NEWS AND UPDATES FROM BERMUDA-NOVA SCOTIA REGIONAL COUNCIL

Submission Request for Weekly Announcements


www.ucceast.ca 

Staff Directory      

It’s Your Call – 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.
To view Continuing Education opportunities at the Atlantic School of Theology please click here.

Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council Committee Volunteer form.


Condolences – Rev. Barend Biesheuvel

Our condolences are extended to the family of Rev. Barend Biesheuvel who passed away on January 28, 2024.  The obituary can be viewed here.


Condolences – Rev. Dr. Hans-Martin Rumscheidt

Our condolences are extended to the family of Rev. Dr. Hans-Martin Rumscheidt who passed away on January 29, 2024.  An “in memoriam” can be viewed here and an obituary notice can be viewed here.  The full obituary will be posted when it is available.


Nominations are Open for President-Elect

Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council is seeking nominations for President-Elect. The President serves for a total of 3 years: as President-Elect, President, and Past-President. The President-Elect will serve as a member of the Regional Executive, leading our Region in its work and ministry, within the bounds of the Region. Serving as President of the Region offers many unique and exciting opportunities to engage in the work and life of the Region. More information on the role of President can be found here.

The election will take place at the Annual meeting. In order to post bios of the nominees and allow for printing of meeting materials, please submit nominations by April 26, 2024 at midnight. Nominations can also come from the floor of the meeting at which time nominations will close at the close of the Friday night session. Nominations are open to all members of the Regional Council, including ministry personnel and lay representatives. To submit your nomination, please fill out the form here. The nomination form must include the name of the mover and seconder of the nomination. The Nominee, the mover and seconder must be members of Regional Council. If you have any questions, please contact Nominations Chair, Alicia Cox.


Covenanting Service

Covenanting Service for Rev. Ian Harrison, establishing a new ministry relationship with Kingston United Church.  – Sunday, February 25th at 3:00 PM. – Guest speaker:  Rev. Penny Nelson – Kingston United Church, 733 Main Street, Kingston, NS.  All are welcome to attend.


Serving the Region – Call for Nominations

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 most in need of individuals who are willing to serve:
-Faith Formation and Leadership Development Committee
-Licensing Committee

If you interested in any of these positions, please contact Nominations chair, Rev. Alicia Cox.

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.

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.


Reimagining Church-Reclaiming your Call (for Lay People only)

Live Sessions
February 10, 24, March 9, 23, April 6, 20, 2024
1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

Register at United in Learning https://churchx.ca/local/shop/product.php?id=132

Imagine your community of faith as a fellowship of disciples (instead of a floundering institution);
Imagine following in the footsteps of our radical Teacher (instead of being ground down by budget shortfalls and petty conflicts);
Imagine being part of a Christian community that understands the essence of our identity and call as people of God.
Fall in love with your faith all over again!

Please click here for more details on this program.


Greetings Growth Seekers from Growth Animator Sharon

Do you have a variety of ways to gather information? Do you invite your congregation and wider community to share their ideas to explore ways to grow?
How about putting idea boxes around points of interests in your neighbourhoods to invite them to share what they need? Perhaps you can share ideas through a hopes and dreams jar? How might you phrase one or two great questions to get the feedback you need? Perhaps you have an idea and wonder if people feel they would use the thing you are proposing? Maybe it is time to do an interest survey? How about a door hanger or post card handout in your neighbourhood? Just want to show you care and let others know your community of faith is there, consider handing out homemade cards and including a note of encouragement.
What sort of symbols resonate in your community of faith? Perhaps you will create ideas on a collection of rainbow post-it notes and grow your rainbow of love? Perhaps you are into puzzles and you’ll create puzzle pieces, building your puzzle together. What pieces won’t fit in the renewal and creation of who God is calling you to be in 2024? Maybe it is the image of gardens, trees and growth, what are the seeds emerging in your community of faith? Let me know what resonates for you. You can reach me by email at sballantyne@united-church.ca or by phone 705 875-8837. Let’s grow together with deep spirituality, bold discipleship and daring justice


Candles for Lent – Just Peace Working Group

Join the Just Peace Working Group as we gather in support of Palestine. Each Thursday evening at 8:00 beginning on February 15th, we will gather on Zoom to extinguish candles using the liturgy from UNJPPI. Afterwards we will spend some time together for support. Please join us for one week or all six. Registration is not limited.
You can register here.


