Fanning the Flames
A project to build a multi-year program for St. Francis

Community demographics (click on link to go to details)
The data for this section has been drawn from a variety of sources including parish documents, and external websites.
A map of our parish boundaries is included in this section.
One other set of statistics we should try to look at is the work of the Diocese Planning and Development Board’s 16-month Planning Study due to be completed early in 2005. The study will provide an in-depth analysis of each parish, examining performance and potential. This information will form a basis for a strategic plan for the diocese.

Worship (click on link to go to details)
St. Francis celebrates in “high church” fashion. The symbols we use during services are important to many parishioners to help them focus their prayers and praise while in community.
This section offers some definitions of the items you see at services.

Outreach (click on link to go to details)
Outreach is an area of excellence in our parish. Our financial contributions are significant as are our contributions of time and ability.
Answers to the short quiz are here.
Here are some lists of projects we sponsor directly as well as an extensive listing and examples of work support at the area, deanery diocesan, national and international levels. 

Christian Education (click on link to go to details)
Surprisingly, Christian education was an area that many respondents to last year’s questionnaire did not answer. Partly, it was a matter that they saw Christian education as Sunday school only and they had no direct involvement. Christian education is much more.
Check out the many programs for children and youth offered at the church as well as listings for adults. You might be surprised at what you find. 

Pastoral care (click on link to go to details)
Here we define Pastoral care as the work of lay people and the priest who offer support to the congregation.
This happens in many ways in our parish. Some examples of this important aspect of our church are listed here. 

Evangelism (click on link to go to details)
One aspect of our church life we need to look more closely at is evangelism. Simply defined, evangelism is the planting or growth of the church.

Community demographics

A summary of our 2004 survey *(click on link to view details of this)
*This is provided as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file.

Map of our parish boundaries

In 1986, the diocese made St. Francis the regional church for future growth in the area.

Statistics about Meadowvale
The statistics in this section are from 1991 and 1996, with extrapolations for 2001 through 2006. The information, based on other, more recent figures, still seems to be correct.

The information was analyzed for major trends in five areas: General Population, Family Structure & Children, School Attendance & Education, Mobility, and Labor Force.

General population. While the median age remains in the low 30s, the appearance of a young parish is misleading, as the overall trend is towards an aging of the population..

Between 2000 and  2006, we can expect a five percent increase in the Over 35 age group, with a corresponding downward trend among the Under 35s. (That trend is likely to continue. By 2021, Mississauga expects about 14 per cent of its population to be age 75 and over. Right now, it’s about 5 per cent. The 0 to 9 age groups will have dropped to 11 per cent from 17 per cent.)

Coupled with this is the trend towards a smaller family, with two older children who are likely in full-time higher education, or unemployed.

Growth in Churchill Meadows and Lisgar are projected by the City of Mississauga to be minimal through 2006. The maximum density of new homes in Churchill Meadows is not expected until 2021. New population growth within the parish through 2006 will be mainly in rentals.

Family structure and children. Those families with one child are trending up in relationship to total common-law relationships. The lone parent family is trending up marginally, with a slight emphasis on the lone female parent of three or more children. There is also growth in families with single fathers so this may be an area of interest for outreach programs.

3. School attendance and education. A large trend  is evident in 15 to 24 year olds  who are attending educational institutions full time, with a very large trend towards community college education. A very large trend up in university education is detected, with a similar trend up in receiving university degrees. The trend of decreasing numbers of small children may have implications for our Sunday school and should be investigated further.

A few bits about Mississauga
In 2002, Mississauga had a population of 624,000, up almost 100,000 from 1995. The present population is estimated at about 680,000.

Languages
With just over 40% of the city's population having a language other than English as their mother tongue, the city is relatively diverse, which is, perhaps, owing to its proximity to Toronto. More than 30% of Mississauga's population speak more than one language.

First Language - From Statistics Canada 1996 Census Data (as a percent of total)

Business opportunities
Mississauga has provided an ideal environment for small businesses. Many developers have built small multiple units which provide efficient and affordable accommodations for small companies. The economic stability of Mississauga is enhanced by thousands of small and medium-sized businesses. A large percentage of these employers have fewer than 50 employees.

