NEWS AND UPDATES FROM FUNDY ST. LAWRENCE DAWNING WATERS (FSLDW)
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To view upcoming events at the Atlantic School of Theology please click here.
To view Continuing Education opportunities at the Atlantic School of Theology please click here.
To view upcoming events at the Centre for Christian Studies please click here.
Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters (FSLDW) Committee Interest form.
Condolences: Edward “Ed” Daley
Condolences are extended to Mike and Rev. Doreen Bird-Daley on the death of Mike’s brother, Edward “Ed” Daley, who passed away on October 28, 2026. The obituary can be viewed here.
Condolences: Stuart Charles Douglass
Condolences are extended to Kimberley Douglass and family, whose father, Stuart Charles Douglass, passed away on October 25, 2026. The obituary can be viewed here.
Condolences: R. Scott Sweatman
Condolences are extended to Bev Thompson and family, whose father, Scott Sweatman, passed away on October 16, 2026. The obituary can be viewed here.
November 11 Holiday – Change to Announcement Submission Deadline
As the Regional Counciil office will be closed November 11th for Remembrance Day, announcement submissions for inclusion on November 11th will need to be received by 1:00pm on Tuesday, November 10th. Thank you!
Jennifer Taylor is Retiring!
Jennifer Taylor, Executive Assistant to the Executive Minister for Regions East, has announced her retirement! As part of the Fall All-Staff gathering, we acknowledged Jennifer’s upcoming retirement with gifts from each Region. It is with gratitude that we thank Jennifer for her exceptional work during almost 15 years of service with The United Church of Canada. Jennifer’s last day in the office will be Friday, December 18, 2026. I know you all join us in wishing Jennifer the very best in her next adventure.
Update from your President
Please click here to read a message from the FSLDW President, Rev. Rachel Campbell.
A PEI Workshop for Ministry & Personnel Committee Members, November 21 @ Hillcrest United Church. Montague, PEI
Every pastoral charge is required to have a functioning Ministry and Personnel Committee. This Committee is a core support for the ministry offered by your pastoral charge. A well functioning M&P Committee can reduce conflict and improve mission and ministry focus.
Each M&P Committee is encouraged to have at least two individuals attend this workshop, an afternoon of learning and sharing, from 1PM to 4PM at Hillcrest United in Montague, PEI.
The first third of our time together we will cover the basics functions of the M&P Committee. This will help newer members learn the essentials.. The second hour will be devoted to policies and procedures of the Committee, and practical steps. The final hour will be spent on role playing and problem-solving. Refreshments will be provided by our hosts, Hillcrest United Church. Register here.
Breaking the Silence delegation to Guatemala March 6th-19th, 2027. APPLY BY NOV. 6TH
Join us for the Breaking the Silence 2026 Delegation to Guatemala Sat. March 6th-Fri. March 19th. You will help build international solidarity and learn from our Rabinal partners: the New Hope Foundation’s culturally relevant, bilingual Maya Achí-Spanish high school and the Community Legal Clinic that seeks justice for genocide-cases and other crimes committed against communities in the Rabinal area during the Internal Armed Conflict. A meaningful part of the delegation will be an overnight visit to the community of Río Negro to learn about its history and how it has rebuilt following a campaign of destruction during the 1980s. You will have the chance to spend time with our mining justice partners resisting a Canadian silver mining project.
Applicants must attend the delegation orientation Nov. 21st, 10am-Nov. 22nd, noon at Tatamagouche Centre. To learn more about the 2027 Delegation to Guatemala, please contact Kathryn Anderson at kathrynande@gmail.com.
FREE Worship Resources for congregations without Ministry Personnel
The Faith Formation and Education Committee is making FREE Worship Resources, compiled by UCC ministers, available on the FSLDW Website, on the FFE and Resources pages, for congregations without ministry personnel that rely on lay-led worship.
If your congregation has lay leaders for Sunday services, please visit the FSLDW website and look under the Faith Formation and Education Committee and Resources pages for FREE Worship resources for the 2026 Advent Season. More Worship Resources will be made available in a timely manner for YEAR B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Request for Worship Resources Year B
The Faith Formation and Education Committee of the FSLDW Region has a project that gathers worship resources from ministers, combines them, and makes them available on our FSLDW Website for congregations without ministry personnel.
We will make Worship Resources for Advent 2026 available on the website shortly, and we are currently working on Worship Resources for the Christmas Season and the Season after Epiphany. If you have sermons, hymn selections and prayers for Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary, please email those to: fsldwffe@gmail.com
LLWL
FLSDW is pleased to have 26 LLWLs serving across the region. Presently 8 are enrolled in the program. A licensed lay worship leader is a full member of the United Church of Canada who has been determined to have gifts and a sense of call to the ministry of worship leadership and preaching, and who has developed these gifts through participation in a course of study and is licensed by a regional council.
FSLDW Regional Council supports the Vancouver School of Theology in offering the Online Licensed Lay Worship Leader Program, a four module program that combines online learning, mentor sessions, independent study, and practical assignments. Each module is offered once every two years, and participants may begin the program with any module as it is offered. Each module is $300.00.
