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| Trinity Anglican Church6 Church StreetParry Sound, ONP2A 1Y3Tel 705-746-5221Fax 705-746-6182 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Copyright ©2006 Trinity Anglican Church |
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Parish Profile – Trinity Church CONTENTS Parish Worship, Education and Statistics Issues in Parish and Congregational Life – An Overview and Assessment Mission, Leadership, Growth and Future Teaching and Nurturing – Faith Deepening Activities
Trinity is the parish church for the town of Parry Sound. It serves the town and the immediate surrounding townships of Carling, McDougall and Seguin, with some parishioners coming from as far away as Ardbeg. Built on its present site in 1876 under the leadership of its first rector, the Reverend Robert Mosley, it was a mission church for many years and relied on financial support from the Diocese. The Venerable Cyril Peto, appointed rector in 1941, is credited with bringing the church members together and raising the financial status to that of a self supporting parish. Naturally, the building has undergone a number of major construction changes: a basement or crypt was built under the church in 1926, in 1952 a new chancel replaced the former structure, and later in 1962 funds were raised to construct the present narthex and tower. Trinity, although aging, has been well maintained through the careful and wise application of limited capital dollars over the years. Improvements include the installation of the many beautiful stained glass windows furnished by the McCausland Company, skilfully chosen by Archdeacon Peto from 1953 to 1967. Occasional smaller additions have been made possible through individual bequests. A memorial garden was established beside the church in 1993. The garden’s plantings and trees have matured, and it is cared for by a dedicated committee. It provides an appropriate place for the interment of ashes of the departed, whose names are also inscribed on a suitable monument. It is also an area for quiet rest and meditation. The Corporation no longer owns a rectory but pays a housing allowance to assist incumbents in securing their own housing. Parking is available via a rear lane to the church, with a limited number of spaces available. Some parking for persons with disabilities is available. A ramped entrance is also available at the rear of the church. A recently added lift makes the premises accessible to all, and washrooms designed for accessibility have been added. Parry Sound (2006 census population 5818, with a population in the area served by the town of approximately 13,000) is a town in Central Ontario, located on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. It lies 160km south of Sudbury and 225km north of Toronto. It is the seat of the Parry Sound District and a popular cottage area for Southern Ontario residents who increase the town’s population to approximately 75,000 during the summer months. It is also the world’s deepest natural fresh water port. The body of water that gives the town its name was named in honour of the Arctic explorer Sir William Edward Parry. The townsite was established at the mouth of the Seguin River in 1857. In the late 19th century rail service was established, making the town an important depot along both of the transcontinental rail lines. Parry Sound is on the Trans Canada Highway, and extension of the four laned Highway 400 to the town is almost complete. Thrice daily bus service connects Parry Sound to Toronto and Sudbury and towns in between. Via Rail service serves the town with passenger service three times a week each way between Toronto and Vancouver. A municipal airport is located in Seguin Township and is a fast growing facility for private and corporate airplanes. Shipping channels connect Parry Sound to the St. Lawrence Seaway but with cessation of nickel ore and oil shipments, only road salt arrives by ship today. A Canadian Coast Guard base is located within the town and continues to be one of the major employers of the town. Parry Sound boasts the West Parry Sound Health Centre, a new state of the art medical facility which serves the area and the greatly expanded summer resident population. Three family medical clinics tend to the routine needs of the community. The health centre provides facilities for specialists who come to Parry Sound from Sudbury, Barrie, Orillia or Toronto on a regular schedule. The immediate area is served by one regional public secondary school with a large bussed student population, as well as five public elementary schools, and one Roman Catholic elementary School. A residential and day student private school—Lake Rosseau College, is located in nearby village of Rosseau. The major employers of the community include the health centre, the schools, many retail businesses, several provincial and federal government ministries and social agencies, several service entities directly related to the large tourist industry, and a few industrial/manufacturing plants. Generally the town is comprised of Anglo-European ethnic descendants, many who arrived early in the 20th Century to support the lumber, some mining, fishing and transportation systems. Some immigrated and took up land grants and engaged in small, generally unsuccessful mixed farming. Several First Nations occupy established reserves such as Parry Island and Shawanaga outside the town. Many people, who lived in urban centers, but who spent vacations at recreational properties, have converted the ‘family cottage’ to a year-round home and retired to the more idyllic environs and slower lifestyle available. Many residents are retired and depend on private pensions or government social securities. Some of the major attractions available to the locals and tourists include; 30,000 Islands tour aboard the Island Queen VI; the newly opened Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts (which accommodates the annual three week Festival of the Sound, now in its 27th year, as well as a variety of professional and local talent performances) and the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame. The area is home to many artists and artisans, and each year two expositions (Art in the Park and the Thanksgiving Studio Tour) are held. There are also four golf courses in the immediate area. Parish Worship, Education and Statistics There are currently 162 families making up a total of 330 individuals on the parish list, 30 of whom are shut-ins. In 1997 the average Sunday attendance was 118: in 2002 it was 98 and in 2007 it is 82. The average attendance at Sunday School is 9, with a total enrolment of 16. The Sunday School attendance is included in the overall attendance figures. The decline is almost entirely due to families leaving the area or through the death of long-time members. The population is not increasing in this area at present although Provincial Statistics indicate this will change as more Baby Boomers retire to their summer residences, providing a domino effect of attracting more people to service the increase. The aging parish population and lack of industries in the area signal a continuing decline in the membership. However the recent census indicates that Muskoka Deanery, of which Trinity is a part, is expected to grow in the next 15 years by 10% spurred by the retirement of the Baby Boomers. The rest of the Diocese (Algoma, Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Temiskaming) is expected to decline in numbers by about 20% during the same period. Trinity would be classified a Pastoral Church with attendance of 50 – 150 on a continuing basis.
The Executive Committee consists of the Rector, the two wardens, the two deputy wardens and the treasurer. This committee leads an elected Parish Council, with positions that are accountable to the congregation for their areas of responsibility. The council positions are: Vestry Clerk Property Chairman Communications Chairman Worship Committee Chairman Education Chairman Outreach Chairman Events Chairman Synod Delegates (2)
Other key positions are: Stewardship Chairman (a nominee of the Council), Envelope Secretary (reports to the Treasurer), and the Sunday School Coordinator (reports to the Education Chairman). The Altar Guild Chairman and the Pastoral Care Worker are under the umbrella of the Worship Committee, as are the leaders of the layreaders, servers, readers, greeters and prayer circle. The leaders of the coffee hosts and women’s group are under the aegis of the Events Chairman, and there is a parish representative for the PWRDF The Parish Council meets monthly, and each chairman is responsible for recruiting workers to accomplish his/her program as agreed at the meetings. Issues in Parish and Congregational Life – An Overview and Assessment In the past year, at least two events have been significant: First, the congregation catered for a “Mystery Theatre Dinner” at the Stockey Centre. Forty six parishioners volunteered to prepare and serve a formal three course meal to 120 patrons of the Parry Sound Little Theatre. The event was talked about for long afterward since it brought Trinity people together to work, laugh, and share a meal and a sense of accomplishment for themselves and for the parish. Secondly, a song writing workshop was held with an outside facilitator. Over 25 people attended, and all experienced a great sense of learning and sharing. Intergenerational services have been mentioned several times in this document. The first such service was held in October 2005, and was commented on for weeks afterward. The Sunday School learned many of the readings and parts of the service; a group of musicians provided songs and accompaniment quite different from the usual services; an alternative altar was located in the nave of the church and the whole service took place in a much cosier, more inclusive setting. The next such service took place in April 2006, graduating to a monthly basis, but the first one was a parish event. An event in recent years that turned out less well was the planned project in the late 1990s to renovate the front and side of the church, adding space, relocating and improving many of the functions such as office space and choir facilities, providing a ramp and lift for accessibility, and reorganizing the parish hall to provide increased storage. After