Around Town: 50th Prayer Breakfast, North Shore activists, Catholic goals . . .

Pollster Angus Reid will address the 50th anniversary BC Leadership Prayer Breakfast.

If you’re not signed up yet, you won’t be able to attend the sold-out BC Leadership Prayer Breakfast, which will take place this Friday morning (April 22). But not to worry, it will be back next spring, going by the fact that this year is its 50th anniversary.

Every year, the event allows business, government, non-profit and other leaders to gather for breakfast, to recognize – and pray for – the many city councillors, MLAs and MPs who turn up every year, and to hear an inspirational address by a prominent leader with a Christian faith.

This Friday morning, renowned pollster Dr. Angus Reid will address the assembly – more than 1,000-strong – at the Hyatt Regency. He founded the Angus Reid Group in 1979, and Vision Critical in 2003 with his son, Andrew. Since 2014, he has devoted his full-time efforts towards the Angus Reid Institute, a national not-for-profit, non-partisan public opinion research organization dedicated to providing objective polling data to the public – at no charge – on a host of critical social, economic and other issues.

The recipient of numerous honorary doctorates and awards, in 2013 Reid received the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice from Pope Francis, the highest honour the pope bestows upon lay people.

Dr. Julio Montaner will address the 50th anniversary BC Leadership Dinner.

Dr. Julio Montaner will address the 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner.

There will also be a 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner Thursday night, featuring Dr. Julio Montaner, an internationally renowned physician whose life’s work has directly contributed to stopping HIV and AIDS worldwide.

Tom Cooper, president of City in Focus – which organizes the event annually – will recognize the founders of the BC Leadership Prayer Breakfast: Owen Anderson, Gordon Dobson-Mack, Bernard Fahy, Bill Konnert, Al Wagner and Michael Zhu. Konnert will give a brief overview of the founding process.

City in Focus will also welcome some 70 young people to both events as part of the BC Student Experience, in line with its “strong desire to engage and equip the next generation.”

City in Focus describes its mission in this way:

Beyond the economic, political and social fabric there is another strand in the city – the spiritual. City in Focus exists to serve the spiritual needs of Vancouver through compassion, conversation and connection. We believe that this mission goes beyond boundaries of age, denomination, faith, gender, ethnic and social status.

With that in mind, we care for soul of the city by reaching out and providing resources to the individual, the social group, the racial group and the age group. We develop relationships with business leaders and connect them with ministries serving the community of Vancouver.

Apart from organizing the BC Leadership Prayer Breakfast every year, City in Focus undertakes a number of other roles, including facilitating group events and retreats to discuss spiritual and social issues; joining the City of Vancouver with Christian ministries to tackle social issues; and counselling and assisting individuals in need. It took a leading role in mobilizing churches and ministries to serve the community during the 2010 Winter Olympics, under the name More Than Gold.

North Shore activists

Well, maybe not activists, exactly. But there are definitely signs of activity on the North Shore. Here are three that have come to my attention over the past week:

Chess champions

The good folks at West Vancouver Presbyterian Church are preparing to rally around embattled chess players at the Park Royal shopping centre. They have planned a peaceful protest May 1 if Park Royal does not back away from its determination to ban the chess fans, who have been playing at the mall food court for 50 years.

An April 14 Vancouver Sun article reported on the situation:

“We’re not anticipating mass arrests,” Minister Glenn Inglis said with a laugh during an interview.

“This will be new for most of us. It’s just to give a polite affirmation to those who would like to continue their pastime, which seems quite harmless and actually quite beneficial.” . . .

Chess players have been enjoying the so-called “royal game” at the shopping centre for decades, including Terry Fellows, a West Vancouver Presbyterian Church member.

Fellows could not be reached for comment, but Inglis said it was Fellows who suggested the church show solidarity with the informal band of food-court players.

“We just want management to know that this seems like a service that does not disrupt their business. It adds a sense of friendship and community to malls, which generally lack that,” Inglis said, noting the need for places in West Vancouver where people can gather freely.

An April 19 update on the Ashley Chess Girl blog suggests the stalemate may be resolved without church intervention. Fifteen year old chess champion Ashley Tapp said:

First decision made is that for now the chess players can remain and play chess in the food court mall until a final decision ‘to accommodate’ is made in the next 48 hrs – FEELING POSITIVE!

