WEBVTT 00:00:03.299 --> 00:00:05.620 Hello everyone and welcome to this week's episode 00:00:05.620 --> 00:00:09.039 of Trinity Talks. My name is Kyla and I am so 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:11.099 glad that you are joining us today and I'm so 00:00:11.099 --> 00:00:14.560 glad to be joined by Bill. Hey, Kyla. I'm so 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:16.460 glad to be here. I'm really glad to be anywhere. 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:19.719 Yeah, yes. You had an eventful couple of weeks. 00:00:19.820 --> 00:00:21.379 Do you want to tell us a little bit about that? 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:26.140 I certainly can. On June 6, Saturday, June 6, 00:00:26.179 --> 00:00:29.199 I was involved in a single vehicle motorcycle 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:31.920 accident, meaning just me and my bike. But I 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:36.060 was on a group charity ride called the Ride for 00:00:36.060 --> 00:00:38.880 Dad in Ottawa. And so there were lots of bikes 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:40.840 in front of me and lots of bikes behind me. And 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:44.679 I basically kind of long story short, just failed 00:00:44.679 --> 00:00:47.340 to navigate a left curve properly and went onto 00:00:47.340 --> 00:00:49.820 the side of the road. And unfortunately, instead 00:00:49.820 --> 00:00:52.460 of it being a hard shoulder and me being able 00:00:52.460 --> 00:00:54.280 to correct and get back on the road, it was it 00:00:54.280 --> 00:00:56.799 was very much a soft shoulder. And it was actually 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:00.119 round river rock that my bike went onto, which 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:02.820 is like riding on marbles. And so as soon as 00:01:02.820 --> 00:01:05.000 I as soon as I kind of went off the road a little 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:07.599 bit to try and correct myself and get back. The 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:09.719 bike just slipped out from under me and I knew 00:01:09.719 --> 00:01:12.500 that the bike and I were going down hard. So 00:01:12.500 --> 00:01:17.060 I had multiple fractures to my left wrist and 00:01:17.060 --> 00:01:19.799 my right ankle. I had surgeries to repair the 00:01:19.799 --> 00:01:26.410 damage on June 10th and the staff... nurses, 00:01:26.410 --> 00:01:29.569 doctors, surgeons at the Ottawa Civic Hospital 00:01:29.569 --> 00:01:33.769 were incredible. It was an amazing experience. 00:01:33.810 --> 00:01:36.170 It was so well taken care of by the staff there. 00:01:37.370 --> 00:01:40.450 And I got visits all through my time there from 00:01:40.450 --> 00:01:45.689 friends and people from the ride. The co -chairs 00:01:45.689 --> 00:01:47.709 of the ride came and some other people who were 00:01:47.709 --> 00:01:49.930 on the ride came to visit me. People I didn't 00:01:49.930 --> 00:01:52.510 know that became friends, which was really cool. 00:01:52.950 --> 00:01:58.629 And then on June 15th, I was released from the 00:01:58.629 --> 00:02:03.489 hospital, discharged, and Natalie came the night 00:02:03.489 --> 00:02:07.849 before, and then we rode, not rode, sorry, I'm 00:02:07.849 --> 00:02:12.229 not riding any time soon. We drove home on the 00:02:12.229 --> 00:02:14.289 15th, and so I've been home recovering since 00:02:14.289 --> 00:02:17.530 then. Okay, yeah. So that's the accident. Yes, 00:02:17.530 --> 00:02:19.969 so we're very glad that you're here. We're also 00:02:19.969 --> 00:02:22.689 very glad that in about a week and a half, something 00:02:22.689 --> 00:02:25.539 really exciting. is happening in your life. You're 00:02:25.539 --> 00:02:29.319 being ordained as a deacon. I am right now. Right 00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:33.539 now I'm still a dit, a deacon in training, or 00:02:33.539 --> 00:02:36.520 a candidate of the diaconate, which is how the 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:40.000 diocese prefers me to refer to myself. They're 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.680 not a big fan of dit, but no, maybe it's catching 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:48.900 on. They're warming up to it. But yeah, on Wednesday, 00:02:48.979 --> 00:02:53.039 July 8th, 730 p .m. right here at Trinity is 00:02:52.939 --> 00:02:57.840 is my ordination service. And I'm just so, I 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.719 mean, I can't even begin to express. I'm sure, 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:02.800 Kyla, you're going to hope that I can express 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:05.740 exactly how I feel about that. But it's just 00:03:05.740 --> 00:03:10.960 it's just incredible to the culmination of so 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:14.000 many, well, decades of, you know, kind of getting 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:17.020 to this point. And and and, you know, we're planning 00:03:17.020 --> 00:03:19.979 this the service now. And it's just I'm just. 00:03:21.799 --> 00:03:25.500 It's just amazing the different elements of the 00:03:25.500 --> 00:03:29.680 service and how meaningful I'm realizing that 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:31.860 that whole thing is. I mean, it's not just, OK, 00:03:31.900 --> 00:03:35.340 let's stamp them, get them done. There's a powerful 00:03:35.340 --> 00:03:40.680 meaning throughout the service, in the liturgy, 00:03:40.819 --> 00:03:44.639 in the different parts and the roles that people 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:47.599 play to present me to the bishop and all that 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:50.439 kind of stuff. So I'm super pumped. for that. 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:54.840 And it's definitely the end of a journey that 00:03:54.840 --> 00:03:56.759 we'll talk about, flesh out a little bit, I'm 00:03:56.759 --> 00:03:59.900 guessing. But it's also the beginning of a whole 00:03:59.900 --> 00:04:04.400 new journey. So it really is a cruxus or a nexus 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:09.219 for myself personally and for my ministry. Yeah. 00:04:09.620 --> 00:04:12.379 So yeah, we want to get into all of the bits 00:04:12.379 --> 00:04:14.560 of the story. But before we jump into that, we 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:16.500 probably have some folks who don't actually know 00:04:16.500 --> 00:04:18.620 what it means to be a deacon in the Anglican 00:04:18.620 --> 00:04:20.870 Church. So you want to explain to us, what is 00:04:20.870 --> 00:04:24.120 a deacon? is their job. Sure. Yeah. OK, so we 00:04:24.120 --> 00:04:26.500 can do that. Yeah. So there are three ordained 00:04:26.500 --> 00:04:30.620 orders in the Anglican Church. OK. Bishop, priest 00:04:30.620 --> 00:04:35.019 and deacon. OK. So a priest generally. And these 00:04:35.019 --> 00:04:37.779 are generalizations. And we're not getting into 00:04:37.779 --> 00:04:40.180 specifics. Their whole role is super big and 00:04:40.180 --> 00:04:42.439 stuff. Priest and bishop. But the main role of 00:04:42.439 --> 00:04:44.759 the priest is to take care of the members of 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:47.480 the church, members of the congregation. So they're 00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:49.959 the shepherd. Church is the flock. Right. And 00:04:49.959 --> 00:04:54.110 that's the main role. The bishop, their job is 00:04:54.110 --> 00:04:56.370 to take care of a whole bunch of churches in 00:04:56.370 --> 00:04:58.769 a geographical area. So the bishop of the diocese 00:04:58.769 --> 00:05:01.329 takes care of hundreds of churches. He's responsible 00:05:01.329 --> 00:05:06.250 for the administration of those churches. And 00:05:06.250 --> 00:05:11.680 then the deacon. Is brought up from within a 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:14.680 parish? Whereas a priest gets ordained and gets 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:17.259 moved from parish to parish over the time of 00:05:17.259 --> 00:05:19.540 his or her ministry, right? The deacon is brought 00:05:19.540 --> 00:05:23.339 up within the parish is trained and formed through 00:05:23.339 --> 00:05:26.519 the diocese But also still connected with his 00:05:26.519 --> 00:05:30.339 or her home parish and then and then at the end 00:05:30.339 --> 00:05:35.160 of that training and formation process is ordained 00:05:35.879 --> 00:05:40.019 in the church for ministry in the community. 