Willing Gardeners—Story Presentations: June 27, 2010 

Sharon Clay: 

The first question I have been asked to address is “why is Westminster important to me?” That's easy. Other than being christened at St. Barnabas Anglican Church and attending a United Church in Calgary during my university years, Westminster is the only church I have known. Since the day my cousin, Ray, took me by the hand and led me into the “old” church, which was located on the corner where the medical building now stands, Westminster has been my church home. I bawled my head off that first day, because Ray pointed out my Sunday School teacher, who was standing at the front of the church, and left to find his own friends. Some kind soul rescued me, led me to Mrs. Tufford, -- and my life at Westminster had begun. That was in 1947, and I was four years old. 

What changes have I experienced as a member of Westminster since that day 62 years ago? Well—if I tell you what the church was like in the 1940's and 50's, maybe you can draw your own conclusions. First—Sunday School. There were so many children in Sunday School that some of my early classes had to be held in the kitchen—there wasn't room anywhere else. Later on, we had classes in what was then the church lounge. We met as a large group in the hall, sang some songs, and then went into our classes. Dick (Dirk) Luyten, Dave's father, was one of our Sunday School superintendents. (Dave was always there, too, hanging on to his dad's pant leg). Each week we had Bible verses to memorize and repeat on the next Sunday. I always looked forward to the Sunday School paper that we were given to take home—it was in a format something like a comic book, and it had stories and Bible related activities. Our Christmas concerts were a big deal, and were usually held in the evening. I should also add that we little girls always put on our best dress, a hat and gloves before going to Sunday School—and I always walked to church myself or with neighborhood friends. I did not come with my parents, and my mom did not become an active church member until after my dad died in 1960. 

Then there was the day in grade 5, that I signed a temperance pledge that was presented to the Sunday School, following a lesson on the evils of liquor. That paper is currently in the showcase in our church lounge! 

I belonged to Brownies, and then Girl Guides, for 8 years. Yvonne Hole's mother, Ruth Bergman, was one of my Guide leaders. One of my favorite memories of those years is of the tunnel that connected the lounge to somewhere else in the church. Marg McCulley tells me it led to bathrooms, and Shirley Rose told me yesterday that the scary furnace was down there, too. We recall that access was by a trap door in the lounge. All I remember is that one year the Guides used it as a haunted tunnel at Halloween. 

I joined the Intermediate Choir, under the direction of Mabel Pederson, sometime in the 1950's, and the Senior Choir in 1970. Alex Shand and Bob Patterson were the only two men in the choir in those days. 

I suppose the biggest change in the physical church occurred when we moved into the “new" church in our present location in 1957. Then there was the fire of 1979, which changed things again. I cried all the way to work the next morning after seeing the damage inflicted on MY church--it was a very personal loss. And twelve years ago, the front of the church underwent some major renovations. 

At the time of the fire, I was on the church board—which was then a very large board –approximately 50 members. The board was split into what were called divisions, which met prior to the board meeting once a month. Five divisions, with 10 members in each. I spent a total of 19 years on the board. 

Do you remember the “new” red hymn books which appeared in1971? They were not too popular with some church members, and were still being called the “new' hymn books 25 years later. Other books also came along-- I liked the green one. We have been using our current hymn book for 14 years. Many people found it hard to let go of the old gospel hymns—and still do. They still want the “old” hymns. Are we ready for Christian rock music???  The Bibles we use are different, too. We have many versions other than King James from which to choose. 

I have been a UCW member for over 30 years, and there have been changes there, too—but that is another story.   

Communion has changed—we now include everyone, including children. When I was a child, communion was a mysterious thing in which only adults took part. 

Time does not permit me to relate all of my memories of my life at Westminster. Over the years, I have become so immersed in the life of the church, and its groups and committees—too many to mention-- that Westminster is simply a part of the fabric of my life. I have seen members leave the church over the years due to one issue or another, but I am here for the long haul.  

Spiritually, I am not sure which has changed the most—the church or myself. Bible Study, Lenten Studies, and the Willing Gardener's group have made me think and ask questions about what I believe and where the church—Westminster and the whole United Church—are headed. In our Willing Gardener's group, we learned about spiral dynamics and the various stages of   spiritual beliefs from ancient times to the present. Spiral dynamics reminds me of a tornado, which picks up ideas, keeps some, and throws others away. Change is difficult, but we should be able to keep some of the old while adding the new.   