An employment survey conducted in 1994 indicated that the greatest number of firms and of employees were active in the manufacturing/warehouse sectors followed by retail and wholesale sectors. There will be a shift in the employment base away from traditional manufacturing and towards: light assembly, warehouse distribution, and general services. The strong industries in Mississauga are: pharmaceuticals, electronics, computer, chemical and transportation parts and equipment industries.

Mississauga demographics indicate that the labour market is experiencing some fairly dramatic changes. It is predicted that in the next ten years, 70% of the new Canadian work force will consist of women, racial minorities, and people with disabilities. It is also evident that the Mississauga labour force is aging as fewer young people are available to take entry level jobs and many present employees are struggling to adapt to the changing economic climate.

Diocese of Toronto
The Diocese of Toronto, founded in 1839, is the most populous of the 30 dioceses in the Anglican Church of Canada. Our geographical area extends over 26,000 square kilometres, stretching from Mississauga to Brighton and north to Haliburton. Some 272 churches in 217 parishes are located in the Diocese.

The Diocese includes the fastest-growing suburban region in Canada and also covers a large rural area. Nearly five million people live within the diocesan boundaries, 376,000 of whom identify themselves as Anglicans. There are about 80,000 people on the dioceses’ parish rolls.

The Diocese is home to many culturally diverse and language-based congregations, including Chinese, Filipino, French, Hispanic, Japanese, Korean, and Tamil. There are many congregations with parishioners from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, India, Middle East, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and many other parts of the world. Recent additions to the Diocese include a Sudanese fellowship group and a Franco-African congregation.

Worship

We worship both as individuals and as a community. Our Sunday worship is the one most commonly thought of when we hear the word. For members of St. Francis, the main service is a high service, full of “smells and bells”, that help people focus on their spiritual connections. But there are many ways to worship: worship beads, meditation and personal prayer are ways for individuals to worship; daily offices, evensong, and special services like World Day of Prayer are more common methods of corporate worship and prayer at our church.

Definitions
Here are some interesting definitions that might help you sort out some of the things that go on in the service.

Absolution - A declaration by a bishop or priest, announcing forgiveness by God to those who have confessed their sins and repented.

Acolyte - From a Greek word meaning, "to follow." Acolytes are lay volunteers who follow the Cross in the procession and recession and assist the priest in worship. An acolyte lights and sometimes carries candles, and helps in the preparation of communion.

Agnus Dei - From two Latin words: angus, meaning "lamb" and dei, meaning "of God." The term refers to a three-part litany frequently said or sung after the fraction in the Holy Communion part of the Eucharist.

Altar Guild - A special lay service group in a church who prepare the altar and maintain the furnishings in a church building. The altar guild usually supervises all seasonal church decorations and is usually responsible for all flower arrangements.

Church of England - The official name of the original Church in England, the Anglican Church. During the reign of King Henry VIII, the Church, in England, broke formal ties with Rome and became the Church OF England. Sometimes referred to as the "C of E."

Ciborium - A cup that resembles a chalice, except that it has a removable lid. A ciborium is used to hold communion wafers during the Eucharist

Colors - Color plays an import part in the designation of seasons and feasts in the Episcopal Church. Each church season has a color associated with it. Advent is purple (the color of preparation and penitence) or Marian Blue (in honor of Mary), Christmas is white (the color celebration), Epiphany is green (the color of growth; growth of the gospel message from Jew to Gentile - re: the three Wise Men), Lent is purple, Easter is white, and the season after Pentecost is green (for the growth of the church). Weddings and funerals are usually occasions for white (the color of celebration) while Pentecost Sunday and ordinations are red, to signify the presence of the Holy Spirit. Black is occasionally used one day a year -- Good Friday.

Sacristy - A room near the altar where the communion vessels, altar hangings, candlesticks, etc. are kept and cleaned. The room is often seen as the exclusive domain of the Altar Guild.

Parson - From the Latin word persona, meaning "person." From the eleventh century English, where there term was a legal one, applying to the parish priest, because in all matters he was the designated "person" to deal with. Today, the term is not used as often as it was, and often evokes rural connotations.

