About Faith Lift

 

Faith Lift is one of 12 chaplaincies that make up the UAICA (University of Alberta Interfaith Chaplain's Association.) The current incarnation of United Church Campus Ministry known as Faith Lift is sponsored by St Paul's United Church in Edmonton where the chaplain Denise Davis Taylor is in ministry 1/2 time and serves the university campus 1/2 time. To learn more about St Paul's see the website http://www.stpaulsunited.org/.

Faith Lift promotes spiritually grounded Leadership Development helping leaders to be healthy, remain focussed on their purpose while caring and facilitating healthy groups. It provides a community for students (D.U.C.C.S) which gathers weekly to share a meal, find support and a safe place to discuss a wide variety of topics. Faith Lift is a safe place of acceptance for people of all sexual orientations. Individuals mayspeak confidentially with the chaplain one by making an appointment or dropping in on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

This campus ministry is supported by people like you who have a commitment to supporting students many of whom are away from home for the first time to adjust to and find their way in a campus the size of a small city. (55,000) This is also a crucial time in a person's spiritual and faith development as they face competeing values, worldviews and have new experiences. Other partners in this ministry are the growing number of Friends of Faith, the United Church of Canada Mission and service Fund, St Paul's United Church Edmonton, Edmonton presbytery and other congregations and presbyteries in the region.

The United Church of Canada has been serving the University of Alberta campus since 1972 by providing a chaplain's services to the community. Prior to that the United church of Canada was present via St Stephens's Seminary and Residence. Today St Stephen's College provides theological post graduate degrees and some undergraduate courses at the University of Alberta.

 

Our Mission

 

To be a catalyst for creative transformation within the University. Its spiritual task is to work for the integration of head and heart, imagination and wonder, tradition and novelty. This ministry is one in which administrators, students and staff, academics and non academics, join freely on a journey seeking the compassionate and inclusive way of the Christ. (Campus Ministry Annual Report, 2001)

We of St. Paul’s United Church will sponsor a congregation-based United Church presence at the University of Alberta, addressing the needs of people on campus for spiritual nurture, pastoral care and providing opportunities for ministry to the greater campus community.  St. Paul’s UnitedChurch will encourage other United Church congregations to participate in this outreach project in a variety of ways. 

Our response to this Mission Statement is to:

• Adress the needs of students for:
• Leadership Development, Spiritual Nurture, Pastoral Care and opportunities for outreach.

 

• to initiate ways in which local congregations can participate in this ministry.

 

• to build a network of "Friends of Faith Lift" who will support this ministry; financially, morally and faithfully.

 

The Faith Lift Advisory Team supports and guides this ministry

• The Advisory Team is a team is directly accountable to the Official Board of St. Paul’s United Church. (indirectly to other supporting bodies)
• The committee is to be chaired by a member of the Official Board of St. Paul’s United Church.  Committee members will include a minimum of 2 representatives from St. Paul’s (including the Chair) and a representative of Edmonton Presbytery.  The Committee may include a representative from each United Church congregation choosing to have a longer-term involvement with the Campus Ministry, and other persons with interests or experiences specifically related to the Campus Ministry. 
• Will be in an active and supportive relationship with the Chaplain and together with the Chaplain will determine the annual goals and priorities of the Campus Ministry.

• Will, in considering the Chaplain’s recommendations, approve which programs and initiatives will be undertaken and assign responsibility for each to the Chaplain or other parties. 
• Will be responsible for preparing the Campus Ministry annual budget.  It will also be responsible for approval of all extraordinary expenditures during the year .
• Will present a quarterly financial report to Alberta and Northwest Conference of the United Church of Canada.