Zoom link | Recordings Playlist (YouTube)
Synod staff members are pleased to begin offering the Synod Commons - a regular open forum online for clergy, parish lay officers and staff, and others who are interested.
Session topics will be announced in advance. Each session will typically include a presentation and time for questions (on the topic and, if time, on any topic). Sessions will be held on the first and fourth Tuesdays from 12:10 - 12:55 pm and will be recorded.
- May 26: Parish Property Matters
Looking to sell some parish property or lease part of a building or your rectory on a long-term basis? Join us to discuss the process involved with doing so.
- June 2: tba (we are trying to have someone from the Pension Office join us)
- June 23: tba
Past Commons Sessions
May 5: Dinner Church
Shawn Branch gives a brief overview of 'Dinner Church' and talks with the Rev. Harold Boomer, who launched two dinner church congregations in his region over three years ago, to hear about their experiences.
April 28: Safe Church Updates
Our Safe Church safeguarding framework is currently undergoing updates. These changes are a result of what has been learned over the years of administering this program, and to simplify the administration of safeguarding at the parish level. Besides some updates to basic content, revisions will include a more modular format, new and modularized training, and a revamped website. Synod Personnel and Safe Church Officer Ben Bourque shares about the changes and timeline.
April 7: CRA responsibilities with Treasurer Philip Shepherdson
March 24: Parish annual returns and forms
Annual returns are due April 15. This session covered the main three elements of a return: Annual reports with financial statements, statistical and financial returns (online forms), and updating parish officers, synod delegates, etc. via DIMS.
February 24: Synod grants for parishes
Synod Treasurer Philip Shepherdson, and Director of Mission and Ministry Shawn Branch discuss the grants available from the Synod (and, in some cases, the Anglican Foundation of Canada) for parishes with respect to infrastructure improvement, innovative ministry or evangelistic endeavours, and including smaller kickstarter missional initiative grants. For more information and links, see our Synod Financial Resources for Parishes page.
February 3: Parish Annual Meetings
An overview of parish annual meetings and the annual report presented by the diocesan chancellor, Canon David Bell. For further reference, Canon David provides a written summary on conducting annual meetings on the Parish Annual Meeting resources page.
December 2: Small Parish, Big Impact
Canon Shawn Branch, Director of Mission & Ministry, chats with Cleo Cyr from the Parish of Hammond River about how this small parish is making a big difference in its local community and what we can all learn from their journey. The conversation also highlights how Shawn gets to come alongside parishes like Hammond River as they listen, dream, and respond to what God is doing in their midst.