Visit to Ragtime (Shaw Festival) in Niagara on the Lake
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There will be a trip to the Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake on May 2nd. Contact details are shown in the Article section of the website.
Financial Stewardship Program
St. James’ Anglican Church
Paris, Ontario
A Generous
God...
A Generous
Church...
Generous
Givers
2012 Stewardship Campaign
Table of Contents
Message from the Rector................................ pages 2 & 3
Parish Life........................................................ page 4
Worship, Music and the Arts........................... page 5
Pastoral Care.................................................... page6
Spirituality........................................................ page 7
Service.............................................................. page 8
Outreach.......................................................... page 9
Parish Administration...................................... page 10
Four Principles of Generous Giving................. pages 11 & 12
The Next Step – Making a Commitment......... pages 12 & 13
Our God is a Generous God...
...generous in love, generous in mercy, generous in compassion, and generous in embracing the whole of creation – every single one of us without exception. In God’s family there are no outsiders. All are insiders. Jesus said, “I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). Not some, but all. It is a radical thing that Jesus says to us, but we are members of one family. We belong – all of us belong to God.
We believe in the sanctifying power of Jesus Christ. That means no matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done, when we come to Christ, His grace and mercy embraces us and invites us to grow in His love. Everyone is welcome.
The image in the Bible that makes this point so vividly is Jesus as the banquet host (see Matthew 9:9-10; Luke 14:12-23; 19:5). Here is Jesus offering to all God’s amazing grace where everyone has a place at the table. In this radically inclusive vision of God’s kingdom, the walls that divide people one from another collapse.
A Generous God leads to a Generous Church...
...the kind of church we are developing here at St. James’. One of the things I often hear from newcomers is how welcoming and accepting our church is to them. Yes, we mean what we say: “Whoever you are and wherever you are on your journey of faith, you are welcome... God seeks you... Here in the church God says to you, ‘I will bless you. You belong. This is my family and you have a place in it.’”
- We are a church where people can make a lot of mistakes and still feel loved, accepted and forgiven.
- We are a church of many different kinds of people, all bound together by their strengths and their woundedness.
- We are a church where everyone is welcome. There is always a place for you. Everyone is equal and everyone is encouraged to participate.
We believe in a Generous God...we are a Generous Church...and we are called to be Generous Givers.
The truth is: God owns everything. All we can do is to give a portion of what God gives to us back to God. The tithe or 10% of who we are is what we’re talking about here. That means your time, talent, gifts or financial offering. Some of us can give more than 10 percent. Others may find it a struggle to reach 10 percent. No matter the amount, all of us are called to give...to sacrifice...to offer God nothing less than our best.
What can you expect if you are a Generous Giver?
Based upon my own experience and that of Scripture, I have no doubt that your material needs will be met when you trust God with your finances, talents and gifts. Put God first in your life and give generously to the work of God through the church (see Malachi 3:10; Luke 6:38). Give generously, and you will experience extraordinary spiritual blessings such as:
- A sense of serenity and satisfaction that comes from generosity
- An awareness that God comes first in our lives, even in decisions about money, gifts and talents
- A recognition that you are no longer giving God the leftovers but the “first fruits” of your gifts, talents and income
- An ability to distinguish between wants and needs
- A keener appreciation of the world’s and our own country’s poor, and how we should and can alleviate their pain and poverty
- A quiet confidence in God’s loving care.
A Generous God – A Generous Church – Generous Givers
...are all part of God’s plan to heal our wounded world. As you read this stewardship brochure and reflect on the many wonderful things being done at St. James’, I hope that you will pray that your Generous Giving will reflect our Generous God. Before you write a figure on your pledge card, pray this prayer and ask God to make you the generous giver God wants you to be:
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Dear Lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to seek reward, save that of knowing that I do your will. Amen. |
Parish Life
St. James’ provides a seven-day-a-week program that is secular as well as religious, including educational, community and recreational programs for all ages. We are not afraid to tackle the tough issues of the day with spiritual vigor, moral passion and genuine tolerance. Our foremost objective is to do everything possible to help every person possible know, love and serve Christ more completely and consistently.