much planning and work by a committee and an architect, the plan was shelved, partly due to excessive cost. However, in light of the parish’s shrinking population, it would seem that if the plans had gone ahead, the resulting financial burden might have resulted in a crisis in the parish. In the years since this project was abandoned, an accessible lift and more storage were added to the church building as a more modest project, and have been well used and well received. Mission, Leadership, Growth and Future 1. Our parish has a mission statement that most parishioners know; as far as a sense of mission or a direction that we are travelling, it is not articulated or known by all. 2. Most people in key posts have served for less than four years; however, the same people tend to revolve through the major positions. 3. Our key congregational leaders are spread across the spectrum from looking after the operation of the church to leading efforts to increase parishioners’ awareness of the Word and their sense of mission in the community 4. Our parish is shrinking; the median age is increasing and there are few families joining/being raised in the church to take the place of those faithful members when they pass on. 5. Trinity has conducted several workshops over the past years with widespread representation of parish members. These have been quite successful in terms of developing plans to meet the changing needs of the congregation. Many positive changes have resulted from these workshops (e.g. intergenerational services, lift, and accessible washrooms), however, they have fallen short of their goal in terms of stewardship and increasing attendance. These issues need to be revisited and specific, achievable goals established with a clear cut plan of action developed and implemented. There is a general feeling that our parish has a future; we need to find a direction and a kind of mission that will stimulate membership and challenge parishioners. 6. The parish building consists of the church itself and its grounds. It is in generally good condition with no major work needed in the near future. Recent improvements include reshingling of the church roof, installation of a lift for accessibility with additional storage, renovation and relocation of the church office, paving of the parking lot, installing vinyl siding on the exterior of the building, upgrading the telephone system, and decoration of a dedicated youth room by the young people. 7, 8. The worship space is light and has a warm feeling, with good acoustics. The layout of the nave and chancel is quite traditional, being relatively long and narrow. However, it could be modified at a reasonable cost to cater to more varied liturgical styles. Some modifications have already been carried out to make the rear part of the nave suitable for more flexible use. 9. There are no “Anglican Church of Canada” directional signs approaching the town; however the church is in a prominent location on a main street and is easy to direct people to. It is well identified by the angled two –sided sign in front. In addition to signage, Trinity has a website (www.trinitychurchparrysound.ca ) from which interested people can learn about our parish. 10. Persons with disabilities are served by the lift and a wheelchair- or walker-accessible washroom. Wheelchair or walker access to the chancel is a problem, one that could be solved by altering the layout of the worship space. People who are blind might find some difficulty in navigating around our church; Braille signage would be an asset. Access from the outside at grade level is only possible from the rear of the church since the site slopes considerably to the front street, with a flight of steps the only way to reach the front door from the street level. 11. Our church has approximately eight parking spots at the rear of the church, including two reserved for persons with disabilities. There is parking on the street at the front of the church, as well as a large private lot across the street from the front of the church, which is available for parishioners on Sunday mornings. On weekdays, when the street and private parking is utilized, Trinity can depend only on its own limited site. 12. The majority of parishioners are older and come as couples or alone. There are some younger families who attend together. 13. Our parish is in a small, generally monocultural town, and its cultural diversity (or lack of it) reflects that of the town. However, the surrounding area is home to several first nations, and there is little outreach from our parish to these groups. In some cases, the first nations have their own churches; in other cases other denominations in the town have been historically more involved with first nations. 14. When new people come to our church, they are made to feel welcome and they are quickly involved in the activities of the church. Newcomers are invited to fill out forms indicating their interests and needs for pastoral contact. Measures such as not passing the collection plate (many parishioners use preauthorized chequing for their givings, and for those who give at the service, the plate is available near the entrance to the nave), the descriptive order of service, and the availability of large print orders of service make the services more welcoming. A coffee time is held after the main service every Sunday. 