The Campaign

The parish-based Growing Tomorrow’s Church Today Campaign is not an end unto itself, but a planned action to help us reach our goals. It will raise much-needed resources to help us grow in new and innovative ways to serve our Lord.

The five-year Campaign will take us half-way toward our overall goal of $10 million. Working together as a Diocese, we will accomplish far more than if we act as separate parish bodies.

Campaign Goal is $5,000,000

Our People .................................$500,000
Our Programs ............................$500,000
Our Property ...........................$4,000,000
 
We Shall be Stewards of Abundance

The opportunities of today and tomorrow require hearts and minds inspired by abundance. Parts of Southern Alberta is now one of the world’s most prosperous regions, and Canada’s fastest-growing. We need to move beyond making-do. New thinking and action is called for.

Stewardship is what we do with what we have all of the time — it is a way of life. At the heart of Christian stewardship is the desire to be generous and to give without expectation because this reflects the heart of God.

Everyone has an Important Part to Play

Giving puts into action our conviction that because we have received so generously, so shall we give generously. We all have a place at the table and we all have gifts to share. This is the time to value and celebrate what each person brings to the whole.

Through the Growing Tomorrow’s Church Today Campaign, we will rejoice in the marvelous things God is accomplishing through us.

Through our Campaign:

• every parish will take part
• every person will have the opportunity to give
• every gift will be as important as any other
• every gift will contribute to building up the body of Christ
• every gift will make a difference

We will Make a Real Difference in People’s Lives

Claiming God’s Promises for our People
$500,000

The most important resource we have are the men, women and children who commit themselves to the local church and its work — yet many of our parishes do not have leadership teams that can do everything they are called upon to do.

We must invest in our people so that we can bear fruit for the sake of the gospel. Funds raised through the Campaign can help provide the best training in:
• evangelization — bringing the good news to spiritually hungry people
• community outreach
• spiritual formation — equipping people to live with purpose and meaning
• mediation and negotiation
• pastoral care
• discerning the spiritual gifts of God’s people
• discerning congregations’ future directions
• recruiting future leaders
• post-ordination training for new clergy
• stewardship education — including financial development

Claiming God’s Promises for our Programs
$500,000

There is no more important way to reach out to people than through ministry initiatives that make a connection with and address the needs of the whole person.

We need to develop centres of Christian spirituality to reach beyond our congregations’ walls. We need to re-imagine the Church’s relationships with individuals and organizations, addressing society’s most pressing issues.

• our aboriginal communities need healing and justice initiatives to overcome sorrows of the past and to reclaim dignity in today’s society
• we must link our faith with care for theenvironment
• uncertain times have a profound impact on ouryouth, and we must engage them in programs to guide their development
• we share an obligation to meet the needs of ourelders — to benefit from their wisdom as they benefit from others’ care
• we must support the rural way of life as a valued asset
• we must re-affirm our long-standing relationship with the arts, which nurture the soul and enliven the capacity of people in their daily lives

Claiming God’s Promises for our Property
$4,000,000

There is a proven relationship between the ministry program carried out by a parish and the facility used to deliver that program. We need renewed and new facilities.

As congregations dwindle in mature communities, the potential to build strong congregations in suburban areas grows. We also must embrace the forward-thinking vision of parishes eager to expand ministry initiatives in established communities.

There are many property-related projects currently underway in the Diocese. They include:

• Christ Church, Calgary
• St. Peter, Okotoks
• Holy Cross, Calgary
• Good Shepherd, Calgary

Renewal is underway in many parishes of the Diocese. each, in their own way, is enhancing their own facility to enable them to provide better ministry in their communities.

A generation ago, a church could be built for what it costs today to acquire the land alone. As a consequence, the bulk of funds raised in the Campaign will help support major projects in the Diocese such as those described at right. 

Holy Trinity, Calgary
In November 2001, we reached out to those with no church home. Trusting the Spirit means taking risks and we did just that by building Holy Trinity before funds were raised. Funding for Holy Trinity is now our most formidable and urgent need.

Our decision is bearing fruit — the congregation grows each week and Holy Trinity is becoming known in the wider community. The bills, however, still must be paid.

The Church of the Epiphany, Rimbey
The church has a vision for a community-based ministry that its current location and building does not support. A new site has been found on the west edge of town adjacent to the hospital, community sportsplex and new housing development.

St. Benedict, High River
The congregation of St. Benedict’s has outgrown its facility. An expanding ministry program and a growing congregation means the facility requires considerable upgrading and enlarging.

All Saints, Cochrane
Cochrane is one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada. The parish has a vital, creative congregation that worships in and ministers from the historic chapel. The parish leadership is seeking to improve visibility, accessibility and capacity.

St. Michael and All Angels, Strathmore
Strathmore is home to more young families and growing quickly. The congregation worships at one of the province’s original churches. The parish is looking to move to a new area that is more accessible, welcoming and visible.

St. Martin, Calgary
St. Martin’s is at the centre of a new way of conceiving the church’s presence in a rapidly growing community. The leadership has been working diligently and envisions a partnership with community agencies to create a unique ministry centre reaching out to a wider community.