Today’s blog is a good news story from guest writer Rev. Karen Macleod-Wilkie, reflecting on the Community Creation Walk and Lunch at South Shore Pastoral Charge on PEI.
From Karen:
The South Shore Pastoral Charge on PEI hosted this exciting event on Sunday Sept. 27th, 2026 in place of regular Sunday morning worship.
We rented the Old Historic Victoria Schoolhouse in one of the communities served by our pastoral charge.
Fifty-four people gathered between 10-10:30 am. They were greeted and assigned to groups and invited to mingle as they shared coffee and cookies.
At 10:30 they were sent out into the community to experience the wonder of creation and to connect with the world around us.
Each person had a map and directions and a small paper bag, to take them to five different stations scattered around the community where 2 volunteers welcomed them.
1) At a farm they were invited to pat lambs, match different coloured eggs to the hens that laid them. They talked about other animals on the farm and they were offered a small piece of wool to put in their bag to remember our connection with the animals of creation.
2) At a beach station they talked about the importance of water for life and the creatures that depend on ocean waters for their existence. And how the health of our oceans affects our health too. They were invited to dip their toes or fingers in the water and/or sand and to collect a shell or piece of sea glass to take with them to remember our connection to the sea.
3) At a lighthouse station they learned the history of a local lighthouse and reflected on lights that guide us like the sun, moon, starts, and light that supports us from the sun. A lighthouse coloring sheet was provided and star stickers to take with them to remember our connection to light.
4) In front of Birch Tree Gallery, a local Indigenous woman had a display of her quill art, and baskets. She talked about her traditions and how we are all connected. People were invited to take memories with them from this place to remember our connections with one another.
5) In front of Feel’N’No Grain, a local gluten free bakery – we were set up at picnic tables with pots of various herbs and people were invited to try to guess what each plant was. They discussed gardens and berry/apple picking and the variety of plants/shrubs/trees that grow on PEI. Everyone was offered a small herb packet they could take home to remember our connection with all the plant-life around us.
For those not able to walk the community, an alternative program was offered at the Schoolhouse. Activity sheets – word searches, cross-words etc. that connected to the stations were done and there was discussion similar to what was explored at each station. Ten people experienced the Creation Walk in this way. Another senior chose to drive to each station.
After the walk, as groups arrived back to the Schoolhouse, soup and rolls/biscuits, cake, coffee/tea/juice were served. (Vegan, and Gluten-free options available for everything)
Our church had ordered t-shirts and many proudly wore them, especially so volunteers were identifiable.
We had several people from the wider community join us, children from two families, a university student visiting for the weekend, and three Japanese women visiting in the area.
Feedback was extremely positive. Getting outside the walls of the church building and into the community was appreciated. The intergenerational connections, getting to experience the Village of Victoria in a new way, making connection with various aspects of Creation and with each other, and having time to be in community over a meal, were all aspects that were identified as gifts of this day.
One person involved with 4-H programming and another for a local women’s group, so appreciated the presentation by Noella Moore, from the Mi’kmaq community that they requested her contact information to invite her to participate in those groups. Connections were made on so many levels.
Last spring we had received a grant in support of rural ministry (through one that Rev. Barbara Cairns had shared around PEI) and we used part of it for our Senior’s Outreach Program that we offer each spring and fall – coffee and conversation times hosted in a community hall. We had a bit of money remaining from that grant so we used it to support our Creation Walk.
If you have a good news growth or stewardship story from your FSLDW community of faith, please let me know – email rshearer@united-church.ca
