Phoenix Community Projects where passion meets purpose and neighbors become
changemakers

Phoenix is not your average community initiative; it’s a vibrant hub of creativity, compassion and action. Whether serving meals, hosting art workshops, or launching youth programs, Phoenix’s purpose is to provide safe, inclusive and engaging environments for families, children and seniors.
Phoenix is based out of St. Margaret’s of Antioch in Brossard. Created as part of co-founder Rev. Jessica Bickford’s diaconal project, Phoenix began with the vision of creating intergenerational programs and spaces where people can create connections and break social isolation.
Five years later, Phoenix has become a volunteer-based not-for-profit whose mission supports: two weekly community lunches, several children’s programs (Kids’ Club, Play Like a Girl and Summer Day Camp), Silver Fox Club for seniors and quarterly special events (Streetfest, Halloween Trick or Treat Trail, Easter Scavenger hunt).
If this wasn’t enough, the volunteers also support and create community partnerships. Phoenix has worked with schools, cegeps and other organizations to provide programs, life skills workshops, internships and work placement opportunities.
Finally, Phoenix is not just about service and outreach, as one new initiative is organizing spiritual workshops. It is Phoenix’s intention to not only support physical and emotional needs but to provide opportunities to be spiritually nourished.
From a dream to reality Phoenix is an example of what can happen when a group of people have vision, desire – and are willing to do the hard work.
To continue living the dream Phoenix Community Projects is proud to participate in the national Say Yes to Kids fundraising campaign hosted by the Anglican Foundation. With a goal of raising $5,000, all proceeds will support their key children’s programs; helping families access enriching, supportive activities.
As Phoenix celebrates this important milestone, it remains dedicated to fostering joy, connection and personal development across generations. Community members are encouraged to support their campaign and be part of this ongoing story of hope and togetherness.
To learn more or to donate, visit the Phoenix Community Projects website www.phoenixprograms.ca or the www.anglicanfoundation.org.

The post Phoenix Community Projects Empowering Change Igniting Hope appeared first on Montreal Anglican.

Now imagine you are a girl between the ages of ten to fourteen. What do you think she sees when she looks in a mirror? Do you think she sees all her potential; how beautiful God has made her?

A young girl’s world is full of tension; she feels the pressure of balancing home life with friends, while trying to understand who she is and who she wants to be. All this while trying to discern the expectations of society.

Statistics show girls are struggling to find their footing. According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation:

• 36% of sixth grade girls say they are self-confident, but by grade ten this plummets to 14%.

• 12% of girls aged twelve to nineteen say they have had a major depressive episode.

• Suicide remains the third-leading cause of death for girls aged ten to fourteen.

• According to The Canadian Association of Women in Sport, the majority of girls quit sports by the age of fourteen due to poor body image, lack of self-esteem and self-confidence.

To help address these issues, last fall Phoenix Community Projects provided a program called Play Like a Girl. Sixteen girls in grades five and six participated in weekly workshops that explored the themes of boundaries, self-esteem, communication skills, problem solving and goal setting.

To support the learning goals, each workshop was paired with a sport that exemplified each lesson. For example, self-defence was paired with boundaries, and Rugby with the theme of facing challenges. Participants also tried a paralympic sport called goalball which supported the lesson of perspective and active listening.

The purpose of this program was for participants to find new interests, nurture their love for themselves and develop resources to use in their continued journey in the sporting world as well as in their lives. It has also provided a safe space for girls to have fun and be themselves.

Engaging in community service or outreach is not an easy task. It takes a great deal of work, commitment, patience, resources and – most of all – partnership. Often, when parishes reach out to the community it is with the hope that it will attract new parishioners and sustainability. This is not the purpose of community outreach. Community service is just that – SERVICE – not what we can get, but what we give.

In any new initiative, it can be difficult to know where to begin. An easy formula to remember is SOAR.

S-Strengths

When initiating an outreach project, it is important to start from a place of strength. What is your church good at? What does your church community enjoy doing? Does your church possess talents for food/hospitality, age specific programs (children, youth, seniors), pastoral care, advocacy? By starting from a place of strength a church is truly sharing the best of themselves.

O-Obstacles

In the same manner churches must discern what obstacles they routinely face in their endeavors? Do you have in-fighting, uncommitted volunteers, volunteer exhaustion, communication issues? What are those things that create challenges or even sabotage your efforts?

A-Assess

It is critical to understand what is already taking place within your local community. By doing so you will see where the support gaps are. At the same time many community organizations are already doing a great deal. By understanding what is available within our communities, instead of starting new projects, we can support local initiatives.

R-Relationships

Community partners are the most essential element to any initiative. They possess knowledge of our communities, know the best approaches and can help guide initiatives to success.

The success of Play Like a Girl was due to the support of Phoenix’s community partners. Funding was provided by the Women in Sports fund of the Canadian Association of Women in Sports. A venue was provided by St. Margret’s of Antioch Church in St. Hubert. Workshops and sports training were provided by Alpha Contact, Goalball Referee Association, Celtic Junior Rugby Association of the Montérégie and VTMTL Wing Chung Kung Fu. Finally, the program was promoted through the Canadian Learning Centres.

Community service is not a one-organization responsibility. We cannot do it alone. It is only by understanding our strengths, obstacles, assessments and relationships that we can SOAR together. If your parish is interested in community outreach, Phoenix Community Projects can support you in this process.

Finally, this month, Play Like a Girl will again be offered on Sundays 3pm-5pm at St Margret’s Church in St Hubert. Go to www.phoenixprograms.ca.

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To help keep out the damp air, I wrapped ourselves in a shawl that was crocheted by my mother for such occasions. It was just the two of us rocking back and forth. The only light was from a glimmering night light in the far corner. 

The room was quiet. I had never experienced this kind of silence. It wasn’t a sound but, a feeling…peace. 

I remember wondering, “How could I be in this peaceful bubble, when I was so tired?”. Although I desperately wanted to go back to sleep, with the same amount of desperation I wanted to stay in this moment. There were no thoughts of “what’s next?”, “what to do” or “how do we?”  No thoughts of the next day’s to-do lists, or regrets of lost moments from the past. Just us, rocking back and forth.

Every time Advent comes upon us and preparations for Christmas begin, I remind myself about that time in the rocking chair. 

It is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, in the preparations and expectations of the holiday seasons. 

I often wonder what Mary felt like when coddling her new born babe. 

Was she anxious about being in a barn? Were her expectations not met? Did she feel disappointed because this wasn’t what she thought the birth of her child was going to be like? 

The journey Mary had been on, since the day she found out she was going to be Jesus’ mother, was anything but what she most likely had ever expected. 

We must remember that as lovely and romantic we think the Christmas story is, it is also a story of danger and precariousness.  

Mary: Meek and Mild

In Luke 1:26-38, we read of when the angel Gabriel approached Mary to tell her she was the “favoured one” of God and chosen to be Jesus’s mother. In my Sunday school lessons, Mary was always portrayed as timid, obedient and almost docile. 

For the majority of the passage, Gabriel informs Mary of what’s going to happen. And Mary’s only responses are “how can this be for I am a virgin?” and “here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” 

I think there would have been a bit more protest. For Mary to accept what Gabriel was proposing, she was not just putting her reputation on the line, but her whole livelihood. To be pregnant out of wedlock at that time would likely result in her arranged marriage being dissolved. Mary could have been kicked out of her house and – even worse – been put to death. 

In the scriptures, when we see God calling on men, there is usually some form of dialogue, even refusals. Yet, Mary, so willingly, just said yes? There is way more to the story here. Don’t be fooled. Mary did not just lie down. Mary possessed great power in this moment. She could have very easily said no to God. By saying yes, Mary made a decision after which she not only had to have great courage, but she also had to be smart – and even cunning – to be able to convince her parents to help her in this situation.

Elizabeth and Mary: Bump Buddies

In Luke 1:39-56 we read the story of how Mary visited Elizabeth. This passage is always portrayed warmly as two cousins find out they are pregnant at the same time. How great is that? Yey, bump buddies! The kids can play together and grow up together. How very exciting! Though, in actuality Mary was probably sent to Elizabeth and Zachariah to hide. This would have given time for the families of Mary and Joseph to talk without putting Mary in immediate harm. 

Joseph: Step Dad Extraordinaire

I never really gave much thought to Joseph within the Christmas story. At first my impressions were, ahh what a great guy, or what guy would do that – dream or no dream from Gabriel. When Joseph says yes to accept Mary, there was no turning back. He would have to ensure there were no suspicions about Mary. Not only that, I am sure Joseph didn’t expect to become a refugee and flee to Egypt knowing King Herod was after Jesus.

Each year many of us get wound up in the preparations and expectations of Christmas. I don’t think that Mary and Joseph expected all they had to go through. What challenges they would face to bring Jesus into the world. Joseph didn’t expect to have a pregnant wife. Mary didn’t expect to be travelling (according to google maps) 30 hours by foot while pregnant. Neither of them expected to be giving birth in a barn. 

