nicks news - christmas 2012

ST. NICHOLAS BIRCH CLIFF ANGLICAN CHURCH CHRISTMAS, 2012

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NICK’S NEWS

Preparing to celebrate a Holy Christmas, or making room in our hearts and lives to receive the Christ child, can be a challenge. The busyness of the season, whether it is card writing,

decorating, gift preparations, celebrations with family and friends or a host of other things, often propels us into overdrive and the true reason for our celebration can easily

become blurred. For many, the expectations around Christmas and remembering the way things ‘used to be’ or ‘should be’, can also heighten a sense of loss or grief. For these reasons, and

Making room for Christ in Christmas

Our new incumbent, Janet Read-Hockin (middle), shared some time with Gary Glowacki of The Bridge (left) and FaithWorks co0rdinator Karen Inselsbacher (right) after the service on Oct. 28. Get to know Janet better by reading 20 Questions With...on page 6.

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Advent all about looking forward

more, the season of Advent becomes an important focus and a gateway for making room in our hearts and lives to receive the Christ child more fully.

The season of Advent, which spans the four weeks preceding Christmas, comes from the Latin words ad - "to" + venio - "come". As a season in the Chruch Year, it provides us with the opportunity to look forward to the coming of the Christ child and to the coming of Christ in glory. It is marked by a focused spirit of expectation, anticipation, preparation and of longing.

At first glance, it may seem like simply one more thing to do in an already hectic schedule but it is far more. It is something we are called to do in order to imbue everything else with hope, peace, joy and love.

Those four qualities or gifts of hope, peace, joy and love, are the focus of each of the four weeks of Advent. One method of honouring Advent and preparing for Christmas is to take time each day or week is to meditate on the gift before us in a three-fold movement upward, inward and outward.

For example, the focus of the first week of Advent is hope. Step 1. The movement upward: What hope does God set before me through His word and the coming of Jesus?

Step 2. The movement inward: How have I experienced hope today or this week? In what areas, situations or relationships do I need greater hope?

Step 3. The movement outward: How can I incorporate God’s hope more fully in my life and extend it to others?

By taking time to meditate in this way, or by taking time to worship, pray, reflect on scripture or spend time in a daily devotion, we are making room for the coming of Christ to enter our hearts and homes anew. And that is what Christmas is truly about: making room, celebrating and honouring a God who chose to enter humanity in and through the person of Jesus Christ, imbuing all of life with hope, peace, joy and love. It is a gift unlike any other and worth taking the time to unwrap in the busyness of the season for it, alone, has the power to transform us and our world.

May God’s blessings of hope, peace, joy and love fill your hearts and homes as you prepare for the coming of the Christ child.

Yours in faith,Rev. Janet

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Words of thanks from Rev. JanetDear friends in Christ,Words cannot express the gratitude I feel

for the tremendous kindness, warmth and welcome which you have extended to me and my husband Joe. Over the past months, I have been blessed to witness the faith,

commitment, willingness to serve God and hospitality which you, the people of St. Nicholas, Birch Cliff, demonstrate in both word and action.

I regard it as an honour and privilege to have been called to lead and serve within this


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parish and pray that together, by the grace of God, we will continue to build on the strength and witness of this parish.

To be honest, the beginning of a new incumbency can be nerve wracking for the new clergy person, the ministry staff and the parish. For all involved, it marks a transition in which new relationships are being built and a mutual commitment is being made to build up the kingdom of God within and beyond the parish.

I am deeply grateful for the guidance of our Wardens, Doug, Sonia, Anne and Brian, as well as St. Nicholas’ ministry staff, The Rev. Dr. Alison Falby, Deb Chapman, Janet Baron and Carmine Lappano as well as The Rev. Joan Waters-Garner and The Rev. Canon Ian Noseworthy.

