Zion Calendar

Monday 23 December 2013

United Church of Canada Syrian & Philippines Appeal Updates

December 20, 2013

Dear colleagues in ministry,

As we draw closer to Christmas and the birth of the Christ child, let us be mindful of the people of Syria and the Philippines, especially children, who continue to endure the severest of hardships. More than two million Syrians have been displaced by a brutal civil war with no end in sight. Some 14 million Filipinos are still reeling from the devastation caused by the worst typhoon to have struck their country in recorded history. The United Church of Canada has issued church-wide appeals in response to both crises, and both appeals will remain active into the New Year. Following are brief updates on those appeals.

Syria: United Church members have generously donated more than $141,000 to the church's Syria Refugee Appeal.

The funds have been used by United Church partner, the Middle East Council of Churches, and ACT Alliance in support of the 12 million Syrians affected by the war, including the 2.2 million who are refugees and currently experiencing harsh winter conditions with only tents for shelter. More than 1.1 million are children. The United Church also has sent a total of $60,000 to ACT from the Emergency Response Fund. The Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) has provided another $5.8 million worth of food aid to which the United Church has contributed funds. Also, we are working with the federal government to help find homes in Canada for Syrian refugees.

Your donations to the Syria Refugee Appeal have purchased much needed food, clean water, medicine, clothes, blankets, education programs for child refugees, and psychosocial counselling for refugees in distress. But much more is needed. This week, for example, the United Nations World Food Programme appealed to the international community for $6.5 billion in aid for the war-affected Syrians!

The United Church's Syria Refugee Appeal  - http://www.united-church.ca/syria  -  remains open into the New Year.

Philippines: More than $1.1 million has been donated to the United Church's Typhoon Haiyan Appeal - a testament to the compassion of faithful United Church members.

To date, $585,000 has been sent to ACT for programming in the Philippines. United Church partners, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), have each received $60,000. The funds have been used to purchase materials for temporary shelter, food, clean water, medicines, and psychosocial counseling. Additional funds will be sent to the NCCP, UCCP and ACT in the New Year for much needed rehabilitation and reconstruction work.

The United Church also has received a grant of $55,000 from the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation. Augmented by some $45,000 from the United Church and other Canadian churches, it will be given to the NCCP for the purchase of seeds to help restore household food and agricultural production which was destroyed by tidal surges caused by the typhoon.

The United Church's Typhoon Haiyan Appeal - http://www.united-church.ca/haiyan  - remains open into the New Year. 

Once again, thank you for your tremendous outpouring of generosity in support of the people of Syria and the Philippines as well the United Church partners that are working tirelessly, throughout the holiday season, to assist them. As we celebrate the birth of the infant Jesus this year, let us keep them in our heartfelt thoughts and prayers. 

Yours in Christ,
Gary Kenny
Emergency Response Coordinator
The United Church of Canada
info@united-church.ca

Monday 16 December 2013

General Secretary's Weekly Letter



December 13, 2013


Dear Friends,

 It’s a cozy December evening at our house. We have the radio tuned to a station that plays non-stop Christmas music: a sprinkling of carols or gospel, but also the full mix of sentimental seasonal pop tunes that return year after year. In the other room, my twentysomething nephew and teenage son have taken a break from their uproarious enjoyment of a video game to work on a school assignment. I’ve been working on Christmas cards, and now am sitting down to write my “weekly letter.” (The quotations marks are because I missed last week in a run of meetings, and this may be the last one until the new year.)

We are looking forward to church on Christmas Eve, family gatherings, and all the traditions and wonders of this beautiful time of year. In the midst of spiritual preparation and holiday baking and all the rest, I’m also thinking of the many people whose lives this Advent are not filled with joy.

Thousands of people in the Philippines had their lives changed forever when they lost family members, homes, and livelihoods in the space of a few minutes of devastating weather. Canadians with relatives in the Philippines have felt the losses too, with the pain of being at a distance.

Families living in refugee camps in Syria and elsewhere are struggling to offer stability for their children after fleeing violence.

In Central Africa, hundreds of people, including children, have been killed through the violent conflicts between Christians and Muslims.

There will be empty places at Christmas tables in Lac Mégantic after the terrible rail accident in July that killed 47 people and destroyed the centre of their town.

The death of Nelson Mandela last week has left an empty place in the world, and in the hearts of so many people who found hope through his example.

