Get Involved
Ways to give your time and skills through the Cathedral Church
A way that many people of the Cathedral Church express their Christian faith is through volunteering. Some volunteer with local charities, others give their time to help out their neighbours, friends, and family, while others give their time and skill to the Cathedral Church, and some do a mixture of these. This type of service is important and deeply appreciated.
Where do you see yourself volunteering?
There are a number of ways you can share your time and skills. Some of the ways you can give your time and skills serves our local community while other ways support the spiritual formation of church attendees. Roles vary in time commitment as well. If you would like more information on volunteering with the Cathedral Church, or if you have an idea that may need volunteers, we would be pleased to hear from you. Just let our Church Administrator, Sarah Underwood, know where your interest lies. Sarah can be reached by email here.
It takes many volunteers for the organization and delivery of the various church services and outreach programs. At the Cathedral Church, faith formation is supported by study groups and educational opportunities led by both clergy and volunteers. Another aspect of ministry is the visiting of the sick and members of the congregation who can no longer attend services regularly. Other volunteer areas include different committees that ensure the upkeep of the Cathedral Church as well as its governance.
Greeters
Teams of volunteers assist on Sunday or at mid-week services and/or at diocesan services. A Greeter welcomes parishioners and newcomers, provides assistance and information, and assure the smooth flow of Holy Communion.
Coffee Hour Hosts
Prepares for the Coffee Hour for Sunday service/s and ensures clean-up. They organize cookies and squares, make and serve coffee and other beverages and tidy up afterwards.
Sunday School
Children are a key part of the congregation. The 9:30 a.m. service begins with the Dean’s children’s talk during which children sit in a circle and are encouraged to talk and think (and often laugh) and then they are welcomed to head off to Sunday School with the Sunday School leaders.
- Kids aged 5 and under attend The Nursery - a colourful, bright room full of toys with a child-sized washroom. Children say a prayer, receive a short lesson and a snack, they may do a craft, and always have lots of playtime. This program runs at the 9:30 a.m. service.
- Kids from ages 6 to 9 have Sunday school class in the meeting rooms during the 9:30 a.m. service.
- The older pre-teen and teen group also meet during the 9:30 am service. They return in time for Communion. This age group also leads two services a year and helps with outreach programs.
Children and young people are all welcome to participate in the Christmas pageant as there are many volunteer roles, speaking parts, and needs to put on the annual Christmas pageant. Adult volunteers are also appreciated!
Bible Study Groups
Attendance at worship not only fosters a sense of community, of sharing in a common faith journey, but it also seeks to nurture body, soul, and mind. That is a lot to accomplish in one hour once a week! A program of reflection and discussion of the Bible is essential for our growth in understanding as Christians. We are currently looking to offer weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly Bible Study and Study Groups. If you would like more information, or if you have an idea for a study topic, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Outreach
The Gospel spurs us to compassionate service, advocacy, and justice. Approaches to Outreach incorporate utilizing all our resources – our time, talents, skills, connections, passions, abilities, finances, and so forth as we are able. If you would like to be involved with Outreach initiatives of the Cathedral Church or you have ideas to share please connect with Sarah
Some of the ways we engage in community through the Cathedral Church:
1. Volunteer with others to prepare meals on a Saturday afternoon for St. George’s Anglican Church Soup Kitchen or for the Adopt-a-Meal program with Shelter Nova Scotia. Or, from the comfort of your own kitchen, prepare Shepherd's Pie or Creamy Beef and Noodle Casserole for 25-30 people and drop it off to Brunswick Street Mission.
2. Donate non-perishable food items to the Ask Box for donation to St. Mark’s Anglican Church Food Bank.
3. Bring in unwanted eyeglasses for donation to the CNIB.
4. Provide children’s new winter boots and gently used winter clothing for all ages to the Ask Box to be donated to the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank.
5. Donate new winter hats and gloves to the Ask Box for Shelter Nova Scotia.
6. Volunteer with others to supply apartment packages to Shelter Nova Scotia for their ‘Move Out’ program that aids people to move from a shelter to independent living.
7. Help fill Christmas boxes for the Mission to Seafarers in November.
8. Provide items for Christmas stockings for families in December.
9. Place supplies for infants such as baby food, size 3 diapers & up, wipes, etc. in the box in the nursery to support young parents in the Phoenix Center for Youth Parents’ Support Program.
10. Through your financial donations to the Cathedral Church, you support community organizations including;
- Shelter Nova Scotia
- Brunswick Street Mission
- Welcome Housing
- Spencer House
- Mission to Seafarers
- Out of the Cold
- St. George’s YouthNet
- St. George's Soup Kitchen
- Sponsorship of refugees
- Alongside Hope - formerly the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF)
These organizations operate throughout our region and beyond. Each one implements unique mandates in response to the needs of individuals and families. We trust these organizations as the experts that they are and value what they can accomplish with the financial gifts from the Cathedral Church, as well as financial gifts of others, including individuals, foundations, businesses, and various levels of governments. Together we are making a difference in the lives of many people both near and far.
