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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.
Condolences: Matthew Jonathon Patey
Our condolences are extended to Rev. Faith March-MacCuish and family, whose brother-in-law, Matthew Jonathon Patey passed away on Saturday, August 30, 2025. Details of the funeral will be released in the coming days. A link to the obituary can be found here.
Condolences: Kevin Malcom MacDonald
Our condolences are extended to Rev. Laurie (MacDonald) MacCuish and family, whose brother, Kevin Malcom MacDonald passed away on Friday, August 1, 2025. A link to the obituary can be found here.
De-commissioning Service-Upper Stewiacke-Springside United Church
De-commissioning Service for Upper Stewiacke-Springside United Church to be held on Sept 10, 2025 at 7pm. The building/property is in process of being sold and the congregation is determining their future.
Contact: Supervisor, Rev Michael Henderson
Put Wednesdays at 9:45 on Your Calendar for Virtual drop-in with Growth Animator Sharon
Join the weekly Wednesday morning Virtual Drop-in with Growth Animator Sharon
Mid-week virtual connection, sharing hearts of hope and whatever is on your mind
Come as you are with whatever curiosity and wondering, to connect with others across UCC-east
Casual thirty-minutes for anyone and everyone — lay people, clergy, staff, pastoral units, clusters.
drop in Wednesday mornings
9:45 Atlantic, 10:15 NL
Contact Sharon at sballantyne@united-church.ca for the link
The Institute for Health, Joy and Excellence Presents For Everyone Born: Clergy Symposium and Retreat 2025-October 20 to 24
The Institute for Health, Joy and Excellence presents For Everyone Born: Clergy Symposium and Retreat 2025, taking place from October 20 to 24, 2025, at Lion Max Simms Memorial Camp in Bishop’s Falls, NL.
What does it mean to proclaim “for everyone born a place at the table?” Join colleagues in ministry for a transformative gathering that explores this question through the lens of postcolonial theology. Framed by the powerful imagery and conviction of the hymn For Everyone Born, this two-part event offers both a rich educational symposium and a reflective spiritual retreat.
The Symposium (October 20-22) will provide a comprehensive survey of postcolonial theology, its core concepts, and their implications for the daily practice of ministry. Together, we will engage questions of voice, power, and presence in preaching, liturgy, sacraments, and congregational life. Together, we will explore how postcolonial theology challenges colonial legacies and opens the church to justice, joy, compassion, and peace.
Following the academic exploration, the Retreat (October 22-24) will offer spacious time for prayer, discernment, and renewal. Rooted in the guiding questions—Who are we? Who are our neighbours? What is God calling us to do?—this retreat will help participants ground postcolonial insights in personal and communal vocation. With scripture, silence, song, and story, we will listen for God’s call to be creators of justice and joy in our unique contexts.
Our symposium leader for 2025 is the Rev. Oliver Dingwell. Our leaders for the retreat will be Rev. Oliver Dingwell and Rev. Shepherd Munikwa.
Come and claim your place at the table. Come and prepare to extend that welcome to all.
Please click here to register by October 3, 2025 and find more information.
Stewardship Update- September 2025
Please click here to read the stewardship update for September.
Seniors for Climate – Later is too Late! (Everyone is welcome)
Everyone is welcome and invited:
Join Seniors for Climate: There’s a climate emergency…..Later is too Late!
Come to St Andrew’s United Church, 6036 Coburg Rd., Halifax
Friday September 19, from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Come to learn and to network with others:
There will be 4 speakers and 20 table exhibits by organizations.
Looking to live out your land acknowledgement?
A congregation in Hamilton, Ontario was inspired to learn how Indigenous ministry students at Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre in Manitoba are showing the broader church a path to reconciliation. The congregation decided to celebrate UCC’s 100th anniversary with a gift that supports these students and a hopeful future for our church. They challenge you to do the same!
Click here to learn more.
North of Nowhere: Song of a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner
The Justice, Mission and Outreach Committee, along with Women of First Light, co-sponsored a spring book launch tour by Marie Wilson to introduce Maritimers to North of Nowhere: Song of a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner. With JMOC support, Marie was able to speak to large audiences in Halifax, Mahone Bay, Sydney, Antigonish, Pictou, Truro, Tatamagouche, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Sackville and Moncton. In some locations United Churches collaborated with community groups to support these events. Marie’s husband, Stephen Kakfwi, accompanied Marie for the first part of the tour. His book, Stoneface: A Defiant Dene, is a complementary read, the story of a residential school survivor. This successful book tour supported Maritimers in deepening our understanding of the importance of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the United Church apology and the urgent need to continue learning and acting in response to the 94 Calls to Action of the TRC.
