Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council Weekly Announcements – July 9, 2025

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.

Memorial Service – Rev. Joe Manchester

The Memorial Service for Rev. Joe Manchester will take place on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 11 am at Hillside United Church, 12 Flamingo Drive, Halifax, NS.

COVENANTING SERVICE, ST. JOHN’S MIDDLETON

St. John’s UCC, Middleton will be holding a celebratory covenanting service for our newly appointed minister, the Rev. Elisabeth Bachem-Jennings on TUESDAY, AUGUST 12th, 2025 AT 7:00PM.
Guest preacher to be announced later. Region Liaison, the Rev. Brenda McKay.
All are warmly welcome!

BNS Committee Vacancies

Dear friends in faith,

We are writing with an open heart and a hopeful spirit to invite you to consider sharing your unique gifts in service of our community. The Bermuda-Nova Scotia Region of the United Church of Canada is currently seeking passionate, dedicated individuals to step forward and volunteer for several key roles.

These positions are more than just vacancies—they are opportunities to nurture our collective ministry, strengthen our connections, and help guide the church into its next chapter. Every role, big or small, contributes meaningfully to the work we do together.

Please take a moment to look over the list of opportunities. Pray on them, reflect on where your talents and energy might be most needed, and consider saying “yes” to something new. Your time and gifts can make a profound difference.

At the moment there are several vacancies.  If I may, I would like to lift up the Licensing Committee, Faith Story Community Covenant Committee, Future Directions, and Faith Formation as places that can use your time, gifts, and talents.

If you feel called—or even curious—we would love to hear from you.  Please reach out to me at angelamaclean@hillsideunited.org or Tony Orlando at tonye.orlando@gmail.com.

With gratitude and hope,
Angela MacLean
Nominations Chair
Bermuda-Nova Scotia Region
United Church of Canada

100th Anniversary Lapel Pin

The United Church Bookstore is taking orders for the 100th anniversary centennial lapel pin. The cost is $8.50 tax included. There is only a limited supply, so get your order in quickly to avoid disappointment.

Please contact Leona  by email or call at 709-399-0834

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We Are Not Alone… but sometimes we forget that. Cluster Ministry

We are not alone… but sometimes we forget that.
In 2024 the BNS Regional Council voted to make “the development of local clusters a priority in its life and work.” Clusters are simply gatherings of United Church ministers and members who share a common location or a common interest. They are intended to be communally, emotionally and spiritually nutritious. Clusters provide mutual support and encouragement, improve communication, and contribute to the wellbeing of individuals and communities of faith. Communities of faith, Regional Council Representatives and ministry personnel are encouraged to contact the BNS Cluster Animator, Rev. Robyn Brown-Hewitt for more information and assistance establishing a cluster in your area. We are not alone, let’s remember that.

Growth Ideas 101: Dog Days

As we get into the dog days of summer, are there some ideas to stretch your hospitality to reach neighbours with canines in mind? Consider adding a water bowl station for passers-by (ensuring it can be kept clean and fresh water provided). Perhaps host a water refill station or cold drinks inside your building for times when your building is open and invite people in. Consider an information sharing event about animal care and safety, such as guest speakers who can talk about proper protocols with a service animal, presentations from a vet, vet tech, groomer, doggie daycare operator, dog walking service, humane society, breeder or dog walk park creator. Encourage people to take photos of their pets and tell their stories. Plan a blessing of pets service, perhaps around October 4th, connected with St. Francis day, when these often happen. Explore asking people to bring a collar, leash, favourite toy, or other special things, and photo of a past or present pet if there are concerns for dog behaviours and additional stress. There might be other ways unique to your community of faith that engages and invites new people in the wider community to join in. Maybe host in a third space, or public space like a local community centre and strengthen community partnerships. Create your own “animals awareness event. Perhaps make local arrangements to host a mini zoo or reptiles event, an excursion to a farm through your church to meet farm animals, a trip to a zoo, the showing of a movie about animals, a documentary that lifts up concerns for endangered species. Find animal enthusiasts in your community of faith and community partners to work with.

Contact your growth animator, Sharon Ballantyne by email of at 506-306-0500.

