The Saskatchewan Anglican, May 2021

Page 1

Saskatchewan

anglican

The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle • A Section of the Anglican Journal • May 2021

Historic day for new Immanuel Anglican Church By Diane Gingras

A great rushing wind "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. ... Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd ... ' Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth

was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him'" (Acts 2, NIV). Photo courtesy WikiCommons/ Juan Bautista Maíno

REGINA — There were about 100 parishioners logged onto Zoom on March 14 to attend the inaugural annual general meeting (AGM) of the new Immanuel Anglican Church. Bishop Rob Hardwick opened the meeting with remarks and noted the significance of the day and of Immanuel’s inaugural AGM. He acknowledged the huge amount of work done by members from all five of the original parishes. It was noted that the task in itself was a big one, and to accomplish everything in a COVID-19 environment was remarkable! He said that God’s presence has truly been with the parish in this work. In January and February 2021, the five Regina congregations of All Saints, St. James the Apostle, St. Luke, St. Matthew, and St. Philip passed motions to petition the bishop to disestablish their respective congregations. This step brought the five congregations together into one congregation, one parish, named Immanuel. Archdeacon Cheryl Toth provided an archdeaconry report on the work of the five parishes coming together. Her invaluable leadership throughout the process was also acknowledged. Due to the number of COVID-19 cases in Regina, Immanuel’s in-person worship services have been suspended at the time of writing. However, when in-person services are able to resume, the 142 Massey Road location (formerly All Saints) has been designated as the interim primary worship site for Immanuel. The Argyle Road location (formerly St. Luke), with its

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newly-installed live stream equipment, is being used as a temporary location for live streaming of services. The Living Spirit Centre on Doan Drive, where St. Philip was located, has been identified as a satellite location – to serve as a secondary worship site for Immanuel and as an ongoing centre for mission, outreach, and growth. Various parish venue comparisons, analyses, and requirements have been developed. This info will be used to make a recommendation for a permanent location for Immanuel. It also enabled the parish council to determine which property would be placed for sale. While progress has been made, it is also an emotional time for parishioners. This was evident in the motion passed to move forward with the sale of properties for St. James the Apostle, St. Luke, and St. Matthew, including the rectory. In response, a proposal to hold a series of “Remembering Sundays” was discussed whereby the five congregations would share their respective church memories with all the members of Immanuel. Members heard about Immanuel’s new mission and vision for the future and its plans to encourage growth both in numbers and in spiritual purpose. The new parish continues to turn to the words of the Lord’s Prayer, “May God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” As Rev. Michael Bruce (a member of the ministerial team) said, “Looking back on how faithful God has been in guiding us like a good shepherd to the point we are now, how can we not trust that He will continue to guide us into the future?”


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