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.
Condolences: Rev. Rupert Joseph Manchester
Our condolences are extended to the family of Rev. Rupert Joseph Manchester, who passed away on Wednesday, December 15, 2024. The obituary can be viewed here.
Display Spaces Available – Celebrating 100 Years of the United Church of Canada
We’re getting ready for a big celebration—and we’ve got room for 10 display spaces as part of the event! If you’d like to set something up, just let us know. It’s first come, first serve, so don’t wait too long! Deadline to requests your space is May 9.
You can grab a spot by filling out this quick form here.
We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Nominations are Open for President-Elect – Deadline Friday
Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council is seeking nominations for President-Elect. This position is for a total of three years: one year as President-Elect, one year as President, and the last year as 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 the Region in this way offers many unique and exciting opportunities to engage in its work and life. More information on the role of President-Elect, President, and Past-President can be found here.
As this election will take place through the Annual meeting held online, no nominations will be accepted from the floor, due to the nature of the online voting process. All nominations must be received by May 9, 2025 at midnight. Nominations are open to all members of the Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council, including ministry personnel and lay representatives. To submit your nomination, please fill out the form here.
Each nomination must include the names of two people who will move the nomination. These people must be members of Regional Council. The nomination does not need to come from the governing body of your local community of faith, it just needs to be 2 people from the Region who support the nomination.
If you have any questions, please contact Nominations Chair, Tracy Friars.
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.
Interim Regional Ministers for Pastoral Relations and Community of Faith Support
Please click here for a memo from the Executive Minister, Rev. Faith March-MacCuish, announcing our interim Regional Ministers for Pastoral Relations and Community of Faith support.
Thank you.
Covenanting Service – Bathurst Pastoral Charge
The special worship service celebrating the new covenant between First United Church in Bathurst, the Rev. David Allan, Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council and our loving God will take place at 2:30 pm on Sunday May 25, 2025, at the church located at 309 St Patrick St in Bathurst. The guest speaker will be our friend the Rev. Ivan Gregan. A time of fellowship will follow in the Ruth Morrison Room. All are welcome to this important celebration of ministry and pastoral relationship in the life of our congregation and in our community.
Covenanting Service- Hillsborough United Church
The congregation of Hillsborough United Church invites you to our Covenanting Service with Rev Tara Ann Gourson, to be held on Sunday, May 25 at 2 pm at the church, 2891 Main Street, Hillsborough, NB. All are welcome as we move forward in ministry together! Lunch to follow. Please click here to see our Facebook page and reach out to huc1862@gmail.com if you would like more information.
Regional Grants for 100th Anniversary Celebrations
The Region has recently been made aware that requests to the United Church Foundation Centennial Granting Fund were far more numerous than the fund could address and worthy projects to celebrate this historic anniversary of the United Church were unable to receive desired funds. Given the Region’s desire to ensure that projects within FSLDW Region will be able to maintain their celebrations to mark this anniversary, groups and/or Communities of Faith within FSLDW, especially those that have had application to the Centennial Granting Fund denied, are invited to submit proposals to the Region’s Financial and Mission Services Committee for consideration. Please forward requests, including a brief outline of your project and the funds requested, to the committee via email at FSLDW.FinMScvs@gmail.com. All requests must be received by noon on May 13th and must identify if this is a new project or one that was unsuccessful in their request to the Centennial Granting Fund.
Save the Date! One-Day Conference for Church Administrators/Secretaries.
United Church Office Administrators, Church Secretaries, Administrative Assistants (however you are named!) are invited to attend a one-day conference on Monday, June 16th at St. John’s United Church, Fall River, NS. In the morning we will focus on the increasing variety of expectations on us for Communications and in the afternoon we will connect around the variety of people skills needed and experiences we have managed so far in our work.
The morning session will be a hybrid of in-person and Zoom participation while the afternoon session will be for in-person attendees only.
We encourage anyone in this role to attend in person as an important part of the conference is the comradery and community we build throughout the day. Lots of information to follow! For information contact Robyn Brown-Hewitt rbrown-hewitt@united-church.ca. For now, just save the date and plan to attend!