I have a host of ideas, hopes and expectations. Unlike many positions, ordained ministry does not have a formal built-in system of accountability. As such I want to share some of my ideas with you not only as a means for me to hold myself accountable, but also as an opportunity for you to pray

for these ministries and prayerfully consider if God is calling you to lend your gifts to them.

Some of my hopes and expectations match those which were identified by you in the Parish Profile and are as follows:

* To visit every ‘family’ within the parish within the new year.

* To hold a Parish Visioning process in early 2013 so that together we may seek to discern God’s will for this parish and its ministry initiatives. By God’s grace, this process will help us set priorities and create a tangible plan to move “into the future.”

* Provide opportunities for continued spiritual growth through such things as small group study and by providing an opportunity for people to identify and use the gifts God has given to them. To help facilitate the former, we will be holding an Advent program on Handel’s Messiah in December. To help facilitate the latter, we will be inviting individuals to participate in the LifeKeys program sometime in the new year. LifeKeys is a spiritually-based program for discovering your life gifts, spiritual gifts, personality

type, values and passions in an easygoing and enlightening manner and will be open to individuals of all ages.

* Explore and initiate opportunities for inter-generational and family programs which augment rather than infringe on present programs or forms of worship.

Looking over this list it may sound like a lot but, with God’s help and a mutual commitment to ministry I strongly believe that all of it is within our reach.

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to the Selection Committee, not simply because I am grateful to be here, but because the ministry they undertake is often far more demanding and time consuming than many people perceive.

As we continue to follow and serve Jesus may God grant us wisdom, discernment and strength and fill us with the knowledge that "God can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine."

Yours in faith and friendship,

Janet +The Reverend Janet

Read-Hockin

Lots of ideas, lots of work to do, too

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WARDENS’ REPORTWhat an amazing year 2012 has been so far

in the life of St Nicholas’ parish. As we look forward to the beauty and joy of the Christmas season we also look back over a year that has been filled with change and with many wonderful and significant events.

Perhaps the most important of those events was the naming on June 10 by the Parish Selection Committee of our new priest, the Reverend Janet Read-Hockin. Janet and her husband, Joe Hockin arrived at St. Nicholas in mid-August and in October, Bishop Patrick Yu officiated at the moving induction service which officially made Janet our incumbent.

We are very happy to have Janet and Joe with us as part of the St. Nicholas family and look forward to many years of growth and development as a Christian community under Janet’s thoughtful guidance and insightful leadership.

A less happy event of 2012 was having to prematurely say goodbye to our interim priest, Michael Pollesel. Michael had intended to be with us until our new incumbent was in place, but his position as Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Uruguay required him to be there in early June.

We were very sorry to see him go but we understood, and were fortunate that Bishop Yu was able to appoint as an “interim for our interim,” the Rev. Ron Scott who took over capably until the arrival of Rev. Janet in August. Although this was a somewhat shaky period for us all, we weathered it well thanks to the strength and commitment of all those involved in ministry at St Nick’s.

Of course this year the other major events were most certainly the Centennial events themselves.

We have welcomed back our former priests, Jack Roney (April), Prue Chambers (May), Ian Nichols (September) and most recently, Kevin Robertson in October as guest preachers and have enjoyed the opportunity to hear and reconnect with our former spiritual leaders.

The major focus of our anniversary year was the Homecoming Weekend of June 9 and 10. The Gala Dinner and Dance held at Ella’s Ballroom on the Saturday evening was a

Rev. Ian Noseworthy had some help playing the keyboard from his trusty dog Kenny during the annual Blessing of the Animals in October.

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wonderful event, followed on Sunday morning by our homecoming service at which we were honoured to have as celebrant and homilist the Primate of Canada, the Right Reverend Fred Hiltz.

The choir’s singing of the Centennial anthem commissioned from composer Barry Peters was a highlight of the service, while the floral display organized by the altar guild meant that St. Nicholas had never looked so beautiful.

The weekend of our 100th anniversary was truly memorable and was a tribute to all the organizers, led by Betsy Jones (Altar Guild), Doreen Moffat and Jane Roberts (Gala committee).