Achievements During the Past Year
- A Vital Progressive Christianity Group... We offer an opportunity for people to explore their faith in an open, honest and critical fashion, asking the tough questions, rejecting the easy answers, and being passionately committed to the exploration of truth rather than defensively claiming to possess it. They meet Sunday evening and you are welcome.
- An All-Encompassing Children’s and Youth Program... We offered a wide variety of programs from nursery through high school, including an annual Youth Retreat that addresses the fundamental questions of our Christian faith.
- Several Small Group Ministries...
- The St. James Study Group meet on Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. at 19 Burwell Street. The door is open and there is always room for one more. Contact the church office 442-4334 or Dawn McClelland for more information 442-2198.
- Compassionate Living – A study based on “Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life
- held on the last Sunday of each month at St. James’ Church at 7 p.m.
- How to Share Your Faith Without Losing Your Friends. We are often very anxious about sharing our faith in Christ for fear of being perceived as preaching at friends and family, with the result that they turn away from our Lord and ourselves. This six week course sets out simple ways to embrace our faith in everyday settings and share our discoveries with others. We will start this course on Wednesday, October 12th, at 7:30 pm. Please call Ron or Willa Pierce at 519-759-4088 if this interests you or if you simply wish more information.
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Advent Study - “The Prodigal God”We’re working on the Photo Directory!
Would anyone who did not have their photo taken a year ago, please speak to Bob Howes to have one taken.
Thank you for your patience.
- When? Thursday evenings during Advent
- Why? An opportunity for transformation of our hearts
- Who? “You are invited”
- How? Please contact the office to register!
- Monthly Seniors’ Services and Lunches – We host monthly Liturgies that include Communion from the B.C.P. as well as favourite hymns during the Liturgy. This is followed by lunch and entertainment for the seniors in our congregation.
Goals for 2012
- Congregational and Community Workshops on Spiritual Formation
- Intergenerational Worship... Hold a quarterly instructed Eucharist with our Sunday School children to introduce them to the entire form of the normal Sunday Service while training acolytes, servers and chalice bearers.
- Continue our Building Restoration
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O Lord our God, you have given us minds to know you, hearts to love you, and voices to sing your praise. Fill us with your Spirit, that we may celebrate your glory and worship you in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
Worship, Music and the Arts
Worship is central to the life of our parish, which includes the traditional Anglican emphasis on Word and Sacrament. Enhancing our worship is a superb music program, which lifts our hearts to God in praise and thanksgiving. St. Augustine said that, “The one who sings prays twice.” Here at St. James’ we have a wide variety of music and musical groups. Our parish is blessed with the largest and likely the most extensive music program of any in the Diocese.
Achievements During the Past Year
- The continuing development of the Praise Team, Cavatina
- Music concerts by our Choir
- Travelling concerts by Shiyr
Goals for 2012
- Make a Choir CD... Offer a CD to the parish, diocese and community of some of the best of our Praise Teams and Choir
- A Jazz Eucharist...to be developed by the end of 2011 and implemented by 2012.
- The Development of a Mid-Week Eucharist... that responds to young families who have other obligations on Sundays, commonly known as “Messy Church”
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O Lord God, you are always more ready to bestow your gifts upon us than we are to seek them. You are more willing to give than we desire or deserve. Help us to seek that we may truly find, so to ask that we may you fully receive, so to knock that the door of your mercy maybe opened for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
Pastoral Care
We believe it is essential that every member of the parish feel loved, accepted, affirmed, forgiven, cared for and ministered to, by both the clergy and lay ministry team. We also believe that many members have a gift to do ministry and that therefore, members themselves may have the spiritual gifts to minister to one another. Both elements – clergy care and members ministering to members – are essential components in our approach to pastoral care.