I would like to quote the editor of The Observer, David Wilson, from the June 2010 issue, page 5, regarding the 85th anniversary of the United Church of Canada. “The United Church exists because people of faith were not afraid to let old ways die and embrace radical new ideas together.” 

I'm not sure what changes I see for Westminster in the future—I only know that a major shift in thinking about the meaning of “church” is coming, and, to quote David Wilson again, we need to begin “thinking seriously and creatively about what it means to be the United Church of Canada, 85 years on.” 

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Pat Connell: 

Good morning. The sense of family we have here is what makes Westminster United Church important to me. I became a member by inheritance. My parents Bob and Katie Patterson came to Westminster when they retired here from Saskatchewan. Rev. Richard Warden was the Minister then. My husband and I followed a few years later, but I did not begin attending regularly until after Don and Helen Reid arrived. Over the years I have been a Sunday School teacher and the adventures that brought with it, served on the Board, been a Representative to Presbytery and by extension Alberta Northwest Conference and once again I am on the Board and one of your Lay Delegates to South Alberta Presbytery.    

Why have I stayed at Westminster one is the connections I have made through the Choir, the friendships, the singing both here at Westminster in the wider community; but more than that I relate to the United Churches willingness to be the conscience of society; to say that in a Christ centered world we need to include everyone no matter what their socio economic status, color, gender, life style or religious beliefs. Here at Westminster we accept people with different viewpoints of what Christianity is and allow them to express that viewpoint. Our  group the Willing Gardner’s is  a current example of people meeting to discuss and learn, and  I am sure many of you remember John Sponges visit and the discussion groups that met prior to him coming. Also what other congregation would invite a Presbyterian Minister to lead our churches 85th birthday party and what a great party that was. We are recognized by others for our friendliness and acceptance, we need to own that and celebrate it.    

Over the years I have witnessed many changes some have happened unnoticed and unrecognized while others have changed the way we worship. I am looking forward to Angie Irwin and her group joining us, we need to acknowledge Kara Anton whose  mission is to reach out to the young families connected to Westminster , and that brings me to a change that is concerning to me  and I am sure many of you in the Pews this morning. That is the absence of young families involved at Westminster and because of that absence they are missing that spiritual connection that all of us seek.    

I do recognize that we need to change, we cannot keep chugging along as usual, because lets face it by the end of today each of us will be a day older, as will be this congregation. There needs to be prayerful , thoughtful conversation about  how we  reach out into our community and let it know what a great spiritual retreat we have in this place, that we are welcoming, accepting, somewhat musical, and have great times sharing our talents what ever they may be. Thank you for allowing me to share with you today.  

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Al Olson: 

Good morning, I haven’t been a member of this congregation for very long so I was honored when I was asked to share my views on Westminster. Because I haven’t been here long I can’t comment on how Westminster has changed. I can only speak to what I think is great about the  United Church of Canada, why Westminster is a good place to worship and what we need to do to make it even better. 

UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA 

The United Church of Canada, I believe has a very sound theological foundation that fits today’s world. Many people are looking for answers to life’s mysteries. They are shunning traditional churches and look at things like eastern mysticism, yoga, new age philosophy and what ever the latest book is that Oprah suggests. I believe that a lot of these people can find answers here in the United Church of Canada. 

Some of the things the United Church of Canada does that I think sets it apart are:

-it is a thinking church

- We accepting new ideas and scientific discoveries

- We are inclusive. We don’t worry about Gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, ethnicity. When we prepare for communion we do not believe it is our table but Christ’s table and that all are welcome

- We believe in and work for justice, peace, and fairness locally and around the world.

- We believe in and work toward environmental issues

- I also like that my view of and relationship with God doesn’t have to be identical to yours. We respect differences.

-We take the bible seriously but not literally. We try to understand the context in which it was written and to understand metaphors and symbolism. 

-The United Church doesn’t have black and white answers but is community of faith that is on a journey growing in our understanding and faith. 

As I said WESTMINSTER is a good place to worship

We have a good strong board with good leadership from James.

We have good support staff.

We have a lot of people sharing the work load of keeping this church running. That’s not to say we couldn’t use even more people volunteering to helping out.

We appear to be attracting new people even some younger people.

We eat well; we have good coffee and good special meals. We have fun.

We’re not overly serious with ourselves 

But we need to continue attract more members because a church that doesn’t grow eventually closes. 

I don’t think we have to change much; we just have to quit being shy about our faith and spread the word that Westminster is a good place to worship. 

