AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes I was permitted to share the story of one of my congregants. He and his wife go to another country...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame Bowcott It has been my experience in ministry that often the sharing of stories of...
By Laurel Pattenden What do you get when you put a groundhog and a heart together? Well you get February! What do you get when...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery I shared a post on Facebook recently that I thought was brilliant. A week or two...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Dr. Grayhame Bowcott Local theologies are the ways that the everyday members of a congregation...
By Laurel Pattenden As we journey through Advent and get nearer to Christmas, I am hearing more and more comments like “This Christmas...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION Rev. Canon Keith Nethery As we begin the final month of 2020, people are, no doubt, still touting this as the...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Recently the Diocese of Huron has entered into a partnership with Tithe.ly Tithe.ly is your all...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Dr. Grayhame Bowcott Last month, I argued that fear of congregational decline, fear of losing our...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt One of my favourite Christmas hymns is a thoughtful and meditative...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes Earlier in the month, I had bought a special sale car wash. This bright sunny morning, I decided to use...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS Rev. Dr. Grayhame Bowcott Any contemporary text in theology, church history, pastoral care, or even liturgy,...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque If the pandemic is teaching us one thing, it is the importance of the web-based tools in...
By Laurel Pattenden This is the time of year I begin my wandering quest for the perfect book to journey with through Advent. I want...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Who are you trying to reach on social media? As we start to think about setting budgets for 2021...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes Despite the challenging times and all the weighty news of violated peoples, we must live forward. By...
By Laurel Pattenden We can always learn. During this COVID-19 season of our life, I have already learned a few things. It has come to...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque We have all heard the phrase, “The New Normal” thousands of times during this pandemic. It...
By Laurel Pattenden The calendar is empty but it is amazing how I feel like I am living the life of a whirling top. Spinning. Around...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Social distancing has meant that the church has had to change and change rapidly. We are no longer...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes As COVID-19 pulls us into self-isolation (which may be lifted by the time of this publication), many...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Throughout this series, I’ve written in detail about how your website is often the first and...
By Laurel Pattenden Clowning is very rarely thought of as an art. I never thought about it until I signed up for a clowning course...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery I’m cognizant of the fact that I am writing this on April 1. While the natural...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes The isolation called upon in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 may limit the mind’s checkpoints...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque In this new normal of living through a pandemic, our reliance on social media platforms has been...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt It all started out so simply. Two grandparents heading to Ottawa to be...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Whether it is Google, Facebook, Yelp or Bing, there are many modern replacements to the “yellow...
Laurel Pattenden, Snow Scene By Laurel Pattenden Every year we have a little pocket of time in mid-winter that falls between the...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes During certain times of the year, we may find ourselves more susceptible to negative thoughts....
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Heading into 2020 and keeping up with all the innovations in social media can seem daunting. Which...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery It dawned on me on Christmas Eve that this was the 25th Christmas in a row that I...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque When I meet someone for coffee I rarely meet at Tim Horton’s. I normally search out a locally...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt In the waning days of 2019, I had written and submitted my article for...
Laurel Pattenden, Birch bark (detail) By Laurel Pattenden The Christmas of 2018, I gifted myself a poetry book called “a Nature...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes “As the wheel inevitably turns, how will we live?”(Sparrow Heart) We enter the third chapter of life...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque The welcome package is a sure-fire way to help newcomers learn more about your community. They...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION Keith’s top 10 or so things that we might think about in advance of the Episcopal election By Rev. Canon Keith...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt Before you read this article, I invite you to pause for a moment, take...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes Are we ever quiet? I mean truly still? As living organisms, we throb with life continually and never...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt The view from the dome car as the train left Churchill, kept changing...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Recently someone seeking to use the goodwill of the people of the Diocese of Huron cloned...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt In the waning days of summer each year, I get a notice that it is time...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes It’s late October, and I can’t help but enjoy the splashes of red and orange as I drive the backroads...
By Laurel Pattenden One of my favourite modern Christmas songs was written by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne, and you know it very...
Dr. Theo Boer at the conference on medical assistance in dying, Huron University, December 2019 By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt During the summer months various stories are shared about special...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes “Life doesn’t get easier. You just get better at being able to handle it..” Stuff happens! It is a...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Just how important is each user? How important is each like, subscription or share? Why put so...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt My grandparents began their lives in rural Ireland and England....