These are just a few of the stories we know through the news. There are countless other stories of loss that people know in their own lives, the kinds of things that can make memories of happy Christmases painful.

But listen: the reading from Isaiah 35 for this Advent Sunday speaks daring words of hope in the midst of hardship.

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. … then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water … And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Each year, our suffering world receives anew the promise of a holy child who brings hope and joy. This sacred birth inspires us to reach out to help the hurts of the world. We know that the wondrous infant born in a stable grows up to offer a vision of a better world, a vision that calls us to care for others and stretch beyond our places of comfort.

May God bless our Advent preparations. May the infant Jesus renew our hope. May the Holy Spirit inspire us to share our love with the world.

Peace be with you at Christmas, and always.

Nora

Monday 9 December 2013

Let's Make 2014 “The Year of Compassion!”



The folks at Zion United Church want to make the year 2014 “The Year of Compassion!” Beginning Feb. 3, Sheila Redden-Smith, invites you to begin a journey to pursue a year of living compassionately. Sheila will be leading a discussion group, using Karen Armstrong’s book, “Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life,” which ought to be of interest to people of ages, genders, religious and non-religious affiliations. Everyone is invited. The plan is to gather the first Monday of each month at Lane’s Privateer Inn at 7 pm.  Let’s make Liverpool a more compassionate community! If you would like to attend, or would like further information, please call Sheila at 350-6814. Cost of book is $15. Deadline for registration is Jan. 6, 2014.

Remembering Nelson Mandela by Moderator Gary Patterson

General News and Announcements

Remembering Nelson Mandela


5 December 2013

As the world mourns the death of Nelson Mandela, Moderator Gary Paterson reflected on the life and legacy of Mandela.
“We have an opportunity today to remember the man – his determination to confront apartheid and injustice; his commitment to freedom and equality; his capacity to endure twenty-seven years of prison and emerge with his soul intact, able to forgive and embark on a journey of reconciliation, persuading others to follow along with him,” commented Paterson.
In this moment says Paterson, “We are called to give thanks for Mandela’s life – not simply to praise him, but to honour his memory with a determination to undertake a similar quest for wholeness, for ourselves and for the body politic.”
And, adds Paterson, “As we grieve his passing, I commend to you the following prayer, Remembering Mandela  printed below.

Remembering Mandela

For us, in our being, Mandela is gone:
We will no longer dance and march with him.
We will no longer hear him speak of justice, freedom, and peace.

For us, in our knowing, Mandela is changing:
He can no longer speak to us, but he can still be heard.
He can no longer touch us, but he can still be felt.

For us, in our thoughts, Mandela is alive:
We dance and march with him when we work for human dignity and rights.
We speak with him when we work for a world where one does not oppress another.

For us, in our actions, Mandela is here.
So as we journey with our siblings imprisoned by poverty, slavery,
and all forms of created suffering,
we will remember Mandela’s belief that we are all imprisoned until we are all free.

As we encounter forces of resistance that feel overwhelmingly insurmountable,
we will remember the integrity and grace with which Mandela held to his convictions while he was imprisoned for 27 years.

And as we give thanks to our Creator for the life of Mandela,
we will continue to pray for your comfort to surround the family, friends, and nation that mourn the loss of Madiba;
we will celebrate a life that perpetually worked for the good of all;
and we will affirm that his legacy will continue
in our memories and actions.

As we entrust him into your loving care,
may we commend him to our hearts.
Amen.


Alydia Smith

Monday 2 December 2013

Advent Generosity

ADVENT GENEROSITY UPDATE

The people of The United Church of Canada are being extremely generous. We are thankful for all the many gifts being given to serve God's mission. Your donations are an expression of compassion, build community and offer hope.

We are also grateful for the careful management of all financial gifts by ministers and lay people in congregations. All of this is happening in the context of stewarding gifts for our local ministry and Mission and Service, other year-end financial demands, while responding to the emergency appeal for Typhoon Haiyan.

