Synod is the governing body of the diocese, comprising bishops, clergy and laity, which make decisions on policy and all matters vital to the exercise of the church's mission. Regular sessions are held every two years. The 152nd regular session of Synod will be held in May 2007. The last session was held in November, 2005.

There were two meetings of synod during 2006.
The first was the Electoral Synod on January 7, 2006. At that session, The Rev’d Dr. Canon Patrick Yu was elected as a Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese. He was subsequently appointed as the Area Bishop of York-Scarborough.

The other nominees were:

• The Rev. Terry Bennett, Incumbent of St. James’, Orillia
• The Rev. Canon Dawn Davis, Director of Ministry Resources
• The Ven. Peter Fenty, Archdeacon of York and executive assistant to the Bishop of Toronto
• The Ven. Elizabeth Hardy, Archdeacon of York-Scarborough and coordinator of Planning and Development
• The Rev. Kate Merriman, incumbent of St. Mark and Calvary, Toronto
• The Rev. Richard Miller, incumbent of St. Matthew’s, Oshawa
• The Rev. Canon John Wilton, incumbent of St. George’s, Willowdale

The second meeting was the Financial Synod held during the month of June. The agenda items of this meeting were the

• Approval of the Financial Statements for the year ended, December 31, 2005
• Appointment of Auditors for 2006
• Assessment rate for 2007

Synod will meet for its next regular session in May 3-5, 2007

Members of the 2006 Advisory Board were:

-We welcomed Shalon Jeffers and Emmerson Jordan as new members. New youth members were Zina Allder and Khalesha Linton. Shalon Jeffers served as Secretary, and Iris Linton as Chair.

-Meetings were held in March, July, September and November of 2006. They began at 12:30pm and ended at approximately 2:30pm. These meetings commenced with a Bible reading, and ended with a prayer, usually led by the Chair. During meetings the following reports were reviewed:

• Rector’s Report: Canon Stephen’s report to the board of his activities since the last meeting, and an overview of his upcoming activities or events.
• Financial Report: A review by the Treasurer of the financial statement for the period ending the month prior to the meeting date. Balance sheets for the Church and for the Downsview Youth Covenant were reviewed.
• Warden’s Report: Wardens reviewed administrative and rectory issues.
• Youth Minister’s Report: The Youth minister reported to the board the activities of the DYC.
• Fundraising Report: A review of completed events and a look at upcoming events.

Some Highlights from 2006:
Arlene August: Arlene celebrated 45 years of music with us during a surprise service in May 2006. Later in the year Canon Stephen announced Arlene’s resignation from her position as organist. We are now in the process of re-filling this position.

Theological Students: Greg Carpenter and Vernal Savage completed their ministry with us in mid-2006. They have moved on to other communities to continue their ministry.

Divine Restoration: The Balsom room received a facelift in the summer of 2006. The transformation was aired on the television show ‘Divine Restoration’, in the fall of 2006.

DYC Funding: An application was made to the African-Canadian Christian Network (ACCN) earlier in the year, and it was announced in December 2006 that the DYC had received $47,000 for the upcoming year, making it possible to expand the After-School Program Club from two to five days a week.

Anniversaries: September marked the 10th anniversary of Canon Stephen’s service here at St. Stephen’s. A celebration service took place in September 2006. Also, November 2006 marked 50 years since the dedication of the Church of St. Stephen. We held an anniversary service on November 26, 2006.

Our Work: Over the last year, the Advisory Board made suggestions and recommendations regarding the following issues:

• The Rectory: The rectory lease ended in May 2006. It was not renewed. Some improvements were made, and it is now rented once again.
• Security: There were lighting upgrades made to the church property. Wardens are currently looking into a security system for the church.
• Fundraising: Due to poor support from the Sickle Cell Association, the board decided to end our partnership with them for the time being. Our fundraising proceeds in 2007 will benefit our own youth. A Do-A-Thon is in the works for summer 2007.
• The North Lot: Wardens are continuing to look at development opportunities for the North Lot that would be able to serve the surrounding community as well.

Motion on Affordable Housing: Bishop Colin Johnson, our Diocesan Bishop, in his Pastoral Letter to this Vestry writes. “Advocating on behalf of the poorly housed is a top priority for our diocese. The provincial government has asked the bishops among others for our input into the budget. You could considerably strengthen our voice by passing a non-partisan resolution at vestry stating ‘that this vestry urges the provincial government to make affordable and supportive housing a high priority in the 2007 provincial budget.’”. We invite Vestry to pass the resolution.

During the year under review, the choir continued to rehearse and perform music for regular worship services and special occasions. We were delighted to welcome the vocal contributions of Mr. Greg Carpenter (Tenor), our theological student, during the winter and spring months. Special anthems were performed for Christmas, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, Confirmation, and Thanksgiving.

During our Choral Mattins services, two choristers, Anthony Holder and Beverley Brown, led the “preces and responses”. The music of our Praise and Worship services was enhanced by the contribution of Julian Asiedu (drums),Courtney Bolden (saxophone) and Marc Fields (piano).

HIGHLIGHTS THIS YEAR

Revival 2006:
This annual event was held May 26 to 28, 2006, with two days of praise, preaching and worship, and the third day a service and concert. As usual, several choirs and soloists were invited to be a part of the concert on May 28, 2006. However, this turned out to be a celebration of forty-five years of my music ministry. Participants included the adult, male and Youth choirs of our Church, Voix Antillaises; Steve Clarke; The Seventh Day Adventist Men’s Chorale,Greg Carpenter, Lucy Fields, Alphonso Burke, who trains the Youth Choir, Marlon, Sam Donkoh, Julian Asiedu, Marc Fields, Rose Mary, Sam Springer, The Caribbean Chorale, and REECH. The Master of Ceremonies for the event was Alex Waithe from CHRY 105 FM Radio. A special plaque was presented to the organist by the wardens of the church. To commemorate the event, a DVD was produced by the youth of the church.

CD PRODUCTION
Plans for the production of the parish’s first CD were realized this year. Hymns and psalms were chosen to reflect the seasons and sacraments of the church’s year. During the months of June and July 2006, an augmented choir, comprising our own choristers and members of Voix Antillaises, rehearsed and recorded the selected music for the CD. The recorded tracks were:

1. Fifty Years of Holy Worship (A Hymn to St. Stephen’s)
2. Lord, God Almighty (A Prayer for St. Stephen’s)
3. When Morning Gilds the Skies
4. Psalm 121
5. Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending
6. Come Redeemer of Mankind Appear
7. Earth Has Many a Noble City
8. Ride On, Jesus, Ride
9. Christ is Risen, Christ is Risen
10. Thou Who Camest from Above
11. Father Before Thy Throne of Light
12. Angel Voices Ever Singing
13. I was made a Christian
14. Once Pledged by the Cross
15. Sweet Sacrament Divine
16. Psalm 122 - with Hymn (Lord, Pour Thy Spirit From on High)
17. It is Well With My Soul
18. Hushed Was the Evening Hymn
19. The Lord Bless You and Keep You
20. To God Be the Glory

The Rector and Wardens of The Church of St. Clement, Eglinton, graciously allowed us the use of the church for our recordings. The CD was launched on November 12, 2006 during a special evensong service held at St. Stephen’s. Thanks to Ken Bahadur (producer) and Leon Lecky (engineer) for their hard work in getting the production in on time, and also to Greg Carpenter and Les Cinq for their wonderful music during the service. My thanks also goes out to Lucy Fields who was invaluable as my assistant in rehearsals, and who conducted the choir for some of the CD selections.

10th Anniversary Celebration
In September, Canon Fields celebrated ten years as incumbent of the church. A special service was planned by the wardens, and included many of the Canon’s well-loved hymns and other special songs. Thanks to the augmented choir for joining the parish family for this special celebration.

50th Anniversary of Dedication
On November 26, 2006 a service marking the dedication of St. Stephen’s (November 28, 1956) was held. Special visitors to the church included Colin and Annette Norville from Barbados, who performed two musical selections The Lord is My Light and I Waited for the Lord (duet with L. Fields).

In Appreciation
As I submit my final report as choir Director, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who assisted in their own special way over the years. Special thanks to the choir members who came out even during inclement weather, during my time as organist/music director at St. Stephen’s.

Last, but certainly not the least, special thanks to my family who have supported my ministry and made it possible for me to serve God and the community with my talents.

It is the hope that 2007 and the years beyond will bring peace, strength and faithful commitment to all who worship in the Church of St. Stephen.