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:44.259 And so what that ministry is typically for a 00:05:44.259 --> 00:05:51.699 deacon is a couple of two main things. One is 00:05:51.699 --> 00:05:56.980 a role within the church to help lead the service. 00:05:58.019 --> 00:06:00.360 Not as big of a concern here at Trinity because 00:06:00.360 --> 00:06:03.579 there's so many amazing people that do all those 00:06:03.579 --> 00:06:07.800 roles. But typical role for a deacon is to read 00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:11.600 the gospel, prepare the table, the Eucharist 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:16.959 table for communion, do the prayers, and then 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:19.699 do a dismissal at the end of the service. So 00:06:19.699 --> 00:06:21.699 those are like the four key things. And so in 00:06:21.699 --> 00:06:23.819 a lot of churches where it's just the priest, 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:26.220 just the minister doing all of it. When they 00:06:26.220 --> 00:06:29.879 can bring up a deacon, that helps. They can take 00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:32.839 care of like four or five major elements of the 00:06:32.839 --> 00:06:35.560 service and just kind of pass so they can share 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:39.480 the work of the service that way. But again, 00:06:39.660 --> 00:06:42.639 because here at Trinity, there really isn't any 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:46.300 reason to artificially insert myself any more 00:06:46.300 --> 00:06:49.660 than I've already been participating in and meeting 00:06:49.660 --> 00:06:52.639 different aspects. I help assist with communion 00:06:52.639 --> 00:06:59.120 and and other things, right? So I can continue 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:01.000 to do that. I mean, I might get put on the roster 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:02.800 for reading, which I haven't done for a while, 00:07:02.920 --> 00:07:05.839 or on the roster for leading prayers. I'm happy 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:08.720 to do that. But again, I don't want to take the 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:11.980 spot of, you know, the volunteers and ministry 00:07:11.980 --> 00:07:14.500 leaders or service leaders that are already helping 00:07:14.500 --> 00:07:19.449 out. The dismissal though is something that's 00:07:19.449 --> 00:07:21.170 really important to me personally, so I'm hoping 00:07:21.170 --> 00:07:24.250 that I might have the opportunity to do that 00:07:24.250 --> 00:07:30.110 on a somewhat regular basis, but we're still 00:07:30.110 --> 00:07:34.050 working that stuff out. And so that's the inside 00:07:34.050 --> 00:07:41.290 of the church stuff. And then we'll get to what 00:07:41.290 --> 00:07:43.889 my specific ministry stuff will be when I start 00:07:43.889 --> 00:07:46.350 in September. But typically the role of a deacon 00:07:46.350 --> 00:07:50.410 inside the church is that. And then the outside 00:07:50.410 --> 00:07:54.610 of the church... is looking into the community, 00:07:54.769 --> 00:07:58.009 identifying what the needs of the community are, 00:07:58.610 --> 00:08:02.250 volunteering themselves in the community, helping 00:08:02.250 --> 00:08:06.129 the hungry, the lonely, the sick, the naked, 00:08:06.250 --> 00:08:11.610 the stranger, and then also creating a bridge 00:08:11.610 --> 00:08:16.170 and encouraging and facilitating the members 00:08:16.170 --> 00:08:19.439 of the church. to then also kind of follow his 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:22.600 or her lead. Yep. And serve in the community 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:25.160 as well, either on their own or in groups or 00:08:25.160 --> 00:08:29.540 with the deacon or like, you know, or and and 00:08:29.540 --> 00:08:32.860 that so that there's a huge service element. 00:08:32.899 --> 00:08:36.899 Sure. And in fact, the the root word, Greek word 00:08:36.899 --> 00:08:40.960 for deacon, I'm going to butcher the Greek, but 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:44.679 diaconia or diaconis. Something like that. That 00:08:44.679 --> 00:08:48.649 is which. which is the word we get for, which 00:08:48.649 --> 00:08:51.970 is how we get deacon is to serve. Okay. So it's 00:08:51.970 --> 00:08:54.049 that, I mean, it's that, it's that much into 00:08:54.049 --> 00:08:58.370 the, is that built into the meaning. Deacon equals 00:08:58.370 --> 00:09:00.549 serve. So, I mean, if that's all you remember, 00:09:00.750 --> 00:09:06.009 then you get it. So, but the important element 00:09:06.009 --> 00:09:10.009 again, is that the role of the deacon differing 00:09:10.009 --> 00:09:15.250 from bishop and priest as one of the three. ordained 00:09:15.250 --> 00:09:18.450 orders of clergy is that the deacon is outward 00:09:18.450 --> 00:09:22.230 facing and is figuring out what the needs are 00:09:22.230 --> 00:09:24.610 in the community and trying to facilitate the 00:09:24.610 --> 00:09:29.730 members of the church to get out of the pew and 00:09:29.730 --> 00:09:33.370 onto the streets. Yeah, so kind of like creating 00:09:33.370 --> 00:09:36.029 that bridge between the community and the church 00:09:36.029 --> 00:09:38.799 and Facilitating hopefully a two way bridge. 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:41.179 Yeah, exactly. The community can come into the 00:09:41.179 --> 00:09:43.120 church and the church can go out into the community 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:45.820 and serve and love and all of those good things. 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:47.220 Yeah. And the community meal here at Trinity 00:09:47.220 --> 00:09:48.580 over the last year and a half has been a good 00:09:48.580 --> 00:09:54.039 example of that. It is the development of identifying 00:09:54.039 --> 00:09:56.639 the needs, figuring out how we could respond 00:09:56.639 --> 00:10:02.320 and facilitating members of the church to act, 00:10:02.700 --> 00:10:07.840 to serve and then developing a community of people 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:11.659 from both outside of the church that come to 00:10:11.659 --> 00:10:15.980 receive the meal and the community and the fellowship. 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:19.200 And then, you know, and we have seen people from 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:22.759 our Community Meal come and become members, attend 00:10:22.759 --> 00:10:25.159 worship services, and even become members and 00:10:25.159 --> 00:10:27.639 get baptized, which is amazing. Yeah, that's 00:10:27.639 --> 00:10:29.500 awesome. Since the start of the Community Meal. 