CONGREGATIONAL STEWARDSHIP
Many year-end annual stewardship programs are wrapping up now and the focus turns to the spiritual practices and celebrations of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. There are many worship resources (http://www.united-church.ca/planning/seasons/advent) available on the United Church website. May this be a time of hope-fulfilling connection with people in your community, joyous celebration, and loving hospitality.
sgwalker@united-church.ca

MISSION AND SERVICE
Mission and Service (http://www.united-church.ca/funding/msfund) campaigns are in high gear. We remain faithfully optimistic that United Church people are doing all that they can to encourage generous giving for Mission and Service and to forward these gifts as quickly as possible so that they are put to work. Already in 2013, the whole church has raised over $15 million Current M&S Givings (http://www.stewardshiptoolkit.ca/current-m-s-givings for Mission and Service work! We will receive Mission and Service contributions for 2013 until January 31, 2014. Please consider sending (http://www.united-church.ca/files/funding/msfund/cong_remittance.pdf) your Mission and Service gifts monthly or quarterly.

Thank you for making Mission and Service a vital part of the life and ministry of your church. What we accomplish is far greater than what any one of us could do alone. The generous financial support of each congregation makes all this possible.
ccurtis@united-church.ca

EMERGENCY RESPONSE: TYPHOON HAIYAN
The extraordinary response to the Typhoon Haiyan appeal is so inspiring. As usual, people are giving very generously. As well, we know there are many gifts on route from congregations. Be assured that funds are flowing to the partners on the ground to provide relief and begin long term reconstruction.

There is a new deadline for receiving individual donations eligible for matching funds from the Canadian government. The new deadline is December 23, 2013. This may be considered a mixed blessing for administration volunteers in congregations as reporting for so many things converge.

Remember that our way of working is always with partners in the region on the ground. This emergency funding and our long-term relationship with these partners increase the capacity of the Filipino people themselves to address such emergencies. The long-term relationship is sustained by your generous gifts for Mission and Service.

Daily updates of funds received will be posted on the website (http://www.united-church.ca/haiyan). You will find some other updates on the website including the FAQ sheet .

GIFTS WITH VISION
Gifts with Vision, (http://www.giftswithvision.ca/) the United Church's giving catalogue, is more popular than last year at this time. Gifts with Vision is a great way to give gifts, honour loved ones, spark a conversation about our hope for the world. Check out the Gifts with Vision badges and banners (http://www.giftswithvision.ca/page/downloads) for posting on your church's website. Thank you for being part of these hope-inspiring activities.
cguo@united-church.ca

UNITED CHURCH FOUNDATION
At year end in a year that provided strong growth in the stock market many donors are giving gifts of stock through the United Church of Canada Foundation to their local congregation. This saves in capital gains tax and supports the generosity of members across the country. The Foundation provides this service at no fee and can be contacted at fdn@united-church.ca; 866-340-8223.

IN CONCLUSION
All of these financial stewardship activities are taking place as we enter the time of patient waiting for the birth of the baby Jesus into the world and into our hearts. You know the best balance and focus for your community. We thank you for encouraging generous giving. In the flurry of activity, may we all take a moment (or more) to slow down and breathe in Advent's hope, peace, joy and love that prepares us for the work of relationship with our neighbour. It is there that we will find the Christ child.

David Armour
Director of Philanthropy
President of The United Church of Canada Foundation
416-231-7680, ext. 2022, or 1-800-268-3781, ext. 2022
darmour@united-church.ca

Thursday 28 November 2013

General Secretary's Weekly Letter






November 27, 2013

Dear friends,

This past weekend, we had our first snowfall of the season in Toronto. Earlier in the week, I and others in our part of the city were still raking leaves. There are a couple of maples in our yard that are always the last to lose their leaves.

The street behind our office building is lined with mid-sized ginkgo trees. This ancient tree grows naturally in China, but does well in our area, too, and is known to be tough enough to withstand the pollution of an urban environment. I liked the pattern of the triangle-shaped yellow leaves that had fallen to the ground, so I took a picture of them a couple of weeks ago that I’m using as the background picture on my BlackBerry right now.

As I walked home from work later that week, I noticed two women on the ground beneath the same row of ginkgos, eagerly gathering up the fleshy nuts that had fallen to the ground. I was curious about how they were going to use them, whether for food or medicine, but when I inquired it turned out we had a language barrier so we exchanged smiles and I carried on home, leaving them at their work.

A week later on my route home, I observed a crew of workers from either the city or the nearby apartment building, busy cleaning up the mess that littered the ground beneath the trees. They had a noisy leaf-blowing machine and were blowing all the leaves to one place where they packed them into bags for the city’s yard-waste composting program. They were getting everything tidied up before winter.

“One person’s trash is another person’s treasure” is a common phrase that captures some of the complexity of humanity.

