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St John’s Shaughnessy is a

flourishing congregation that

is living our calling as

Christians by faithfully

walking the Anglican path.

We welcome everyone and

are enriched by the dynamic

tension of differing

beliefs. We embrace doubt.

Pray hopefully. And celebrate

diversity. We practice our

faith in our everyday lives.

Are strongly committed to

social justice. And believe in

the power of the Gospel of

Jesus Christ to transform

lives.

Come as you are, leave

uplifted.

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We acknowledge we worship on the ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish

and Tsleil-Waututh nations.

The New Rector We Seek

We seek a rector:

• Who is an inspiring preacher with strong knowledge of

theology and Anglican tradition and history.

• Who has strong pastoral skills and deep emphasis on

pastoral care.

• Who has a deep and adaptive faith which accommodates

differing perspectives and beliefs.

• Who is willing to listen and engage with others.

"I hope we can

maintain the current

joyful atmosphere that

has been developed by

excellent clergy,

wonderful music and

friendly parishioners.

That is how I would like

us to be seen.”

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• Who is skilled at parish development.

• Who values Christian formation programs.

• Who is comfortable performing same sex marriages.

• Who has good administrative and organizational skills as

well as knowledge of social media and other technologies

that would allow us to continue to develop our online

ministries.

• Who has a sense of humour.

• And, it would be a welcome attribute if the rector has a good

voice for chanting and/or singing.

Areas parishioners would like to see the new rector focus on

include the following:

• Strategies for parish development and in particular ways, to attract

young people, families and new groups to the parish.

• Christian formation programs, continuing weekly Bible studies

and Lenten studies and developing more “one off” programs.

• Maintaining and further developing compassionate outreach

ministries to help those in need.

• Supporting and further developing our excellence in music.

• Supporting and developing pastoral care activities.

• Continued development of our online ministry.

Who We Are

St. John's Shaughnessy is a striking Art Deco church located in the heart

of a lovely tree-lined neighbourhood on the west side of Vancouver.

When the sun cascades through our magnificent stained-glass windows,

the altar is bathed in striking rose, orange and gold light.

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We are a welcoming and inclusive community, centered in the Eucharist.

We love the feeling of community when we greet one another on

Sunday mornings. We love the challenge of a good sermon, thinking

through Scripture, the sincerity of the Peace, the task of learning new

hymns and the familiarity of belting out the old favourites.

St. John's Shaughnessy enjoys a strong choral tradition and over the past

decade we have established ourselves as a place of musical excellence in

the city of Vancouver. We are proud of the steady growth of our

congregation over the past few years. Our average Sunday attendance is

now between 80 - 100 people, making us a medium-sized parish within

the Diocese of New Westminster.

During this period of COVID restrictions, we are live-streaming our

services. Online worship combined with videotaped Sunday school and

Compline services and podcasts have resulted in attracting a new and

larger following.

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We have an ever-expanding group of enthusiastic lay volunteers who

demonstrate their dedication by preparing the church for the Liturgy,

polishing the beautiful historic silver, arranging flowers, baking yummy

treats for coffee hour and maintaining, weeding and watering our lovely

gardens. We are welcoming, humorous and always willing to pitch-in to

help when help is needed. Our

parish family even includes a

few well-behaved dogs, (not

counted in our parish

attendance figures) who attend

most Sundays. We have a

unique dynamic of shared

values for our community and

the world.

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Accomplishments

In the past five years we have accomplished much in the terms of

growth and development. We have:

• Grown from a small to a medium-sized parish.

• Formed a Stewardship Committee that has raised the profile of

stewardship in the parish and encouraged all parishioners to give

of their time, talent and treasure. We are also participating in the

Stewardship 365 Program developed by the Kaleidoscope Institute

of California which is helping us to develop a more holistic

approach to stewardship.

• Developed a Pastoral Care Team.

• Expanded and diversified our Christian Formation program.

• Expanded our outreach ministries by joining the Westside

Anglicans Neighbourhood Ministry.