Achievements During the Past Year
- Sustaining a Strong Pastoral Care Ministry... We practiced regular personal contact with parishioners, their loved ones and their friends. We have been diligent in visitation of the hospitalized, nursing homes, shut-ins and the incapacitated. Personal counselling, telephone calls, written notes, remembrance cards and organized seniors gatherings have been done on a regular basis.
- Caring for the Bereaved... We minister to members and non-members who have died or lost a loved one...no one is ever turned away from the church. Follow-up bereavement counselling is provided to those persons who desire it.
Goals for 2012
- Develop a Strong Visitation Ministry... Provide more regular contact with the elderly by making better use of lay pastoral caregivers. Construct an updated master telephone list. These parishioners will routinely be called by the lay pastoral team and the results of each call will be forwarded to the Rector for Pastoral Care for follow-up as needed.
- Encourage Expansion of Individual Lay Ministries... Expand individual lay pastoral ministries such as Pastoral Visitors and Lay Eucharistic Ministers.
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Eternal God, you never fail to give us each day all that we ever need, and even more. Give us such joy in living and such peace in serving Christ, that we may gratefully make use of all your blessings, and joyfully seek our risen Lord in everyone we meet. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. |
Spirituality
Christian Spirituality is connecting with the mystery of God as revealed in the sanctifying power of Jesus Christ. Here at St. James’ we enable people to discover for themselves the significance of Jesus Christ in a nurturing, non-threatening environment. We seek to respond to the questions being asked by our culture: questions of meaning and purpose, questions of vocation and values, questions of life, death and hope for the future. We do not claim an exclusive answer to these questions; rather we are a community of faith where the questions are asked and the search joined with others who are exploring the deepest kind of relationship in Christ – with self, others, God, as well as the whole of creation.
Achievements During the Past Year
- Prayer Blanket and Teddy Bear Ministry... We made and delivered blankets and teddy bears to sick and suffering persons in the last year.
- Seminars, Workshops and Bible Studies... We offered Bible studies, seminars, and workshops on a variety of topics including spiritual gifts, personality and spirituality types, Anglican devotional practices, along with many different kinds of Bible studies.
- Youth Retreat... We offer an annual Youth Retreat to address the spiritual needs of the teenagers in our community.
Goals for 2012
- Offer Classes in Different Types of Spirituality... Offer classes on our Devotional Traditions: Bringing the Past into the Present; the Anglican Rosary; Celtic Spirituality and Jesuit Spirituality.
- Offer a Congregational Retreat... We will be inviting a guest speaker to lead the congregation in spiritual formation for a weekend away for prayer and reflection.
- Youth Retreat... To expand our Youth Retreat and offer this opportunity to the entire Deanery.
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To your name, Lord Jesus, help me bow the knee and all its worshipping, bow the head and all its thinking, bow the will and all its choosing, bow the heart and all its loving. Amen. |
Service
Service to others is an extension of our commitment to Jesus Christ. To know Jesus in a personal way is to share love with others. Every day we are invited to be more like Jesus Christ. Christians are those who share their time and their gifts and their love and their money and themselves. We have received so much from Jesus that we want to do exactly what he did and share with as many others as we can.
Achievements During the Past Year
- The Difference of one Program... Feeding the hungry in our community
- The Good Food Box Project... High quality fruits and vegetables are bought in bulk at wholesale prices and the savings are passed on to those who join the program.
- Blankets for the sick or wounded... blankets are regularly blessed and distributed to those in need as a generous result of a small group who make the blankets in the parish family
- Teddy Bear Program... Teddy Bears are blessed and distributed to those who would have already received blankets or to those who prefer teddy bears as a sign of the congregations’ prayerful support in the midst of their healing process.
Goals for 2012
- Increase our Support for Diocesan Ministries... including the Primates World Relief & Development Fund
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Bless us, O God, with a reverent sense of your presence, that we may be at peace and may worship you with all our mind and spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
Outreach
St. James’ is committed to helping people face tomorrow in the power of God’s love. We are ready to meet people where they are and invite them to grow, offering the good news in terms and forms that relate to their situation.
