churches in the regions. Next Meeting The 2017 Annual Meeting of the Diocesan Lay Readers Association will be held on June 10, 2017 at Christ Church, 61 Dundas St, Dartmouth. It will be the Parish s 200 th Anniversary. Dennis Eisan moved the adjournment of the meeting. Diakonia 32 Spring 2017

33 The Rev d Tom thanked the ladies of St. Stephens Church for the refreshments during the morning and for a good lunch they provided for us. A resounding round of applause was given them. Afternoon Speaker The Rev d Lisa Vaughn, the Diocesan Parish Vitality Coordinator, was the Guest Presenter during the afternoon session. The Rev d Lisa explained that she is the Resource person at the Diocesan Office, and is available to all parishes as a resource for problem solving and for helping to adopt programs to move parishes forward into expanded mission. The 2015 Synod theme It s About the World is part of the focus for MORE, a new program being formulated, and led by The Rev d Lisa to encourage parishes to become outward looking. Initially it will be held in three regions of the Diocese, Shubenacadie, PEI and Cape Breton. The sessions will be open to all, to think and talk about mission and how to do it. Her presentation was mainly on thinking about Radical Hospitality All the ways we express hospitality were volunteered and listed. People matter to God; therefore, they matter to us! We need to meet them where they are. Why Radical Hospitality? Need to step up from waiting to meet people just on Sunday morning in the pew. Create a welcoming experience for newcomers. Many ideas were expressed by The Rev d Lisa and generated by those present as to how we can improve the first impressions people have when they visit. After The Rev d Lisa's presentation, The Rev d Tom thanked her and gave her a gift. He then thanked Shirley Williams for all her work as the President for the past 3 years, and presented her with a bouquet of flowers. The meeting then closed with the Grace. Respectfully submitted Anne Williams Spring Diakonia