Page 17 - Presbyterian Connection

Connection
MISSION AND OUTREACH
The Evolution of a Post-Christendom Christian Congregation and Sanctuary
presbyterian.ca
WINTER 2022
By the Rev. Lynne Donovan, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Picton, Ont.
In 2007, St. Andrew’s Presby- terian Church in Picton, (a town of 4,000), embarked on a jour- ney of renewal, beginning with a discussion of identity. How could this aging, shrinking congrega- tion in the heart of Prince Edward County, Ont., (a destination for retirees, wineries, tourists and boutique hotels) be reborn to meet the needs of the twenty-first century? A task force spent the summer looking again at the min- istry of Jesus and concluded that we needed to move forward with curiosity, creativity and courage.
Between 2008 and 2019, we launched and ran a Ten Thou- sand Villages Fair Trade store on Main Street; founded Reaching for Rainbows, an after-school program serving vulnerable girls aged 6–9 (now in its 12th year); renovated our sanctuary and re- moved the pews; established a public labyrinth and a commu- nity garden on the property; and installed the Wisdom of the Uni- verse mural by Métis artist Christi Belcourt on our back wall.
All of these initiatives supported our commitment to connect with and serve the wider community in keeping with Jesus’ mandate to love our neighbour. We continued to be an aging, shrinking congre- gation; nevertheless, we were energized by all of our community partnerships and ministries.
Before and after shots of the sanctuary at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Picton, Ont.
Community Engagement Coor- dinator to further facilitate com- munity partnerships in order to populate this sanctuary/safe space seven days a week. At the same time, the congregation con- tinues to age and shrink. This is the post-Christendom and post- Covid reality.
What did we learn? Many things; but most challenging is the attachment that we have to our sanctuaries. The rebirth of a sanctuary is not easy, because it requires that we be reborn; it
requires a commitment to a vi- sion that is bigger than “church”; it requires acknowledging all the ways that we attach ourselves to furniture and architecture, even when these things imprison us to a former era and a former theol- ogy. However, our sacred stories encourage us to be a pilgrim peo- ple, a resurrection people, and a people reborn. We have learned that much dying is required in the midst of this sacred journey.
Come build the church not heaps of stone,
But friends of Jesus Spirit- blown.
—Brian Wren
For more information, insight and crazy stories about the journey of transforming a tra- ditional church into a Commu- nity Hub, please contact the Rev. Lynne Donovan at rev.lynne@ sympatico.ca. Follow the activi- ties of the church on Facebook: St. Andrew’s Picton.
By the fall of 2019, it became clear that while our property served a larger post-Christendom vision, and, as a result was vis- ited daily, our sanctuary was dated and, even without pews, was not aligned with our progres- sive ministry and our vision. And therefore, we engaged Dr. Doreen Balabanoff, designer and stained- glass artist, who met with the congregation for a workshop in February 2020. She heard us say the following:
“We come to St. Andrew’s to renew our strength and vision so that we can go back out and con- tribute to the world beyond it.”
We also shared with her that our favourite sacred spaces were not inside but outside on the lake- shore, in the forest, on a moun- tain. Our sanctuary had no natural light and no access to the “sanc- tuary of earth and sea and sky.” We wanted our “indoor sanctu- ary” to connect us to the cosmic
sanctuary, because we believe that the entire cosmos is a win- dow to the Mystery we call God.
Here is how Dr. Balabanoff de- scribed our vision:
Reimagining St. Andrew’s:
A regenerative sanctuary space connected to nature and cosmos opening up to a future grounded in spiritual wisdom and engaged with community. In August 2020, she provided
us with her recommendations that revealed a space totally trans- formed by skylights, paint and the removal of stained-glass windows at eye level—these to be replaced with coloured blown glass.
In July 2021, while replacing the roof we installed the skylights. In August 2022, the sanctuary was completely repainted in a warm white, including the walnut- stained beams. We wanted the space to be dominated by colour and light—not dark wood. The stained glass has not been re-
moved (yet).
The transformation is stunning.
During the day, the space danc- es with sunlight filtered through trees, clouds and stained glass. The sanctuary now speaks to a Christian identity that is more in- clusive and connected to the cre- ation and cosmos, and therefore, more connected to the Creator.
When we began the conversa- tion to transform the sanctuary in 2019, we could not foresee two events that would change our community forever: COVID-19 and the complete gentrification of Prince Edward County. As a result, many in our community are disenfranchised because of food insecurity, the lack of hous- ing, mental health and so on. We believe that this renovated space can now better serve as a place in support of community well-being.
With the renovation complete, we are ready to hire, with help from Presbyterians Sharing, a
PRESBYTERIAN
17
RECOGNITIONS
130 Years in Innisfail, Alberta
On August 28, the congregation of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Innisfail, Alta., gath- ered to celebrate their 130th an- niversary in the community, and 132 years of ministry in Central Alber ta. Seventy-five years ago, the congregation rallied to re- build after a fire destroyed the second church building. The
church, now located at 4715 – 50th Ave., is the third home for the Presbyterian community.
For the celebration, the con- gregation received greetings from the Moderator, the Rev. Dr. Bob Faris, and Innisfail Mayor Jean Barclay, among others. Following worship, the crowd gathered for food and fellowship.
The congregation’s minister, the Rev. Charles McNeil, said it was a wonder ful celebration that provided an oppor tunity to ac- knowledge a remarkable history as well as the strong spirit of the congregation that braved chal- lenges throughout its time as a worshipping community.
Find worship planners, lectionary resources, special prayers and seasonal resources at presbyterian.ca/worship