Church News

A Gift for Zion 

You may have noticed a new addition to the decor at the Zion United Church. This statue now sits in our Sanctuary. It was a very generous gift to Zion from one of our members. They are very pleased that Zion has been able accept this gift and hope that everyone will enjoy it as much as they will. 

Rev. Sheila on vacation

As many of you may now know. Rev Sheila Redden-Smith, will be on vacation from August 1-September 4th. In her absence pastoral care will be available from Rev. Karen Orht. Karen can be reached at 356-2768. However, you can always refer to Gordon MacLeod, our Clerk of Session on 354-2219 for any matter during this time. Here is the line up for Sunday Services at Zion for the next 5 weeks.

August 4 - Shirley Shot

August 11 - Marjorie Powell will be conducting a musical service.

August 18 - Shirley Shot

August 25 - Dan MacLaren

September 1 - Dan MacLaren

General Secretary's Weekly Letter

July 26, 2013 

Dear Friends,

I didn’t get a weekly letter written last week because I was on study leave working on my writing.

There are so many aspects to my work, you could begin almost anywhere in picking a topic for self- improvement. I guess this weekly letter, and an occasional sermon, formed the basis for my suggestion to my supervisory committee that I might take a writing class. That was back in June when the committee met last, and they were supportive. They had been encouraging me to take some study leave time because I had informed them earlier of my intention to defer plans for a sabbatical, given all that is happening in the church these days.

It happened that on the same day, I walked into my colleague Ann Perry’s office and she told me that she would like to take a writing course this summer. My thought was that in Ann’s case there is little left for her to learn – she is a great writer – but of course I recognized that there is always more to be learned. Often it is those who know the most already who are most aware of how much more there is to know.

That’s how Ann and I found ourselves last week taking the same class in “narrative non-fiction” at the University of Toronto. Before the class began, we received writing samples from all of the students. I didn’t have time to write something new ahead of time (we would do more writing during the course), so I sent along a couple of my weekly letters, and Ann submitted a piece she wrote in her newspaper days. Reading the offerings of the other students, I formed images of them based on what they had written about, and, I have to admit, their writing standards. No doubt they also formed an image of me, based on my pieces.

As the students gathered the first morning, I sorted them in my mind: this is the bus driver, this is the one writing about his uncle’s experiences during the war, this is the dog lover, this is the one who told an edgy story about Toronto’s mayor...and so on. As we started out, the stories were more real than the people. As the conversation progressed that first day and through the week, my perceptions of each of my classmates shifted. Yes, their writing defined them in a way, but as they talked, told about themselves, respectfully critiqued each other’s work, and produced funny or insightful on-the-spot pieces for our class assignments, I realized that I was sharing the week with a most interesting group. Sitting there with them, I found myself less concerned about quirks in writing style and increasingly drawn into the stories of each of these people, and the stories behind their stories.

I still don’t know whether this was a particularly interesting group of people, or if the reality is that when we take time to listen and learn from people beyond the superficial level, everyone is interesting. The Bible tells us that God knows every human heart, and I marvel once again at the wonderful diversity of God’s creation.

After last week’s pleasant and stimulating shift in gears, I’m back in the office this week, catching up on things and getting ready for a meeting with the Comprehensive Review Task Group next week. One of the high points of my week was attending a meeting at the KAIROS offices with Fr. Michel Jalakh, General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches. It was humbling to hear him speak with such hope and commitment about his work in very challenging circumstances. With more than a million Syrians in refugee camps in Lebanon, and Christians seeking to flee from persecution in fundamentalist countries in the region, Fr. Jalakh spoke of the council’s work for ecumenical and interfaith understanding and protection of religious freedoms for all.

In the midst of my reflections on the stories from last week and this week, I received an email from the Rev. Brian Nicholson, whom I first met at the Arnprior Assembly in 2005. Brian remembered that I talked there about the importance of story. I think I must have spoken then about my view that we learn most about one another, about the world, and about God, by sharing stories. Facts and figures, no matter how compelling, are not enough. It’s the stories that make them come alive, the stories that inspire.

May you be blessed by the sharing of stories, around campfires or wherever you are this summer.

Nora

Summer views of Zion United Church

Have you seen our sign recently. Rev Sheila keeps it current. Pass by each week to see her message. 

Our door is always open. Drop by during office hours (posted to the right) or call Rev Sheila 350-6814 and make an appointment.

The gardens are enjoying all the rain and sun. They are in full bloom and look great. Thanks to Valerie for keeping up the gardens. 

