NEWS AND UPDATES FROM FUNDY ST. LAWRENCE DAWNING WATERS (FSLDW)
Submission Request for Weekly Announcements
www.ucceast.ca
Staff Directory
Emergency Response Memos for Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters (FSLDW)
It’s Your Call – Podcast
Spark 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.
To view Continuing Education opportunities at the Atlantic School of Theology please click here.
Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters (FSLDW) Committee Interest form.
Annual Meeting Registration is Open
Registration is open for the annual meeting. Please read the memo sent from the Executive Minister. Visit the annual meeting webpage regularly for the latest updates and information on the upcoming meeting.
Elected Members to Regional Council 2023
Please use the below link to complete the elected members form to Regional Council for 2023, 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.
FSLDW Elected Members to Council Memo
Notes from the Pastoral Relations Committee – March 16, 2023
- Approved the appointment of Candidate Ellen Locke to the Margate Pastoral Charge effective April 1, 2023, until June 30, 2025.
- Approved financial support for the Young Leaders Retreat being held in conjunction with Region 15 on April 16th and 17th in Debert, NS.
- Supported the decision to close the Sheffield United Church.
- Supported the decision to divest of Living Waters United Church properties in the Prince William Pastoral Charge.
- Approved granting of Sacramental Privileges to Candidate Brian Botten in the Millstream Pastoral Charge.
- Approved the appointment of Rev. Sally Budge, retired supply, to the St. Andrew-St. David Pastoral Charge from September 1, 2022, until August 31 2023.
- Approved the appointment of Rev. Doreen Bird, retired supply, to the Trinity Clifton Pastoral Charge from January 1, 2023, until May 31, 2023.
- Approved the Community of Faith Profile of the St. Andrew’s Kirk Pastoral Charge, Saint John, and authorized them to proceed with the search process.
- Approved the appointment of Rev. Joy Noble, retired supply, to St. David’s United Church, Georgetown Pastoral Charge, from July 1, 2023, until June 30, 2025.
- Accepted the request for a change in pastoral relations due to retirement from Rev. Debra Baker, Mountain View United Church, Moncton, effective June 30, 2023.
- Approved the appointment of Rev. David Cleveland, retired supply, to the Dalhousie-New Mills Pastoral Charge from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2026.
- Approved the appointment of Rev. Charlotte Youland, retired supply, to the Harrisville Pastoral Charge from July 1, 2021, to December 31, 2024.
Introduction to Community of Faith Profile Process
The Regional Pastoral Relations Committee is offering an introduction to the Community of Faith Profile Process on April 15 & 22 beginning at 9:30 am and ending at 11:00 am.
This process is proving valuable not only in times of pastoral transition but also in:
* visioning for ministry direction
* assessing our financial viability
* assessing priorities
* gaining a deeper understanding of who we are as a community of faith
* matching our strengths and passions to needs & opportunities
* better understanding who our neighbours really are
We will explore the sections of the profile and how best to use questions and small group discussion to ascertain the most useful and instructive data. We will look at the role of a profile committee and liaison. (when one is assigned) We will introduce you to workshop tools and outlines. We will talk about the 20% challenge and how you and the other leaders in your community might realize a 20% swing in your budget.
We are asking all ministry personnel to make an effort to be at one of these offerings. This introduction training is also open to all lay leaders in communities of faith who may have interest in inviting this type of discussion in your own community or as part of the Regional Pastoral Relations Process.
To register, please click here.
Pastoral Charge Information Form 2023 – Reminder
The 2023 Pastoral Charge Information Form is now live. The completion of this form is important to the region in order to have current contact information for staff and committees as we attempt to provide you with current communications relevant to your Local Board, Council or Committee. If you do not have some of these officers in your community simply mark that section as N/A (non-applicable). It is essential that each Pastoral Charge completes and submits this form.
If you have had your annual congregational meeting and have elected your governing body for 2023, please click on the link above 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 form. The form can then be updated following your 2023 annual meeting with any new information.
Thank you for your attention to this important request. In the past the response to this request has been low and a complete response from all charges is critical. If you have already submitted your form, there is no need to do so again.
You are reminded that electronic copies of your annual report can now be uploaded to your Church Hub site, as well as emailed to the Regional office (info4RC14@united-church.ca).
Call for Nomination to General Council Committees – Spring 2023
General Council launched their call for Nominations on February 1 and they have a few exciting and different opportunities available during this current recruitment, specifically the National Muslim Christian Liaison Committee and the Task Group to Review the Roles of the Moderator and General Secretary. Please review the current calls and share with others. If you think you or someone you know would be a good fit, encourage them to apply or contact Member Engagement. For more information on the various committees and how to apply, please click here. The deadline for receiving nominations is Thursday March 23.
