September 2018
Dear Friends in Christ,
This month marks the 125th anniversary of the formation of the General Synod of our beloved Church. It was a coming together of dioceses across Canada in the spirit of partnership in God’s mission in Christ.
In marking this milestone in our history, I am inviting our entire Church to listen to its heartbeat through conversation circles in parishes, deaneries and dioceses—in homes, church halls, outdoors, or even online!
We will be aided in our conversations by a “Conversation Circle Guide” that will help us reflect on our personal faith journeys, and invite us to share with one another moments when our Church makes our hearts glad, causes them to ache or gives them hope.
The Guide is grounded in the conversation Jesus had with the disciples in the Upper Room and his prayer to the Father on the eve of his Passion, Death and Resurrection, as told in the Gospel of John. I hope our conversations can be focussed on the very things of which he spoke – the disciples’ life in Him, their work in his name, and their trust in the coming of the Holy Spirit to strengthen, lead and guide them.
This time of sharing in conversation circles will lead us to consider our “heartfelt” prayers for the Church, and to share our prayers with our sisters and brothers across the country.
Our conversations will take place until May 7, 2019, the Feast of St John, Apostle and Evangelist, in anticipation of the meeting of the General Synod in Vancouver in July 2019. The Heartbeat of the Church website page will provide everything you need to set up a conversation circle and to share your prayers for the Church.
As you have opportunity, I encourage you to participate in a conversation circle, and to renew our call to be faithful and fruitful in our ministries and united in our resolve to be the Church in and for the world.
With the assurance of my prayers,
Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate