![The United Church of Canada | Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council [logo]](https://ucceast.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BNS-Logo-300px.png "BNS-Logo-300px"){kind=logo}
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.
Silent Movie Night with Shawn Whynot, organist
The annual Silent Movie Night – Friday, November 7, 2025 featuring Harold Lloyd in the 1928 Comedy Film – “SPEEDY”.
General Admission – $15
Children/Student – $10
Show starts at 7pm, 7171 Clinton Avenue entrance into Bethany United Church sanctuary.
The movie score will be filled with fun and familiar songs, all played magically on our church organ by the talented Mr. Whynot. Share this treasured event with friends and family and be quick about it!
Transgender Day of Remembrance
We will remember/nous nous rappellerons. We will remember/nous nous rappellerons.
November is a month of remembrance. Transgender Week of Awareness culminates in Transgender Day of Remembrance. The week takes place from November 13- 19. We will share a story of an historical Transgender or Non-Binary person or event each day in podcast and written formats. They will be posted to the Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble social media and website. (www.affirmunited.com)
On November 20 at 3 pm, you are invited to a service of remembrance online. The service will be pre-recorded, but we will have a time after the service for anyone who wishes to talk. The service is a time to remember the 331 people who died by violence or by their own hands. People who died for trying to be themselves in a world of hatred.
We will remember them/nous nous souviendrons d’eux
This November let us all remember those who have lost their lives by violence or suicide. Let us remember those from the past who never stopped being themselves. Let us remember and share their light.
HRM Youth Gathering
Attention all United Church Youth in HRM, we’re gathering together as a youth cluster for a night of good food, good conversation and good times. This is for all youth, whether you have a youth group or not in grades (6)7-12. Sunday, November 23rd from 5:30-7:30pm at St. John’s United Church, Fall River. We’ll start with a spaghetti supper and move through games, story and spiritual practices looking at what’s the point?
Please register using this link. This is a great spot to connect with your friends from Youth@Region!
Questions? Comments? Reach out to Rev. Jenny Eisener at jenny@sjucfr.ca
A poster for the event can be viewed here.
Women’s Retreat November 14-16 in Truro
Beginning with dinner on Friday evening, and wrapping up after brunch on Sunday morning, we will spend the weekend together praying, singing, meditating, socialization and sharing belly laughs, eating delicious food, gently moving our bodies, playing and creating, and sharing our stories with new and old friends.
All women of all faith traditions and belief systems welcome. Activities will be appropriate for all ages and physical abilities.
Cost: $125 per person. Registration fee includes all activities and meals. Concession rate available for those whom the cost is prohibitive. Registration limited to 50 women.
Our guest facilitator is Caelin Nadin, certified Somatic Practitioner, who uses breathing and other gentle techniques to help calm one’s nervous system in the midst of anxiety, grief, chronic pain, PTSD, and the general stress of being alive in our chaotic world.
To register or for more information, email admin@communityunitedchurch.org
The poster can be viewed here.
St. Andrew’s United Church, Truro, is turning 150!
For 150 years, St. Andrew’s has been serving God’s mission in our community.
We’ve worshipped in different locations and buildings, and even as different denominations — but one thing has never changed: our ministry of faith, justice, love, and hope.
Join us for our 150th Anniversary Celebration
– “On the Corner of History & Hope” –
Saturday, November 16th
Worship at 11:00 a.m., with a Cold Potluck to follow
St. Andrew’s United Church, 55 King Street, Truro, NS
Come for a joyful service featuring dramatic monologues that share the stories of the people who have made us who we are today, along with inspiring music and celebration.
All are welcome! Come celebrate our story and help shape the next chapter!
Please click here to view a poster for the event.
Association of United Church Clergy – November Community Gathering
In November our thoughts often turn to peace, and on Thursday November 13th our aUCC Community Pillar is providing clergy with an opportunity to visit a place of peace. We will meet at “The Thinkers Lodge National Historic Site” (249 Water Street in Pugwash) for 10:00 a.m., and following our tour we will move to the vestry at Wesley St. Matthew’s United Church (14 Church Street in Pugwash) to catch up, to share in a brown bag lunch, and to reflect on our tour, until we depart at 3:00 p.m.. And what is “The Thinkers Lodge National Historic Site”? It is a place which stands as a reminder of the important role that science and dialogue play in advancing peace and security worldwide. Following the release of the “Russell-Einstein Manifesto” in 1955, Bertrand Russell and Joseph Roblat held the first “Pugwash Conference” in 1957 at The Thinkers Lodge which was then owned by Cyrus Eaton. In the ensuing years many more conferences held at the Thinkers Lodge established the Pugwash Peace Movement, and the second Nobel Peace Prize ever awarded in Canada was jointly conferred on the Pugwash Conferences and lead organizer, Joseph Rotblat, in 1995. His medal remains on display at The Thinkers Lodge.