Jaggernathsingh Baptism at Zion United

This past Sunday service was well attended. Glad to hear (as I was not in attendance) that summer service is alive and well at Zion. The congregation was able to bare witness to the Baptism of Samson Jaggernathsingh.

The Jaggernathsingh family, Randy, Samson, Marlo, Nadia, Cordelia, With Gordon MacLeod and Rev Sheila Redden-Smith

Samson on the move.

Awesome Camping at United Church Camp!

I wanted to share our experience at Family Camp this past weekend. We had an awesome time and Micheal loved it. This was planned as a prelude to Micheal spending time there on his own next year. We will definitely be attending the next weekend family camp on August 9-11. There is plenty of room for more families. The cabins are all booked, but there is plenty of space for tents.

Micheal made friends as soon as he arrived. Here, Micheal, Toby and Kedge check out the lake. 

Tether ball was a huge hit with all the kids.

The dining hall. Seely in charge of the kitchen was a master at providing food. I hear she has been there for over 30 years. 

This trail was named after Harold Emenau. Harold was one of the original founders of Sherbrooke Lake Camp. There is a plaque in the dining hall with all the founder's names on it. The camp will be celebrating it's 50th Anniversary next year. 

The trail leads to Chapel Island where Vesper was held each evening. 

The beach in the evening curving around to Chapel Island, where we walked to each evening for Vesper.

All kids love a craft!

The lake and the swimming was superb.

A 3 legged Race about the break out.

Canoeing was an option any time of the day.

Saturday night is a cook out on the beach for supper.  

A simple tire swing brought such enjoyment.

The camping area or our home for the weekend. No mod cons here.

Every night after Vesper was a camp fire with singing and performances by the camp counsellors.

The recreation hall. So the camp is prepared for bad weather. They just plan activities in doors, but so many games for use any time of the day. 

The campground is set on the best part of Sherbrooke Lake and the beach is just superb as it has been cultivated for the last 50 years.  

A long running tradition at Sherbrooke Lake Camp is the candle lighting ceremony on the last night of each camp. A candle is light for each family/ person at camp and a prayer is said and then the cross is sent out onto the water.  

If you want to join in Sherbrooke Lake Camp, check out all the info on www.sherbrookelakecamp.org

Sherbrooke Lake camp also welcomes guests anytime. So if you find yourself on the Forties Road in New Ross, drop on in and take a look around. 

I have also downloaded a few more videos taken from the weekend and these can be viewed by clicking on the YOUTUBE icon in the right column.  

General Secretary's Weekly Newsletter

July 12, 2013
Dear Friends,

In any other summer, the flooding and power outages in Toronto this week might have seemed like a big deal. But after the floods in Alberta two weeks ago, and the horrible train derailment and explosion in Lac-Mégantic over the weekend, our experiences here were nothing more than a summer blip.

Since the storm meant the General Council Office was closed for a day, I might as well tell you a little about what happened.

Seeing dark clouds suddenly looming, I left the office before 5:00 p.m. on Monday to try to get home before the rain came. I didn’t make it. It was one of those downpours that soaks you pretty well instantly. As I crossed the bridge over Mimico Creek, I could see that the water was already rising.

The power in our office went off shortly after that. It went off at my home, too, and left as many as 500,000 households in the dark across the Greater Toronto Area. It was a warm summer night, so having no power didn’t cause much suffering. It’s kind of fun to have an evening with candles and flashlights. Being without the Internet and electronics made us realize how much we rely on those things. It was a good night to read: Johny with a book and a flashlight, and me with an e-reader that, fortunately, was charged up. The evening was not as pleasant for the people stuck in flooded streets, subways, and commuter trains, and for those who went home to flooded basements.

The power in our office building was out all the next day. Like a number of other staff, I went over to the office on Tuesday morning to see what was happening. We had no power, phones, radios, or anything at home but you can always hope that it will be different in a big office building. On the way through the park, I realized that it had been completely flooded the night before. A layer of soft mud blanketed the paved walkway, and branches and clumps of mud littered the grass. The creek was still high, pulling some of the trees on its banks into the water.

A security guard at the back door of our office building announced the building was closed. Unfortunately, some staff found that out only after travelling to work from across town or outside the city. We have learned this week that one of the flaws in our emergency plan is that it involves putting a message on the voicemail at our main telephone number, which isn’t possible when all systems are down!

Various colleagues put messages on Facebook , and texted and phoned each other, but that was not until after many staff had already left for work. When my cellphone started working later in the afternoon, I had a lot of messages from people asking whether the office was open that morning, and when my home phone started functioning on Wednesday afternoon there were more there. Without any means of communication, myself, I wasn’t much help to anyone in the midst of it.