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:33.100 Yeah. So you mentioned earlier, you know, this 00:10:33.100 --> 00:10:36.279 journey towards Deaconning, I don't know what 00:10:36.279 --> 00:10:38.820 the verb is. Deaconship. Deaconship. Yes, there 00:10:38.820 --> 00:10:44.600 we go. The diaconate. Yes. Began decades ago. 00:10:44.620 --> 00:10:47.039 So yeah, when did it really start for you? Like 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:49.519 what prompted this? Well, it really goes as far 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:51.519 back as when I was a teen and being mentored 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:54.500 by an Anglican priest named the Reverend Brett 00:10:54.500 --> 00:10:57.779 Kane. He took me under his wing and for about 00:10:57.779 --> 00:11:02.299 four or five years was a very important mentor 00:11:02.299 --> 00:11:05.580 in my life and father figure because my parents 00:11:05.580 --> 00:11:08.899 separated and I didn't have a dad or at least 00:11:08.899 --> 00:11:13.100 not one very close. And so Brett was my spiritual 00:11:13.100 --> 00:11:16.039 mentor, was a father figure and just really helped 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:20.039 me. with a whole bunch of stuff during those 00:11:20.039 --> 00:11:22.679 years, right? Everything from learning to drive 00:11:22.679 --> 00:11:26.299 to how to behave politely on a date with a girl. 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:31.279 Well, I don't know if I ever figured out how 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:34.360 the shave part, but hopefully he taught me how 00:11:34.360 --> 00:11:39.759 to behave properly on dates. I hope so. But also 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:44.590 kind of birthed in me a sense of calling. Uh, 00:11:45.129 --> 00:11:49.029 and I mean, Brett saw me as a, as a sonly figure, 00:11:49.110 --> 00:11:52.649 like I saw him as a fatherly figure. So he, I'm 00:11:52.649 --> 00:11:54.710 guessing wanted me to follow in his footsteps 00:11:54.710 --> 00:11:57.649 as well. So he was, so he was definitely encouraging 00:11:57.649 --> 00:12:01.909 me to, uh, to ordained ministry and on, and his, 00:12:02.149 --> 00:12:05.450 his sense of that was to the priesthood. Um, 00:12:05.450 --> 00:12:09.210 and I, and I went to Das and, uh, uh, college 00:12:09.210 --> 00:12:11.450 days. That's the, uh, that's the theological 00:12:11.450 --> 00:12:15.090 college in Montreal where I grew up. So every 00:12:15.090 --> 00:12:17.690 year there would be a Diocesan Day where prospective 00:12:17.690 --> 00:12:21.149 students, normally students who are graduating 00:12:21.149 --> 00:12:23.309 university, not high school students like me. 00:12:23.750 --> 00:12:26.370 So every year for four or five years I went to 00:12:26.370 --> 00:12:28.409 the Diocesan Day through my high school years 00:12:28.409 --> 00:12:32.529 and was able to explore what that would look 00:12:32.529 --> 00:12:35.639 like. And from those days I realized... I didn't 00:12:35.639 --> 00:12:39.700 want to be ordained as a priest. I felt that 00:12:39.700 --> 00:12:43.460 my calling was more into the community to as 00:12:43.460 --> 00:12:48.919 far as outreach, responding to the needs of the 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:52.059 poor and the disadvantaged of our community through 00:12:52.059 --> 00:12:54.659 the years. That is that my focus has changed 00:12:54.659 --> 00:12:57.600 from youth at risk to hungry families to different 00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:59.500 things. Right. But it's always been that focus. 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:03.659 And and I also didn't like the fact that if you're 00:13:03.659 --> 00:13:05.970 a priest, then the bishop could move you around 00:13:05.970 --> 00:13:08.289 every three years. Sure. And I thought, no, I 00:13:08.289 --> 00:13:11.029 want to, I want to, I want to be, I want to be 00:13:11.029 --> 00:13:13.190 part of, I want to live. I want to work. I want 00:13:13.190 --> 00:13:15.409 to, I want to really root yourself. I want to 00:13:15.409 --> 00:13:17.210 ruin myself somewhere. I don't want to think, 00:13:17.330 --> 00:13:19.509 okay, well, you know, potentially in three years, 00:13:19.590 --> 00:13:21.250 I'm going to have to start over somewhere. So, 00:13:21.570 --> 00:13:23.250 you know, I'm not going to do, I'm not going 00:13:23.250 --> 00:13:27.009 to dive deep, right? Yeah. So, um, uh, so yeah, 00:13:27.049 --> 00:13:31.460 so I, uh, I didn't. I didn't I didn't go to theological 00:13:31.460 --> 00:13:35.460 college right after university. I got a job working 00:13:35.460 --> 00:13:42.899 in the Christian ministry and and then I eventually 00:13:42.899 --> 00:13:45.700 started working at Youngstreet Mission's Evergreen 00:13:45.700 --> 00:13:49.139 for a few years and then and then moved to Mississauga 00:13:49.139 --> 00:13:52.879 and started up the the Dam Eithropen with my 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.580 with my partner. So we co -founded the dam and 00:13:56.580 --> 00:14:01.429 ran it for 15 years. But all of that was kind 00:14:01.429 --> 00:14:06.950 of my fulfilling my calling to outreach and ministry 00:14:06.950 --> 00:14:09.509 to those in need in the community. And during 00:14:09.509 --> 00:14:14.889 that time too, I and how I how I can identify 00:14:14.889 --> 00:14:21.710 When my calling as a deacon formalized because 00:14:21.710 --> 00:14:24.470 I didn't really understand the whole deacon part 00:14:24.470 --> 00:14:29.240 of things in Montreal, but when I moved to Mississauga 00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:31.320 and got involved with the Diocese of Toronto 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:34.340 I realized that there was there was this thing 00:14:34.340 --> 00:14:37.539 called Deacon and and it just seemed to really 00:14:37.539 --> 00:14:41.480 fit with my own sense of calling in ministry 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:46.860 and philosophy of ministry and the And so I began 00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:50.399 to explore that as an idea through Trinity. And 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:52.460 for a number of reasons, it didn't work out. 00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:54.620 I was always told it didn't have anything to 00:14:54.620 --> 00:14:57.799 do with me. It was always something else. But 00:14:57.799 --> 00:15:00.899 each succession of ministers I would ask and 00:15:00.899 --> 00:15:03.080 was turned down and stuff like that. So that's 00:15:03.080 --> 00:15:06.179 over a 35 -year period. But I can go back to 00:15:06.179 --> 00:15:10.480 when I started my Masters of Theological Studies 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:14.279 at Wycliffe College, which was 94. it for 10 00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:15.980 years because I was in full -time ministry at 00:15:15.980 --> 00:15:20.320 the time. So it took me 10 years to do my MTS 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:26.720 from 1994 to 2004. And I enrolled in the MTS 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:29.659 program because that educational component was 00:15:29.659 --> 00:15:32.639 necessary in the formation process of becoming 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:36.220 a deacon. So I didn't realize that it would take 00:15:36.220 --> 00:15:38.600 me 10 years to do it. And then once I got it, 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:40.379 I didn't realize that it would take me another 00:15:40.379 --> 00:15:44.559 20 years before I actually you know, utilized 00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:47.139 it in terms of the formation and training to 00:15:47.139 --> 00:15:49.460 become to actually officially become a deacon. 