Register Now
for the

Register Now for the Antler River Watershed Regional Council Fall Meeting

THEME: SEASONS

Online via Zoom Only

Friday October 3rd: Time 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Saturday October 4th: Time 9:00am – 3:00pm

Click here for a Video Invitation from ARWRC President, Richard Auckland

Good day, and with fall-like weather upon us it is a glorious day. It is hard to believe we are winding up our summer and heading into fall. Students and teachers are heading back to school, and as a retired educator, I know how they are feeling – a little nervousness, excitement, anticipation, and an unsurety of what the future holds. And as a church, we too may be feeling similarly about what the future holds. Toward 2035 is an initiative of the General Council Office predicting and planning what the United Church of Canada’s future may hold for us all. During our meeting time, we will also review some of the events of General Council 45 held in Calgary. The theme of our fall meeting will be Seasons, taken from Ecclesiastes. Won’t you join us online on Friday, October 3rd & Saturday, October 4th? Registration is open now!

Looking forward to seeing you online in October,

Richard Auckland

President, Antler River Watershed Regional Council of The United Church of Canada

Meeting Target Dates:

Registration Opens: Thursday September 4th (no registration closing date required)

Complete Workbook and Zoom Link: Tuesday, September 23rd
Note: Meeting Information will be posted on the website as it becomes available HERE

Meeting Dates:
Friday October 3rd: 6:30pm-8:30pm  Online via Zoom
Saturday October 4th: 9:00am- 3:00pm Online via Zoom

Post Meeting Feedback Survey – Monday October 6th via email

https://www.polarsteps.com/ClimateExpress/19256495-climate-express

Dear Friends,

With joy and anticipation, we, The Regional Executive and Staff, invite you to join us for the Antler River Watershed Regional Spring Meeting on May 30th and 31st, 2025, hosted at Grace United Church in Sarnia.

Our theme this year is “A Time of Renewal: Revitalize,” inspired by Romans 12:2 –
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds…”

In this spirit, we gather as a community to reconnect, refresh, and rekindle our shared sense of purpose and call. It will be a time to worship together, engage in meaningful dialogue, hear from our commissions and explore the ways we are being invited to revitalize our ministries and our spirits.

We are thrilled to welcome Gail Barker, a gifted motivational speaker and workshop leader, as our guest. Gail will guide us with wisdom, energy, and encouragement as we reflect on how we continue to be transformed in faith and practice.

Whether you are lay or clergy, long-time attendee or first-time participant, your presence is a vital part of this gathering. We look forward to being together in community, grounded in hope, and open to the Spirit’s renewing power.

With blessings and gratitude,

Rev. Cheryl Bolton

Antler River Watershed Regional Council President

SPRING MEETING 2025

A Time of Renewal: Revitalize

Friday, May 30th to Saturday, May 31st, 2025

Friday May 30th, 2025:  2:00pm-6:00pm Hybrid and 7:30pm In-Person Community Building
Saturday May 31st, 2025:  9:00am – 3:30pm Hybrid

Celebration of Ministry: Grace United Church, Sarnia Saturday May 31st at 4:00pm In-Person and Live streamed to YouTube

Grace United Church, Sarnia
990 Cathcart Blvd, Sarnia, ON N7S 2H2 (Google Map)

Registration for In-person attendance closes: May 14th, 2024 at midnight

A Unique Learning Opportunity for Lay Leaders and Ministry Personnel

The Effective Transitional Leadership (ETL) Training Course has been designed by the Interim Ministry Network to support the work of ministry personnel and lay leaders in congregations experiencing change and transitions.

This training will be held on the following dates:

• March 6, 13, 20 and 27th
• Time: 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM EDT via Zoom
• Instructor: Pegi Ridout

This is a fantastic opportunity you to enhance your leadership skills.

What are the intended outcomes of ETL?

• understanding change theory and how to apply it in transitional times
• feeling more competent in the role of a transitional leader and facilitator for the work of your congregation
• being equipped to manage both yourself and your congregation in the midst of conflict
• practicing transitional leadership, using tools designed to guide a congregation through a transition
• applying your learnings, using case studies and reflection on your experience/knowledge
• overall, being prepared and confident to assist a congregation towards health, effectiveness, and faithfulness to its purpose/mission

The cost for this training is $75 per person – a savings of 50% off the regular price.

Registration is limited to 24 people.

Attendance at all 4 sessions is expected.

Course material and the zoom link will be provided closer to the first meeting.

Registration Closes on February 24, 2025

Payment can be made by e-Transfer to hfrc@united-church.ca or by cheque mailed to Horseshoe Falls Regional Council – PO Box 100, Carlisle, Ontario L0R 1H0

Please respond using the link to the registration form by February 24, 2025:  

Register Now:

ETL Training Registration Form

This is an opportunity you do not want to miss. We look forward to your participation!