At around suppertime on Tuesday, shortly after our power at home had come back on, four participants from the GO Project , a youth mission and outreach program at Islington United Church, arrived at our house for showers. They were still without power at the church, where they live during the time of the project, and the swimming pool where they normally shower was without power and closed. Newly back on the grid ourselves, we were pleased to be able to share some hot water.

Luckily, everyone was patient and understanding about everything. On Wednesday, back in the office, we shared our adventures getting home Monday, coping with floods or power outages, or coming to work and being turned away. A few colleagues did not have power at home until later on Wednesday, and I think the novelty was wearing thin for them.

I hope those from elsewhere who tried to contact us on Tuesday guessed what was going on! Our IT staff were wonderful getting everything up and running again first thing on Wednesday morning.

After this minor bit of excitement, our prayers continue to be with those who are suffering from true calamities elsewhere in Canada and around the world.

Nora

Zion United "New Look" Sanctuary

The Worship Committee has reorganized the Sanctuary 
to make it more welcoming. The chairs have been sat at an angle and the pulpit has been brought down on the floor. Rev Sheila will really be able to reach out and touch you now. 

Marjorie and the Choir will feel more a part of the service and we will be able to see them as they are now not hidden behind the organ. 

We will also be able to see Marjorie as she plays the piano during the Ministry of Music and the Choir will not be hidden back in the corner. 

All in all I think it is a nice change. I like to see things moved around, makes you think and feel differently. 

General Secretary's Weekly Letter

July 5, 2013


Dear Friends,

I’m convinced the work the Comprehensive Review Task Group is doing in reviewing the structures and processes of our wonderful church, and hearing from people far and wide, will help us step boldly into the future — a future that is unknown but full of promise.

That work, formally mandated last summer by the 41st General Council, will result in a report and recommendations that will be considered at the 42nd General Council in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, in 2015.

Meanwhile, life goes on and there are exciting things afoot in the church that don’t need to wait for structural reforms.

My favourite example at the moment is Rock the Bible, the online (Facebook) Bible study that attracted more than 1,700 members during its thirty days of operation in June. Rock the Bible was the brainchild of Trisha Elliott, minister at Carleton Memorial United Church in Ottawa and a regular contributor to The Observer.

I don’t know exactly how Trisha came up with the idea or brought it into being, but that’s the beauty of it. She didn’t get — or need — my permission, or a decision from any elected body. She had a great idea and used the communications tools that pretty well everyone has in their homes these days, and she made it happen. She made it happen with a little help from her friends – a lot of friends.

Every day for 30 days, questions and commentaries from a variety of writers were posted to get the conversation going, and people responded by jumping in with their own comments and ideas. Some of the people knew one another and some were complete strangers, but they were all engaging in Bible study together. Congregations linked Rock the Bible to their own websites, and individuals “liked” and “shared.”

It’s great to find that many people wanting to go online and talk about the Bible. It’s great to see such fascinating, insightful, humorous, sometimes trivial, sometimes deep conversation about scripture taking place daily among friends and strangers.

Those visionaries who created the United Church in 1925 would be amazed! Wouldn’t they be awed!

When my own imagination is limited about what is made possible by today’s tools of communication, it’s good to know that others are way ahead in thought and action.

Even as some of the Rock the Bible participants are bemoaning the end of the thirty days of scriptural conversation, Trisha tells me that plans are already being dreamed up for an expanded version next year. Stay tuned!

Nora

Sherbrooke Lake United Church Camp

Sherbrooke Lake United Church Camp is well underway in it's second week. A great place for teens and younger kids to make friends and have a blast. There is still time to register.

There are still spaces available in some camps for this summer. If anyone is interested in registering please call Tim at camp 644-2479.

For more information on Sherbrooke Lake Camp go to www.sherbrookelakecamp.org

Congratulations on the wedding of Shirley Melanson & Elmer Guild.

Shirley Melanson and Elmer Guild were married on Saturday, June 29, 2013 in Mill Village, in the presence of friends & family. Standing with Shirley & Elmer are Sally and Robert Fader and officiating is Rev. Neil MacDonald. All the best to you both. 

From left, Robert Fader, Elmer Guild, Shirley Melanson, Sally Fader, Rev. Neil MacDonald.

sitting at the table is Shirley's son Michael Melanson

The UCW's Christmas Party 2012

These pics just in from Diane Munro, from the UCW 2012 Christmas Party at White Point Beach Resort. Enjoy!!