Centennial events continued over the next few months. First was the unveiling of a Heritage Toronto plaque on August 9, the date on which 100 years earlier the original church was dedicated. This plaque outlining St Nicholas’ history in Birch Cliff is now mounted on the wall to the west of the main door of the church.

The end of September brought our neighbourhood street party run by Suzanne Lehtinen, Joan-Mary Spencer and a host of volunteers. Manderley Avenue was closed off, hot dogs served, games played and a good time had by all as we shared our centennial with the local community.

In addition to Centennial events, many other things were happening during the year. Spring saw the completion of the planting of the new gardens and the dedication in May by Canon Prue Chambers of the Kennington Memorial Garden. Thanks are due to Arlene McGuire and the other members of the small but dedicated garden committee for the

planning and carrying out of this wonderful project.

In August, Deb Chapman and her team of volunteers once again held a very successful Vacation Bible Camp at which more than 20 children had fun while learning about the five essential ingredients of a joy-filled life at the ‘Taste and See’ Café.

Our 96 year-old building also received its share of attention this year. And it was definitely needed. The kitchen renovation is virtually finished and functioned well for the Bazaar tea room. The exterior tuck-pointing was carried out earlier in the year, which allowed us to then repair the interior damage which had been caused by water seepage, particularly in the Manderley entrance and the book room.

These areas have now been repaired and plastered and while some painting still remains to be done, the work is otherwise finished. A very large debt of gratitude is owed particularly to Reg McRae who organized, oversaw and did a lot of the work on these important projects.

All in all, this has been an exciting and eventful year in the life of our parish. Despite not having an incumbent for more than half the year and the perhaps inevitable drop-off in attendance and offerings, we are now seeing that trend reversed as Janet settles in here at St. Nick’s.

We are truly blessed in our parish family and, as ever, we thank you all so much for your efforts and for your ongoing prayers and support.

The Churchwardens - Doug Goss, Sonia Halloran, Anne Moir and Brian Todd

Centennial wasn’t only highlight


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20 QUESTIONS WITH...

CHRISTMASSunday, December 16 (Advent 3)8:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist10:30 a.m. – Sung Eucharist with Church School7 p.m. –A Service of Lessons and CarolsSunday December 23 (Advent 4)8:30 a.m - Holy Eucharist

10:30 a.m. – Sung Eucharist with Church SchoolMonday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)5 p.m. - Holy Eucharist7 p.m. - Family Eucharist with Pageant11 p.m. - Traditional Eucharist with CandlelightTuesday, December 25 (Christmas Day)10:30 a.m. - Sung Eucharist

Sunday, December 30 (First Sunday after Christmas)8:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist10:30 a.m. – Sung EucharistSunday, January 6 (Epiphany)8:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist10:30 a.m. - Sung Eucharist

...our new incumbent, Rev. Janet Read-Hockin1. Tell us a little about yourself. Where

are you from originally? Did you come from a big family? Have you ever driven a tractor?

I was born and raised in central Toronto and I am the youngest of five children. Before arriving at St. Nicholas, I would have said that I came from a big family but I have subsequently learned that five children or seven family members does not constitute a large family! While I have never driven a tractor, I have been a passenger on a ski-doo.

2. Can you tell us a little about your journey that led you to entering the clergy?

I am afraid that my answer to this question would be far too long to print, however I will

share a few insights and welcome any further dialogue.

Following the death of my father when I was 14, God and I had a parting of ways. At that time, and for several years, I could not reconcile the notion of a loving God with the reality of suffering and death.

It took me a long time to recognize that it was I who had left God rather than God who had left me.

I truly believe that one of the most powerful aspects of the Christian story is that Christ is present even in the midst of that suffering seeking to bring light even when we feel overwhelmed with darkness.

