by Michele | Aug 10, 2023 | Climate Change, Community, Events, Global Community, Learning Opportunity, Resources, Social Justice, The United Church of Canada
Photo by Milada Vigerova via Unsplash
Support/Reflection/Prayer Gathering
Make connection with others who are experiencing climate grief
and/or struggling to discern way forward
….while using theological reflection and spiritual practice to ground and support this ‘Hard and Holy work’.
Dates/Times and Locations
Join us, as explore climate grief, acknowledging experiences, making connections with others, and as companions journeying forward.
We will include theological reflection and spiritual practice to ground and support this
‘hard and holy’ work.
Mount Elgin United Church (324105 Mt Elgin Rd, Mount Elgin, ON N0J 1N0)
Wednesday, September 27 @6:30-8:30 POSTPONED
Fairmont United Church, London (29 Tweedsmuir Ave, London, ON N5W 1K6)
Monday, October 23 @6:00-8:00
To register and for details:
Contact – Kathy Douglas, (she/her) Faith Formation Minister
Note: Registration is required as we will be serving food.
519-441-0656
kdouglas@united-church.ca
If your community of faith would like to host such a gathering, please contact Kdouglas@united-church.ca
———————————————————————————————————————
Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls, Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils
by Michele | Jul 25, 2023 | Affirming, Anti-Racism, Children & Youth, Community, Events, Global Community, Learning Opportunities, LGBTQIA+ and Two-Spirit people, News, Regional Council, Social Justice, The United Church of Canada
Youth and Non-Youth Fishbowl Gathering
Regional Councils of ARW, HF and WOW in partnership with The Hub and Trinity UC Kitchener-
Tuesday Sept 26, 2023, evening
Background: Post-COVID, Youth leaders struggle to put together groups. A message often heard from youth in the church is that what’s being offered doesn’t work for them. Being an intercultural church includes finding ways to bridge communication between different age groups/generations.
Goal– To offer a forum that brings together youth and non-youth in the church– a forum that allows the two groups to hear one another and be heard by one another, and to consider what might be the Spirit’s invitation to the church for youth ministry at this time.
FISHBOWL PROCESS:
Eight Youth (teens to twenty-somethings) and eight Non-Youth (40s-90+) from WOW, HF and ARW Regional Councils will gather via Zoom.
- Discussion questions will invite each to share and listen to experiences of their own youth faith formation, and hopes and challenges for youth ministry then and now.
- On each question, using the Zoom spotlight feature to focus on one group of eight:
- Youth will invite one another to share, while the Non-Youth listen.
- Places will be switched, and the Non-Youth will invite one another to share while the Youth listen.
- For some questions, the order might be reversed, with Non-Youth sharing first
- After several rounds of sharing in separate groups, Youth and Non-Youth will have an opportunity to reflect together as one group.
Each group will be invited to reflect on what they have heard and consider possible next steps.
Participants will be given questions for reflection and feedback, to be submitted in writing following the session.
This is a cross-cultural listening event, and a pilot project. This session will not focus on problem solving or planning. The focus of this event is to listen and learn about one another as a first step of re-visioning youth ministry in ARW, HF and WOW in this post-pandemic time.
An HONORARIUM of $105 is available for participants who are not otherwise paid for their time in this discussion.
To apply, complete the Application Form :
https://forms.office.com/r/3qf3JJtxt6
Application deadline Sept 12, 2023
For more information contact:
Thérèse Samuel tsamuel@united-church.ca
Kathy Douglas kdouglas@united-church.ca
Adam Cresswell – hubleadership@gmail.com
Bethany Herlihey- bethanyherlihey@gmail.com
by Michele | Jul 17, 2023 | Climate Change, Community, Learning Opportunities, Regional Council, Resources, Social Justice
Photo: Alina Grubnyak via UnSplash
Thanks to the clusters and networks that shared contact information at the Antler River Watershed spring meeting. If you’re part of a cluster and network that is open to others, please let us know details!
ARW Social and Ecological Justice Network
Contact: Carey Wagner
Essex County Lay and Ministry Personnel Meetings
3rd Tuesday of every other month at 7:00 p.m.
Glenwood United Church
Contact: Cathy Collins-Barker
Essex County Ministers
Monthly lunch meeting
Contact: Cathy Collins-Barker
by Michele | Jun 30, 2023 | News
Refugee Advisory Network (Tri Regional RAN) Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls, Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils are offering support and resources to Communities of Faith in their ministry of refugee sponsorship. We want to celebrate and encourage the immense contributions and dedication our church communities have provided as safe havens for vulnerable refugees around the world. We want to help support this ministry by offering connection and resources. As rewarding as this work can be, we are also aware that it requires great energy and long hours of work. There is a steep learning curve and lots of struggles to overcome but a concrete opportunity to be Christ in the world.
