The parish of All Saints' have made some decisions this fall about where they want to go with their Mission and Ministry and what they want to do to repair their buildings in order that compassionate service and Christian development can continue. Thanks to David Batchelor for the following:
Have you ever noticed that the cupboard is often skimpy as the month comes to an end? For some folk, the need is extreme and hungry mouths cannot be stilled with comforting words, or theological concepts. That’s what was happening in the little community of Ladner, some folk were hungry… days before the monthly assistance cheque arrived.
That’s when we asked the question, “What do you think God is calling us (All Saints Parish) to do?” More than 90% of our congregation took part in small gatherings and shared their thoughts and prayers. From this sharing, we then moved forward with our Ministry and Mission Plan. We have, for the last three years been talking about “Imagine More: From the Inside Out” and exploring ways to “feed God’s people” both in body, mind and spirit.
This has been a journey of faith for the people of All Saints, since we have been asked to discern God’s will, then to count the cost of doing so, finally, to make decisions about our path.
We believe that God is calling us to feed people, through a monthly Community Meal feeding 60 – 80 people each “Tuesday before cheque day”. We also believe that we need to feed people in other ways … by teaching the Christian faith as expressed in the Anglican tradition. This is what Messy Church is about, teaching the faith in a non-traditional format. We are also blessed to have Archbishop Douglas Hambidge, and the Reverend Dudley Ritchie on our teaching team. Our community has musicians whose enthusiasm helps us lift our voices in praise and keeps our hearts singing.
So many resources that God has blessed us to use for God’s glory. The challenges set before us are now realizing that our building envelope needs some major care. Counting this cost is daunting, but we are asking people in the community to join us in this walk of faith – to maintain a “house” so that we can answer God’s call to serve.
At All Saints in Ladner, we’re seeing “who is our neighbor”… listening for their call to help … and then responding … all to the glory of God.
Images
- A "Messy" Mural - "Heroes in Our Neighbourhood"
- All Saints Anglican Church, Ladner …. Original watercolor by Rob Conklin
- Heather Jodie and Estelle get ready to enjoy a delicious meal
- The All Saints Sign