Preparing for an Action-packed Synod

The 143rd Synod of the Diocese of Ottawa is set to take place from Oct. 19 to 21 at the St. Elias Centre in Ottawa. Much of the focus will be on the ways in which the new strategic plan (Eleven Actions) is addressing the concerns people throughout the diocese expressed during the 2021 Shape of Parish Ministry Consultations and is now being put into action.

Finance

Financial pressures on parishes continue to be a key issue, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. The goal of reducing reliance on parish revenues to fund the diocesan operating budget is set to be realized in the three-year budget presented to Synod delegates. “The amount [our diocese is seeking] would stay the same, but our diocese would provide support from our restricted trust funds to reduce the amount of Parish Fair Share by a substantial amount,” Sanjay Grover, director of the financial ministry told the Diocesan Council in June. “I am hoping that will be accepted gladly because every time I meet with parish priests or wardens, that’s the number one issue. …Our diocese is committed to providing support and it will be a substantial amount,” he said. “The monies that will be used to provide that support will be through our trust funds, restricted trust funds and dividend funding and some support from the sale of properties,” adding that some property sales were expected in the next year or so. 

Guidance for change

Part of the Shape of Parish Ministry Consultations (SPMC) were discussions about whether parish structures still suited and served the needs of their communities. Some described volunteer fatigue and financial challenges in parishes that had smaller numbers of people attending and supporting the church. Parish profiles were shared, and everyone was encouraged to look for opportunities for collaboration and ways to support each other. 

A guide to help parishes considering major changes to their structure is now published and ready to be put in use. “It outlines a number of steps that you would normally see when a parish approaches a major change, considering the facts of the situation, considering the feelings that are in the parish, taking time to pray, and then bring in the bishop,” Bishop Shane Parker stated at Diocesan Council. “A lot has already happened, and I was involved in every case.” He added that an important part of the guide is pastoral care. “At all times when there is a major change, especially one that will result in people no longer being in their building, it’s really, really important to communicate effectively and help people understand and to enable people to find a parish home, either a new one or to move nearby, so that’s a very important part of major change.”

Structures and governance

Chancellor Henry Schultz and executive archdeacon Linda Hill have been leading work to clarify parish structures and governance and expected to bring a document to Diocesan Council for approval at its September meeting. “The purpose of it is to bring clarity to the rules that exist in our diocese around three worshipping communities that are mentioned in the Canons, Bylaws and Regulations (CBRs)—parishes, congregations and chapels,” Schultz told the council in June. “I see this as being useful as a forward-looking document in that it gives guidance to those worshipping communities that are trying to figure out what is the appropriate governance for them to adopt,” he said, adding that he thought it would be particularly relevant for multi-point parishes or area parishes. “We set up the idea of area parishes over a decade ago, and we said the CBRs will catch up later. Area parishes are working, but the CBRs really haven’t caught up….

“What we are trying to do is clarify what the current rules are, suggest some changes to those rules to make those concepts work better, and eventually to encourage processes to make sure that our worshipping communities are properly organized.”

Education and Resources

Parishes also told the SPMC team that there was a need for more training and educational resources for parish leaders. Work is underway to produce and make these resources available. 

“The first intent here is to train people to run church councils, and the modules will be on things that we know are essential for parish leaders and parish councils to know with respect to how you make a parish thrive,” Bishop Shane told council, mentioning stewardship and attention to liturgy and worship as examples. 

Executive archdeacon Linda Hill is leading this work and recounted that as she was putting training together for wardens and council members, she was struck by the thought it could be overwhelming for new church wardens to take the Governance 101 course, which includes so much, and she began to create a simple introduction to the ministry of being a church warden. “So that someone who otherwise might say no to being invited into that ministry would still get a sense of orientation and where to go for [the information] they need.”

In April 2023, Diocesan Council also approved the creation of the Learning Commons, which will be a collaborative space to share existing and emerging knowledge, predominantly using online tools, in Knowledge Networks and Resource Hubs.

Knowledge Networks will be made up of groups of volunteers—lay and ordained— who share an interest in a particular issue, practice, or vocation who commit to supporting one another and sharing their knowledge with others across our diocese.