• Sponsored a Syrian refugee family as well as continued our

support of the Vancouver General Hospital Anglican Chaplaincy.

• Completed the first phase of an extensive refurbishment of our

historic organ.

• Created a labyrinth in the church.

• Strengthened our Sunday school.

• Mentored two theological students.

• Employed a part-time assistant priest as well as training and

teaching a curate.

• Moved from receiving financial support from the Diocese to being

one of the largest contributors through our parish assessment.

• Developed a strong online ministry with videos and podcasts

which has resulted in a large online congregational following.

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Hopes and Challenges

Our principal hope is that St. John's remains an open, welcoming and

inclusive parish.

Some quotes from parishioners are as follows:

“I hope for a vibrant inclusive parish that encourages folks to

enrich their faith journeys through liturgy, fellowship, education

and service.”

“My hopes and dreams for St. John’s begin with us always being

an open, welcoming and non-discriminatory parish for all that

provides both a safe place to worship and to participate in our

services and activities.”

“I value the St. John’s community because in this church I have

heard inspirational sermons teaching me to recognize the holy

presence of God in my everyday life and in the people I meet.”

“My hope is that we continue to be a welcoming and inclusive

parish that actively practices our faith through service in the

community by outreach and other ministries.”

The challenges we face are as follows:

• Attracting and retaining young families and youth. We recognize

that we are enriched by having a multigenerational parish. As

outlined above, we are developing our youth ministries but further

expansion is both a goal and a challenge.

• As a corollary to this, our other challenge is the aging demographic

of our parish. While that has not yet affected the number of

volunteers required to support our worship and other activities,

there is a concern this will be an issue going forward.

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“It is important to me to be a

part of the St. John’s family

because I feel a sense of

shared values and

aspirations for our

community and world.”

“Being part of the St.

John’s family gives me a

sense of belonging to a

caring community and

our beautiful Church.”

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Worship

In non-COVID times, we conduct services at 8 and 10 am on Sunday, both

of which are centered on the Eucharist and have their own character. The

early service is a quiet mass which uses the Book of Common Prayer.

There are two lay readers at this service. Incidental organ music

accompanies this service which is normally attended by seven to eight

“early risers”.

Music is one of our greatest gifts and the main service at 10 am is

accompanied by glorious singing and chanting from our choir and stirring

music from our magnificent organ. We are blessed with an accomplished

organist who plays beautiful preludes and postludes. Our choir has

several strong soloists and is under the direction of a talented and

dedicated choirmaster. We chant our Psalms and the choir sings an

anthem from the choir loft during the distribution of the Communion.

The Book of Alternative Services is used for

this service which also includes participation

of lay readers, Eucharistic ministers and

intercessors. This is also a family service and

children enjoy a special time with the rector

prior to going off to their Sunday School

class. We welcome children to Communion.

Our ever-popular coffee hour organized by

members of the congregation follows the 10

am service. This is the gathering where we

also recognize important occasions in parish

life, including birthdays, graduations as well

as informal talks from community leaders.

The coffee hour has been instrumental in

building our strong and vibrant parish

community.

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There is a mid-week Eucharist which is often followed by a small

gathering of parishioners to study the scriptures of the week. We also

hold a beautiful Choral Evensong one Sunday a month followed by a

small reception.

Every year we hold a number of special services including a well-attended

Blessing of the Animals Service which is mostly attended by dogs and cats,

but in the past has also featured horses from the Vancouver City Mounted

Police division, goldfish, parrots and the even the odd chicken.

“Our church provides

structure to my life. It

challenges me in ways that

I never thought possible. I

feel so much better for

being called upon to

serve.”

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We annually host a traditional carol service for the York House School Old

Girls.

St John’s Shaughnessy has a long tradition of being a gathering place to

mark special moments in one’s spiritual life: baptisms, weddings and

funerals. Our Vestry has agreed to celebrate same-sex marriages and we

welcome all couples to celebrate their special day in our holy space.