Submitted by:
Arlene August
Music Director/Organist

Because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!. --St. Matthew 25:21

There are many scholars, even Christians, who question the validity of the bible. They question its divine authorship and the miraculous events that are detailed in its pages. But I join with the songwriter who wrote “The B-I-B-L-E, that’s the book for me.” I am proud to say that I am standing on the word of God because I have proven time and time again that the Bible does not lie and we serve a God who is faithful to deliver what He has promised (Heb. 10:23). The Bible is like a contract, if we fulfill our part of the commitment, God will fulfill His promises to help us live the best lives. And at the end we are saved by the grace that was embodied in Christ’s merciful act of love. Among his promises is one that he uttered to Solomon:
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14

When I first arrived in 2004, I took our tiny budget in with a grain of salt. It was hard for me to fathom that such a program with so very little financial resources could serve a community of such great need. I listened to parishioners, the youth, the children and the community at large, and saw in them the vision of a place where young people could come to every day to experience the love of Christ through fun, food and fellowship. I knew that the vision was big and we had very little, but I also knew that the thing to do was not to limit ourselves to doing small things, because we serve a big God. I was propelled forward by the vision God had placed on my heart and the hearts of the leadership of this church. I also knew that as a church we could not take the social service approach practiced by secular agencies. We are Christians and we had to come with Christ.

The spirit in which I came to this church, was a realization that all the community service programs in the world could not save our children from the violence and depravation, which threatens their progress. As an individual who had worked and volunteered in the social service and youth programs sector for over ten years, I had come to the conclusion that the major crises facing black youth was their spiritual health or lack there-of. I came to St. Stephen, wanting to deliver social services within the context of the church and in the name of Jesus.

Still, I had come at a time of financial constraints and was trying to produce effective programming within an insufficient infrastructure. We needed staff to serve the youth and logistical support throughout many areas of our program.

As we struggled to cope with these issues, in middle of 2006 God spoke into my heart to begin to personally sow into the church as God challenges us to do in Malachi 3:10. And he commissioned me to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and patiently wait for Him to move.

As the number of shootings deaths mounted in 2005, the city of Toronto headed into 2006 with their ears and hearts open for a new solution. Suddenly, the prayer and the Bible that had been taken out of the schools, and out of the lives of so many children, looked like a possibility. And God had ushered in a Provincial Government that would, like the fertile ground in the Parable of the Sower of Seeds in St. Matthew 13, receive the message of faith-based programming and allow it to take root in their hearts.

The effectiveness of faith-based programming on the lives of young people is undeniable. It had already been proven in Boston and other parts of the United States. As I, along with other Christians, watched The Rev. Eugene Rivers being paraded up and down Toronto with this “new gospel”, those of us who had known it for years, simply prayed and waited for God to move. In 2006 a liberal government, which usually disagrees with our fundamental Christian values, acknowledged the important role of the church in the lives of Black families, by putting our tax dollars where their mouth was. In 2006 we successfully applied for funding support through the African Canadian Christian Network Fund.

It was this same concern for the youth in neighbourhoods like the community of Downsview that drew the interest of an International Organization that is primarily focused on child hunger. In August of this year we were invited to join The 3rd Cohort of Partners to End Child Poverty with a proposal to expand into before and after school programming.

Both funding streams will help us to expand our services and begin to put in place an infrastructure that can support the caliber of programming that this ministry is capable of. When I look back over the last 2 years, I am astonished to see what we accomplished with so very little. God has also taken notice of our efforts, and like the servant in Matthew chapter 25, he rewarded our faithfulness by blessing us with the means to do more.

We could be uttering a song of lament like the prophet Jeremiah did after Jerusalem had been destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar. And indeed there were many instances during the year where we wept for the tribulations of some of our parish’s youth and their families. But like Jeremiah, we knew that the ‘Lord is our portion,’ and we could ‘hope in Him’ (Lamentations 3:24).

Looking over this year, I can truly say that we serve a loving and compassionate God, who looks beyond our faults and sees our needs and 2006 was a year of growth, development and promise fulfillment.

As we head into 2007, I hope that we will remember God’s faithfulness and ‘…search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord’ (Lamentations 3:40).

FORGING PROGRESSIVE PARTNERSHIPS

The highlight of this report is the successful acquisition of two major partnership agreements that will allow us to expand our program and provide the youth of our community with skill development and gainful employment opportunities.

