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
Flourishing: Antler River, Western Ontario Waterways, and Horseshoe Falls Regional Councils
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?
We’re trying something new. We’re introducing an Ask An Expert series in partnership with the General Council Office. You ask the questions, and we’ll provide the expertise.
Who are the experts? Well, it depends on the topic and staff availability.
Maybe you want to know more about the insurance partnership between the GCO and Communities of Faith. Or what you do when the local newspaper calls (or when you want to get a good story out). Or what the new government relations officer does. Or what the cost-of-living-adjustment is.
It’s kind of like a Pick-Your-Own-Adventure book. Here’s how it works:
4. As many questions will be answered as can be within the allotted time. Unanswered questions will carry over to the next session, or we’ll answer them on our Regional Council Facebook group.
5. Tough questions are okay. We’ll do our best to answer them, and if we can’t on the spot, we’ll follow up with the right information.
So, pick your adventure. Will it be insurance? Or grants? Climate justice? Governance? Media relations? Government relations? Global partnerships? Or something else?
You pick. Ask your question here: https://forms.office.com/r/q7UM9spU9z. Join us on Wednesday September 18th at 7 p.m. to get an answer in real time. Don’t have a question right now? Listeners welcome!
This session will be facilitated by: Michelle Owens
Welcome Mark Laird, Executive Minister to Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils and a Lenten message. Send messages of welcome to MLaird@United-Church.ca
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