Sixty (60) Presbyters and thirty (30) Youth joined the congregation of St. Andrew’s United Church,Sioux Lookout, on Sunday morning, where the minister Aileen Urquhart and members of the congregation led an inter-generational service with uplifting music that answered the call to go out in hope, joy, and courage to be God’s peace in the world.

The Rev. Cheryl Kinney Matheson, Rev. Joyce Fergus-Moore and Christina Stricker, our Commissioners to General Council in Kelowna, presented some of the highlights of the meeting. 815 people attended, including 383 elected Commissioners representing all Presbyteries, youth, children, guests, stewards, volunteers, technical wizards, news people and staff. The Rev. Scott Gale attended as a volunteer Steward and was impressed by the depth of the young people’s interest in social justice. A Power Point presentation was accompanied by the music of rEvolve, the young and vibrant music providers at General Council. The Council theme was an invitation to go down to the potter’s house, based on Jeremiah 18: 1-4. As a church we are called to remould ourselves into what God is calling us to be. Mardi Tindal was installed as our new Moderator, succeeding our own David Giuliano. The youth at Council raised $15,000, half of the cost of a new solar water heater at Naramata Centre. Greg Sanders of Atikokan was a youth delegate to General Council, but was unable to attend Presbytery. Our church is alive and doing very well, is becoming more intercultural. We celebrate our diversity through our people and our music. Ministries in French were highlighted and a revision of the Basis of Union is proposed which would include the First Peoples of Canada. A proposed change to the Church Crest will acknowledge the presence of First Peoples.

Commissioners were challenged to keep living the hope of the Emerging Spirit program, now entering the next stage. The WonderCafe and print ads will continue.
A Living the Hope workshop will take place in Thunder Bay on October 24, led by Leslie Harrison and Rob Dalgleish.

Motions:

• That Pastoral Charge Partnerships replace Zones. Such groups can be identified for many different reasons and can also be identified within a broad or narrow geographic area. Funds will be available for projects.
• Alice Bloomfield was named as Pastoral Charge Supervisor on the Red Lake District Pastoral Charge.
• That Ryan McNally and Doreen Lankshear-Smith be recommended for Ordination at the 2010 meeting of Conference.
• All Presbyteries of the United Church are currently asked to vote on two Remits. Cambrian voted yes to both. These involved changes of wording in the Manual to make things more clear and to clarify that lay representatives to Presbytery must be elected by the congregation. Remits are sent to Presbyteries or to Presbyteries and Pastoral Charges, requesting their response in respect of any proposed change to the Basis of Union. More remits will be addressed at the Winter Presbytery.
• Sabbatical for Ren Amell was approved. A request will go to the National Church to make funds available to St. Andrew’s United Church, Keewatin, for supply ministry while Ren is away.
• To request General Council to clarify the priorities set in the Shared Bread program.

The Youth contingent challenged Presbyters through the United for Peace Campaign. They dramatized the biblical story of Solomon resolving the dispute between two women, each claiming a baby was theirs. Presbyters formed pastoral charge groups for discussion about the skit. A video commentary on aspects of the 30 year civil war in Angola told of family members on opposite sides resolving their differences through a family reunion. Peace Sabbath is coming up on November 1st and each pastoral charge was given a bag containing crafts that could be made to raise funds that can work for peace.

During their weekend, Youth at Presbytery are always challenged from a faith perspective and friendships are strengthened. The Youth are always a vibrant component of the Presbytery weekend. Fun times too are a part of youth time at Presbytery. This time they went on a hay ride, participated in Outdoor Olympics and enjoyed a Battle of the Bands (Karioke). Thanks go to their leaders, the Rev. Frances Flook, Lincoln Dunn, Brenda Shodin, Ren Amell, David Lyle, Erin and Ed Zroback.

KAIROS continues this season with its Re-Energize theme, with an emphasis on Connecting Climate Justice and Global Poverty. We are called to see a new earth by imagining a world where both global poverty and climate change are taken seriously. Pastoral Charges are called to mark three upcoming days:
Saturday, October 17, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Saturday, October 24, the international Day of Climate Action. Events listed at www.350.org
Sunday, October 18, plan a KAIROS KyotoPlus Service. Download bulletin inserts and worship resources from KAIROS national site. The service can be counted as a “Stand Up Against Poverty” event - register it at www.standagainstpoverty.org

Presbyters signed KyotoPlus Climate Action sheets to be forwarded to our Government, prior to the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December. Sheets can be downloaded from the KAIROS web site and used in congregations and work places to collect more signatures.

