CLAY 2016 MINISTRY PROJECTS
Ministry Project Title: Street Walk Experience - Change Begins with a Single Step Housing is a basic human right, but it’s one that many people take for granted. When we begin to discover what people without homes experience each day, our compassion and sense of justice begin to grow.
In the street walk, participants will have a hands on experience that will allow us to get a small glimpse of what it would be like to live without a home and with poverty. We’ll experiment with some challenges of living on the street and talk about the difference our faith and action can make for people who struggle day to day.
Change begins with building empathy, which is our ultimate goal of this walk. Participants will leave this workshop having a better understanding of the challenges those experiencing homelessness face, and the root issues that those experiencing homelessness and marginalization are experiencing in their day to day life. We will challenge youth to take these learnings into their hometowns, and think about ways they can experience empathy and make change.
Ministry Project Leaders: Angie Hocking and Laura Holck Angie Hocking has lived in Toronto for 10 years, working with the marginalized and homeless population in different capacities. For the last 4 years, she has served as the Coordinator of Outreach at Church of the Redeemer in downtown Toronto. Here, they have a drop-in meal program that invites people experiencing homelessness and social isolation to join each other for meals, for services, and most importantly, for a place to belong. They serve 30,000+ meals each year. There is no question that her work has greatly impacted the way she sees the world and how she feels about caring for and journeying with society’s most vulnerable people. On a personal note, Angie and her husband just had their first baby who will be 6 months old at the conference- and she is excited to meet everyone, too!
Throughout Laura’s life, she has had these following interesting jobs: flipping burgers and pancakes, buying and selling electric energy, and designing controls to bring water to people’s homes. These days she works as a Lutheran pastor with some amazing folks in Calgary. Everywhere she has lived and worked she has been concerned about people who live on the streets and she wants to make a difference. Ministry Project Title: Ecological Justice The climate is changing. The earth is warming. So what?
Do we really have to change?
Can we change?
Will we change?
Watch the universe unravel in just a few minutes. Listen to some of the most passionate voices in Ecological Justice. Figure out how the oral tradition of storytelling and social media can both play a role in moving us forward.
Ministry Project Leader: Shannon Neufeldt Shannon’s role at KAIROS is the Network and Young Adult Coordinator. She works to support the grassroots movement for justice with particular attention to engaging young adults. She is a low-key, long-term climate activist letting ecological justice shape her everyday choices and her political actions. She believes in the combined power of personal decisions and corporate action. For example, she chooses not to own a car, and lobbies the government for changes in policy. These personal choices are a daily reminder that God’s good creation is “not for sale.”
Ministry Project Title: Rhythms of Life Since we first felt our own heartbeats and heard our mother’s breath, our lives were infused with rhythm. Cultures and religions across time have used drums to tell stories, to celebrate, to lament, to bring people together. Drumming connects us to one another and the Spirit through a shared, embodied experience – and you don’t need to be an expert to do it well and have fun.
By popular demand, this ministry project returns in 2016, having debuted in Kamloops in 2014. Come and be part of the drumming ministry project with easy-to-learn skills and enough technique that you will be able to go home and lead others in rhythm community building. No experience necessary.
If you have done this ministry project before, there will be new rhythms, activities and stories but we encourage you to come to the ‘try it’ session on Saturday so that you can give others a chance to have the full experience of two sessions and performing at the LGG.
Ministry Project Leader: Judy Steers Judy is on staff with the National Anglican Church in Youth Initiatives. Since 1999 she has also been the director of the Ask & Imagine youth theology program at Huron University College. She leads workshops and trainings across Canada in youth ministry, faith formation and leadership and is currently doing her MA in Theology on the intersections of science and theology. In a past life, Judy studied music and has been playing drums for over 40 years. She uses drums and percussion to lead workshops in community building, leadership and theological reflection. Ministry Project Title: Bended Spoons: How We Can Help Alleviate Global Hunger Access to food is a basic human right. In an ideal world, food would be free for everyone, but sadly we live in a world where many people go hungry because they cannot afford to feed themselves.
In this session, you will learn about global hunger and how Christians like you are responding to alleviate this issue. You will learn how you can empower others to take action and help people around the world to have more access to food.
Ministry Project Leader: Jennifer Ardon Jennifer is a Program Officer with Refugee Resettlement and Community Relations at Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR). She has worked with CLWR for over for 4 years and with refugees for almost 10 years. She helps churches and groups to bring refugees from other countries to Canada where they can start new lives. She also does education events about CLWR’s work.