She has been playing at Park Royal since she was eight and saw chess players in action there. The mall first announced the ban earlier this month, but may be reconsidering in the face of youthful enthusiasm, church activism and negative press.

North Shore Alliance: CityFest

The City of North Vancouver describes CityFest as “a North Shore festival designed by youth for youth”:

CityFest started in 2002 when the City threw a party with some youth serving agencies to celebrate the opening of the Centennial Skate Park. That party included a BBQ and a small skate competition. Since that time, CityFest has grown to include performing artists, visual arts displays, interactive projects, food and the largest skate competition in Metro Vancouver. The festival, which is held annually during Youth Week, is run by youth, for youth – volunteers meet throughout the year to plan, coordinate and execute the event.

Among the active participants, over the years, is North Shore Alliance Church, and they’re involved again this year. At a quick glance, I note that North Shore pastor Dave Sattler is the CityFest event coordinator and that a volunteer training session will be held at the church.

CityFest will take place May 7, 11 am – 4 pm, at City Skate Park on Lonsdale Avenue.

Hilary King: Embrace Rwanda

The North Shore News reported April 13 that former Lions Gate Hospital employee Hilary King is celebrating 10 years with Embrace Rwanda, the charity she started after touring a health care facility in Kigeme in 2006. She began with a Healthy Mum’s project, and expanded into Early Childhood Education.

Soon after that, Embrace Rwanda set up a vocational training centre to teach useful trades to adults, and an economic development program that organizes micro-loans to help residents start small businesses.

From its beginnings, Embrace Rwanda has expanded to serve 11 districts of Rwanda (there are 30 in total). In its first year, the Healthy Mum’s Project helped 200 mothers. That number exploded to more than 2,700 mothers in 2015. Just last year, the charity was registered as an international non-government organization.

Currently, about 130 Rwandan staff run the various programs. King, who takes no salary, travels to the country twice a year at her own expense with a team of volunteers from Canada, the U.S. and U.K. These volunteers have backgrounds in health care, education and construction and help to train the Rwandan staff.

Hilary King attends St. Simon’s Church North Vancouver. For more on Embrace Rwanda go here.

Catholics: New priorities and goals

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver has announced some new Priorities and Goals, “which will focus our pastoral efforts and mission as we work to intentionally help people experience God’s merciful love.” As he announced the goals, Archbishop Michael Miller said, “Each of you is crucial to this endeavour, by lending a hand and offering advice on how we can all work together.”

An April 15 article by Agnieszka Krawczynski in The B.C. Catholic pointed out that:

The Archdiocese of Vancouver has taken a hard look at its efforts and found four things to improve upon. Now those areas have been incorporated into new priorities and goals.

“We started asking ourselves a number of questions: what are our priorities for the archdiocese? What are the needs?” said communications director Paul Schratz.

Archdiocesan committees have been studying the 70 – 80 existing ministries and outreaches for the past year, consulting with many people along the way. The result has been pulled together into four priorities and goals, listed below, with brief quotes from each section. (For the full article go here and for the report itself go here.)

1. Make every Sunday matter: “The report identifies three specific ways to improve the way Sundays are celebrated: effective preaching, beautiful music and improved hospitality.”

2. Get closer to Jesus: “During consultations, Schratz found, ‘Alpha was unanimously supported by so many people as a great way of introducing that personal relationship.’ Another successful program is Discovery by Catholic Christian Outreach.”

3. Strengthen marriages and families: “What we were hearing from the people lines up exactly with what we were hearing from Rome,” [Pavel] Reid [senior director of ministries and outreach] said, pointing to Pope Francis’s latest exhortation on the family.

4. Develop parish leadership and support: “[Parishes] will be offered support in three major areas: human resources, communications and development.”

The archdiocese will focus on these priorities and goals over the next two or three years.

