Dear Friends,
This is the time of the year when clergy and wardens, treasurers and auditors, and donation secretaries and administrators are busily counting, accounting, scripting receipts and readying vestry reports. Some of you have already held your annual meeting while most are anticipating the gathering. I remember well my own anxiety heading into the AGM, particularly when the prior year was a bit of a disappointment. I remember equally the sense of awe and wonder when we succeeded in meeting our goals. And I remember the sense of satisfaction when the meeting was completed and when the last note of gratitude was sounded for the time, talent and treasure that was offered by all to help us get there. Deeper still, I remember well when folks spoke openly about how the grace of God, the compassion of Jesus and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit sustained us on the way.
Counting, accounting, reviewing and looking back are also happening beyond the parish. Every year since 1997, the Diocese of Toronto has held the FaithWorks campaign to raise funds for ministry initiatives that focus on caring for people who are homeless and ex-prisoners, supporting newcomers and refugees, meeting the needs of at-risk women, children and youth, reaching out to Indigenous peoples and those who are HIV-AIDS impacted. In recent years, the FaithWorks Allocations Committee has been intentional about funding ministries that are parish-based, including the St. James Cathedral Health and Foot Care Clinic, St. Stephen in-the-Fields’ ministries and the Durham Migrant Worker Ministry based at St. Saviour, Orono.
Since 1997, the FaithWorks appeal has raised over $41 million in support of our networks of ministry initiatives and partnerships. Each year, it takes the combined efforts, passion and generosity of volunteers, clergy, parishes, foundations, corporate sponsors and the wider community to be successful in supporting the needs of the marginalized people we serve. In 2024, we set out to raise $1.5 million. With your help, we received $1.55 million, surpassing our goal. 85% of our parishes participated in the appeal, raising $870,000. Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting the everyday ministries that change the lives of the most vulnerable among us.
As quickly as one year comes to a close, a new year is upon us. And the expenses for good ministry continue to grow to meet the need in 2025. We are excited to announce that a generous donor is providing a time-limited $100,000 matching challenge grant for all new and increased donations in 2025. This means that for every dollar raised over last year’s amount by an individual or parish, FaithWorks will receive an extra dollar.
If you would like to know more about the impact you can have by supporting FaithWorks, you can learn more here. And there’s no time like the present to start by donating.
One last thing to consider. We know that the Government of Ontario has started to mail out $200 rebate cheques to every resident over the age of 18 who filed a tax return in 2023. About half of us have already received our cheques in the mail. Experts tell us that, in total, $3 billion will be distributed from the common purse to the individual pockets of Ontarians. For some of us, that $200 will make a big difference and will be a welcome return. But for many of us, we may decide that it will make a bigger difference to return that money to organizations and bodies that can and will support our neighbours who need help more than we do. As the Church, we are called to love our neighbours as ourselves. This is a tangible way of witnessing to our baptismal promises. I will be giving my cheque to FaithWorks, and I invite you to consider doing the same, or to a similar agency. Let me know if you do!
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Andrew Asbil
Bishop of Toronto
