Thank You!

posted on December 1, 2010 in Christmas Art

Thank you to all our Christmas Art Contest entrants. We were blown away by the amazing artwork, which is featured throughout this issue. A special thank you to Stephanie Clarke for her help with sorting the entries.

COVER ART CONTEST WINNER! Jo Anne Maki, 54, St. Andrew’s, Kamloops, B.C.

Judy Mallory, St. Andrew’s, Warkworth, Ont.

Sarah Strasler, 10, St. Andrew’s, Streetsville, Ont.

Susie Hamilton, 8, St. Mark’s, Charlottetown

Claudia Maclean, 9, and Leanne Hardy, 19, Freeland, Tyne Valley, P.E.I

Alan Wybrow, Knox, North Easthope, Ont.

Dylan Langille, Dartmouth, N.S.

Jennifer D. Logan, St. Andrew’s, Nanaimo, B.C.

Brian Kamau, 10, St. Andrew’s, Streetsville, Ont.

“Mary With Child” by Deana Weyman, 69, St. Andrew’s, King City, Ont.

“Three Kings of Orient” by Deana Weyman, 69, St. Andrew’s, King City, Ont.

Emma Lee Procher, 8, St. Andrew’s, Ross, Ont.

Rachel Hamilton, 11, St. Mark’s, Charlottetown

Cora Howard, 6, Nassagawa, Campbellville, Ont.

Jasmine Tracey, 11, St. Andrew’s, Streetsville, Ont.

Peyton Drynan, 8, St. Andrew’s, Streetsville, Ont.

Jennifer D. Logan, St. Andrew’s, Nanaimo, B.C.

Elizabeth Sankar, 42, Rexdale, Toronto

Jasmine Tracey, 11, St. Andrew’s, Streetsville, Ont.

Fay Strang, 75, St. Andrew’s, Warkworth, Ont.

Glenis Beuchanan, St. Andrew’s, Warkworth, Ont.

Judy Mallory, St. Andrew’s, Warkworth, Ont.

Judy Mallory, St. Andrew’s, Warkworth, Ont.

Faith Lokaisingh, 9, St. Andrew’s, Streetsville, Ont.

“Star of Wonder” by Andrew Anderson, 38, Graceview, Etobicoke, Ont.

Andrew Anderson, 38, Graceview, Etobicoke, Ont.

2010 Christmas Cover Art Contest

posted on September 1, 2010 in Contests

Entry Deadline: November 1st, 2010

Share your gifts with the rest of the church this Christmas: Help us illustrate the December issue of the Presbyterian Record. Who knows — maybe your drawing will appear on the cover! As space allows, we feature as many drawings as possible somewhere in the magazine. This contest is open to all ages.

Send your Christmas-themed art on an 8 ½” x 11″ sheet to:

Presbyterian Record
50 Wynford Drive
Toronto, ON M3C 1J7

Please be sure to write your name, age and your church’s information on the back of each entry. Deadline is November 1st, 2010

On Track

Acting out of love.

by Scott Flemming

posted on September 1, 2010 in Rayner Prize

In order for us to stay “on track” as faithful Christians, I think its important for us to often ask ourselves who we are and why we are here. Judging by recent letters to the editor from Adrian van Draanen and Doug Swanson, its once again time for self-analysis.

Although the contributors did not ask or answer these questions directly, I think their comments about the state of the Church today come from their implicit responses. For instance, van Draanen wonders whether Jesus really cares about what Presbyterians discuss, or if he’s more concerned with their actions. On the other hand, Swanson seems to earnestly believe that God cares that God’s truths are written about. So, on one side, we have a picture of the Church as the metaphorical hands and feet of Christ, chiefly meant to physically carry out the commands of Jesus; while, conversely, we have a belief that the Church is the metaphorical mouth of Christ, primarily designed to share God’s truth.