As we can seat up to 450 people, the church is a popular place for large

services and concerts.

“I think St. John's

should be known for

being truly

welcoming and

inclusive, being

forward looking.”

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Since the onset of the COVID pandemic, St. John’s Shaughnessy has made

excellent use of several different social media platforms. We live-stream

our Sunday services to YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch and provide

additional recorded content throughout the week, including a weekly

evening Compline prayer service and Sunday school. We currently have

over 150 subscribers on YouTube that has led to over 18,000 video views

through various podcast platforms. Sunday sermons are also provided as

podcasts found at the www.anglicanangleatshaughnessy.com. Moving

forward, we plan to build on our virtual community by improving the

quality of our content. To this end we have just made a substantial

investment in new cameras and sound equipment to expand the content.

We hope this will allow us to reach more individuals and get them

involved. We want take advantage of the momentum that we have gained

over the past year.

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Special Services

Advent

Christmas

Epiphany

Ash Wednesday

Lent

Palm Sunday

Maundy Thursday

Good Friday

The Great Vigil

Easter Morning

Garden of Remembrance

Blessing of the Animals

Pentecost

Corpus Christi

Assumption of Mary

Holy Cross

All Saints

All Souls

Christ the King

Remembrance Day

"When I had my marriage blessed at

St. John's, a long time friend said, ‘I

never thought I would live to see a

Same-Sex Blessing occur in a church,

and to have it happen inside of such

a welcoming church is beyond my

wildest dreams.' This is a testament

to the welcoming nature of the

congregation."

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Worship Space and Facilities

Within Vancouver there is a general recognition that our church is a

magnificent place to worship. We have hosted shared services with the

Deanery of Point Grey and large Diocesan liturgies. The large main

chancel area has seen a wide variety of music and artistic events including

choirs, chamber groups, symphony orchestras, piano recitals, dramatic

readings/plays, seminars and early music ensembles.

Recently, St. John’s offered church space as a venue for what is hoped will

become a regular livestream event called “Songs and Stories from St.

John’s” in support of indigenous artists from Vancouver and the Lower

Mainland.

Originally the church had two side chapels. The Lady Chapel on the south

side of the nave is used for our early Sunday Eucharist and quiet prayer,

while the north chapel has been converted into a flexible space for families

with children during the main Sunday Eucharist. This space is also used as

a small reception area following Choral Evensong services or special

concerts.

The Sacristy and offices for the rector and parish administrator are located

within the church on the main level.

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St John’s Shaughnessy has a large

Annex building that is connected to the

main church by a covered walkway. In

2014, the Diocese of New Westminster

entered into a long-term lease with St.

John's to occupy the entire Annex

building, located at the east side of the

property.

St. John’s uses the Trendell Lounge,

located in the church Annex, for Sunday

hospitality and, with prior consent of the

Synod office, for other receptions and

meetings. The Trendell Lounge has been

recently refurbished. It is a bright room with

large windows overlooking the church lawn

and the de Pencier Garden. This flexible space

has a capacity of 80 - 100 people, depending on the nature of the reception.

There is a large commercial kitchen attached to the lounge that is used

jointly by the parish and the Synod

office. The parish also maintains a one

bed-room apartment with a roof deck

over the Annex, which is used by our

Verger.

We have a large Garden of

Remembrance on the south side of the

property. The garden has recently been

redesigned and we have created an

annual Garden of Remembrance Service.

The de Pencier Garden, between the

church and the Annex, is bordered by

beds of roses, irises, hydrangeas and

other perennials and trees that form a

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cloister when in bloom.

We have a dedicated team of volunteer gardeners who refurbish and

maintain our lovely gardens.

Labyrinth

In 2019, the parish decided to create a labyrinth within the church. This

was approved as part of other changes to the sanctuary and involved

removing the back seven pews and polishing the concrete floor. Work

began last year and the labyrinth was dedicated in October 2020. The

design follows the design of the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth, except that

ours is one-half of the

classic pattern.

