by Michele | Aug 23, 2023 | News, Regional Council, The United Church of Canada
It is Time!
As it says in Ecclesiastes, “For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” As we begin to move from summer into fall, congregations often begin to review finances, look at recruiting volunteers for various tasks and scheduling events and fundraisers. This is a busy and exciting time, but it may also raise questions such as “Is it still possible to do things the way we have always done it?”
Across our regional council we are hearing concerns about declining membership and finances. We are also hearing about congregations who have weathered the pandemic, but are now wondering how on-line worship, inflation and aging buildings costs will impact their future. Others ask “What will happen if the other point in our pastoral charge decides to close? What will happen to the UCC presence in this area if several communities of faith disband?” Where will our community of faith be in the next 5 years? And just as coloured leaves mark the beginning of autumn, these questions tell us that we are in a season of discernment.
The Community of Faith profile is one of the tools available to help congregations ask good questions. All communities of faith are now expected to complete their profile and update it annually. (The worksheets can be found on the regional council website in the congregational support toolkit 2.) But it is not enough to just collect information and talk about it. The real purpose is to help you plan the next steps, and start to make changes. Waiting until there is a crisis because the boiler has broken and there are no funds to repair it, or the operating deficit means bills can’t be paid, or a few people are burning themselves out trying to manage all the tasks is not helpful. Deciding to just wait and see what happens, takes away the opportunity to explore options and make choices. The reality is that any change, such as collaborative ministry, amalgamation, redevelopment or disbanding, takes time if you want to do it well. Waiting until next year only means you will have less energy and fewer resources to make those changes.
Talking to congregations, it is clear that some need money while others need volunteers. Some need assistance with administration and bookkeeping, while others could use tech support. Some are located in the heart of their community while others have watched the community move away. And yet, while there has been change and loss, this does not need to be a picture of scarcity. The good news is that we have an abundance of resources distributed across our communities of faith. This is why the Congregational Support Commission is asking communities of faith to consider what would be possible if we work together. For example, how might we share administration, bookkeeping, ministry personnel, governance, outreach and more to make things more efficient? How might we work with our neighbours to ensure that the ministries we care about continue? What can we do now so that this season of opportunity does not pass us by?
Now is the time for every community of faith to ask: What are our strengths and gifts, our challenges and needs, and our ministry priorities? Where is God calling us? And how can our ministry continue in new ways for another season? Then like a great potluck dinner the contributions of many will become a feast for all.
For more information about collaborative ministry, amalgamation, redevelopment or disbanding, please see the toolkits on the website or reach out to your Minister for Congregational Support. Lynne Allin Lallin@united-church.ca for ARW and HF and John Neff JNeff@united-church.ca for WOW.
Did you remember?
- To file your UCC statistics this year?
- Pay your national assessment?
- File your CRA Charity Return?
- Send a copy of your annual report to your Regional Council Congregational Support Minister?
- Update your ChurchHub account contact information?
- Update your ChurchHub account CoF Roles to included your Lay Rep, Board/Council Chair etc with current contact information?
- Complete your annual Self-Assessment? (see Congregational Support Toolkit 7)
- Complete your Community of Faith Profile? (see Congregational Support Toolkit 2)
Pease ensure that these tasks have been completed for your pastoral charge and community of faith.
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 5, 2023 | Affirming, Anti-Racism, Camps & Retreats, Children & Youth, Climate Change, Community, Funds & Grants, Global Community, Indigenous Justice, Mission & Service, News, Regional Council, Resources, Right Relations, Social Justice, The United Church of Canada
Photo by Unseen via Unsplash
Now accepting applications:
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
by Michele | May 17, 2023 | Affirming, Anti-Racism, Camps & Retreats, Children & Youth, Climate Change, Community, Events, Global Community, Indigenous Justice, LGBTQIA+ and Two-Spirit people, News, Regional Council, Right Relations, Social Justice, Staff, The United Church of Canada
Welcome New Regional Council Staff – John Egger!
Partner Program Director at Five Oaks / Minister, Social Justice
Five Oaks Executive Director, Michael Shewburg, approached the regional councils to ask if we might be interested in a joint position combining the half-time role of the Partner Program Director at Five Oaks with the half-time role of Minister, Social Justice in the regional councils. We crafted a Ministry Sharing Agreement and submitted two position descriptions for our joint search. Human Resources raised concerns; these two do not seem to fit together. By this time, Michael was on sabbatical and Acting Executive Director, Pegi Ridout, and Executive Minister, Cheryl-Ann Stadelbauer-Sampa, met. We agreed that what each of us wanted was a person who could invite others into a deeper experience of faith that would lead them to live differently in the world. In John Egger, newly appointed to this joint position, we believe we have found someone who can do that!
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.
John has served numerous United Church congregations in Calgary and Toronto in a variety of youth, educational and intergenerational ministries, including intercultural experience with Centennial Japanese United Church (now Bayview) in Toronto and Taiwanese United Church of Toronto, as well as ecumenical experience working with the Anglican Church (Christ Church Calgary) and the Presbyterian Church in Canada (Varsity Acres in Calgary). These experiences gave him an appreciation for the possibilities for intercultural and transformative ministry within congregations, especially through engaged intergenerational education.
John has just concluded his home assignment duties following his return to Canada after serving four years as a Mission Co-Worker with the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea. We look forward to welcoming John among us as together we learn to share a staff person between the regional councils and Five Oaks. John has kindly agreed to start on May 26th so that he can attend the regional council meetings for Western Ontario Waterways, Horseshoe Falls and the tri-Executive meeting to receive the Evaluation Report. He will arrive in time for a meeting of the program committee of Five Oaks along with Five Oaks Annual Meeting! He’ll definitely be caught up in a flurry of events for the first few weeks!
We’re looking forward to working with John!
