Anna tells stories that touch the heart and tickle the funny bone. She has shared her talks with listeners in schools, libraries, community gatherings and festivals in Toronto, Ottawa and St. Marys.

Anna Kerz is one of the coordinators of 1001 Friday Nights of Storytelling, the longest running storytelling event in the world. She was also one of the founders of the StoryJam Program which is designed to help young people learn and tell their own tales.  When she’s not telling stories, Anna is writing. To date she is the author of three award-winning books for middle grade readers.

Anne’s sermon is inspired from her personal experience of growing up in a fundamentalist home.  Writers such as Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins argue that some forms of religion violate the rights of children by indoctrinating them into a particular religious faith and depriving them of the opportunity to make their own free inquiry later in life.  Anne shares her story of growing up in a fundamentalist religion, eventually leaving it and the impact it had on her faith and family ties.

Anne Bokma is a member of First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, Ontario.  She is a member of the board of her church as well as a board member of Unicamp.  An award winning freelance writer and editor, Anne writes for many of Canada's major magazines, including Canadian Living, Homemakers, More, Today's Parent, Chatelaine and MoneySense.  She traces her writing career back to age 11, when her parents presented her with a portable Olivetti manual typewriter for her birthday.  She's been pounding at a keyboard ever since.  Anne is the mother of two teenage daughters and is married to Jeff Mahoney, a columnist at the Hamilton Spectator.

So much is evolving. Science, Medicine, Religion.  Even marriage ceremonies and funerals are evolving over time.  Cheryl will take a look at Thanksgiving Day and suggest a new, evolved twist on a traditional celebration.
   
Rev. Cheryl Jack is minister emerita of the UUCD.  She lives in Beaverton with Andris and new family member, Domino the Shih Tzu. Life in small town Ontario agrees with her and she finds plenty to keep her busy including participation in the work of “Big Sisters of Durham Region”.

The complete sermon can be read below: