Affirm Committee

Mission:
Seeking to continue the vision of Jesus by embodying the Spirit of Christ in the world. Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters is committed to enacting this vision for Affirming Ministry within the Region.

Responsibilities:

a) Incorporate this vision and plan of action into the mandate of a Regional Standing Committee for Affirming Ministry, in order to support and provide resources to the congregations of FSLDW Regional Council, in the ongoing process of being an Affirming Ministry within The United Church of Canada.;

b) Work with the FSLDW Regional Council to establish an Equity Group/Team. FSLDW Affirming Ministry Committee will recommend terms of reference for an Equity Group/Team;

c) Expect FSLDW administrative and programming staff to fashion their ministry, at all times and in all places, in keeping with this vision.;

d) Expect the FSLDW standing and ad hoc committees, units, and task groups to regularly assess their agenda and their ministry to align with the Region Vision Statement*. The Affirm Committee has provided guiding Equity Questions to assist committees to operate in keeping with this vision.;

e) Promote and identify the Region’s Affirming Ministry status in official FSLDW signage, facilities, ways of being welcoming, social media, documentation, etc.;

f) Direct the Atlantic Candidacy Board to inform Inquirers, Candidates, and Applicants for ministry within the Region that we are an Affirming Region, as they actively pursue their call to ministry;

g) Actively advocate for justice in issues of inclusive language, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity in particular, as well as life experience, differing abilities, ethnicity, skin colour, culture, age, geographic location, economic circumstance, mental and physical health and those we have yet to discern, both within the church and ministries of our Region, and in the wider community;

h) Encourage and support ministers of diversity applying to serve in the Region… on the basis of sexual orientation, age, gender and gender identity, skin colour, ethnicity or different physical and mental ability;

i) Work towards becoming a Region in which equal marriage is available in all Communities of Faith. To that end, the Affirming Ministry Committee will work with Communities of Faith in their conversations around fully equal Marriage Policy.

Composition:
Chair
Secretary
Volunteers
Executive Minister – Staff Support

Must have passion for, or be an advocate for various areas of difference in our communities. We hope to build a safe place to ask ALL the questions and ponder together with others on how we can be the church in the most inclusive and affirming ways possible, Facilitation, communication, and organizational skills are important for the Committee. Encouraged to work with similar Committees in other Regions on matters of mutual interest as appropriate.

Educational Events

The Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council Affirm Standing Committee continues to offer a series of educational events.

The 2024 events were:

January 3, 2024              Mental Health & Resiliency

February 28, 2024         Communities of Faith:  Singing Songs of Hope to Support Mental Health

The 2023 events were:

January 17, 2023            Where to Start in Becoming Affirming

February 7, 2023            Speaking Inclusively

March 21, 2023              Conversion Therapies.  How to recognize them and how to help people in recovery.

November 15, 2023        Welcoming Gender Diversity: A discussion on gender identity in our communities of faith

The 2022 events were:

February 10, 2022        Peace and Friendship Treaties

March 10, 2022             Where to Start in Becoming an Affirming Ministry

May 12, 2022                 Land Acknowledgment – Learning Toward Reconciliation

June 4, 2022                   Creating Safe Spaces

October 20, 2022          Neurodiversity

November 17, 2022      Economic Justice

Future Dates (Registration and details to follow closer to the event dates): 

To be announced

Registration information 

For registration please click on this link.

 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.         

Webinars will take place using zoom video conferencing.

Please share this information with your committees/networks and save the dates in your calendars!

Affirm Committee Posts