NEWS AND UPDATES FROM FUNDY ST. LAWRENCE DAWNING WATERS (FSLDW)
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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 Linda Thomas
Our condolences are extended to the family of Rev. Linda Thomas who passed away on April 9, 2026. The obituary can be viewed here.
Condolences: Shirley Mae Frances Affleck
Our condolences are extended to the family of Shirley Mae Frances Affleck who passed away on June 1, 2026. The obituary can be viewed here.
Annual Meeting Evaluation Form
We would ask everyone who attended the Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Council annual meeting to take a few minutes to fill out the online evaluation form by June 22.
Executive Minutes
The minutes of the FSLDW Regional Council Executive meeting held March 26, 2026 were approved at the June 9, 2026 Executive meeting and are now available on the FSLDW website.
2027 Mission and Service Grant Application
The 2027 Mission and Service Grant application is now available here. Deadline for completed application and supporting documentation is Friday, September 18, 2026 and can be forwarded to: jwhittemore@united-church.ca or mailed to the Regional Office.
Growth Ideas 101: Celebrate milestones and memories
Please click here to read the Growth Ideas from Sharon Ballantyne, Growth Animator, for June 10, 2026.
Share your ideas with your growth animator at 506-306-0500 or by email at sballantyne@united-church.ca.
JMOC: Indigenous Right Relations Webinar
The Justice, Mission and Outreach sub-committee working on Indigenous Right Relations is holding a webinar on Wednesday June 17th at 7pm. We encourage anyone interested in learning more about Indigenous rights and justice to join us. We will be sharing a bit about our group, the importance of Land Acknowledgements in worship and sharing the resources available for Sunday June 21st National Indigenous Peoples Day also known within the church as Indigenous Day of Prayer. Please click here to register for the webinar.
Northeast NB Cluster Meeting
The second NE cluster meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 24 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm at First United in Bathurst, New Brunswick. Regional Minister, Rev. Lloyd Bruce will present and offer some reflection and facilitated conversation around some of the challenges facing the Church. Lunch will be provided for $15.
Please come to connect with old and new friends. Let’s be United!
To register email the Church Office (admin@firstunited-bathurst.ca) by June 19th indicating which Pastoral Charge you are a part of and any dietary needs you may have. Each multi-point Pastoral Charge is encouraged to have one individual present from each point. Each single point Pastoral Charge is encouraged to have two or three individuals present. All Ministers (active and retired) and LLWLs are encouraged to be present.
Getting Started in Stewardship Summer 2026 Free Webinar
June 18 and July 30, 2026 – Come on your own or come with a team and join United Church people from across the country to learn some stewardship first principles. At either 4 or 6:30ET., you can register on CHURCHx.
Pastoral Care Training Program
Is your community of faith in need of additional pastoral care services. Is there a member of the community interested in training that could support them in offering pastoral care as a volunteer or as a Congregational Designated Minister for Pastoral Care?
If so, the Ottawa Pastoral Care Training Program may be offering just what you are looking for: A Basic Pastoral Care Training Program that will run from September 14 to November 3, 2026.
You can find a brochure for their program here. The program will be offered via Zoom on Monday evenings (excluding Thanksgiving Monday) from 7PM to 9:15PM.
The Pastoral Relations Committee of the Region commends this program especially to those communities of faith that are without called or appointed ministry personnel.
Invitation to share: Northern Indigenous Ministers Retreat
Across Northern Canada, Indigenous ministers walk closely with their communities through grief and loss. It is sacred work, but it can also be deeply isolating.
The Northern Indigenous Ministers Retreat offers something essential: time away to rest, share, and receive care among peers who understand the weight of this calling. Supported through Mission and Service, this gathering creates space for healing, connection, and renewal.
The United Church of Canada Foundation is inviting you and your community to take part in supporting this gathering. Please make a life-changing gift today in of support the Northern Indigenous Ministers Retreat.
Bethany United Church Halifax
Bethany United Church, Halifax has posted their Living Faith story to ChurchHub in their search for a new minister. Please feel welcome to examine our story if, as ministry personnel with The United Church of Canada, you are looking for a new church home. Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you.
The ASTE Levy Lecture NAVIGATING HOPE AND DESPAIR: A NATURE WRITER’S JOURNEY with Harry Thurston Tuesday June 16th 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm St Andrew’s United Church 55 King St, Truro NS
Harry Thurston was born in 1950, at the very beginning of the Anthropocene, that era in which humans became a geological force shaping the planet’s biosphere. As a nature writer and poet, his challenge has been to navigate the rough moral and artistic terrain between despair and hope. He will trace that journey and the responsibility that comes with it through an examination and sharing of his work in both prose and poetry.
Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Harry Thurston is the author of thirty books of poetry, natural history, and memoir. His first prose book, Tidal Life, A Natural History of the Bay of Fundy, revealed the life-giving powers of the Fundy tides and argued against damming them for electrical generation, and is now considered a classic in the natural history genre. His eco-memoir, A Place Between the Tides, A Naturalist’s Reflections on the Saltmarsh won the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award in the U.S., and The Atlantic Coast, A Natural History, received the Lane Anderson Award for the best science writing in Canada. His latest poetry collection, Ultramarine, was a finalist for the J.M. Abraham Atlantic Poetry Prize and the Fred Cogswell Award for Excellence in Poetry. He lives in Tidnish Bridge, Cumberland County, and is a Mentor in the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction program at University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Learn more about Harry at his web site.
Learn more about ASTE.
The Levy Lecture is an integral part of ASTE. The lecture is FREE and open to the public. In particular we are always glad to welcome ASTE alumni to the lecture.
Open House Celebration Honouring Rev. Emily Duggan
After thirteen years of faithful ministry, leadership, friendship, and service within the Louisbourg Pastoral Charge, Rev. Emily Duggan has accepted a new pastoral appointment and will soon begin the next chapter of her ministry journey. She and her family have been very active members of our church family, our communities, as well as active members of the United Church of Canada faith community at large. Through her involvement, whether in the role of a spiritual leader or as a community member, she has touched many people’s lives regardless of their religious affiliation or beliefs. Her departure will leave a void for many. Before she leaves, the congregations of the Louisbourg Pastoral Charge (MacMillan Memorial Church in Catalone and First United Church Louisbourg) invite friends, neighbours, colleagues, community partners, and members of congregations throughout the region to join us in expressing gratitude and sharing memories of her time among us at an Open House on June 27, 2026 from 3 pm to 6 pm at the Calvin Hall located at 3 Upper Warren Street in Louisbourg. Light refreshments will be served. This informal gathering will provide an opportunity to visit with Rev. Emily, offer good wishes, share stories, and celebrate the many ways her ministry has touched lives over the past thirteen years. For more information, please contact: Caroline 902-565-9183.
Camp Ta-Wa-Si still has space!
There’s still time to register for Camp Ta-Wa-Si!
Looking for an unforgettable summer experience for your child? We still have space available for children ages 5–15 to join us for a summer filled with adventure, friendship, outdoor fun, and lifelong memories. From swimming and games to campfires and exciting activities, Camp Ta-Wa-Si offers a safe and welcoming environment where kids can learn, grow, and have fun.
Spaces are limited and filling quickly, so don’t wait! Register today and give your child a summer they’ll never forget.
For more information and to register, visit here.