Working with CLWR is great because she gets to practice her faith on a daily basis. By working with churches to sponsor refugees to come to Canada, and educating others about poverty and hunger and how they can help, she gets to live out Christ’s command to love and care for others. ______
Ministry Project Title: Prayer Share Have you ever wondered how, what, when, where or why to pray? Do you know if praying actually works? Ever wondered if you can make a positive difference in someone’s day, without even meeting them? Check out this interactive session as together we explore one of our most important links with God and help each other learn about the power and satisfaction of prayer in our daily lives and the lives of those around us!
Ministry Project Leader: Rick Vantfoort Rick is a member of Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church in London, Ontario. He has been involved in youth ministry since 1990, “mostly because I didn’t have a chance to do it when my body was young (my spirit has always been youthful)!” He enjoys exploring faith together and sharing it with others, which serves as the basis, the strength and the fun of Prayer Share. ______Ministry Project Title: Street Eats We all need our daily bread, but when we start to ask where our food actually comes from, we’ll discover a story behind every meal we eat. Big business, weird science, worker’s rights, and the living earth are some of the hidden ingredients on our plate. And those ingredients can be a recipe for injustice. In Street Eats, we’ll talk about the justice issues behind the foods we eat. We’ll explore how we can bring our Christian faith to bear on these issues. Then, using the techniques of street art (graffiti, stenciling, stickers, and spray paint), we’ll create artworks that communicate these ideas in bold, delicious ways.
Ministry Project Leader: Nicole Uzans In the past, Nicole has worked as a community arts animator, provincial park ranger, small-scale farmer, and bookseller, but these days, she is an Anglican priest working with several small churches on the North Shore of Nova Scotia. “I believe Jesus is the most radical, subversive, and compassionate social change-maker ever to walk this earth – and it’s my Christian faith that fires my passion for food justice.” ______
Ministry Project Title: Greed, Corruption and God’s Grace in the Old Testament Greed, corruption and God’s eccentric prophets will feature in this improv drama workshop. On Thursday and Friday (the “Learn It” sessions), we will re-enact the greedy and sulky behaviour of King Ahab of Israel, his evil and decisive Queen Jezebel, Naboth, whose vineyard was not for sale, and God’s prophet Elijah. Dogs are also involved (see I Kings 21-22).
On Saturday (the “Try It” session) we will act out the story of the Syrian General Naaman the leper, the whiny King Jehoram of Israel, Elisha the prophet, who said God’s healing grace was not for sale, and his greedy servant Gehazi, who thought it should be (see II Kings 5:1-27).
No drama experience is needed. There will be large and small parts for all. No memorization of lines, just ideas. Imagination required. Be prepared for unexpected interpretations and applications. Warning: this could change your whole perception of the Old Testament.
Ministry Project Leader: Michelle Bull Michelle has just completed her M.Div. degree and expects to be ordained in the Anglican Church in the next few months. She has years of experience as a youth group leader, teen camp organiser, Scout and Guide leader and drama workshop leader. She has written, directed and acted in amateur plays for many years. Michelle enjoys exploring the themes of the Bible through improv drama, usually set in modern times. She finds this a fun and thought provoking way to look at biblical stories and how they might apply to us today. Strange and wonderful interpretations encouraged. ______Ministry Project Title: Singing Without Music and With All Your Heart You sang in Kamloops, and the music was awesome. Come and learn some new tunes and sing with all your heart with others. Harmonize, clap and make noise to the glory of God and the good of your soul. Come prepared for your lungs to get a workout.
Ministry Project Leader: Bishop William Cliff Bishop Bill Cliff has been a singer for over 30 years, singing professionally and in choirs as well as leading workshops for congregations and Dioceses to develop their musical repertoire and their experience. He is also the Bishop of the Diocese of Brandon, and was for 14 years the Chaplain at Huron University College. ______
Ministry Project Title: Practicing Radical Welcoming ‘You’re welcome.’ Or so we say, every day. How radically welcoming are we really? This project will provide an opportunity to explore our openness to and consideration for the “other”. We will investigate barriers we create, knowingly or unknowingly, between us and those we meet. We will practice being open to appreciating the diverse and delightful ways people are being human. Practicing radical welcome requires choosing courage, deepening self- awareness, embracing new perspectives and… the ability to use a hula hoop.
Ministry Project Leader: Rev. Robyn Brown-Hewitt Robyn Brown-Hewitt is the Director of the Youth Ministry Diploma Program at Atlantic School of Theology and the United Church Campus Minister at Dalhousie University’s Multifaith Centre. In years past she has served in pastoral ministry and as the National Program Consultant for Youth Camp; Young Adult Ministry (United Church of Canada). Her background includes studies in theology and theatre. Wherever she’s been, she’s worked to create safe spaces that nurture the full participation of people of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs. To quote a critic of one of her congregations on a Sunday morning: “They laugh too much there!”
