ARW Pastoral Relations Commission Meeting
2026-09-08 09:00 (America/Toronto)

HF Congregational Support Commission
2026-09-08 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)

ARW Regional Council Executive Meeting
2026-09-09 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)

WOW Congregational Support Commission
2026-09-10 12:30 (America/New_York)

From the Shire to Stratford - A Youth Overnight Quest
2026-09-12 - 2026-09-13 | Avondale United Church, 194 Avondale Avenue, Stratford, Ontario, N5A6N4, Canada
From the Shire to Stratford – A Youth Overnight Quest
Dates: Saturday, September 12, 2026 (10:00 AM) – Sunday, September 13, 2026 (2:00 PM)
Location: Avondale United Church, Stratford

Step into the world of adventure, friendship, and discovery! From the Shire to Stratford is a unique overnight youth experience inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, featuring a live theatre performance at the renowned Avon Theatre alongside a variety of engaging and memorable activities.

Event Highlights
Participants will enjoy:

A professionally staged performance of The Hobbit
Boating on the Avon River (paddleboat or canoe)
Creative stained glass activity
Group games and faith discussions
All meals provided
Exploring downtown Stratford

About The Hobbit

Follow Bilbo Baggins, a quiet hobbit who is unexpectedly drawn into a daring quest across Middle-earth. Alongside a band of dwarves, he journeys to reclaim their homeland from a fearsome dragon. Encountering trolls, goblins, and a mysterious magic ring, Bilbo discovers courage he never knew he possessed. He proves that even the smallest person can play a vital role in a great adventure.

Themes We’ll Explore

Adventure & Courage
Friendship, Fellowship & Unity
Identity & Self-Discovery
Leadership & Responsibility
Home, Belonging & Purpose
Teamwork & Cooperation
The Hero’s Journey
And much more!

*Participants may benefit from reading the book or watching the film in advance.
Registration Details Are you a Youth (Grades 7+) or accompanying Youth Leader from WOW, ARW, or HF Region? Register today!

Step 1: Submit online registration form (one for each participant – youth and adults)
Step 2: Pay fee of $35 per participant (includes all meals, boating, and activities)
Step 3: Complete the boating waiver that will be emailed at a later date
The theatre ticket is generously covered by a grant from the Western Ontario Waterways Region of the United Church of Canada.
E-transfer Instructions
Send e-transfer to avondaleuc@wightman.ca
You will be asked to enter a security question and answer. Please set up as follows:
Question- What city is this event being hosted
Answer- Stratford
Enter in message section: youth event registration for (insert participant name)
Transportation
Transportation to and from the event must be arranged by each participant’s youth group or accompanying adult.
Join us for an unforgettable journey of imagination, community, and faith-filled adventure—where every participant has a chance to discover the hero within!

ARW Discipleship & Justice Meeting
2026-09-15 10:00 (America/Toronto) | Online via Zoom

WOW Pastoral Relations Commission Meeting
2026-09-15 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Toronto)

WOW Regional Council Executive Meeting
2026-09-16 09:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York)

Regional Council Staff Meeting
2026-09-17 09:30 - 11:30 (America/Toronto) | Online via Zoom

HF Discipleship and Justice Meeting
2026-09-17 19:00 (America/New_York)

Characteristics of Thriving Churches in an age of Uncertainty
2026-09-19 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Toronto)
Register Here

Retreat for Non-Indigenous Leaders
2026-09-21 - 2026-09-22 | Five Oaks Education and Retreat Centre, 1 Bethel Road, Paris, Ontario, N3L 3E3, Canada

HF Regional Council Executive Meeting
2026-09-23 09:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York)

HF Human Resources Commission Meeting
2026-09-23 13:00 (America/Toronto)

Tri-Regional Affirming Task Group
2026-09-23 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Toronto)

Tri-Region Regional Representatives Gathering
2026-09-24 14:00 (America/Toronto) | Online via Zoom
📢 Tri-Regional Regional Reps Gathering
We invite all regional representatives to join our gatherings.

🔗 Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 827 3791 1619; Password: [REDACTED]

Questions? – contact your Congregational Support Minister (ARWCSM, HFCSM, WOWCSM)

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
2026-09-30

ARW Clergy Gathering
2026-10-06 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-10-21 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Toronto)
Register Now

Search Team Training
2026-10-06 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-11-03 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-12-01 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Search Team Training
Has your church begun searching for a new minister? Has a search team been formed? If so, they will need to be trained. Training can happen in two ways:

With your liaison
Online with Laurie Stevenson, Pastoral Relations Minister (if you have a liaison, please invite your liaison to attend with you)

Training is mandatory for all search teams.
The online training is two hours and during this time we explore:

The search process
Working to understand and overcome the impact of bias
The various types of ministry personnel you will find on ChurchHub
Where to find resources for using ChurchHub
And more.

If you are interested in taking the training online please register at Search Team Training – Formstack.

The dates for the fall are the first Tuesday of each month:

Tuesday, August 4, 6-8pm
Tuesday, September 1, 6-8pm
Tuesday, October 6, 6-8pm
Tuesday, November 3, 6-8pm
Tuesday, December 1, 6-8pm

HFRC Fall Meeting (online): October 15-16, 2026 evenings
2026-10-15 - 2026-10-16
with COM on Oct 18th if necessary

WOWRC Fall Meeting (online): October 29-30 2026 evenings
2026-10-29 - 2026-10-30
with COM on Nov 1st if necessary

ARWRC Fall Meeting (online): November 20-21, 2026
2026-11-20 - 2026-11-21