Over the years I’ve tried to explore both options in hopes of finding out how to do Christianity “properly.” I’ve worked with underprivileged youth, helped out at food banks, chatted with homeless people on the street, donated money, recycled everything I could, minimized my purchases, and even tried to be nice to people I didn’t like. I’ve also often racked my brain over difficult theological questions, trying to “get to the bottom of things” so I could tell people the “truth” and how to “live right” so they would see God. Needless to say, all the effort required to do and to think “right” has burned me out.

The thing about the above understandings of Church is that they don’t fully incorporate our humanness. The tasks of eradicating poverty and discovering ultimate truth sound more fit for machines than persons, and I think that’s why many of us burn out. So what then is the Church?

Actually, perhaps we better ask who is the Church? I believe that the Church is the bride of Christ, and that her great task (or commandment) is to love Jesus with everything she has. Consistent with van Draanen and Swanson’s views, this will very often look like outreach and theology. But in addition, it will also look strange. Being Jesus’ bride means being a group of people who are totally infatuated with their lover. This might mean doing all sorts of foolhardy things for the love of God: speaking up for unpopular truths, inviting losers to parties, and living far below our means. The strangest thing is if we do all of these things out of love, we will not burn out, but actually enjoy ourselves!

So to respond to the letter writers, I would say that if we understand ourselves as primarily Jesus’ bride, then, we will no longer first ask, “What should we be doing better?” or “What should we know more about?” but “What can we do to get as close to our lover as possible?”

Faith Seeking Understanding

We are theologians and workers in the vineyard.

by Kathleen Sorensen

posted on September 1, 2010 in Rayner Prize

I recently heard the polity of the Presbyterian Church in Canada described as “intentionally ambiguous.” It occurred to me that this was at the root of many of the issues we struggle with as a denomination which is reflected in the letters of van Draanen and Swanson. However, in the attempt to understand a more fundamental truth I would probably write the phrase as ‘in-tension-ally ambiguous’.

We are members in the Presbyterian Church, in a different way than we are in the society at large. But we are not simply participants in it, our identities rest in the church. We are involved, inculcated, and sometimes; in love with what the church means in the world, and in our lives. We are in the family of Christ, but we are not the totality of that family, but, we are invested in our positions, our theologies, and our priorities. We are interested, informed, and involved but we are not the church in and of ourselves. We are all in this together but we can not insist on having it entirely our own way.

Our theological roots cause us to constantly and consistently be in tension with the past, the present and the future. Siemper reformata; always reforming, and fides quaerens intellectum; faith seeking understanding are important to our identity. However, tension is not simply the result of reforming, but also the tension that we feel when the tectonic plates of our belief structure seem to shift under us, and we worry when that tension erupts and threatens to tear the foundations of our church asunder. But like the equal and opposing tension that gives both strength and flexibility to a suspension bridge the Presbyterian Church survives, in part because it is constantly under tension.

We are also and importantly brothers and sisters in Christ. We are the “ally” of one another; partners, supporters, colleagues and friends. An ally does not need to share a completely contiguous set of beliefs, but they ought to agree upon what those fundamental beliefs rest. An ally does not need to follow the same battle plan, but they ought to fight on the same front. An ally may not share everything in common, but they share a common enemy.

Finally we come upon the term Ambiguous which does not sit well with those who like things settled. Historically, it has been given negative connotations such as vague, unclear, uncertain, and confusing; it also has a liberating and inclusive aspect which is why it is appropriate for 21st Century Presbyterians. Ultimately we are an unsettled church; we are both deep theologians, and the workers in the Lord’s vineyard; we are those who push the boundaries of polity and those who stridently defend it. We are the faithful ministers at the end of their careers, and the excited students at the beginning of theirs. But ultimately we are all Canadian Presbyterians and faithful servants of the Word and therein lays the beauty.

Theology and Action

The Rayner Prize 2010

posted on September 1, 2010 in Rayner Prize

Rev. DeCourcy Rayner was the right man at the right job at the right time. A minister and a journalist he helmed the Record through the turbulent 1960s and ’70s. His magazine never shied away from the times. And, he wasn’t always loved for it.

