Pandemic Resiliency: Coping emotionally, spiritually and mentally through the challenges of the Pandemic

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The Manitou Intentional Learning Community (MILC) invites you to Pandemic Resiliency: Coping emotionally, spiritually and mentally through the challenges of the Pandemic on Wednesday, September 22nd from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom.

This workshop, presented by Susan Browning, will explore ways in which the Pandemic has impacted our mental and spiritual health, share practical coping strategies, and look to the future exploring hope and faith in the resilient spirit God has given us.

Susan, a Registered Psychotherapist, a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist and a clinical supervisor for interns, is also an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada currently serving two congregations in the London area.

For more information and to register and receive the Zoom link, please email manitouintentionallearning@gmail.com or contact Gillian Schell 705 671 0185.

Susan Browning is a Registered Psychotherapist and a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist and a clinical supervisor for interns.  She currently has a private practice in London.  Prior to beginning private practice Sue spent ten years with community counselling agencies.  In addition to seeing clients, she provided wellness workshops for many London based organizations including King’s College, and Western University. Sue was also the regional trainer for critical incidents of all Family Service organizations in southern Ontario.  Sue is also an ordained minister with the United Church of Canada.  In that capacity she has served on many national and local committees. She currently serves two congregations on the edge of London; Littlewood United and St. Andrew’s Westminster.

Gailand McQueen in Conversation: Celebrating the Labyrinth

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Gailand McQueen joined MILC executive representative Natasha Gerolami to talk about his new book Celebrating the Labyrinth: A Journey of the Spirit.  In this interview, Gailand McQueen shares his wisdom about the history and practices of using labyrinths in spiritual practice.

Gailand McQueen’s new book Celebrating the Labyrinth: A Journey of the Spirit is available from Wood Lake Books.

Watch the full interview here.

Resources for National Indigenous People’s Day

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Apology to Action: Reflections on the thirty-fifth anniversary is a fifteen-minute video prepared by the Manitou Intentional Learning Community in collaboration with the Canadian Shield Regional Council Right Relations Resource Team, that revisits the First Apology made to Indigenous People by the United Church of Canada in August, 1986, during the 31st General Council, held in Sudbury, Ontario. The video recounts a brief history of that event, reminds us of the words spoken by those who offered and received the Apology, challenges us to consider our commitment to reconciliation and calls us to act so that the words spoken that day can truly become “words of action and sincerity.” (Edith Memnook)

The video features reflections from Lisa Blais and Maxine McVey, Right Relations Resource Team, Canadian Shield Regional Council, and the Very Reverend Jordan Cantwell, former Moderator of the United Church of Canada.

The video is suitable for inclusion in worship services, especially on June 20, 2021, to mark National Indigenous People’s Day, and to spark discussion of how we, as people of faith, can live out this Apology. .

For those who cannot use technology in their churches, the script is available. You may find words that you would like to incorporate into worship services marking the Indigenous Day of Prayer. Please attribute the words to the speaker and mention this resource.

The additional resource, Apology to Action: A Pilgrimage for Reconciliation invites you to affirm your commitment to reconciliation by making a pilgrimage to the site of the Apology Cairn in Sudbury, Ontario, or to some place that is special to you. You are invited to reflect on the words of the Apology and the Response and to commit to the hard and humbling work of building right relations. This resource was created in collaboration with the Right Relations Resource Team. Sincere thanks to Lisa Blais for her contributions and her wisdom and guidance.

The video and the accompanying Pilgrimage Package are dedicated to the Very Reverend Stan MacKay, whose presentation to the Manitou Intentional Learning Community in April 2021 ignited this project.