Please register by emailing either co-chair of the aUCC Community Pillar (Connie at therevconnie@gmail.com or Jamie at jamie_mclellan1982@hotmail.com) no later than Friday November 7th. We look forward to seeing you in Pugwash!
Retirees Support Committee
Are you recently retired, either as Clergy, Secretary, Custodial, and would like to be connected with other Retirees in the Bermuda-Nova Scotia Region? Please send me an email at kathjohngamble@gmail.com.
I am the current chair of this committee and our general connection is via email, perhaps a cluster or two as weather permits, and phone calls are always welcomed. Send me an email, and I will connect you with the group. We do have retirees that are currently serving in ministry. All are welcome.
Hoping to hear from you-not all addresses are updated in the directory, so hopefully this connects with those interested. Blessings. Rev. K. Ruth Gamble, Chair, Retirees Support Committee – 902-664-8794
Stewardship
Here it is November! Time to think about the PAR offerings, have these been revised in the last 5 years? Has anyone mentioned the Christmas offerings? Stewardship is a way of living, ask your stewardship team for more information.
One last thought, why do you give to your local community of faith?
Called To Be The Church: The Journey
Does your Community of Faith need a loan or have money they wish to invest?
Are you looking to invest some of your Community of Faiths funds are do you need a loan? Then why don’t you reach out to the Financial Services of Maritime Conference of the United Church of Canada to see what they can offer you. Interest rates for investments are managed on an annual basis and loan arrangements can be an opportunity for your Community of Faith to further some work they wish to do. If you are looking for more information you can find it at the following link: https://ucceast.ca/financial-services. The Treasurer is Ann Thompson, and the Chair is Jack Logan. Their information can be found at the link mentioned above.
Growth Ideas 101: Check for Invisibility
Have you ever visited a community of faith and still been part of the “who is missing?” even when you are present. How often has a brave visitor risked and attended only to be treated as if they are invisible. You may have experienced this when you visit another church? Gone into a shop and been ignored by sales associates? Been at a function and no one engages, felt ignored in a restaurant when the server doesn’t come over? If we are not intentionally creating belonging for all, how can we say “all are welcome.” Look around and see who is being ignored. Showing up does not lead to being welcomed in, unless all those on the inside are focused on creating and building that community of belonging.
Invite your community of faith to really explore their typical rhythms and patterns of behaviours? When do you find yourself engaged with the “regulars,”? Observe behaviours before, during and after worship and other gatherings. Too often we discover “holy huddle” experiences where there are distinctive “insiders” and “outsiders practices, even though that “lived reality” is not what is desired. Are there parts of your building, tasks, or unwritten rules about who can do this or that? Who might be “in the kitchen”, “how things are done in their particular ways?” Perhaps you can draw the circle wide and invite others to join in, teaching others what is needed, and being open to shaking things up and doing things differently, inviting new ideas and opportunities. The holiday season often has extended opportunities for socialization and connection. Be sure to connect and share your family of faith invitations to connect. Carry those reminder invitations to share, take part in what is happening in neighbourhoods, or if it is all too quiet, start a thing. Need some ideas. Let’s talk about how to shine some new lights on opportunities, for all to belong.
Contact your growth animator, Sharon Ballantyne at 506-306-0500 or by email at sballantyne@united-church.ca. Everyone is reminded to also join our casual virtual drop in each Wednesday morning on Sharon’s Zoom 9:45 Atlantic and 10:15 NL for thirty minutes. Contact Sharon if you need the link.
Pay-What-You-Can Pageant Available
No need to purchase an expensive script this year! This easily adaptable pageant will work for a variety of congregational sizes and age ranges. Free to download as a convenient PDF script, you can print and share with your Worship or Sunday School team, reading through the whole script, including options for adapting to your Faith Community’s needs. My only request is that you let me know you are using the script (and a few quick stats) through this form. “Welcome to the Family Christmas Pageant!” pairs with the themed resources I’m offering for the Advent & Christmas Season. The free worship planning chart is now available to download!
