Dear friends of the Council,

Recently, as Dr. Mary Marrocco was finishing her long tenure with the Council, she shared a reflection that stuck with me:

“Ecumenism is like playing jazz: it takes discipline, but also is intuitive. It is not a solo effort and not a closed circle. The highlight has been the people as witnesses of their own faith tradition and of Christ, their humility, and their willingness to follow the way.” -Dr. Mary Marrocco

So much of what the Council does is predicated on seeking that life-giving tension between discipline and discernment, of being humble and willing to sit with the questions that emerge from responding to Christ’s call for unity and peace.

Questions like…

Who is ecumenism for? Who is the church for? What does it mean to belong?
Will churches not be silent and instead witness and work for justice?
How will we deepen our understanding of one another theologically?
How do we be present and with one another, in intercultural ministry?

A participant from the Deepening Understanding for Intercultural Ministry (DUIM) program held this past summer in Edmonton summed up their experience this way:

This DUIM program must be essential for all in leadership roles. The presenters made the content very engaging and safe for us to speak the truth and be present even through vulnerable moments.

How does faith relate to science and technological developments?
In the world of artificial intelligence, what are the promises and perils?

The latest artificial intelligence webinar in May included this feedback:

I was thrilled to have some Christian answers to questions that I had after taking a secular course in AI.

Whether working for peace and disarmament, interfaith understanding, critical thinking on faith and science, ending sexual exploitation, advancing refugee rights, racial reconciliation, or comparing experiences on mental health and the church, we convene multiple tables of dialogue and action that lead to friendships and relationships who together design learning platforms that connect us across worshipping communities as engaged people of faith. Not a closed circle, the impact of our work goes out and back and in: out to the communities we live in, back to Canadian churches, and into personal spiritual growth and challenge.

Like playing jazz, it is attentive and attuned to one another, not a solo act. This is what that has looked like recently:

Shifting the Paradigm with Indigenous Peoples in the Canadian Ecumenical Movement.
Praying for Peace When Words Fail: Israel Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine.
Advocating for full and equal access to the fundamental principles of justice for refugees to have a fair hearing in Canada.
Publishing Towards Wellbeing: Mental Wholeness in Church, Person, and Community.

Your sustained support for our work is tremendously important and inspiring. My staff colleagues and volunteers know that your commitment, contributions, and gifts make the music of change and faithfulness sing.

We need your financial support again this year. In a world where polarization, violence, and intransigence show up daily and hourly on our screens, now more than ever we need to be in dialogue, thinking strategically, listening intently, and pooling our resources to act together for peace, truth, and justice.

Please send your gift by e-transfer to admin@councilofchurches.ca with a note about it being a donation and include your mailing address for the tax receipt, or return the enclosed reply card, or use our CanadaHelps giving platform.

Thank you for walking the path of faith, love, and hope with us.

Pastor Peter Noteboom
General Secretary
Email: noteboom@councilofchurches.ca | Phone +1 416 972 9494

P.S. Please give generously. If you make monthly contributions, please consider increasing your monthly amount. If you give annually, please consider a generous gift this year. Thank you!