The purpose of the

labyrinth is to provide

a space for

contemplative practice.

A Labyrinth Guild has

formed of individuals

(all parishioners at this

point) who support the

spiritual development

of the community

using the labyrinth.

Members of the Guild

open the church to

others to walk the

labyrinth.

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Music

St. John’s Shaughnessy continues to uphold one of the finest music

traditions in Vancouver and, over the past nine years, we have re-

established ourselves as a place of musical excellence. Our liturgical music

is under the collaborative direction of our organist and our choirmaster.

The church’s rich acoustic encourages congregational participation for

which we offer a variety of Mass settings. The Psalms are sung

responsively in four-part Anglican chant, and Christocentric hymns are

chosen in union with the day’s readings from the Common Praise hymnal.

The vested choir sings from the chancel and consists of a core quartet of

professional singers (often UBC music students), augmented by a several

musically keen members of the congregation. Their anthems are often

sung from the rear gallery, but the labyrinth now offers a wonderful

alternative.

The Hallman organ with its 3,700 pipes serves as the primary instrument

for our services. However, we also have a six-foot Yamaha grand piano

that augments the contemporary songs. Brass and timpani resound on

High Feast Days.

“I support and

would like to see

further developing

of our excellence

in music.”

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St. John’s has one of the largest pipe organs in Vancouver. Its recent 50th

anniversary saw a very successful fundraising campaign which allowed us

to undertake a significant revitalization to the instrument. Once COVID

restrictions are lifted, the final phase of this refurbishment will commence

with concert celebrations to follow.

We have developed good relationships with local public and private

school music programs, which is further enhanced by our organist and his

wife, who both serve as music teachers for our local neighbourhood

schools.

“St John’s is for me a

place of calm, of

welcome, of

renewal.”

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Volunteers in Worship

We have a large cohort of dedicated volunteers within the parish who

serve as sides-people and greeters, readers, sacristans, intercessors, Lay

administrators, hospitality hosts and cooks. A dedicated team of

parishioners prepares the altar for each Eucharist and is responsible for

caring for the Church silver, brass and linens. Another group ensures that

the main altar is always decorated with flowers and co-ordinates the

decoration of the church on Christmas and Easter.

Youth and Childrens’ Ministries

At St. John’s Shaughnessy, we value children and families: recalling how

Jesus allowed children to approach him freely, and that he blessed those

that came to him. We wish to follow this example by welcoming and

including children in our community. We affirm these simple truths:

children are a blessing, and the whole community is both enriched by its

children and is also responsible for their nurturing.

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Our children and youth have an important visual presence within our

parish family and in our Sunday worship services, some take part as

crucifers and scripture readers. Music is an important part of their

program and in addition to learning a new song each week they contribute

musically to our Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Remembrance Day

services. The Sunday school have participated in Easter egg hunts in the

garden, cooked and served pancakes to our entire congregation to mark

Shrove Tuesday, served ice cream to parishioners after church to welcome

newcomers, made hand-crafted poppies and painted an enormous wall

mural of 'Noah’s Ark’ on the stairs leading to their classroom.

We have a growing, ethnically diverse group of church school children

which to date, includes: 2-4 toddlers (2 who were baptized at St. Johns), 3-

4 elementary school children, and 4-5 high school youth, whose

families are committed members of our congregation. Currently there is

one teacher for both Intermediate and Youth Groups who is assisted by

two volunteers and the assistant priest. The children’s area within the

church is stocked with books, colouring supplies, and stuffed animals

to keep the infants and toddlers engaged during the service. All the

children remain

present for the

beginning of our

worship service

until the rector calls

them forward to sit

at the altar to have

a conversation with

them about the

Gospel reading for

that Sunday.

School-aged

children then

follow their teacher

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downstairs to their classroom where their church school experience

includes weekly music, arts and crafts, scripture and bible stories. The

children return to the service to re-join their parents just before

Communion.

