Click here to view a pdf version of this letter from Northern Spirit’s new Growth Animator.

Advent Greetings Friends and Colleagues from Your Growth Animator,

Advent is a time of anticipation, waiting and preparing for the coming of Christ and all that means for each of us. It is a time for hope, a time for peace and justice, a time to share the joy within our hearts, and to share the love that surrounds us. What will be born anew in you?

New birth, revitalization and thriving all take focused energy, attention and commitment. As your new Growth Animator, I am here to support you and your community of faith as you welcome and prepare for the life that the Spirit is birthing among you.

My name is Jordan Cantwell, and I am serving the three prairie regions of Northern Spirit, Living Skies and Prairie to Pine. I am joined by colleagues across the country – Sharon Ballantyne (UCC East Regions), Tori Mullin (Eastern Ontario & Quebec Regions), Greg Smith-Young (Southwestern Ontario Regions), Calin Lau (Central & Northwestern Ontario Regions), and Scott Reynolds (Mountains Regions). Each of us will be working with communities of faith throughout our assigned regions, to help them increase their capacity to invite, attract, retain, transform and send people forth into the world as disciples of Christ.

I am excited to begin this work and see where the Spirit may lead our churches as we set our sights on strengthening our ministries and growing our impact within our communities.

Working together with the Director of Growth, Cam Fraser, the growth department, the Regional Pastoral Relations Ministers, our Executive Minister, Shannon McCarthy, and all of you, I look forward to hearing your stories, learning about our current ministries, the joys and struggles we are experiencing, the opportunities and challenges facing our communities of faith, and where we feel the Spirit is calling us to futures of deep spirituality, bold discipleship, and daring justice.

I look forward to exploring ways to work and grow together, sharing tools and resources to support communities of faith who want to deepen their discipleship and grow their ministries.

This Holy Season, may each of you know you are a beloved child of the Holy One, yesterday, today, tomorrow, forever!

 

Yours in Christ,

Jordan Cantwell

Growth Animator | Prairies
Animatrix de la croissance | Prairies
The United Church of Canada/L’Église Unie du Canada
3250 Bloor St.W., Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4
jcantwell@united-church.ca