Rev. Dr. Roberta Clare of St. Andrew’s Hall, Vancouver, knew him in her undergraduate years at University of Toronto. She wrote this remembrance of him in an email: “I was editor-in-chief of the Varsity in its centennial year and threw a huge banquet/party at Hart House. DeCourcy was a former editor-in-chief and showed up with Wayne and Shuster, also former editors. We kept in touch and DeCourcy became my mentor when I entered Knox College. He was a maverick in his time at the Varsity and we shared the dubious honour of being editors who were threatened with impeachment. Both of us were rather proud of the fact that we survived the turbulent waters of newspaper politics and actually fulfilled our terms! DeCourcy encouraged me to keep writing and was delighted when I began to write for the Record in the 80s.”

Armour Heights church in Toronto has a fund in Rayner’s name with the purpose of encouraging the church’s seminarians to think and write in a popular way for a general audience. In short to do for others what Rayner did for Clare.

This legacy is worked out through a contest. The Record staff concocts a question which students at the three colleges — Presbyterian College, Montreal; Knox College, Toronto; and, St. Andrew’s Hall — are encouraged to answer in the form of a short magazine article.

This year the participants were asked to meditate upon these two letters published in the Record.

WWJRead?
by Adrian C. van Draanen, Richmond, Ont.
March 1, 2010

After considerable thought, and with trepidation, I am writing my first letter ever to the editor of the Record. I feel somewhat out of place in this company as I am not as learned or eloquent as the other letter writers are.
Does Jesus read the Presbyterian Record?

This question occurred to me after reading the December issue. I could not help but wonder what Jesus’ reaction would be if he read what his followers were doing. Jesus left us with instruction to bring good news to the poor, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to prepare for the kingdom of God. Although many of his followers have done that, it seems that today the need to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to bring good news to the poor, is still as great, if not greater, than 2,000 years ago.

In the Letters section I noticed that writer-A had replied to something that writer-B had said, and writer-C found this depressing. Writer-A now apologizes to writer-C for causing him to be depressed. Something about universalism. Another letter writer wants to know if the subtitutionary theory has any bearing on present reality.

I read one of the feature articles; no easy job. Things like “the characteristic of the preaching event,” “participates in an incarnational event,” or “making a sermon an incarnational creature of grace,” tend to slow me down. I agree with the article author that it may sometimes seem difficult to believe that God Himself is present in human preaching. So true! Not just difficult to believe, impossible to believe! I think I may have heard close to 4,000 sermons and some were so full of the preacher’s own importance, wit, cleverness, rhetoric, drama, that there just was no room for God.

Then I came to the Features section, where I read about ignoring the subtlety of Trinitarian doctrine, about Jesus’ being truly divine, but not wholly divine, about unfleshed and enfleshed, incarnate and discarnate.

Would Jesus know what these authors are talking about? Would he care? And if he is not confused yet, he certainly will be after reading two articles about the use of the people’s money. In the first article (Building Churches) he reads that “the relationship the parishioners have with their buildings is the most important.” In the second article (A House Not Made With Hands) he reads that “God has specifically commanded us to assist the poor, but He never told Christians to build even a small chapel, let alone spend money on one instead of them.”

Not much has changed in 2,000 years. There are still people who do and people who say. I believe there are many more people who do than one would think from reading the Record. I believe that those who feed the hungry and clothe the naked deserve a much more prominent place in the Record, than do the scholars and their debates. I also believe that it would make the Record easier and more enjoyable to read, and that it would give a truer picture of the church. Imagine Jesus reading the Presbyterian Record!

Concerned About the Record
by Rev. Doug Swanson, Salmon Arm, BC
February 1, 2010

It concerns me deeply that a significant number of the members of my congregation are discontinuing their subscriptions to the Record. Many are rightly concerned with what passes for theology in the pages of a magazine that most of us believe ought to be upholding the Reformed teachings and standards of our denomination.

