NEWS AND UPDATES FROM REGIONAL COUNCIL 15 (RC15)
Please send announcements to trose@united-church.ca
www.ucceast.ca
Staff Directory
Emergency Response Memos for Regional Council 15 (RC15)
Making Hope Visible – Podcast
News from the Pews Newsletter
To view upcoming programs at the Tatamagouche Centre please click here.
To view upcoming events at the Atlantic School of Theology please click here.
Regional Council 15 (RC15) Committee Volunteer form.
Covenanting Service between Shane Doucette, Trinity United Church and Regional Council 15
A Covenanting Service between Shane Doucette, Candidate for Ordination, the Trinity United Church (Crossroads Pastoral Charge) and Region 15 will take place in Timberlea, NS, on Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 2pm. All are welcome.
Annual Meeting – Regrets Form
The Regrets form is now available on the website for anyone unable to attend Annual Meeting. Here is the link for your use.
Elected Members to Regional Council 2022
Please use the link below to complete the elected members form to Regional Council for 2022, thank you to those who have completed it already. Without completing this form elected members will not be able to vote at the Annual Meeting.
Pastoral Charge Information Form
The 2022 Pastoral Charge Information Form can be found on our Regional Council website under forms.
If you have had your annual congregational meeting and have elected your governing body for 2022, please click on the below link to complete. If you have not had your annual meeting, and have the same people serving in the governing body, we kindly ask you to still fill out the information forms.
To all members of the eastern regions of The United Church of Canada:
Please see link below to a new document entitled “A Congregation as a Whole Being the Governing Body”. This document has been updated, based on The United Church Manual 2022 of The United Church of Canada, for congregations who are considering having the congregation as a whole being the Governing Body. This document serves as a set of guidelines for those small congregations who are considering moving in this direction. It is important to note that approval from the region is needed if using this model of governance.
The new guidelines are found on the regional website under policies, or by using the following link: https://ucceast.ca/67292-governance-for-a-congregation. If you have additional questions, or require further information, please do not hesitate to be in contact with your Regional Minister, or myself, at fmaccuish@united-church.ca
Call for Nominations
Region 15 needs your help!
As a region, we can only do the important work and ministry within Nova Scotia and Bermuda with the help of dedicated volunteers like you. As we approach the annual meeting, some terms are ending. The Nominations Committee is seeking interested individuals who may be willing to participate in the region by serving on a committee.
Currently, we are in need of individuals who are willing to serve:
-Nominations Committee
-Financial Accountability and Investments Committee
-Incorporated Ministries Committee
-Annual Meeting Planning Committee
-Faith Story and Community Covenants Committee
-Retiree Support Committee
If you interested in any of these positions, please contact Nominations chair, Rev. Alicia Cox at aliciadawncox@msn.com.
If you are interested in a position not listed above, or you are not sure where your gifts or interests might fit, please fill out the Nominations form found here: https://ucceast.ca/56874-regional-council-15-committee-volunteer-form/
Please share this information with your congregations. Committee membership is open to all community of faith members within the bounds of Region 15, and is not limited to elected representatives to the region.
Worship 101 for Occasional Lay Worship Leaders
Have you ever been asked to offer partial leadership in worship–or take on an entire worship service–and had the sinking feeling that you didn’t know where to begin? Or, that you just can’t see yourself ‘up front’ in that leading role? Then we have a series of workshops for you!
The RC 15 Faith Formation and Leadership Development committee is offering a five part series– Worship 101 for Occasional Lay Worship Leaders. These workshops are meant to help the occasional lay worship leader untangle how to get started, where to find resources, and how to prepare to lead worship with confidence. These workshops are designed to respond to Regional Council 15’s Strategic Plan Pillars of Discipleship: to “Promote the importance of discipleship as core to the strengthening, vitality and sustainability of Christian community”; and Leadership: to “develop curious, faithful, brave leaders”.
The series will be held on Zoom in late April to mid-May. Click here for more details.
Godly Play Core Training for Storytellers & Doorpersons – New Dates Spring 2022!
Part 1: Friday, May 6 from 4pm – 9pm AND Saturday, May 7 from 8:30 – 5:30pm
AND Part 2: Friday, June 10 from 4pm-9pm AND Saturday, June 11 from 8:30-5:30pm
Choose one of two training locations: Halifax, NS or Sackville, NB
There are a lot of things you can learn from a book or a lecture, but Godly Play is best learned from the inside out.