00:15:49.860 --> 00:15:53.639 Right. So, yeah, thirty five years of being patient. 00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:58.840 Yeah. And and actually seven years ago, I gave 00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:03.240 it up. Yeah. I I realized after so many years, 00:16:03.340 --> 00:16:06.200 I thought maybe it's God is maybe I have this 00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:09.500 calling, but maybe. I'm not meant to actually 00:16:09.500 --> 00:16:11.480 fulfill it. Maybe I'm or maybe I'm fulfilling 00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:13.940 it in what I'm doing without actually without 00:16:13.940 --> 00:16:15.820 the ordination without the ordinate. Yeah, without 00:16:15.820 --> 00:16:19.000 being, you know, ordained clergy. And and so 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:21.080 I just kind of came to came to terms with that 00:16:21.080 --> 00:16:22.799 and said, OK, I guess I'm never going to be a 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:26.779 deacon. And that's when we fostered and adopted 00:16:26.779 --> 00:16:30.440 our dog. Yeah. And I named him Deacon. And that 00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:33.379 was the rebellious quirk in me. I said, well. 00:16:33.940 --> 00:16:36.120 gosh darn it if i'm not going to be a deacon 00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:38.700 there's going to be a deacon in my house so i'm 00:16:38.700 --> 00:16:41.399 naming my dog deacon and now it's just going 00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:43.679 to be confusing at home in a couple in a week 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:45.539 and a half yeah yeah yeah when natalie calls 00:16:45.539 --> 00:16:47.580 out deacon for dinner i'm going to come running 00:16:47.580 --> 00:16:49.899 and the dog is going to come running well i'm 00:16:49.899 --> 00:16:53.220 going to come wheeling or sure at the moment 00:16:53.220 --> 00:16:58.360 but But yeah, so that's the process over my calling 00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:01.679 or my sense of calling over 35 years and just 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:05.279 feel like number one, I'm a much more patient 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:09.880 person in my whole life because of this process. 00:17:10.680 --> 00:17:14.460 And I'm just very thankful for that. And then 00:17:14.460 --> 00:17:17.039 there's also the thing of like, don't give up 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:22.819 on your dreams. Sure. And even though I kind 00:17:22.819 --> 00:17:27.970 of struggled with that seven years ago. It kind 00:17:27.970 --> 00:17:30.329 of feels more like now, you know, if you really 00:17:30.329 --> 00:17:33.190 want something, you know, let it go. Yeah. And 00:17:33.190 --> 00:17:35.450 if it's meant to happen, it'll come back to you. 00:17:35.470 --> 00:17:37.829 And that seems to be what happened to me. So 00:17:37.829 --> 00:17:41.109 I think even the letting go part of it was a 00:17:41.109 --> 00:17:43.990 helpful part of my process. So it's not this 00:17:43.990 --> 00:17:47.069 like chip on my shoulder. You know, why can't 00:17:47.069 --> 00:17:49.670 I be a DK? I've been wanting so long. Yeah. You 00:17:49.670 --> 00:17:52.779 know, and I just I let that go. And then it came 00:17:52.779 --> 00:17:55.200 back to me. I was just like, and I was like, 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:58.259 I still remember the meeting in Rob's office 00:17:58.259 --> 00:18:01.059 when I said, I said, I'm not sure if we ever 00:18:01.059 --> 00:18:03.279 talked about this, but I've been wanting to be 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:05.519 a deacon for a long time. And for a lot of reasons, 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:07.420 it just wasn't able to happen. And I've asked 00:18:07.420 --> 00:18:09.720 each minister as they came and they said no and 00:18:09.720 --> 00:18:11.799 blah, blah, blah. And so have we ever had that 00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:14.220 conversation? And Rob said, no, we haven't had 00:18:14.220 --> 00:18:16.769 that conversation. I said. Would you be willing 00:18:16.769 --> 00:18:19.490 to have a conversation with me? I'm going to 00:18:19.490 --> 00:18:24.190 start crying and just tell the story. And I asked 00:18:24.190 --> 00:18:26.990 him if he'd be interested in engaging in that 00:18:26.990 --> 00:18:30.390 conversation. He said, Bill, if that's your calling, 00:18:30.630 --> 00:18:32.410 I think that would be incredible. I think we 00:18:32.410 --> 00:18:34.309 definitely should investigate this, right? I 00:18:34.309 --> 00:18:35.650 mean, it wasn't like, yes, let's make it happen. 00:18:36.289 --> 00:18:37.869 It was like, let's figure out what the start 00:18:37.869 --> 00:18:39.829 of the process is and let's talk about it. And 00:18:39.829 --> 00:18:42.470 I just immediately, I just like. faucet water 00:18:42.470 --> 00:18:46.789 like I'm just crying after 30 plus years of being 00:18:46.789 --> 00:18:49.369 turned away and not and not fulfilling my calling 00:18:49.369 --> 00:18:52.009 just the idea that it could eventually happen 00:18:52.009 --> 00:18:55.869 was just so amazing yeah and so that was the 00:18:55.869 --> 00:18:58.690 start nine months it took nine months to officially 00:18:59.420 --> 00:19:02.920 enter into the training formation process. And 00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:05.720 that process is a minimum of two years. And for 00:19:05.720 --> 00:19:09.220 me, because I had done my educational part, my 00:19:09.220 --> 00:19:14.039 MTS years ago, I was able to go through the formation 00:19:14.039 --> 00:19:16.799 process in that minimum of two years. And just 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:20.579 last month or thereabouts, the final piece was 00:19:20.579 --> 00:19:22.940 to be approved by the College of Bishops for 00:19:22.940 --> 00:19:26.880 ordination. And that happened. And then we started 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:29.740 planning the service. Now, here we are. Yeah. 00:19:29.980 --> 00:19:33.000 Yeah. So cool. And I remember also part of maybe 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:35.019 one of the initial parts of that process was 00:19:35.019 --> 00:19:37.819 approval from the congregation. Yes. Right. We 00:19:37.819 --> 00:19:40.220 had a vestry meeting and you sort of stood up 00:19:40.220 --> 00:19:42.039 and said, OK, this is the dream that I have. 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:45.720 And I was at that meeting. And I remember folks 00:19:45.720 --> 00:19:49.000 being like, well, if this is Bill's dream and. 00:19:49.509 --> 00:19:52.769 This so clearly fits with who we see Bill as, 00:19:52.910 --> 00:19:55.170 as a person, right? This fits so clearly with 00:19:55.170 --> 00:19:56.630 all of your gifts and the things that you're 00:19:56.630 --> 00:19:59.269 already doing. It was like a no brainer, right? 