PCY 2015 Spring Learning Circle Wraps Up

PCY 2015 Spring Learning Circle Wraps Up

Today marks the end of the Pastoral Care Year students’ spring learning circle – a full two-and-a-half weeks of intensive learning.  Here are some images…

Pastoral Care Year 2015

Is Ted ready for the learning circle? Let’s go with Yes.

Blessing to mark the beginning of a time of learning together

Ian McLean with Charmain Bailey-Splawnyk at a CCS learning circle

Pastoral Care Year students with “seasoned” diaconal ministers

Materials for the smudge

Elders Dorothy and Stan McKay in conversation with chaplain Jamie Bradshaw

Ann Naylor, Dorothy McKay, Stan McKay, Mark MacDonal, and Maylanne Maybee at Thunderbird House

Lynn, Ian, and Josh play art critic

See no evil? These three were fighting over jelly beans just moments earlier!

Mark MacDonald, national Indigenous bishop of the Anglican Church, urges us to lift the veil of death and see each other’s humanity

Guest Steve Heinrichs with Melanie and her well-marked copy of Steve’s book.

The PCY learning circle at Thunderbird House

Deb and Ted in conversation at the Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre

Point with your lips, Deb, not with your tongue! 🙂

Scott, Ted, and Maylanne show off their balletic skills

The second-last day of the learning circle, Everyone is exhausted.

Can you tell with is the real Ted? (cartoon by David Puranen)

The learning circle started at St. Peter’s Lutheran, a block from the CCS offices, with community building and sessions on healing, mental health, and worship.

The second week was made up of student-led sessions on anger, addictions, violence, end of relationships, suicide, and dementia in the morning, followed by time with “seasoned” (or spicy!) diaconal ministers in the afternoon, exploring diaconal formation, pastoral care with seniors, advocacy, and practicing sermons.

The third week was focused on right relations with Indigenous peoples, and was called “We Are All Treaty People.”  Guests included Bishop Mark MacDonald (National Indigenous bishop of the Anglican Church), Steve Heinrichs (director of Indigenous/Settler relations for the Mennonite Church of Canada and editor of Buffalo Shout, Salmon Cry), and Stan and Dot McKay as elders.  On Wednesday the Pastoral Care students went up to the Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre to join the learning circle of students there and to share in some powerful story-telling.

As this is the last learning circle the student will have with program staff member Ted Dodd, they presented him with a caricature of himself wearing bright blue sneakers and a blue plaid shirt … and then presented him with the shoes and shirt to match.  The shoes were meant to symbolize the students gratitude for the time Ted spent journeying with them.  …The shirt represented a shirt.