WORLD VISION: PARTNERS TO END CHILD POVERTY PROGRAM
Proposed Project: Before and after school Enrichment (BASE) Project
Project Description: A breakfast and after school program for children
Scheduled Start: in September of 2007, with preliminary program preparation and project assessment to take place beginning in January 2007.

AFRICAN CANADIAN CHRISTIAN NETWORK FUND
Proposed Project: Hope Inspiring Peace Project (HIPP)
Proposed Description: Expansion of the Homework Club and additional skill development opportunities
Scheduled Start: January 2007

PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES

HOMEWORK CLUB
The Homework Club enjoyed another great year of high participation both at the volunteer and service recipient levels. Volunteers who started out as participants years ago remained our number one source of homework help. It has weighed heavily on my heart to reinforce our appreciation and recognize their dedication by providing these same volunteers with opportunities for paid employment. This summer, four of our Homework Club volunteers worked in the summer camp, while three others volunteered. We also noted the following in our program: Ø More ethnic diversity among our participants Ø Lower age of registration Ø An influx of children who are in French Immersion Ø A greater number of parents who are thoroughly involved in their children’s daily academic development

NOAH’S ARK SUMMER CAMP
It was a record-breaking year for our summer camp. In our 9th year of operation we had: Ø The highest number of registrants ever Ø The first camp ever to be managed and entirely staffed by youth all under the age of 24 Ø A camp that ran successfully for 6 weeks instead of 4 Ø Themed weeks that introduced kids to new activities and experiences such as African Drumming, Golf Lessons, and Flight Simulation with certified pilots Space continues to be an issue, as we again found ourselves limited to and somewhat encumbered at the Church of St. David’s. But never the less, things ran much smoother than in the previous two years. We owe a depth of thanks to the parishioners and Interim Rector, Canon Jim Garland.

FILM CLUB
In February 2006, the Downsview Youth Covenant produced the official DVD for the 11th Annual Black History Month Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Under the direction of the club’s professional tutor, filmmaker Lennox White, youth filmed the performance and the copies for sale were produced right here in our very own church. What made this experience even more special was that the DVD cover featured the artwork of one of our Homework Club participants, Tiana Robinson. The finished product was absolutely beautiful and it was well received by the community.

FRIDAY NIGHTS
Friday nights posed a great challenge this year as we again struggled with the limitations posed by not having access to a church van. But with the help of volunteers Shellon Jeffers and Marcia Anthony, and the parents who chipped in to carpool, we were able to take part in: Ø Maya Angelou speaking engagement at Roy Thompson Hall Ø Annual Community Police Liaison Committee Dinner Ø Various Bowling and Skating trips

30-HOUR FAMINE (WORLD VISION)
In the spring of this year, youth met at the church for a series of games and activities that would help them identify with the plight of children suffering around the world. They then proceeded to a sleep over and more activities. In the morning the group gathered for a splendid “BREAK FAST” at the church. The young men cooked, the young ladies cleaned up and all agreed it was a well done event and worthy endeavour. Ø Organized by Khalesha Linton Ø Hosted by the Allder family Ø Attended by over 15 youth Ø Raised approximately $400 dollars

TRIPS
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
Date: November 10-12, 2006
Location: Buffalo Convention Centre
Theme: Our Time, Our Renaissance
Participants: Youth Minister and Four youth

The mission of NSBE is “to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.” NSBE originated, and is largely housed, on university campuses across the United States, the Caribbean and Africa.

In 2006 I contacted the National Society of Black Engineers about forming a chapter at our church. The executive committee was ecstatic about our request and immediately put us in touch with the local University of Toronto Chapter. In November we traveled with about 15 University of Toronto and Ryerson University engineering students to the Regional Conventions in Buffalo. Since membership requires that a certain level of academic performance be maintained, it was amazing for our youth to take part in workshops and events with hundreds of bright and progressive young people. We are the first church-based chapter in North America. We are what is called a Pre-College Initiative (PCI) chapter and are proud to belong to the largest student led organization in the world.

The first year of this event was attended by only one of our youth who was pretty much dragged kicking and screaming by his parent. It turned out to be a great experience for him and the youth from the many parishes that attended. Word got back, and in 2006, a significant number of youth flocked to this 3 day event where they attended workshops and learned about making resolutions and voting at Synod.

