In August of 1999, my family and I moved from Berkeley, California to Vancouver to serve the St. David’s congregation.  I was drawn to the warmth of the community, the vibrant children and youth program, and the open-hearted/open-minded disposition of the people of this church.

I have a passion for authentic and dynamic worship, meaningful programs in spiritual formation, pastoral care and congregational renewal through service and outreach.

At St. David’s, we believe church is about lives changed so significantly the richness and blessing cannot be contained in these walls and spills over in the transformation  of the world.   In a very brief phrase, our vision statement expresses the purpose of this church, as we exist for Changed Lives, Changed World.   Here, we hope and believe people will come and be changed, for good.

If you have come to this web site with questions of faith or have an interest in finding out more about the church, I would be happy to receive your call or e-mail.

Blessings and Peace.

Dan

Background:

In addition to his Masters of Divinity, Dan completed a Masters of Arts degree in Comparative Religion, focusing on Buddhism and Christianity (his Master’s thesis is titled, Immanence and Transcendence: The Ordinary as Sacred).   After graduating from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley in 1993, Dan was ordained and served a church in Southern California. He also taught two classes at a nearby university, “The Life and Times of Jesus,” and “The Living Religions of the World.” He then returned to Berkeley where he served the First Congregational Church for three and a half years. Both congregations nurtured and supported his ministry with their generous spirit and active involvement.

Prior to seminary, Dan taught English in a public high school in Japan for two years, and prior to that, Dan was studying and working in San Diego as tutor, waiter, and pedi-cab driver.

St. David’s has been my faith community since the late 1980′s,  starting out as a lay person and then joining the staff in 1995 for children, youth and family ministry.

I grew up in the Roman Catholic tradition but came to St. David’s after a period away from church and when our children were young.  I love the United Church of Canada because I value the openness and freedom to pursue personal faith exploration amidst the inspiration and support of a wonderful faith community. There is very real respect for all people and solid encouragement for living out our faith, questions and all.

The  philosophy underlying children and youth ministry at St. David’s, is to help children and youth have an experience of God that gives meaning to their lives…an experience that helps them know themselves as beloved and which encourages them to respond to others with compassion and love.

In my spare time, my soul is replenished by time with family and friends, making soup in my kitchen and being in the garden. And in a very real sense, my soul is nurtured, challenged and blessed by the people at St. David’s.

blessings to you,

Colleen

Nicole Thomas Zyczynski, born and raised in West Vancouver, versatile musician known for her excellence both on the piano and the organ, is happy to be returning to St. David’s Church after a prolonged period of study and activity in France.

After a recent 2 year sabatical devoted to composing, Nicole is currently recording her collection of over 350 compositions that are the result of inspirations during her extensive travels in Europe, Great Britain and America, and planning a major publication of her works. Her musical performances throughout Europe and North America have inspired in audiences an “extraordinary feeling of faraway places and unusual flavors”.

She is renowned for the variety and colourful mood changes in her pieces that reflect the wide musical experience and different genres that she has worked with in her lifetime. Her music, inspired by travel, people, places and Nature is a language that all can understand, young and old – a bridge between the gaps of spoken word. Those with an affinity for Ireland and the British Isles will find reflected in Nicole’s music a sincere fondness for the land, music and culture of the Celts – a small, yet large part of her ancestral lineage.

Nicole most recently is exploring the genre of silent movies – the art of improvising and accompanying moving pictures, and she will be performing this fall in Italy at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival.

To listen to some of Nicole’s pieces, please visit www.myspace.com/ntznotimezone or inquire with her directly for any CDs available.