00:19:59.450 --> 00:20:03.450 We were all, all on board, you know? Yeah. That's 00:20:03.450 --> 00:20:06.089 so amazing. Yeah. And just so excited that like, 00:20:06.210 --> 00:20:08.069 yeah, this is a piece that you get to sort of 00:20:08.069 --> 00:20:10.509 step into. Yeah. Yeah. And that, and that was 00:20:10.509 --> 00:20:13.779 the end of a process in itself because Part of 00:20:13.779 --> 00:20:17.599 the discernment process was for me to discern 00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:19.920 my calling, which again, you know, through the 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:22.019 decades was that that was that was definitely 00:20:22.019 --> 00:20:24.579 there. But the process that we needed to start 00:20:24.579 --> 00:20:27.240 or that Rob needed to start was to put a small 00:20:27.240 --> 00:20:29.640 group of people together that would discern. 00:20:31.749 --> 00:20:34.789 Do we need a deacon in the parish? Sure. Is this 00:20:34.789 --> 00:20:36.470 what's right for Trinity? And at first, it wasn't 00:20:36.470 --> 00:20:39.009 even attached to my name. Sure. That conversation 00:20:39.009 --> 00:20:42.690 happened without, as far as I know, without me, 00:20:42.849 --> 00:20:45.690 without my name attached. And then and then when 00:20:45.690 --> 00:20:48.130 it's when they said, yes, this would be a valuable 00:20:48.130 --> 00:20:51.890 role for for, you know, benefit the church and 00:20:51.890 --> 00:20:54.390 our ministry in the community. Then it was said, 00:20:54.589 --> 00:20:57.289 OK, well, this is Bill feels a calling to to 00:20:57.289 --> 00:20:59.170 be in this role to be brought up through the 00:20:59.170 --> 00:21:02.609 through the parish. through Trinity to play that, 00:21:02.650 --> 00:21:06.750 to perform that role in the ministry team of 00:21:06.750 --> 00:21:09.089 the church. And then it was like, oh yeah, check, 00:21:09.609 --> 00:21:12.569 check. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All the pieces fit so 00:21:12.569 --> 00:21:15.289 beautifully. So amazing. Yeah. Yeah. So then 00:21:15.289 --> 00:21:18.529 as you step into this new role at Trinity, what 00:21:18.529 --> 00:21:20.410 do you sort of anticipate that looking like? 00:21:20.470 --> 00:21:22.230 So you talk about, you know, broadly, this is 00:21:22.230 --> 00:21:24.450 generally what deacons do, but. Specifically 00:21:24.450 --> 00:21:26.150 here, do you have a sense of what you might be 00:21:26.150 --> 00:21:27.809 up to? Yeah, we're I mean, we're still putting 00:21:27.809 --> 00:21:30.910 together, but but Rob and I have have talked 00:21:30.910 --> 00:21:33.509 and I'm assuming Rob's talked with the other 00:21:33.509 --> 00:21:36.789 people, the extended ministry team and and leaders 00:21:36.789 --> 00:21:38.910 in the church and stuff of how I would fit in. 00:21:39.170 --> 00:21:42.430 But so what we've talked about and where he feels 00:21:42.430 --> 00:21:49.150 there's a need is is around care and outreach. 00:21:49.349 --> 00:21:53.410 So the the particular need is is is is to have 00:21:53.410 --> 00:21:58.710 someone as the supporter and booster of all of 00:21:58.710 --> 00:22:01.849 our care ministries at Trinity, which, I mean, 00:22:02.089 --> 00:22:08.029 to have the opportunity to support. so many ministry 00:22:08.029 --> 00:22:10.450 leaders who are so caring and compassionate and 00:22:10.450 --> 00:22:14.470 have so many skills and gifts in this area is 00:22:14.470 --> 00:22:18.670 just a is just a is just an honor. And my take 00:22:18.670 --> 00:22:23.450 on it is not to come in as to direct those those 00:22:23.450 --> 00:22:28.490 programs, supervise those people. My my thing 00:22:28.490 --> 00:22:31.849 is to let's let's put together a team where we 00:22:31.849 --> 00:22:35.549 could support and encourage one another and and 00:22:35.549 --> 00:22:38.150 just. And for me, just to be there as their boosters 00:22:38.150 --> 00:22:43.069 and just to find out what they need to do, what 00:22:43.069 --> 00:22:45.390 they're there to do, and just to provide them 00:22:45.390 --> 00:22:49.609 every resource and everything that they need 00:22:49.609 --> 00:22:56.450 to get that done. care and outreach coordinator. 00:22:57.849 --> 00:23:04.549 One focus will be on the care ministry of the 00:23:04.549 --> 00:23:07.170 church. And it's just, I mean, there's so many 00:23:07.170 --> 00:23:08.910 incredible things already going on. I'm just 00:23:08.910 --> 00:23:14.410 happy to kind of learn and get to know all the 00:23:14.410 --> 00:23:18.339 different things. I'm experiencing right now, 00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:23.099 for myself, the ministry of the meal train. We're 00:23:23.099 --> 00:23:28.069 getting meals brought to an amazing... tasting 00:23:28.069 --> 00:23:31.170 great, nutritious meals that are brought that 00:23:31.170 --> 00:23:34.970 just just takes a load off for Natalie and I, 00:23:35.170 --> 00:23:37.190 primarily Natalie, because I'm sitting on a couch 00:23:37.190 --> 00:23:40.410 with my foot up. But the but it's just, you know, 00:23:40.470 --> 00:23:42.230 she's working full time here at the church and 00:23:42.230 --> 00:23:44.230 then she comes home to take care of me and, you 00:23:44.230 --> 00:23:46.410 know, cleaning and cooking and stuff just takes. 00:23:46.990 --> 00:23:49.069 I mean, it's stuff that needs to get done. But 00:23:49.069 --> 00:23:50.869 I mean, she's spending more of her time taking 00:23:50.869 --> 00:23:53.329 care of me than others. Sure. So so, yeah. So 00:23:53.329 --> 00:23:56.539 just singling out that one. care ministry of 00:23:56.539 --> 00:23:59.319 the church in terms of, you know, experiencing 00:23:59.319 --> 00:24:03.599 it now from a recipient, right, has been just 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:08.400 a great learning for me, understanding the incredible 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:11.099 impact that that has on those that are receiving 00:24:11.099 --> 00:24:15.880 that ministry, right? And the wonderful volunteers 00:24:15.880 --> 00:24:18.539 that put in the time and effort to cook those 00:24:18.539 --> 00:24:21.720 meals and get them to the people. And that's 00:24:21.720 --> 00:24:23.519 just one example. Yeah, that's one example. So 00:24:23.519 --> 00:24:25.220 that's the care side. That's the care part. And 00:24:25.220 --> 00:24:28.200 then outreach side. Thank you. Yeah, the outreach 00:24:28.200 --> 00:24:31.380 side is, I mean, that's my wheelhouse. Yeah. 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:34.980 All right. So that's been my ministry for 35 00:24:34.980 --> 00:24:39.619 years in Christian outreach ministry to to to 00:24:39.619 --> 00:24:42.140 address to street youth and then later to address 00:24:42.140 --> 00:24:45.339 youth here in Mississauga, Meadowville and Streetsville 00:24:45.339 --> 00:24:50.730 and through the dam. and then also caring for 00:24:50.730 --> 00:24:53.130 hungry disadvantaged families as the executive 00:24:53.130 --> 00:24:55.430 director of a food bank in the western part of 00:24:55.430 --> 00:25:02.019 Mississauga. and even care internationally for 00:25:02.019 --> 00:25:05.720 people through a short contract I did with World 00:25:05.720 --> 00:25:10.500 Vision. So all those experiences, again, kept 00:25:10.500 --> 00:25:14.779 me focused on street ministry, on community outreach, 00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:22.180 on responding to the needs of families, disadvantaged 00:25:22.180 --> 00:25:24.539 families or impoverished families in our community. 