ONA News August 2005

 

Spirituality . . .
   for global survival
Education . . .
   for global community
Action . . .
   for global justice

Meet the Member
Five Oaks Centre, Paris, Ontario, Canada
Host to the 2006 NARDA/ONA Annual Gathering!

What is unique about Five Oaks as a center that you want to share with NARDA readers?

The simplest way we describe the mission of Five Oaks is to say that Five Oaks is a sacred place to seek god in the heart of all of life. And we know that it has been considered a sacred place, since the time the Cayuga nation called it home. It’s at the confluence of the Grand River and Whiteman’s Creek. Whiteman’s Creek is named as such because according to legend a white man drowned in the creek. So there is a real sense of an honoring of the history of the land and the people who first lived on that land. And for over 50 years we have hosted a Native People’s retreat at Five Oaks. And that relationship is one that is important to us. This is also symbolized with the onsite relationship with Francis Sandy Theological Centre. This is a theological school for First Nations people who are preparing to be United Church ministers. Five Oaks is 52 years old as a United Church of Canada centre and it grew out of the post war enthusiasm for the training of lay ministers in the world. Our founder was inspired by what happened in Scotland with Iona, in Pennsylvania with Kirkridge, and with Naramata Centre in the Okanogan valley. There has been a special affinity with Iona, where worship and work are one, where the sacred and secular are one. It is first and foremost a sacred place, not to see God away from the world, but in the heart of life. To be able to be more fully equipped and engaged in the world. It’s a very Celtic Christian ethos, and while the history is as a lay centre, the people who come are the whole people of God, and that means ordered, lay, and all ages. It means people of all kind of faith traditions too. The whole idea of radical hospitality is pretty important to us.

The Canadian government has included same sex marriage in its legislation, and we are in the process of becoming an explicitly affirming community. We haven’t gone through the process, but we are in the process. We already have offered retreat space to folks of different sexual orientations and gender identities, and we have a wedding policy that allows for same sex weddings at Five Oaks. We expect to be the first affirming ministry in the presbytery.

How do you and Five Oaks balance their commitments to community and its connection with the outside world?

I would say that everything we do is tested against and needs to be centered in our mission statement. So that means that when we are talking about accepting people, accepting guests with a radical hospitality, we have to work through it in our own configuration as a staff, dealing with differences. The staff has to experience this mission if we are to have integrity. Its not only for others, it’s for ourselves. Everyone is at the weekly staff meetings. We check in with each other, and we worship together. We take turns leading worship, and we do our business. And all that has to be as respectful of one another as we would be with our guests. Most of our focus is to those who come to us, they are coming to do better work in the world. We are a place where they can come to get stronger with their healing work wherever it might be. That’s the heart of what we do, instead of going out to the community.

The idea of being a sacred place for marginalized folk is becoming a powerful idea for us. Last weekend we had a three-day fully subsidized women’s wellness retreat, for marginalized women. We work with different agencies, and found funding for this. We have met with women ahead of time, to ask what would be healing, and we have developed a program with volunteers, to offer a nice summer holiday—massage, reflexology, and pedicure, for example. We want to give these women an experience they are looking for. Streetlight Services, a Toronto organization for women exiting the sex trade, came last year. The women who came live toxic lives, and they are trying to make their way into a new way of life. They came and had a wonderful three days and they were, from many faith perspectives—Jewish, Christian, Muslim, traditional Native, and women of no faith tradition. They had such an amazing time, they asked if there was any way they could come back this year. We move this opportunity around, we can’t get funding for repeat visits at this point. They came up with a third of the costs through their own fundraising efforts. And a congregation did the rest. This year we are doing another group of the same women. The new group was from a Native friendship centre—Pine Tree centre for off reserve aboriginal women, and now we have a relationship with them. And in the fall we will have a men’s wellness weekend. We are working with the Mennonites. There will be 20 ex-convicts, mostly sex offenders, and volunteers and staff who work with them in community. We will have 40 on site. There are few places for this in the world, and they are so happy to have a place to come.

How does Five Oaks connect with NARDA’s stated work of: Action for Global Justice, Education for Global Community, and Spirituality for Global Survival?

We pray three times every day similarly to Iona. We have 15-minute prayer times prior to each meal. Morning prayer is intention, and our noontime is intercession and evening is gratitude. We are praying every day for the world. We have a different prayer focus each day. We pray for political prisoners, poor, etc. at different days. People have asked us to pray for particular concerns, a prayer request process. Even when people come they leave prayers with us. That’s one thing, that’s huge for us.

In terms of education for global community, we pay attention to the variety of programs. We do our best to have leaders and program content that brings in global perspectives and whenever we get the chance we incorporate global visitors.

In terms of action for global justice, I would say that for us, prayer and action are inseparable. One way we respond to this is through what is called “Our Common Life.” We, along with all the other United Church centres, are involved in a common life; this has many similarities to Iona. These are communities that have committed themselves to a five-fold rule of life, and this includes action for justice and they come to the centre to meet for accountability sessions throughout the year. So again we are supporting people who are engaged in action for global justice as a common life we have taken on. We have been involved in the Make Poverty History campaign as part of the United Church of Canada, and we also participated in the Beads of Hope campaign, another national United Church project, supporting HIV/AIDs projects in Africa.

What are the greatest challenges facing Five Oaks in the future?

Even though meeting budget is an ongoing concern, I think growth, discernment are the two biggest concerns. The discernment necessary to grow and development in terms of God’s yearning for Five Oaks, and not be distracted by our own issues, is key. We have a growing youth and young adult constituency at Five Oaks, which is unusual in today’s mainline churches. We often feel we don’t have enough facilities. Sorting out how to develop according to God’s will is our biggest challenge. We went through a crisis about 10 years ago, a financial crisis, because of debt. It was in terrible financial shape and we are now debt free. And so now the question becomes, what next? Are we simply to do what we are doing, or with these dreams we now have, we ask what are the faithful ways to develop from here? Also, right next door to us is a huge environmental challenge. We have been unsuccessful in stopping a gravel pit next to us, now it looks like it will happen. We have been through mediation with the provincial government, and together we have agreed to conditions, but it will be a challenge. We got some concessions, but that will be a challenge at times. It will be a sacred place next to a gravel pit operation. It was interesting to see PH because of the highway.

What lessons do you want to share with other NARDA members?

I don’t think I would presume to teach. The D.N.A. of each of our centres is unique and diverse. I am a fan of biodiversity, and I see this in the diversity of centres in our NARDA network. I am not sure what has been faithful for us is right for others. I have found it helpful to me as a leader, when people say they expect me to be like a spiritual director to the centre itself, to companion the centre, and to know that this is not about me, as the director. I have a responsibility to help the centre be spiritually disciplined and that means as staff, constituents, as communities gather, we ask the questions: who are we?, and whose are we? Our responsibility is to listen to people, to reflect back, to hold the place in love, and to care for this sacred place. Again it’s about knowing that it’s really God that’s caring for the place, but as director I have a responsibility to listen to God and to be spiritually disciplined myself, and listen to others. My job is to hold the place in love and be connected to the love that is greater than any of us.

Mardi Tindal offers to NARDA/ONA members, and the Oikosnet network: I would welcome an Oikosnet prayer cycle, praying for different regions, different member centres.

To learn more about Five Oaks, visit www.fiveoaks.on.ca
For Mardi's website, visit www.soulmaps.com