Anglican Church Women Nova Scotia Board Connecting and keeping in touch with all Anglican women, encouraging and supporting them in ministry and leadership It’s About the World

Did you know that...  Being female  baptized  and an Anglican means that you are an Anglican Church Woman?.

A NGLICAN C HURCH W OMEN NS B OARD P URPOSE To encourage and support all women of the Diocese in a fellowship of worship, study, and offering, with the aim of deepening and strengthening their individual spiritual lives and of awakening a greater desire for Christian service in the parish, community, and the world. It’s About the World.

Our LOGO - To encourage and support all women... is symbolized by the three gold rings intertwined; awakening a greater desire for Christian service... is symbolized by the lighted candle; in the parish, community, and the world... is symbolized by a red circle enclosing the candle and rings. The symbols and colours are significant: Red is for charity; Gold is for the richness of God's blessing; and White is for joy.

It’s About the World A NGLICAN C HURCH W OMEN NS B OARD P RAYER Almighty God, we give thanks to you for having sent Your blessed Son to become the Saviour of the world; grant us a deep sense of gratitude for Your grace and mercy towards us. Enable us by Your Spirit to reveal Your love in all our actions, so that Your salvation may become known to all peoples, and Your name glorified throughout all the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Women organized for ministry and leadership may use a variety of titles for the name of their organized women’s ministry group: Anglican Church Women, Anglican Church Workers, Ladies Guild, Altar Guild, Busy Bees, a Saint’s name, to note a few. Regardless of title, women offer their ministry and leadership in both the church and the world. And the Anglican Church Women NS Board is there to encourage and support women in a healthy expression of their gifts and talents. Why? Because... It’s About the World. How? Let’s find out....

It’s About the World Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board...  Organizes an annual Lenten Quiet Day in March and an annual interactive Faith & Fellowship Gathering with Annual Meeting and Leadership Development Workshops in late April?  Sponsors and promotes an Annual Outreach Project (one year with a local focus, another year with a national focus, and a third year with an international focus)?.

It’s About the World Did you know that... the 2014/15 Annual Project, Northward Bound: Bursaries for Ministry, raised an amazing $9,000 in one year from the contributions of women’s groups in the parishes to support, through the Council of the North, the training for ordained ministry of Indigenous theological students at an Indigenous theological school? This is a good news story, one that supports a key priority of the Anglican Church of Canada (Vision 2019)!.

It’s About the World Did you know that... the 2015/16 Annual Project, A bility to L ive with S pirit will bring in funds over the next 11 months to support those living with ALS, through the equipment loan program of the ALS Society, and.....

to honour the life and legacy of Verna Munroe, in loving memory of her faithful contribution to the church and the community. Why? Because... Anglican Church Women know that It’s About the World.

Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board...  coordinates in the Anglican Church Women Office at the Anglican Diocesan Centre a range of social action initiatives (collection of soup labels, postage stamps, pneumonia vests, Teddies for Tragedy, I CROSS dolls, preemie gowns, etc.)?  organizes and coordinates the sale of the Canadian Church Calendars to the parishes?.

It’s About the World Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board...  awards Kingston Memorial Fund Bursaries to Atlantic School of Theology postulants and an Anniversary Bursary to women pursuing continuing education in a recognized program?  renews its membership each year in the Anglican Foundation and encourages others to do the same?.

It’s About the World Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board...  encourages regions in the diocese to hold an annual Regional Gathering for women to foster fellowship, provide a corporate worship service, and offer an educational opportunity?  attends and reports at the various Anglican Church Women Regional Meetings and Gatherings held each year?.

It’s About the World Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board...  sends the Board President each year to the National Executive Conference? (Anglican Church Women Diocesan Presidents / Coordinators across Canada form the National Executive)  operates each year with a theme. For 2015/16, the theme is Leaders of Courage, Serving by Faith, which is the theme for the National Executive Conference 2015, to be hosted in the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland & Labrador, in early October 2015?.

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Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board, in collaboration with the Anglican Church Women PEI Board and with the fantastic support and hospitality of many parishes... hosted an amazing National Executive Conference for Anglican Church Women Diocesan Presidents / Coordinators in 2013 – Come to the Water: Women of Faith, Women of Courage - where, facilitated by our then NS Board Chaplain, Rev. Cathy Lee Cunningham, we were encouraged to explore challenging questions that had us look beyond the walls of the church building. Why? Because... It’s About the World.