By Laurel Pattenden This past Christmas season (do not worry you are reading the June edition!) I visited a favourite bookstore....
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes When the winds blow crazy strong, and trash flies dangerously close, duck, and as best you can, get out...
By Laurel Pattenden I can hardly wait for spring. Nature bursting with new buds and countless shades of green growth. Each day it...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt The details of his life are obscured by the mists of time. Legends...
By Laurel Pattenden I really like cats. They are experts at knowing how to relax. Laying upon their favourite chair, sleepy eyes,...
By Rev. Marty Levesque I have said it many times: a professionally designed and developed website is no longer an option for the...
By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery Rarely do clergy gather together that the conversation doesn’t turn to funerals, baptisms and weddings;...
By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt Like a curtain being drawn across a window, shutting out the sun’s glare and darkening an...
By Rev. Jim Innes “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”(Lk 23:34) The world is ravaged by self-protectiveness....
By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt “Love overcomes hatred.” The Mayor of Gander, Newfoundland is shown offering those insightful...
By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery After many years of writing this column, something new has begun. I’m getting responses. I received more...
By Laurel Pattenden Puttering around in the art studio is something I would like to do most days but another favourite of mine is to...
By Rev. Jim Inness “I’d rather starve in Newfoundland than live anywhere else”. This is a well-articulated sentiment from a...
By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt In a different century, I used to sit at what was known as “The Children’s Table”, whenever my...
By Rev. Marty Levesque I fully admit to being a very amateur gardener. With a lot of dedication, a little luck and willingness to...
By Laurel Pattenden Just when you think you’ve got this Christmas season under control in pops New Year’s Eve right in the middle of...
By Rev. JIm Innes The bridging of the secular and the divine occurs each Christmas − symbolized in how both believers and...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery Several months ago I picked up the book “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque The pandemic has demonstrated the value of social media and communication in general. During this...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame Bowcott So far in this column, I have been sharing a little of the theology and my personal...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes In the last few weeks, the Christian church has been celebrating the season of Epiphany. In...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Chirstopher B. J. Pratt “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy sting? O...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery The Venerable Archie Skirving died on December 24 about 8:30 in the evening. ...
By Laurel Pattenden The association of March and wind has been with us since elementary school. Arts and crafts would always involve...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame Bowcott Sociologist Dr. Reginald Bibby has been studying the cultural trends of Canadians...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque A Shout-out is a short public acknowledgement. It's usually to recognize someone in appreciation...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes I don't remember much of my daughter's growing years. I feel a lot of grief around that. As I say...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt The measurement of time is something which may be proving to be a...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery Communication is simply telling a story that effectively gets a message to an...
By Laurel Pattenden As everyone’s region changes Covid-19 colour code as quickly as the corner traffic light, I am always wondering...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame Bowcott Last month I hosted a class on congregational growth and evangelism that included...
By Laurel Pattenden “Only when normal things are not normal anymore do we realize how special normal things are.” Unknown Source ...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt Extensive periods of limited outside activity over the last year has...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt WAR! Now that I have your attention – (I will be interested to see...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Recently, there has been a barrage of phishing emails sent across the diocese. A Phishing email...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes I am 62 years old, going on 63. And I find myself emotionally and spiritually challenged in at least...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery For over a year now, Hana Scorrar and I have been writing daily reflections for the...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque I love words. I love learning the etymology of words, their development over time and even those...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt There are emotion filled moments in life when words fail. Words fail...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes Child & Family Services of Kettle Point organized a special memorial event. Their children put...
By Rev. Dr. Grayhame Bowcott Allow me to start this month’s article by throwing out an argument for us to consider; one that, whether...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes Whenever I fall into any wounded thinking patterns, I cannot find my way out until I return to Hope....
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt A group I belong to recently had the opportunity to listen to the...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery I have an informal policy when I go book shopping: I always pick up something a...