Priest - A special term for an ordained minister of a Roman Catholic or Anglican or Orthodox church; In Roman circles, the term refers to those who recite the mass, but the Anglican church traces the word's origin to a Celtic corruption of the official term for clergy - presbyters. The duty of a priest, according to the prayer book, is to baptize, preach the Word of God, and to celebrate the Eucharist, and to pronounce absolution and blessing in God's name.

Seasons - A way of marking time in the Church. There are six seasons: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and the season after Pentecost. The church new year begins with the season of Advent, which marks the coming of our Lord. Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas day. Christmas is a 12-day season that begins Christmas day and continues to Jan. 6. Epiphany is both a day (Jan.6) and a season, and represents the manifestation (epiphany) of the gospel into the world. Lent begins 46 days before Easter with Ash Wednesday, and is a time of preparation for Holy Week and Easter. Easter is a seven-week (50 day) season which ends on Pentecost Sunday. The season after Pentecost runs from Pentecost to Advent.

 "Smells & Bells" - A lighthearted way of describing a "high" church, referring to the parish or mission's frequent use of incense (Smells) and Sanctus bells (Bells).

Tabernacle - A small cabinet (sometimes a vessel) designed to contain the Reserved Sacrament. The tabernacle may be built into the altar, sit on the altar, on the retable, or it may be built into another part of the sanctuary. In very Low Churches the tabernacle will not be found anywhere.

Whitsunday - The old name for Pentecost Sunday, the day described in Acts 2. As of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, the day became known as Pentecost. The term "Whitsun" is a corruption of the German "Pfingsten," which means "pentecost" or "fiftieth," which is how many days Pentecost occurs after Easter. (source: The Prayer Book Reason Why - Nelson Boss, Morehouse-Gorham, 1942) 

Outreach

Quiz Answers
1. Which of the following groups support outreach programs
A, B, & C. The ACW, Friars and the Meadowvale West Church Campus (MWCC) all support specific Outreach programs. The church campus offers space to several groups including The Dam, AA and Affinity, among others.

2. Which of the following are Outreach programs are supported directly by St. Francis or its committees?
The Bridge, The Dam and the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) are all supported.

3. The number of people waiting for affordable housing in Peel is:
The closest answer is C. But who would have believed the numbers? Almost 13,000 households (that could be up to 39,000 people) are currently waiting for a social housing unit in Peel. Average wait is about eight years. In one Mississauga shelter, four of 10 people are working poor. They go to work every day but have no place to live.  In Peel last year, 10,500 people used the region's shelters.

4. The Dam is located:
Since leaving the Meadowvale Town Centre, The Dam Youth Drop In Center with its many associated programs has had to decentralize. While spread around the Meadowvale community, many of its activities are now located in our church campus.

5. How much did St. Francis parishioners give to Faithworks in 2004?
Our parishioners contributed $5,455 to Faithworks last year. A big chunk of the 15 percent that was returned to us was contributed to Tsunami relief efforts.

6. In 2004, how much did our Diocese spend on outreach programs?
Last year, our diocese spent more than $1 million funding a wide range of programs including aid to the homeless, abused, troubled youth, and seniors in local communities, across the nation and overseas. Faithworks' money went to a wide range of programs such as the Dam in Meadowvale, and the David Busby Street Centre in Barrie. The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) participates in development work internationally, responds to emergencies (such as the recent Tsunami disaster), protects refugees, and educates and advocates for social change. (An ecumenical church leaders' delegation has just returned from witnessing the impact of NAFTA on Mexico's poor and indigenous people.)

Christian Education

Diocesan general support
The Baker Fund Grant relates to physical improvements made to Sunday School space within the church/parish hall building. The grant falls under the jurisdiction of the Trusts Committee.

Diocese adult programs
Education for Ministry (EFM) is a program in theological education for lay people, which is offered as an extension course of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, a respected college of the Episcopal Church.

The Lay Academy is five days of adult Christian education designed to enhance one’s Christian ministry, formal or informal. The program is founded on the understanding that our Christian life and ministry rests on three legs: one’s personal spiritual life, an intellectual understanding of the Christian faith, and ministry skills.

