Planning for 150 Years

by Bob McIntosh and Frances Sidhe
October 2008

St. John’s will be 150 years old in 2010. That calls for a memorable birthday party, and while it might seem like a long way off, a fitting celebration will take a lot of time and work to plan. That’s why a group of parishioners has already begun talking about ways in which we can mark the parish’s 150th.

One decision has already been made: The anniversary celebration will begin with Advent 2009, just a year from now. The planning group decided that it was appropriate to begin at the beginning of the church year that will include most of 2010.

What might such a celebration include? Nothing has been decided, but here are some of the ideas we have discussed:

• Commemorative projects: These could include both outreach projects to benefit the community and initiatives to improve the church property.
• Special services: Some could have historical themes, and could include hymns and liturgy that were in use at the parish’s founding. Others could invite the participation of youth, community groups, other Anglican parishes.
• Music: A concert series might be an excellent way to share our 150th anniversary with the broader community. Also, there is much wonderful Victorian-era church music that could be used in the special services, and perhaps special music could be composed.
• Publications: We are looking into the possibility of producing an updated history of St. John’s.
• Theme and logo: The anniversary committee has been brainstorming ideas for a theme, but so far we are still pondering it. We’re open to ideas.

During our brainstorming, some of these themes emerged as possibilities:

The Iron Church

an interesting architectural concept in its time. Does it represent the innovative nature of St. John’s or does the concept of “iron” suggest too much rigidity? In what ways can we work the theme of "iron" into an understanding of the 150 years of our church?

 

The Innovative Church

many “radical” themes and “radical” groups have emerged from St. John’s over the years (Cool Aid etc.). What is it about this church that seems to attract politicians and others who want to change society?

 

The Diversified Church

St. John’s tries and often succeeds in being a lot of different things at the same time. While we support many political changes such as fighting homelessness, we also maintain the beauty and the rituals of the Anglican tradition, including a commitment to our historical building.

This is not meant to be a complete list. We’re sure many other ideas will come to the fore during the planning process. But the next year will pass quickly, and there is much to do. We urge you to get involved in whatever way you can, and to watch for more news about the anniversary celebration as the date approaches.

Bob and Frances are members of the 150^th Anniversary Committee.