By Laurel Pattenden Many Canadians enjoy the opportunity to go hiking during the summer months. We are drawn to wooded trails in the...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Dr. Grayhame Bowcott In 2019, St. George’s the Blue Mountains came up with a new idea! Inspired by...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery I set out on my morning walk to plan what I wanted to write for this column and I...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt During the month of July, a significant number of church buildings...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes As we move through the Covid crisis, something has been born within us individually and globally. My...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt “There are no words….”. The comments of a CNN reporter looking...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque We are in the middle of an election as I write this, and all the political parties are reaching...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes Why has the young Mary, Mother of Jesus, become so important to people throughout the world? It is not...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame Bowcott One of the things most notable about the church grounds of St. George’s in the Blue...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery It has long been said that hockey is almost a religion in Canada. Under that...
By Laurel Pattenden The fresh apples are filling the shelves at the grocery stores. All shapes of squash, bright pumpkins and turnip...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt Pick a crisis… Any crisis… The summer of 2021 has been filled with...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Livestreaming major events, ordinations, Christmas, and Easter service was something the diocese...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame Bowcott If all Anglicans truly believed that our buildings were tools for ministry, how...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt "Have you ever been shot or do you have any shrapnel lodged in your...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery As we move into the crisp mornings of November, the hearts of a good percentage of...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the...
By Laurel Pattenden We have all heard and used the expression “been down this road before”. It can be used literally if you have...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt There is a certain expectation that a December article being written...
A question to consider as we transition into another year of pandemic uncertainty: How is your congregation reaching out to your local...
Whenever I am asked about the ways in which we can best equip healthy and growing congregations in the present and future, my go to...
By Rev. Jim Innes In each human soul there exists a divine element, a kind of inner eye capable of glimpsing something of God, for...
The Christmas I want is the one with a full church, thunderous Carols, palpable joy, and celebration in every moment. MOSTLY ABOUT...
This Christmas, let us be in the cold with the shepherds, flying in the heavens with the angels, peering into the manger in the dark...
Engaging a new demographic in the life of the church: The rise of short-form video allows individuals to be informed, educated, and...
The advent of Christmas is overflowing with reminders that Love, not Hate, conquers all. The most obvious of these are the festive...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt “Five hundred twenty- five thousand six hundred minutes…so dear. How...
There is no such thing as normal. We will always be looking forward and back as we try to find our way. MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By...
Thoughts in, thoughts out, thoughts remembered, thoughts forgotten. Monkey mind at the best of times. Why do we even say ‘you are in...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque This past December, a weakness was discovered in logging software named Log4Shell. Log4Shell is a...
While 2022 may continue to bring us both challenge and hardship, may it also bring us the gifts of flexibility and faithfulness to...
The reality of our Lord’s love for us is also experienced through the actions and caring presence of people who are a part of our...
The world has changed rapidly, and though I appreciate progress, I sometimes wonder about its scrupulousness. AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery I'm hopelessly addicted to Survivor, the TV reality show. There have been 41...
By Laurel Pattenden Twenty years after George Orwell’s book Nineteen Eighty-Four, I bought my first Smiley Face patch. This article...
If my premise is true, that the future of the Church will be found in how we choose to invest in our relationships gathered around...
I was surprised when I was asked if I had ever read “Republican Like Me?” MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery One...
By Laurel Pattenden March is a month that, even though it takes up one twelfth of our year, it tends to feel neither here nor there....
When looking for images for a website, social media post or poster, simply Googling an image and downloading it is a violation of...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes A study once reported that if your parents didn’t have children, you wouldn’t likely have any either....
Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday herald the restrained meals of the Season of Lent. By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt "You need to...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame Bowcott When I think back on all of the most impactful ministries that I have been a part...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt The calendar on my desk identifies the fact that four short days from...
For all the times I thought that I knew how to do ministry, God has provided me that many times plus one, the understanding that...
Populism results from a broken trust created when some feel their perspectives and needs are irrelevant to those in power. AS I...
By Laurel Pattenden Spring and Easter go hand in hand each and every year. This spring and Easter we can also add in the easing and...
Churches that once complained that they didn’t have enough money to cover the week-to-week bills were suddenly investing in...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Many parents will blame their children's rowdy behaviour on too much sugar, but there's no actual...