Throughout COVID, St. Johns has had a ‘remote’ version of church

school dubbed ‘Kids Church’. The format is a dialogue with our assistant

priest and her younger daughter, unveiling a variety of interactive projects

like Prayer Jars and making Advent wreaths. Individual books were

chosen for each of the 10 Sunday school children to help support them.

Currently our Sunday School area is under renovation as we hope to

expand and encourage the growth of our Children’s ministry. We have

held several events for youth in the past year and anticipate adding a

Youth Group program in the near future. The ongoing vision for our

church school, is for young families to continue to see St. John’s as a

welcoming, caring, and inclusive place to know God’s love, and to invite

their children to find their place in God’s story.

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Pastoral Care

The Pastoral Care Team of dedicated volunteers works to augment and

support the work of our clergy team in caring for members of the

congregation who are shut-ins, frail, elderly and/or in care homes by

offering friendship, and often the opportunity to share scripture readings,

prayer and spiritual reflection.

Christian Formation

Spiritual formation and continuing education are an important part of the

ministry at St. John’s Shaughnessy. Whether you are new to the Anglican

Church or you are a lifelong Christian, St. John's offers a number of

opportunities to gain a greater understanding of the bible or spiritual

books. Special programs have included:

• Pilgrimage Series

This series originated with the Church of England and explored faith

through particular prayers or scripture in a guided open-ended discussion.

• Bedtime Stories

In this series, lay members of our parish were given a certain reading from

the Old Testament and asked to tell the story in their own words.

• Revolutionary Love

This series featured one historical figure per session, looking at their self-

giving love and how that transformed those around them and has the

power to transform us. Some of the figures reflected upon were Oscar

Romero, Mother Maria of Paris, Don Christian de Cherie and Simone Weil.

• Mystics

This series included discussions and studies of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin,

Charles Darwin, Sallie McFague, Matthew Fox, Richard Rohr, and

several others.

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Outreach

Locally, St. John's Shaughnessy has provided generous support to the

hospital at the nearby Vancouver General, the Province's largest tertiary

care hospital and the Downtown Eastside Ministry. We also supported the

residents of St. Jude’s and Brock Fahrni Care Homes with monthly

services before the advent of the COVID pandemic.

Nationally, we contribute to the Primate's World Relief and Development

Fund of the Anglican Church of Canada, as well as making contributions

to important indigenous justice work within the Diocese.

Westside Anglicans Neighbourhood Ministry

The Westside Anglicans Neighbourhood Ministry

(WANM) is a four-parish ministry, which includes

St. Anselm’s, St. Helen’s, St. John’s and St. Philip’s.

This ministry began in 2008 as a street outreach

service to those in need on Vancouver’s Westside.

With strong support from the congregations, a

group of 40-50 volunteers continue to offer their

time to canvass the streets and provide care packets of nutritious food and

outdoor supplies to those in need, together with non-judgmental love and

support to these vulnerable neighbours.

A pivotal point in WANM’s history came in 2010, when the City and

Province announced two Supportive Housing buildings were under

construction on Vancouver’s Westside. The housing was aimed at people

who were homeless and who had connections to the neighbourhood.

WANM works with government and the non-profit building operators to

refer homeless people to these new buildings and helps those being

referred to complete their housing forms, secure IDs, obtain income

assistance, and prepare for interviews. Dozens of those who the street

teams served, are now living in these secure homes. In addition, WANM

identifies and refers homeless people in our area to the new Modular

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Homes program for the homeless, working with BC Housing, the City and

other housing providers.

In 2017, WANM launched the Mobile Care Unit (MCU). This program

component helps break down barriers to accessing medical and social

services for homeless and marginalized neighbours by bringing these

services to them where they are, at local Westside community meals and

camps on the street. The MCU includes participation by the UBC School of

Medicine and UBC School of Social Work, who offer time and expertise

from doctors, residents and students. WANM has been a participant

through these years in forums on homelessness and poverty, presenting at

conferences at Vancouver School of Theology (2010, 2016), Alliance

Church Affordable Housing Forum (2011) and Diocesan Mission

Conference (2016), as well as bringing its expertise to the City through

participation in the Mayor’s Faith Roundtable and Homelessness Action

Week.