Years ago it was an accepted fact that milk and eggs were good for you, people joined service clubs, and everyone went to church on Sunday. Things have changed. 

The egg growers and dairy farmers have massive advertising campaigns to compete with pop, juice, and processed foods that are advertised like crazy.  

I am a member of a service club that has organized a campaign to attract new members the key component of which is to simply invite friends and colleges to come to one of our meetings. 

Even Alcoholics Anonymous which has been anonymous for ever is starting to advertise. 

I’m not suggesting that we start buying air time on TV and radio, although I have seen some well done TV ads by the Catholic Church. I’m just saying we should start talking to our friends, relatives, and neighbors about what a good place Westminster is. 

I know of an Anglican diocese in Saskatchewan who has a” bring a friend to church” Sunday every three months. 

Don’t be shy, spread the word! 

In closing I’ll summarize by saying I think that we are a good congregation in a great church and that we and many others will benefit from getting more people involved.   

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Janice Croissant: 

Eighteen years ago, my family and I moved from our farm in southern Saskatchewan to Medicine Hat. Because we were active in our church there – Woodrow United - we did some research on United Churches in this city even before we left. And so it came to be that the week after our move, that my younger son, Clarke, and I visited Westminster on a weekday morning. Taylor was in school that day and I wasn’t scheduled to work at the bank. I can still recall that visit – Jim Hayward was the secretary and warmly welcomed us – Don and Helen Reid were the ministers but they weren’t in the office at the time. Jim invited us to go and have a look at the sanctuary so we came in and sat up near the front, just to have “a feel of the place.” Carol Pols was practicing at the organ and we had a pleasant conversation and bless her heart, without even remotely hearing a note of my singing voice, asked me to join the choir. Well, let’s just say, knowing my voice is best meant for just singing along to the radio, I believe you can be relieved that I didn’t take her up on that offer! 

So, from that special welcome and from the next Sunday on, my family and I have been attending this church. My membership was transferred and both of my sons were confirmed here at Westminster. What I have experienced here and what I cherish is the sense of shared purpose in our worship and commitment to God; the church family and its support and encouragement; the focus on social justice; and the strength that comes from working together, which has been evident and invigorating during this time of clergy sabbatical.   

During my time here, I have witnessed changes, both good and troubling. We have a firm foundation – yes, in this building itself, but more so in the people who call Westminster home. We are doing many things well. However, while the aesthetic and physical changes to this building, have been many and welcomed; it now may be time to concentrate on the people inside the building. 

We, like many churches across Canada, face the dilemma of declining attendance, especially in the age group of 15-45. What can we do to change this? This is the question that I have been pondering this past week as I thought about what I would write. I know in the business world, we say we can’t expect to get different results if we keep doing the same things. So, that brings us to change. How can we change but still retain our core values and strengths? That is the question that I have been pondering and here are some ideas, radical or otherwise, I’m just going to throw them out there. 

First, back to the idea of the core. I believe the most important ministerial focus is what I am calling pastoral reinvigoration which encompasses providing provocative, innovative, and energetic spiritual word to the congregation to caring for our people who are at a place in their lives where they need the time and care of their minister. The wider United Church has far too many levels of bureaucracy and administration which I think, hinders the work of clergy. But, changes start small and the best thing is to try a different approach. 

We are all concerned about our declining Sunday School attendance. If we believe Sunday School to a major focus of our church and our strength for the future, should we offer a salaried position to the person or persons who are dedicated to co-coordinating and rebuilding it? 

We have a huge lawn out in front of our church. Should we replace our existing sign and put up a bill board with information to entice passers-by to come to our church? A catchy or welcoming phrase? A notice of upcoming events?  

I am not so naïve to think this is all up “to someone else” or it’s someone’s job but not mine. We all need to have a shoulder to the wheel. We can all “ask for referrals” – which means invite people to come to our church – be proud of our many strengths and let people know that we welcome all:  young and old, gay and straight, wealthy and marginalized – we want them to be a part of our church family and to find what we have found here – the tender and abiding love and forgiveness of God knows no bounds. 

Bruce Sanguin talks about the principle of “ministry anywhere, anytime by anybody.” And it struck me that am exactly what we have been doing during this time of clergy sabbatical and I believe, to great success. My contribution here in the pulpit today is no less or no more than the person who made treats for us to enjoy at coffee time.  

We are all in this together. We are all ministers. 

Thanks are to God.

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