In November the youth group traveled to a Christian retreat center located just outside Peterborough for a weekend of fun, food, fellowship and reflections on our life journeys and personal development. Fr. Stephen shared the story of his journey to ordination while Sis. Denise and her husband, Br. Cornell, facilitated a workshop entitled Mirror Mirror on the Wall, which dealt with imagery and self-presentation.

SPECIAL EVENTS

2nd Annual Martin Luther King Concert
The 2nd Annual Martin Luther King concert was held on January 15, 2006. The event was well attended with performances by our own youth choir and the Toronto Children’s Concert Choir.

11th Annual Black History Month Celebration – Celebrating the Black Heritage of Our Church
Youth from St. Stephen and additional youth from The Churches of The Epiphany and St. Mark and St. Hilda came together to form a youth choir for a very special performance at this historic event. The theme for this year was “Caribbean Linkages to our Heritage: Discovering Our Roots, Nurturing Our Branches”. The choir was directed by Alphonso Burke, who worked with the Downsview Youth Covenant in 2006 to develop a repertoire of energetic Christian music in the Afro-Caribbean heritage.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Art (Imitating Our Life) – Tiana Robinson
Early in 2006, the Black Anglican Coordinating Committee asked me to look into the possibility of getting a youth to create a cover for the official program of the 11th Annual Black History Month service. I knew I did not have to look very far. Young people are so talented and the Downsview Youth Covenant is no exception. In January I sat down with Tiana, a 16 year old member and one of the long-time members of our homework club. I described the vision for the cover and how we needed it to capture the theme of the event. Within days Tiana had a sketch and the final product brought me to tears. Needless to say, the artistic integrity and insightfulness of her work caught the attention of many individual organizations, and Tiana was commissioned to create the official poster for the Pentecost Multicultural Sunday. Her poster was circulated throughout the entire Diocese of Toronto.

Boyz (Become Men) in the Hood - Martin Alexander & the Community Unity Program
On the first day of the year Martin Alexander received the news (along with the rest of Toronto) that his friend, neighbour, and former Homework Club member, had become the first gun victim of the year. This propelled Martin to pursue something he’d wanted to do for a long time. Early in 2006, Martin approached the church about running a Saturday morning program for the kids in his neighbourhood. We gladly welcomed the idea, and a program that started out with three kids, quickly grew to seventeen. Children and teens from Chalkfarm, Exbury and the neighbouring housing complex gathered on Saturdays to play sports, have a hot meal and discuss current issues.

At the Downsview Youth Covenant we don’t just provide a place for youth to “hang out”, we build them up, encourage them to dream big and do everything we can to help them reach their fullest potential. The sky is not the limit because we serve an unlimited God.

Divine Restoration & the New Balsom Room
There are a few things that come to mind when I try to describe the Renovation of the Balsom Room: Teamwork & Divine Intervention. Both were evident in the middle of July and in the months leading up to this special moment in the history of our ministry.

The Divine Restoration team contacted the Rector about the possibility of featuring our church on their makeover show. Our youth program peaked their interest and once they met the youth, they were sold. In July the television production team descended on the Church of St. Stephen, and so did many parishioners and friends who chipped in to tear down old cabinetry and put up new wainscoting. It was an incredible fete and the youth are ever grateful for a new techno savvy room where we can create and fellowship. The show aired in the fall but reruns can be seen on Vision Television throughout the year.

CONCLUSION: THE VILLAGE

I grew up in a “village”. Where I grew up, people looked out for other people’s kids. From the ladies who pitch in to help out with youth events, to the Men of St. Stephen who stepped up this year with a financial donation to the youth convention weekend, to Sis. Denise and her husband who drove for miles to Peterborough to deliver a workshop – we are fortunate to have adults who really care about our youth. It is encouraging to see some of the adult men in our church, who are fathers themselves, talking to the young men and offering advice and a helping hand, always showing a genuine concern for their welfare.

It takes a village to raise a child. Young people need positive male and female role models in their lives – at home and outside of the home. I appreciate that as youth minister I am not alone in the tending of these young souls. St. Stephen has done well in raising a group of young people who I am proud to stand with in any setting, and always, always humbled to have the privilege to serve.