______Ministry Project Title: Hunger is not a Game One in eight people in the world are hungry. The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is working with Global Partners around the world to make a difference in this statistic. By taking part in this Ministry Project participants will be engaged in issues of Food Security, learning about what can be done, and taking action to make a difference. This Ministry Project will be fun and interactive. We will use the movie The Hunger Games© as a teaching tool to learn about disparity, hunger and injustice. We will use the examples of PWRDF partnerships to learn about how change can happen. Participants will leave knowing how they can make a difference on this important issue.
Ministry Project Leader: Sheilagh McGlynn Sheilagh is the justgeneration.ca Facilitator for the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund. The justgeneration.ca program engages young people in the work of PWRDF. She develops education materials aimed at youth and young adults which will help them understand inequality in the world and encourage them to act in a way that brings peace and justice to all. Over the past three years PWRDF has implemented a Food Security Campaign (Fredsays.ca).
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Ministry Project Title: Creative Christian Yoga for Fun, Fitness and Spiritual Growth We know that Yoga is an ancient practice that has roots in the Hindu tradition and has recently been recognized in the Western world as an effective stress management tool, a proven method for slowing down, and for self care. Yoga is also renowned for promoting physical, spiritual and mental health. But did you know it can also be FUN??? CREATIVE? SILLY? And a vital form of SELF EXPRESSION and a form of PRAYER! Yoga for youth isn't about following the rules- it's inventive! We can make our own yoga poses, connect with the Holy Spirit and feel awesome all at the same time!!!! (While improving our overall health and well being).
Ministry Project Leader: Lee-Ann Matthews Lee-Ann is the Children's and Youth Ministry Coordinator at St. Thomas Church in Montreal and Youth Project Coordinator for the Anglican Diocese of Montreal and Children's Yoga Specialist, teaching weekly classes in schools and daycares. She has been actively teaching yoga to kids for over 10 years and has received certifications, attended trainings and researched extensively on the topic of yoga and its benefits. Through her own practice, she has experienced first hand the transformative, spiritual and overall health benefits of yoga.
______Ministry Project Title: Seeing Through Photography How can we use the power of photography to show others to the world in a way that celebrates their life? Have you ever pondered what a photograph is and the many ways that photography was used throughout history? Today it can be a means of personal artistic expression, a tool for science and exploration, a method for documenting people, places, and events, a way of telling stories and recording histories, and a mode of communication and critique in our increasingly visual culture. Although taking, viewing, and sharing photographs of people is second nature to many, it is not the same as visual literacy. Check out this interactive session where you will learn techniques and use hands-on examples to illustrate the power of photography to bring out the best of people in their photographs.
Ministry Project Leader: Paul Sheerwood Paul is the editor and layout designer for the diocesan newspaper in Nova Scotia and PEI (The Diocesan Times). During his 15 years as editor, he has seen the power of photos in ministry as both a photographer and an editor.
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Ministry Project Title: Bound to the Word-Power in Proclamation Before the written word was presented to the masses, the rich imagery of story, song and script were transmitted orally. Over the millennia, the voice of Humanity and the words utilized by Humanity have proclaimed the promised Spirit and the transformation and healing that originates in the rich redemption of Christ. We are to proclaim and to proclaim is to breathe, to utilize our breath as a communal act of worship that fosters that individual experience of grace, ecclesial unity and social fellowship by congregation/community. In Bound to the Word, we will explore the historical, theological and functional realities of how spoken word can bring our Christian faith to the masses and deepen our relationship with Christ.
Ministry Project Leader: Steve Greene Steve has just completed the Masters of Divinity program at Huron University College (London, ON). He is a postulant with the Diocese of Huron and he eagerly awaits the opportunity to be called to the Diaconate and to the Priesthood. He has worked as a Youth Leader at Metropolitan United Church and he has been blessed and honoured to have worked and volunteered at many places edifying, educating and empowering youth and young adults. He attended CLAY 2014 as a co-leader of a workshop with Todd Townshend.
