FSLDW Weekly Announcements - March 19, 2025

NEWS AND UPDATES FROM FUNDY ST. LAWRENCE DAWNING WATERS (FSLDW)

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.

Condolences: Rev. Carolyn Vera (Fraser) MacLeod

Our condolences are extended to the family of Rev. Carolyn Vera (Fraser) MacLeod, who passed away on March 17, 2025. The obituary can be viewed here.

Condolences: Diane Hamilton

Our condolences are extended to the family of Rev. David Hamilton, on the passing of his wife, Diane Hamilton, on March 07, 2025. Her funeral was on March 11. The obituary can be viewed here.

Condolences: Cavell Robina Burke

Our condolences are extended to the family of Rev. Kym Burkes, whose mother, Cavell Robina Burke, passed away on March 11, 2025. The obituary can be viewed here.

Condolences: Rev. Kendall Harrison

Our condolences are extended to the family of Rev. Kendall Harrison, Regional Minister of Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council, who passed away on March 10, 2025. The obituary can now be viewed here.

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.

REMINDER: Annual Pastoral Charge Information Form 2025

To improve the speed and accuracy of communication between FSLDW Regional staff, committees and our pastoral charges we are asking each pastoral charge to complete and submit the Annual Pastoral Charge Information Form (click here) as soon as possible after your 2025 annual meeting. This updates the Region with the names and contact information of your current leadership and regional council representatives.
The form is fillable online but can be printed and mailed or faxed if the individual designated to complete the form does not have internet access. Any paper copies may be mailed to the Regional Office at 21 Wright Street, Sackville, NB E4L 4P8 or faxed to 506-536-2900. Any questions you may have about the form can be directed to Seyi Adeyemo, FSLDW Communications and Office Administrator, at sadeyemo@united-church.ca or 1-506-306-0494.

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:

Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council: Info4RC14@united-church.ca

If you are unable to submit by email please mail one copy of your report to:
Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council
21 Wright Street
Sackville, NB E4L 4P8

Revised Ministry and Personnel Committee Handbooks Now Available

We are pleased to announce that the revised Ministry and Personnel Committee handbooks are now available on both the Handbooks page and the M&P Committee page. This marks the culmination of a long process, and we are extremely grateful to the working group team for their input, suggestions, and dedication in reviewing drafts. Special thanks to Dan, Kendall, Lynne, Micol, Rey, Tracy, and Victoria, as well as Angelica from HR and Nicole from Legal for their invaluable contributions.

Key Highlights of the Revision:

The core Ministry and Personnel Committees: Policy, Procedures, Practices has been updated to include new guidelines for how the M&P Committee will operate. A significant change is that any hiring or termination of lay employees has been moved to a separate resource.

A set of companion resources offer further guidance for specific work of the Ministry and Personnel Committee:

1. Annual Performance Reviews, offers guidance on conducting annual performance reviews and the processes of giving and receiving feedback.
2. Developing and Maintaining Healthy Teams, provides advice on forming and maintaining healthy ministry teams, including both ministry personnel and lay employees.
3. Beginnings and Endings include guidance on recruiting and selecting lay employees, differentiating between employees and independent contractors, addressing employment issues during community of faith transitions (such as disbanding or amalgamations), handling staffing relationship terminations (retirement, resignation, death, or termination), and conducting exit interviews.

The Communications and Ministries in French team is handling the French translation.

This announcement is offered by The Reverend Adam Hanley (he/him), General Council Program Coordinator for Ministry Personnel Vitality. If you have questions, please contact Regional Minister David Hewitt dhewitt@united-church.ca.

Words from Regional President

Hello/Bonjour,

It has been hard of late for me to find words to share with folks in our Region…

We have lost Rev. Kendall Harrison, whose vocation it was to minister to Ministers of FSLDW who, of all people, are in need of someone to help shoulder them in difficult times. Our sincere condolences go out to his partner and family, and to all those whose lives and work were touched by Rev. Kendall throughout the United Church of Canada.

We are also surrounded by the “war” word — talk swirling of trade wars, wars for which peace talks fail and wars that may be just over the horizon.

I recently came across these words from Mother Teresa: “There is a tremendous strength that is growing in the world through sharing together, praying together, suffering together, and working together.”

