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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 – James “Jimmy/Jim” George Bowley
Condolences are extended to Rev. Richard Bowley (FSLDW), and family, whose brother Jim Bowley passed away on August 25, 2026. The obituary can be viewed here.
To all ministry personnel and lay members of Bermuda-Nova Scotia and Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Regional Councils,
As you receive this notice, our Moderator, the Right Rev. Dr. Kimberly Heath, is busy making final preparations to travel to our region for her official visit on September 8-14, 2026. I know you join with me in wishing her travelling mercies as she travels across our wonderful eastern regions. Below you will find the summary of her activities in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Thank you to all of the places that have invited our Moderator. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you prepare for her arrival.
The following are the invitations that the Moderator has accepted:
Wednesday, September 9
LUNENBURG CLUSTER – Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Hosted by: Bridgewater United Church
Thursday, September 10
SAINT JOHN CLUSTER – Scotch Ridge, New Brunswick
Hosted by: Scotch Ridge United Church
Friday, September 11
PEI CLUSTER – Hunter River, PEI
Hosted by: Central Queen’s United Church
1:30pm – 4:00pm
Saturday, September 12
Travel Time
CLERGY COFFEE – Fredericton, New Brunswick
Sunday, September 13
WORSHIP SERVICE – 200th Anniversary of Keswick Ridge United Church
Please note that the PEI Cluster gathering on the Moderator’s schedule is open to everyone. We are also inviting anyone in the Keswick Ridge area to join the Moderator at Keswick Ridge United Church on Sunday, September 13. The Moderator will be guest preacher at the 200th Anniversary Service. All are welcome to attend the worship service at 10:30am.
We look forward to sharing these visits with you, as the Moderator participates in worship and fellowship in these sacred spaces. If you have any questions, please direct them to Rev. Faith March-MacCuish, Executive Minister, at fmaccuish@united-church.ca.
Executive Meeting – Questions
The Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council Executive is meeting on September 17 and 18. If you have any questions to bring to the Executive, please send them to BNS@united-chuch.ca no later than September 10.
Thanks to Ivan Gregan
Thank you to Ivan Gregan for acting as the interim Vocation Minister for the Atlantic Regions. He officially finished this role on August 15th. Please refer any Office of Vocation matters to the new Vocation Minister, Rev. Don Sellsted. DSellsted@united-church.ca
2027 Mission and Service Grant Application
The 2027 Mission and Service Grant application is now available here. The 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.
Updated Staff Directory
An updated Staff Directory for the Regional Council Office is available here for your use. The information can also be found on the website under “Contact Us“.
Stewardship –Getting Started in Stewardship Free 90-minute webinar
Come join this free course “Getting Started in Stewardship” August 27. Come on your own or bring a team from your community of faith to spend 90-minutes learning together about generosity, the many ways we give, supporting growth and inspiring others as we discover what stewardship is all about. Choose either 4:00 or 6:30ET. Please register on CHURCHx.
Stewardship Best Practices: Called to Be the Church, a five-week course
It will be great if your community of faith can prayerfully discern participating in the five-week course in the fall is an excellent way to help your community of faith embrace stewardship best practices.
Stewardship Best Practices – which is 5 sessions starting at the end of October. We’d usually want a team of 3 people plus the minister to participate. At the end of the course, Sharon Ballantyne, as a growth and stewardship animator, would come alongside you for coaching.
Join us at Ukulele Church!
Have you been looking for an all-ages, online worshipping community? Have you always wanted to play Ukulele? Put the two together and join us weekly at Ukulele Church on Zoom! After signing up at ukulelechurch.com you’ll get a weekly email reflection, along with music and art templates and our zoom link. Whether you’re a seasoned player, or have never touched the instrument before, we’d love to have you join us. This year, our season starts on September 13, so sign up today. Questions? Email cstuart@united-church.ca.
Virtual drop-in with Growth and Stewardship Animator Sharon has new day and time beginning Sept. 15
Join our Tuesday lunch bunch. Thank you to all who have participated in the virtual drop in each Wednesday with Sharon, over the past year. Our final Wednesday virtual gathering is Wednesday August 26. I will be piloting a new day and time beginning Tuesday September 15. Drop in for a virtual lunch time drop-in every Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. Atlantic (12:15 NL) for thirty minutes to chat about whatever might be on your hearts. Enjoy your lunch at our virtual table, or just drop in to visit. Let’s keep connected.Put it on your calendar as a recurring event. Contact Sharon for the zoom link at sballantyne@United-church.ca.
Resources for Ministry with Children and Youth
Looking for resources for your ministry with Children and Youth? Look no further! Here is a list (though certainly not complete!) of curricula, books, websites, and other information that I’ve collected over the years. Please share it with your communities. Using something that’s not listed? Have a program that you’ve created yourself? Email me to share it at cstuart@united-church.ca. I’ll also be available in the fall to come to your community for a workshop or to help your group get started.
Stewardship
Money is a spiritual issue and what we do with it is one of the ways we follow Jesus. But managing our money can be difficult without
some solid basic financial understanding.
This item includes:
• 3 On-your-own hours
• 6 On-your-own videos
• 2 Downloadable resources
Now is the time to look at our individual management. The affordable cost of $10. Thank you for this resource.
Godly Play Core Storyteller Training 2026
The Godly Play Maritimer Trainers are offering three consecutive days of Core Storyteller Training this fall!
Friday, October 23 at 2 p.m. – Sunday, October 25 at 4 p.m.
