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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 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: Reverend Alexander F. “Sandy” MacLean
Our condolences are extended to the family of Rev. Alexander “Sandy” MacLean who passed away on February 3, 2026. The obituary can be viewed here. The service will be live streamed and the link will be available on the funeral home website.
Introduction of Toward 2035 (T2035)
The introduction of the T2035 conversation and Strategic initiative occurred at each of the Regional Council Annual Meetings in 2025.
As we begin this work, we invite all of our members and boards to view the video introduction of the Toward 2035 from our Moderator, The Right Rev. Dr. Kimberley Heath to engage in the T2035 conversation.
Our Regional Council Minsters will begin the process of engagement in February with our ministry personnel through a webinar. There will be six time slots offered between February 17 and February 19, and Ministry personnel can register for the one that suits their schedule. Please see the form, with the times and dates here. Please join our Regional Ministers for a presentation and discussion about T2035.
Annual Meeting
The Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council (BNS) annual meeting will be held in-person at Acadia University on May 28-31, 2026. A draft agenda for this meeting can be found on the Annual Meeting webpage. There will be information webinars held prior to the meeting. These dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
The registration form will open mid-March. There will be an announcement when registration is open. If you are unable to attend, please ensure you fill out the regrets form.
As information for the in-person gathering becomes available it will be posted on the annual meeting webpage.
Elected Members to Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council
Please click here for a memo from Faith March-MacCuish, Executive Minister, with information regarding elected members to the Regional Council.
Nominations are Open for President-Elect
Bermuda-Nova Scotia 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.
The election will take place at the Annual meeting. In order to post bios of the nominees and allow for printing of meeting materials, please submit nominations by May 1, 2026 at midnight. Nominations can also come from the floor of the meeting at which time nominations will close at the close of the Friday night session. Nominations are open to all members of the Regional Council, including ministry personnel and lay members. 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 two members of the Region who support the nomination.
If you have any questions, please contact the Regional Council Office.
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.
Sunday Service May 31, 2026 – Annual Meeting
The Region is sharing a “Congregation Take Home Full Service” for use on Annual Meeting Sunday, May 31, 2026. This has been posted near the bottom of the Annual Meeting webpage under the heading “Sunday Worship Service” in both PDF and Word files.
Collective 2026
Plan for summer NOW! Collective (formerly Rendez-Vous) is a national event for youth, young adults, and leaders grade 9 and up. This year, it’s happening August 12-15, 2026 at Brock University in St. Catharine’s Ontario. Here in the Maritimes, we are looking at a bus for transportation, so watch for more information about that soon.
Collective is an opportunity to gather from across the church, along with the Presbyterian Church in Canada, to grow in faith, build community and reflect on shared experiences. For more information, check out the website or email Catherine Stuart.
Becoming an Affirming Community
Mark your calendars for March 4th at 7:00 for a web gathering to learn and discuss the process for becoming an officially recognized Affirming Ministry in the UCC. You can be one person who is interested, or a group from your congregation. Come join in the conversation.
Link details will be sent out later.
Growth Ideas 101: Calendaring Events
Please click here to read the Growth Ideas from Sharon Ballantyne, Growth Animator, for February 4, 2026.
Share your ideas with your growth animator at 506-306-0500 or by email at sballantyne@united-church.ca.
Annual Pastoral Charge Information Form 2026
We are asking each pastoral charge to complete and submit the Annual Pastoral Charge Information Form as soon as possible after your 2026 annual meeting, noting the deadline is April 1st . This updates the Region with the names and contact information of your current leadership and regional council representatives (elected members). As a reminder, if we do not have the information for your elected members, they will not be able to vote at the Regional Annual Meeting. If you have any issues with completing the form, please contact Shari Kaster, 506-306-0496.
Neurodiversity Workshop – widening our welcome
This webinar was first presented in October 2022 by Shelley Pick. As we begin to understand the wide range of Neurodiversity in our gatherings, this may be a helpful session to review again.
If you have comments/ questions you can direct them to Pix.
Let’s keep the conversations going
Lay/Support Staff Job Announcement – Bethany United Church
The Board of Managers (BOM) at Bethany United Church is undertaking a pilot project. Our church is used by a variety of community groups and individuals during the day and in the evenings. Some groups rent a space or use the facility on a weekly, monthly, or as needed basis like a concert or private event/celebration. There are also occasions where the church is approached for a special one-time event, such as a concert. These rentals provide revenue to support the church.
The BOM is looking for an individual to collaborate with them to coordinate all aspects of facility rentals. This would be on a contract basis, at an hourly rate, (estimate 5-10 hours a month) for an initial six-month period. If you are interested, please send an email to bucbom@bethanyunitedchurch.ca or leave a message with the church office (902)455-0521, x. 221 and your call will be returned.
Visit our website to learn more about our community of faith.
Atlantic Candidacy Board – Seeking Elected Members – Deadline March 17, 2026
The Atlantic Candidacy Board is seeking two new elected members. The mandate for the board is:
- approving an individual for candidacy for ministry in the United Church;
- determining an individual’s readiness for accreditation for ordination, for commissioning, and for recognition as a designated lay minister; and
- overseeing the Candidacy Pathway process.
Expectations and Term:
- Online meetings: Varies by candidacy board. Usually monthly for one to one and half day (summer months excluded), totaling about 16 days per year of meetings or interviews. Scheduling is set according to the availability of members and candidates. At present, most meetings and interviews take place during daytime hours on weekdays.
- In-person meetings: Most boards meet in-person once per year. Travel is required.
- Expectations between meetings: Significant preparation time in reading candidate materials in advance of each meeting and sets of interviews.
- Additional appointment expectations: none
- Appointment term: May 2026 to August 2028 (46th General Council), with the possibility of reappointment for a second term.
Visit the opportunities page for more details and Use our online nominations form to nominate someone or express your own interest.
Deadline: Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Blessing of the Banned Books
Sunday, February 22nd
11:00 AM
Berwick Trinity United Church
(240 Commercial Street)
*A worship service in honour of Canada’s Freedom to Read Week
(February 22nd-28th 2026)
Please join us as we honour one of the most fundamental freedoms found in a democratic nation-the freedom to read. Through word, song, and the sharing of stories, we hope to uphold and raise awareness of narratives that are at risk of being banned or censored, so that we may better understand how to counteract these movements in our communities and beyond.
ALL ARE WELCOME!!!
CHURCH LEADERS WEBINAR: Transform Your Church by Transforming Your Conversations
This particular workshop is being held through the Conversations Worth Having Institute – April 29 and May 1, 2026. This workshop for Spiritual Leaders is a webinar for clergy and lay.
Envision & practice conversations where people feel heard and new ideas emerge. An environment where communication fuels unity, belonging & purpose.
That’s the power of Conversations Worth Having.
And it’s not out of reach – it starts with learning a better way to engage in conversations.
To register, please click here and look for Training – CWH for Spiritual Leaders.
Rev. Todd McDonald, United Church Minister, recently retired from the position of Pastoral Relations Minister of Shining Waters Regional Council is among the facilitation team for this event.