At a Godly Play Core Training participants
· experience and learn about the different kinds of Godly Play stories;
· tell a story by heart and receive supportive feedback;
· learn the fundamentals of setting up your own Godly Play space and program.
Training includes two parts, each with a key plenary sessions and stories from one of the Godly Play genres Certificate of Accreditation is awarded upon completion of both parts. Visit: godlyplaymaritimes.com to register and for more information.
Atlantic Seminar in Theological Education (A.S.T.E. Seminar)
The Atlantic Seminar in Theological Education (A.S.T.E. Seminar) that has often met in Truro each year, will be meeting this year at the Tatamagouche Centre in June. ( June 12 – 17, 2022).
Building Respectful Relations – Examining Canadian History from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples. We will learn about Mi’kmaq culture, values and history with presentations on past community life, life after colonization and life now for the Mi’kmaq including their hopes for the future. We will touch on the Residential School reality, MMIWG2S, the Act of Assimilation and songs, stories and poetry will be woven throughout our journey of learning together.
There is a registration discount for people registering prior to April 20, 2022. View full details here.
Eco Justice Working Group for Regions 14 and 15 submits a response to government’s Draft Radioactive Waste Policy for Canada
The submission critiques the Draft Policy’s introductory assumptions that ‘we need nuclear’, referencing a summary of expert articles “Countering the Nuclear Industry Narrative”. It supports the “Alternative policy” issued by citizen experts of Nuclear Waste Watch, adding that there is a need for funding for: indigenous and citizen groups seeking education to facilitate transparent, informed engagement and independent research on health impacts and technologies for waste management. It critiques the apparent ‘deregulation’ approach by government, relying on industry initiatives.
Lepreau Nuclear Power Application for 25 year licence renewal Interventions
New Brunswickers and others have submitted “Interventions” either in support of, or against, the approval of a licence to operate the Lepreau station until 2047. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission regulator (CNSC) will hold hearings on these interventions in Saint John NB on May 11 and 12, 2022, which will be live streamed. A comprehensive intervention against the 25 year application was submitted jointly by the Coalition for Responsible Energy Development – NB and the Canadian Environmental Law Association. It can be accessed through links from the CRED-NB website https://crednb.ca/2022/03/29/a-25-year-nuclear-licence-for-nb-power-cred-nb-and-cela-intervene/. The 40 recommendations include procedural as well as safety concerns, including the much wider ‘Ingestion Zone’ required in the event of a serious radioactive event. All interventions will be posted by CNSC.
Climate Stories From Your Church Wanted
The climate crisis is in the news every day. What has your Community of Faith been doing this past year to raise awareness, learn about, and take action towards climate justice? Last year at our region’s AGM we were called to work towards climate justice in whatever ways we could – through prayer, preaching, learning, making our building more energy efficient, forming a Green Team or Climate Justice Committee, and working with others to advocate for climate justice. Here is the video that gave us ideas about what we can do: https://youtu.be/8ylrgqJ4UYw
The Ecological Justice Working Group asked us to share our stories and actions so they can be communicated at this year’s Annual Meeting to inspire and encourage us to do more. Here is a link to the proposal we supported. https://ucceast.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/1-Climate-Crisis-A-Call-to-the-Faithful-to-Work-Towards-Climate-Justice-RC15.pdf
Please send your story, photos, video or whatever you have about what your Community of Faith has done for the earth and for environmental justice to: drsusanalex@yahoo.com Subject line: “Regional Climate Justice” by: April 29th. We will share at our next Annual Meeting.
Emmanuel College Events
Rethinking Preaching Conference (April 25-26, online), Emmanuel College’s Centre for Religion and Its Contexts and Shining Waters Regional Council are pleased to be hosting this year’s conference with the theme “Intercultural Preaching,” featuring the Rev. Michael Blair and Prof. Jerusha Neal! Please see the full invitation below and share widely through your networks and with friends and colleagues. See full details for this conference and the call for submission of papers (below) here.
Also, a final call for the submission of papers for the Christian Left Conference 2022 (August 5–6, online). This year’s theme is “Creation, Land, and Indigeneity: Resistance on Turtle Island and Beyond.” Please see the full call for papers below and, again, share widely through your networks and with friends and colleagues. Papers are due April 4.
I hope you can join us at the end of April for the Rethinking Preaching Conference… and please consider submitting a paper for the Christian Left Conference.