Are you called to the ministry of worship leadership and preaching? Register here.
If you would like to learn more about this program contact LLWL Coordinator Barbara Prowse barbara.prowse@gmail.com
Updated Resources for Growth and Stewardship
Please do check out a few resource updates to our Growth and Stewardship Resource blog with some new tip sheets and posters here.
Rob will be doing “Toward 2035: What’s next for Leaders” workshop in the coming weeks at the Younger Clergy Gathering and PEI Cluster. He’ll be bringing along a host of new resources to strengthen invitation and generosity!
He’s available to do that workshop, or an “Invitation and Generosity” starter workshop in clusters or congregations.
To invite Rob or have a conversation, please email: rshearer@united-church.ca – Growth and Stewardship Animator for FSLDW
Weekly Drop in Continues
Rob Shearer and Sharon Ballantyne, Growth and Stewardship Animators continue to host a weekly zoom lunch drop-in most Tuesdays!
Clergy and lay leaders are invited to come from 11:45 to 12:30 each Tuesday and talk about our hopes and struggles and hear what’s happening across UCC East.
To get the zoom link, please email: rshearer@united-church.ca
Park Royal United Church, Charlottetown
Park Royal United Church in Charlottetown is set to become PEI’s second affirming congregation in the coming weeks; please click here to read the full story.
Minister Emerita
Rev. Doreen E. Bird-Daley (BA ’94) was installed as Minister-Emerita at Trinity-Clifton United Church in Charlottetown on November 1, 2026.
Winsloe United Sings – Concert Nov. 8th
With the theme “Gospel, Ragtime and Remembrance”, the choir and special guests are offering an afternoon of music at Winsloe United in PEI. There will be a free-will offering, and refreshments will be served.
See the attached poster for more details.
We look forward to seeing you there!
2027 Canadian Church Calendars – Pre Orders
Get ready for the new year with the new 2027 Canadian Church Calendar!
Pre-orders are now being accepted. If you would like to order any calendars, please email details to FDEE@united-church.ca. Please include in your email the quantity you would like, and your preferred shipping address.
The cost of the calendars are:
1-10 calendars: $7.00 tax included
10 or more calendars: $6.50 tax included
(Please note: shipping costs will be an extra charge)
Church Property Network – Upcoming Session: Tuesday November 17, 2026 at 7pm ET
Topic: Anchor Tenants & Sustainable Ministry: Building Strong Long-Term Leases that Protect your Community of Faith
Speaker: Clare Dennis, Congregational Engagement Lead of the Property Resource Group
Purpose of the Webinar:
Many Communities of Faith rely on long-term tenants to generate revenue, support ministry, and strengthen community impact. Yet many existing leases are outdated, incomplete, or missing key protections that can expose churches to financial, operational, and legal risk. Join us for a practical discussion on how to build and maintain strong, mutually beneficial tenant relationships through well-structured lease agreements.
Please click here to learn more about the webinar and how to register.
2027 Salary Changes for Ministry Personnel
The 2027 Minimum Salaries & Reimbursements for Ministry Personnel document is now available online. You can find it in the Downloads section at the bottom of the Ministers’ Salary Schedule and Cost of Living Groups webpage.
The increases to salaries of ministry personnel are not automatically made by ADP. General Council Office staff do not update ADP with minimum salary data. Your pastoral charge ADP administrator must update the minister’s salary in TeamPay or inform ADP of the new salary amount for the pay period beginning January 1.
If ministry personnel have moved up a salary seniority category (A–F) for 2027, they need to inform the treasurer and ADP administrator in their pastoral charge of this change so that their 2027 salary is accurate, based on years of eligible service. Please ask your ministry personnel if they are moving up a salary category in 2027. Ministry personnel are now able to check their salary category information in their ChurchHub account.
Ministry Mentorship Survey: Reimagining Theological Education (RTE) Across The United Church Of Canada Affiliated Schools: Confronting The Narrative Of Decline
In an effort to address the changing landscape of ministry, Vancouver School of Theology received a grant of $9,923,200 USD from Lilly Endowment Inc. in December of 2025 to help establish Reimagining Theological Education (RTE) Across The United Church Of Canada Affiliated Schools: Confronting The Narrative Of Decline.
Rooted in collaboration among the eight theological institutions affiliated with the United Church of Canada—including Atlantic School of Theology (AST)—the RTE project closely aligns with the denomination’s Toward 2035 strategic plan.
Part of this grant includes developing and implementing a mentorship program for new ministers. This program will allow recent graduates to continue to gather regularly with their peers and with a trusted mentor, someone with experience in ministry and training in mentoring. They can bring their hopes and concerns to this group and receive support, ideas, and affirmation.
We would appreciate if you could complete a survey to give us insight into the areas you believe to be important for ministers in their first five years. This can be from personal experience or observation.
You can read a recent interview with Rev. Dr. Heather McCance about the grant here.
