Mission to Seafarers Congregation Representative

The Mission to Seafarers is an international mission of the Anglican Church and for it to be successful in caring for seafarers, a community of interested people to support it is necessary. The Mission to Seafarers needs your help in making itself known.

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

Appointment

The parish/congregation appoints the Mission to Seafarer’s Congregation Representative (MTS Congregation Rep) and the parish/congregation is to advise the Mission to Seafarers of the appointment.

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

Responsibilities

The role of the MtS Congregation Rep is to represent and promote the Mission to Seafarers in the congregation.

The MtS Congregation Rep should make him or herself knowledgeable about the Mission to Seafarers, including reading the publicity print material, viewing www.missiontoseafarersthunderbay.ca, and attending the public events sponsored by the Mission to Seafarers.

The MtS Congregation Rep will need to shape their role in the congregation based on their situation. He or she could:

  1. Encourage people to volunteer for the Mission to Seafarers, and explain what is involved, see https://missiontoseafarersthunderbay.ca/delivering-ministry/volunteer-opportunity/
  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 congregation:
  • Friend’s pamphlet – a pamphlet with information on the Mission to Seafarers: Port of Thunder Bay
  • A Brief History of the Mission to Seafarers: Port of Thunder Bay 1961 – 2012
  • Prayer Card
  • Seafarers Watch Cap: knitting and crocheting patterns
  • current newsletter
  • Annual Report
  • offering envelope – suitable for a special offering for the Mission to Seafarers on during a worship service
  • donation card and #9 return envelope
  • memorial donation envelope
  1. These print materials and other literature are available at the Seafarers’ Centre for the MtS Congregation Reps to pick up. For large quantities, contact the Chaplain so that sufficient copies may be printed.
  2. Please encourage a person to fill out the Friend’s pamphlet, and send it in, which enables them to receive a copy of the newsletter.
  3. Publicize Mission to Seafarers’ public events such as the Volunteer Appreciation Social (last Thursday in February), Annual General Meeting (end of May), Blessing of the Fleet (4th Saturday in June), and Open House (last Sunday in September); check the calendar on the web site for dates.
  4. Coordinate fund-raising activities within the congregation such as the Fund-Raising Dinner (April) and Meat Sale (May). Dinner tickets and Meat Sale order forms will be available at the beginning of March. 
  5. 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 Strong to Save’ can be sung, and publicity material distributed in the bulletin; see missiontoseafarersthunderbay.ca/history-tradition/prayers-and-worship-resources/.
  6. Coordinate the collection for the 2nd last Monday of November of items for Christmas gift bags for seafarers, see www.missiontoseafarersthunderbay.ca/delivering-ministry/christmas-gift-bags/  for suggestions on what to get.
  7. 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
  1. Host the MtS display at least once year. It can be put up during a coffee hour after worship or during a tea.

Support

The Mission to Seafarers will assist the MTS Congregation Rep:

  1. If you require assistance call the Seafarers’ Centre 807-344-8241, the phone is forwarded to the Chaplain’s cell or a volunteer in his absence.
  2. ‘Mission Update’ will be sent periodically to your email address to keep you informed about the Mission’s news; make sure that it doesn’t go in your junk folder.
  3. A Port Tour is offered to orient new volunteers to the Port. When it is offered, anyone be go along, contact the Chaplain if interested.
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