Welcome!

Book Study: in Praise of Slow

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 11:58:05 -0400

SJWT’s next Book Study date is Tuesday, September 21, 2010, reviewing In Praise of Slow, by Carl Honore

SJWT book study evenings include potluck dinner at 6 PM (sign up at the Action Table).

Discussion beginning at 7 PM.
We try to alternate between faith/religious theme and story.

Outreach

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:54:20 -0400

Breakfast for the Homeless

We offer Breakfast at St. Stephen’s Church (just north of Kensington Market) on the Third and Fourth Sundays of Each Month (plus Christmas Day and sometimes the Fifth Sunday).
Be part of the First Shift (begins at 6 AM) or the Second Shift (begins at 7 AM).
Contact:
Tom Gehrels: 416-656-9111, mariengehrels@yahoo.com.

GREAT Upcoming Music!

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Photo: Marilyn Kluyskens on cello.

August 22: Jaroslaw Czerwinec, accordion; Marilyn Kluyskens, cello.

Next Hike Bruce Trail!

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 21:52:44 -0400

Photo: Chris Pong and his wife, Heather
Hike the Bruce Trail
Our next hike departs from the church at 9 AM sharp…
Shared rides, coffee stop, hike, picnic, Earth Blessing, pub, drive home by 5 PM.
Saturday, August 21, 9:00 AM
Next Hike Date:
16 OCT
For more information and to RSVP, please contact Christopher Pong, who writes:
Just in case you haven't heard, I will be leading the next two hikes while Tom is away. This is just your reminder that we will be meeting at the church and be ready to leave at 9AM sharp on Saturday morning. I really look forward to seeing everyone there.
give me a call 416-737-8675 or e mail cjp19@hotmail.com

Messy Church

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 09:18:30 -0400

Messy Church welcomes you and young children!
Worship for 2-6 year-olds and their families and Friends.
 We are introducing the Eucharist especially for children!

Carry a candle, a streamer, or the cross. Hear about the meals Jesus shared with his friends. Eat together.   Saturday, August 21, 3-5 PM

NEW! Rehearsal and Performance space for Rent!

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 21:57:04 -0400

Location:
St. John’s Anglican Church West Toronto is located at 288 Humberside Avenue in
Toronto. Just a 10-minute walk from High Park Subway Station on the Bloor Line.

Facility:
St. John’s Anglican Church West Toronto is a beautiful old church with outstanding
acoustics. About 1000 square feet of space is available for rehearsal Monday through
Saturday 8 am to 7 pm, and for performances Thursday and Saturday nights.
•Pews and free standing altar can be moved.
•Balcony can be used to place tech equipment, sound and lighting boards and/or spots.
•Willing to negotiate storage space for a sound board.
•Separated area at front suitable for box ofﬁce.
•Kitchen access available Thursday and Saturday nights only.
•One unisex washroom on main ﬂoor.
•Men’s and women’s washrooms downstairs for evening use only; (daycare operates downstairs during the week).

Rental Rates:
•$35 per hour for rehearsals.
•$75 per hour for performances, 8-hour minimum rental for performances.

Contact: Alison Smiley at (416)-596-1252 (day) or (416)-604-0353 (evening).

St.John’s Anglican Church West Toronto, 288 Humberside Avenue, Toronto, ON, M6P 1L5 - www.sjwt.ca

Gary Sharing his Book List

Mon, 7 Jun 2010 20:24:40 -0400

In addition to our regular book study group, I am often asked what I would recommend for further reading on faith, the bible, church, theology… the search for questions and answers and ways of thinking - because being a follower of Jesus is a strange thing, not easily explained in our culture, even not easily explained to another follower of Jesus.
I give out my books. I forget who has them. I buy more of my favourites and they circulate. I try to ask and engage - what did you learn, what did you like, where do you want to go next…At first, these 2 books are the ones I loaned out most often:
* Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, by Marcus Borg. Borg tells of his frustration with the church of his upbringing, and then he redoes Jesus as “Spirit Person”. I find that people who have a church past understand him and appreciate him.
* The Jesus I Never Knew, by Philip Yancey. Yancey excels at describing the historical background and context in which Jesus lived and the gospels were written. For someone with minimal church background, he is very helpful. He teases out theological issues and he is a persuasive witness to the power of God working in Jesus.
In my experience people have come to faith by reading one or both of these books. We built Christianity 101 around them. But I want to go deeper, and people in our community want to go deeper. These are the books I am giving out now.
* Jesus Today. A Spirituality of Radical Freedom, by Albert Nolan. Nolan says that people are mostly not interested in doctrines about Jesus, and he decides to focus on Jesus’ own spirituality which was so completely focused on intimacy with God. By imitating Jesus’ spirituality and therefore having our own intimacy with God, we also work on being at one with ourselves, one with God, one with other human beings and one with the universe. This book gives us practices - healing, prophecy, mission, transformation - to change the world.
* An Altar in the World, by Barbara Brown Taylor. Taylor explores everyday practices - wearing skin, getting lost, being in community, blessing each other - and shows how God comes to us sacramentally through these ordinary daily activities. Many people have told me this book speaks to exactly where they are right now.
* The Great Emergence, by Phyllis Tickle. Tickle shows persuasively that we are in a time of great change, and that it has parallels with other periods of great change. She summarizes the changes of the 20th Century, makes the comparison to earlier eras of great change, and shows how a different way of Christianity is emerging, one that is already breaking down old denominations and old ways.
We built Christianity 102 around these books.
I attended Phyllis Tickle’s lectures and she has further persuaded me that in our times of great change something new and different is emerging. I am eager to explore where this will go. I asked her to summarize her 6-page bibliography for where we are as a community.
These are the ones she suggests:
* Everything Must Change, by Brian McLaren
* Surprised by Hope, by N.T. Wright
* Christianity for the Rest of Us, by Diana Butler Bass
And after these:
* A New Kind of Christianity by Brian McLaren
These are the books I am going to read. I want to be better at noticing how the world is changing. I want to reflect on how I am changing. I invite you to join me. Gary

Results of the Children and Youth Program Evaluation 2010

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 18:47:55 -0400

A message from Marilyn Kluyskens, Deputy Warden:
Hi everyone,
First of all, the Warden's team would like to thank everyone who participated in the Children and Youth Programs Evaluation 2010. Thanks to all the families who have graciously welcomed Gary and Marilyn at their homes for an interview and openly shared their experiences with St.John's Children and Youth Programs. The information we received during these interviews has been very helpful and provided good suggestions for improvement of the programs. We would invite all families who have not been able to participate this year, to share any ideas and suggestions and we look forward to talking to you next year!

A report with the results of the Children and Youth Programs Evaluation 2010 can be downloaded at: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5673226/Children%27s%20Ministry%20Eval%202010.pdf
The file is quite large (10Mb) so downloading may take longer depending on your internet connection.

We are planning and getting ready to make changes in the fall to fit with the conclusions of the evaluation. For example, we'll have more "Ask Gary" lunches. We'll try to incorporate elements of discussion for youth in various programs and social activities. Wherever possible, we'll include suggestions that have been made for the camping weekend, lunches and movie nights. With regards to the Sunday School, we are reviewing possibilities of using a new curriculum that better fits the needs of our children (in particular the preschoolers and pre-adolescents group). Along these lines, we are getting ready to post a new revised Sunday School Coordinator position and invite expressions of interest.

We do invite you to read the report and let us know what you think. Any feedback, suggestions and ideas are welcome!

Any questions can be directed at Gary van der Meer (416-455-2609) or Marilyn Kluyskens (647-273-1990).