By Bishop Annie Ittoshat

Here we are in Advent 2022. When we were first elected as Suffragan Bishops in 2019, we came to a place of looking forward to what has to be done in the future. One that stood out was more training within Diocese. There are people who want to serve, but they haven’t been taught how.

We recently had our meetings with the Regional Deans in Yellowknife in October 2022, our first inperson meeting since Covid. With this meeting I do really feel we have touched upon what’s to come in 2023 and beyond. There was hard work to be done, but we left filled with hope and anticipation.

The Education Committee have come up with a training for the whole Arctic that deals with Baptism preparations. This training deals with preparations for the parents and God-parents who will have their loved ones baptized. It goes to the ground level: our homes. For too long we have placed this Faith within the churches, but it isn’t good enough to only talk or think about faith for an hour on Sunday. Every church and minister needs to take this seriously: teaching our Faith starts in our homes with our families. Things like this new Baptism training help us to do that.

I am grateful for those people from years before who have paved the way for our people now. There have been so many who have worked tirelessly to spread the Word of the Lord. I am grateful both for those faithful servants who have gone to be with our Lord Jesus Christ and those retired priests, layleaders, and bishops who are still with us in this World. Thank you for all you did! I praise our Lord Jesus Christ for your lives with us!

Now the time has come for a new generation to be trained and to answer the call to spread the Good News. Every church and community needs to stop waiting for help to come from other places, and start saying “I am here, I can help”. It’s only when people say “I am here” that we can give training. So answer God’s call, and come to see that exciting future that God has planned for the Arctic!

We’re thankful for our regional deans! Many in the South are surprised to learn that our stipendiary (paid) clergy serve their region and the whole diocese, not just their local parish.