Saskatchewan The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle • A Section of the Anglican Journal • May 2016 www.facebook.com/thesaskatchewananglican
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Abbo family mixing into area By Ralph Paragg
Parishioners at Holy Family Anglican Church in Brampton, Ont., display quilts that will be donated to Montreal Lake First Nation and an orphanage in Uganda. Photo by Norma Deacon
Quilts donated to forest fire victims By Munden Coates PRINCE ALBERT — For nine years, Holy Family Anglican Church in Brampton, Ont., has committed itself to a sewing ministry. Modelled after the good deeds of Dorcas (Acts 9), this
outreach teaches youths they can make a difference in this world by using their talents to address a social need. They have completed over 40 quilts which were donated to an orphanage in Uganda. But when members heard about the horrible forest fire
losses in northern Saskatchewan last summer, they decided to send some of their quilts to our diocese. Bishop Arthurson gratefully received the gift of six quilts that were given to families in Montreal Lake who had lost their homes to forest fires.
Pat Fisher, a member of the Holy Family sewing ministry, explained her group accepted the challenge of our need. Committing oneself to serve is not always convenient. Fisher even worked on her quilts during her summer vacation in Newfoundland!
Renewal through shared leadership By Karen McBride Dixon REGINA — The people of St. Matthew gathered in worship to witness the commissioning of the shared ministry team and newly elected vestry. Executive Archdeacon Dell Bornowsky was present to commission Mae Boa, as lay incumbent and lay administrator, and Rev. Anne Marie MacNeil and Rev. Blair Dixon as associate priests. Shared ministry is a new model for St Matthew; the congregation is learning that ingredients for success include respect, trust, openness, innovation and a good sense of humour! The commissioning occurred Feb. 28. At St. Matthew, shared leadership goes far beyond the pulpit and the business office. Grounded in the desire to seek new ways to serve God, renewal is taking many forms: restoring the church building, rethinking priorities and reimagining possibilities.
Archdeacon Dell Bornowsky (left) commissions St. Matthew’s shared ministry team of Rev. Anne Marie MacNeil, Mae Boa and Rev. Blair Dixon. Photo by Karen McBride Dixon Besides the work of the ministry team, music team, vestry, altar guild, ACW and other individuals and work teams, small groups have been meeting on a regular basis to pray and talk about who they are as people of God and to discern where and how they are being called to do His work. It has become increasingly clear that, above all else, the first task of the parish is to be a community centred in love as
modelled by Jesus Christ. The people of St. Matthew are experiencing a new perspective and renewed commitment for living that model through loving one another, reaching out to the community and the world, plus gathering those in need of comfort and care. Not only has the parish been blessed with renewed energy for the long-held traditions of fashions shows, teas and
dinners, but also new leaders have emerged with fresh ideas to launch a friendship and craft club, organize transportation, begin Bible study in homes, lead outreach activities and come together over food for reflection, prayer and conversation. God has blessed St. Matthew with a renewed sense of joy, fellowship and hope. It is clear the Spirit’s moving in new ways. Hallelujah!
REGINA — The Abbo family arrived last November and is composed of Saeed Abbo, his son Amjed, Amjed’s wife Rawan, and their children Sareta and Saemn. The family, Orthodox Christians, fled the Mosul area because of ISIS. They went to Turkey where they found shelter with friends. Saeed is the father of Marleen Abbo, who, along with her husband Safaa Moussa and baby daughter Majdleena, were sponsored by the Diocese of Qu’Appelle in 2011. Saeed, Amjed and Rawan and family now live in Regina’s Rosemont area, close to Marleen and Safaa. The Qu’Appelle diocesan refugee committee thanks Jamie Halpenny, a parishioner of St. James the Apostle, for locating suitable accommodation for the family at a reasonable rent, plus her team for furnishing and readying the townhouse for family prior to their arrival. The Abbos attend St. James the Apostle, which they have found a welcoming place and where they have made friends. Amjed and Saeed began language classes at the Regina Open Door Society on Feb. 1. They are enrolled in the combined Level 2 and 3 class in the morning and early afternoon. Rawan started language classes, combined Levels 1 and 2 on March 1, in the afternoons. Saemn attends playschool at the Regina Open Door Society during Rawan’s language classes. Sareta attends pre-kindergarten at St. Francis Catholic School with Majdleena, who is in the kindergarten class. Amjed obtained his driver’s licence in February. The family acquired a 2003 Dodge Van and use it for shopping. Amjed started working from 5 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. in a Shwarma and Pita Bakery Shop off Park Street and Fourth Avenue.