Dr. McLelland’s theological/philosophical discourses which appear to place the Christian faith as one of many belief systems that orbit inside some overarching sphere of greater truth, is disconcerting, to say the least. Zander Dunn’s universalism, given that he is an ordained minister within the PCC, is also troubling.

I may be wrong, but the Record appears to be endorsing and even promoting positions on human sexuality that are incongruent with our denomination’s statements regarding the same.

These are just several of the ways we perceive our denominational publication to be straying from God’s truth and from credible Christian witness in the world. I will continue to read the Record in hopes of better things, and in appreciation of contributors such as David Webber, Calvin Brown, John Vissers and others.

Three submissions were received and adjudicated by van Draanen and Record staff. (Swanson was regrettably not available to participate.) Of the winning entry van Draanen wrote, “It caught my attention right away and it held my attention to the end. It uses short sentences and easy to understand and appropriate illustrations.”

The session of Armour Heights will send generous cheques to the participants.

As always, thank yous are due to the participants (two from Knox, one from PC) and the college staff for distributing the contest. To Armour Heights for their financial generosity. To DeCourcy Rayner for his legacy. And to van Draanen (who was very generous in his time and efforts to adjudicate) and Swanson and others who engage in a (sometimes heated) conversation in this magazine every month. Or as one of the entrants wrote, “That these letters would be written, published and written about again is a testament to the democratic values that makes the PCC a place where people with a spectrum of views can share God’s grace and work together to create good news stories that will hopefully grace the pages of future editions of the Record.” – Andrew Faiz

On Track, by Scott Flemming (winner)

Sharing God’s Grace, by Heather Anderson (runner-up)

Faith Seeking Understanding, by Kathleen Sorensen (runner-up)

Sharing God’s Grace

Representing voices.

by Heather Anderson

posted on September 1, 2010 in Rayner Prize

To be Presbyterian is to be identified by one’s church government. Historically speaking, Presbyterianism emerged as a kind of proto democracy, distinguishing itself against the Roman Catholic Church government by the model of a body of representatives known as presbyters (elders). If it wishes to remain true to its handle, The Presbyterian Record must, above all, represent the voices of the people who make up the Presbyterian Church in Canada.

Letters appearing in the editorial section of the Record, while belying a lack of consensus on major issues in the PCC, assure the reader that Presbyterianism in its essence is alive and well. The lack of consensus in the PCC may reflect the Canada of its name – a nation known for its proroguing parliament. The Record on the other hand, provides an open forum where differences can be, if not resolved, at least aired in democratic fashion and with the Christian hope that God’s Spirit is at work in the process.

Opinions are bound to differ around the question, what is news? The Canadian singer, Anne Murray spoke for all Canadians when she sang, ‘We sure could use a little good news today.’ When Adrian C. Van Draanen of Richmond, Ont., laments the favouring of scholarly debate over updates about Christian good works in the Record, he echoes both Murray’s sentiments and the exhortation of the author of Hebrews to encourage one another day after day (Hebrews 3:13). Moreover, while our opinions and academic research will die with us, the works that God has provided in advance for us to do – clothing the naked, feeding the hungry – will be the eternal mark of God’s love for us and of our relationship to Christ (Matthew 25).

But the importance of intellectual dialogue cannot be underestimated. Theology is the concern of Rev. Doug Swanson of Salmon Arm, B.C., whose letter questions the Presbyterian integrity of content provided both by specific contributors and by the Record itself. This bold submission demonstrates how the Record enables members of the PCC, from BC to Newfoundland, to remain in democratic conversation. Swanson’s concerns that the Record may not be ‘upholding the Reformed teachings and standards of our denomination’ are addressed by the very process in which he is engaged – a reflection on and recommitment to what it is to be reformed. In the end, it is more than a denominational handle, but rather a commitment to being daily renewed by Christ, “… so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2Corinthians 4:16).