WANM is managed through a Board that consists four clergy leaders and

four parish liaisons from St. Anselm’s, St. Helen’s, St. John’s and St.

Philip’s.

Syrian Refugee Family Sponsorship

In July 2018, with our rector’s and parishioners’ enthusiastic

encouragement, we agreed to co-sponsor a Syrian-Palestinian family of

five, who fled the civil war in Syria in 2013, to the Nahr al-Bared refugee

camp in Lebanon.

The co-sponsorship is with St. Philip’s community who have already

sponsored the relatives of our family. Due to the effect of the COVID

pandemic, we are still awaiting their arrival.

Our sponsored family consists of a father, a 36 year-old skilled graphic

designer and printer, his wife, a 10 year-old daughter and two sons 7 and

4. We have weekly contact with the father, via WhatsApp. Until a year ago

he managed to work almost continuously in his field despite war and

displacement. As they are confined to the camp, he can no longer work so

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we have arranged to send monthly financial help to buy food and

medicines, along with messages of hope. We continue to grow our

Refugee Fund monthly, as well as having collected and stored household

items for their arrival through the generous support of parishioners and

friends. This is a delightful and community building out-reach project and

we look forward to our new rector joining our Refugee Committee.

Drop your Socks Off Campaign

We reached out to the three schools in our immediate neighbourhood to

participate in a campaign to provide socks for the homeless. Altogether,

more than 400 pairs of socks were donated to the campaign.

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History of St John’s Shaughnessy

St. John’s Shaughnessy has a wonderful history of committed faith to

Christ’s gospel and it has played out in a variety of ways.

In 1910, Bishop Adam Urias de Pencier built See House at 1426 Nanton

Avenue, converting a room in the basement to a chapel. When numbers

increased in 1925, he encouraged the building of the first church on the

site.

The present church was built in 1949 as a memorial church “… that it be a

joyful song unto the Lord; and that it stand as a memorial honouring all

Vancouver’s sons and daughters who answer the call to serve their

country.” Funds for the project were raised

from all over the Lower Mainland, some

coming from outside the Anglican

community, but nevertheless bonded by a

common desire to build a living memorial.

The cornerstone was laid by J.E. McMullen

K.C., in May 1949, and dedicated on June

18, 1950. Using an innovative building

design, the church has stood proudly facing out on Granville Street, one of

the main arteries of the city, as a symbol of the centrality of God in our

community for the past 65 years.

In addition to the magnificent

lunette-shaped Memorial window

that dominates the south side of

the church, the Sanctuary

Memorial windows are made of

12th century glass fragments from

Canterbury Cathedral that were

shattered during the bombing raids of World War II. The fragments were

given to Archdeacon Greig, a parishioner during the war, by special

permission of the Cathedral. The windows, a memorial gift of the Greig

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family, were dedicated on December 6, 1970.

There are numerous other stunningly beautiful

memorial windows throughout the church, side

chapels, and choir loft.

Our church was one of the few modern buildings

on the City of Vancouver’s heritage inventory, but

in 1990 it was in need of extensive repair and

refurbishment. As part of the refurbishment, the

sanctuary was redesigned to permit more natural

light, the exterior was restored to its original

condition and provision was made for disabled

access.

We have had some troubling and painful history stemming from the

Diocese of New Westminster giving serious consideration to the Blessing

of Same Sex Unions in the early 1990s.

The Rite for the Blessing of Covenanted Unions between persons of the

same sex was finally authorized by the Bishop in 2003. Both the leadership

and many of the membership of St. John’s rejected the authority of the

Bishop and efforts at mediation and reconciliation were unsuccessful.

They vacated the St. John’s Shaughnessy property and moved to another

worship space in 2011 after which the Diocese re-established the ministry

of the Anglican Church of Canada at St. John’s Shaughnessy in September

2011.

