Page 48 - PC Winter 2023-24

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PRESBYTERIAN
WINTER 2023
presbyterian.ca
Submit your questions to connection@presbyterian.ca
On the cover of the Fall 2023 edition of the Presbyterian Connection newspaper, there was a beautiful photo of light shining through the windows into a sanctuary. Can you tell me where this image was taken?
Connection
JUST WONDERING...
Answered by Barb Summers, Editor
Thank you for your question. Staff at na- tional office regularly receive images from constituents for use in resources such as bulletin covers, the annual wall calendar, etc. Unfortunately, we don’t always get a lot of detail provided with the images. Such was the case with the spectacular image on the cover of the Fall newspaper. We knew
it was from a congregation in Canada, we just weren’t sure which one.
Thankfully, the Rev. Darren May at Jubilee Presbyterian Church in Stayner, Ont., reached out and solved the mystery. The spectacular image came from their church, and he kindly provided this im- age at a similar angle so we could verify. Thanks to the congregation at Jubilee for the wonderful picture!
I want to send items overseas to help alleviate poverty and provide relief in times of disasters. Why does the church and PWS&D not facilitate this?
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What should we do with communion leftovers?
Answered by Guy Smagghe, Presbyterian World Service & Development
In the past, items might have been sent from Canada for relief and development projects in the global South, but it has been many years since this was common practice. The biggest shipments in the past were of Canadian grain to provide food as- sistance.
Today, the costs related to shipping, storing and distributing goods shipped from Canada to a recipient country often far outweigh the actual value of the goods. Funds are better used to source items in or around the country of distribution, ensuring both that the goods are appropriate to the context and supporting the local economy.
An example of this is when Canadian grain was shipped to developing countries to address hunger issues in the 1980s and 1990s. In its early years, the food Canadian Foodgrains Bank shipped overseas was grown in Canada. This was due to regula- tions that mandated government aid funds could only be used to purchase Canadian goods.
In 2008, following advocacy efforts led by the Foodgrains Bank and with the support of Canadian farmers, the Cana- dian government updated their regulations, making it possible for government funds to
be used to buy food closer to the area of need in developing countries. This change not only improves the timeliness of food delivery in emergency situations, it reduc- es costs, ensures the right type of food is provided, and supports local farmers and economies. Increasingly, cash payments are provided directly to those in need of assistance, giving them full freedom to purchase the types of food and goods that they prefer instead of being given in-kind assistance.
Considering this, the church has found it more effective to provide funding to part- ners who can source what is needed for their programs locally. This is empowering for partners, program participants and the local economy. Most PWS&D programs do not entail distribution of goods except in relief situations, as it is more sustainable to help people build livelihoods that gener- ate the income they require to meet their needs. This also allows people to choose what is best for them.
While in exceptional circumstances it may still make sense to ship goods from Canada—for example, if technical equip- ment or goods are not available in the country of need—this is not the norm. In cases like these, other organizations with an expertise in these areas are best placed to both source and ship the items.
A Christmas gift that brings positive change presbyterian.ca/giftsofchange
Answered by the Rev. Don Muir, Deputy Clerk
In The Presbyterian Church in Canada, we believe the elements of the Lord’s Supper are symbols and not literally the body and blood of Christ. For this reason, elements not consumed during worship can be used or disposed of in respectful ways.
For example, the bread and grape juice/
wine could supplement a person’s meal. Grape juice/wine could be symbolically returned to God’s creation by pouring it into the earth of someone’s garden. Simi- larly, bread could be composted rather than placed in the church’s kitchen waste bucket. Even though a steady diet of bread is not healthy for birds or animals, some put out the leftover cubes or loaf in a dis- crete place for God’s creatures to feast.