While part of me appreciates those who work to keep our neighbourhood tidy, I found myself rejoicing at seeing someone finding value in something that others considered to be refuse. Through this small incident, I was reminded of the treasures, both noticed and unnoticed, that God has given us.

Nora

Thursday 21 November 2013

Update - Philipines Typhoon Haiyan Appeal

Members of The United Church of Canada have shown their generosity this past week. A total of $235,271.25 has been given by 1515 donors (as of 8:45 a.m., Wednesday, November 20).
 
Please share this good news through the church bulletin, in prayers and in the announcements.
 
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and ACT Alliance partners on the ground in the Philippines are co-ordinating relief and reconstruction efforts and have begun to receive the funds.
 
All donations received BY DECEMBER 9TH will be matched by our Canadian government.
 
Resources are being updated regularly – www.united-church.ca/haiyan
 
Gary Kenny
Program Coordinator,
Emergency Response
The United Church of Canada

 

Monday 18 November 2013

General Secretary's Weekly Letter






November 18, 2013


[I wrote this letter last week, but the week became so busy with meetings that it is just getting out now!]

Dear Friends,

There were long lineups of people in the lobby of the Toronto City Hall.  I wondered briefly if they were all there, as I was, for the City of Toronto’s Proclamation of a Year of Reconciliation.  Toronto Conference Executive Secretary David Allen, who was alongside me, knew what it was about.  They were all lined up to purchase bobblehead figures of Mayor Rob Ford.  A collector’s item no doubt.

I hope that the ceremony upstairs, and the fine words spoken about the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission – and of all of us – is more enduring than the plastic dolls or the antics of the politician they portray.  This is long-term work.  For the city officials and citizens who are serious about this, it will be a busy year, and the year will really just be the beginning.  This work is about painful memories, and about building a better future.  Amongst several inspiring speakers, the most significant for many of us was Holly Laforme, a member of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, and a grade 10 student from the Hagersville Secondary School.  She spoke of taking part in the Walking Together course, where students heard the stories of residential school survivors and created pieces of art depicting what they had learned.  She gave thanks for the opportunity to learn about this part of our history, and spoke with confidence that her generation will be the generation of reconciliation, the generation who can hold this knowledge and value their culture and history as they take their full parts in society.

Remembering the past gives deeper understanding of our lives today, and serves as a reminder of the things we must protect for the future.

This is a week for remembering.  The Proclamation of Reconciliation came the very day after Remembrance Day. 

Like so many of us, each Remembrance Day, I find myself rich with memories of my father, grandfather, uncles and others.  It’s ironic in a way, because Dad was never all that big on Remembrance Day.  He honoured all those who had fought, but I always had the sense that the there was much he didn’t want to remember.  All the World War I vets have passed on now, and the remaining veterans of World War II are elderly in a way that makes my heart go out to them and their courage in facing the memories on yet another Remembrance Day.  There are younger veterans, too, and they carry their burdens without certainty of a nation fully engaged and supportive of their efforts.  It is right to remember all of them, and all those whose lives have been directly affected by war.  It’s particularly important for those of us with no personal experience of war to hear the stories. 

We often speak of honouring those who fought to protect the freedoms that we enjoy, and so often take for granted, today.  Some gave up their lives, some their physical strength, and all gave days of their youth when they might have been playing hockey or enjoying life on campus.

On Remembrance Day the images on TV of the veterans standing in the snow at the ceremony at the cenotaph in Ottawa were interspersed with pictures of the devastation in the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon  Haiyan.  In the midst of remembering, we were confronted with unexpected and horrifying events in the here and now.  As dramatic weather disasters become more common, I find myself reflecting if our generation can get serious enough about sacrifice to change our climate-damaging ways.  Delegates attending a UN Climate Change conference in Warsaw this week heard emotional words on behalf of small island nations who see this event as a stark reminder of the cost of inaction about climate change.

 This is a week to remember that past, present, and future are all connected.   We remember the past and the lessons it holds.  We remember obligations we have in our lives today to remember the legacy for future generations. 

Lest we forget.

Nora

Minutes for Mission

November 17—And a Child Shall Lead Them

Sometimes how mission and service monies are raised is just as important as how much. Hear today the story of a child who stepped out in faith.

