Initiatives

Principal’s Tour

The Principal’s Tour is an initiative of St. Andrew’s College at the University of Saskatchewan. Supported by The United Church of Canada Foundation, the project is based on the ongoing and successful College Sunday program, which allows St. Andrew’s to network with existing congregational partners.

As a program of mutuality, the College is able to maintain awareness of its program and develop connections. Faith communities, in turn, benefit from access to workshops that are intended to build resilience and capacity in these times of change.

The tour intends to raise the profile of the College in respect to development, including both leadership recruitment and sustainability. We recognize that both of these developmental components are embedded in new relationships we intend to foster.

To that end, the Principal’s Tour can include:

As part of St. Andrew’s College’s development strategy, the Principal’s Tour embraces building relationships, nurturing lay leadership and those interested in ordered ministry, and stewardship that ensures the continued stability of the College.

The workshops and information evening are opportunities to offer continuing education to current lay and ordered leadership. They will also serve as models to invite reflection for those who might be considering a call to ministry.

Plan Your Gathering

We look forward to finding ways to build relationships together and, in so doing, find exciting means of sharing the Good News in these changing times. If you or your faith community are interested in learning more about how to bring the tour to your area, please contact:

Melanie Schwanbeck
College Secretary
(639) 398-5565    
[email protected]

Appreciative Inquiry: Exploring the Provocative Workshop

This workshop is intended to introduce participants to Appreciative Inquiry as a practical change philosophy. Unlike some workshops that focus upon training the trainer, this one endeavours to allow participants to experience one central part of the practice: developing a provocative proposal. The intention is to allow participants an opportunity to experience what is life giving about the philosophy and to acquire/refine/refresh skills that can immediately translate into use, not only in their ministry context, but also in their own journey.

This workshop is not prescriptive, but rather suggestive. One of the tenets of Appreciative Inquiry is the community has its own wisdom about how to harness what has been best and to creatively bring it forward. From this generative position, Appreciative Inquiry recognizes that part of that wisdom is grounded in lived experience and invites designers and participants to claim their own capacity as change agents in their faith community’s culture.

Social Media & Evangelism Workshop

We live in a time and place in which it has become clear that how we once nurtured relationships and shared the Good News has dramatically changed.

When once social events occurred in basement gyms, fellowship halls and sanctuaries, they now often begin in digital venues. How we enter these new social places will help us appreciate how to nurture new, life-giving and Christ-centred relationships.

This workshop is intended for participants who are excited about the possibility of imagining ways to harness social media as one component in visioning and revitalizing mission in communities of faith. As well, it can serve to (re)connect missional activities such as social justice, pastoral care and life-long learning.

For those who imagine discipleship as an ongoing exploration in which change is a constant, this workshop will challenge, excite and energize.

Legacy & Leadership

During one evening of the Tour, a presentation and Q&A event will be held, hopefully following a time of food and fellowship. It will explore the many programs and ways the College is nurturing leadership in this time of change; and,

College Sunday

A dedicated worship and giving opportunity, which focuses theologically on Legacy and Leadership, and uses the lived-experience of the College as a model of how St. Andrew’s has done that as an ongoing and innovating theological educational institution.

College Sunday

“College Sunday”, in-person or digital, available for YOUR community of faith!

St. Andrew’s College has a long tradition of visiting communities of faith, large and small, to bring greetings, share the Gospel, and strengthen our bonds with the wider church.

During the pandemic, we developed innovative ways to continue that tradition with our new College Sunday digital resources. We now have a growing digital library of full worship services, including sermons, hymns, liturgical notes, and conversation-starter questions. Current themes include leadership, stewardship, compassion, vocation, humility, and Wisdom in Creation.

We are also back on the road again, visiting congregations in person … what a joy!

For more information about either digital or in person College Sunday opportunities, contact the College Secretary at [email protected].

The Ambassador Program

The Ambassador Program arises from a recognition of new possibilities for the College in the current changing context of The United Church of Canada.  In this recognition, it has been identified that creating a nation-wide community of supporters of the College will help St. Andrew’s harness the potential before it.  The role and hopes that an Ambassador for the College will embody are:

  • An Ambassador assists, locally, by following-up and connecting local initiatives with the College.
  • An Ambassador assists, locally, supporting/arranging visits by the Principal and/or other members of the College for such opportunities as College Sunday and the Principal’s Tour.
  • An Ambassador honours the College with their time by offering their name to be shared as a contact for St. Andrew’s in their context (i.e., Contact magazine and on the website).
  • An Ambassador possesses an awareness of the current curricula and programming available at the College and celebrates this by serving as a resource to share this information as required in their context.
  • An Ambassador possesses an awareness of the current development (financial) initiatives at the College and celebrates this by serving as a resource to share this information (i.e., the Legacy Fund, PAR) as required in their context.  And,
  • An Ambassador takes seriously listening for those are considering leadership in The United Church of Canada.  An Ambassador offers appropriate support during this formative time and will share that journey with the Principal at St. Andrew’s.

If you are discerning whether this might be a role you are called to explore or know someone who may be a great fit, please contact:

Melanie Schwanbeck

College Secretary

639-638-2478

[email protected]

College Companions

This initiative of St. Andrew’s College builds upon its ongoing commitment to develop deeper relationships with supporters and friends. College Companions are those who have committed to support the college, on an annual basis, at one of two initial tiers:

  1. Cypress $500/annum with a yearly commitment to increase the gift by 10% annually; and,
  2. Tamarack $1 000/annum with a yearly commitment to increase the gift by 5% annually.

This initiative invites new donors to give at these levels; existing supporters, at either of these two-tier levels, are invited to commit to the annual increase. Each tier will have access to ongoing new digital content, which the college has and will continue to create:

  1. Cypress: This donor level will have access to the College Sunday Digital Worship Library. This resource allows individuals and faith communities to download and/or stream full worship services developed by members of St. Andrew’s. Currently there are 6 worship services, which range from thematic to stand-alone. The college will be adding new worship experiences every year; and,
  2. Tamarack: At this donor tier, supporters will receive access to the College Sunday Digital Worship Library as well as a sampler of the Lifelong Learning Pathway.  This sampler includes a free learning goal consultation, a three-month subscription to Pathway membership, and one free audited course as part of the Pathway portfolio. This would be available either to an individual, or to a community of faith which would elect to sponsor one of their members as a learner.

If you or your faith community want to know more about this exciting initiative and the digital resources which accompany the tiers, please contact Melanie Schwanbeck, College Secretary, [email protected].