presents
“The Healing Ministry of Christ”
A Conference on Healing

September 23rd and 24th, 2023
Christ Church, The Pas, Manitoba

Conference Speakers: The Ven. Dr. Kara Mandryk, Coordinator, Henry Budd College for Ministry & Archdeacon for Education and Training
The Ven. Lydia Constant, Archdeacon Emeritus, Deanery Elder, Henry Budd College Elder

For more information or to register, contact Shelley Andres at 204-687-5744 (home), 204-687-0852 (cell), or sandres@mymts.net

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Fare well, Rev’d Jann. You’ll be missed here. Thank you for everything that you have done for The Pas and the Diocese of Brandon!

The post Another Goodbye appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

On Sunday July 30, twenty-five members of the South Parkland Parish gathered for an outdoor service of Holy Eucharist followed by a time of gathering and sharing of food at St. Michael and All Angels in McCreary. It was a wonderful time; plans are being made other times of celebration. We are thankful and in awe of God’s creation and gifts.

Christ Church, The Pas, as submitted by the Rev’d Jann Brooks

On June 25, Christ Church, The Pas held their second annual Teddy Bears’ Picnic. It was a huge success with over 200 guests attending (which is 100% more guests than they had in 2022). They had all ages groups from infants and to toddlers and young families to mebers of the podcast “Young Voices of the North” as well as the Fur Queen and court volunteering. There were games (where every participant won a prize) to face painting, to a medical tent for teddies where real doctors and nurses fixed teddies needing care. They had a bouncy castle and plenty of hot dogs, hamburgers, cake and cookies and popcorn, which were all provided at no charge to participants. The entire day was free of any cost as a way to support families of all kinds to enjoy a wifi-free old fashioned picnic day together.

St. John’s, Kelwood, as submitted by Lillian Kien (with information from the Rev’d Garry MacDowell)

On July 16, 2023, the Rev’d Canon Joy Ruddock, a former Bishop’s Messenger, and long serving priest of the Diocese of Brandon, went to St. John’s, Kelwood to sign copies of the booklet about her life. On August 13, following the Sunday service at St. Mary’s, Brandon, Canon Joy signed more copies of this booklet for well-wishers.

Those who wish to pick up a copy of this booklet on Canon Joy’s life can obtain one through the St. Mary’s, Brandon church office at 204-727-3393. There is no cost to this booklet, although donations to the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund in honor of Canon Joy would be greatly appreciated!

St. James’, Rivers, as submitted by Kathy Roberts

In June, Pat Wood coordinated a cold plate supper for the parish. In July, members of St. James’ deliver Meals on Wheels to residents of Rivers. This has been their assigned month for many years now. The meals are prepared in the hospital kitchen and are delivered to homes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  This July, the Ryalls, Allans, Carters and Roberts were on the roster for this very important ministry in Rivers. In addition to all this, a new sign for the parish has been made by Tom Ryall. Les Wood took the time to install it on the church property.

The Tri-Valley Parish (St. Mary’s, Virden; St. Mark’s, Elkhorn, St. John’s, Reston & Christ Church, Melita), as submitted by the Editor

It has been a busy summer for Fr. Matt: in May, he graduated with his (third) master’s degree: this time in Theological Studies from Trinity College at the University of Toronto.  He has no plans of returning to formal education in the near future! From June 25 through to August 26, Fr. Matt was also the chaplain to the Brandon Cadet Flight Training Centre that ran out of Brandon University. In this role, he was responsible for the morale, welfare and spiritual needs of approximately 125 souls, which included course and staff cadets as well as adult staff. (Fr. Matt’s photo in his “Word to the Editor” is also from his time as cadet chaplain!)

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Thank you. I came among you in 2016 as a southern Ontario boy who knew what rural Ontario was like, but had no idea of what rural Manitoba was like. I had little idea of what was awaiting me. You have been kind, generous and compassionate to me. You have taught me an entire Encyclopedia Brittanica’s worth of knowledge in the experiences I have had serving you. I have come to love this place and all these people, both north and south, and I give thanks to God for your patience and wisdom in teaching me how to do this job.

It has been my privilege to walk with you, to learn from you, to advocate for you and to tell the world about the wonderful dedication and ministry that I have seen in Brandon. I am in awe of the laity who keep our parishes working, the clergy who are preaching and visiting and working day be day to care for the people of God in this place.

After 31 years of being ordained, I would like to observe that it is the nature of ministry that we are in a never ending cycle of beginnings and endings. Births and deaths, time turns on, and our lives change. I have imprinted on my mind many faces who are no longer with us – who have been gathered to Jesus and serve and praise him in his nearer presence. I give thanks for all of them too.

As I prepare to move to Kingston, Ontario, I wanted to take this opportunity to encourage you. The Diocese of Brandon has a great deal to offer to the whole church. We are living witnesses to a form of reconciliation and walking together that is a possibility in the church. We wait for each other. We listen to each other. We bear one another’s burdens. None of this is to say that there haven’t been difficult times, there have! But the ability to bear with the crises and trauma of every day life are in fact a sign of the resilience and gospel love which we have for one another.

I believe the next steps for the Diocese of Brandon are healthy ones which will deepen our commitment to reconciliation, broaden our educational offerings and deepen the commitment to discipleship which is already active in our midst. I am proud that for the 7 years, 6 months and 15 days I have served you as the Bishop of Brandon, I have been a part of your lives and part of the tremendous changes we have made. Not to us, but to God be the glory. God has done great things in our midst and will do greater still if we keep to the right path and walk with one another in trust of his plan and his will. I ask your blessing as I go, and tell the friends and family over in Ontario about your wonderful souls and the joy of knowing you. God bless you all.

The post A Word From Our (Departing) Bishop appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

In one of those God inspired moments, the main worship services of the conference were held on the Friday and Saturday of the Pentecost ember days. Four times a year, during these “ember days”, we pray for the whole ministry of the church: both those who exercise their ministry through their baptism, as well as those who exercise their ministry through their diaconal, priestly and episcopal vows. In my sermon at the final Eucharist, which took place on the Saturday ember day, I spoke of how my own vocation story started in that very place: I moved away from Fredericton in 1996 thinking that I had a vocation to be a church musician. God did call me to be a church musician, but only called me to it for a short period of time (which does happen in vocations). It would be later that He would reveal to me that I was called to be a priest. Celebrating the Eucharist, “the source and summit of the Christian life”, in one of the places that formed me, in one of the places my heart will always live, was a powerful moment, one that I will treasure for the rest of my earthly ministry.

We’re about to enter into a time of discernment in our own diocesan life, a time where we pray for a very specific vocation: for somebody to be called to be the eighth Bishop of Brandon. That work will begin shortly, and I’m sure that the pages of the Mustard Seed over the next few months will reflect that work that we will be doing.

But before we do that work of calling the eighth Bishop of Brandon, we need to pause and give thanks to God for calling Bishop William into our midst for a period of time. I’m sure that I can speak for many of us when I say that this Diocese is incredibly grateful for the work that he has done here. He leaves here after seven years of fruitful ministry, one where the Gospel was preached, disciples made, and saints equipped for the work of ministry. He has very much made his indelible mark on this place.

Fare well, Bishop William. Thank you for all you have done here, and may God bless your ministry in the Diocese of Ontario. Our loss is truly their gain.

Grace and peace,

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