Dear friends,

This is not about services provided by M&S but rather a message of hope from a 10-year-old missionary for the fund. Her name is Faith Demchuk and she lives in Calgary, Alberta. On many occasions she visits her grandmother in Cayley—a hamlet 64 kilometres south of Calgary—and they come to our church, Wood Memorial United.

Faith is an excellent reader for her age and reads the Minute for Mission every Sunday she is there. Our church is 75 years old, very small, with a congregation that seldom exceeds 10. We are part of the Nanton-Cayley Pastoral Charge. Last March, Faith took the initiative on her own to go door to door in this hamlet of under 500 people, asking for donations to the Mission and Service Fund. Faith spread the word and collected a total of 43 dollars and 94 cents.

This is a shining example of interest and dedication to God’s work shown by one girl addressing the concerns we all have in our world today.
On behalf of The United Church of Canada, mission and service, the Rev. Karl Shin and the members of Wood Memorial we thank you, Faith, for your kindness, energy, support, and dedication. We are all very proud of you.

Respectfully submitted,


Don Ellston,


Treasurer, Wood Memorial United Church

Every gift to the church’s mission and service is used wisely and helps transform lives. Please continue to give generously.

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Philippines Struck by Super Typhoon

Emergency Response


8 November 2013
Updated 12 November, 2013

The United Church has issued a church-wide appeal for donations in response to the super typhoon that devastated much of the Philippines on November 8. Funds donated will be distributed to United Church partners in the Philippines and ACT Alliance for relief and reconstruction efforts. The Canadian government will match, dollar for dollar, donations to registered Canadian charities, including the United Church, made between November 9 and December 8.
According to the government , “For every eligible dollar donated by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities in response to the impact of Typhoon Haiyan on the Philippines and other affected countries, the government will set aside one dollar for the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund. The government will use the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund to provide assistance through international and Canadian humanitarian organizations, employing established channels and procedures.”
Registered charities, including the United Church, will be able to apply to the government’s Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund to augment relief projects in the Philippines, although there is no guarantee that any project or charity will receive funding from the government’s fund.
To be eligible for matching, donations need to be received at the United Church’s General Council Office no later than December 8.

What You Can Do

Pray

  • Pray for our Filipino sisters and brothers who have lost loved ones, their homes, and their livelihoods.
  • Pray for the members of the ACT’s Philippines Forum who are working tirelessly to assess damage on the ground and organize an emergency response.
  • Pray for United Church partners in the Philippines—the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP)—as they work diligently to attend to the needs of Filipinos affected by the disaster.
  • Pray for the Government of the Philippines, which is working with civil society organizations to ensure that relief needs are met as soon as possible.
  • Pray for the international community that is rushing to the aid of the people of the Philippines.

Donate Now

Please donate to Typhoon Haiyan Relief. Your donation will be applied directly to support the relief and reconstruction work of United Church partners in the Philippines and ACT Alliance. Here’s how you can donate:
  • Online via our secure donation page.
  • Phone 416-231-5931 or toll-free 1-800-268-3781 and use your Visa or MasterCard.
  • Send a cheque, money order, or Visa or MasterCard information with donation amount to:
    • The United Church of Canada
      Philanthropy Unit - Emergency Response
      3250 Bloor Street West, Suite 300
      Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4

      Please be sure to note "Emergency Response—Typhoon Haiyan Relief" on the face of your cheque.

What to Do for Your Donation to Be Matched by the Government

For United Church donations to qualify for Canadian government matching funds, certain conditions need to be met:
  • Donations need to be received at the United Church’s General Council Office no later than December 8, 2013.
  • Donations need to be received from individuals only, not companies or businesses.
To ensure that all money collected is seen as coming from individual donors, we ask that congregations
  • encourage members to give directly to The United Church of Canada.
  • Alternately, collect all personal cheques received and forward them to the United Church address above. Please include with the cheques a list of the names and addresses of individual donors and the amounts each has given.
Note: As part of the United Church’s Emergency Response Fund, 85 percent of your donation will go directly to emergency response in the Philippines. Fifteen percent will be used to respond to disasters throughout the world that do not receive media coverage and often go unnoticed. No administration fees will be deducted from your donation. Donations for Mission and Service enable the United Church to provide staffing and cover the administration costs of its emergency response work.
For more information contact:

Gary Kenny
Program Coordinator, Emergency Response and International Development
Tel: 416-231-5931 ext. 4051
Toll-free: 1-800-268-3781 ext. 4051
E-mail: gkenny@united-church.ca  