The Theological Banquet – Rev. Janet Gear

At the 2025 Regional Meeting, Janet Gear offered a language and lens for talking effectively and compassionately about the various ways our faith is lived out in our churches. Her accessible Theological Banquet workshop series is available for use across the church.   Watching the videos, engaging in discussion, and using the accompanying booklet with your community of faith, council or cluster fosters language, identity, and understanding in navigating differences and setting faith-based directions together.

The Theological Banquet – LeaderShift contact Michelle Slater

AST Seeking Communications Manager

Atlantic School of Theology is searching for a skilled, detail-focused, and collaborative individual to fill the position of Communications Manager. Working out of the university’s Advancement department, the Communications Manager will play a vital role in serving both internal and external stakeholders to support stakeholder engagement, student recruitment, and fundraising. For more information, please click here.

Bedford United Church is looking for a Music Director

Bedford United Church is searching for a Director of Music. This is a 20 hour per week position which includes UCC Pension and Benefits. BUC is a vibrant and inclusive community of faith that enjoys a wide variety of musical offerings !

All inquiries and expressions of interest can be sent to Searchteam@bedfordunited.com.

The position description can be viewed on the Bedford United Church website.

Central United Church, Lunenburg is Seeking a New Administrative Assistant!

Central United Church, Lunenburg, is seeking a qualified person to fill the role of Administrative Assistant. The successful candidate will have office management and bookkeeping experience and will coordinate an office which oversees a wide variety of activities. .

This part-time position of 13 hours per week will include one month of paid vacation and the remuneration will be at a rate of $20 per hour.
Applications will be accepted up until July 16th, 2025.

For a full job description and details on how to apply, please click here to visit our website.

Regional Representatives and Stewardship Committees

We can all learn the spiritual discipline of giving. We either learn it in our families or our church community. In the gospels Jesus talks about money yet we in the church are hesitant to mention it. Generosity and stewardship go together.
Our Regional Stewardship team wants to communicate with our communities of faith about generosity. By practicing faithful stewardship of creation and using what we have been given there is enough for all. The problem is we become self-absorbed in our own world. Let’s break the cycle of thinking stewardship is fundraising. Stewardship encompasses all that God has entrusted to us.

Wanalda Parsons she/her, Chair Stewardship Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council, can be reached at wanalda@hotmail.com

St Paul and Leonard Cohen: Public Lecture and Con Ed Opportunity

Until All Are Fed

Dear Friends in Christ,
I greet you in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our Bread of Life.
I invite you to open your hearts to a ministry that reflects the very heartbeat of Jesus: feeding the hungry. The Canadian Foodgrains Bank has launched a powerful and deeply biblical initiative under the theme “Until All Are Fed.” This theme isn’t just a slogan, it is a call. It is Jesus’ theological mandate. Take a look and get involved! Please click here for more information.

Retreat in a Godly Play Way

This retreat is meant to create a space for Godly Play® practitioners,
Christian formation leaders, parents/guardians and anyone who is curious or desiring a time away, to live in a Godly Play® way for 24hrs.
The Villa Madonna Retreat Centre provides a wonderful space to be with God who is not just here or there but everywhere. It is hoped that Godly Play@ practitioners will reconnect with one another along with expanding the circle to include those from various walks of life who are interested in the Spirituality of the Child, Christian formation of all ages and/or desire to experience Godly Play®. In rekindling the stories of our faith we hope to reimagine how we can share these together and with all of the
People of God we encounter daily.

When:
Friday, September 12 beginning with supper at 5:00pm to Saturday, September 13 3:30pm (Registration and check-in to rooms begins at 3:30pm). For those who are unable to join for supper, our retreat gathering opening session is at 6:00pm.

Where:
The Villa Madonna Retreat House located at 115 Villa Madonna Rd.
Rothesay, New Brunswick

Cost:
$150.00 (includes overnight accommodations, supper, breakfast, lunch and breaks)

Registration Deadline: Friday August 29, 2025

Click here to register.

For more information, click here!

Atlantic School of Discipleship

The Atlantic School of Discipleship is designed for congregations and parishes to support their lay education and faith formation efforts. The program runs for ten months on a very manageable schedule, introducing those with no formal theological training to the basics of faith and tradition as they apply to everyday discipleship in the world.  Empower the adult faith formation in your congregation and learn from Atlantic School of Theology’s world-class teachers in the comfort of your own community. Cost: Group (1 leader + 4 participants from the same community of faith)$1,000 or individual $300  More information and registration at www.atlanticdiscipleship.com