Church of the Advent | Anglican Church in Colwood

Church of the Advent is growing, and for the first time in many years, we now have two Sunday School classes - one for elementary school and one for middle school. We need at least three or more Sunday School teachers plus two Assistants to help grow the faith of our youngest parish members. This would only require a once-a-month commitment with the class plans already prepared and sent directly to you.

Here are brief descriptions for the roles we are seeking:

Elementary class teacher – This role is perfect for anyone who enjoys working with the littles. There is an excellent curriculum and plenty of supplies provided. Each teacher will have an assistant to support them and help guide the children through art, song, and discussion.
Middle class teacher – If you enjoy deeper discussions with a slightly older demographic (12+ age group), this is the perfect role for you. The curriculum is provided through a weekly video and is followed up by a group discussion. The children each have a journal in which to write their comments or artistic impressions.
Teacher Assistants – Safe Church requires that more than one adult is always present with the children. The Assistant would help with the younger class while also monitoring the older class. The upper half of the St. John’s room door remains open so that the Assistant can visually see what is happening in the other class, and step in to assist when necessary. The Assistant will act as floater and be available wherever support is required.

There is no age restriction for these positions. It is an enriching and rewarding role to help our youngest members grow in the body of Christ. We sincerely invite interested parishioners to give their heartfelt consideration about investing a bit of their time and talent to this group.

Please notify either the Parish Office, Sr Ingrid, or Nell Divinagracia if you have questions or would like to be considered for any of the roles.

What is a "secret shopper" and why do we need some?

The idea of a "secret shopper" comes from business, where people are sent into a store to evaluate aspects of how that store is run. They are not identified as information gatherers from head office, so they look like an ordinary shopper - but have a secret mission. Secret shoppers are really helpful in gathering information in order to improve practice - whether it's a Best Buy, a Timmies or a parish.

What would you do? We are looking for people to volunteer to visit one church of similar size as the Church of the Advent in the Greater Victoria area during September, October and November. You should not know anyone at this church. You will be an ordinary once-off visitor - and not identify yourself as a secret shopper (duh). You would tell no-one that this is what you are doing.

It is better to visit a denominational church, such as the United Church, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, or other Anglican church, because they are similar in practice and budget to Church of the Advent. You would be given a form to fill in that would cover aspects of the appearance of the church, how you are welcomed, what the parish bulletin boards, bulletins, and sources of information look like, how you are treated at coffee hour, etc.

Why are we doing this? It's always good to compare our practice with that of similar churches, so that we can improve, keep fresh and up-to-date, and to make sure that we are doing things as well as we possibly can. It is easy for us to get stuck in the ways we have always done things. This is an opportunity to assess our systems and improve.

And: If you have friends who would like to visit Church of the Advent anonymously and fill out the form for us, that would be very helpful indeed.

Interested?: Please email Sr. Ingrid at iandersen@bc.anglican.ca with the name of the church you would like to visit.

This week’s emphasis for the Season of Creation is “Act in Partnership,” so the Top Shelf is displaying mainly books by and about indigenous peoples, in recognition of their ages-long stewardship of land and water, as well as of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday.

New to the Top Shelf for this week are:

Rupert Ross. Indigenous Healing: Exploring Traditional Paths.
If you have wondered why residential schools remain in the news, or why many First Nations continue to struggle with addictions and violence, this is the book you need to read. It was written by a non-indigenous prosecutor who worked on Ontario reserves for nearly 30 years.

Michelle Good. Truth Telling: Seven Conversations about Indigenous Life in Canada.
From the bestselling novelist, who grew up in the residential school and foster care systems, comes the view of some of the same issues from the inside of those experiences.

Bob Joseph. 21 Things You May Not Know About The Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality.
This book lays out chronologically the various governmental provisions that have oppressed Canada’s indigenous peoples for generations, and argues persuasively for a return to self-determination and self-government. It contains suggestions for how ordinary Canadians can contribute to reconciliation.

The first two titles are also new to the Parish Library. Remaining in the display are Mary Robinson’s Climate Justice and Richard Wagamese’s One Drum.

Also in the narthex this week, on top of the cabinet in the seating area, is a display of children’s storybooks by indigenous authors. Titles are:

Phyllis Webstad. The Orange Shirt Story. Illustrated by Brock Nicol.

Trudy Spiller. Trudy’s Healing Stone. Illustrated by Jessika van Innerebner.

Trudy Spiller. Trudy’s Rock Story. Illustrated by Jessika van Innerebner.

Monique Gray Smith. Circle of Love. Illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt.

Robert Budd. Cloud Walker. Illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers.

Robert Budd. Peace Dancer. Illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers.

To borrow any book for six weeks, please fill out a green slip from the shelf underneath the display, and put it in the pink box marked Library. To return a book, please fill out a yellow slip in the same way, and leave your returned book next to the box.