Patti Talbot
Team Leader, Church in Partnership/Asia Partnerships The United Church of Canada
Tel: 416-231-5931 ext. 4018
Toll-free:1-800-268-3781 ext. 4018
E-mail: ptalbot@united-church.ca




























Saturday 2 November 2013

General Secretary's Weekly Letter


October 31, 2013


Dear Friends,

I guess I asked for it when I said all those positive things about rain in last week’s message. Today is Hallowe’en and it’s raining. This morning, there were a lot of kids in soggy costumes heading to the school across the street from us, and getting ready to troop around the neighbourhood tonight. I hope the weather doesn’t spoil their fun.

On the other hand, maybe a gloomy day is just the thing for All Hallows’ Eve. It kind of goes with the gravestones and skeletons that some people in the neighbourhood are displaying in front of their houses.

All Hallows’ Eve is described as a Christianized feast derived from ancient Celtic harvest celebrations. But perhaps it is time to recognize that if that was the origin of Hallowe’en, it has moved well beyond either Celtic or Christian practice these days. Some who don’t take part may have faith-based reasons, but it seems safe to say that for the majority who do enjoy the costumes, trick-or-treating, the jack-o-lanterns, the ghoulish decorations, and the candy, it is simply fun. It’s not religious at all.

And in all the excitement about Hallowe’en, many of us overlook All Saints’ Day completely.

Maybe we think of saints as being more part of the Roman Catholic tradition. We are part of these traditions too. Methodists, one of our founding streams of faith, consider All Saints’ Day a time to remember Christians of every time and place. Congregations may also honour at that time all those who have died who were members of the local church congregation.

As we celebrate Hallowe’en and All Saints’ Day in whatever ways we do, let’s remember these words from our Song of Faith:

Our ancestors in faith
bequeath to us experiences of their faithful living;
upon their lives our lives are built.
Our living of the gospel makes us a part of this communion of saints,
experiencing the fulfillment of God’s reign
even as we actively anticipate a new heaven and a new earth

Peace be with you.

Nora

Thursday 31 October 2013

Happy & Safe Halloween Everyone!!

                                                   

A Message from Rev Sheila!

2014 Canadian Church Calendars now available to purchase!

We have just received  the 2014 Canadian Church Calendars. Please call the church office on 354-5851 if you would like to buy one. They are $4.00 with tax included. They will also be available for purchase at the Sunday services or buy dropping into the church office during regular office hours. 


This calendar has the theme of praising and worshipping 
God, and features photos of banners, murals, and 
communion table frontals from United Churches across 
Canada.

Wednesday 30 October 2013

Give a gift and help change the world! The United Church of Canada's Gifts with Vision.


The 2013-2014 Gifts of Vision catalogue is now available in the Church foyer.


Give a gift and help change the world! helps support a variety of important, life-changing programs around the world and in Canada.

Please help share the news of Gifts with Vision with your community. Visit the Gifts with Vision website and click on the"Downloads" link to find slides, a poster, web and Facebook badges, and more tools to invite people to give a gift that truly makes a difference in peoples’ lives. Thank you!

Kinship II – Exploring Diversity through Drama and Art


Monday 28 October 2013

Robbie's Back in Church!!!

Robbie the Dragon and Rev Sheila chat with the kids in Church yesterday. 


Tapestry of Love Concert at Zion United


General Secretary's Weekly Letter





October 25, 2013

Dear Friends,

I led our chapel service this week at the General Council Office, and am pleased to share with you the notes from the reflection I offered on Jeremiah 14:7-10 and 19-22, and Psalm 84: 

We have had quite a bit of rain lately. These rainy October days can be dreary. I had to drive back to Toronto from Niagara-on-the-Lake in the driving rain on Saturday evening, and it was not fun.

In our society, cushioned as most of us are from the need to worry about the growth cycles of the plants we eat, we think of rain as a negative. We might get wet as we walk to work! A baseball game or picnic might be cancelled! Our shoes might get muddy. Or at our house, the dogs might make muddy paw prints on the floor when they come in. Yes, we prefer sunshine.

We sometimes talk about saving for a rainy day. At different times through the financial challenges the church has been facing in recent years, I’ve heard the question, “Is this the rainy day we’ve been saving for?” We’ve used that as a rationale for spending from our financial reserves. The rainy day is a time you save for, and it’s a metaphor for unexpected hardship or need.

