The Redeemer

Learning at Redeemer: Redeemer Explorers

Learning at Redeemer: Redeemer Explorers

At the Redeemer, we know that asking deeper questions and exploring issues of faith help us grow both as individuals and as a community.

Sunday Explorations

Our smorgasbord of informal 45-minute explorations where we listen, learn, discuss, contribute, and get to know each other better returns on Sunday, September 14 at 9:30 AM in the board room.

There’ll be conversation on selected topics, group reflections on one of the day’s Scripture readings, talks by community members who’ve recently published a book, and more.

September 14
Worldwide Ecological Stewardship and the Anglican Communion
Did you know that an estimated 10 million hectares of forest are cut down annually? Did you know that the worldwide Anglican Communion has undertaken a global initiative to mitigate the impact of deforestation? Come and hear Suzanne Rumsey, Public Engagement Coordinator for Alongside Hope (formerly Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund) describe The Communion Forest, which is taking root in Anglican dioceses around the world, including in the Diocese of Toronto. (Co-sponsored by Creation Matters)

September 21

Ecological Stewardship and the Diocese of Toronto
Paige Souter, as a member of the Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care, will introduce the Diocese of Toronto’s initiatives in support of The Communion Forest, the exciting global initiative of the worldwide Anglican Communion aimed at mitigating the impact of rampant deforestation. She’ll lead us in a discussion of how we at Redeemer can participate. (Co-sponsored by Creation Matters)

September 28

Healing Ecosystems, Healing Communities
Led by Suzanne Rumsey, today we’ll dig into the theological and practical issues related to the global Anglican effort to mitigate deforestation. Suzanne will lead us in reflection on a biblical text. We’ll discuss the interconnection of ecological and human healing. Suzanne will introduce the work of the TSURO Trust, (Towards Sustainable Use of Resources Organization), which empowers rural communities in Zimbabwe in sustainable agriculture and natural resource management. (Co-sponsored by Creation Matters)

October 5

The Creed: What On Earth Am I Saying?
When the Creed (Apostles’ or Nicene) is part of the liturgy, how do you feel about reciting it? Do you wonder where it came from? Are there parts of it that leave you puzzled? Parts that you recite with easy agreement? Parts that you actively resist? Today, we’ll talk a little about the history of creeds and creedal statements. We’ll discuss where they fit in our corporate worship, how they fit (or sometimes don’t) with our individual beliefs, and what alternatives to the ancient texts are available in contemporary worship. Facilitated by AJ Finlay and David Townsend.

October 19

The Challenges of Saying the Creed
Today, we’ll share more personally our experiences of saying the Apostles’ Creed, as we go through it line by line: how we invest it with our own understanding, when we wholeheartedly assent, when we push back skeptically. Facilitated by AJ Finlay and David Townsend.

October 26

Jewish Tanakh and Christian Bible
Professor Judith Newman will talk about what Jewish and Christian understandings of Scripture have in common–and just as important, what they don’t.

Encampment as Community and Toronto’s Underhousing Crisis

 

Please join us on Wednesday, September 24, from 7 to 8:30 PM for an evening with The Rev’d Maggie Helwig of St. Stephen’s in the Fields, author of the acclaimed recent book Encampment (Coach House Press). Maggie and others will reflect on experiences of love, solidarity, hope, mutual support, and the enlivening presence of the Holy Spirit in and around her congregation and the tent community it hosted, before its forced removal by the City of Toronto.
The event is the first in an occasional series on the theme of “Building More Compassionate Communities. It is free and open to all, but donations to the Church of the Redeemer’s Common Table ministry will be gratefully received.

Violence, Polarization, and Hope for a Better Future

On Wednesday, June 26, 2024 Jon Allen, former Canadian Ambassador to Israel and Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, offered a talk on Violence, Polarization, and Hope for a Better Future. The live stream of the event is available through our YouTube channel at the link below.

About Redeemer Explorers

Our congregation offers a rare and rich diversity of learning opportunities. These include the initiatives of committees and ministry areas like Creation Matters and the Indigenous Solidarity Working Group (ISWG), as well as offerings from outside the parish, such as the courses led by Sylvia Keesmaat and Brian Walsh through Bible Remixed.

Redeemer Explorers aims to complement these offerings with opportunities for small-group discussion and reflection, experiential learning events like labyrinth walks, and occasional one-time programs on specific topics.