Achievements During the Past Year
- St. James’ Best Start... a program that encourages family communication and provides a setting of compassion and understanding in which parents share insights and awareness’s and children develop communication skills, while playing together.
- Seniors’ Exercise Program... We are delighted to have Sandy Taylor facilitating the exercise program for seniors twice each week in the upper parish hall.
- Tai Chi... This is a program focused on several seniors in the community and we hope to see growth in this program in 2012.
- Scouting and Guiding... We continue to be privileged to host these children and youth programs in our church
- Wycliffe Bible Translators... To continue to financially support Wycliffe Bible Translators, especially our representatives, Rebekah and Julie.
- Sister Parish in Rwanda... We continue to financially support our sister parish in Rwanda.
- The Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Child Program...Providing a Christmas experience one shoebox at a time for a child in an impoverished country.
- Ontario Works... A program that assists people with financial assistance and housing needs.
Goals for 2012
- To expand the existing programs
- To focus on the new karate program, inviting children and adults to participate in this physical exercise opportunity
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Eternal God, you call us to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, bypaths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
Parish Administration
Administration is more than a function of parish life. It is itself a ministry in which we act as good stewards of parish resources; maintain the beauty of our building and grounds; serve parishioners and non-parishioners alike in a friendly and welcoming way.
Achievements During the Past Year
- Office Environment... We have come a long way in creating a cooperative, friendly office environment committed to serving our congregation.
- Bulletin Production... We restructured our system of bulletin production, increasing efficiency and eliminating stress and “busy work.”
- Newsletters... We have created a quarterly newsletter that reflects on the success of past events and looks to the future for planning of coming events
- Computers... We updated our computer system for the administrative team and purchased new computers for ministry staff.
- Website... We are in the midst of constructing a new website that should be fully functional by December 1st, 2011
- Hospitality... We made our facilities available to community organizations that are consistent with our mission, vision and values, thus becoming well-known as a ”welcoming” church in our area. Our facilities are used by such community groups as: Scouting and Guiding, The FitEffect Gym, Tai Chi, Ontario Works, Best Start Program (CAS), Karate Classes, Diocesan Meetings, Deanery Meetings, quilting groups, rug hooking groups, private family events, etc.
Goals for 2012
- Facilities... Develop a facilities care plan with adequate budget to prevent deferred maintenance and repair to the lower hall and washrooms.
- To enhance our receptionist’s responsibilities...to her comfort level
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Eternal God, high and holy, no building can contain your glory or display the wonders of your love. May this place be used as a gathering place for people of goodwill. When we worship, let us worship gladly; when we study, let us learn your truth. May every meeting held here meet with your approval, so that this place may stand as a sign of your Spirit at work in the world, and as a witness to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. |
Four Principles for Generous Giving
Principle 1: Give back to God a portion of what God has given you.
We are not to give as an afterthought or a leftover amount. With generous hearts we place God first and ourselves next. We decide to take a portion of the treasure we have received and return it to the Creator in a spirit of gratitude – through an annual pledge and use of weekly envelopes or pre-authorized givings.
“Ascribe to the Lord the honour due the divine name; come to the holy courts with your offerings” (Psalm 96:8).
Principle 2: Use parish envelopes for your givings.
Just as we surround gifts for others with suitable wrapping paper and perhaps colourful ribbon, so enclosing our gift for God through the church in an envelope provides it with more appropriate “wrapping.” Using envelopes also helps us make a more conscious decision about what we are going to contribute and communicates to children and other parishioners that giving to the church and supporting the parish are priorities for us.
“I beseech you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).
Principle 3: Use pre-authorized giving.
When you go away from home, the hydro, water and heat still work in your house…
When you are away from your church, ministry still continues…
Just as bill paying and pay cheque transactions have become easier through pre-authorized withdrawal and automatic deposit, our church is making it simpler for you to support our ministries even when you are not here…
IT’S CONVENIENT... Pre-authorized giving is a giving option available at no charge to you.