Bring Visibility to Guaranteed Livable Income
Dear Guaranteed Livable Income supporters,
A Guaranteed Livable Income (GLI) (also known as a universal or basic income, although “livable” is more specific, which is why The United Church of Canada uses it) is a regular payment to individuals or families by government that is not conditional and allows everyone to live with dignity and security. Since the 1970s, The United Church of Canada has called for a universal GLI that is non-discriminatory and accessible, particularly for Indigenous peoples. With the cost of living skyrocketing, a Guaranteed Livable Income is urgently needed.
The United Church of Canada’s national GLI network invites churches and faith communities across the country to hold an action over the weekend of March 24–26 to call for a Guaranteed Livable Income.
What you can do
Engage your local politicians, MPs, municipalities, or provincial representatives (MLAs, MHAs), by
gathering outside their offices
attending a town council meeting
inviting the politicians in for a GLI-focused service (could be a great photo op for them)
For a sample vigil format, click here and for other resources, click here.
Deliver a message to your politicians and the public. Consider handouts (which can be adapted from this one), letters, petitions (if your municipality is at a stage that would benefit from this), and public visibility.
Look at what your municipality has done on this, then include a letter for your politician stating what you’d like to happen. Consider at what stage your community is: sharing information? asking for a specific action? Expressing support and furthering the actions already taken?
If you are engaging with your federal Member of Parliament, call on them to support Bill C-223 An Act to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income.
Moderator’s GLI video
Please check out the new video from the Moderator regarding Guaranteed Livable Income. It can be used in any way useful.
Maritime UCW – Annual Meeting
The annual meeting will be held April 28-29, 2023 at Visions United Church in Moncton. Deadline for registration is March 28, 2023; the registration form can be found here. If you require more information, please contact Ruth Kennedy at ulvashephersns@hotmail.com.
Stewardship: New Learning Opportunities
Click here to view information, or to register, for new learning opportunities.
Office Administrator
Are you looking for a rewarding part time position in which you can use your people skills and creativity?
Visions United Church, an innovative urban congregation in Moncton, is looking for an Office Administrator who has strong writing and computer skills, and who can work cooperatively with staff and volunteers. This position is permanent part-time; 12 hours per week. The office is in a busy community setting (Community Hub on Joyce, Moncton).
Duties include receiving the public, managing the church office, data entry, receivables, email, filing and creating electronic communications. Proficiency with Microsoft office, Gmail/Webmail, technology, web-based programs and applications is essential. Experience using MailChimp and Canva is an asset.
Candidates can email resume and cover letter to jobs@visionsunited.ca.
Eligible candidates will be contacted for an interview.
Click here to see the job posting and job description.
An Easter Retreat: for Personal & Con Ed
Beating Hearts: An Easter Retreat (Digital Resource)
There are beating hearts in the garden of life, and we hear echoes of other stories in our tradition in this Easter story. By holding them side by side and pondering on them, we gain insight into the true meaning of Easter. We come heart to heart with the ever-seeking Mary Magdalene and the two early morning runners and learn how to see. We ponder what spiritual practice might nourish us during the 50 Great Days of Easter.
What You Receive Learn more
A nine-page Retreat Guide offer suggestions for creating a space for settling into your retreat, a reflection on the theme, Beating Hearts, several prompts to evoke reflection, art or journaling, and three suggestions for spiritual practice during the Easter season.
You have permission to share this retreat with others for the purpose of retreating together in the same space.
There is no right or wrong way to make this Easter retreat. You might want to set aside an hour or a half day of quiet time. You might want to get up at sunrise, matching your setting with the time of the story. You might want to work with the retreat over a few days, allowing it to work in you. You will know what your heart needs and what fits with the realities of your life.
Rural Routes Through the Holy: 2023
Rural Routes Through the Holy: 2023 is happening June 15th at 10:00 through June 17th, 2:00 at Camp Abby, PEI. Started in 2019 from a small, rural United Church in New Brunswick, RRTH is now an annual event, a space of nurture for people in rural congregations of any denomination. It’s a gathering with time for both structured and informal conversations, worship, education, play, prayer, good food and stories, lots of stories. You can register and read about last year’s gathering and see a list of accommodations here. Just hover over the Rural Ministries tab to see all that’s there. You can also email ruralroutesatlantic@gmail.com with questions.
This year Dr. Marvin Lee Anderson will again be our main presenter, but we’ll have lots of Tasters too, brief presentations from those who are doing things they love in the congregations they call home. We’ll hear about Community Gardens, Faithful Footprints, Pop Up Church and more. Registration is $50. Gather a group from your congregation, reach out to your neighbouring congregations, consider a carpool, and come. On your own or with friends, you’ll be warmly welcomed!
