Mission to Seafarers: Port of Thunder Bay 

Parish Representative
Updated 12 Apr 2013

The Mission to Seafarers is a mission of the Anglican Church. For it to be successful in caring for seafarers, a community of interested people needs to support it. A general comment when talking to people is, 'I have never heard of the Mission to Seafarers before, how long has it been around?' The Mission to Seafarers needs your help in making itself known. 

While it is an Anglican mission, we are trying to be ecumenical and include other faith groups in our Mission.

Appointment
The parish appoints the Mission to Seafarers Parish Representative and the parish is to advise the Mission to Seafarers of the appointment.

If the parish has made a financial donation to the Mission to Seafarers in the preceding year, the parish can designate the parish rep as the corporate member of the Society of the Mission to Seafarers, and be entitled to vote at a General Meeting [MtS Constitution Article 6.1 (c)].

Responsibilities
The Parish Rep should make him or herself knowledgeable about the Mission to Seafarers, including reading the publicity print material, and viewing the web site, www.missiontoseafarers.ca, and attending the public events sponsored by the Mission to Seafarers.

The Parish Rep will need to shape their role in the parish based on the parish situation. The Parish Rep could:

1.         Encourage people to volunteer for the Mission to Seafarers, and explain what is involved, see www.missiontoseafarers.ca/thunderbay/Volunteers.html.

2.         Facilitate the collection of financial donations, clothing, magazines and pop cans and get them to the Seafarers’ Centre.

3.         Ensure that print materials are available to the parish: 

• Information for Friends - a pamphlet with information on the Mission to Seafarers: Port of Thunder Bay
• Caring Across the Seas - a history of the international Mission to Seafarers
• A Brief History of the Mission to Seafarers: Port of Thunder Bay 1961 - 2012
• Prayer Card
• Current Newsletter
• Annual Report
• Offering envelope - suitable for a special offering for the Mission to Seafarers on during a worship service

Please encourage people to fill out the Information for Friends pamphlet, and send it in, which enables them to receive a copy of the newsletter.

These print materials and other literature are available at the Seafarers’ Centre for the Parish Reps to pick up. For large quantities, contact Rev'd Ed so that sufficient copies may be printed. 

4.         Publicize Mission to Seafarers’ public events such as the Volunteer Appreciation Social (January), Annual General Meeting (March), Blessing of the Fleet (June) and Open House (October). Check the calendar on the web site for dates.

5.         Coordinate fund-raising activities within the parish such as the Fund-Raising Dinner (April) and Meat Sale (May). Dinner tickets and Meat Sale order forms will be available at the end of February. Offering envelopes for use in congregations are also available at the Seafarers' Centre.

6.         Encourage the observance in the congregation's worship of Sea Sunday (2nd Sunday in July). Intercessions can be made for seafarers and the Mission to Seafarers, the mariner’s hymn Eternal Father can be sung, and publicity material distributed in the bulletin.

7.         Coordinate the collection for the 2nd last Monday of November of items for Christmas gift bags for seafarers, see www.missiontoseafarers.ca/thunderbay/Christmas.htm for suggestions on what to get.

8.         Coordinate the visit of a Mission to Seafarers speaker to the congregation; power point talks are available:

• Introduction to the Mission to Seafarers

• Year in Review

9.         Host the display at least once year. It can be put up during a coffee hour after worship or during a tea.