Annual Meeting Delegates, Don’t Miss Marie Wilson Book Launch Thursday, May 29th 7pm
The FSLDW and B-NS Regions Justice, Mission and Outreach Committee, along with the Mount Allison University Centre for Indigenous and Critical Canadian Studies, is honoured to host a book launch for North of Nowhere: Song of a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner on Thursday evening May 29th, 7pm in the Grand Room, Windsor Bldg. 1st floor. Marie Wilson will read from her moving, personal account of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Don’t miss this privileged opportunity to hear from Marie Wilson, as we live out our Residential School Apology.
New schedule for Marie Wilson Book Launch Tour, Author of North of Nowhere: Song of a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner, Speaks in the Maritimes May 15th-30th
North of Nowhere, Song of a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner by Marie Wilson May 15-30 Maritimes Book Launch Tour
The Maritime Regions Justice, Mission and Outreach Committee and Women of First Light are honoured to host the Maritimes book launch tour for North of Nowhere: Song of a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner. Marie Wilson will read from her moving, personal account of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which recorded the history of forced residential schooling for Indigenous children.
Don’t miss this privileged opportunity to hear from Marie Wilson, as we live out our Residential School Apology. See her updated itinerary below. Please announce this in your bulletins and from the pulpit, strongly encouraging people to attend.
ITINERARY *Books are available for purchase and signing at all locations.
Join Rambles 2025
Join Prayer Bench & Kereru Publishing (NZ) this May for Rambles. Explore shades in the garden, forest, water, and street as we walk beaches, woods, bush, and neighbourhoods together.
Mondays in May: Receive a beautifully curated digital scrapbook page to inspire your weekly ramble.
Thursdays: Enjoy a behind-the-scenes email conversation between Janice and Caroline.
Sundays: Reflect with a guided email based on the week’s theme.
All week: Share stories and photos in our Ramble Facebook Group—and help create a final community scrapbook on May 26.
Sign up by May 5. Learn more here.
Financial Services your Church may Need
In case you didn’t know there is an Incorporated Ministry called the Financial Services of Maritime Conference. This organization can help your Community of Faith with investing their funds in an ethical, secure and supporting way. If you have interested in further information you can check out their services available from either the Fundy St Lawrence Dawning Waters or Bermuda Nova Scotia’s Cross Region page and then under Financial services.
SE New Brunswick Centennial Celebration
Mark the date: June 8th 2025 @ 11AM!
St. John’s United Church, Moncton New Brunswick
Hospital Chaplaincy: Moncton City & George Dumont Hospitals
Please note: privacy legislation does not permit the Chaplain (or other Ministry Personnel) to randomly visit with persons who are in hospital. Chaplains and Ministry Personnel need your invitation/permission, or the permission/request of a family member.
If you would like a visit from your Minister or the Chaplain, or would like to have your Minister or Chaplain visit a family member, you may make the request through the Nursing Staff or the Chaplaincy Department, or you may contact the Chaplain directly at (506) 940-1151 (voice or text).
Greetings Growth Seekers from Growth Animator Sharon
The final week of April was volunteer appreciation week. It is with deep gratitude I offer thanks to all of the ways you give of yourself in the caring for, with and about others. You give in so many ways that go unnoticed and unacknowledged, but is appreciated beyond measure. Please see the Moderator’s thank you here! Thanks for all you do.
If you have not written down any of those key learnings of where this is kept, or how that is done, or when this happens, or why we have a thing or do a thing, make sure you have it all recorded. Whether it is the UCW list of how many potatoes are needed to serve two hundred people, those cherished tried and true recipes, or certain idiosyncrasies of making a thing work well, who the fix-it contacts or the labelling of all the breaker switches or where that special used only once a year thing is stored, an inventory is so important.
If your community of faith has not done so recently, it is also a great idea in your spring cleaning to see what needs to be sent to the archives to keep preserving the stories of our faith. Don’t forget to capture your stories of this one hundredth. Are you capturing and collecting the stories told by your local members, who have great wisdom? Do an interview series, collect up photos and tell the stories of your artifacts. As you think about thank you and stories of your community of faith and your neighbourhood, what new thing might emerge to better connect. Is it time for a local recipe book for 2025 family favourites gathered throughout your city, town or village? Perhaps you are reminded of old-fashioned outdoor games and picnics and a neighbourhood gathering in the local park might happen? Is there a local cause you can be a community partner with to support and grow awareness and advocacy? Check in with your neighbours on what might be an uplifting thing to do together this spring and summer! 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!