Southwest River United Church, PEI
$350 — includes two suppers, two lunches, and nutritional breaks
Overnight accommodations are the responsibility of participants.
This intensive training will equip participants to tell Godly Play stories while developing a deeper understanding of children’s spirituality and the Godly Play method.
Registration deadline: Friday, September 25. Register here.
Questions email Jenny Eisener: registrargodlyplaymaritimes@gmail.com. For help finding accommodations, contact Ellen Locke at ellenmlocke@hotmail.com or 902-628-5460.
Ministry and Personnel Committee Chairs to be invited to ChurchHub
As a result of many requests for access to ChurchHub to complete Record of Call or Appointment forms, we will be inviting Ministry and Personnel Chairs for all Communities of Faith to join ChurchHub with their own email/login.
Please confirm that your M&P Chair is current and correct in your list of Officers and Roles in ChurchHub. If incorrect, please delete this officer from your list of Officers and add the correct name and contact information. See our instructional video for deleting/adding officers.
In early September your Ministry and Personnel Chair will receive an invitation to ChurchHub.
Improved Record of Call or Appointment form on ChurchHub – Effective September 1st
While the Record of Call or Appointment form tile will look the same on ChurchHub, the dashboard and form will look very different on September 1st. All previous forms (in whatever stage they are in) will seamlessly move from old to new format on that date.
The improvements are a result of the feedback we have heard from many of you who have been using the form over the past several years. This update also gave us the opportunity to use enhanced programming tools/styles that didn’t exist in 2019 when it was first created.
The Record of Call or Appointment form has had a complete makeover:
- more user friendly
- meets a higher accessibility standard
- dashboard and form open more quickly
- information upload speed increased
- improved reliability (prevents errors, prompts when items are missing)
- clearly labelled steps for acceptance
- Form is now on two pages so there’s no need to scroll up/down to find the bottom of the form
- Searching for a minister’s name is now simpler, clearer and quicker (search by name in any form OR select from list)
- Send draft email button visible at top of each page
We’re excited to share this improved Record of Call or Appointment form with you in September. Stay tuned for more ChurchHub improvements in the coming months!
Co-operative Ministry Learning Opportunity
Lay and Clergy interested in exploring Mutual Ministry are invited to visit the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan for a long weekend this fall, October 22-26, in conjunction with their annual convention, and experience their circular way of mutual ministry that has developed over the last 40 years in the strong, small communities of the Upper Peninsula.
Visitors Weekend is a longstanding tradition in the Diocese of Northern Michigan welcoming guests to immerse themselves in an ecclesiology of baptismal ministry.
This is an opportunity to visit local congregations, talk with diocesan staff and missioners, explore new ministry initiatives (such as U.P. Wild Church, and Healing with our Indigenous neighbors), and engage with others who are passionate about a collaborative way of being engaged in the work of Jesus.
Visitors should plan to arrive by Thursday evening. An introduction to our practice of mutual ministry with conversation will take place Friday morning through early afternoon. All are invited to participate in a convention workshop on Living Stories Sermons on Friday afternoon, followed by the Eucharist, and then to experience our collaborative approach to Convention on Saturday. Sunday morning, visitors are invited to attend one of our congregations to experience how our approach looks in our regular, local contexts. Sunday afternoon we hope to have an opportunity to experience U.P. Wild Church, our new, locally led spiritual communities that are growing quickly in at least seven places around the Upper Peninsula, in a unique partnership with the ELCA. We will then have time for reflection conversation and supper.
More information and registration is available here. Please register now!
Financial Assistance for travel and lodging may be available, especially for students, and can be requested on the registration form.
Contact (sgodfrey@upepiscopal.org) or Rayford Ray (rayfordray@upepiscopal.org), 906-228-7160, with any questions.
Full Time Position for Ministry Personnel (2-Year Term)
The Clifton Pastoral Charge is seeking an energetic, visionary full-time ministry leader for a two-year term to guide us through an exciting season of renewal and rebuilding.
We are looking for a collaborative leader who can connect with people of all ages using both traditional and innovative approaches to worship and communication. The ideal candidate brings strong organizational and administrative skills, a background in leadership or management, and the ability to help us identify and embrace new opportunities for growth.
Rooted in a rural setting, our congregations value a visible, active presence in the wider community. We are looking for someone who feels at home in the country, enjoys participating in community life, and is eager to walk alongside us in faith and fellowship.
National Account – Purolator
General Council has asked us to share a new Purolator discount initiative that is available to Regions and Communities of Faith. Through a coordinated approach, participating Regions and COFs can access a preferred rate of 65% off Purolator’s standard rates, with billing managed directly by each participating entity. Please click here for the full details, including a link to the sign-up form.
Worship Jam Wednesdays!
We also have a special invitation from Hillside United’s music director, Denny Culbert:
Come Out for Worship Jam Wednesdays in August!
Throughout August, we are offering Worship Jams on Wednesday nights — a relaxed, come as you are musical gathering from 8:00–9:30 p.m. on August 19, and 26.
We will be learning and singing through several contemporary worship songs by Hillsong, Bethel Music, Maverick City, We the Kingdom, and others. We’re looking for lead and back up singers, keyboardists, drummers, acoustic and electronic guitars, bass players, and anyone who wants to sing along or simply sit and listen.
It will be casual, fun – like a jam session but with worship music. For more information or if you are interested in joining one or more of the sessions, please contact our Music Director, Denny Culbert, at denny@hillsideunited.org.
Everyone is warmly invited to join in all the fun!
Hillside United Church, 12 Flamingo Dr, Halifax, NS