So thank God for the Record, shall we? It is one of the great strengths of the PCC and of democracy to encourage self-critique. This is what it means to be not only reformed, but also reforming. That these letters would be written, published and written about again is a testament to the democratic values that makes the PCC a place where people with a spectrum of views can share God’s grace and work together to create good news stories that will hopefully grace the pages of future editions of the Record.

Christmas Cover Art Contest

The Record's fourth annual contest elicits great work.

posted on December 1, 2009 in Contests

Every autumn, the editorial team waits with anticipation – not unlike a child waiting for Christmas morning – to receive your works of art depicting the Christmas story, and then to see the magazine illustrated with these drawings. This year certainly didn’t disappoint. Many new artists sent in their work, as did several annual contributors. We also had more (seemingly) seasoned artists, many taking a more abstract approach to their task. As always, choosing a winner was difficult, and it was Alan Wybrow from Stratford, Ont., who made it onto our cover. Thank you to everyone for once again making the contest such a success!

“Let the Light Shine Down” painting by Alan Wybrow, Stratford, Ont.

John Sankar, Rexdale, Toronto

Maryelle Clarke, Knox, Bassano, AB

Kamryn Knapton, Thunder Bay, ON

Angela Padovano, Knox, Oakville, ON

Sarah Fraser, 9, Thunder Bay, ON

Rachel Hamilton, St. Mark's, PEI

Maggie, 7, Paisley, ON

Hanna Ross, 12, Ingleside, ON

Alison Purcell, St. Andrew's-Knox, Spencerville, ON

Jenny Gross, 12, Trinity, Calgary

The Rayner Prize, 2009

posted on September 1, 2009 in Rayner Prize

Globe and Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson famously—at least in our circle—described Stéphane Dion as a Presbyterian in December 2006, when Dion won the top job for the Liberals. For those who do not have this as a framed poster in their living rooms here’s the quotation: “He’s Presbyterian, politically speaking—unadorned, slightly severe, utterly determined, without pretence, searching for self-improvement, anchored in his convictions.”

The Rayner Prize challenge this year was to think about Simpson’s dour and dogged cliché and update it with a fuller and rounder definition of what it means to be Presbyterian.

The prize is housed at Armour Heights, Toronto, and is named after Rev. Dr. DeCourcy Rayner, the iconic editor of the Presbyterian Record from 1958-1977. Invitations to participate were sent to all students at the church’s three theological colleges. The purpose of the prize is to encourage theological students to write in a more accessible style for a general interest audience. Record staff judge the entrants; and Armour Heights pays out a kind gift in Rayner’s name to the winner(s). Since there were only two entrants this year, and both more than worthy, Armour Heights is generously doubling its usual contribution, with a prize to each.

It was an honour for me to participate—thank you Armour Heights. And to the two participants: you made me smile.

Andrew Faiz
Managing Editor
Presbyterian Record

—

Take It To The Heart
Embrace the clichés, for they are true.
by Katherine Burgess

Truly Presbyterian
Putting words in our mouths.
Heather Anderson

Take It To The Heart

Embrace the clichés, for they are true.

by Katherine Burgess

posted on September 1, 2009 in Rayner Prize

Clichés become clichés for a reason. The expression is overused to the point of becoming a caricature, but that does not mean there is no truth in it. And, if there is truth in it, there may be no need to update it.

Unadorned. In this age of plastic surgery, liposuction, and all kinds of artificial enhancements, what is wrong with being unadorned? If one is unadorned, it may be assumed that one is not hiding anything, that—to use another cliché—what you see is what you get. In this case, it is more than acceptable to judge a book by its cover, because there are no surprises contained within.

Slightly severe. Well, this one could probably use a little revision. Presbyterians I know aren’t severe. In fact, most of them know how to party with the best. But we also know when not to party, when to get down to work. We know, with Ecclesiastes, that to everything there is a season. For us, there is a time to be severe and a time not to be severe. Scrap the revision. Slightly severe is not a bad way to be described.

