NEWS AND UPDATES FROM FUNDY ST. LAWRENCE DAWNING WATERS (FSLDW)
Submission Request for Weekly Announcements
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.
Condolences: Reverend Mary Elizabeth Haylock
Condolences are extended to the family of Rev. Mary Elizabeth E. Haylock who passed away on March 8, 2026. The obituary can be viewed here.
Condolences: Reverend Cora Krommenhoek
Our condolences are extended to the family of Rev. Cora Krommenhoek, who passed away March 9, 2026. Rev. Krommenhoek is the mother of Julielynne Anderson, Chair of the FSLDW Archives Committee. The obituary can be viewed here.
Condolences – Norma Catherine MacLean
Our condolences are extended to the family of Rev. Hugh MacLean, whose wife, Norma Catherine MacLean, passed away on March 11, 2026. The obituary can be viewed here.
Annual Meeting Sunday Worship Service, Sunday, June 7
In order to help congregations be connected to the Celebration of Ministry Service, Sunday, June 7, the Worship Team are preparing a full service with reflection and options for music, as well as the bulletin version. These will be posted on the Annual Meeting webpage under the “Sunday Worship Service” header, an announcement will be sent out as soon as these are posted.
The Service of Celebration will be livestreamed on the Regional YouTube channel. We would like to invite congregations to have a “watch party” and for those who do not have the ability to livestream, we invite you to join with a congregation who does.
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 lay and ordained 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.
Growth Ideas 101: Invite Someone This Easter
Please click here to read the Growth Ideas from Sharon Ballantyne, Growth Animator, for March 18, 2026.
Share your ideas with your growth animator at 506-306-0500 or by email at sballantyne@united-church.ca.
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.
Faithful Footprints Grant Information Webinar – March 25, 2026 2:30-3:30PM (EST)
The Faithful Footprints Grant supports United Church communities with funding for building retrofit projects that reduce carbon emissions, and strengthen the long-term sustainability of church buildings. The 2026 funding cycle is now open, and we’re hosting an information webinar to help communities learn about the program and how to apply. Please click here for more information.
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.
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.
Registration is now open for Rural Routes Through the Holy 2026
June 11-13, 2026
Queens-Central United Church, Hunter River, PEI
Tales, Tables, and Tending, The Slow Work of God in a Fast World
Finding creative ways to live into our life together calls us to attend to our tales, to gather at tables and The Holy Table, and to tend to ourselves and one another in community. Rural churches have great gifts to bring to this way of hope. We’ll be engaging the many ways we are or might be liviing our tales, tables, and tending.
Rural Routes 2026 is stirring up worship, presenters, workshops, prayer space, good food , music, and lots of space for conversation to nourish you. You can read more and register here.
“The times are urgent; let us slow down.” – Bayo Akomolafe
LEARNING TO SPEAK ABOUT OUR FAITH IN A POST- CHRISTIAN WORLD
Sat., April 11, 1pm – 2:30pm
Curious about sharing your faith but don’t know how to start?
Why not join us at
Stairs Memorial United Church
44 Hester St., Dartmouth
Led by Dr. Rob Fennell
Part 1: Secularism & spirituality in Canadian society today
Part 2 : How to speak about and grow in our faith as Christians
To Register click here.
Transform Your Church by Transforming Your Conversations
Conversations Worth Having Workshop for Spiritual Leaders is an online workshop for clergy and lay leaders (M&P members, Board members etc) focused on building trust, improving meetings, and navigating difficult conversations with greater clarity and life-giving impact.
Dates: April 29 & May 1, 2026
For more information and to Register click here.