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SERVICES


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In terms of my sense of call to ordained ministry, I can honestly say that it was not a call I was expecting! I began my M.Div. at Wycliffe College in 1990 with the intention of going into Inner-city Youth Work as a lay person. In the summer of 1991, I carried out a summer internship in the Parish of Parham-Sharbot Lake in the Diocese of Ontario.

It was through the ministry opportunities and my experience there that the sense of being called to ordained ministry came to the forefront for the first time. I was not prepared for it and actually dropped out of Wycliffe for six years. Over those years, the personal sense of call continued and was further affirmed within a broader Church context.

In 1996, I returned to Wycliffe, completed my degree and was Ordained a Deacon in the Diocese of Toronto in 1999.

In all honesty, this is an highly abbreviated sharing of my faith journey and call to ordained ministry. I will share, however, one quote that has been very formative for me in my own journey and the exercise of ordained ministry. The quote is from Frederick Buechner and may be paraphrased as “Your vocation in life is that place where your great joy meets the hunger of the world.” I think that this is at the heart of all ministry – lay or ordained.

For me, that ‘great joy’ was, and is, in proclaiming the good news of God in Jesus Christ.

3. Good thing you kept it short. So you graduated from Wycliffe, eh? The kids at Trinity say that’s where the nerds go. What do you think of that?

By nerd, do you mean those who self-identify that “Nunc Est Regni Deus” (now is the reign of God)? If so, I’m pretty sure that they are nerds too! If I’m quoting Latin, though, does that make me a nerd?

4. So you have a cat named Neil Young? What’s up with that? Why wouldn’t you name him Cat Stevens instead?

Neil Young, our cat, was named by my husband Joe on the day he brought him home from a farm. The poor little kitten was meowing like crazy in the car but when Neil Young’s song Harvest Moon came on the radio, he stopped meowing and calmed down completely. Maybe if it was Cat’s in the Cradle or Father and Son on the radio it would have been a different story!

5. What inspires you?Jesus and the lives of faith of his followers.6. Is there a little corner of the world

to which you like to escape?Yes, our cottage near Parry Sound.7. What’s on you iPod (if you have one)?If we change the “o” to an “a” I do have one.

While I am still learning to use my iPad, it has various Apps, music and videos and a calendar that I am still trying to figure out how to sync!

8. What book are you reading at the moment?

Sara Miles’ Take this Bread and Jann Arden’s Fa$ing Backwards.

9. Do you have a favourite saint? Who is it and why?

I am grateful that you used small “s” saint and the answer in this case is my mom, Helen, who is alive and well and has been, and continues to be, one of my “heroes of faith.” She is my favourite saint because she has modeled a depth of faith, faithful living and humility that I can only aspire to match and there have been countless times where she has helped me “grow into the person I know Christ wants me to be much more so than I could have on my own.”

10. What would you be doing if you were not an Anglican priest?



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...More Carmine

I really do not know as I struggle to even imagine doing anything else.

11. What’s your idea of a perfect evening?

It would be an evening with my husband Joe and the “perfect” part would be far less about what we are doing than simply having time to spend together. As I think about it, however, it would probably be an evening at our cottage, enjoying a nice dinner that we cooked together and watching the sunset.

12. What would you like inscribed on your tombstone?

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills”. It was the inscription on my father’s family tombstone and when I visited his grave as a teenager I would always read the words aloud without knowing where they came from. Searching for the words within their full context was probably the first time I opened the Bible for myself and that has made all the difference.

13. What are your interests outside your job?

I love to read, garden poorly but with enthusiasm, and I like to turn pens on my wood lathe.

