Godly Play Comes to St. Catherine's

“In most religious education children are told who God is. In Godly Play children discover who God is.”   www.godlyplay.uk

Godly Play is a creative approach to Christian nurture.  It is based on Montessori principles and aims to make religion come alive for children.  The teacher acts as a spiritual guide, while the children learn by “doing it themselves”.

A Godly Play session includes:

• getting ready
• telling a Bible story using objects and artefacts
• exploring the story with questions and discussion introduced by saying, “I wonder…”
• allowing the children to respond to the story as each one chooses, using a variety of materials:  art, silence, play, writing…
• enjoying a simple feast and sharing.

The first session of Godly Play at St. Catherine’s will begin at 3:00 PM on Saturday, November 7.  For more information or to book your child's place call St Catherine's on 604 942 9812.

Note:  Our ongoing program for children and families, Messy Church, will continue on the third Saturday of each month. 

St. Catherine's-Trinity Annual Joint Service and BBQ

Credit:  David M. Squires

On Sunday, June 21, St. Catherine's held a joint service with Trinity United followed by a barbeque
both sponsored by the St. Catherine's-Trinity Liaison Committee.  The events commemorated 17 years of sharing a church building and working together.  When St. Catherine's Church building on Shaughnessy Street had to be torn down due to structural instability, the congregation of Trinity United invited St. Catherine's to share their building.  The Liaison Committee formed shortly thereafter to ease the growing pains associated with two congregations with different traditions occupying the same space.  It has evolved from simply dealing with day to day issues into building a partnership that allows for shared ministry while respecting each other's traditions and maintaining the individual Anglican and United Church identities.

Since the joint service was held on National Aboriginal Day, it focused on respecting all peoples and on the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  The message of the day included hard truths about residential schools and ways in which individual members of the congregations could contribute to reconciliation.

The barbecue that followed the service was an opportunity for fun and fellowship.  It included perfectly cooked burgers and donated ice cream for everyone.  Special thanks to Efcon Inc. Ethnic Food Concepts for the ice cream.