00:25:25.740 --> 00:25:33.099 And so as a deacon, those are the things that 00:25:33.099 --> 00:25:40.460 attract our attention in the community. we look 00:25:40.460 --> 00:25:46.160 out for, and I can't get the word exegete out 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:50.180 of my head. Exegete is for the Bible when you're 00:25:50.180 --> 00:25:51.779 putting together Bible studies and stuff like 00:25:51.779 --> 00:25:55.099 that, but you don't want to have that same level 00:25:55.099 --> 00:25:58.539 of depth into the community as you would studying 00:25:58.539 --> 00:26:03.400 the Bible to figure out what are the needs, what 00:26:03.400 --> 00:26:06.400 is the meaning, what is going on, and then how 00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:09.380 can we best help? And then the first thing is 00:26:09.259 --> 00:26:14.559 to. I mean, there's generally in any church, 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:17.960 there are a lot of people who have a care and 00:26:17.960 --> 00:26:21.339 concern for the community. They just don't know. 00:26:21.529 --> 00:26:24.170 what to do. Yeah. Um, and there are, and there 00:26:24.170 --> 00:26:26.910 are some, there are a few that are, you know, 00:26:26.910 --> 00:26:29.589 are, are, are very content to be in the four 00:26:29.589 --> 00:26:31.390 walls of the church or the four walls of their 00:26:31.390 --> 00:26:34.670 home. And they're trying not to kind of, uh, 00:26:34.670 --> 00:26:37.049 be exposed too much to the evils of the world. 00:26:37.150 --> 00:26:40.309 Right. And, uh, and so I wanted to start gently 00:26:40.309 --> 00:26:42.869 break people out of that, uh, for those that 00:26:42.869 --> 00:26:46.910 are, are, are aware and, and a little, um, anxious 00:26:46.910 --> 00:26:50.289 about, uh, you know, what they can do. I want 00:26:50.289 --> 00:26:53.059 to be able to, provide some some training and 00:26:53.059 --> 00:26:56.480 some encouragement and some options. So yeah 00:26:56.480 --> 00:26:59.440 first and foremost as a role model I'm out there 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:02.000 in the community volunteering doing stuff and 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:04.819 then sharing my experiences with the congregation. 00:27:05.680 --> 00:27:08.700 The second part is the exhortation part is saying 00:27:09.160 --> 00:27:11.279 Hey, guys, lots of opportunities out here. Come 00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:14.720 on out and volunteer and serve and, you know, 00:27:14.819 --> 00:27:16.960 make a difference in your community. But, you 00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:19.839 know, faith into action. Rubber, you know, rubber 00:27:19.839 --> 00:27:22.599 on the... Rubber hits the road. Rubber hits the 00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:28.950 road. Yes, thank you. Motorcycle imagery. and 00:27:28.950 --> 00:27:32.529 just excite the members of our church to want 00:27:32.529 --> 00:27:34.390 to serve in the community and help other people. 00:27:35.410 --> 00:27:39.069 And then as you say, once you create that bridge, 00:27:39.190 --> 00:27:43.609 it's not a one -way bridge. And so often I can 00:27:43.609 --> 00:27:49.369 say in terms of how my ministry has kind of panned 00:27:49.369 --> 00:27:54.680 out, it's only when you uh, genuinely are able 00:27:54.680 --> 00:27:58.019 to show the care and the concern and the love 00:27:58.019 --> 00:28:01.400 that you have for others, you know, people that 00:28:01.400 --> 00:28:04.000 are outside of the church in the community, uh, 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:08.200 is only when you can, um, uh, and that's usually 00:28:08.200 --> 00:28:11.220 shown first by action, right? By showing up to 00:28:11.220 --> 00:28:13.160 a community meal and helping to serve a community 00:28:13.160 --> 00:28:16.880 meal or, uh, and then later it's, uh, once you've 00:28:16.880 --> 00:28:19.460 established relationship, you can do that through, 00:28:19.460 --> 00:28:22.849 uh, uh, conversation about, you know, your faith 00:28:22.849 --> 00:28:25.589 means to you, inviting them to church, you know, 00:28:25.589 --> 00:28:30.109 that kind of stuff. But the best response that 00:28:30.109 --> 00:28:36.049 I have realized over the years has been, you 00:28:36.049 --> 00:28:39.319 know, You only get a positive response from those 00:28:39.319 --> 00:28:41.599 spiritual conversations or for those invitations 00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:46.220 to church once you have already proven yourself 00:28:46.220 --> 00:28:49.759 to them. Sure. Once you have shown once they 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:51.920 have that human connection first. Exactly. Once 00:28:51.920 --> 00:28:55.240 they have realized that it's more than a volunteer 00:28:55.240 --> 00:28:58.660 thing or it's more than a job or and that you 00:28:58.660 --> 00:29:00.779 actually care. And that you've taken the time 00:29:00.779 --> 00:29:04.660 to get to know them and to hear their pain, their 00:29:04.660 --> 00:29:10.099 history, their their story that they that what 00:29:10.099 --> 00:29:14.480 you then say back to them has has a higher level 00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:17.160 of importance to them. Right. So when you're 00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:20.400 when you're saying, you know, Jesus helped me 00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:22.700 through a bunch of stuff, maybe he can help you. 00:29:22.700 --> 00:29:26.640 Yeah. And that rather than them going. you know 00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:29.200 forget that they're going oh well if it helped 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:31.859 you yeah right and i know you and i know you 00:29:31.859 --> 00:29:34.420 and i trust you yeah yeah and uh same thing with 00:29:34.420 --> 00:29:37.079 invitations to church right i mean they're like 00:29:37.079 --> 00:29:41.400 and uh but it but if it's but if you have that 00:29:41.400 --> 00:29:43.700 relationship with them yeah then then they're 00:29:43.700 --> 00:29:46.109 they're gonna think think about it a little bit 00:29:46.109 --> 00:29:49.730 more. And so yeah, so it does create that two 00:29:49.730 --> 00:29:52.230 -way bridge. So I mean, it would be amazing if 00:29:52.230 --> 00:29:56.450 through the ministry, the diagonal ministry that 00:29:56.450 --> 00:29:59.710 I'll have starting in the fall, that more people 00:29:59.710 --> 00:30:03.089 in the community will come to church. That's 00:30:03.089 --> 00:30:06.250 great. I really see that. not as a second goal, 00:30:06.269 --> 00:30:09.130 but as a byproduct of the first goal. And the 00:30:09.130 --> 00:30:12.430 first goal is to get our butts out there and 00:30:12.430 --> 00:30:15.829 to make a positive impact in the lives of people 00:30:15.829 --> 00:30:18.089 outside of the church in our community. Yeah, 00:30:18.109 --> 00:30:20.670 yeah, for sure. Yeah, that's a beautiful vision. 00:30:20.769 --> 00:30:23.359 And I think a vision that you are well. suited 00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:25.759 to sort of help us live out, right, between your 00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:29.099 gifts. And, you know, I think at one point, Rob 00:30:29.099 --> 00:30:31.519 described you as like a really great builder 00:30:31.519 --> 00:30:35.099 of teams, right? Yeah. Yeah. That meant a lot 00:30:35.099 --> 00:30:36.619 to me when he said that. Yeah. Yeah. But just 00:30:36.619 --> 00:30:39.079 someone who is able to sort of rally people together 00:30:39.079 --> 00:30:40.940 and get them to understand what we're about and 00:30:40.940 --> 00:30:44.079 how to work together. Yeah. Yeah. I'm very, from 00:30:44.079 --> 00:30:47.180 the very beginning of my, of my ministry, not 00:30:47.180 --> 00:30:50.480 just at Trinity, but my, my whole career in, 00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:54.349 in, in Christian ministries and nonprofits and 00:30:54.349 --> 00:30:59.390 charities. I've never wanted to do anything alone. 