For more information about the course ETL Description  and   ETL and IMN FAQ

Flourishing:

Spend a day with the Moderator, engaging in reflection and energizing activities towards dream-oriented actions for our churches and communities.

Saturday, February 22, 2025, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm (local time).

9:00am -9:30am Registration and coffee/tea

9:30am – Welcome and Introductions

In person

Avondale United Church, 194 Avondale Ave., Stratford, ON N5A 6N4

All around the world – from universities to the United Nations, from corporations to community organizations – people are talking about flourishing. Rooted in belonging, flourishing means living with purpose and joy, and bringing bold collaborative solutions to our world’s challenges.

The Moderator, the Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, wants to bring that conversation to The United Church of Canada. She invites us to connect to one another in hope, with a deep conviction by a belief that, despite all the challenges of church life in this day and age, we can move from despair to transformation – from languishing to flourishing.

Is your church flourishing?

(Perhaps that’s the wrong question.)

Is your church contributing to the flourishing of your community?

How might we truly be a flourishing church in the world? How might we live in deep spirituality, bold discipleship and daring justice, linked from coast to coast to coast in ministry that transforms us and the world around us?

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: Flourishing Workshop

The remit vote must be made by the pastoral charge governing body (Board or Council) and cannot be delegated to the congregation. The Board/Council members should vote according to their own discernment. That being said, it is great for the congregation to share their thoughts before the Board/Council votes on it.

Your Pastoral Charge vote must be sent to General Council by March 31, 2024.

For links to the remit information and for educational materials go to

https://hfrcucc.ca/remit-1-establishing-an-autonomous-national-indigenous-organization/

https://wowrcucc.ca/remit-1-establishing-an-autonomous-national-indigenous-organization/

https://arwrcucc.ca/remit-1-establishing-an-autonomous-national-indigenous-organization/

For more information contact:

Minister, Right Relations and Social Justice: Thérèse Samuel tsamuel@united-church.ca

Minister, Social Justice: John Egger jegger@united-church.ca

Prepare to Vote:

Remit Q&A Session (Online)

with Thérèse Samuel and John Egger

Wednesday January 17, 2024 7:00-8:30 PM

For Pastoral Charges

ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Click here to register.

Please prepare and submit your questions in advance:

PREPARE for the Q&A Session:
We ask that all participants have previously participated in an education workshop or have listened to/watched the half-hour Remit Foundations video.

Please click this link to look at this information sheet

An additional information sheet will be available before the workshop.

The facilitators will present responses to questions received by 9:00 AM January 16^th using the form.

There will also be time for discussion and additional questions.

 SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS: Please click here to send your questions in advance.

Please DO NOT send questions by email.

For information contact

Thérèse Samuel TSamuel@united-church.ca or

John Egger JEgger@united-church.ca

Presented by Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils

Photo by Jason Leung via Unsplash

Come and join our team!

We are hiring an Executive Minister : Antler River Watershed/Horseshoe Falls/Western Ontario Regional Councils

Click here for more details

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

Hybrid Meeting:
In-person and/or on-line

Registration Opens:
Monday, March 27 at 5:00pm

Registration Closes:
Friday, April 21 at 11:59pm

Zoom Link/Workbook launch:
Friday, May 5

Accommodation:
Best Western Stoneridge Inn, London
(click the EDIT button on the right hand side of the screen to enter your accommodation choices)

Celebration of New Ministries Service:
Saturday, May 13, 2023, Location TBD

Called to serve? Expressions of Interest can be filled out here.

• How to claim your mission
• Cultivate Generosity
• Create a Culture of Gratitude in your Community of Faith
• How to integrate stewardship into your spiritual growth programming.

Ozhawa Anung Kweon

LENT 2023 FAITH AND JUSTICE SERIES

Nourish your spirit with Justice-Seeking Tuesdays in Lent.

Feb 28^th 7:00-8:30 PM Jesus’s Encounters with the Powerful and Powerless-

March 28th 7:00-8:30 PM – Cycle of Gospel Living:

REGISTER NOW

 Tues Feb 28^th Jesus’s Encounters with the Powerful and Powerless-

• • reflect on biblical stories of Jesus’s encounter with the powerful and powerless people of his time.
  • explore what the Gospel calls you to do about the power difference in your own context

Tues March 28th – Cycle of Gospel Living:

• • Learn where you are in the Cycle of Gospel Living and what you are called to do to create a justice community.
  • Connect the themes of cross and resurrection to your life and justice-seeking.

 You can attend just one, but we encourage you to participate in both sessions.

 To register go to: Lent 2023: Faith and Justice Series (CHURCHx.ca)

Sessions developed by the Kaleidoscope Institute (www.kscopeinstitute.org) 

Facilitated by Thérèse Samuel and members of the Discipleship and Justice Commissions.

Hosted by Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils