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.
Workshop Space Requests Deadline
The deadline to submit your request for Workshop Space is today, February 28. Please click here to submit your request.
Agenda Time Requests Deadline
The deadline to submit your request for agenda time is March 8. Please click here to submit your request.
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.
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
Covenanting Service between Rev. Angela MacLean, Rockingham United Church, and Bermuda-Nova Scotia Region
A covenanting service to mark our new ministry with Rev. Angela MacLean will be held on Sunday, March 3, 2024 at 3 pm at Rockingham United Church, Halifax, NS. All are welcome and invited to attend. Rev. Shannon MacLean & Rev. April Hart will be offering a reflection. Our youth and senior choir will offer music. Currie MacMullin, will be guest soloist. Light refreshments will be served following the service. Please consider joining us as we celebrate this new beginning!
Details:
Sunday, March 3 at 3pm
Rockingham United Church
12 Flamingo Drive, Halifax, NS B3M 1S5
Covenanting Service – Postponed until Sunday, March 3rd
Covenanting Service for Rev. Ian Harrison, establishing a new ministry relationship with Kingston United Church. – Sunday, March 3rd at 3:00 PM. – Guest speaker: Rev. Penny Nelson – Kingston United Church, 733 Main Street, Kingston, NS. All are welcome to attend.
Herbert S. Sharp Scholarship – Deadline March 1, 2024
This scholarship was established by Herbert S. Sharp, Class of 1890 and is awarded to students located in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island, who are Protestant, a non-smoker, and who have demonstrated financial need. Preference given to members of the United Church of Canada and to applicants from Prince Edward Island. The application deadline is March 1, 2024. Further details on how to apply here.
BNS Pastoral Relations News – February 2024
- Approved the Ministry Services Agreement between St. Margaret’s Bay Pastoral Charge and Bridgewater United Church, February 1 to December 31, 2024.
- Approved the Renewal of Supply Appointment of Rhonda Schofield, Candidate, with St. John’s United Church, Halifax, full time, March 1 to April 30, 2024.
- Approved the Supply Appointment of Kelly Thomson with First United Church, Trenton, 20 hours/week, February 22 to April 14, 2024.
- Approved the Call of Karen MacNeill with Whycocomagh East Lake Ainslie Pastoral Charge, full time, effective May 1, 2024. Dianne Kempt, Liaison.
- Approved the Supply Appointment of Valerie Taylor with Aylesford United Church, 30 hours/week, February 1 to April 7, 2024.
- Approved the Renewal of Appointment of Glenn MacLean with Onslow Belmont Pastoral Charge, 30 hours/week, July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.
- Approved the Supply Appointment of Dianne Kempt, DLM, with St. Ann’s Bay Pastoral Charge, 20 hours/week, March 1 to June 30, 2024.
- Approved the Call of Pieter Le Roux with United Heritage Church, Sydney, full time, effective July 1, 2024. Donnie Morrison, Liaison.
- Approved, on the basis of a 20 year incumbency, that United Protestant Church in Sydney River be invited into a period of Interim Ministry.
- Approved the Profile and position description from Port Wallis United Church for Interim Ministry, and authorized Search. Kym Burke, Region rep to Transition Team.
- Approved the Profile and position description for Windsor United Church and authorized Search for full time ministry personnel. David Hewitt, Liaison.
- Approved the Profile and position description for First United Church, Truro and authorized Search for full time ministry personnel. Linda Atkinson, Liaison.
- Approved the Profile and position description for St. John’s Pastoral Charge, Inverness, and authorized Search for full time ministry personnel. Roberta Phillips, Liaison.
- Approved the Profile and position description for St. John’s United Church, Halifax and authorized Search. Kim Curlett, Liaison.
- Approved the Profile and position descriptions for Bridgewater United Church, and authorized Search. Heather Ferrier, Liaison.
- Approved the Profile and position description for Interim Ministry at Knox United Church, Lower Sackville and authorized Search. Heather Fraser, Region rep to Transition Team.
- Approved a policy proposal that:
To satisfy the requirements for admission, commissioning, ordination or recognition by the regional council, a provisional call or appointment must:
- Be for covenanted relationship (a minimum of 6 consecutive months following the date of admission, ordering or recognition) involving a community of faith and the regional council or an offer of employment to a paid accountable/recognized ministry, as determined by the regional council;
- Be for a minimum of 14 hours/week; and
- Not fill a gap resulting from a leave from which the incumbent is expected to return within 6 months.
Depending on the contextual realities of the both the community of faith and the regional council, requests for exemption for extraordinary circumstances may be submitted for consideration and justification will be required. It would be the Bermuda Nova Scotia Pastoral Relations Committee that grants the exemption.