00:30:59.450 --> 00:31:03.009 It's always been about building a team. I coordinate 00:31:03.009 --> 00:31:05.450 the men's ministry here at Trinity, but I don't 00:31:05.450 --> 00:31:07.990 do it alone. I have an amazing team of guys and 00:31:07.990 --> 00:31:10.869 they're all in charge of a different men's ministry 00:31:10.869 --> 00:31:13.890 program and I have the honor of coordinating 00:31:13.890 --> 00:31:16.470 and facilitating them and making sure that they 00:31:16.470 --> 00:31:19.910 have all that they need to do to do their role 00:31:19.910 --> 00:31:22.579 well. Same thing with the with the community 00:31:22.579 --> 00:31:25.920 meal. You know, I was, I was voluntold to do 00:31:25.920 --> 00:31:33.460 it when the, thank you, Kayla, for your neighborhood 00:31:33.460 --> 00:31:36.099 assessment. And based on that neighborhood assessment, 00:31:36.319 --> 00:31:41.039 I was strongly encouraged to take up the, to 00:31:41.039 --> 00:31:44.819 put together a community meal for Trinity to 00:31:44.819 --> 00:31:48.460 offer to the neighborhood. And I said, okay, 00:31:48.599 --> 00:31:53.019 well, I'll put a team together. four, five of 00:31:53.019 --> 00:31:56.259 us total and we each play a different role and 00:31:56.259 --> 00:31:59.480 each of the members of our community meal team 00:31:59.480 --> 00:32:04.160 are spectacular and they make it and they're 00:32:04.160 --> 00:32:07.079 a very large part of why the community meal has 00:32:07.079 --> 00:32:09.500 been successful for the last year and a half 00:32:09.500 --> 00:32:12.900 is the amount of time and effort and true care 00:32:12.900 --> 00:32:14.640 and compassion that they put into that role, 00:32:14.640 --> 00:32:17.920 whether it's... Oliver, you know, heading up 00:32:17.920 --> 00:32:20.259 the cook team and planning all that, or Sylvia 00:32:20.259 --> 00:32:22.900 coordinating all the volunteers or Heather doing 00:32:22.900 --> 00:32:26.160 the promotion in the community or Pradeep, who's 00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:28.599 takes care of all the physical stuff, the setup 00:32:28.599 --> 00:32:31.180 and the takedown and stuff. And and, you know, 00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:34.220 they're they're they do all their jobs so well 00:32:34.220 --> 00:32:37.500 that I just I I some months I struggle to figure 00:32:37.500 --> 00:32:42.450 out what I. can do to help. So that but that's 00:32:42.450 --> 00:32:44.250 just part of an amazing team. And I'm happy to 00:32:44.250 --> 00:32:47.250 I'm happy to continue to, to be their cheerleaders 00:32:47.250 --> 00:32:51.529 as and, and that's so much better than than having 00:32:51.529 --> 00:32:54.569 to be on top of people and kind of pulling them 00:32:54.569 --> 00:32:56.569 struggle with, you know, kicking and screaming 00:32:56.569 --> 00:33:00.490 to do what they're doing. So, so, and that I 00:33:00.490 --> 00:33:03.130 just hope to replicate that. Yeah, yeah, continue 00:33:03.130 --> 00:33:05.799 mobilizing people in those ways, for sure. Yeah, 00:33:06.119 --> 00:33:09.559 so as you look ahead to this new role, what are 00:33:09.559 --> 00:33:12.299 some of the sort of joys that you anticipate 00:33:12.299 --> 00:33:14.140 and what are some of the challenges that you 00:33:14.140 --> 00:33:18.319 are anticipating? Well, I just, I can't wait 00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:22.539 to get out in the community as a deacon and to 00:33:22.539 --> 00:33:26.519 kind of identify what the needs are and where 00:33:26.519 --> 00:33:31.000 as a church we can help and respond. And I volunteer 00:33:31.000 --> 00:33:34.359 on my own with a number of things in Georgetown, 00:33:34.460 --> 00:33:39.920 where Natalie and I live, but also here in Streetsville, 00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:44.900 in Mississauga. And more of that will come. you 00:33:44.900 --> 00:33:50.660 know, in the fall when I start that part of my 00:33:50.660 --> 00:33:54.740 ministry. And so I'm really looking forward to 00:33:54.740 --> 00:33:56.539 that. That'll be great. But again, that's... 00:33:56.400 --> 00:33:58.579 that's my, that's my wheelhouse, right? I mean, 00:33:58.640 --> 00:34:00.700 that's, those are, that's no brainer. That's 00:34:00.700 --> 00:34:02.319 the eye close. That's, you know, with my eyes 00:34:02.319 --> 00:34:04.019 closed or I was going to say one hand tied by 00:34:04.019 --> 00:34:07.619 my back or maybe with a, with a cast on my wrist 00:34:07.619 --> 00:34:10.159 and an ankle. No problem. I can, I can do that. 00:34:10.159 --> 00:34:12.860 No problem. And the, the, the area that caused 00:34:12.860 --> 00:34:15.420 me a little bit of anxiety was the whole, you 00:34:15.420 --> 00:34:19.059 know, the whole care, as ministry part of the 00:34:19.059 --> 00:34:22.360 pastoral care, the hospital visits and the home 00:34:22.360 --> 00:34:25.869 visits. And, and, and I remember, you know, Rob 00:34:25.869 --> 00:34:30.170 telling me that this was an area of need for 00:34:30.170 --> 00:34:35.429 us to have some leadership in. And I'm like, 00:34:35.449 --> 00:34:37.429 you know, Rob, whatever you need, whatever the 00:34:37.429 --> 00:34:39.889 church needs, however I can help, you just let 00:34:39.889 --> 00:34:43.030 me know, we'll figure it out. And so I was 100 00:34:43.030 --> 00:34:47.719 % for it, but in my... in my in my head or like 00:34:47.719 --> 00:34:50.860 I'm going oh my god, I hate hospitals and I don't 00:34:50.860 --> 00:34:54.420 like icky and and and and they going into people's 00:34:54.420 --> 00:34:56.159 houses, you know, I don't know how I feel about 00:34:56.159 --> 00:34:59.460 that and and and so yeah, so that whole area 00:34:59.460 --> 00:35:02.079 was was was a bit of a question mark for me and 00:35:02.079 --> 00:35:05.300 but Even before the accident Natalie helped put 00:35:05.300 --> 00:35:07.800 my head at heart at ease because I've owned I'm 00:35:07.800 --> 00:35:11.280 a volunteer driver with the local cancer Assistance 00:35:11.280 --> 00:35:13.980 program in Georgetown. And so one or two times 00:35:13.980 --> 00:35:16.489 a week. I'm picking up cancer patient I'm taking 00:35:16.489 --> 00:35:19.469 them to their hospital appointment and and We 00:35:19.469 --> 00:35:21.130 spent a lot of time talking on the way there 00:35:21.130 --> 00:35:25.130 on our way back and Natalie very wisely. Yes 00:35:25.130 --> 00:35:30.150 Aren't those kind of like visits. Yeah, I mean 00:35:30.150 --> 00:35:32.869 they're in your car Pastoral care isn't that 00:35:32.869 --> 00:35:35.789 pastoral care? Isn't that like a you know a visit 00:35:35.789 --> 00:35:38.469 to someone who you need support and encouragement 00:35:38.469 --> 00:35:41.530 and I'm like and it kind of hit me like a bag 00:35:41.530 --> 00:35:46.989 of rocks Oh, oh, yeah that That that is that's 00:35:46.989 --> 00:35:48.929 certainly yeah part of that. They have mm -hmm. 00:35:49.409 --> 00:35:51.769 Okay Yeah, and then that helped immediately kind 00:35:51.769 --> 00:35:54.269 of reframed my my thinking and stuff But even 00:35:54.269 --> 00:35:56.510 then, you know the idea of hanging out in hospitals 00:35:56.510 --> 00:35:58.429 or showing, you know visiting someone who's in 00:35:58.429 --> 00:35:59.869 the hospital and they're like, you know, they're 00:35:59.869 --> 00:36:01.769 in a gown and they're you know, and