We must find hope in togetherness! Our own “New Creed”, created long after Mother Teresa’s words, assures us as well that we are not alone. Thanks be to God.

In faith/Avec foi,

Sue LeMaistre
susalemaistre@gmail.com

Camino Nova Scotia

Since 2014, as part of the educational outreach of the Atlantic School of Theology, Camino Nova Scotia has “made pilgrimage local.” Pilgrimage is spiritual travel for transformation. Camino Nova Scotia offers guided group walking pilgrimages in—you guessed it—Nova Scotia!

This summer we are offering Caminos along the South Shore of Nova Scotia and on the Western shore of Cape Breton Island, both of which highlight the seaside beauty of our beautiful province. Join us on pilgrimage and discover more about yourself in community, as you also discover the Gaelic, Mi’kmaq, and Acadian histories of the Land under your feet.

Visit www.caminonovascotia.ca for more information.

Daring Justice in Tyrannical Times: A Transgender Soldier’s Plea to the Church

Webinar: March 19, 2025 at 7:00 PM (Atlantic)

Hosted by Bermuda-Nova Scotia Affirming Committee

Are you feeling helpless in a world that seems intent on regression? Come hear about the experience of a transgender Canadian United Church military chaplain who is living the impacts of emboldened hatred as public values shift away from equality, diversity, inclusion, and acceptance. Ultimately a story about hope, personal growth, and faithfulness, you are invited to come and hear exactly what the church can be doing right now – spoiler alert: it has to do with embodying the radical love of Jesus.

Captain Reverend Beatrice Gale has been a United Church minister for 17 years, serving Memorial United Church in Prince Edward Island and then Brookfield Pastoral Charge in Nova Scotia before joining the Canadian Army in January 2017. She began her military journey at CFB Gagetown, working for the Royal Canadian Artillery School, the Infantry School, and the 2^nd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, with whom she deployed to Latvia in 2020. In 2021 she worked with the military intelligence community before moving to the Royal Military College in 2022. She has served since 2024 as an Engagement and Outreach Coordinator for the Chief Professional Conduct and Culture, the centre of expertise ensuring professional conduct in the Defense Team. Chaplain Bea is the first openly transgender chaplain in the Canadian military.

Click HERE to Register NOW!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

New Seniors’ Climate Action Group in New Brunswick – Getting the Word out to Faith Communities

As we are facing a climate emergency, it is all the more obvious that we cannot sit back and wait for others to act. Everyone has a role to play in advocating, both as individuals and as communities, for phasing out the use of fossil fuels and for a just transition to renewable power and clean energy. As part of the national Seniors for Climate Action Now! movement, five local chapters have been organized in New Brunswick and two on PEI. They’re located in: St. Andrew’s, Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, Tantramar, Summerside and Charlottetown. If you would like more information about what Seniors for Climate Action Now! is doing, or if you want to join a group, go to: seniorsforclimate.org Please note that the national organization has decided to make Earth Day (Tuesday, April 22) the next opportunity for a call to action. Events will also take place across the country throughout the week of April 21-25. New Brunswick groups are planning a huge rally in Fredericton on Earth Day! SAVE THE DATE!

Linda Foy
Steering Committee
Seniors for Climate Action Now- Tantramar

Earth Week Activities for Communities of Faith

Earth Week is around the corner. Churches can play an impactful role in celebrating Earth Week from April 20-27, 2025, by focusing on creation care, environmental stewardship, and the interconnection of faith and nature. What are your plans as a Community of Faith. Why can’t you try this?

Please click here to view the earth week activities for Communities of Faith.

Greetings Growth Seekers from Growth Animator Sharon

Feedback please! When we try new things, test something out, pilot it, we rely on feedback. When we consider a new purchase, we read reviews. After we try a new thing, we often share our experiences with those we know. How might you strengthen invitation and build relationships applying these ideas in your community of faith? How might feedback cards strengthen your relationships and learning? Create a two-sided feedback and contact form. Consider questions on one side asking something like: What was the best thing about your experience? What did you enjoy?
What could be improved? How can we do better? On the other side create a contact form perhaps with a brief sentence of thank you, inviting people to share contact information. You might think of a couple of check box questions relevant in your context.

