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. To view upcoming events at the the Centre for Christian Studies please click here. Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council Committee Volunteer form.
Forms Related to Retirees and Jubilarians
Please click here for a memo from Faith March-MacCuish, Executive Minister, with information regarding forms related to Retirees and Jubilarians.
Agenda Time Requests Deadline
The deadline to submit your request for agenda time is March 8. Please click here to submit your request.
Elected Members to Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council
Please click here for a memo from Faith March-MacCuish, Executive Minister, with information regarding elected members to the Regional Council.
Proposals Deadline
Dear Committee/Division/Teams and members of Regional Council: As the 2025, 45th General Council meetings get closer, we need to remind everyone that the deadline for proposals to get before the General Council is April 1st, 2025. If there were proposals that came before the region at our spring meeting in 2024, please note that they have been forwarded to the General Council. If you wish to have other proposals considered, the deadline for submission to the Region is February 26th, 2025. Individuals, communities of faith, networks, and clusters of the United Church may submit a proposal to their respective Regional Council for consideration. The Regional Councils will then take ownership of the proposal, with full ability to make revisions and changes, and either forward it to General Council with agreement or disagreement (providing rationale why the Regional Council is sending a proposal with which it disagrees) or by taking no action at this time.
In order to give the Regional Council Executive time to consider proposals, please ensure that all proposals are received by February 26th, 2024. The proposals will come to the March Executive meetings for your respective region. Proposal guidelines and templates for General Council are attached, and can also be found here: https://generalcouncil.ca/councils/gc45, click on business and then proposals.
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 26th and 27th, 2025, 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
Stewardship Update – February 2025
Please click here to read the stewardship update for February.
Ministry Personnel Position
Beacon United Church, an affirming ministry in a single point charge in beautiful Yarmouth, NS, is seeking a full-time minister to lead us into the future. Beacon offers a well-maintained, accessible facility that acts as a community hub for up to 40 community groups. The congregation is vibrant and financially stable. Yarmouth is a historic sea-faring town that is experiencing growth in an area with a moderate climate. Please see our profile and the position description on ChurchHub.ca. Questions and expressions of interest can be emailed to sollowsd@gmail.com.
Funding Opportunity for Affirming Ministries
Grant Opportunity for Affirming Ministries
The Tegan and Sara Foundation is offering grants between $1,500 and $5,000 to 2SLGBTQ+ leaders and small nonprofits. Our goal is to fund the projects meeting needs of 2SLGBTQ+ people through a diversity of programs, geographies, approaches and communities. Grantees will join a cohort of 2SLGBTQ+ leaders and nonprofits across North America to support each other, and will also benefit from the institutional knowledge of the Tegan and Sara Foundation. For more information and to apply by February 21, 2025 deadline visit the foundation’s Community Grants page.
February Ecumenical Clergy Gathering
Ecumenical clergy in the Halifax area are invited to the Saint Mary’s Cathedral Basilica glebe house at 11am on Thursday 27 February.
Drive in at 5221 Spring Garden Road and park between the church and the red brick house. Come to the door under the canopy.
PAX
Father Brian MacMillan
Ecumenical Office for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
Sherbrooke Lake Camp AGM & Annual Report
As Sherbrooke Lake Camp gears up for our 2025 season, we’ve been reflecting on the highs and challenges of 2024. We’ll be holding our AGM on February 22nd at 10 a.m. at St. Luke’s Church, and we would love for you to join us! Despite facing leadership transitions and the impact of Blue-Green Algae this past summer, our dedicated team came together to create an unforgettable experience for our campers. As we look to the future, we’re excited to announce upcoming fundraisers and a capital campaign for a new kitchen, which will strengthen our camp’s foundation for years to come. Your continued support is vital, and we can’t wait to work alongside you to make 2025 even better. Please read our annual reportfor all the details!
Greetings Growth Seekers from Growth Animator Sharon
Make “adaptable” your super power! Dare to dream it! Is your community of faith getting distracted by its perceptions of impossibility? How can you focus more on the “yes, we can” ministries that will encourage, enliven and energize you and neighbourhoods around you?
“A ship in a harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for” (John A. Shedd) How is your boat moving? Where is it stuck in the harbour? Is your community of faith enlivened? Is your faith story on the move? Consider listing everything your community of faith is doing, the details of any groups using your building and all the outreach that you do regularly, seasonally, annually. Discover where God is already at work in your context and embrace the invitation to join in in celebrating new awareness, new movement.
We’ve been distracted by trying to fix perceived problems, facing decline of much, and perhaps missing the new sprouts of life, of relationships and connections. Celebrate what is happening. Pray for all who are part of events, users of your facilities, the ministries all your members connect with outside your building. Where can you find invitation, opportunity amid the challenges? Looking for a quick resource to figure out where we are at, as a community of faith or in relation to particular focus/initiative. Connect with me about a one-page resource that uses stages of plant life cycle with some images, six words and some guiding questions to further your discussions and action planning. Let’s get growth animated together. Call Sharon at 506-306-0500 or by email at sballantyne@united-church.ca as together, we keep being bold, deep and daring!
Help Spread the Word: Broadview’s Historic UCC Centennial Edition
This June, Broadview will publish a historic keepsake edition celebrating the United Church’s 100th anniversary—a once-in-a-lifetime issue filled with powerful stories, pivotal moments and reflections on the past, present and future of the church.
Thank you for helping us make this centennial issue a true celebration of the United Church’s remarkable journey!
Workshop: Microaggressions
The Affirm committee is hosting a webinar on February 25, 2025 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm (Atlantic)
Microaggressions: Subtle, often unintentional comments, actions, or behaviors that convey stereotypes, biases, or derogatory assumptions about a marginalized group. These can include remarks like “You’re so articulate” or “Where are you really from?”. While seemingly minor, microaggressions cumulatively reinforce systemic inequalities and can have a significant impact on individuals’ mental and emotional well-being.
Register Now! Click HERE to Register
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Annual Meeting Sunday Worship Service, June 1
If you are in need of worship suggestions for Annual Meeting Sunday, June 1, the Worship Team has put together the full service with reflection and options for music, as well as the bulletin version. These are posted on the Shared Annual Meeting webpage under the “Sunday Worship Service” header.
