Spring 2010

Director: The Rev. Dr. Catherine Dafoe Hall
Executive Coordinator:Sheila Mulgrew

Welcome to our EfM newsletter. Keep reading for stories and ideas and news about EfM Canada!

EfM online has a graduate

One EfM online student was a transfer from another group. The Rev. Sean Beahen moved from Vancouver to Manitoba and entered his fourth year in the newly formed online group. In so doing Sean became our first graduate. Congratulations Sean!

EfM online is supported by software from the University of the South, a program known as Blackboard. Students are able to post responses to the chapters on a private (to the group) discussion board and discuss their various points of view. TR and discussions of Common Lessons takes place simultaneously in an online forum where people can chat through text and see images on a whiteboard.

A Mentor training has taken place but another will be held (online, of course). Mentors are needed. If you are an experienced mentor with good computer skills, a good computer, and a high speed internet connection you could be included. Write to director@efmcanada.ca to inquire further.

Students are welcome for September start-up. Students need to have a general comfort with using computers, and have a high speed internet connection. Some tech support is available. See the website for further information. www.efmcanada.ca

EfM at General Synod

Education for Ministry was at General Synod. Trainer Patricia Bays was present at our display to welcome people and offer information about EfM to General Synod delegates. Patricia is an educator and an author and has served EfM as a trainer since 1994. We hosted a reception and handed out our new prospectus and some swag. Perhaps you could ask your Diocesan members to tell you what they saw and experienced of EfM at General Synod

New Columns

There are new columns for and about EfM participants in this newsletter. We aim to support and encourage folk as much as possible. Your input is welcome director@efmcanada.ca

Especially for Coordinators

EfM coordinators are those wonderful people who plan and organize mentor trainings and promote EfM in the diocese.
In the Diocese of New Westminster a Diocesan graduation is held. Bishop Michael Ingham presides at the Eucharist and presents graduates with their diplomas while the mentor presents the pin. The whole diocese is invited to the celebration which is followed by a reception. In the Diocese of Kootenay each year a certificate is presented to students who complete the year. The certificate is signed by the bishop, the coordinator and the mentor. Students are encouraged to ask their parish priest to present the certificate in church on a Sunday

Texts for Coordinators

Until recently coordinators have received a complete set of five texts for display and promotional purposes. In order to keep costs down we plan to reduce that number. New coordinators will receive a CLSM and a Year 1 text for display purposes. There are also sample lessons which will be available on the website for those prospective students. Please let us know if there are any problems that arise as a result of this change.

A new prospectus is at the printers now and will be available soon. You can order copies for your diocese from the EfM office. We are discontinuing the brochure. Please give us feedback and let us know if these promotional materials are working for you and tell us what else you would like.

New Display

We have a new display banner. It stands on its own base and opens like a roller shade, or a projection screen. It is lightweight and easily transported. You can see it online at EfM Display and order it from the EfM office for an event in your diocese.

For Mentors

Mentors are trained and accredited folk who lead EfM groups.
Many groups have special celebrations at the end of the EfM year. The group at St. Andrew’s in Kelowna held a “bash” – appetizers and desserts. One of the students prepared a Jeopardy game to be projected on a digital projector. The group had a blast responding to the questions – some serious and some humorous. The answer for Double Jeopardy was “who is Isaac and Abraham”. Please send us your mentoring stories to be shared with the network.

Policy Updates
For many years there has been a practice of enrolling mentors as students for free. We are trying to keep our practices consistent with those in the USA as much as we can. Effective with new mentors in September we will no longer be automatically enrolling mentors as students. If a mentor wishes to also be a student of EfM he or she will need to register and pay tuition as any other student does

EfM online training does NOT substitute for regular mentor training, in order to take training as an online mentor you must have completed a basic and two in-service events and be recommended by a trainer. We welcome inquiries at the office if you are interested in training as an EfM online mentor. If a mentor qualifies for formation training and wishes to experience EfM online please write to the Director to inquire. (In those rare circumstances where a mentor has both a regular group and an online group training requirements will be negotiated with the Director).

Recently there was a tuition increase in the United States. This will not affect us here in Canada. EfM Canada operates on a license that allows us to set our own tuition rates and as of the budget for 2011 we are not planning any increases. If there is financial hardship for a student in your group don`t forget to tell them about the bursary and help them to apply.

Life after EfM

When EFM was offered at our church four years ago I was excited to take the course. I had heard so much about EFM but did not know the content or extent of the course. This is just something short that I wrote to our group after completing the last two chapters in year four:

In my last autobiography I shared how I didn’t understand how EFM prepares me, or anyone else, to do God’s work. Now, after reading the last two chapters I can better understand my struggles and frustrations over the past 4 years. Year 1 was the hardest; a spiritual crisis actually. I cried a lot because I didn’t want to hear or accept the ideas being put forward. My spiritual foundation was eroding under my feet and it was painful. I was ready to leave the course but decided to stick it out. That first year there were many times Clive (my husband who was also in the course) and I would sit at our dining room table discussing the issues I was struggling with.

