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  • trees winter to spring

    Series with Rev. Jean Ward ~ Wintering Into Spring

    Featured Recurring
    Fairlawn Avenue United Church 28 Fairlawn Avenue, Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Instead of wishing away winter, what would happen if we embraced its gift to us? Sometimes winter is not just a season of the year – sometimes it is also a season of the heart. You are invited to join Jean Ward in a four-week exploration of how our northern spirits are shaped by the rhythm of our seasons – in particular, winter and its movement into spring. Through the use of music, poetry, readings and, of course, our collective wisdom, we will journey towards spring together. “Wintering brings about some of the most profound and insightful moments of our human experience, and wisdom resides in those who have wintered.” Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May, REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED In person Tuesday afternoons – March 7, 14, 21 & 28 – 1:00pm–2:30pm

  • promo series

    Exploring Sacred Bonds ~ Online

    Featured Recurring
    Online

    PLEASE NOTE -  the session scheduled for Tuesday, November 14 has been rescheduled to Wednesday, November 22 at 7:30pm - 9:00pm. Join us online on Zoom with the Rev. Jean Ward to explore the sacred bonds of belonging, relationship and reciprocity through two books: Braiding Sweetgrass – Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer, 2013 The Woman Who Went To The Moon – Poems of Igloolik by Rosemary Clewes, 2017  

  • Online Advent Study with Rev. Jean Ward

    Featured Recurring
    Online

    All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings By Gayle Boss illustrated by David G. Klein Online Advent Study with Rev. Jean Ward “One day in the fall, as water and air cooled, at some precise temperature an ancient bell sounded in the turtle brain. A signal: Take a deep breath” Self Directed Online Interactive You are invited to watch Rev. Jean Ward & Rev. Nigel Weaver reading the stories of these creatures accompanied by some questions that invite you into the spirit of Advent. Links will be active at 6:30pm on the event date(s). Link information Join Rev. Jean Ward on Zoom to spend time together reading the stories and talking about our learnings and musings. Zoom login: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82463549159 Meeting ID: 824 6354 9159

  • Book Cover Art ES Series

    Conversational Art ~ Online 4-part series with Rev. Jean Ward

    Featured Recurring
    Online

    Online Tuesday evenings 7:30pm - 9:00pm March 5, 12, 19 & 26 REGISTRATION REQUIRED We will be using material from the book “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen” by David Brooks, as well as several video interviews with the author and of course our own lived experience. His book is a practical, heartfelt guide to the art of truly knowing another person in order to foster deeper connections at home, at work, and throughout our lives. It is not necessary to have read the book but I know several of you have already read it and can assure you that it is well worth getting a copy. I provide weekly material to read, questions to ponder and always some poetry as well to help us in our conversation. As David Brooks observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.” And yet we humans don’t do this well. All around us are people who feel invisible, unseen, misunderstood. In How to Know a Person, Brooks sets out to help us do better, posing questions that are essential for all of us: If you want to know a person, what kind of attention should you cast on them? What kind of conversations should you have? What parts of a person’s story should you pay attention to? Come and join us in what promises to be a lively conversation about the importance of good questions, heart felt listening and the value of being truly known.

  • Online ~ Man’s Search for Meaning ~ 5-part series with Rev. Dr. Cameron Watts

    Featured Recurring
    Online

    Online    Tuesday evenings 7:00pm - 8:30pm Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29 & Nov. 5 Registration required -> https://bit.ly/3zA76pQ Featuring material from the book: “Man's Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl, that chronicles his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and describes his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose to each person's life through one of three ways: the completion of tasks, caring for another person, or finding meaning by facing suffering with dignity. It is not necessary to have read the book but Cam assures that it is well worth getting a copy. It is available at the Toronto Public Library. Come and join us in what promises to be meaningful conversations about finding purpose and strength in times of great despair. Part 1. Introduction and the Concentration Camp Part 1 Part 2. Concentration Camp Part 2 Part 3. Logotherapy Part 4. Tragic Optimism Part 5.  Selected Letters and Conclusions The series Zoom login details and any materials required for the session will be emailed to you on/before Friday, Ocober 4, 2024.  