Communities of Faith: Singing Songs of Hope to Support Mental Health – Feb 21 7:00PM

Our next Affirm Webinar : Our spirituality is our unique SONG: our sense of Self; connection to Others, understanding of the Natural order of things and our relationship to God.
When life is out of balance a person’s mental well-being can become compromised. They might change behaviors, forgot who they are, who cares for them and maybe they even feel disconnected from God.

This webinar will be an opportunity to dive deeper into our understanding of spirituality, mental health and the impact a community of faith can have on providing support.

Our Presenter is Kelly Hudson-Lewis, Manager of Spiritual Care for the Saint John Area of Horizon Health. Kelly is a United Church minister who, in 25 years of ministry, has served in congregations, community advocacy agencies as well as mental health outreach.

For registration please click on this link.


Living Faith Story Workshop – Online!

What is a Living Faith Story?
Why does our church need one?
How can it do everything from define and enliven our mission
to help us find a new minister?
How can we make one that’s uniquely our own and that we’ll actually use?

If your community of faith has been asking these questions recently, you are invited to gather a group together and join us for the next Living Faith Stories workshop, which will be held online via Zoom, over two evenings, on February 28th and 29th, 2024, from 7-8:30pm.

Click here to register.

For more information, contact Daniel MacDonald,
Chair of Faith Stories and Community Covenant Committee,
at centralminister@bellaliant.com


Sherbrooke Lake Camp Annual Report and AGM

Hello Amazing Faith Community,

We have been so fortunate for the ongoing support and kindness that surrounds us at Sherbrooke Lake Camp. Churches, pastoral charges, UCWs, community members, fellow camp colleagues and of course Camp’s Board of Directors – You are essential to what makes *camp magic* happen year after year. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I have committed to another year as the Executive Director at Sherbrooke Lake Camp, full-time, and I cannot wait to see what we will continue to do together. Please see my annual report attached here.

Our AGM is February 24th, 2024 in-person at St. Luke’s United Church in Upper Tantallon, NS, 10:00am – 12:00noon. There is the option to join us virtually for this meeting as well. If you’re interested please register here and we will be happy to have you part of our day!

Jules Lawrence BScN RN CPedN (C)
She/Her
Executive Director

902 333 CAMP (2257); ed@sherbrookelakecamp.org; www.sherbrookelakecamp.org

Sherbrooke Lake Camp is situated on Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Sherbrooke Lake Camp seeks to live by the principles of Peace and Friendship with our Indigenous siblings, the land, and all of our relations.


Adaptive Leadership Workshop for Ministry Personnel

This one-day workshop will help ministry personnel explore the adaptive challenges that are facing the church, and equip them with new leadership skills to address these challenges. All in-service ministry personnel in Region 15 are invited to participate. There is no cost to attend, and lunch will be provided.

The workshop is offered as part of a doctoral research study taking place across Canada in 2024 and 2025 led by Rev. Clara King (ClaraKing.com), which is testing a new way to teach adaptive leadership. As this is a research project, all participants must sign a letter of informed consent. You can learn more about the workshop, the research study, and the letter of informed consent at a Zoom call Clara will host after Easter; more details to follow.

Adaptive Leadership Workshop
Thursday May 2, 9:00am – 3:30pm, at Atlantic School of Theology
Register by contacting Ross Bartlett ross.bartlett@astheology.ns.ca


First United Church Trenton NS

First United Church is in the search process for a full time Ordained Minister effective January 1, 2024. The Community of Faith Profile and contact information are on Church Hub or by contacting the search committee at firstunitedchurch@ns.aliantzinc.ca or search.trenton@gmail.com


Montreal Dio – French for Ministry Intensive Course

Montreal Dio is offering a one week French for Ministry Intensive Course starting May 6, 2024.  To read more about the details, cost, and how to register, click here.


Grief Radio – A Podcast About Grief

Grief Radio – A Podcast About Grief is a soon-to-be-launched podcast offering Support/Education/Links for training & research and upcoming events.  It is being launched by Rev. Ian Smith, a retired, ordained United Church of Canada clergy person residing in Ontario and Dr. Vivianne LaRiviere, residing in Nova Scotia.  To read the full details, please click here.


 

Bookstore