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As you can see from the description elsewhere in this Profile of our

transition and growth over the past several years, we have moved beyond

this troubled past and we believe it is no longer part of what defines us.

Since returning to the building in 2011, the congregation has done

extensive repairs and renovations on the church itself. One of the first

things we did was remove the shutters on the front door to allow not only

the light to stream into the nave, but also to welcome the world outside

our front doors.

The roof has been completely replaced, and a number of repairs were

made to the structure as well as the drainage around the exterior of the

church. The Cross on the roof was replaced, and we added flood lights to

illuminate the front tower of the church as well as the Cross. We installed a

new illuminated sign in front of the church and repaved the driveway and

lane. We have also initiated a campaign to restore a number of our stained-

glass windows and have obtained funding from a heritage organization to

fund part of that restoration. Each year Vestry allows for a generous

budget to continue to the restoration and continued maintenance of the

church and gardens.

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Parish Leadership

St. John’s Shaughnessy is led by five trustees and a parish council of 14

members (including the trustees). The leadership team consisting of the

rector, the assistant priest, the church wardens and the treasurer, together

with two staff, manage the day-to-day operations of the parish. They are

assisted by a host of volunteers.

The assistant priest is a one-third time position.

Trustees

The trustees of the incorporated parish of St. John’s Shaughnessy are the

rector, the rector’s warden, the people’s warden, the treasurer and one

elected trustee.

The trustees are legally responsible:

• To oversee, care for and administer the buildings, records and funds

of the parish.

• Have prepared the annual financial statements.

• Assist in guiding the implementation of the programs of the parish

and share with the rector the pastoral and spiritual concerns of the

parish.

Trustee meetings are held on a quarterly basis and when required. The

parish council assists the trustees in the general business of the parish and

aspects of the ministry of the parish.

Parish Council

The St. John’s parish council is an active group of volunteers who are

committed to their faith and St. John’s. It is led by the rector and the two

wardens and oversees church operations, outreach, church finances,

stewardship, social events, maintenance and revitalization projects.

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The parish council is appointed or elected at Vestry and, in addition to

clergy, currently comprises:

• The rector’s warden,

• The people’s warden,

• The treasurer,

• An elected trustee,

• The vestry clerk,

• Two synod delegates,

• Two alternate synod delegates,

• The Youth delegate, and

• Four members at large

Staff

The current paid staff of St. John’s includes: a full-time parish

administrator, our verger who works 20 hours a week and a part-time

director of music (who is also our organist) who works 30 hours a week.

We also have a paid choir leader and choristers.

When the church is open for in-person worship, there is also a part-time

children’s ministries coordinator.

Diocese of New Westminster

The Diocese of New Westminster is on unceded lands of the Coast Salish

First Nations and consists of 68 worshiping and serving communities

across the southwest part of the province of British Columbia, from the

Sunshine Coast in the west to Hope, located 150 kilometers east of the City

of Vancouver.

The Diocese covers the urban and suburban areas of the City of Vancouver

32

and the Fraser Valley. It is divided into six archdeaconries and 12 regional

deaneries. It was established in 1879.

The 10th Bishop of New Westminster is the Right Reverend

John Stephens, our previous rector. He was ordained on

January 23, 2021 and installed as Diocesan Bishop on

February 28, 2021.

The Cathedral Church of the Diocese of New Westminster

is Christ Church and it is located in the heart of downtown Vancouver at

the corner of West Georgia and Burrard Streets.

The Synod Office (including the Bishop’s Office) is located at 1410 Nanton

Avenue, adjacent to St. John’s Shaughnessy Church. Although the parish

and Diocesan offices are separate, there is some use of shared space (e.g.

the kitchen and Trendell Lounge) and there is good and friendly

interaction between parish and Diocesan staff.