  • Man’s Search for Meaning ~ 5-part series with Rev. Dr. Cameron Watts

    Featured Recurring
    Fairlawn Avenue United Church 28 Fairlawn Avenue, Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    In-person at Fairlawn Avenue United Church  Wednesday afternoons 1:00pm - 1:30pm Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30 & Nov. 6 Group size is limited to 12, registration required -> https://bit.ly/3zA76pQ Featuring material from the book: “Man's Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl, that chronicles his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and describes his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose to each person's life through one of three ways: the completion of tasks, caring for another person, or finding meaning by facing suffering with dignity. It is not necessary to have read the book but Cam assures that it is well worth getting a copy. It is available at the Toronto Public Library. Come and join us in what promises to be meaningful conversations about finding purpose and strength in times of great despair. Part 1. Introduction and the Concentration Camp Part 1 Part 2. Concentration Camp Part 2 Part 3. Logotherapy Part 4. Tragic Optimism Part 5.  Selected Letters and Conclusions Any materials required for the session will be emailed to you on/before Friday, Ocober 4, 2024.  

  • Starlight Online

    Online ~ Starlight ~ 3-part Advent series with Rev. Dr. Cameron Watts

    Featured Recurring
    Online

    Online    Tuesday evenings 7:00pm – 8:30pm December 3, 10 & 17 Registration required Featuring chapters 1-3 from the book: "Starlight ~ Beholding the Christmas Miracle All Year Long" by John Shea. Christmas is a time of convergence when light and darkness, the divine and the human intersect in vivid ways. Shea helps us appreciate the feast of Christmas as a moment when "the spiritual suffuses the physical and turns it into a medium of revelation." Ordinary objects such as trees, stars, mangers, gifts, and communal meals become occasions which nourish our souls. The book is no longer in print so participants will receive the material (hard copy or online). Part 1 - Chapter 1:  The Soul of the Season Part 2 - Chapter 2:  Strange Stories, Spiritual Sight, and Blurred Guidelines Part 3 - Chapter 3:  Waking Up on Christmas Morning

  • Starlight In-person

    In-person ~ Starlight ~ 3-part Advent Series with Rev. Dr. Cameron Watts

    Featured Recurring
    Fairlawn Avenue United Church 28 Fairlawn Avenue, Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    In-person   Wednesday afternoons 1:00pm – 3:30pm December 4, 11 & 18 Registration required Featuring chapters 1-3 from the book: "Starlight ~ Beholding the Christmas Miracle All Year Long" by John Shea. Christmas is a time of convergence when light and darkness, the divine and the human intersect in vivid ways. Shea helps us appreciate the feast of Christmas as a moment when "the spiritual suffuses the physical and turns it into a medium of revelation." Ordinary objects such as trees, stars, mangers, gifts, and communal meals become occasions which nourish our souls. The book is no longer in print so participants will receive the material (hard copy or online). Part 1 - Chapter 1:  The Soul of the Season Part 2 - Chapter 2:  Strange Stories, Spiritual Sight, and Blurred Guidelines Part 3 - Chapter 3:  Waking Up on Christmas Morning

  • Starlight Session 2

    Session 2 ~ Starlight ~ 3-part Book Series with Rev. Dr. Cameron Watts

    Featured Recurring
    Fairlawn Avenue United Church 28 Fairlawn Avenue, Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Wednesday afternoons 1:00pm – 3:30pm January 15 - 22 - 29 Registration required Featuring chapters 4-7  from the book: "Starlight ~ Beholding the Christmas Miracle All Year Long" by John Shea. Christmas is a time of convergence when light and darkness, the divine and the human intersect in vivid ways. Shea helps us appreciate the feast of Christmas as a moment when "the spiritual suffuses the physical and turns it into a medium of revelation." Ordinary objects such as trees, stars, mangers, gifts, and communal meals become occasions which nourish our souls. The book is no longer in print so participants will receive the material (hard copy or online). Part 1 - Chapter 4:  Giving Birth to Christ Part 2 - Chapter 5:  The Magi Ride Again Part 3 - Chapter 6 & 7:  The Close and Holy Darkness & The Man Who Was a Lamp