Apr 2016

50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner (for the annual BC Leadership Prayer Breakfast) – April 21, 2016 at 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
A Good Mother by Kathy Parsons – April 21, 2016 - April 23, 2016 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Erin-Faye Frans: Nurturing Intimacy for a Healthier, Happier Marriage – April 22, 2016 at All Day
50th Annual BC Leadership Prayer Breakfast – April 22, 2016 at 7:30 am - 9:00 am
L'Arche Vancouver: The Art Together Show – April 22, 2016 at 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Dr. Don Bartlette: What Does Reconciliation Look Like? – April 22, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Steve Bell in concert – April 22, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Glorious Music for Trumpet & Organ – April 22, 2016 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Join the Reconciliation Movement – April 22, 2016 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Vancouver Chamber Choir and the Iseler Singers: Two Great Choirs – April 22, 2016 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Eastside Story Guild: Old Pine – The Trial of Jesus – April 23, 2016 - April 24, 2016 at All Day
Growing In Faith Through Worship: Facing Challenges as a Family of Faith (Part III, with Marva Dawn) – April 23, 2016 at 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Timberline Ranch Family Festival 2016 – April 23, 2016 at 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Lighthouse Harbour Ministries Spring Luncheon – April 23, 2016 at 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
Where is the Pro-life Movement Headed? – April 23, 2016 at 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Erin-Faye Frans: How to Talk to Your Kids About . . . – April 23, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
A Rocha Canada: Good Seed Sunday – April 24, 2016 at All Day
Jazz Vespers: Capilano Jazz Faculty Sextet – April 24, 2016 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Together: City Church Worship & Prayer Gathering – April 24, 2016 at 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Steve Bell in concert – April 24, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Together: City Church Worship & Prayer Gathering – April 24, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Faith & Justice Roundtable: Extraction or Sustenance – Rethinking our Relationship to Land – April 25, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Intelligent Love Course (Tuesday evenings) – April 26, 2016 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Poetry Reading: Sheila Rosen, Diane Tucker & Rian Lloyd – April 26, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Alpha 'Invite Canada' – April 27, 2016 at 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Preaching Workshop: Jesus Has a Word for Your Church, with Dr. Darrell Johnson – April 27, 2016 at 9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Alpha 'Invite Canada' – April 27, 2016 at 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
God, Art and the Way of Beauty – April 27, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel Discussion – April 27, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Jazz Evensong: Sharon Minemoto – April 27, 2016 at 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Jordan Klassen – April 27, 2016 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Meet Operation Mobilization's 'Logos Hope' Crew – April 28, 2016 - May 2, 2016 at All Day
SAMC Graduate Art Exhibition: Retracing Social Practice – April 28, 2016 - April 30, 2016 at All Day
Erica Grimm: Salt Water Skin Boats – April 28, 2016 - April 30, 2016 at 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Alpha 'Invite Canada' – April 28, 2016 at 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Alpha 'Invite Canada' – April 28, 2016 at 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Andy Mineo: Uncomfortable Tour – April 28, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
First Nations Voices Speaker's Series (Thursday evenings) – April 28, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The Spirituality of Wine – April 28, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Hope for Today: Prophecy Conference – April 29, 2016 - April 30, 2016 at All Day
Bargain Sale – April 29, 2016 at 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Sam Allberry: Is God Anti-Gay? – April 29, 2016 - April 30, 2016 at 6:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Heartcry for Change: Charismatic Anglicans – April 29, 2016 - April 30, 2016 at 6:30 pm - 12:30 pm
Chapel Langley – April 29, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Chapel North Shore – April 29, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Chapel Richmond-Delta – April 29, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Chapel Tri-Cities – April 29, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Chapel Vancouver – April 29, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Ignite Maple Ridge – April 29, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Logos Hope Crew Visit – April 29, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
The Lion the Bear the Fox – April 29, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The Wellspring Gala – April 29, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Fraser Valley Bible Conference: Rev. Darrell Kingswood – The Call to Holiness & God's Work of Redemption – April 29, 2016 - April 30, 2016 at 7:30 pm - 12:30 pm
Sideshow – April 29, 2016 - April 30, 2016 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Home Based Marriage Mentoring with Randy Hamm – April 30, 2016 at 8:45 am - 4:00 pm
No One Should Be Alone: Mental Health and the Church – April 30, 2016 at 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Spiritually Rooted Direct Access Training for Climate Movement Rallying – April 30, 2016 at 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Coffeehouse Concert Series: Darlene Ketchum and Quartet – April 30, 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

May 2016

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