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50 Leaders Weekend

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10 young people from across Canada- Nunavut, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland- gathered at the Sisters of St. John the Divine on the weekend of November 20-22 to begin their journey as the first group of PWRDF's 50 Leaders.

These youth, aged 16-29, came together to share in learning about their faith, vocation, gifts, and passion for justice. Members of parishes, universities, diocesan youth ministries, and national bodies, they came together to share their stories, to learn about each other and- more importantly- about their own journey as leaders for justice in the Anglican Church of Canada.

After hearing Simon Bell talk about vocation, Laura Marie Piotrowicz teach about spiritual direction (including a fantastic hour walking the labyrinth at the Sisters' guest house), and Simon Chambers guide them through a process around learning styles and learning objectives, these young people are returning home to their own communities to begin the real work of 50 Leaders.

50 Leaders is a lot like an independent study course at university. Participants, after learning about themselves, about PWRDF, and about the program, are being asked to define their own learning objectives for their time as members of 50 Leaders. They will submit their objectives, and the activities and projects they wish to undertake, to Simon Chambers and Laura Marie, who will work with them to help them to find mentors and spiritual directors, to find useful learning resources, and- most importantly- to share their stories with the wider Church.

Already, people are talking about their excitement over possibilities including:

  • acting as an intern for Helen Wangusa, the Anglican Observer at the UN
  • attending the Canadian Foodgrains Bank food study tour in India and Bangladesh
  • exploring community gardens and their role in alleviating poverty
  • creating a full-length documentary about Fair Trade chocolate
  • building a network of young adults across Canada with a passion for justice

These are just the first 10 of the 50 people who will eventually make up the 50 Leaders. Who will the other 40 be? Perhaps you will be one of them! There will be another orientation session held in the fall of 2010, and applications will be accepted between now and the end of September, 2010 for the next intake. More details will be forthcoming soon!

You can read more about Simon Chambers' reflections on 50 Leaders at his blog.