Utterly determined. And this is supposed to be a bad thing? This is supposed to be an impression Presbyterians want to change? It was determination which led to the Presbyterian Church coming about in the first place, and it was determination which kept one third of all Canadian Presbyterians out of union in 1925. It will be determination which will bring the PCC well into the 21st century.

Without pretence. If Presbyterians are unadorned, then it follows that they would be without pretence. Adornment hints at covering flaws, which is the same as presenting a façade to the world, of pretending to be something one is not. This is, then, another quality which does not require updating.

Searching for self-improvement. The day anyone stops improving is usually the day that the person meets God face to face. So far, the cliché seems to be accurate.

Anchored in his convictions. Anchoring is a fact of life for a committed Christian, which is what Presbyterians are supposed to be. In this post-post-modern, secular world, there is nothing bad about being anchored.

All of the qualities mentioned in Jeffrey Simpson’s article are good qualities, ones which will serve the church well for the next 100 years.

Maybe instead of revamping this description of a typical Presbyterian, we need to make sure that it does apply to the typical Presbyterian. Maybe it is time for us to stand up and be counted, as we were counted in 1925. It is our determination which has brought us this far, and it is our determination—along with our faith—which will continue to bring us further. John Calvin was anchored in his convictions, as was Martin Luther, as are the Presbyterian theologians of today.

If anything, the Presbyterian in the pew—or, more often these days, not in the pew—should take Simpson’s definition of a Presbyterian to heart and use this to rebuild the church. Cliché? Maybe, to someone who is not a Presbyterian. To someone who is a Presbyterian, it is an accurate definition. Thank you, Jeffrey Simpson, for explaining who we are at the start of this new millennium.

Truly Presbyterian

Putting words in our mouths.

by Heather Anderson

posted on September 1, 2009 in Rayner Prize

Although it doesn’t look like the portrait of a revolutionary, the painting hanging in the student lounge of the Presbyterian College in Montreal is the subject of not infrequent commentary, mostly of the affectionately jocular kind. John Calvin, as he must have appeared within minutes of completing The Institutes, is bowed over and haggard, hound dog eyes starring languidly off into the shadows. From his bonnet to his beard, Calvin bears more resemblance to cracking concrete than to someone leading the clerical charge in a changing world.

The same could be said for the picture of Stéphane Dion painted by the Quebec press during his campaign for Liberal Party leader and later, for prime minister. But Dion’s story, like Calvin’s, reveals a defiantly countercultural character. Globe and Mail columnist Jeffery Simpson noticed this and portrayed Dion as a Christ figure in 2006, going so far as to call him a political Presbyterian in his article. Should Presbyterians be proud of the reference or consider it a call to change?

The answer may depend on your opinion of Dion. But the point is that the continued presence of the word Presbyterian in the Canadian vocabulary signifies an opportunity and a responsibility to remind ourselves and others of the pre-eminence of the Word in our common context. Presbyterian and indeed Reformed reverence for the Reformation may have made the historic happening into a petrified point of pride rather than a rite of passage for every generation of Christ’s disciples.

As part of the Reformed tradition, Presbyterians have inherited the Calvinist handle, for better or worse. Ministry opportunities in Quebec and France have shown me that within former Christendom, Calvinists are infamous for their apathy. If we are not saved by our works, then why bother doing anything good? On the other hand, Calvinism and the Protestant work ethic have been convicted, rightly or wrongly, of all the busybody crimes of capitalism, including environmental destruction and sweat shop injustice. A recent conversation with a Bulgarian university student in Paris showed me that Canada’s Presbyterian roots have made a lasting impression—she was convinced that in contrast to the glorification of suffering she finds in her Orthodox tradition, the Protestant work ethic was responsible for our (relatively) comfortable position during the current economic crisis.