It eliminates the need for you to write a cheque each month for your regular donation.
IT’S ASSURED... If you are away on vacation, out of town on business or sick, your offering will be made ensuring the continued ministry of the church.
HERE’S WHAT TO DO
- Whatever you now give weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually, simply convert to a monthly or semi-monthly amount.
- Fill in the provided form and enclose it with a cheque marked ‘VOID’ and give it to your parish coordinator.
- Your offering will be deducted from your bank account on the 10th or the 21st or the 25th in the same way you honour many of your other commitments in your life. Credit card offerings will be given on the 15th of the month.
WHAT ABOUT RECORDS? Offerings are recorded automatically and individually on your monthly bank statement or passbook. These offerings are recorded at the church and included on your annual tax receipt.
IF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE... At any time the amount of your offering can be changed. Simply notify the church office of the change. If the banking information has changed, please provide a new ‘VOID’ cheque.
Principle 4: Look to the biblical concept of tithing as a barometer,
guideline, norm, for determining the amount of this sacrificial gift, which is to be placed in the weekly envelope or automatic giving.
Tithing means 10 percent of who you are. We give ten cents of every dollar earned or received to God. After all, God gives us 100 percent of all we have, and God asks that we give 10 percent of who we are back as an acknowledgement that God owns it all. Again, it’s not just 10 percent of money; it can be 10 percent of time, talent or energy.
“Let us with gladness present the offerings and oblations of our life and labour to the Lord” (Book of Common Prayer, 344).
The Next Step – Making A Commitment
- Identify your current income level on the chart below.
- Move to the right on the same line to determine the amount you currently give weekly to the parish.
- Move directly up the chart to identify the percentage of income your current level of parish giving represents.
- Consider moving a column or two to the right as a step toward the tithing goal. For example, from 4 percent to 5 percent.
- Make a promise to yourself that you intend to maintain this new level of sacrificial giving during the next year.
- To reinforce your good “taking a step” intention, and help the parish in its financial planning, mark the amount of your intended sacrificial gift on your pledge card.
- Mail the pledge card back to the parish or place it in the offering plate.
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O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, 259). |
Taking a Step Toward Sacrificial Giving
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Current Annual Weekly Gift to the Parish Household Income 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 10% |
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$20,000 |
$4.00 |
$8.00 |
$12.00 |
$15.00 |
$19.00 |
$38.00 |
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$30,000 |
$6.00 |
$12.00 |
$17.00 |
$23.00 |
$29.00 |
$58.00 |
|
$40,000 |
$8.00 |
$15.00 |
$23.00 |
$31.00 |
$38.00 |
$76.00 |
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$50,000 |
$10.00 |
$19.00 |
$29.00 |
$38.00 |
$48.00 |
$96.00 |
|
$60,000 |
$12.00 |
$23.00 |
$29.00 |
$40.00 |
$58.00 |
$116.00 |
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$70,000 |
$13.00 |
$27.00 |
$40.00 |
$54.00 |
$67.00 |
$134.00 |
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$80,000 |
$15.00 |
$31.00 |
$46.00 |
$62.00 |
$77.00 |
$154.00 |
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$90,000 |
$17.00 |
$35.00 |
$52.00 |
$69.00 |
$87.00 |
$174.00 |
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$100,000 |
$19.00 |
$38.00 |
$5.00 |
$77.00 |
$96.00 |
$192.00 |
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$120,000 |
$23.00 |
$46.00 |
$69.00 |
$92.00 |
$115.00 |
$230.00 |
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$150,000 |
$29.00 |
$58.00 |
$87.00 |
$115.00 |
$144.00 |
$288.00 |
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200,000 |
$38.00 |
$76.00 |
$116.00 |
$154.00 |
$192.00 |
$384.00 |
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$500,000 |
$95.00 |
$190.00 |
$290.00 |
$385.00 |
$480.00 |
$960.00 |
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