EDGEy Conversations with Joanna Moon and The Dale Ministries The Dale Ministries is always looking for interesting partners to join its community efforts. It used to serve Toronto’s Parkdale area as Parkdale Baptist Church. and has changed along with the community. Now it’s a nomadic community of faith, partnering with neighbouring organizations willing to offer its operating space. They’ll return a host’s hospitality with assistance to conduct its community support activities in the neighbourhood. Rather than feel stressed by frequently switching its base of operations, The Dale thrives on the opportunities that come with it to create and deepen relationships and serve others.
In mid-April, Joanna Moon took some time out from her work as Lead Community Worker with The Dale Ministries to talk with EDGE’s Bronwyn Corlett about an exciting new partnership that’s helping this community of faith to address food security issues in Parkdale – a partnership opportunity that literally came from right down the hall.
During COVID, The Dale has used Epiphany and St. Mark Anglican Church as a base of operations, including preparing hot meals in the kitchen twice a week to distribute to those in the community that need them. Aangen Community Services uses Epiphany and St. Mark’s kitchen to prepare the dehydrated soups and chilis it uses in its All Dried Up program. The kitchen is right next to other space in the church that The Dale uses, but they were still surprised when their neighbour approached them with a proposal involving a grant from Embracing the Spirit:
“The idea was that we would apply for the grant from The United Church, receive the money, and then take that money and purchase meals from Aangen, and then take those meals and give them out in the community,” Joanna explained to Bronwyn. “Because we do give out quite a few meals throughout the week. So, this would be in addition to these meals.”
The Dale applied for the grant and received it, creating, as Joanna calls it, a “win-win situation”: Aangen gets support to run a program doing good for the community, and The Dale receives more of what it needs to provide for community members that need it, food that is:- Hot and nutritious
- Easy to prepare – they just need to be reconstituted in hot water.
- Easy to eat – all someone would need is a bowl or mug
- Accessible to everyone
Also, because The Dale and its soup supplier are just a few steps away from each other, Joanna didn’t have to ask for any money for shipping and practically no money for administration when she wrote her grant application.
It’s a great example of the good that can come from partnership and collaboration.
Joanna didn’t need to be convinced that partnerships produce great results, but she’s been “surprised and delighted” that one of this partnership’s outcomes has been that The Dale and Aangen staff became more than just neighbours. She sees the Spirit at work in this partnership as relationships deepen between the staff members as a team and between the team and the community members that they serve., Joanna sees this in all The Dale’s outreach work and feels they provide examples of what the Church in the world looks like beyond the images of Sunday services that we’re so used to.
Funding for this project continues to the end of 2023, and Joanna would like to see it continue. Let’s hope it does!
Please visit The Dale Ministries, Aangen’s main website, All Dried Up, and Epiphany and St. Mark Parkdale online to learn more about their activities and how you can support them if you’d like to do so. And listen to Bronwyn Corlett’s full EDGEy conversation with Joanna Moon on EDGE’s YouTube Channel!
[Image credit: Canva] |
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Video License Applications Due May 31, 2023  Do you know the rules for publicly showing copyrighted videos and video clips without a public performance license? Did you know that those rules apply to a potentially wide variety of situations, from showing a clip of a speech to a small group in your office to sharing a short, inspirational scene from your favourite movie during your Sunday sermon to running a showing of a film on a summer evening for families with young children? Public performance licenses are required to do these things to avoid breaking copyright law in Canada. Cover yourself by taking advantage of the opportunity to buy performance licenses at a reduced rate through Buying United. Buying United offers both standard licenses, which require you to own/rent the content you are showing, and streaming licenses, which allow you to use the licensing agency’s online content library to stream to your church. Some significant studios these licenses cover include 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Focus Features, Lucasfilm Ltd., Miramax Films, Paramount Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, Touchstone Pictures and many more! Spring applications are due Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for licenses that operate from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. For More Information about the Video Licensing Program:Video Licensing is offered as a part of the Buying United program, which aims to support communities of faith through offering discounted products and services. Round Table Procurement Services now manages the Buying United program, so you’ll need to visit Buying United’s new website to find out more about Video Licensing (including pricing): - Visit RTPS.ca/UCC/home
- Click “Register”
- Fill out the form, using the access code: united
You’ll receive a confirmation email prompting you to sign in within 24 to 48 hours. After you sign in, click “Preferred Suppliers” to explore all the discounts the United Church offers. Please reach out to edge@united-church.ca if you have any questions about this process or about Video Licensing in general. |
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Register Now for Spring and Summer Learning with EDGE!
EDGE’s spring programming continues! Join one (or more) of our learning cohorts for plenty of opportunities to connect with others, learn new skills and explore new ways of looking at the world:
Curiosity Cohort: Rural Focus
Thursdays, June 1–29, from 1:00–2:00 p.m. EDT.This five-week synchronous opportunity will allow you to get curious about your own community of faith and connect with other leaders in rural settings. We will engage with stories and ideas from across the country about different ways that rural congregations are bringing new energy into their communities. Throughout the 5-week process, you will also have access to videos, journaling questions, “homework” prompts, and other materials to support your journey. This is supplemental to weekly facilitated sessions. Register for Curiosity Cohort: Rural Focus! Leading Adaptively with Clara King
Wednesdays, May 31; June 14, June 28, from 7:00–9:00 p.m. EDT.This three-session Zoom course helps participants discover new ways to lead adaptively with skills they already have. You’ll encounter the core theory of Adaptive Leadership in a vibrant new way and come away with usable practices to reinvigorate your day-to-day leadership journey. The course will cover: The six core competencies of leadership, how to understand and change the organizational culture of your congregation, and how conflict is a leadership resource you can steward. Register for Leading Adaptively! Chris Rotolo’s “Train the-Trainer” Theory of Change Workshop
June 13, 15, 29; July 6, 13, 27; August 3, from 2:30–3:30 p.m. EDT.This session is geared towards participants who want guidance leading their stakeholders through the Theory of Change process, though we welcome anyone who wants to develop a Theory of Change on their own. Register for Theory of Change! EDGE wants you to get excited about lifelong learning! Email slevis@united-church.ca with any questions. [Image credits: CHURCHx] |
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Embracing the Spirit supports innovation ideas hatched out of faith communities and communities in ministry. Some of the stories and best practices that are happening throughout The United Church of Canada are shared in this newsletter. If you have an idea that you want to launch, reach out and tell us about it! We're happy to consult with communities of faith about the supports available to help them develop their new ideas. |
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