May 29, 2024

As June is dawning, there is much to celebrate and acknowledge this month. What will your community of faith be partying about? It’s Pride month. It’s indigenous history month. It’s the United Church of Canada’s 99^th birthday June 10. More information about the celebration of the United Church’s centenary can be found here The kick-off event into the hundredth year of United Church of Canada is at Toronto Metropolitan United, live streamed.

General Secretary, the Reverend Michael Blair will be the preacher. Plan a party, picnic supper, potluck. Invite several communities of faith to get together and watch the livestream. Start a photo history through the hundredth year. Invite stories, comments, interviews. Mark the hundredth birthday on your calendar for June 8, 2025 and save the date.

Sign up to receive the Centennial newsletter to learn about monthly themes and events throughout our hundredth year. Make your own events in your own community. Consider connecting with other area United Churches and celebrate history. Connect with local museums, historical societies, local libraries, local archives, and explore how community partners might celebrate 100 years of deep, bold, daring. What else in your local context has a hundred or more years of history? Do you have a history of your church? Is it time to profile it? Do members of your community of faith have old photos, stories, newspaper clippings? Invite children, youth, and adults to do some research about life in 1925 and share their findings. Interview anyone in their nineties to early hundreds to capture memories. Learn about what was popular around 1925 from food to fashion, activities to autos and everything in between! Explore how you can invite neighbourhoods in to share heritage. Host an afternoon social, reminiscent of 1925 perhaps, or then and now contrast with a little nostalgia mixed with current day. Perhaps a talent show or music night blending old and new. Maybe historical vignettes featuring characters of the day, snippets of historical writing or creative drama offered. As we look back, celebrate perseverance and determination, how will you also focus on your future moving forward? Let me know your creative ideas.