Jean Strum, Norma Robertson, Dale Wolfe

Sylvia Wilkinson, Jean Strum, Norma Robertson

Pearl Page, Linda MacDonald

Dorothy Shankel, Marion Crosby

Emilie Turner

Margaret Fisher, Marie Snarby

Sylvia Wilkinson, Carol Baker

United Church Responds to Flood Crisis Recovery in Alberta

Emergency Response (Copied from the United Church of Canada website)

26 June 2013

On Monday, June 24, staff of the United Church’s General Council Office consulted with staff and people of the Alberta and Northwest Conference, the Aboriginal Ministries Circle, and the All Tribes Presbytery of the All Native Circle Conference on the United Church’s response to the flooding in southern Alberta. We are grateful for their insights and guidance as we shape United Church response to the unprecedented flooding.

Learn How You Can Help

True to their indomitable spirit, Albertans have rallied to the aid of their fellow citizens and neighbours experiencing tremendous personal upheaval. The flooding displaced more than 175,000 people and damaged and destroyed private property, vital infrastructure, and public works. Reconstruction is estimated in the billions of dollars. Many evacuees are able to stay with family and friends. Others are being housed in temporary shelters. Entire communities are coming forward to help with food, bedding, medical care, friendship, and support.

The impact of the floods has seriously affected some Aboriginal communities, including Aboriginal people living in urban centres such as Calgary. Donations received at the United Church for the Alberta Flood Relief Fund will be shared with Aboriginal communities affected by this disaster.

It is heartening to see the thousands of Albertans and people from neighbouring provinces who are generously volunteering their time to help with the cleanup as the crisis moves from an immediate emergency response to a time of recovery and rehabilitation.

Similarly, we can be grateful for the generosity of the governments of Alberta and Canada, which have committed hundreds of millions of dollars for recovery efforts. In addition, and as an example of the spirit of generosity that unites all Canadians, countless Canadian aid and other organizations and individuals are donating funds to help with the cleanup and rebuilding efforts.

Funds will be needed for some time to come. Alberta premier Alison Redford estimates it will take 10 years for damaged infrastructure to be restored to pre-flood conditions.

United Church Welcoming Donations for Alberta Flood Relief

Always compassionate in their response to those in crisis, United Church people across Canada are coming to the aid of the people affected by the floods. The General Council Office has established an Alberta Flood Relief Fund and is welcoming donations. The United Church will work closely with Alberta and Northwest Conference and its presbyteries and with All Tribes Presbytery of the All Native Circle Conference to develop plans to respond to the needs of the people affected by the floods. The generosity of individual Canadians, governments, and aid organizations may mean more funds are collected than are needed in the immediate response coordinated by the United Church. Funds will be retained within a designated fund for longer-term reconstruction in Alberta, for flood relief or rehabilitation efforts in any other affected western provinces, or for use in future disasters within Canada. As climate change scientists are telling us, as we understand more clearly the effects of climate change, it is increasingly likely that extreme weather events like the one Albertans have experienced will occur with more frequency throughout Canada.

How You Can Help

Pray

At this difficult time the people in Alberta affected by the floods need our prayers. We also need to thank and pray for the safety of emergency personnel engaged in search and rescue, and the Red Cross and Canadian Forces that are assisting them. Some people are living in fear for those thought to have been carried away by the floods and who remain missing. We know a few families are already grieving the loss of loved ones. We pray for all those whose lives have been disrupted and who have suffered great loss. As we hold them in prayer, let us also remember those who seek to provide support and counsel. We think of clergy who will be working hard to draw communities together, and for city officials, public servants, and town managers for their tireless efforts to bring stability.

As Isaiah assured the people of God’s presence so long ago, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isaiah 43:1).

Support Children Affected by the Crisis

Children and their families are directly affected by the floods. Children across Canada are hearing about the floods. We are mindful of the need to support children as they experience the floods and to support their expressions of compassion for people who are affected by the floods. The United Church of Canada resource Super Friends is available to help children and their families understand how the church responds to emergencies.

Donate

Any donations received and designated for “Alberta floods” will be sent to the Alberta and Northwest Conference for flood relief efforts.

Donations can be made:

Online via our secure donation page

By cheque, money order, or Visa or MasterCard information with donation amount to:
The United Church of Canada
Philanthropy Unit—Emergency Response for Alberta
3250 Bloor St. West, Suite 300
Toronto, ON  M8X 2Y4

IMPORTANT: Make your cheque payable to The United Church of Canada. Please be sure to note "Alberta floods" on the face of the cheque.

For more information contact:

Gary Kenny
Program Coordinator for Emergency Response and International Development
The United Church of Canada
Tel: 416-231-7680 ext. 4051
Toll-free: 1-800-268-3781 ext. 4051
E-mail: Gary Kenny