St. Catherine’s Group
This group welcomes all who identify as female for a fellowship of education and service to the Cathedral, the Diocese, and the Community. This group leads special events where members learn together and support one another and others through fellowship, fundraisers, and fun.
Friends of the Cathedral: Supporting the Cathedral Church of All Saints
The Friends of the Cathedral is a Foundation to support the cathedral that is currently in a conceptual phase at the Cathedral Church of All Saints, Halifax, NS. The plan is to have this entity assume, as a major part of its focus, the mandate of the former Cathedral League, an Anglican Church Women group, with diocesan roots, whose mandate was to beautify the Cathedral.
Anglicans Powering Potential (formerly Anglican Church Women)
We welcome you to be part of a new venture, Anglicans Powering Potential (APP), a gender 
inclusive/gender expansive successor to the Anglican Church Women Diocesan Board, a mini-foundation to enhance the capacity for creative ministry! This change is another step in the continuum of the Boards ministry, as change has been a constant feature, whether from WA to ACW over 50 years ago, or to more recent tweaks and adjustments. E-mail acw.nsboard@gmail.com
Sanctuary Guild
This group welcomes volunteers to help with upkeep, and beautification of the cathedral, including the care of holy vessels, precious metals, and linens, and the arrangement of flowers. Volunteers are always welcomed and appreciated on a weekly, monthly or annual basis. Come when you can, as there is always something to polish, dust, or launder.
In particular we are looking for support with flower arrangements. This committee meets each Saturday morning around 9:30 am for 1.5 to 2 hours. You are welcome to volunteer each week, bi-weekly or once a month - you decide. If you would like to learn more about the Flower Committee, the role, or to set up a Saturday to come and see what the Flower Committee does, please email Sarah here.
The Cathedral Sacristan
Sacristans have the highly detailed, behind-the-scenes task of keeping a church's services running smoothly. They oversee the sacristy - a room where all the church's religious vestments and utensils are stored. Their responsibilities include replenishing supplies from microphones to Communion wafers, dry cleaning vestments, distributing leaflets to clergy, marking the Altar Missals and Gospel Book, and setting out all items needed for the Eucharist.
St. Alban's Servers Guild
Servers assist the clergy at the Holy Eucharist and other services of worship. They perform their duties with reverence, skill, and commitment, and are faithful in their attendance at worship. Servers may take on any of the following roles:
- Crucifer: carries the Cross at specified times in the worship service.
- Acolyte: carries a candle during the Gospel reading.
- Book Bearer: carries the Gospel Book at specified times in the worship service.
- Communion Server: Assists the clergy with the preparation of the altar at the time of the Eucharist. The Cathedral welcomes and will train anyone interested in joining the Server’s Guild.
Cathedral Verger
A Verger is a layperson who assists in the ordering of religious services. Historically Vergers were responsible for the order and upkeep of the house of worship, including the care of the church buildings, its furnishings, and sacred relics, preparations for liturgy, conduct of the laity, and grave-digging responsibilities. During the service itself, a Verger's main duty is ceremonially to precede the religious participants as they move about the church; they do not typically take any speaking part in the service.
Licensed Lay Ministers
Licensed Lay Ministers, formerly known as lay readers, are authorized by a Bishop in the Anglican Communion to lead certain services or parts of services of worship, to preach and to carry out pastoral and teaching functions. They are formally trained and admitted to office, and they remain part of the laity, not of the clergy. Licensed Lay Ministers and Lay Ministers-in-training wear medals held by ribbons to signify their roles. Purple is the colour of a Licensed Lay Minister's ribbon; blue is the colour worn by a Lay Minister-in-training. You can learn more here about this role here.
Prayers of the People
The Prayers of the People provide a time of intercession and public prayer in worship using a well-defined sequence while covering specific content. They are also an initial step in a commitment to action. The movement of the Prayers of the People is from the world and the universal Church to local churches and community, to individual and personal needs.
Should you be interested in leading the Prayers of the People you will be supported in where to find litanies in our liturgical books, to know where to find resources to help develop prayers of the people, be able to understand how to adapt litanies to add original content or write original prayers, and be able to cue congregational responses to prayers of the people.
Some resources will include:
The Cathedral Choir
The Cathedral Choir comprises professional singers, choral scholars, and volunteer singers. The choir sings at the 11:00 AM Choral Eucharist every Sunday, from September through to June, and offers services of Evensong, Lessons & Carols, and Readings & Music regularly, as well as concerts. Our Director of Music, Paul Halley, is always pleased to hear from singers interested in auditioning for the choir. You can reach Paul here.
