Who we are
Anglican Church Women endeavor to reach an awareness of our part in Christ’s mission, through fellowship based on worship, learning and sharing.
How do I become a member?
Membership in the ACW is an automatic rite. If you are an Anglican church woman, you automatically belong to the ACW in our parish.
How do I participate?
To learn about what we do attend a regular meeting of St. John’s ACW. We meet from September through June on the 3rd Monday of the month at 7 pm. Please see the weekly bulletin for a meeting notice.
While the ACW has elected officers all are welcome at any meeting. We discuss our outreach and ongoing stewardship projects. The October meeting is time for fellowship with a speaker and refreshments. The April meeting is a potluck lunch or dinner followed by a Thankoffering Service.
If you would rather just participate in one of the projects, check the list. If you can help with a couple of hours a month or just at specific times of the year, you can always discover fellowship, fun and satisfaction in completing a task.
St. John’s ACW Ministries
Our activities help us to live our faith through service, stewardship and outreach. Please join us and use your gifts to help. For more information on any of these activities please contact ACW@stjohn316.com
- BALES The Bales ministry has been ongoing in parishes throughout the Diocese since 1886.
Once a year St. John’s ACW packs boxes of new and gently used clothing and other needed items to be shipped to Kenora in the Diocese of Keewatin. They have a shop where they sell goods to people in the community at very modest prices. The funds that are generated by the shop are used in the Diocese for other outreach projects. Goods are also sent to various areas within the Diocese with thanks to a couple who work out of their garage to gather, pack and then distribute clothing to some of the villages.
The Diocese includes 45 parishes in the central region of Canada straddling the border of the provinces of Manitoba and Ontario and comprising over 900,000 sq kilometres. There are parishes in Northern and Central Manitoba and parishes in Northwestern Ontario from Kenora to Fort Severn which sits on the Hudson Bay and is the most Northern Community in the province of Ontario.
St. John’s is not the only church in the Diocese who sends to Keewatin; goods are also sent to other Dioceses across the country. Some churches have contacts with villages that are on bus routes or train routes, however there is a real problem in getting goods to some of the villages and communities. Often it is distributed over frozen roads during the winter. - FROM THE PANTRY The From the Pantry Team work together to prepare a variety of food items for parishioners to purchase. New members are always welcome.
- COFFEE HOUR
Coffee Hour is enjoyed and appreciated by many members of our St. John’s church family and friends each Sunday. Committed volunteers have continued to provide us with fresh coffee, tea and juice after the 10 a.m. service throughout the year.
While the cost of Coffee Hour supplies is covered by the ACW, the weekly free-will donations to the Coffee Hour fund help to off-set the cost of supplies and are very much appreciated.
We welcome new volunteers interested in joining the Coffee Hour group. Training will be provided. The commitment is approximately one Sunday quarterly. - FUNERAL RECEPTIONS
When a funeral service is held at St. John’s church, the Funeral reception team provides a presence to support the family and caterers. The bereaved family is supplied with a list of reputable caterers and the family can plan the menu with the caterer. - GIFT CASE
The Gift Case sells hand-knit articles such as baby outfits, sweaters, scarves and mitts and many other handcrafted items. The funds raised support the ACW outreach. If you are creative and would like to donate some of your work please let us know. Your talent is greatly appreciated. - PUDDINGS
Every November since 1949, the St. John’s Anglican community has held a Pudding Factory fundraiser, during which staggering amounts of Christmas pudding are made and sold.
For those who aren’t familiar with it, this is a fairly heavy dessert, usually served warmed, with a sweet sauce poured over it. As part of a traditional English Christmas dinner, the pudding is brought to the table covered with flaming brandy, which is usually extinguished before eating! (It is mentioned in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.)
The pudding is made from sultanas, raisins, currants, breadcrumbs, sugar, flour, and other ingredients, but without nuts or preservatives.
This Christmas treat is available in 1-, 2-, and 3-lb sizes and costs $10 per lb. (one pound will serve four to six people). Puddings are gift wrapped in cello.
See Pudding Factory History for more about this event over the years.
Where do we fit in the wider church?
Within the Diocese of Huron the ACW is comprised of a Diocesan Council, Deaneries and Parish ACWs. The Diocesan Council meets throughout the year at Huron Church House. Deaneries consist of numerous parish ACWs whose members get together a couple of times a year for fellowship. Each deanery has a representative who serves as link between the Diocesan Council and the parish ACWs.
There is also a national organization that includes all serving Diocesan Presidents. The purpose is to provide a national forum and voice for women’s ministry in the Anglican Church of Canada, to provide opportunity for its members to share faith and fellowship and to learn from each other, to provide support in their common leadership, to discuss items of common mutual concern and to determine relevant common policies and procedures.
ACW Banner
The ACW banner hangs in St. John’s sanctuary and is carried to the Annual Diocesan meeting each April. St. John’s ACW banner is a liturgical fabric art piece designed and created by Sharon Woodley. It is rich in symbolism.
Sharon described the banner the background and meaning of the banner:
- Religious symbols carry with them the weight of history and the lightness of mystical meanings. Christian symbols usually come to us through the beauty of liturgical art found in our churches.
- The centre of the banner is a large white satin dove with a turquoise halo on a red velvet background. The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity. The halo emphasizes the divinity of this symbol.
- The dove is flanked by two panels containing six smaller symbols: A ship at sea with a cross symbolizing the church (ship) with Christ (cross) as the captain; a fish commonly called the ICHTHUS, which means I – Jesus; CH – Christ; TH – God’s; US – son and savior is an ancient symbol of Christianity; a tulip which is another ancient symbol for the Trinity with its beginnings in the early church in Turkey; a chalice and host are symbols of the Last Supper, the bread and wine, the Eucharist.; a heart with a cross is a symbol of Christian love, charity, Christ’s compassion; and finally, a candle with flame is a symbol of Christ, the light of the world.
- These symbols are outlined in gold thread and sewn on a richly textured and beautifully coloured background of red and purple, strong liturgical colours