______Ministry Project Title: Stop Traffick! Would you like your very own slave? You don’t have to wish for it. Many of the products that we buy every day, from a chocolate bar to that t-shirt you’re wearing and even your smartphone, are made possible through human trafficking, often of very young children. Human trafficking (i.e. slavery) is present in almost every country in the world, including Canada and the U.S. Children, women and men all fall victim to this. Current stats indicate that 1.2 million children are trafficked every year into child labour, the sex trade, the military, the drug trade and child begging. There is more slavery now than during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade era! If you think this doesn’t happen here, guess again! On March 22, 2016, the CBC in Halifax reported, “Halifax human trafficking victim one of youngest in decades, officer says”. Our Christian faith pleads for us to “set the captives free”. Come find out more about this worldwide epidemic, and what you can do help STOP TRAFFICK!
Ministry Project Leader: Bonnie Skerritt and Debora Kantor Bonnie is currently a postulant in the Anglican Diocese of NS and PEI, having recently completed 5 years as Youth Director at St. Paul’s Church, Halifax. During this time, she became interested in assisting Christian youth to take action on social justice issues. To that end, besides working with older youth in her parish and at diocesan events, she developed a Social Justice Lenten curriculum for her church’s Sunday School. It was during the research for this curriculum that she first watched the film, “The Dark Side of Chocolate”, and became aware of the disturbingly large number of children forced into child labour through trafficking. This has spurred her desire to tell the stories of human trafficking from around the world and to do what she can to help end human trafficking and child labour.
Debora is currently a Threshold Evangelist in the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton. She works in the Parish of Cambridge & Waterborough as the Family /Youth Ministry coordinator. She is also on the Diocesan Youth and Inter-Generational team. She lives in Cambridge-Narrows, NB.
______Ministry Project Title: With All Your Body Do you have a hard time sitting still in church? Are you bored of the same movements and postures during liturgy? Worship is meant to be a full body experience. During liturgy various participants move about the sanctuary in what could be described as a dance. For many of us we express ourselves not only with words but by movement and action as well. Liturgical dance is both a way of speaking to God and allowing God to speak through our service and movements. Come and explore how our whole bodies can give praise to God and inform our service to God’s gathered people through dance.
Ministry Project Leader: Rev. Brieanna Andrews Rev. Brieanna is currently Rector and Priest of the Anglican Parish of French Village, located on the beautiful South Shore of Nova Scotia. Rev. Brieanna began dancing at the age of 6 and has never stopped. Trained in ballet, tap and jazz, she traveled across North America as a youth to compete and perform at dance events. At age 17 she was asked to train and choreograph a group at a community church and she discovered a way of sharing her love of dance and God together. Since that time Rev. Brieanna has gone on to have children of her own (who are now tiny dancers) and meet others with experience in liturgical dance. She is once again discovering new possibilities for ministry and expression of faith that she is excited to share with those who will gather at CLAY 2016.
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Ministry Project Title: Relationships with Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Peoples This project will acquaint participants with basic ideas related to Indigenous Ministry and a brighter future for Canada in regard to Indigenous Peoples.
Ministry Project Leader: Mark MacDonald Mark MacDonald is Canada’s first National Indigenous Anglican Bishop. He is also the North American President of the World Council of Churches.
______Ministry Project Title: Free of Charge-Finding and Giving True Gifts Gift-giving is a complex activity, but we usually don’t notice that. This project begins with a look at Creation—of the Earth and of humans—to find images and ideas that shape our understanding of who we are and what God is like. Next, using the image of Creation as a garden and God as a gardener, we begin to see what God’s mission may be. With a focus on God as a gift-giver, we will then explore how the beautiful term “grace” describes something that is useless, valueless, and without power—according to the terms of our culture. Yet, most people find that grace the only thing that really matters in life, in the end, and it is given to us free of charge, it is not for sale, and it is available anywhere. The creative part of the project is to let this “theology” interact with our creative imagination so that grace can be something we “express” (art/speech/action) and enjoy to the point that we become the bearers of true gifts.
Ministry Project Leader: Todd Townshend Todd is the Dean of the Faculty of Theology, at Huron University College and a Professor of Homiletics (which means preaching). Please don’t be put off by that. He is interested in the relationship between life and sacramental grace. Some related interests include, the theological interpretation of Scripture, preaching and doctrine, and theologies of grace. For this ministry project, he is using one of the most common analogies for grace, “gift”. Without getting into all of the heavy concepts, there is a fascinating complexity in the gift-exchanges of our society. What is a gift? Can we really give “free” gifts? –do they imply obligation? — and if so, is the true gift something only God can give? What kind of bonds does a gift bring? Obligation to the other person? How can I give of myself, freely but without fear of harm? How is grace valued differently? How can we think, write, sing, and live grace in a culture where the “market” is God? And so on. ______