At St. Philip’s we believe that in Christ we are one. In our attitudes, practices, and conduct, we strive to be a community in which the destructive forces of distinction, division, and discrimination at work in society play no part.
Here difference is acknowledged and affirmed. Here diversity is fostered and celebrated.
We believe the Creator intends and delights in varied ways of perceiving, loving, walking, thinking.
We are a multi-racial community. Few of us were born in Canada and we speak many mother tongues.
As a community we try to remember that institutions, and the wider society, see us and treat us differently from one another based on our race, gender, sexuality, appearance, age.
But sometimes we forget, and we aren’t sensitive to the wide range of privilege and prejudice our community members live with. Sometimes those of us with privilege don’t see, or forget, our privilege and say or do things which cause pain.
We acknowledge that hurts are experienced.
We rejoice when hurts are recognized, remorse expressed, and forgiveness offered and received.
As a community, and as individuals within community, we grow, change, develop, and mature.
Learning in Community - Children and Youth
As a multi-generational community, we are blessed with the curiosity of children and the convictions, certainties, and passion of youth.
Roughly once every six weeks the 10:30 service is a Family Service. Children and youth lead worship, reading scripture, writing and praying the Prayers of the People, teaching songs, serving and assisting at Communion.
On the remaining Sundays partway through the service children move to their own learning centre. The community reunites later in the service so that we can share the Eucharist together.
Learning in Community – Adults
As adults we also learn through reading, group study, and dialogue. Small interest groups have met to untangle Racism in a Racism Healing Circle reading and talking about books like My Grandmother’s Hands, or First Nations-Settler relations while reading The Gatherings then inviting others to participate in the Blanket Exercise.
Weekly mid-week groups during the Church Seasons of Advent and Lent give us opportunities for individual reflection and allow us to learn from each other’s shared life-stories.
Wednesday mornings, September through June, Bible Study follows the Eucharist.
Living in the Wider Community
We know that we live within, and are called to be part of, a larger community. We share, support, and participate with other groups and agencies. Our parish hall is available to local community groups at very affordable cost. We share the proceeds of our fund raising with other agencies concerned with shelter, health and safety, and food security including, Youth Without Shelter, Ernestine’s, Dorothy Ley Hospice, and Weston Area Emergency Support (W.A.E.S.). Our property includes a raised-bed vegetable garden growing fresh food for the (W.A.E.S.) foodbank.
Learning in Community – Multigenerational
Some of our learning is hands-on learning. We learn by doing together as we share in the upkeep of our buildings and grounds. We learn by being together through conversation. We learn by playing together. We learn by responding together in activities like the Kairos Blanket Exercise.