NEWS AND UPDATES FROM FUNDY ST. LAWRENCE DAWNING WATERS (FSLDW)
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www.ucceast.ca
Staff Directory
It’s Your Call – Podcast
Spark 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.
Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters (FSLDW) Committee Interest form.
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. Introductory webinars have been held with ministry personnel, and the same opportunity is now offered to lay leaders – governing body Chairs, Secretaries and Treasurers, M&P Chairs, and other lay people who offer leadership in their congregations.
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 Ministers will lead webinars in six different time slots offered between March 9 and 12. Lay leaders 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.
Job Posting – Growth and Stewardship Animator UCC East
With the recent retirement of Rev. Roger Janes, UCC East is now in search of an individual to fill the role of Growth and Stewardship Animator UCC East.
This position is deployed into UCC East serving the communities of faith of either First Dawn Eastern Edge or Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters.
The full job posting and application link can be found here; interested individuals have until March 16, 2026 to apply.
REMINDER – SW Zone Cluster Meeting
You are invited to attend a Regional Cluster Meeting for the SW Zone of the Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Region which will be held on Tuesday March 17, 2026, at St David’s United Church, 7 Gondola Point Rd, Rothesay NB. The meeting will begin at 11 am and conclude at approximately 3:00 pm. Lunch will be provided. Registration will begin at 10:30 am.
The meeting is open to all elected Regional Council Representatives, current and retired ministry personnel in the area and any individuals interested in learning more about the Region and its governance structure. The SW Zone includes the boundaries that approximate those of the former St John and St Croix Presbyteries.
An introduction to Regional Staff and their responsibilities will be provided in addition to discussions on improving communications and the role of the Regional Council Representative. Past President Susan Lemaistre, President-Elect Rev. Rachel Campbell, and Executive Minister Rev. Faith March MacCuish will provide leadership for this event.
If you plan to attend, please respond to Hugh Ellis by email at hughgellis57@ gmail.com by Friday March 13 to allow for planning. Please indicate at the time of this response if you have any special dietary requirements.
We hope to see as many of you as possible at this event.
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.
Please click here to see more information, including expectations and term, as well as nomination form.
Do You Know Who Your Neighbours Are?
Many Communities of Faith look around their sanctuary on a Sunday morning and assume that their neighbours are represented by the people present. The reality may be surprising. This webinar offers a way to discover who your neighbours are and how to start connecting with them. The Faith Formation and Leadership Development Committee of the Bermuda-Nova Scotia Region is pleased to present this webinar. This series is hosted by Sharon Buttrey the GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Strategist for the United Church of Canada and Sharon Ballantyne The Growth Animator for the Atlantic Canadian regions of the United Church. This session will be held March 18th, it will start at 7pm (AST) and run for an hour with time at the end for questions and discussion. Registration is now open, click here: there is no registration fee for the series.
Upon registration you will receive an automated email. A few days later you will receive a welcome email from the committee with the zoom link for the sessions. You will also receive a reminder email before the session.
Co-operative Ministry Event
Shared Way, Shared Witness: A Gathering on Ministry for a Collaborative Church in Montreal, May 19–22, 2026.
This three day gathering for leaders in the Anglican and United Churches of Canada focuses on developing the skills, relationships, and theological imagination needed for collaborative ministry in a rapidly changing church. Together, we will explore two central questions: What is the church for, now? and What ministry do we need to sustain a vital Christian presence in communities across Canada? Through keynote presentations, workshops, and structured conversations, participants will engage emerging models of church and ministry that move beyond the colonial, Christendom patterns we have inherited.
More information is available at www.sharedway.ca. The early registration deadline is March 20.
Grant Opportunity – Rev. Alison Etter Memorial Fund
The Rev. Alison Etter Memorial Fund is accepting expressions of interest (before March 20) for the 2026 grant round. The theme this year is “Peace.” Applications are open to any graduate of Atlantic School of Theology (any degree, diploma, or certificate) who is involved in a project related to building or promoting peace. More details here.
In 2025, six seed grants were made related to last year’s theme “Music for Change.” Alison Etter (1982-2024) was a much-loved minister in Cape Breton who also chaired the United Church of Canada’s national Committee on Theology, Interchurch and Inter-faith Relations. The Alison Fund has been built up through ongoing donations from Alison’s family, friends, and people touched by her work.
Invisible Illnesses Awareness, My Journey with Crohn’s Webinar – March 25, 2026 7:00PM (ATL)
Invisible illnesses are conditions whose symptoms and challenges are not immediately apparent to others or not visibly obvious. Like any other disease or affliction, they affect the daily lives of those diagnosed with them and many seek empathy from those in their lives to understand and support them. Examples include autoimmune diseases, neurodiverse conditions, chronic pain, long Covid, and various others. Many who have such conditions experience stigma that may involve judgment, invalidation, and pressure to ‘prove’ their illnesses. To help shed light on experiences such as these, Rev. Ian Harrison is offering a webinar/information session sharing his own life with Crohn’s disease over the past decade, serving as a case study which represents a wider community of those with IBD, a population that has grown steadily in recent years, yet remains unknown or obscure to many. Please click here to register.
Growth Ideas 101: Crafting Community Through Shared Experiences
Please click here to read the Growth Ideas from Sharon Ballantyne, Growth Animator, for March 11, 2026.
Share your ideas with your growth animator at 506-306-0500 or by email at sballantyne@united-church.ca.
Nominations are open for President-Elect
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 1, 2026 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 two people from the Region who support the nomination.
If you have any questions, please contact Nominations Chair, Tracy Friars.
Affirm Committee Webinar
The Affirm Committee Webinar “Getting Started, a Conversation About the Process” is now available for viewing. To see the recording please click here.
Basic Income Guarantee Conference – April 17, 2026
Please click here to see the poster with the details for this one day, free of charge, conference.
Be Part of the Migrant Justice Network!
The United Church of Canada Migrant Justice Network will meet both during the day and in the evening over the next five months. We hope the two times will ensure the most people possible can participate. Come only either during the day OR evening. The topics will be the same in the afternoon and evening, but the direction the conversations take will be shaped by those who are present. The next sessions are April 14 and June 16. Conversation starters and draft agendas will be shared via the Church X page, so be sure to register and receive follow up emails.
Please click here to learn more, and register on CHURCHx.