If the reverse of Simpson’s article is also true, then Presbyterians in Canada are liberals, extending salvation to all creation and looking beyond personal morality to see freedom in Christ as inclusive of social justice. But what Simpson meant when he called Dion a Presbyterian was that he was “unadorned, slightly severe, utterly determined, without pretence, searching for self improvement” and “anchored in convictions”. In short, Dion is the political incarnation of the Protestant work ethic, period. The lack of humanity in the description is disturbing and corresponds to the press’ accusation that Dion does not communicate well. We are, after all, meant to incarnate Jesus, the Christ, not only as he was at his woodworking bench, but in his daily life and ministry with all kinds of people.

Contrary to the spirit of the Reformation, Calvinists have been known to use the sovereignty of God as a justification for indifference and inaction rather than as the impetus for obedience. Calvin was part of a movement to interpret and articulate the freedom of Christ for his generation. Rather than endorse the silence often justified by his name, Calvin would more likely encourage conversations and even campaigns that would dare to propose repentance and faith in Christ’s incarnation, death and resurrection as core elements of the authentic humanity—reconciliation with God and others. If Presbyterians can learn to publically communicate the source of their liberal ethics, they can also offer a vision for environmental and social reconciliation in Canada.

Perhaps Presbyterian pride at Simpson’s description of Dion should be checked by a small shudder, as Calvin would probably shudder to hear about his eponymous theology. If our denomination has come to be equated with a static character, however admirable, then we fall short of representing Jesus’ dynamic and articulate ministry. For a sense of what is truly and particularly Presbyterian, one could consider the portrait of another John that hangs next to Calvin’s on the wall of PC, Montreal. It has been posited by author Arthur Herman that Knox’s reformation in Scotland put that country in a position to prosper and bless the entire world at the dawn of the modern era. John Knox was so certain that his words would have an impact that a guard with a drawn sword was stationed in front of his pulpit at St. Giles Cathedral every time he preached!

The Most Beautiful Church Contest

Is yours the most beautiful church or congregation in the denomination?

posted on April 1, 2009 in Contests

As the beholder, you define beautiful any way you want: architecture, location, mission, worship, people. Send 200 words and up to five photographs. Choose your words and images well. Be creative: make a collage, write a poem. Any way to prove that yours is the most beautiful church.

» More

Christmas Cover Art Contest

posted on December 1, 2008 in Contests

All our fine Christmas Cover Art Contest entries are below. Click on any to see an enlargement.

» More

Poetry Contest Winners

A Job Well Done

posted on February 1, 2008 in Contests

In 2007, St. Andrew's, Guelph, was looking for a way to continue its commitment to “Towards a World without AIDS” while at the same time answering the call of the denomination as it moved us into issues of water. Along came Pieter Wyminga at just the right time. Pieter spoke with passion about the tragedy of Darfur, Sudan, and the need for accessible drinking water for those living in refugee camps throughout the region. His initial enthusiasm for these global concerns came from the pages of this magazine. Pieter asked a very simple question, “Do you think this congregation would be interested in supporting well projects in Darfur and other parts of Africa?”

» More

Christmas Carol Contest

posted on December 1, 2007 in Contests

Christmas Carols, new ones and some classics, written and/or performed by Record readers. Thank you to all who participated. And, you’re invited to start thinking about doing it again later this year.

» More

Something Special

So much talent, shared openly.

by Cover Contest Committee

posted on December 1, 2007 in Contests

The winning entry: Bethany Morton, age 12, Glencoe, Ont.

They start trickling in during September and by the deadline date the file is very thick. Then the fun begins — lots of oohing and ahing, endless exclamations of, “how cute” and “check this one out.”

And then the work begins: only one can be on the cover. This year we had many very strong candidates and we debated, discussed, advocated for them all.

It is not easy to choose, and if we didn't have a deadline, perhaps we never would. We look for skill, of course, but that varies at different age levels. So, we look for imagination; but that too is partially a function of age. We also look for understanding: how the gospels are interpreted and revealed through the drawings.