they've got 00:36:01.769 --> 00:36:03.750 a you know, they've got something wrapped up 00:36:03.750 --> 00:36:07.670 or they share their leg is something right and 00:36:07.670 --> 00:36:13.250 I just like but My experience being in the hospital 00:36:13.250 --> 00:36:20.110 has just turned that around 100 % or 360 degrees 00:36:20.110 --> 00:36:27.369 or whatever number we're going to use. as a patient, 00:36:27.650 --> 00:36:31.829 as a recipient of care, I had a lot of visitors 00:36:31.829 --> 00:36:40.090 and an overabundance of visitors. It was so extremely 00:36:40.090 --> 00:36:43.489 overwhelming, you know, very positive, not complaining, 00:36:43.750 --> 00:36:49.130 but just like kind of over the head kind of abundance 00:36:49.130 --> 00:36:52.150 of visitors and care and concern expressed online 00:36:52.150 --> 00:36:55.289 and all this kind of stuff. But through that, 00:36:55.579 --> 00:36:59.599 What I've said to people is that in that week 00:36:59.599 --> 00:37:02.420 or week and a half, I experienced a master class 00:37:02.420 --> 00:37:06.880 of pastoral care training. I can't imagine a 00:37:06.880 --> 00:37:10.599 better education than lying or sitting in the 00:37:10.599 --> 00:37:14.969 hospital bed as a patient receiving. Pastoral 00:37:14.969 --> 00:37:19.329 care from people that care about you and and 00:37:19.329 --> 00:37:22.110 love you and and and want to check in on you 00:37:22.110 --> 00:37:25.670 and And and they're and they come just to spend 00:37:25.670 --> 00:37:28.510 some time with you. Yeah, right. They don't have 00:37:28.510 --> 00:37:31.199 they don't have any you know, special gift. I 00:37:31.199 --> 00:37:33.199 mean, I'm sure they have spiritual gifts that, 00:37:33.199 --> 00:37:36.300 that, that there's no secret wisdom. There's 00:37:36.300 --> 00:37:38.599 no secret. Yeah. There's no magic spell. Right. 00:37:38.760 --> 00:37:40.460 That the, you know, there's no, yeah, there's 00:37:40.460 --> 00:37:43.079 no secret. There's no secret knowledge to, you 00:37:43.079 --> 00:37:45.480 know, uh, it's just, it's just about showing 00:37:45.480 --> 00:37:49.460 up. Yeah. And it's about being present and, uh, 00:37:49.460 --> 00:37:52.500 and, and, and being able to convey you know, 00:37:52.639 --> 00:37:56.760 your love and concern for that person and and 00:37:56.760 --> 00:38:00.960 the and and give them an opportunity to, you 00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:02.820 know, kind of share their story or vent their 00:38:02.820 --> 00:38:05.860 their issues, their concerns and to pray, pray, 00:38:05.860 --> 00:38:09.639 pray with them. Yeah. And I'm like, it seems 00:38:09.639 --> 00:38:12.940 so simple. Sure. In my thinking. But before, 00:38:12.980 --> 00:38:16.019 it was like this anxiety rising, a raising thing 00:38:16.019 --> 00:38:20.320 in my head. And now I'm just like, I know the 00:38:20.320 --> 00:38:24.150 value. of a person coming to visit you in the 00:38:24.150 --> 00:38:27.170 hospital. Sure. I know the positive impact that 00:38:27.170 --> 00:38:29.809 that has in that person's life because it had 00:38:29.809 --> 00:38:33.289 that impact for me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think, 00:38:33.710 --> 00:38:38.610 yeah, it's so sort of it's a God thing. Right. 00:38:38.809 --> 00:38:40.789 There's not really a better word. It very much 00:38:40.789 --> 00:38:43.929 is a God thing. And I there's a few very specific 00:38:43.929 --> 00:38:46.519 God moments throughout this. whole process. I 00:38:46.519 --> 00:38:49.460 mean, the accident and, and what, and my learnings, 00:38:49.760 --> 00:38:52.400 uh, personal reflections and spiritual reflections. 00:38:52.440 --> 00:38:55.739 I mean, first of all, I am just so grateful that, 00:38:55.739 --> 00:38:59.219 uh, considering, uh, the accident and the condition, 00:38:59.300 --> 00:39:02.039 the bike it was in the bikes are right off. It's 00:39:02.039 --> 00:39:05.260 done. Um, and, uh, and people who saw the accident 00:39:05.260 --> 00:39:07.460 were very surprised that my only injuries were 00:39:07.460 --> 00:39:09.860 multiple fractures to my ankle and wrist. They 00:39:09.860 --> 00:39:11.800 thought I would be, you know, they were expecting 00:39:11.800 --> 00:39:15.400 far worse. So I am so grateful. And I, I attribute 00:39:15.400 --> 00:39:19.360 that to God, who had protected me on the ride. 00:39:19.539 --> 00:39:22.380 And I've said to people that he surrounded me 00:39:22.380 --> 00:39:25.900 with spiritual bubble wrap. And I just had that 00:39:25.900 --> 00:39:29.150 very strong sense of like... uh god going oh 00:39:29.150 --> 00:39:31.210 uh bill looks like he's going off the road let's 00:39:31.210 --> 00:39:35.650 get him wrapped up uh and and then and then and 00:39:35.650 --> 00:39:37.969 then it was like bounce bounce off the bike and 00:39:37.969 --> 00:39:40.010 bounce bounce off the ground and then uh and 00:39:40.010 --> 00:39:42.409 then and then i was and i didn't i didn't have 00:39:42.409 --> 00:39:44.550 the injuries everyone expected and i think that's 00:39:44.550 --> 00:39:47.190 a god thing for sure and then uh then definitely 00:39:47.190 --> 00:39:54.400 um uh having a sense of uh a renewed or invigorated 00:39:54.400 --> 00:39:58.599 sense of pastoral care, you know, and having 00:39:58.599 --> 00:40:02.119 that anxiety, God didn't want me to have, it 00:40:02.119 --> 00:40:05.099 wasn't his plan for me to have an accident, but 00:40:05.099 --> 00:40:08.000 he definitely stepped up when it did happen and 00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:10.159 made a lot of good come out of it. For sure. 00:40:11.119 --> 00:40:13.719 Pastoral care stuff is part of that. And the 00:40:13.719 --> 00:40:15.619 impact that it's going to have in my future ministry 00:40:15.619 --> 00:40:18.480 as a deacon is, I mean, I can't even comprehend 00:40:18.480 --> 00:40:21.679 at this point. More processing will have to take 00:40:21.679 --> 00:40:24.099 place. But I just feel so much more comfortable 00:40:24.099 --> 00:40:25.940 with that whole side of it now than I did before. 00:40:26.579 --> 00:40:30.219 Yeah, this is a really exciting journey that 00:40:30.219 --> 00:40:33.219 you're on, Bill. And I think exciting for you, 00:40:33.260 --> 00:40:35.780 but exciting for our church family and all of 00:40:35.780 --> 00:40:36.599 the different things that we're going to get 00:40:36.599 --> 00:40:39.219 to see you do. Yeah, so you're getting ordained 00:40:39.219 --> 00:40:44.179 July 8th, 730. So folks are watching. I think 00:40:44.179 --> 00:40:45.599 we're going to be live streaming that service 00:40:45.599 --> 00:40:48.480 as well. So you can watch on YouTube or, of course, 00:40:48.559 --> 00:40:51.900 join us here in person. We'd love to have you 00:40:51.900 --> 00:40:54.840 support us, support Bill as he steps into this 00:40:54.840 --> 00:40:56.579 new ministry. And of course, we will continue 00:40:56.579 --> 00:40:58.920 praying for you well beyond that day as well. 00:40:59.780 --> 00:41:02.739 Bill, there's also one very special part of this 00:41:02.739 --> 00:41:06.019 Deacon job that you are particularly fond of, 00:41:06.119 --> 00:41:09.900 which is our closing blessing. So do you want 00:41:09.900 --> 00:41:12.019 to close us out with a Deaconly blessing? Sure. 00:41:12.340 --> 00:41:13.760 First of all, I have to make sure I remember 00:41:13.760 --> 00:41:16.119 it. And then do you want me to look into a particular 00:41:16.119 --> 00:41:18.909 camera? Yeah, go right ahead. All right. So, 00:41:18.909 --> 00:41:24.349 followers of Jesus Christ, inspired by the Holy 00:41:24.349 --> 00:41:29.369 Spirit, go and serve the world God loves. Amen.