- Next meeting: Friday, March 22, 2024. For more information, please contact Regional minister David Hewitt dhewitt@united-church.ca
Younger Ministry Personnel Spring Retreat
Once again, the younger ministry personnel (under 50-ish) of Bermuda-Nova Scotia Region and Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Region are organizing a time of retreat.
Please join our spring retreat as we come together to be together. This retreat is designed to be a time of rest and reflection for all those 50ish and under in the Atlantic Region, and will include a special worship to laugh and to cry as we remember and lament our dear friend and colleague, Alison Etter. Please join us at 1 pm on April 4, at the Tatamagouche Centre, for this special 24-hour retreat.
The spring retreat will be held at the Tatamagouche Centre on April 4th and 5th, at a cost of $170 per person. This cost includes all food and accommodations. There is a reduced rate of $150 per person for those who are interested in sharing a room.
More details will be shared closer to the date, but registration is now open.
Visit the UCC Regions East website here to register today!
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Daniel MacDonald
Greetings Growth Seekers from Growth Animator Sharon
How am I showing others Christ through my attitudes and actions? How can I support others on their spiritual journey with Christ? What are some of our stories of transformation? Where is God sending us into the world? Too often we don’t feel enough. Explore “worth-ship” and “with-ness.” God uses each of us, warts and all! Reimagine your WARTS. To grow we Welcome, Attract, Retain, Transform and Send people into the world. Is there a word from our WARTS that stands out in your community of faith? How can you grow that strength? Moving beyond our warts, what is the realm of impact we have being sent out to our neighbours. Re-imagine your community of faith, your neighbourhood, town or city as an eco system working together, interdependent, deepening relationships and being strengthened to make a difference one seed at a time.! Connect with me to chat about what you are doing and how we can keep growing. 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
Time for action
Your Regional Affirm committee is discussing how we can be supportive to our trans youth in this time of political debate and decision making that is impacting their lives. Our suggestions…
- stay up on the information…. egale.ca -national group with up to date info ; peersalliance.ca (a PEI support organization); pflagcanada.ca – for 2SLBGTQ+, families, friends and allies. Chapters in Grand Falls-Windsor and St John’s NL; Halifax, Southwest NS, Sydney-Cape Breton and Truro; Fredericton, Sackville and Saint John, NB. Chromanb.ca in Saint John, NB area.
- attend public gatherings supporting trans youth
- encourage your congregation to have P.I.E. events – that’s Public, Intentional, Explicit actions of support for 2SLGBTQ+ people
- follow Affirm United on Facebook… share posts that help educate and support our youth.
we all need to be doing our part…. join this call to action.
Lenten Reflections
Daily Lenten reflections from Orchard Valley United Church are available on YouTube or Orchard’s Valley website, throughout the Lenten Season. Please join Rev Don as he ponders and shares thoughts on what the season of Lent means. A fun way to help us take time each day to reflect on the Lenten journey.
Communities of Faith Annual Reports
It’s that time of year again where we request your Annual Reports. Please email when they are available (electronic files are preferred) to your Regional Council using the following email:
Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council: info4RC15@united-church.ca
If you are unable to submit by email please mail one copy of your report to:
Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council
21 Wright Street
Sackville, NB E4L 4P8
Potential CIRA Internet Grant Opportunities for Rural Areas – Next Window for Applications begins March 1
Sharing a potential granting opportunity (which might be linked to the broader Rural interests in general), with CIRA. CIRA is the Canadian Internet Registration Authority. They have infrastructure grants available to support providing high speed internet to more rural and remote spaces. You can find more information here.
GLI Urgently Needed
Friends: There are many anecdotal stories about the increasing level of poverty in the Atlantic provinces, indeed in all of Canada. And we experience it daily in terms of food bank usage and visually as we go about our daily activities. The following video and article from Global News confirms statistically that poverty is indeed an intolerable reality. It is specific to Nova Scotia, but has implications for all Atlantic Canada. It challenges the current political response and calls for policy and action that will deal with the pain and hurt that poverty brings. In short it points to the need for a consistent, reliable source of income for all, that is a Guaranteed Livable Income. Please read and listen and call on the powers that be for action that matters.
Hal and Karen Llewellyn (Volunteer GLI Coordinators for Bermuda-Nova Scotia region)
How Nova Scotia’s affordability crisis was years in the making
While the COVID-19 pandemic may have been a driving factor in Nova Scotia’s affordability crisis, experts say the issue has been years in the making.