Conference Personnel Minister, the Rev. Judy Hare, will be succeeded by Diaconal MinisterJoan Jarvis as our the Conference Liaison to Cambrian Presbytery. This will enable Judy to spend her time visiting those Presbyteries who need her expertise. Judy was given a standing ovation for her services to our Presbytery. The Presbytery was informed that Greg McKee, the ministry personnel at First United Church, Dryden, has been suspended from functioning as ministry personnel while a matter (not child abuse) is being investigated under the Sexual Abuse Policy of the United Church of Canada. The Presbytery Executive expects to be able to proceed to next steps by mid-October. We are asked to remember in our prayers all parties involved in this matter, including members of First United Church, Dryden. Points to note:

• A Conference UCW meeting is scheduled Oct 8-9 in Winnipeg. Alicia Kitt spoke to the UCW in the Spring about her trip to Cuba.
• $300 (from the Christian Outreach and Social Action budget) will be donated to Project Ploughshares. This organization is supported by the United Church and the Canadian Council of Churches. Among other things Project Ploughshares gives anti-bullying training for children. John Siebert will be speaking in Thunder Bay on October 27 at Lakehead University and on October 28 at Wesley United.
• The One-to-One program is raising funds to produce a DVD that will explain their purpose. They are also promoting use of the 211 non-emergency phone number, through which information can be found concerning services offered to the public through government and other sources.
• The Observer Challenge 2009 is ongoing - Scavenger Hunt or Subscription Lunch Contest. The October issue of The Observer has full coverage of General Council 40.
• The Presbytery web site continues to be maintained. Pastoral Charges are invited to send in pictures of activities and notify the webweaver (doreenls@web.ca) of any changes that need to be noted on the site.
• Cambrian Calls is available for download from the Presbytery web site, as well as Cambrian Calls Plus! (with pictures) within a day or two of the close of Presbytery.
• Camp Duncan needs a new Chair, following the resignation of David Silliman. The Camp Board is working on restoring its Charitable Status. A new Registrar for taking bookings is also needed.
• Sunny Cove had successful camp of 69 campers in July. Theme was “hi God” led by the Rev. Frances Flook and the Rev. Gord Waldie. They explored different ways of praying - Labyrinth, yoga prayers, prayer mats, etc. The First Nations drum group “Footprint”attended and shared their way of praying through drumming and song. Barb Miller was the Camp Director.
• Following the resignation of Youth Minister, Matt Woodal, a Joint Needs Assessment Committee has been established, chaired by Brenda Shodin. One (1) year of funding for this position remains from the original 3-year commitment. Pastoral charges will have an opportunity to provide comments during the JNAC process.
• Approval was given for a loan of $10,000 to Knox Pruden for roof repairs.
• Joy Bott, Lynne Dimma, Brian Jackson, Muriel Poster, Donna Prior and Lori Van Santvoort are now Licensed Lay Worship Leaders.
• With the demise of Zones, new Pastoral Charge Partnerships come into being. These partnerships are groups of congregations doing things together, without regard to where in our vast Presbytery they are located. Modern technology makes this far more possible than in the past.
• Concern was raised about the lack of spiritual care coverage at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre when the two chaplains are on vacation. A letter will be drafted raising these concerns, with copies going to the appropriate government representatives.
• JNACs are in operation at Knox United Church, Fort Frances, Emo-Devlin PC, Broadway-Pinegrove PC, Knox (Pruden) United Church, Rainy River-Stratton PC, Red Lake District PC. JSCs are in operation at Knox Shuniah United Church and Rainy River-Stratton PC.
• There is a concern that Visitations to several Thunder Bay Pastoral Charges are still overdue. A suggestion was made to have an out-of-town team go in and do all the visitations.
• All pastoral charges will be sent a copy of the Visitation Format to remind them how the process works.
• Mission and Service givings are on target for this year.
• Dave McMaster’s Hat raised $647.74 for Mission & Service.

  Mandate Magazine, published quarterly, is strongly recommended. It summarizes M & S activities. Subscription for individuals is $12 per year. Group subscriptions are also available. The magazine is being revamped and updated. A search is on for a new logo to cover M & S, Planned Gifts and the United Church Foundation, so that the three are immediately recognizable as parts of a whole fundraising effort of the church rather than as independent entities.

  Inspiring worship times included:

  • A Friday evening Vesper Service, led by the Rev. Cheryl Kinney Matheson, with hymn singing by candlelight.
  • Saturday morning Communion, with a message by the Rev. Eric Matheson based on Psalm 84 concerning swallows and sparrows. They are both skilled, but messy nest builders, which leads to the conclusion that God doesn’t mind a mess. In his initial welcoming of Presbyters to St. Andrew’s Roy Dedon stated there was no need to apologize for the crowded space for the meeting. We humans have far more space than we need - God doesn’t mind chaos.
  • worship in singing breaks and included hymns old and new from More Voices and Voices United, all sung with enthusiastic joy.
  • occasionally being called to order by the inspirational solo singing voice of Brenda Shodin.
  • listening to the Theological Reflector, Alice Bloomfield, who spoke of the caring and mutual support of Presbytery and knowing our Church is alive.

    Comfort was important

    Retirees attended too

    Drama in Worship

    Great Food!

    Great Cooks!

    Great Dishwashers!

    Many, many thanks go to Minister Aileen Urquhart, Roy Dedon, the Board of St. Andrew’s United, Marlene, Cynthia and her kitchen crew (who dealt with the special diets so carefully and caringly), the child care people, and music leaders Alice Bloomfield, Nova Cook, Bonnie Sobchuk, Irwin Antone and Janet Loney.

    See you all at St. Paul’s, Thunder Bay
    for the next full meeting of Presbytery February 25-28,2010.

    www.cambrianpresbytery.org