14. Do you think you’ll live to see the Maple Leafs win a Stanley Cup? In other words, are you expecting to live to 126?

While I do not expect to live to 126 years of age, I absolutely expect to see the Maple Leafs win a Stanley Cup again. After all, not only am a Torontonian, I am also a person of faith and, in this case, faith truly is “the substance of things hoped for, the promise of

things not yet seen.” 15. What are you looking forward to accomplishing here at St. Nick’s?I am hoping to continue to build on the strength that is already present by fostering a continued deepening of our life of faith as it is revealed and lived out in and through the person of Jesus Christ. More details may be found in my article in this edition and in the weeks, months and years to come!16. What’s your pet peeve?When we fail to respect one another’s ministry.17. If you were having the

Archbishop of Canterbury over for dinner, what would you cook?Joe barbecues a pretty incredible steak so I’ll have to

go with that – providing, of course, that the Archbishop doesn’t have any dietary restrictions.

18. What is your all-time favourite movie?

Pride and Prejudice.19.And your favorite book?Also Pride and Prejudice.20. Do you have a personal credo?It isn’t a personal credo but the phrase that

came into my head is “salvation is about great weeping and great laughter.”


Rev. Janet seems to think this will happen again in her lifetime. Good luck with that one.


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By Deb Chapman and Sonia Halloran

Autumn is the time of harvest and the markets are full of the amazing bounty of colourful fruits and vegetables that inspire comforting thoughts of rich stews and hearty soups to keep us warm as the days get shorter and colder. But for many, there is no comfort because the cost of these wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables is prohibitive. You can help.

St. Nicholas is involved in two major food ministries that provide fresh fruits and vegetables, in various ways to those who cannot afford to buy them. We are a founding member of Churches by the Bluffs Food Bank, that operates out of Birchcliff Bluffs United Church. This food bank serves over 300 families and is committed to enhancing hampers with as many fresh items as possible. Your donations of food and money help ensure that they meet their commitments.

In addition to providing food hampers and a free lunch to their clients, the food bank also offers advocacy and assistance by facilitating referrals to other government and social

agencies and at tax time by providing free income tax service. At St. Nicholas we continue to support the work of the food bank, both financially and through many volunteer hours. In fact, one of our parishioners has been volunteering weekly at the food bank since it began.

We are also involved in the Beach Interfaith Lunch Program, which provides hot lunches Monday through Friday at various locations. Last year, St. Nicholas partnered with St. John the Baptist, Norway to provide nutritious lunches utilizing as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible.We served between 50 and 85 guests each Tuesday, working on a schedule of ‘two weeks on and two weeks off ’ with the St. John’s team. This year, they have run into a volunteer problem, which means St. John’s is unable to meet this schedule. In order to continue this necessary ministry, we have committed to providing lunch every

week, at least for the time being.

Outreach shows how much we care

Kids attending The Amazing Christmas Feast on Dec. 23 will get some face time with Santa Claus two days before Christmas.

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This additional commitment means that both our volunteer base and our financial budget are stretched. You could help in several ways. If you have a few hours to spare on a Tuesday you could join our team (please know that you do not have to commit to every week, just let us know when you could work).

Also, if you like to bake you could donate a dessert periodically. Or we could always use a nutritious salad to complement the meal. Let me know how you might be able to help. A donation to the Outreach fund is another way to help further both the Food Bank ministry and the Beach Interfaith Lunch program.

And coming up on Dec. 23 is our Amazing Christmas Feast, held in co-operation with Wimpy’s Diner and BBNC (Birchcliff Bluffs Neighbourhood Centre). Each year, literally hundreds of people enjoy a turkey dinner at Wimpy’s and then come to St. Nicholas for dessert, a visit from Santa, gifts and for the children, a colour photo of themselves with their favourite man in red.

In addition, essentials such as toilet tissue, toothpaste and other hygiene items generously donated by St. Nick’s parishioners are provided for those who need them.

Looking ahead, while our commitment to the food bank and the Christmas Feast remains constant, we are conducting a needs assessment in order to identify what other outreach initiatives are most needed in our area. The hope is that the program(s) identified can be begun at St. Nick's in the fall of 2013.

Nonetheless, whatever the Outreach committee and volunteers take on, none of it can be carried out without both the spiritual and financial support of the wider St. Nicholas community. We know that St. Nicholas is a church that cares and so we are confident that, as it has in the past, the support needed will be most generously forthcoming.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration of support for these food ministries.