Our cover this year — by Bethany Morton, age 12, Glencoe, Ont. — is a simple, strong image of a classic manger scene. But this one looks as though it could happen next door. The Wise Men are now replaced by ordinary folks who have left behind a roast in the oven, that phone call to a far-away friend, a train set or Barbie dolls to be part of something they just know is far more special.

Jennifer Reid's — Knox, Dunnville, Ont. — stained glass window, which is found on the cover of our pull-out Advent calendar is a masterwork. Once again it is a mixture of the classical and the modern with a strong theological centre. Look at it with great care; all the important elements are there within the cubist presentation.

A different lesson is learned by the drawing found on the top of page 24. While his autism holds Matthew Wegman back in some areas, his skills as an artist are gifts he can openly share; and he does so by drawing the Christmas program cover at St. Paul's, Carluke.

Bottom right on page 21 is an anniversary celebration: 40 leaves are used in the wreath to mark each of St. Paul's, Brampton's years.

The painstakingly detailed mosaic on page 34 is by Heather Bunting of London, Ont., who has been expanding her horizons as a Christian artist while being a mom.

The neo-Victorian image on page 20 is by Morgan Acker, age 15, of Harvey, N.B.

Any one of these artists could be a professional, and their submissions help brighten otherwise dreary October days at the office. Your entries give us a glimpse of how young Christians make sense of this thing called Christmas.

So many stories, so much talent, shared openly. The staff at the Record is humbled by the response.

Click images to enlarge.

Alex, age 5, Knox, Oakville, Ont.	Lauren Maul, age 5, Knox, Oakville, Ont.	John, age 6, Knox, Oakville, Ont.
Emily, age 4, Westminster, Paisley, Ont.	Jakob, age 7, Westminster, Paisley, Ont.	Jemeila Rankin, age 9, Weston, Mississauga, Ont.
Daniel Ferris, age 8, St Andrew's, Alma, Ont.	Mackenzie Beam, age 6, St Andrew's, Alma, Ont.	Reginald Knight, age 6, St Andrew's, Alma, Ont.
Michaela Beam, age 8, St Andrew's, Alma, Ont.	Madison Ticehurst, age 7, Beaconsfield, Que.	Maggie, age 5, Westminster, Paisley, Ont.
Marcie Landman, St Andrew's, Alma, Ont.	Cassidy Montgomery, age 7, Mississauga, Ont.	Zahra Faiz, age 5, Gateway Community, Toronto
Lindsay Richardson, age 7, Knox, Oakville, Ont.	Philip and Richard, St. Paul's, Brampton, Ont.	Morgan Acker, age 15, Knox, Harvey, N.B.
Amiens, age 7, Knox, Oakville, Ont.	Baillie Ferguson, age 16, Homeville, N.S.	Elizabeth Munro, age 11, Armour Heights, Toronto
Cora, Seth, Marilyn, Melinda and Joshua, St. Paul's, Brampton, Ont.	Kwadwo Ampofo, age 8, Gateway Community, Toronto	Matthew Wegman, St. Paul's Carluke, Ancaster, Ont.
Emily O'Brien, Trafalgar, Oakville, Ont.	The True Meaning of Christmas by Jennifer Reid, Knox, Dunnville, Ont.	Alexa Thomson-McWilliams, age 10, Knox, Oakville, Ont.
Julie Todaro, age 10, Knox, Oakville, Ont.	Catherine Maul, age 7, Knox, Oakville, Ont.	Celina Hynes, age 7, St Andrew's, Alma, Ont.
Cabot, age 6, Knox, Oakville, Ont.	Heather Bunting, age 32, London, Ont.	Alexa Leiningem, Knox, Oakville, Ont.
Will, age 8, Knox, Oakville, Ont.	Naomi Auld, age 8, St. Andrew's, Alma, Ont.	Franceska, age 11, Westminster, Paisley, Ont.
Lauren, age 7, Westminster, Paisley	Faith, age 8, Westminster, Paisley	Fraser Morton, age 9, Glencoe, Ont.
Ama Ampofa, age 9, Gateway Community, Toronto