Respectfully Submitted
Marie Green
(Youth Minister)

I read the following in an article Sunday School sparks activity in The Anglican, “The key to having lively intergenerational activities is our enthusiastic and dedicated coordinator. The next essential component is the group of dedicated teachers.” In my opinion three other keys are equally important, the dedication of the parents, the congregation and the clergy.

While reading the article, I tried to think how this relates to Sunday School at St. Stephen’s. I noted that we have two dedicated unofficial coordinators, the same dedicated teachers and assistants for the last three years. I take this opportunity to say thanks to the dedicated teachers and assistants: Nadeen Murray, Angela Whyte, Ruth Allder, Wendy Cottle, Allan Austin, Reshawn Jeffers-Hunter, Janet Morrissey, Julia Hutchinson and my co-coordinator, Iris Linton, for all your hard work and I trust that we will continue together to do what we have obviously been chosen to do. Special thanks to Frances for her continued support.

With their support, in addition to Sunday instruction and activities, the children participated in a Children’s Service in May and were treated at their Christmas party. They enjoyed building and decorating a gingerbread house. We baked and decorated cookies and were able to give age appropriate gifts this year. This was supported by the generous donations of some members.

We must remember that the youth of tomorrow is the children of today and if we don’t encourage and bring our children to Sunday School, there will be no youth and later adults to carry on the Church of St. Stephen. If we are to continue to make a difference in the young lives we are called to nurture and fashion, we will have to take a critical look at the input of their parents, the congregation and the clergy.

The children benefit from sharing with the Canon “In God’s Garden” on Sunday mornings. There are times when this aspect of our worship together is omitted. I believe that this should be a regular occurrence regardless of what’s happening in the Church or who is visiting on any given Sunday. In addition to “In God’s Garden”, I want to suggest that the clergy come into the Children’s world downstairs during Sunday School time, even for a brief visit, and participate with them at least once every other month.

A few years ago, we decided to work with a locally developed curriculum. This has proven to be a challenge. Currently we have a curriculum that was donated by Frances Asiedu, however most of the time we must rely on finding time to search the internet to find appropriate lessons and activities to teach the children and there is not always consistency in the lessons between the classes. I believe that we should revisit this decision and seek to acquire a curriculum that is appropriate for us in our context.

I express my thanks to all who have been a source of support of our work in the past and we look forward to the support of the parents, congregation and clergy as we share in this important work.

In God all things are possible and once again the Church of St. Stephen Sunday School will thrive!

Submitted by Fanella Hodge
(Co-coordinator)

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

• Eric Campbell Award- This years award had one category preteens ages 10 – 12. The 2006 winner was Fenton Jadgeo (JR)
• Return of Easter Sunrise breakfast
• Assistance with the Chief of Police Forum organized by the Men
• Walkathon
• Father’s Day Lunch
• Cannon Stephen’s 10th Anniversary as our Incumbent
• Annual Senior’s Christmas Luncheon

OUR VISION AND MANDATE
To continue fellowship and outreach through social gatherings, spiritual retreat, emergency support fund, support the youth of our parish through guidance, involvement in Sunday School, The Downsview Youth Covenant and other outreach activity to the wider community.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND EVENT PLANNERS
2006 Committee comprised of Iris Linton, Fanella Hodge, Nadeen Murray, Pauline Blunt, Event Planners Bev Brown and Ericka Martin. We continue to struggle with ways to increase participation from all the women of the church especially the younger women and teenage girls.

FUTURE PLANS

• Eric Campbell Award
• Health Awareness Seminar
• Day Retreats
• Various other Events to be Planned

We thank all the women who assisted in various ways during the year and we crave your continued support and prayers for ensuing years.

Submitted by
Iris Linton
President

SPECIAL THANKS
Special mention is extended to our leaders Foster Odlum (President), Norman DaCosta (Vice President), Fitzgerald Grant (Treasurer) and Ricardo Walters (Secretary). A special “thank you” to all members who were present at meetings to plan, share ideas and shape the direction of the group for 2006. Without their playing a pivotal role and commitment, the Men of St. Stephen’s would not be an active group.

A NEW MEMBER
Courtney Bolden began attending the Church in 2005 and almost immediately became an active member of the group. We thank you for your contribution.

FOCUS ON OUR YOUTH
Marie Green, our youth minister, approached The Men of St. Stephen’s seeking ideas on how both groups; The Men and the Youth, specifically the young men of the Church could partnership. A “Mentorship Program” was suggested as a starting point. Unfortunately, we did not move forward on this idea and it remains an agenda item for 2007.