Read in Global News
World Day of Prayer resource for 2024
Many UCW groups join with women of other churches – such as Anglican, Presbyterian, etc. – for The World Day of Prayer service on the first Friday of March.
Each year the church women of a different country compose and write the resource to be used. The resource this year was written by some of the Palestinian church women.
Whether or not your church has an active United Church Women’s group, this is an informative and inspiring resource for any group.
Here is the link to the World Day of Prayer website
Join the Women’s Interchurch Council of Canada (WICC) national World Day of Prayer service online Saturday March 9.
There’s more info on the WICC website about the annual service and how to participate.
Webinar – Cultivating Discipleship in a Post-Christian Society
Sponsored by the Faith Formation and Leadership Development Committee of the Region
Join Rev. Dr. Rob Fennell of the Atlantic School of Theology and other faithful friends to explore the questions, difficulties, and promise of claiming and handing on our faith in this challenging era. When so many people are estranged from or hostile to organized religion, and many more have abandoned it, what are we to say or do? What might the Bible and other resources of our faith have to say? Come prepared to learn but also to participate and be imaginative.
Webinar Date: Monday, March 11, 2024 at 7:00 pm (Atlantic); 7:30 (Newfoundland)
Register in advance for this webinar:
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!!
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Save the Date
Celebration for the Rev. Ivan Gregan on his upcoming retirement.
Port Wallis United Church, 263 Waverley Road in Dartmouth NS
Saturday, May 25th, 2024
Details to follow as the date gets closer. Hope you can plan to attend and add to your calendar.
Ivan’s final Sunday at Port Wallis is June 30th!
Music Director Opportunity
St George & St Andrew United Church, Annapolis Royal, NS, is seeking a part-time Music Director/Organist/Choir Director. Duties include playing at regular Sunday services, for special services as required, and conducting a weekly rehearsal of forthcoming choral anthems and other music.
We have a two-manual baroque-style (with Swell) tracker-action instrument by Orgues Létourneau (Opus 28, 1991) and a Yamaha digital grand piano (CLP-695GP). The church boasts a strong music programme, with choral anthems as a regular part of every service, and many other musical events take place in our sanctuary due to its excellent acoustics.
For further information and details please email: andrea.boulding@gmail.com.
Annual Declaration of Criminal Records
Dear colleagues in ministry,
You’ve made it through another intense Advent and Christmas season! We know, and appreciate, how much you have put into your ministry as you enter this season of Epiphany. Of course, there are always more tasks and ministry waiting for you in 2024.
The Annual Declaration is one of those required administrative tasks that Ministry Personnel are asked to prioritize each year.
The Annual Declaration is a mandatory process, where Ministry Personnel declare whether or not they’ve been charged with a criminal offense in the past year. This is a simple process that must be done through ChurchHub, by logging in to your account at churchhub.ca.
As per the Police Records Checks policy, if the Annual Declaration is done by the deadline, you will not be asked to obtain a new formal level 1 and level 2 Police Records Check.
Please remember that even if you were late in completing the form for 2023, it still needs to be done on schedule this year.
If you have any questions about this process, please contact your Vocational Minister Andrew Richardson (ARichardson@united-church.ca ). Need help accessing ChurchHub? Please contact ministry@united-church.ca
Don’t delay, complete your form today!
Open House at Annual Meeting
The Association of United Church Clergy (aUCC) invites all clergy in the Region to attend an Open House at St. Andrew’s United Church, Truro, on Thursday May 9th, prior to the Annual Meeting. Please join us from 1 p.m. onward for refreshment and fellowship with fellow ministers. Participation in the aUCC is open to all clergy: Diaconal, Ordained, DLM (active, retired, on restorative care) as well as candidates in any ministry stream currently serving congregations. More details about the event — speaker, presentations, etc. – will be coming soon. Remember to keep this event in mind when you’re booking your accommodation for Regional Annual Meeting! Email: info@yoursanctuary.ca or website
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.
Bridges to Hope: Connecting Spirituality and Imagination
ASTE 2024 invites you to a time of deepening spirituality. Daily we experience spiritual angst and despair arising from; climate collapse, wars, illness, personal and/or global discord. Presenters from Celtic and Indigenous perspectives will explore the potential of our innate ability for imagination and spirituality to lead us out of despair and into hope. This is an opportunity to explore the topic Bridges of Hope: Connecting Spirituality and Imagination in depth in a safe and supportive environment under the guidance of The Rev. Dr. Teresa Burnette-Cole, The Rev. J Ivan Gregan and the ASTE2024 community.
Have questions, have answers, join us – Tatamagouche Centre, June 17-20, 2024; ASTE2024