Pride Hymn Sing

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A hymn by Shirley Erena Murray begins, “For everyone born, there’s a place at the table.” Most churches claim to be welcoming. Some churches are officially affirming. However, we are reminded that “often, people who are trans, non-binary, gender queer, queer, Two-Spirit, intersex, and many more identities are made invisible in worship. We become part of a generic welcome to everyone, or are cast as being welcome ‘regardless’ or ‘despite’ our diversity, not because of it. This is especially true for many racialized and Indigenous LGBTQIA+ people, as well as LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit people with disabilities.” (Enfleshed: Worship Service and Communion Liturgy for Affirming PIE Day -United Church of Canada)

With this in mind, Trinity United Church, Capreol, invites you to join their hymn sing on Thursday, June 3. It will feature songs with, for, about, and by people from the LGBTQ+ community celebrating the rich diversities of our genders, orientations, identities and expressions. We will share words of inspiration and challenge and sing from Voices United, More Voices, Songs for the Holy Other, and other sources as we seek to foster authentic welcome, community, justice and joy.

 

For more information, contact Faye Moffatt 1fmoffatt@sympatico.ca or

Gillian Schell manitouintentionallearning@gmail.com

Renewal in the Midst of Uncertainty – World Labyrinth Day

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You are invited to join us for our second digital World Labyrinth Day celebration in Sudbury, ON.  Although the Sudbury Labyrinth is open this year, due to gathering restrictions we will again celebrate online.

At 1:00pm on World Labyrinth Day, Saturday, May 1st2021,we will join others around the world in a wave of peace as we “walk as one at 1:00”.

Here’s how to participate:

  1. If you like, watch last year’s video here, on how to make your own finger labyrinth.
  2. Join us at 12:45pm on Saturday, May 1 live on the St. Peter’s United Church Sudbury YouTube channel to follow along at home as we show a video of the Sudbury Labyrinth being walked and talk about symbols of renewal. This event is presented by St. Peter’s United Church and the Manitou Intentional Learning Community (MILC)

Body Image: Seeing Ourselves Through God’s Eyes

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As God-made, incarnate beings, we all live in bodies.

And because we all live in bodies, we all have a body image.

Body image is how we see our bodies when we look in the mirror, or conceive of our bodies in our minds.

It is what we  believe about our own appearance; how we feel about our bodies, including our height, shape, and weight; how we physically experience our bodies.

Beginning at a very young age, and continuing throughout our lives, many of us internalize messages that lead to either positive or negative body image.

Developing a positive, joyful body image—grounded in gratitude for the body as gift– is an important part of mental and spiritual well-being.

MILC and Soul Strong are excited to be joining forces to facilitate a two-part, interactive Zoom forum entitled Body Image: Seeing Ourselves Through God’s Eyes.

Inspired by the extraordinary stories of speakers Wendy Coates and Rita O’Link, participants will share and explore their own joys and struggles on the journey to body acceptance.

Tuesday, April 20th and 27th @ 6:30pm

Registration is now closed.

Reconciliation: The renewal of a covenant – Very Rev. Stan McKay

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The Manitou Intentional Learning Community is excited to welcome the Very Reverend Stan McKay, former Moderator of the United Church of Canada, to lead a workshop entitled “Reconciliation: The renewal of a covenant” exploring the spirit and intent of treaties and an Indigenous philosophy of life – “All My Relations”.

Wednesday, April 7th @ 7pm

Register for the Zoom workshop by clicking on Register.

Registration closed

McKay was born on Fisher River First Nation, a Cree community in Northern Manitoba and attended Fisher River Indian Day School and Birtle Indian Residential School. After ordination he served in pastoral ministry in Norway House and Fisher River, as national co-ordinator of Native Ministry, as the Director of the Dr. Jessie Saulteaux Center and from 1992 to 1994 as Moderator of the United Church of Canada. He is presently working to build cross-cultural relations and participating in dialogue addressing injustices resulting from colonial history.

McKay featured in the 2017 documentary film Truly and Humbly: Memories of the first Apology directed by Dr. Hoi Cheu of Laurentian University that traces the memories of those present at the 1986 United Church Apology to First Nations People. In the film, McKay suggests that our relationships with each other and with creation are broken, and that non-Indigenous people have much to learn from Indigenous philosophies of life.