Subsequently, the Men of St. Stephen’s met with the youth to hear their ideas concerning topics such as, violence in our community and suggest ways in which the men could be of assistance. They expressed their concern with youth crime, employment opportunities for black youths and it was beneficial to hear their viewpoint. What was expressed was instrumental in aiding us to plan the agenda items for the Open Forum with Deputy Chief of Police, Keith Forde.

It was proposed to us that the youth would like to have a “Basketball Tournament.” The Men of St. Stephen’s were able to assist in making the tournament a reality in the late spring. The youth had great day, weather-wise, for their tournament with basketball, food and music. It was a great showcase for the community to see the positive things The Downsview Youth Covenant is doing in the neighborhood. Our prayer is that this impacted the community, and participation will be increased next year.

SPRING CLEANUP
The Men of St. Stephen’s took time from their busy schedule on a Saturday afternoon in April to do some “spring cleaning.” Excess leaves and garbage were removed from the areas around the church that presented an untidy appearance as we entered the spring and summer months. The men continue to assist with work in and around the church and rectory as needed.

OPEN FORUM WITH DEPUTY CHIEF OF POLICE KEITH FORDE APRIL 22ND 2006
Our first major mandate of the year came from an idea where a few members attended a Police Community Meeting in October of 2005. The purpose of that meeting was to establish a contact and form a relationship with the police services, thereby working together to address youth violence and crime in our communities. A decision was made to contact Deputy Chief of Police Keith Forde to be a special guest speaker at a special forum to address the Church members and community at large. This event’s purpose was to provide an outreach to our surrounding community. Topics discussed included:

• gun violence
• overall crime in our communities
• perception of the Police targeting young black men

In addition to the above Mr. Forde discussed employment opportunities that exist in the Police Force especially for visible minorities. The event was very successful with a generous attendance and media coverage.

From the meeting we were able to make contact with Councillor Maria Augimeri (Ward 9) who attended the event. Councillor Augimeri offered to work with us, The Men of St. Stephen’s and The Church of St. Stephen’s to help us in the community any way she can.

The Men of St. Stephen’s presented Deputy Chief Forde with a special appreciation plaque for his time and effort to visit the Church of St. Stephen. A special thank you to Deputy Chief Forde’s assistant Michele Searles who was very instrumental in helping us to organize this event.

ANNUAL MOTHER’S DAY DINNER MAY 2006
The annual Mother’s Day Brunch is always a sure hit and highly anticipated! Once again the Mothers and Women of St. Stephen’s were treated by The Men of St. Stephen’s to a delicious dinner with entertainment, fun and laughs. The Mother’s Day Dinner has become our “Signature Event” of the year!

BALSOM ROOM RENOVATIONS
Special thanks go out to all the men who participated in the renovations of the Balsom Room. Much hard work and long hours were put in to meet the deadline for the Vision TV coverage. Vision TV was on site to cover the launch of the new room. The Balsom Room was outfitted with a complete renovation facelift, new furniture and audio/video equipment. Job well done men!

CHRISTMAS A TIME OF GIVING
With the spirit of giving and sharing at Christmas time The Men of St. Stephen’s sponsored a less fortunate family to make their Christmas season more enjoyable. We are very happy that we can be a blessing to others not only at Christmas but throughout the entire year.

MEN’S GROUP CHOIR
The Men’s group choir assembled to perform during the Christmas season. A lot of hard work and practice prepared the men for excellent performances at the church during Christmas. Oh what sweet sounds!!!

YEAR END GET TOGETHER
On Wednesday December 27th the holiday season was still in swing! It was a time to relax and have some social fun as the end of the holidays and the end of the year were approaching.

It was decided to come together for a social gathering. The Men, their spouses and others all contributed to prepare a tasty buffet. Compliments to all the chefs!! For a dinner that was a “potluck” the variety, quality and presentation of the food was excellent. One would think it was a catered affair!

CONCLUSION
In conclusion we would like to thank Canon Stephen Fields for his leadership, all staff, ministries and members. Our hope is for growth spiritually and in numbers. We look forward to being a positive impact with more “good works” for the 2007 year.

Submitted by
Ricardo Walters (Secretary)
Foster Odlum (President)