Resource Hubs will also be made up of groups of volunteers lay and ordained—with relevant experience, expertise, and interest and who commit to develop diocesan capacity in a specific area of ministry, proactively fostering growth in a priority area of ministry area across the diocese, using some or all of these approaches: 

• Curating and/or creating materials for common use

• Identifying and/or creating training opportunities

• Gathering and disseminating best practices

• Testing/piloting related initiatives

• Organizing information sessions

• Identifying opportunities for collaboration

• Building relationships within our Diocese, across ministry areas, and/or with partner organizations.

The Rev. Gillian Hoyer has been appointed as the Learning Commons Co-ordinator.

Archdeacon Patrick Stephens is assembling an episcopal panel on innovation and collaboration, and a Parish Advancement Program will also be rolled out at a later stage. 

As a part of training and support for parish leaders and diocesan anti-racism training, a new pilot project is beginning this fall at All Saints Westboro. Led by the Reverends Chung Yan Lam, John Holgate and Simone Hurkmans, Community Conversations is a parish-based initiative that is hoped will be ongoing and taken up in many other parishes.

Contextual Mission

At last year’s Synod, there was a lot of excitement and energy as delegates discussed new ways for the church to engage with the world. Archdeacon Mark Whittall, who has been leading this forward-looking work, told Crosstalk that the central question is “How is God calling us to proclaim the good news in our time and place? And the response that we give to that is contextual mission…. It involves learning how to share the love of God in ways that are meaningful to our neighbours…,” he said. “We live in a multicultural diverse city, diocese, region, which is really different than the way it was 50 years ago.” That’s why all parishes need to be doing contextual mission, Whittall said, adding that in some cases, they will discern that that requires starting a new worshipping community. 

Two pilot projects on new worshipping communities are underway. 

The first is based in the parish of Trinity Church in downtown Ottawa, where Whittall is the incumbent. Trinity House began with the idea of creating an intentional community for students and young adults living in a house owned by and adjacent to the church. 

“Looking at our context as a parish, we said, ‘We’ve got Carleton University right here. And we’ve got students who have been in isolation during the pandemic, and the effects of isolation are really devastating. There’s so many students who are coming to the neighborhood, but often they rent a room in a house and they’re not forming communities…. And there’s not that many places in society where Christians can actually practice their faith together in a residential and living context.” The parish discerned that creating an intentional community could be an expression of contextual mission and established Trinity House last year. This fall, they plan to begin weekly worship services.

The second pilot project is St. Jimmy’s Table, a mission of St. James’ Carleton Place that began in its current format in February 2018. It consists of a monthly event for families, with crafts and other activities, a meal, and child-friendly faith formation. Some of the families who attend St. Jimmy’s Table are parishioners at St. James, and some are not. St. Jimmy’s Table aims to create a community for families for whom attending Sunday morning worship is not always feasible. The program continues to evolve, with the recent start of a youth component, “Young Leaders’ Connection,” tailored for youth ages 12-17. The parish’s hope is that St. Jimmy’s Table will continue to grow, to evolve and to offer a place for families to find community. 

The Rev. Thomas Brauer told Crosstalk that the diocesan working group is excited to see the learning opportunities that will inevitably arise from St. Jimmy’s Table. “This is an excellent example of the kind of creative and flexible thinking that can often be found in small-town and rural congregations. This is also an example of how to imagine a ministry that meets the needs of the participants first and responds to the congregation’s own practices and desires second,” he said.

 Looking ahead

Bishop Shane offered Diocesan Council a view of where the diocesan church is on the map of its new strategic plan. 

“Right now, there are Eleven Actions which seem very separate and discreet, but in fact, there is one major change process happening. It has momentum and direction, and it continues to take shape as we get into the work,” he said, adding that there is overlap between the actions. “You are going to see concrete training programs and services being defined and offered in an intentional way, … we have training, we have contextual mission and reaching out…. Next year, we ought to look back and say, ‘Right, we’ve put in place a solid foundation, a bunch of building blocks, and we are now are operating from these new structures and new ways of being,’ ” said Bishop Shane. “…We equip ourselves, we train ourselves, we resource ourselves. Why? So we can be a resource to the world around us.”