Our scripture readings today give a different perspective about rain.

If you live in a desert, rain is something you yearn for, something you pray for, something you celebrate. If you live where water is scarce, you can never forget how precious it is.

Isn’t it interesting how the same thing can look completely different, depending on your perspective?

Isn’t it interesting how your perspective is shaped by how much you have of something, or how much you don’t have?

Here is a headline from the online version of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz from a few days ago: “Weekend weather — Israelis welcome the rain.” I wonder what it takes to let us understand a burden as a blessing.

Maybe it isn’t a matter of changing what we are in the middle of, but of changing how we feel about what we are in the middle of.

My son can be somewhat countercultural when it comes to rain. He takes delight in running around in the middle of a heavy downpour. I have a wonderful image in my head of looking out the front window one day as I heard a sudden rain pounding on the roof. I had looked out wondering if I should go and pick him up and give him a ride home, but there he was in front of the swimming pool across the road from us. He wasn’t hurrying towards the house, rushing to get out of the rain. He was just standing there, soaked to the skin and getting wetter, just standing there in the rain. I don’t really know what was going through his head at that moment, but the impression I had was something like, “What a fantastic rain this is, this is just too great to rush through, I’d better just stay in this place for a moment and soak it up!”

I can remember times out on backpacking trips when it rained and there was nowhere to go to get out of it. There was nothing to do but keep hiking through the rain, and you know, after a while, that wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was good to know you could manage, rain or shine. When you take a long hike or canoe trip, you have to work with whatever the weather dishes out, and you find that you can get through it all, and even enjoy conditions that you wouldn’t even poke your nose out in at home. It’s a great feeling — a feeling of being very much alive.

The times in our lives when we experience adversity can be the times that deepen our humanity.

I wonder if the same might be true for the church.

A few decades ago when most Canadians identified as Christian — many of them United Church — we in the United Church took that for granted. Today, we’re very aware of having fewer people in most of our churches. We are aware of living in a society where Christianity, or faith practice of any kind, can no longer be assumed.

I wonder if there was ever a minister in the 1950s who wished that some of those in the overflowing pews would make less of an assumption of their faith and would go to a deeper place with it. I wonder if we would be thinking and praying so hard about what God is planning for the church of the future, if there weren’t some things in our current situation that are making us uncomfortable!

As we struggle with change in the church it can feel like standing in a cold fall rain without any shelter in site. Let’s remember that new growth cannot be nurtured without rain.

Let me finish with a few lines from the poem A Desert Rain by 19th-century American poet Andrew Downing:

The cool rain poured in sudden haste
Upon the thirsty sod,
And life throughout an arid waste
Rejoices, thanking God.  

Each wild and lonely desert flower
Is royally arrayed,
As if in one brief, stormy hour
The world were newly made.  

My friends, let’s get out in the rain and rejoice in it.  

Nora
















































Monday 21 October 2013

General Secretary's Weekly Letter



October 18, 2013


Dear Friends: 



Wednesday was a rare day of lofty ideas. I was privileged to hear two wonderful talks by valued elders of the United Church. Well, to be honest, I (regrettably) heard only part of the second one, but that is because you can only fit so much into a day.  I can’t do justice to either of them here, but let me share a little of what I heard.

First, I attended a graduation ceremony at York University, where my friend John Whyte was the honorary degree recipient and gave the convocation address. John is a constitutional law scholar, a former dean of law, a former provincial deputy minister of justice, a voluminous writer, mentor to many (including me), and someone whose contributions to constitutional debates in the 1970s and 1980s helped shape Canada. He is better known outside the United Church than within it, but church is an important part of his life, and he is well known in the Wesley congregation in Regina, where he has chaired the board and preached on occasion.

Our connection stems from shared work in the administration of justice, but it became closer during my time in Regina, where more often than not I had lunch after church with John and his wife Tessa, either at their house or mine.

John was addressing law graduates and others, but instead of talking about legal theory, he quoted poetry and spoke of the deepest human experience of mercy and love. He referred to the part of life that lies below the surface, containing an impulse to fairness and justice that is greater than the law itself. He said that the burning purpose of humanity is “to turn what is, to what is good.”

Afterward, several people, perhaps unaccustomed to hearing these themes addressed with such subtlety and inspiration, commented that John’s talk was “almost theological.” Having seen the way John’s intellectual life, spiritual life, and sense of community are all intertwined, this didn’t surprise me at all!

