People of the Open Hand
Andrew Stephens-Rennie
October 31, 2025
“What kind of ancestor do you want to be?” he question, “What kind of ancestor do you want to be?” remains as striking to me
“What kind of ancestor do you want to be?” he question, “What kind of ancestor do you want to be?” remains as striking to me
For three weeks in August, my family and I explored the French countryside by train and by bike. After several days in Paris, we left
On October 26 1963, a revolutionary-minded twenty-two year old mounted the Carnegie Hall Stage, guitar and harmonica in hand. The pre-show hubbub fades to applause
For as long as I can remember, my kids have been into building. It started with the remnant bricks I have from childhood, and continues
I first heard of Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde in the days following her sermon during the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral. Preaching after
In early February, over ninety Anglicans joined together online for the first “Missional Imagination conference.” Of those who participated, one third were from the Diocese
Ninety-nine years ago, on February 4, 1906, German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born into a rapidly changing world. His thirty-nine years of life
What if this is only the beginning? While empires clash, while sea levels rise, while markets crash, and temperatures rise, how might we live if
Can you imagine a world with stars brightly shining–a world ready to embrace our dear Saviour’s birth? Can you imagine a world that lays in
A few weeks ago, meeting with colleagues from across the country about developing the church’s capacity to participate in God’s mission, our discussion took a
I don’t know when you’ll be reading this. I’m imagining a Tuesday evening with a cup of tea. Or perhaps a Sunday morning before heading
What would you do if you were newly elected to Parish Council, only to find yourself responsible–in ways you had never previously imagined–for difficult and
Over the last few months I’ve found myself visiting a variety of parishes across the diocese. As part of the rollout of the “Thriving Communities” process, I’ve
In the early 2000s, all across North America, a new conversation about church was brewing. Younger people from a variety of denominational streams were waking
Over the past number of months I have been quietly working with regions and congregations to roll out the new Thriving Communities process our diocese
Throughout the season of Epiphany, seventy-five people from across the Diocese of Kootenay (and several more from beyond!) joined together to study “When Church Stops
It seems a basic enough question, and yet, I wonder how often we think about the reasons why we gather. We all have our reasons
It’s been three months since I started working full-time as the Director of Missional Renewal in our diocese. The first month or so focused on