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Appendix A

Parochial Statistics

2017 2018 2019 2020

Baptized persons 16 years or over on Parish

Roll

148 192 191 1511

Households on Parish Roll 109 119 143 127

Total members on Parish Roll 168 213 203 159

Identifiable Regular Givers 109 130 112 120

Average Sunday attendance (incl. children)

Jan 1st to March 15th for 2020 (in person

worship)

79 83 84 82

Average Sunday attendance

March 22nd to December 27th, 2020 (online

viewing)

N/A N/A N/A 2992

Average attendance at weekday services

(for 2020 - Jan – Mar 15th in person worship)

7 6 5 6

Average attendance at weekday services

(for 2020 - March 22nd to December 27th online

viewing)

N/A N/A N/A 593

Average attendance at Sunday School

(for 2020 - March 22nd to December 27th online

viewing)

N/A N/A N/A 244

Number of Sunday School & children’s

programs

1 1 1 1

Number of Sunday School teachers/program

leaders

3 3 4 4

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Number of children in Sunday

School/programs

18 14 12 8

Attendance at all Easter Services 132 155 162 2935

Attendance at all Christmas Services 243 194 269 2905

Baptisms 3 5 5 1

Marriages 5 2 1 3

Funerals 7 9 8 9

Number attending Bible Study Groups 12 12 14 0

Number attending other Study Groups 26 24 16 3

Number attending Special Courses 23 27 24 38

Number attending Youth Groups 0 0 0 4

Number attending other Women’s Groups 0 0 8 3

1 In 2020 our parish roll was updated. Many people who had not been attending our Church for some time requested

their names be removed from our parish roll. This resulted in a significant decrease in membership from 2019 to 2020 2 Numbers from both YouTube and Facebook (not incl. Easter and Christmas service numbers) 3 Numbers from both YouTube and Facebook 4 YouTube figures only, not posted on Facebook (only 21 weeks uploaded) 5 YouTube figures only, unable to access Facebook numbers

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Appendix B

Vancouver, British Columbia

Located on the south coast of the mainland of British Columbia,

Vancouver is Canada’s largest seaport and third largest city. While the

City of Vancouver recorded a population of 675,218 in the 2017 National

Census, Metropolitan Vancouver's estimated population is 2.581 million

(2021). Stated as being the most densely populated city in Canada, and the

4th most densely populated city in North America, Vancouver is also one

of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada. Some

72% of its residents speak English, although not necessarily as their first

language. While this port city is known for its temperate climate, the

surrounding snow-covered slopes are perfect for winter sports and

breathtaking views of the city twinkling below. Vancouver is one of the

few places in the world where it's possible to ski in the morning and golf

or sail in the afternoon. The city lies between Burrard Inlet to the north

and the Fraser River to the south. The Strait of Georgia, to the west, is

shielded from the Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island. The city covers an

area of 114 km2 (44 sq. mi). Its climate is temperate by Canadian standards,

with dry weather in the summer and wet, rainy winters with little

appreciable snow. It is a gardener’s paradise boasting a growing season of

more than eight months. Cited for its livability, environmental policy,

climate initiative, public transit, and strength as a financial center

Vancouver was ranked No. 23 in the world by the Arcadis Sustainable

36

Cities Index in 2016. Urban planning in Vancouver is characterized by

high-rise residential and mixed-use development in urban centres, as an

alternative to sprawl. One of the few exceptions to this is the

neighbourhood of Shaughnessy, where St. John’s is located, as it was

declared a heritage conservation area in 2015.

Metropolitan Vancouver boasts eight universities scattered over numerous

campuses as well as a number of colleges. In addition to its flourishing

cultural venues, thriving theatre scene, and several world-class galleries

and museums, Vancouver has hosted many international conferences and

events, including the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games,

Expo 86, the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the 2015

FIFA Women's World Cup, with the annual TED Conference moved here

in 2014 after having spent 30 years in California. The City of Vancouver

has crafted an action plan of goals including reducing greenhouse gas

emissions, encouraging the growth of green jobs and businesses, requiring

green construction, and reducing waste with the aim of being the greenest

city in the world by 2050.