Continued from page 9 POETRY CORNERBy Joan Clarke

As Christmas Carols fill the air,

With snowflakes falling everywhere,

There are packages to mail away,

Rehearsals for the Christmas play.

The Christmas tree to decorate,

We sure hope Santa won’t be late,

Friends to remember, near and far,

As we gaze up at the Shining Star.

Recalling that very first night,

the manger and the Star so bright,

The shepherds kneeling by His side,

And gentle Mary’s smile of pride.

Two-thousand years have come and gone,

Yet we still greet the Christmas dawn,

With wishes old, for Peace on Earth,

As we rejoice our Saviour’s birth.


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To help celebrate our centennial with the community, St. Nicks held a Street Party Sept. 29 on Manderley Avenue. From left to right, Sarah Brown is saved by Spiderman (times two), some of Toronto’s finest make an appearance and Joan Wright has a hallucination involving unicorns.

100 YEARS OF ST. NICKSExactly 100 years to the day after the official dedication of the Church building by the Bishop of Toronto on Aug. 9, 2012, Heritage Toronto unveiled a plaque honouring the Church of St. Nicholas. Highlighting the event was the early arrival of Baby Victoria Catherine Carter, born on our most significant centennial day. Congratulations to all.

History of a Christening GownThe year is 1955 and Rev. Garnsworthy is holding Betty Kimball’s younger brother, Rodger Brown, in a gown passed down through the family back from the 1800s. Mothers, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters, daughters and sons and grandchildren have all worn this gown. Although not everyone was baptized at St. Nicks, many were, including all the Brown children and Sheila’s youngest daughter, Jennie, and granddaughter, Leslie. Last to wear the gown was Julia Durbin, seen here with her parents in 2005 in Robinson Hall.


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2012: It was quite a yearJANUARY 15Reg McRae shows up with his toolbox to

do a few repairs around the church and doesn’t resurface until August. Apparently, he discovers the weeping tile needs replacing and decides to dig around the church himself, resurfacing only to set up tables every week for coffee hour.

FEBRUARY 27A miscommunication leads to an

unfortunate turn of events when Rev. Michael Pollesel urges the church to make a donation to the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund. Treasurer Brian Jones dutifully signs a cheque, but sends it to the Primates Relief Fund, which is devoted to preserving wildlife for orangutans.

MARCH 24Alison Falby is ordained as an Anglican

Priest, making her full title “The Reverend Dr. Alison Falby, B.A. M.A, Phd, M.Div., Blesser of the Bicycles, Confirmation Guidance Specialist and Chief Bottle Washer.

NOVEMBER 3The Pick-A-Pocket scheme at the annual

St. Nick’s Bazaar goes horribly wrong when one of the patrons accidentally reaches into Al Pollard’s pants pocket and emerges with a ball of lint big enough to choke a horse.

DECEMBER 8Santa’s elves at the Christmas Dance step

out for a breath of fresh air and are arrested shortly after when the police respond to numerous complaints from the area residents. “Hey, we haven’t done anything wrong,” they say. “Yeah, but look at those tights. They’re a crime against fashion, not to mention a contravention of everyone’s constitutional

right to not have recurring nightmares the rest of their lives,” say the police.

DECEMBER 9Newly installed incumbent Rev. Janet

Read-Hockin is mortified at the presence of the Bishop St. Nicholas at 10:30 mass. “I did not sign up for this,” she tells Archbishop Colin Johnson. “Yeah, well, we should have told you about that guy. But we were afraid that if we had, you would have barricaded yourself in your church in Shanty Bay,” he replies.

Al Pollard had a lot more than trinkets in his pockets at the annual Bazaar.

nicks news - christmas 2012

Spiritual

husband joe

food bank

stanley cup

manderley avenue

personal credo

ve children

alison falby

deb chapman