And, because It’s About the World, at that same National Executive Conference 2013, Come to the Water: Women of Faith, Women of Courage, the Anglican Church Women NS & PEI Boards hosted a Panel Discussion, Witnesses of the Christian Message in the Marketplace, that was open to the public and was very well received. The stories of how our panelists live the Gospel in the world were riveting..

It’s About the World Leaders of Courage, Serving by Faith Involvement in the National Executive Conferences (either attending or hosting) connects us with Anglican Church Women across the country to share ideas and learn from one another. Since we hosted the National Executive Conference in 2013, we have adopted the theme of the National Conference as the annual theme for Anglican Church Women In NS..

It’s About the World The Love of Jesus Calls Us National Prayer Almighty God, we pray for your blessing and grace on our work as Anglican Church Women in Canada. We give you thanks and praise for giving us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding so that we may serve you in spirit and in truth. Called to be your church, may our study, learning, worship, and service be always to your glory and the building of your kingdom in our communities and throughout the world. In our ministry may we always respond to the needs of others with your love. We pray in the name of the one who redeemed and loves us, Your Son, Jesus our Saviour. Amen..

It’s About the World Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board... publishes 3 times a year the Anglican Church Women NS Board Newsletter, Keeping in Touch, a publication that is well received in the parishes, the diocese, and the country, and... that lives up to its name – keeps Anglican women in touch with one another?.

Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board... promotes the concept of a Women’s Ministry Sunday to recognize the many ways that Anglican women live out God’s mission in the church and the world? Why? Because... It’s About the World.

Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board... provides leadership for the White Ribbon Campaign, in companionship with the International Anglican Women’s Network (IAWN), the Anglican Church Women National Executive and the diocesan Mothers’ Union, to advocate for the physical safety and psychological security of girls and women worldwide? Why? Because... It’s About the World.

Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board, in collaboration with the Diocesan Council of the Mothers’ Union, will sponsor and host... A learning event related to gender issues on Friday evening, November 20 and Saturday, November 21, at the Great Hall of the Anglican Diocesan Centre in advance of White Ribbon Sunday, November 22, Why? Because... It’s About the World.

So... Save the Dates for... Broken Relationships: exploring gender-based violence Friday evening, November 20 – Panel Discussion Saturday, November 21 – Conference Sunday, November 22 – White Ribbon Sunday, with the pledge never to commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women and girls. Why? Because... It’s About the World.

Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board... fosters healthy leadership development opportunities and promotes the significant leadership potential of organized women’s ministry in support of a parish’s vision and priorities and the diocesan vision to strive to be... a Christ- centred, mission-minded, ministering community of faith? Why? Because... It’s About the World.

Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board...  supports the 5 Cs of healthy leadership in our diocese: the ability to promote positive change in seeking God's mission, while building capacity, fostering community, enhancing confidence, and developing competence?  encourages women to exemplify this diocesan vision for healthy leadership for both lay and ordained?  urges Parish Councils to maximize the leadership potential of organized women’s groups, to fully engage this leadership entity as a significant resource to the parish? It’s About the World.

Did you know that the Anglican Church Women NS Board... developed a Fundraising & Expenditure Policy to help ensure that this often challenging aspect of the ministry and leadership of many women’s groups aligns with the Canon governing parish life, Canon 35?.

Did you know that the Anglican Church Women hymn is... The Love of Jesus Calls Us? A hymn that expresses It’s About the World... The love of Jesus calls us, in swiftly changing days, to be God’s co-creators in new and wondrous ways; that God, with men and women, may so transform the earth, that love and peace and justice may give God’s kingdom birth..

It’s About the World And... just as the phrasing in one of the verses of the hymn The Love of Jesus Calls Us suggests, we are encouraged and challenged to think creatively and imaginatively in our expression of ministry and leadership in the parish and the world.... The love of Jesus calls us, to go where he would go, to challenge all that limits, to change, to learn, to grow....

Did you know that the women in our parishes are ready to offer their Spirit-infused gifts and talents in “new and wondrous ways”, to be “co-creators” with God, and in equal partnership with men, to bring “love and peace and justice” to a broken world. Why? Because It’s About the World And the Anglican Church Women Nova Scotia Board is right there to encourage and support all Anglican women. Thanks be to God!.