Diocese youth offerings
The Responsible Ministry: Screening in Faith initiative was launched in February, 2003 to help parishes ensure their places of ministry were safe and healthy, especially for vulnerable children and adults who come to them in trust.

God, Kids & Us is a vital guide book for all who care about the full inclusion of children and their families in the life of the church today. An engaging blend of theory, story, and practical resources for congregations committed to welcoming and nurturing children and those who care for them.

Help! I’m a Sunday School Teacher is a workshop, offered by the Church Army, that covers three key areas: knowing yourself, knowing your job, and knowing your class. It helps answer the questions: why do we need Sunday school today; what is it we hope to achieve; how can I be the best I can be for the children?

Deanery offerings
Each year, the deanery holds the Credit Valley Area Ministry Day. This workshop offers any parish members interested a chance to learn about a wide range of activities. This year, for instance, the day includes workshops on story telling,, making Prayer Beads, revitalizing outreach, youth leader training, and welcoming and integrating newcomers.

St. Francis youth and children programs
Church School changed its format four years ago from age group classes to one multi-age class.  The change was made primarily because of a lack of people willing to give their time teaching in six week chunks. The attendance was also low.  The new format uses a rotating schedule for pairs of adult teachers. Young teenagers have been a great help in this ministry. Recently, the numbers children attending Sunday school have begun to increase.  We would like to see a shift back to age group classes.  This would allow the older children to explore the story on their level.

Vacation Bible School provides a week-long opportunity for Christian education for the younger members of the parish, church campus, and community in a fun and friendly environment.  Vacation Bible School is an extension of Church School.

Baptism Preparation provides Christian education for parents to help them prepare for the commitment they are making on behalf of their child.

St. Francis adult offerings
During Lent and Advent, the minister offers weekly adult courses based on the birth, life and death of Jesus.

Weekly, the minister also offers a sermon on Christianity and its role and relevance in today’s world.

Ministers and others are invited to give sermons or homilies at Sunday services. Special services are also offered; Instructed Eucharists, Stations of the Cross, and Black Sunday celebrations are all part of the education programs.

Pastoral Care

Evangelism

Simply defined, evangelism is the planting or growth of the church. Based on the last year’s survey results, virtually everyone wants the church to grow. This can mean many things: bringing back lapsed members, welcoming visitors and new members, going out into the community to bring those in who might be interested in becoming members of St. Francis.

How do we fit into the Anglican world? Here is how the diocese defines the parish on its website under Sustainable and Strategic Ministry:

“Although our parishes have a fairly autonomous form of governance and management, the parish always exists in the context of the mission of the Diocese. It delivers ministry to the local community on behalf of the whole Diocese. In that respect, our parishes and our Diocese always exist and work together in mutuality of interest....

“The Diocese of Toronto has experienced a profound increase in population and shift in demographics like no other area in Canada. This has resulted in dramatic changes in the size and make-up of local communities. We have seen shifts in location, ethnicity and religious affiliations of people, changing needs and changing expectations of people in many communities.

“This, in turn, has affected how we carry out the mission of our Diocese through the local congregation. We have many examples of a congregation or parish established years ago, that no longer fits the local community’s needs. The symptoms:...shrinking Sunday attendance, shrinking financial resources, deterioration of buildings and church fabric as the local congregation is unable or unwilling to maintain the ‘beauty of holiness’.

“On the other hand, we also have emerging and growing communities where we have no local or adequate expression of our mission and ministry. The demand for space in the pews or in the church school outstrips the resources which we allocated to that community years ago.”

Diocese infrastructure support
The Carleton Fund Grant, is only for repairs/renovations made to rectories occupied by clergy. Rented rectories are not eligible. According to the terms of the Trust, funds are to be directed to those parishes who are in need of financial relief. Application can only be made once every two years.

Church building grants - Capital project grant funding may be provided for the expansion of existing churches, building of a new church, or property improvements to enhance Ministry.

The Ferguson Grant is for the construction, buying, alteration or renovation of a building or buildings within the Diocese of Toronto for use as a home for aged men or women.