When we strip away all the expectations of Christmas, we are simply left with what is. A family, in one form or another. Together with no thoughts of “what’s next?” or “how do we?”. No thoughts of the next day’s to-do lists, or regrets of lost moments from the past or words spoken. Just Mary, Joseph and the baby rocking back and forth, in that moment of peace, joy, hope, love and light.

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When you were a child, what was your favourite imaginary adventure? Were you a superhero who saved the world from the evil villain? Were you a fairyland creature that rode on unicorns, flew on dragons and swam with mermaids? Or, maybe you possessed magical powers that made the impossible possible?
When I was a child I remember the days of leaving my house after breakfast and embarking on daylong adventures with my friends. These memories come swarming back today when I hear my daughter in her room creating a world all her own with her favourite toys as her sidekicks.
How many times have you thought “what if”, and then just as quickly dismissed the idea as flippant, crazy or even impossible? According to the Canadian Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, people have on average 6,200 thoughts a day. Some of these thoughts are as simple as what to eat or wear, but many of them are our own personal brainstorms. Ideas can be like fireworks; you can almost see a trail of sparks and then BAM a beautiful display of light and colour where there was once a blank canvas of night sky. Like fireworks, the spark of an idea can be hard to hold onto, so how do we make an idea become reality?
One method that has worked for me in my ministry came from my first rugby coach. At the beginning of our season he presented a strategy that not only applied to the team, but also as an ideology that we could apply to our lives. This process was called Thinking BIGG an acronym for Believe, Inspire, Goals and Get It Done.
The first step in Thinking BIGG is to Believe. For many seeing is believing. How many programs have churches implemented based on the success of other churches? Although this can provide positive results, sometimes the program does not quite fit with our own congregations. And when it does, we are often not sure what to do next and end up waiting for someone else’s next success story.
In Thinking BIGG we reverse this idea and believe in what is unseen; foreseeing where you want to be and believing you will get there. When we envision new possibilities, we must remember that we are seeing things others can’t or haven’t. This does not mean that the opportunity does not exist, it just means we will have to find the language to articulate the vision we see. It is amazing how many nay-sayers there are who will negate what you are trying to accomplish. This is discouraging and is why it is so essential to continue to believe in your vision – and, more importantly, in yourself.
The second component to Thinking BIGG is Inspire. Many times, when we have an idea or a dream, we can also negate ourselves. Thoughts like, “I cannot do this”, and “who am I to try this?” can erode our aspirations. Just remember that if others have been able to fulfill their visions then so can you – but you can’t do it alone. Almost everyone who have achieved their goals have had people to support them, encourage them and aid them. As John Maxwell said, “It takes teamwork to make the dream work.” For every nay-sayer, there are others who want to be a part of what you are trying to achieve. Focus your efforts on finding these people to collaborate with.
The third component to Thinking BIGG is Goals. This is where we take the steps to implement our ideas. To do this, dreamers need those who are more practical. Jodi Picoult said, “The difference between a dream and a goal is a plan.” I have found that the best way to implement a vision is to utilize individual strengths. What are we good at can be a catalyst to bring a possibility to fruition? If we find we have a weakness, this is when we invite somebody to help fill this void and make our team stronger. Also, like in any great adventure, there are bound to be a few hurdles and mis-directions. This happens because we are venturing into uncharted territory. It may feel like you have tripped but remember the game is not over. The journey is only truly over when we give up and quit, so be gentle with yourself.
Along with those who see the possibilities, we need people to hear them. For those to whom new ideas and innovations are being presented, how do you hear them? Do you look for proof before the initiative has begun? Do you whittle away at the details? Yes, we have to be practical – especially if we are investing limited resources – but instead of chipping away at someone’s idea, we can formulate our questions to encourage their dreams, to help bring clarity and to go deeper, to lay a stronger foundation. This helps to create a culture of collaboration versus competition and defensiveness.
Finally, our last component to Thinking BIGG is GET IT DONE. From life changing dreams to even seemingly simple ones, nothing is impossible. At the end of our weekly service we say, “Glory to God whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” To allow God’s work, we must give space for creativity and imagination for that is where the Holy Spirit resides. We say we are people of faith but how eager are we to step out of the boat, to take a chance to use that faith? It is easy to stay in the vagueness of conditional verbs: the church should, the world could. The true adventure begins when we step out of the world of imagination and take the steps to make it a reality. Do you have the audacity to Think BIGG ?
www.phoenixprogram.ca

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