I now realize that I have been serving God since I gave my life to Him 30 years ago, and I have always wanted to serve Him. I know that Jesus Christ has always been there as He promises, and never leaves us. He has been gracious to me in healing so much hurt and pain in my life, and was the “solid rock” that kept our marriage going when it would have been so much easier to walk apart. He has led me to the doors that were opened for me; He has picked me up when I fell short, and was always there even when I turned away from Him. His arms were, and are, patiently and lovingly waiting for me when I’m ready to go back to Him. I have learned a lot about my/our Christian past over the last 4 years and it has been a journey for which I’m thankful…and grateful that I took it with each one of you. You are special in your own way and that is what makes our group unique.

Where am I now? I stand very firm in whom, and in what, I believe. I am looking forward to starting a new ministry that reaches out to people who struggle with their past hurts of abortion and infant loss. I want to let people know that there is a God who loves them and wants to heal their past.” I offer a big thank you to Rev. Pat Martin, and to Sheldon and Rosann Carr our Mentors, for their understanding, encouragement, sharing, love and most of all for the patience they showed us over the past 4 years.

Please consider sharing your experience of `life after EfM`.

EfM Tote Bags

At last EfM has a tote bag for all those heavy books and other necessities. It is available from the EfM office for a mere $20.00 including shipping. You can see a photo on the EfM website at Merchandise. Watch for poetry magnets coming soon.

Graduates – May, 2010

British Columbia
Peter G. Fowler, Caroline M. Hoon – Mentor, Patricia A. Punnett, Cynthia A. Sinnott, Carol L. Wilcox

Calgary
Diane E. Ablett, Meredith Cashion, Cameron M. Cline, Robbie Coller, Gillian C. Forster, Linda D. Hames, Evan J. Hazell, W. Jill Stroud

Edmonton
The Rev. Dr. Susan L. Storey - Mentor

Kootenay
Clare L. Dame, Lesley Elliot, Dianne G. Golinski, Michael Hargreaves, Barry J. Morley, Debra L. Parmenter, Arlene Smith, H. Jane Wakefield-Flint

Montreal
Mary J. Pickup

New Westminster
Ruth B. Anderson, Sylvia A. Beech, Polly A.J. Betterton, Mary E. Brown – Mentor, Jennifer H. Burgoyne, Monique Y. Desroches, Sue N. Elliot, E. Fiona Galway, Leslie A. Gaudette, Andrea G. Hammond, Kathleen D. Kompauer, Ardella J. McLaren, Betty J. Nelson, Sharon D. Salomons – Mentor, Kathleen A. Stubley, L. Jane Turner – Mentor, Irene Vandas, David S. West, Bhree A. Young

Nova Scotia & P E I
Dawn E. Currie-Adams, Darlene E. Fleet, Catherine Gordon, Eva M. Harvie, Donna I. Mosher

Online
Sean M.T. Beahen

Ottawa
James E. Anderson, Steven K. Aubrey, Clive R. Bebbington, Marion B. Bebbington, Ellen L. Broughton, Paul Dumbrille, Virginia D. Fedele, Nancy A. Knorr-Wilson, Renee G. Larocque, Hazel Ann McLachlan, Jennifer A. Parr, Garry R. Smith, Myra M. Smith, Ruth L. Stanton, Trevor G.A. Stanton, Mary F. Tessier, M. Kathryn Giles, C. Richard P. Warren

Rupert's Land
Loraine M. Demchuk

Toronto
Carolynn R. Lund-Mead, Lucinda Sykes, Elizabeth Thoms, William M.M. Thoms

Western Newfoundland
James F. Day, Glynda J. Seaborn

Newly accredited mentors

Diocese of Montreal
Francie Keats, Shirley Newell, Jim Pratt, Sophie Rolland, Yves Samson, Rhonda Waters

Diocese of Calgary
Greta Baack, Meredith Cashion, Roy Darcus, J. David Farrell, Inez Hannett, Susan McCowan, Elizabeth McLennan, Betty Nadurak, Jennifer Solem

Diocese of Rupert’s Land
Janice Clarke, Norman Collier, Fletcher Stewart, Gwen McAllister, Doug McCormack, Susan Roe-Finlay

Diocese of Kootenay
Jane Frost, Douglas Lewis, Art Martens, Sheila Redding, Jeannette Romeril, Cathy Straume, Emily Turgeon

Diocese of New Westminster
Jonathan Blanchard, Jennifer Burgoyne, Ronnie Grigg, Kathie Kompauer, Janice Mount Lowell, Bill Pearson, Jane Turner, Andrew Wilhelm-Boyles

PLANNED TRAINING EVENTS

Please click on the link to see the training events for EFM-Canada Training Events

ARCHIVED COPIES OF THE NEWSLETTERS

Last updated: July 5th, 2010