15. Trinity offers some variety in liturgical styles, with the BAS Eucharist being the basic service. When there is a fifth Sunday in a month, a Eucharist in the form of the BCP is held from the BAS. In recent years an intergenerational service with modern music and youth participation has been held monthly. 16. Children’s activities take place in the Sunday School, with the children joining the worship service for the Eucharist. There is a children’s time at the end of each Sunday service, and children regularly contribute as readers in the intergenerational services and on occasions such as Advent, Christmas, and Easter. 17. People are generally quite reserved about sharing their faith with others, doing so usually with people they are comfortable with or those who they are confident will accept their ministry. However, a strong Christian commitment is clearly demonstrated by the many members of the congregation engaged in a variety of social programs in the community. Teaching and Nurturing – Faith Deepening Activities Trinity has engaged in many different activities to meet the needs of different ages and interests in finding our spiritual way. Some of these are:
In addition to these regular or cyclical activities, recent stand alone events have included:
The main services at Trinity consist of the Eucharist at both 8:30 and 10:00 on Sunday mornings. The earlier service is said; in the later one the church choir helps to lead the service. On the first Sunday of the month, a combined service with choir is held at 9:30, in order to draw the two congregations together. This service also facilitates the men’s and women’s breakfasts, it is the occasion for the monthly “discerning the word” discussions, and is an occasion to mark the month’s birthdays and wedding anniversaries within the parish. The Book of Alternative Services is the principal liturgical text; the Eucharist in the form of the Book of Common Prayer is held when there is a fifth Sunday in the month. Once a month, the 10:00 a.m. service is an intergenerational service, with a purpose-written liturgy, modern music (sometimes with alternate instruments), significant participation of children and youth in the roles of the service, and more flexible arrangement of the church furnishings. Ecumenical services are held during Lent, usually on Wednesdays, rotating among the town churches which are participating. Services with music are held at three local seniors’ homes on a weekly basis, and communion is celebrated with shut-in parishioners regularly. Music consists of material from the new blue Book of Common Praise, as well as anthems and seasonal music chosen by the choir director. There is an adult choir of approximately twelve people, led by a organist/choir director. The usual accompaniment is on the organ, with occasional use of piano for selected hymns or anthems. The Sunday School uses the “Seasons of the Spirit” curriculum, and meets in the parish hall while the first part of the main Sunday service is taking place. They join the congregation for the Eucharist, and once or twice a month they sing in church with guitar accompaniment during the children’s time at the end of the service. The services are complemented by the participation of layreaders, Eucharistic assistants, servers and readers for the scriptures. Normally all of these roles would be fulfilled at a Sunday morning service. Trinity has an organized group of licensed lay readers and other chancel personnel, who meet regularly for training and, in addition to serving at parish services, contribute to Deanery and Diocesan events. An active Altar Guild attends to the upkeep and beautification of the chancel, maintaining the vestments and vessels in good order, and participating in worship committee decisions. Members of Trinity carry out several initiatives through the year to help meet needs in the community, including:
In addition, members of the congregation are actively involved in community initiatives such as:
The Parry Sound Ministerial Association has ebbed and flowed through the years; Trinity’s rector has always participated. In addition to this, there have been several ecumenical ventures, some of which have been mentioned already: -Lenten services and lunch -Mary Street Boutique used clothing service -Discerning the Word (members of other churches participate) -Kairos, a social justice action organization -The Way of the Cross procession and service on Good Friday -Contributing to the chaplaincy service at the Health Centre. It is clear that, although our parish has had its ups and downs, there has always been vibrant and glorious witness to our Christian heritage. We are a committed and enthusiastic congregation, and a caring community. We can say confidently that “although we’re shrinking, we’re not dying”. We have a dynamic, spirit directed community that just needs some strong leadership to help us on our journey into the mystery and out into the community.
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