Easter for Progressive Christians – a Study

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Easter for Progressive Christians by Donald Schmidt

The Manitou Intentional Learning Community invites you to participate in a three- week Easter study that explores the gospel accounts of the first Easter from a new perspective. Donald Schmidt’s guide “invites participants to engage with the biblical stories of Christ’s resurrection, to try to understand what the gospel writers meant to tell us, and what they wanted us to take from these stories [that] . . . had transformed their own lives, and the lives of many others at the time. . . Reading and exploring these stories can enhance our lives too. Ultimately, how we experience Christ today is what matters – not what might have happened 2,000 years ago.”

The study will take place via Zoom.

Monday, March 15th, 22nd and 29th.

From 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Leadership provided by Melody Duncanson Hales, Dave LeGrand and Gillian Schell.

Click on Register below to sign-up.

Registration closed

Print copies and ebooks can be obtained at Woodlake Books and from Amazon.ca.

Contact manitouintentionallearning@gmail.com with any questions.

Singing for Our Lives

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Come sing with us!! Join the Manitou Intentional Learning Community on Friday, February 19th via Zoom where we will be “Singing for our Lives.” We are excited to invite you to this engaging and reflective affirmation of welcome, justice and hope. Presented by Wendy and Andrew Donaldson, church musicians with vast Canadian and international experience, this event is a mix of music and spoken word featuring on-line performance, video and audience participation and drawing on multi-faith and multi-cultural wit and wisdom.

Watch, listen and sing along as through words and music, we explore themes of truth, reconciliation, stewardship of the land, turning stranger into “neighbour”, and ways in which our hopes are threatened by power, the lure of profit, lies, and fear.

Friday, February 19th, 7:00 p.m. via Zoom.

For further information, please contact manitouintentionallearning@gmail.com

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Hate, Racism and Islamophobia in Canada-Where Are We Now? Where Are We Going?

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**  EVENT POSTPONED

Please watch for further details about rescheduling.

Presentation  by Mr. Fareed Khan

January 29th marks the four year anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting when six people were killed and nineteen were injured. Deemed as one of the deadliest mass shootings in Canadian history, the massacre that took place in the Quebec City mosque continues to prompt much-needed public debate and discussion around hate, racism, Islamophobia and the rise of right-wing terrorism in Canada. In collaboration with the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Green from the Anglican Church of the Epiphany in Sudbury, the Manitou Intentional Learning Community will host a Zoom event that will address ongoing issues of hate, racism and Islamophobia in Canada. Joining us as our Guest Speaker is Mr. Fareed Khan, founder of the anti-racism group known as Canadians United Against Hate. Mr. Khan’s presentation entitled Hate, Racism and Islamophobia in Canada-Where Are We Now? Where Are We Going?  will enable participants to ask hard questions, and to raise our awareness for how we might each do our part to become more active in combating hate and racism in our lives and communities.

Biography of Fareed Khan

Fareed Khan is the founder of the anti-racism group Canadians United Against Hate.  He is also the Director of Advocacy and Media Relations, and the co-founder of the Rohingya Human Rights Network.  He has a professional background in strategic communications, advocacy, public policy development and media relations spanning more than three decades. During his career he has advanced public policy initiatives at all levels of government.  He has advised and consulted with federal and provincial cabinet ministers, senators, municipal, business and community leaders on broad spectrum of public policy and communications issues that have impacted the lives of Canadians.

Fareed is passionate about issues which impact human rights and civil liberties, combat racism, and support broader issues of social justice.  Because of his human rights and anti-racism work, he is regularly called upon by CBC, CTV, Global, Canadian Press, the Globe and Mail and others to provide media analysis and commentary.

He has held leadership positions on the boards of numerous national and community-based charitable, civic and business organizations in Ottawa, Toronto, and the US, and has led efforts which have raised more than $375,000 for various charitable causes.

Fareed graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Toronto’s York University and pursued graduate studies at Carleton University in the areas of foreign affairs, defence, national security, and communications studies.  He has also studied at the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi and Trois Rivières, as well as pursued professional development studies in communications and media at Ryerson University.