Rembrandt van Rijn. THE PRODIGAL SON, detail (Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg) A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery Moving is not an easy decision at the best of times. When you contemplate moving...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes Reason or law will not end a conflict, unless one side has their backs to the wall. By reason, I am...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque The social media rule of thirds is creation, curation, and conversation. For a truly successful...
By Laurel Pattenden Summer is soon here and let us live it with the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Live in the sunshine, swim in the...
As we seek to bring healing, reconciliation and peace into God’s world, it is not our job to rush in with all the answers that we...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada Mary Simon, an Inuit woman from Nunavik, recently...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery The first time I watched John Morgan do “Mike from Canmore” on the Royal Canadian...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Sometimes it’s necessary to disconnect from the world to reconnect with God. Sometimes it’s...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame Bowcott For anyone who loves this Anglican of ours, a heart-breaking way to begin your day...
By Laurel Pattenden Porches are places for casual get-togethers or time alone. A place for looking at the world without having glass...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes As I squeezed around an elderly woman driver in a construction zone, I was greeted by her warm smile...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery It seems appropriate that I write this on the second day of the Lambeth Conference...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes We have already breezed by Canada Day and all of July- way too fast! So, let us step back a moment....
By Laurel Pattenden In Canada, summer is not a time to dally since it is so short. Full calendars, full of people and full of fun....
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt Reconciliation. How often has that word been used in recent times?...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Normally, this column is reserved for tech tips for ministry, like why live streaming worship...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS Rev. Grayhame Bowcott Of all the months in the Church’s calendar, September is, by far, my least favourite!...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes As I write, hurricane Ian is approaching the Florida coastline at speeds close to 250km/hr carrying a...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame Bowcott Of the many tools that Anglicans have at their disposal, to share the gift of faith...
By Laurel Pattenden Journalling has been popular for many years and with this popularity came an abundance of beautiful blank books to...
St. Stephen's Anglican Church in London, Ontario. MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery How do you take a one point...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Social media and digital managers, public relations, crisis management, comms specialist, speech...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes The sport of "Fishin" is an exciting process of decision-making and resourcefulness. It is an...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame Bowcott Both my congregation and my community have much to be thankful for. We live in a...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt Memorial services or gatherings at a Cenotaph in the centre of a...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery Well this cute title of a 1974 song by the Kiki Dee band was quite in doubt when I...
By Laurel Pattenden As we go through old photos or journals, we can revive moments in our lives that are etched in our hearts. For...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes The FIFA World Cup 2022™ will be played from 20 November to 18 December in Qatar. And the question has...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame Bowcott For many faithful Christians serving in the Church today, the opportunity to attend...
By Laurel Pattenden Have you started to watch Christmas movies yet? There are so many genres within themed Christmas movies. Romance,...
As we read the stories of the Birth of Jesus it is difficult to think of Mary and Joseph without a donkey being a part of the...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes The picture accompanying this article exposes extraordinary Resiliency. Captured from within our...
MOSTLY ABOUT RELIGION By Rev. Canon Keith Nethery This is my next to last column in the Huron Church News. As the Farewell Tour...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt My grandmother was born in the latter part of the 19th century in...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque As many of you know Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Space X, has purchased Twitter. Since that...
‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the...
The Farewell Tour ends here: I invite us to see change not as threatening, but as life giving. It's time we let God reinvent who and...
For even the most optimistic of church leaders, 2022 was another heartbreaking year. GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame...
By Laurel Pattenden A couple of months ago, I decided to start a winter compost pile. I know, right now you are thinking, “What a fun...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque The Covid 19 pandemic continues as we learn, adapt, and implement mitigation measures to keep...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt I keep telling myself that I am not a hoarder. There is, however,...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes As we move into the new year, I'd like to offer a priest's reflection on Love. Love has been the bane...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Grayhame Bowcott Years ago, before my wife Jacqueline and I were even married, I remember her...
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt A number of years ago, when I dipped my toe into the experience of...
AS I SEE IT By Rev. Jim Innes Recently, while playing pool with a group of regulars, I was off the mark, missing more shots than...
MEDIA BYTES By Rev. Marty Levesque Over the years I have written many columns on technology and ministry, best practices, and how to...
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS By Rev. Canon Grayhame Bowcott As a priest, visiting new members can often be like a job interview: new...
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