JMOC is now urging follow-up to this tour by local United Churches. Consider organizing book studies, participating collectively in the Sept. 30th National Day of Reconciliation, developing relationships with Wananki communities (Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqey, Passamaquoddy), and other ways of enacting the United Church Apology. A useful resource may be this CBC National News interview, replayed this summer: You can find the resource here.
Get Ready to Stroll
Get Ready to Stroll
September 22 – October 13, 2025
Join us for a 21-day spiritual adventure exploring the theme of Shelter. Whether it’s a sturdy structure, a leafy branch, or a quiet pause, shelter invites us to rest, reflect, and renew.
Each day you’ll receive an email with a grounding photograph, a short reflection, and a simple practice to take with you as you stroll — outdoors or in spirit. You can walk, roll, sit at a window, or wander your neighborhood. What matters is the intention to notice.
Created by Janice Maclean (Canada) and Caroline Bindon (New Zealand), this year’s Stroll is shaped by two landscapes and two seasons — autumn in the north, spring in the south — inviting a global circle of companions to walk together in spirit.
Registration: $20 CAD. Learn more here.
Let’s Stroll together — pausing to find the many quiet, sacred places of shelter all around us.
Growth Ideas 101: Open the Doors
Here is the link to the Growth Ideas from Sharon Ballantyne, the Growth Animator, for September 03, 2025.
Share your ideas with your growth animator at 506-306-0500 or by email at sballantyne@united-church.ca
Salisbury United Church 175th Anniversary Service
175th Anniversary Service will be September 28th at 3:30PM. Church is located at 76 Smith Street. Guest speaker will be Rev. Michael Goodfellow of Hartland-Jacksonville Pastoral Charge. Reception to follow afterwards in the church basement.
Annual Clergy Retreat
The Association of United Church Clergy invites all clergy — active, retired on leave and candidates in any stream — to join our annual retreat. This year’s focus: navigating challenges and difficult conversations in times of change, with facilitator Natalie Aboodou. Also times of worship, fellowship, and sharing in a safe supportive environment. September 21-22, in Debert NS. Register here today!
Atlantic School of Discipleship, Fall-Winter 2025-2026
Enrollments are still being accepted for the Atlantic School of Discipleship @ AST. An opportunity for congregation members to learn with AST’s world class faculty in the comfort of your own community. Build your awareness of the basic features of the Christian life in our time: caring for one another; understanding conflict and change; what difference does Christian belief make; the gospel birth stories for today; the components of Christian friendship — and much more. A great way for any congregation tp provide quality adult Christian nurture.
Click here for details or contact discipleship@astheology.ns.ca
September Cluster Buzz
SEPTEMBER CLUSTER BUZZ: Clusters are neighborly groups of United Church ministers and/or lay members who meet for mutual support or common interests. Some have been meeting regularly for years, and some clusters have just been initiated. If you’d like assistance starting a local group, more information about clusters in Bermuda Nova Scotia Region, or if your group is not included on this list, please contact Robyn at RBrown-Hewitt@united-church.ca September’s meetings:
• Wednesday, Sept. 3, 11:30am to 3pm, East Cape Breton Cluster luncheon at United Protestant UC, Sydney River. (ministry personnel & community of faith lay representatives).
• Wednesday, Sept. 3, 7pm, United Churches for Dartmouth, 7pm at Cole Harbour Woodside UC. (ministry personnel & community of faith lay representatives).
• Thursday, Sept. 4, Pictou County UC Ministry Personnel Group Retreat Day.
• Tuesday, Sept. 9, 7pm Lunenburg & Area Cluster, via Zoom. (ministry personnel & community of faith lay representatives).
• Sunday, Sept. 14, 2pm Annapolis Valley Cluster at Hantsport UC. Commissioners to the recent General Council meeting will report. (ministry personnel & community of faith lay representatives).
• Tuesday, Sept. 16, noon HRM Ministry Personnel at St. John’s UC, 6025 Stanley St. Halifax. Bring your own lunch or contact Robyn to be included in the sandwich order.
• Wednesday, Sept. 17, 7pm North West End Cluster at St. John’s UC. (Includes ministry personnel & community of faith lay representatives from St. John’s, Hope, Hillside, Bethany & St. Paul’s Spryfield).
St Paul & Leonard Cohen : Public Lecture and Con Ed Opportunity!
