FSLDW Weekly Announcements – January 8, 2025

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.
To view upcoming events at the the Centre for Christian Studies please click here.

Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters (FSLDW) Committee Interest form.

Pastoral Relations Committee – December 10, 2024.

• Approved Upper Sackville to continue as a lay led Community of Faith until their next annual meeting.
• Approved the change in pastoral relations for Rev. David Allan effective February 28, 2025.
• Approved the change in pastoral relations due to retirement for Rev. Suan Estabrooks effective June 30, 2025.
• Approved the Campbellton Pastoral Charge Community of Faith profile.
• Approved the appointment of Rev. Samuel Afolabi to the Mount Stewart-Morell-St. Peter’s Bay Pastoral Charge effective February 1, 2025 to January 31, 2028.
• Approved the call of Rev. David Allan to the Bathurst First Pastoral Charge effective March 1, 2025.
• Accepted the motion from Executive and agreed to become the oversight body for the Moncton Hospital Chaplaincy program.

A New Year Greeting from Regional President

Hello/Bonjour,

Since I last wrote, the Advent candle of LOVE was lit throughout our
Communities of Faith, as was the CHRIST candle. The celebration of the birth of Jesus is, essentially, the recognition throughout the Christian world that love came to us in the flesh. Prior to this birth, only a select few held power, while many others were shunned or sidelined because they did not “fit” with the world order of the day. The sick or infirm, children, women, the poor, those from other lands or races had no hope.

Everything changed with this birth. Jesus began to preach a different message than ever before — one of love and inclusion . He seemed unafraid of the sick, encouraged children to draw near to him, had several women followers and appeared not fazed in the least to befriend people who were considered foreign, unclean or banned from the mainstream. Is it any wonder that he and his disciples began to attract huge crowds who travelled from everywhere to hear him? Is it surprising that the elite of the day felt threatened by Jesus’ messages?

Over 2,000 years later Christ’s theme of love remains the central tenet of Christian churches everywhere: love God and love neighbour.

Dear readers, at the start of this New Year 2025, there are still those who are in great need of love in this world. I pray that with the assurance of God’s love of us, and with guidance of the the Holy Spirit, we each intentionally spread love by whatever means may be available to us.

In faith/Avec foi,

Sue
susalemaistre@gmail.com

Regional Council Governance Evaluation Update

Further to the announcement in the newsletter of December 4, 2024, we are preparing the surveys evaluating the governance of your regional council for distribution.  There are 4 surveys that will be distributed in the next couple of weeks.  Seyi Adeyemo is responsible for the distribution and can be reached at sadeyemo@united-church.ca.

Communities of faith will be provided a link to the survey evaluating the governance of Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council next week. Your voice is important so please include a conversation about these questions at your next Board/Council meeting. In order to provide time to analyze the data coming in from the communities of faith and still report to the regional council annual meeting in May, we have set March 15 as the deadline for receipt of the community of faith surveys. 

The governance evaluation will include perspectives of regional council members and those appointed to the governance of the regional council as well as communities of faith through your Board/Council. Members of the regional council – all ministry personnel and the appointed representatives of each community of faith will receive their own survey.

Responsibilities of the Regional Councils are laid out in The Manual 2024 section C. https://united-church.ca/sites/default/files/2024-01/the-manual-2024.pdf and described in your regional council governance handbook.

Please note that a denomination-wide evaluation of structural change is underway separate from this effort.  In a month or two, you will be asked to provide information to the General Council Evaluation Task Group for this work.  As much as possible, we are coordinating our efforts including sharing survey data. Thank you for participating in the surveys when you receive them, and enhancing our life together in this 100th year!

Second Health Joy Excellence Event offering January 2025

Only a month ago we introduced the INSTITUTE OF HEALTH JOY & EXCELLENCE to you.

I hope you will reserve your spot today by registering right here.

Click here for more information about this event.

Share Your Climate Story: You May Be Featured in The United Church of Canada’s 2023-2024 Sustainability Report

Calling all United Church communities of faith, The United Church of Canada (UCCan) will be releasing its 2023-2024 Sustainability Report next Spring. We are looking for submissions of stories, initiatives, and events from 2023 and 2024 to be featured. Submissions should align with one or more of The United Church of Canada’s Climate Pillars: Putting Our House in Order; Raising Our Spirited Voices; Reconnecting with the Earth; or Responding to Climate Impact.

Learn more about the UCCan’s Sustainability Pillars and read previous Sustainability Reports here.

Please click to Share your climate story

Stewardship Update – January 2025

Please click here to read the Stewardship update for January.

Greetings Growth Seekers from Growth Animator Sharon

Are you looking for ways to be bold disciples and invite others? Bold discipleship takes many forms. Some stories are really spontaneous and creative. A person renewed their YMCA membership and in the hot tub of their local Y, struck up a conversation with a dad who had three teenagers. Our bold disciple shared they attended the United Church. The dad indicated he had attended a United church in the past but would have no idea where he and his teens would be welcomed. The person suggested, not their own church, but another United Church in their local area, explaining why they might find it a better fit and offering to make a connection with the minister there! Keep inviting people! Invitation can happen when small groups are creative about where and when they gather. Can your small groups be more public and visible in where they gather? There has been growing shifts to meet in more public spaces, such as meeting in a coffee shop, restaurant, rather than in a person’s home or at the church building. Arrange to meet in a retirement residence, long term residence, common room of an apartment complex, community centre, gym facility, recreation complex, common spaces of educational facility, library, or whatever public settings are in your area. Are there events in your building that you can connect your event with another? For example, looking to connect with children and youth and your! church hosts Scouts, Guides or other groups. Plan a community supper or children’s group that happens before. If parents and caregivers need to drop off young people for an event, offer a coffee social, time for them to stay and wait. Maybe offer a spirited conversation, such as Broadview article study or topics of interest to be hosted while another event is happening. Start a cooking club in your church kitchen or craft group or cards group for family members to be encouraged to stay and wait for the 60-to-90-minute event, children and youth are taking part in. Are there creative ways to double up, or combine to make time twice as nice? Need some ideas specific to your context. Let’s talk how we can grow community connections in your community of faith. Get growth animated by calling Sharon at 506-306-0500 or by email at sballantyne@united-church.ca as together, we keep being bold, deep and daring!

Bethany United Church – Affirming Ministry Celebration Service

Bethany United Church welcomes all people to participate in a diverse community of faith, to learn together, to recognize, experience, and share God’s transforming love.
We strive to be a Christ centered community as we embrace people of all ages, colour, race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, and social and economic status in the full participation of all areas of our ministry.