As the summer season and long weekends bring people together in parks, festivals, and community events, how is your community of faith a part of them?
Create a simple, portable presence—a pull-up banner, a folding table, information to share, and welcoming people ready to engage in conversation. Whether on your church lawn or at a local event, small gestures can make a lasting impact. A cookie, a cup of lemonade, or water can open the door to conversations and connections. Faith grows through relationships. By being visible, approachable, and present in the wider community, you create opportunities for people to discover who you are, what you value, and how they might belong. Sometimes the simplest acts of hospitality become the most powerful invitations.
Plan and prepare for happenings this summer and fall. Consider being part of one hundred tables and get a portable picnic table to meet your on the go plans. Have a rainy-day baking party at the church and build a supply of cookies ready in your freezer. Create a team ready to greet others. Prepare FAQs about your life and work in your community of faith.
Contact your growth and stewardship animators in UCC-East Sharon Ballantyne sballantyne@united-church.ca and Rob Shearer rshearer@united-church.ca
This week’s Stewardship Second: “Generosity is what transforms five loaves and two fish into a feast for five thousand.”
Join Sharon in the weekly virtual coffee break drop in conversation, each Wednesday morning, beginning at 9:45 a.m. Atlantic (10:15 a.m. Newfoundland and Labrador). Contact Sharon for the Zoom link.