Join us for this six-part continuing education offering about St. Paul and Leonard Cohen. This series explores the surprising and profound resonances between the writings of the Apostle Paul and the lyrics of Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. Drawing on theology, literature, and cultural criticism, participants will consider how these two enigmatic figures wrestle with themes of faith, failure, gender, rhetoric, mysticism, and legacy.
The first session, 𝗔𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀: 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹, is available as a public lecture on campus and will be accessible via zoom on 16 September, 2025, at 7:00pm. Please click here to sign up for the public lecture.
Please click here for more information about the remaining 5 sessions or contact Lydia at lydia.hood@astheology.ns.ca
Free Season of Creation Planning Resource
Looking to try something different this fall? The Faith Formation and Leadership Development Committee has purchased rights for Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional use of the All Ages Curriculum: “Creating a Culture”. Each week offers Prayers for Worship, Theme Suggestions, Printable Pew Activities, and alternating “Sunday School” or “Outreach Project” lesson plans for all ages. Join the theme for the season anytime before Thanksgiving and receive a discount code for 50% off of the Advent Package “Welcome to the Family.” Find more information, download the resource or request a resource intro session here, and use the code B-NS Free to purchase the full package for FREE ($150 value).
Invitation to GLEE (Generations sharing Lived Experiences and Education) Club at St. Andrew’s Halifax
Ever wanted to ask someone about the gadget they’re wearing or a button on their bag but was afraid to ask for fear of offending? Wonder what it was like coming of age as trans, queer, and ally in the 1970s? 1990s? 2010s? Sick of searching for answers big and small on Reddit and want to talk to someone in the flesh? Don’t know how Reddit works? Separated from your family by geographical or emotional distance and looking for support or information from a Gen-Zer or a Boomer? How do we form and maintain close bonds as we move through all stages of life? If any of the above applies to you, we cordially invite you to St. Andrew’s GLEE—Generations sharing Lived Experiences and Education—Club.
As an Affirming Church, St. Andrew’s Halifax wants to support members of the queer community isolated from younger and older generations. St. Andrew’s GLEE Club provides a sober, well-lit, safe space where trans, queers, and allies from all walks of life can gather to share lived experiences. The first meeting is September 21 at noon. Contact the office at office@saintandrewshfx.ca for more information.
Halifax Area Youth Group
We’re about to kick-off another exciting year of Youth Group for Halifax area youth and we’d love to have you join us!
Our group of 17 youth meet the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month from 5:00 – 7:00PM at St. John’s United Church in Halifax. We share a meal together, engage in discussions and learning, have fun through games and drama, and give back to our community through outreach projects.
We welcome everyone, regardless of beliefs, and we’d love to have you join us.
If you’re a youth in grades 7-12 or know of someone who might be interested, please be in touch with one of our leaders for more information: Kathy Cawsey (kcawsey@eastlink.ca) or Rhonda Schofield (rhonda@stjohnsunited.com)
Invitation: Seniors for Climate Action – DRAW THE LINE
Rev Dr Shepherd Munikwa – Minister for Justice Mission & Outreach – UCC East
Beloved friends,
In every generation, God calls forth witnesses to justice, compassion, and care for creation. Today, that calling rests upon us. The earth, our common home, groans under the weight of exploitation and neglect (Romans 8:22). Yet we are not without hope. For the Spirit still breathes renewal, and the wisdom of elders, seasoned by life, faith, and perseverance can shine as a prophetic light in this urgent hour.
Earlier this year, on Earth Day, we gathered in hope. Now, through our documentary Later is Too Late, we have sounded the alarm. And in September, we will stand together, elders drawing the line for life, dignity, and the flourishing of creation.
We invite you to join Seniors for Climate Action, for the historic DRAW THE LINE mobilization on September 20, 2025. This is the largest gathering of seniors in Canadian history for the sake of climate justice. This movement is not only about policy or politics; it is a sacred act of stewardship, rooted in the biblical call to “seek the welfare of the land” (Jeremiah 29:7) and to love our neighbors, including the generations yet unborn. Check the posters for actual date and time for your local gathering. Click here to view the Seniors for Climate Tantramar Facebook page.
Come, add your voice, your presence, your prayer, and your wisdom. Let us rise with courage, knowing that in Christ all things can be made new (Revelation 21:5). Together, we can bear witness that faith does not end with words but takes form in action, for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, and the future of all God’s creatures. You can view the poster here for more information.
Later is too late. The time is now. Join us.