Who outside your community of faith will you give feedback to as a way of strengthening invitation? How will you expand the feedback idea for yourself by talking about your experiences for events you have been part of, or perhaps are planning. You can provide your personal feedback experiences to engage people you want to invite to events. You might share your growing excitement as an event gets closer and connect with them by saying something like “you know how I have been telling you about the upcoming “x” event, would you like to come with me?”
Keep building relationships and making connections. 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!

An Invitation from the Atlantic School of Theology

The Atlantic School of Theology is preparing an application for a major grant from the Lilly Endowment to assist the school in responding in a focused and supportive way to the current ministry (lay and ordered) needs of churches. The Rev. Dr. Steven Chambers is consulting with the school on the preparation of this application and invites you to one of these focus group gatherings:

St. Georges Anglican Church, 51 Church St., Moncton, 1:30pm on Monday, March 24. Parking on the Queen St. side of the building.

Spring Park United Church, 65 Kirkwood Dr., Charlottetown, 9:30am on Wednesday, March 26. Parking at the church.

Mt. Royal United Church, 106 Mt. Royal Blvd., Moncton, 9:30 on Thursday, March 27. Parking at the church.

Thank you for joining in one of these conversations, as AST seeks to serve you and the church in new and creative ways. For more information contact: steven.chambers@astheology.ns.ca

Faithful Footprint Atlantic Roadshow

The Ecology Action Centre is inviting you to the first stop of the Faithful Footprint Atlantic Roadshow, in Cape Breton this Saturday March 22nd at Carman United, 1 Clyde Avenue, Sydney Mines Cape Breton from 2pm to 4pm. All are invited to attend and hear stories directly from the congregation on how they proceeded with their energy retrofit as well as learn more about the Faithful Footprint program, take a building tour, and ask any questions that you have about the grant and energy retrofits. Light snacks, coffee and tea will be served.

The Ecology Action Centre is doing a Roadshow across the Maritimes in the next 2 months to celebrate the many Atlantic churches who took part in the Faithful Footprint program and encourage other United Churches to apply for the grant. We will be in Sackville NS on April 4th, Montague PEI on April 12th, Charlottetown on April 13th, Lunenburg on April 27th, Dartmouth May 11th. The Faithful Footprint program is a grant program by the United Church to encourage United Churches to retrofit their buildings and help them to be more energy efficient and get off oil.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Shreetee at shreetee.appadu@ecologyaction.ca or 902-429-2202 ext 152

NAVIGATING HOPE AND DESPAIR: A NATURE WRITER’S JOURNEY

A Special Invitation to the ASTE2025 Levy Lecture
NAVIGATING HOPE AND DESPAIR: A NATURE WRITER’S JOURNEY
with Harry Thurston
Tuesday May 12
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tatamagouch Centre

Harry Thurston was born in 1950, at the very beginning of the Anthropocene, that era in which humans became a geological force shaping the planet’s biosphere. As a nature writer and poet, his challenge has been to navigate the rough moral and artistic terrain between despair and hope. He will trace that journey and the responsibility that comes with it through an examination and sharing of his work in both prose and poetry.

Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Harry Thurston is the author of thirty books of poetry, natural history, and memoir. His first prose book, Tidal Life, A Natural History of the Bay of Fundy, revealed the life-giving powers of the Fundy tides and argued against damming them for electrical generation, and is now considered a classic in the natural history genre. His eco-memoir, A Place Between the Tides, A Naturalist’s Reflections on the Saltmarsh won the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award in the U.S., and The Atlantic Coast, A Natural History, received the Lane Anderson Award for the best science writing in Canada. His latest poetry collection, Ultramarine, was a finalist for the J.M. Abraham Atlantic Poetry Prize and the Fred Cogswell Award for Excellence in Poetry. He lives in Tidnish Bridge, Cumberland County, and is a Mentor in the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction program at University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Learn more about Harry at his web site. http://harrythurston.ca

The Levy Lecture is an integral part of ASTE. The lecture is open to the public at no charge. In particular we are always glad to welcome ASTE alumni to the lecture.

More information about ASTE2025.