Page 24 - PC Issue 14 Summer 2020

Connection
NEWS
27 Years at SNCM
24
PRESBYTERIAN
SUMMER 2020
presbyterian.ca
By Sharon Nixon, Board Chair and Treasurer, Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry, Saskatoon, Sask.
For 27 years, the Rev. Dr. Stewart Folster made Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry (SNCM) his calling, his mis- sion and his second home. Through his unique style of aligning Christ- centred mission and Native Spirituali- ty side by side, he touched countless lives and became an almost-perma- nent fixture at the mission on “20th Street and E” in Saskatoon, Sask.
When asked about his ministry of following the ways of both the church and his tradition, he said: “I follow both, but I don’t blend the two. They are not in opposition. The God of the Bible and the Creator God of Native
Spirituality are one and the same. But now we tell people He has a Son, Je- sus Christ.”
On Sept. 1, 1992, the Rev. Dr. Folster, his wife Terry, and their two children (Andrea and Jeff) arrived in Saskatoon to begin their minis- try. They shared worship space with Circle West Presbyterian Church un- til April 1, 2005, when they moved SNCM into a rental space on 20th Street W. The mission felt they could reach more people in need at this lo- cation in the inner-city of Saskatoon. On Nov. 1, 2008, SNCM moved to its present location at 450 20th Street W., after the building was purchased by Canadian Ministries. This allowed them to expand existing programs and add new ones.
Now, over a decade later, the Rev. Dr. Folster was set to retire. Two farewell events were held in his hon- our—one at Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry and the other at his favourite restaurant, “Jeju Korean BBQ.” Both events were joyfully and tearfully at- tended. Members of the community had a chance to say goodbye and share in three decades of stories over cake and coffee on Sept. 27, 2019, his last official day at SNCM. Then on Oct. 26, long-time colleagues and friends from the Synod of Sas- katchewan, the Presbytery of North- ern Saskatchewan, local churches, and the dedicated board and staff of SNCM gathered to share a meal and give their best wishes to the Rev. Dr. Folster on his retirement.
Hear the Good News
By John Barrett, Clerk of Session, Zion Presbyterian Church in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Hear the Good News was a project initiated and published by the Ses- sion of Zion Presbyterian Church in Charlottetown, P.E.I., with the goal of sharing the best ideas that the Atlantic Synod member churches had to offer. By “Good News,” we meant any special services, fellow-
ship events, fundraising projects and other initiatives that have worked well for these congregations. We felt that every congregation had at least one unique and successful idea that was worthy of sharing with our brothers and sisters within the Atlantic Synod.
Zion Presbyterian Church is de- lighted to report that we have com- pleted collecting, formatting, printing and sharing this valuable informa- tion with every Presbyterian church
in the Atlantic Synod. Through this publication, we believe that services, events and projects that have worked well in one part of our Synod can be adapted and tried elsewhere with shared success. The Session of Zion Presbyterian Church is hopeful that other Synods will seize upon the op- portunity to do likewise and gain the mutual benefits that can be earned through congregational sharing.
The 68-page publication contains
best practice ideas from a vast ma- jority of Atlantic Synod churches that are arranged in the book by category. The categories range from Advent to Easter, Youth Activities to Fundraising, Fellowship Events to Music, and so on. The complete publication is a great cross section of successful projects and services that we feel everyone can benefit from. As an added bonus, the pub- lication is available as a PDF docu-
ment. The Session of Zion Presby- terian Church would love to share this “Good News” with any church in the denomination. To have a copy of Hear the Good News emailed to your congregation, please contact John Barrett, Clerk of Session, at john@veseys.com.
It is our prayer that the sharing of these great ideas will help strengthen us as a denomination as we learn from the successes of others.