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.
Annual Meeting Registration is Open
Registration is open for the annual meeting. Please read the memo sent from the Executive Minister. Visit the annual meeting webpage regularly for the latest updates and information on the upcoming meeting.
Youth@Region 2026!
Calling all Youth, between grades 6-12!
Registration is now open for Youth@Region!
Y@R is a place of community and a place of faith where United Church youth, between grades 6 and 12, meet from across Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council. Y@R will meet in-person at the same time as Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council (FSLDW) meets online, June 5-7, 2026. The theme for this year’s event is “Rooted”.
The group creates an inclusive, diverse and safe community for youth in the name of Christ. We provide a place for youth to explore their faith and to learn more about the United Church of Canada while sharing in music, worship and fun in a spirit-filled community.
As the annual meeting is online this year there is a question on the Y@R registration form regarding carpooling. We will use this information to do our best to connect youth with drives.
We hope to see you there!
If you have any questions, please email Catherine Stuart.
FSLDW Youth@Region is looking for facilitators!
Are you an awesome leader who would love to share your faith with a fabulous group of church youth? The Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Youth@Region Planning team are seeking interested leaders to serve as facilitators for this year’s program.
Youth@Region will be a 3-day event, June 5-7 at Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, creating a fun and safe space for youth grades 6 to 12. A leadership training event will take place in late-April/early-May.
Applications for facilitators are now available! Applicants must be 19 years of age or older and must have at least one gap year between being a participant and a facilitator. Deadline for registration is April 17, 2026.
Application can be found here.
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.
President’s Easter Message
Please click here to read an Easter message from Mr. Hugh Ellis, President of Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council.
Executive Minutes
The minutes of the FSLDW Regional Council Executive meeting held February 23, 2026 were approved at the March 26, 2026 Executive meeting and are now available on the FSLDW website.
Sacraments Elder Training: May 30, 2026 9:30AM to 4:30PM
Is your community of faith without a minister and struggling to find a supply minister who can offer communion and the sacrament of baptism?
Is your minister unable to be in two places at once to offer communion on the same Sunday?
If so, maybe there is a lay person in your community of faith who would be willing to be trained as a Sacraments Elder. Please register by clicking here.
Registrants must be supported by their community of faith and are required to review the Sacraments Elder handbook, the link to the handbook will be included in your confirmation email.
Regional Council Office in Sackville, New Brunswick from 9:30AM to 4:30PM Registration will close on Friday May 22, 2026.
Six registrants are required to proceed.
Lunch and snacks will be provided.
Please direct any questions to the Regional Minister, Lloyd Bruce.
Share an Inspiring Easter Appeal with M and S
Easter is fast approaching, as is an annual time of generosity for our communities. Inspire and Invite gifts to Mission and Service this year with these helpful resources.
🐰Use the pre-made Script and Slideshow to make an Easter Appeal as part of your worship services this Easter.
🌷Share the 2026 Mission and Service Easter Video in your newsletter or on social media.
🐣Include the new God of the Wild Wilderness prayer from Mission and Service in your worship.
And, as always, don’t forget to Thank the amazing donors who make the work of Mission and Service possible.
Growth Ideas 101: Bump up to Breakfast
Please click here to read the Growth Ideas from Sharon Ballantyne, Growth Animator, for April 1, 2026.
Share your ideas with your growth animator at 506-306-0500 or by email at sballantyne@united-church.ca.
Devotional for 50 days of Eastertide
Reflect and pray each day this Easter
Growth Animator Sharon Ballantyne (Atlantic Regions), has created a 50-day Eastertide devotional. These seven weeks of prompts focus on sharing the story of Resurrection, ministry as a community, and living a life of discipleship. Explore it personally or as part of a group.
📖 Access the booklet formatted PDF (Printing instructions: select double-sided, print on long-edge)
📄Access the simple Word Doc version
Staff Change
As of the 15th of March, the Rev. Dr. Andrew Richardson has been appointed as the Director of Emerging Ministry Leadership and Co-Director of the Office of Vocation with the General Council Office. Temporary coverage for the Vocation Minister work is in the process of being arranged. The position of Office of Vocation Minister for the Atlantic Regions has been posted on the United Church web page with a closing date of April 16th.
General Secretary Selection Committee
The United Church of Canada is embarking on a search process for its next General Secretary. A Selection Committee supported by an executive search professional will recommend the next General Secretary to be appointed by the General Council Executive.
- Vacancies: 2–3 vacancies (members-at-large)
- Key skills: Deep understanding of the United Church or experience and understanding of the role of the senior executive in other large complex organizations.
- Meeting expectations: Two to four online meetings per month and at least one in-person meeting anticipated for September or October. First online meeting to occur May 11 or 12.
Please click here to read more details in English and here for the French version.
To express interest or nominate someone please use this form. Closing date for expressions of interest is April 20, 2026.
Transform Your Church by Transforming Your Conversations
Conversations Worth Having Workshop for Spiritual Leaders is a webinar for clergy and lay leaders (M&P members, Church Board leaders etc.) focused on building trust, improving meetings, and navigating difficult conversations with greater clarity and life-giving impact.
Dates: April 29 & May 1, 2026
Interested? For more information and to Register click here.
Facilitator: Todd McDonald (Rev. Dr.) is a former Pastoral Relations Minister in Shining Waters Regional Council. Todd’s work seeks to support the health, joy, and excellence of faith leaders – both clergy and lay leaders.
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.
Breaking the Silence delegation to Guatemala Nov. 7th-20th
Join us for the Breaking the Silence 2026 Delegation to Guatemala! Sat. Nov. 7th – Fri. Nov. 20th. You’ll have the opportunity to build international solidarity and learn from our Rabinal partners: the New Hope Foundation’s culturally relevant, bilingual Maya Achí-Spanish high school and the Community Legal Clinic that seeks justice for genocide-cases and other crimes committed against communities in the Rabinal area during the Internal Armed Conflict. A meaningful part of the delegation will be an overnight visit to the community of Río Negro to learn about its history and how it has rebuilt following a campaign of destruction during the 1980s. You will have the chance to spend time with our mining justice partners resisting a Canadian silver mining project: the Xinka Parliament and the Diocesan Commission for the Defense of Nature.
Applicants must attend the delegation orientation Thurs., June 25th 7 p.m. to Fri., June 26th 5 p.m. at the Dorje Denma Ling Centre (between Truro and Tatamagouche.) To learn more about the 2026 Delegation to Guatemala, please contact Kathryn Anderson.
Faithful Footprints Grant
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 accepting expressions of interest until April 30, 2026. Please click here for more information.
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.
Elected Members to Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council
Please click here for a memo from Faith March-MacCuish, Executive Minister, with information regarding elected members to the Regional Council.