Helpful Links
- Private Refugee Sponsorship Network ( PRSN ) https://refugeesponsornet.ca/
- South London Community Centre https://london.ca/living-london/parks-facilities/community-centres/south-london-community-centre
- Wesley Urban Ministries, Hamilton https://wesley.ca/
- SECC, South Essex community Council. https://www.secc.on.ca/
- Citizens for Public Justice https://cpj.ca/
- Canadian Council for Refugees https://ccrweb.ca/en
- Refugee Sponsorship Network https://refugeesponsornet.ca/
- Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (helpful for getting started but not so much help in problem solving once refugees are here) https://www.rstp.ca/en/
If you have questions, stories and/or needs the Refugee Advisory Network can address, please reach out to the staff support persons. Kdouglas@united-church.ca or JEgger@united-church.ca
Refugee Advisory Network ( RAN )
Introduction
The Tri Regional Refugee Advisory Network (RAN) met on June 13, 2023 for the first time. Would anyone wish to be part of a steering team for the ongoing work of Tri Regional RAN to help with continued connecting, supporting and providing resources? Contact staff Jegger@united-church.ca and/or Kdouglas@united-church.ca with interest.
Ongoing meetings of Tri Regional RAN would include check in and updates, resource sharing and mutual support. We hope to create a data base of Communities of Faith who are involved in refugee sponsorships as well.
Let us, “Talk to each other/learn from each other” (B Sheffield)
Hopes and Goals
Specific hopes that a Tri Regional Refugee Advisory Network could address:
Burn out for those doing the work of refugee sponsorship. Help with being asked ‘all the time’ to take more sponsorships. Very difficult to say ‘no’ and/or to say ‘yes’. How can we bring the needs of Refugee Sponsorship and a broader understanding and more equitable treatment of all those needing settlement to our church more effectively? The church needs to articulate and speak for better consideration to all parts of the refugee experience. Support and advocacy could be the key goals of this group.
Minister, Social Justice
Phone: 226-407-4309
Email: JEgger@United-Church.ca
John was raised in Calgary. He has a Ph.D. in New Testament studies from Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto. His dissertation was on Paul’s use of the Hagar/Sarah motif in his letter to the Galatians and how it has been spun in the history of interpretation. This was a kind of case study into how biblical texts have been (i.e., can be) misread in the history of the church and the dangers thereof.
Serves in: Antler River Watershed, Western Ontario Waterways and Horseshoe Falls Regional Councils
Location: Teleworks from home and spends time in the regional council.
Role: John encourages and connects communities of faith in their work and promotes social justice ministries.
Contact John about: Social Justice Ministries and resource to the Discipleship & Justice Commission.
FAITH FORMATION
Phone: 226-407-4308
Cell: 519-441-0656
Email: KDouglas@united-church.ca
Kathy works with children, youth and young adults, supporting them in various programs and faith-forming events. Many youth are nurtured into leadership roles. Kathy also works with camps and United Church Women groups.
Serves in: Antler River Watershed, Western Ontario Waterways and Horseshoe Falls Regional Councils
Location: Teleworks from home and spends time in the regional council.
Role: Kathy encourages and connects communities of faith with matters of faith and justice and the regional council in youth and young adult ministry and matters of faith formation..
Contact Kathy about: Camping & Campus Chaplaincy Ministries; Faith Formation- Children, Youth, Young Adult and Adult Christian Education; Social and Eco-Justice Ministries; Mission & Support Grants, Support to Pastoral Care Teams and Music Ministry Leadership: United Church Women (UCW) and resource to the Discipleship & Justice Commission.
Resources
Private Refugee Sponsorship Network (PRSN) https://refugeesponsornet.ca/ is responding to the need to connect and share experiences and resources among private groups doing refugee sponsorships in Ontario. This provincial network of 500 sponsorship groups, operates with no public funding and offers many programs and workshops that help. PRSN offer concrete help for sponsorships in the post settlement period… addressing basic needs (housing and literacy) to skills/social supports for refugees and their sponsors. Perhaps one of the most effective offering PRSN offers is a “Since you Asked” section in their newsletter. Check out their website, ask to receive their newsletter and receive invites to their webinars. https://refugeesponsornet.ca/connections/
Some settlement agencies and organizations that are also helpful:
- South London Community Centre https://london.ca/living-london/parks-facilities/community-centres/south-london-community-centre
- Wesley Urban Ministries, Hamilton https://wesley.ca/
- SECC, South Essex community Council. https://www.secc.on.ca/
- Citizens for Public Justice https://cpj.ca/
- Canadian Council for Refugees https://ccrweb.ca/en
- Refugee Sponsorship Network https://refugeesponsornet.ca/
- Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (helpful for getting started but not so much help in problem solving once refugees are here) https://www.rstp.ca/en/