Of course, the convocation was longer than I had imagined, so I was late getting downtown to Emmanuel College for the lecture by Douglas John Hall. I don’t know Professor Hall personally, but I’ve been touched by his work since first hearing some of his thinking reflected in the preaching of Peter Short during my time in the Yellowknife congregation. During the long month prior to General Council in 2006 when I was required to maintain my pending appointment as General Secretary as a closely guarded secret, I prepared for the role by reading Douglas John Hall’s book Bound and Free: A Theologian’s Journey

I’m clearly not the only fan: Wednesday’s event was moved to a bigger room in Victoria University because of the enthusiastic response. The room was still full to overflowing when I made my tardy entrance, and I found myself sitting on the floor at the back. It didn’t matter one bit: the acoustics were fine and the words so worth hearing.

Professor Hall talked about having taught many students who arrived with little or no church background or understanding of scripture. He found that very often these young people found themselves drawn in by the stories of the Bible and the writings of the theologians whose commentaries illuminate our faith. He wondered to the assembled body on Wednesday whether we have lost our way and need to spend more time with scripture and the work of the great Christian scholars. I have been pondering his statement that, “We are called as never before to give a reason for the hope that is within us.” He spoke of a quest for wisdom that goes beyond doctrine.

By the end of this day of feasting on words, my head was full of thoughts, and my heart was full of hope.

Nora





































































Monday 14 October 2013

Happy Thanksgiving Day to All

General Secretary's Weekly Letter






October 11, 2013


Dear Friends,

Landing last week in Sudbury, Ontario, felt so familiar, even though I don’t know the place well and hadn’t been there for years. The topography of rocks, lakes, and trees reminded me of Yellowknife, one of my beloved former homes.

Will Kunder, Executive Secretary of Manitou Conference, knew exactly what I meant; we knew each other first when we both lived in Yellowknife in the 1980s and worshipped together at the United Church there.

As I prepare to spend Thanksgiving weekend in Port Stanley, Ontario, in my native Elgin County, one of the things I’m thankful for is the many places I’ve called home over the years. The landscapes of each of those places are somehow a part of me now:

  • the Yellowknife terrain where I paddled, hiked, skied and snowshoed, with the familiar collection of houses nestled on rocks
  • the limitless views over Frobisher Bay from the street where I lived in Iqaluit and the hills all around where you could hike (or ski or skidoo) forever
  • the long roads through prairie landscapes and the gentle introduction to urban life that Regina offered after my years in the North
  • the leafy streets of my neighbourhood in Toronto, connected to the heart of the city by subway yet a community in itself, too
  • and first and always, the fields and Carolinian forests along Lake Erie’s north shore in Elgin County. 
Those landscapes are part of me, and so are the friendships that cheered me and shaped me in each of those homes along the way.

Any of these places could have been home through a whole rich life, and yet I feel blessed to have been part of them all, each quite different from the others, and yet all part of the tapestry of our wonderful nation.

Thinking of all this reminds me that God’s plans for us are more beautiful and more complete than we could ever imagine ourselves. May God be praised.

Blessings to you in this time of Thanksgiving.

Nora

Wednesday 9 October 2013

Universal Portrait Studio coming to Zion United

 If you would like your portrait in the Directory and have not been called yet for an appointment, please call the toll free number as listed on the brochure. 



10,000 Villages Festival Sale Oct 14@10am-5pm

Ten Thousand Villages Festival Sale,

The Days Inn

Discover a World of Gifts, Handmade for You!

Ten Thousand Villages is coming to The Days Inn! The Days Inn Bridgewater is hosting a sale of beautiful, fairly-traded gifts benefiting artisans from more than 30 Developing countries.  Ten Thousand Villages is a project of Mennonite Central Committee, the outreach arm of the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in North America.

The Festival Sale will be held Monday, October 14, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at The Days Inn, 50 North St., Hwy 103 and North St., Bridgewater.  Admission is free.
The gifts you buy at the Ten Thousand Villages Sales will give the blessings of steady work, fair wages, and a better life for struggling families around the world. For more information call the Front Desk, Days Inn at 543-7131.  Your purchase makes a difference!



Thank you for your willingness to help promote the Ten Thousand Villages sale in your church bulletin. Your efforts help create opportunities for artisans in developing countries to earn an income!