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      FRIDAY MESSAGE  &  Upcoming Events

                         July 6, 2018

 
Season:  Ordinary Time                             emuc.ca

 

                   Rev. Kathi's Message:
Kathi is on vacation. Her message will resume on August 10th.

The Leadership Circle would like your input on the following.

The United Church of Canada will be re-organizing our governing structures at the end of this year. Moving forward we will no longer be receiving our regular oversight visits from Halton Presbytery.
The Presbytery thought it would be helpful for the incoming Regional Council if they could have an updated profile of each faith community in the region.

Our Leadership Circle has been working on answers to six questions the Presbytery has asked about us and they would welcome your input. For the coming weeks, while Kathi is on vacation, we will feature one of the questions  each Friday and give you an opportunity to provide input.

After reviewing the question and answer below, please provide any feedback you may have to Barb Jennings, Chair of Communications by responding to this email or sending a separate email to Barb directly at  barbara_jennings@sympatico.ca


Question #1   

What are the energizing aspects of your church's life ministry?


 

Overall it is the people who energize our ministry as we are a friendly, warm, caring and welcoming congregation.


 

Specifically:
  • Strong Music program:
    • Having music in the worship service is inspirational and having a variety of music in different forms is energizing.
    • Our music committee chooses a variety of hymns each Sunday always trying to introduce new music including introits and sung blessings where everyone can join in.
    • The chancel choir sings a variety of styles.
    • So that everyone can have the opportunity to sing, there are two groups, Impromptu (women's group) and Off the Cuff (men's group) who sing occasionally throughout the year. This opportunity allows all people the chance to sing and be included no matter what their ability is.
    • Our director of Music is very gifted at improvising and choosing music to fit the occasion and the congregation responds.
    • During the year we have Vesper Services with outside musical guests and in the summer when there is no choir, our director of music brings in a variety of outside guests as well.
    • Recently a concert was held featuring the Ontario Male Chorus and the Boys for Cawthra
  • Dynamic, caring minister:
    • We have a dynamic new minister who delivers an inspiring and dramatic message on the scriptures.
    • Our congregation looks forward to these messages as well as her Friday message delivered via email each Friday and her monthly message in our newsletter.
    • Her Sunday messages are energizing in that they are delivered in a dramatic style that makes her point easy to grasp.
    • This promotes conversation at church and with family and friends.
  • Strong volunteer ethic:
    • Erin Mills United people have a huge desire to work together so that our church community is viable now and in the future.
    • This is demonstrated on fundraising initiatives (garage sale, mystery theatre with Eden Church congregation Loaves and Dishes group fundraising through baking and cooking, euchre/bridge nights etc.), various program initiatives (refugee sponsorship, community work with the Christmas hampers, Deacon Cupboard food bank), church property/building work such as painting, yard clean up) etc. and working committees (e.g. Worship, Membership and Pastoral Care).
    • When we work together towards a common purpose and we are successful, then we experience a sense of joy and community which energizes us to continue in our work.
  • Dynamic Communication Plan:
    • The communication team energizes our church community through regular communication: weekly Friday Messages, monthly Newsletter, website, and Facebook).
    • People look forward to Kathi's inspirational Friday message since everyone is not always able to make it to church on Sunday. It allows them to feel connected.
    • The "thought of the day" on Facebook is simply another way to energize or inspire people or simply to make their day better.
  • Openness to new ideas:
    • Our Ministry Staff, Leadership Circle (The Board) and congregation are open and willing to try new initiatives/ideas in our worship service, in fundraising initiatives and in our programs. ( e.g. changes in service format, promotion of cell towers in our parking lot, children's program and new "Kid's Zone" in the sanctuary).
    • When we try a new idea and we are successful, we see that we are not "stuck in a rut" and are more willing to try more new ideas.
  • Encouragement through Leadership:
    • Our Leadership Circle (LC) at our annual meetings and at congregational meetings is very good at presenting ideas in an informed and common-sense manner.
  • Sensitivity to Diversity:
    • We have a very diverse congregation and try to include everyone no matter colour, sexual orientation, abilities, education, age. When everyone is included all feel welcome and needed.
  • Strong sense of community and friendship:
    • We have a strong sense of caring and connectedness to each other.
    • This is especially noticed on Sundays at church with the amount and nature of conversation happening both before and after church at coffee time, throughout the week during meetings, at Wednesday's prayer and communion service, and at social group activities (Hiking group, Women's groups,).
    • People feel truly cared for and when people feel cared for, it is natural to want to belong and be part of a community. 
  • Variety of programs:
    • Our programs (e.g. Circle of Friends, Daytime Men, Hiking group etc) provide an opportunity for people of all ages to be involved.

 

We welcome your input and feedback! Thank you!
 

                This Week at EMUC


Sunday July 8th       
                     10:00 am:
 Worship - led by Brian Takayesu
                                       Scripture:  2 Corinthians 12:2-10
                                       Gospel:  Mark 6: 1-13
                                        Message:  'Choose to Accept...'

                                       Guest Musician: Gary Beck, a jazz fusion guitarist

Wednesday 6:45 pm:   Prayer and Communion service is cancelled for                                             July and will  resume August 8th.                                 
                 
                  
Next Sunday July 15:   Worship will be led by Barb Finlay


Rev. Kathi is on holidays until August 7th.  
For any pastoral concerns, please contact Peter/Sylvia in the office 905-820-9466 ext 23

Summer Office Hours: Monday 1- 4 pm; Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday 9-12 noon & 1- 4 pm; Friday 9 -1pm

        
             
         
  
                                                                
Upcoming Events:


 LIVING OUR MISSION....
As you may know,  Joseph Matumaini has been worshiping with us for several months.  He is an immigrant from the Congo and has been able, so far, to support himself - he has a job and a place to live.

His wife and teenage daughter have received visas from the government to join him here after many years of being apart.

They will arrive on July 24.

His current accommodation is not appropriate even for a small family, so Joseph is looking for a place where they can live.   He may have found a place, but because he has had to pay for their flights, he is not able to put together enough money for the first and last month rents.   He is also looking for short term (2 week) accommodation for his wife and daughter when they first arrive.

We are asking:
  1. If anyone has room for 2 house guests for a 2-week stay - this should be negotiated directly with Joseph
  2. For a benevolent appeal - entirely voluntary - to help raise the money he needs to reserve the apartment.
If you would like to help, donations can be made by using the Benevolent Fund envelopes at church on Sunday morning or through the office. For more information please speak with Debby Sturgeon or Sandra Witterick.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this request thus far.  Your generosity is awesome and very much appreciated!



REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP UPDATE
Tarek is settling in well and getting to know the city.  He has been introduced to Nidal with whom we were working when we first started the sponsorship process. Nidal's educational background is similar to Tarek's and he has volunteered to assist him in getting his credentials assessed and exploring the possibilities of employment in the field of translation. Tarek will be moving into a one bedroom apartment in Sheridan Homelands in July.
 
We welcomed the Nadaff family to Canada a week ago. They have moved into the two bedroom apartment on Jaguar Valley. During the summer, volunteers may be needed from time to time to help drive them to appointments.
 

BUY A CHAIR CAMPAIGN
Recently 100 chairs were purchased for the Lower Hall to replace those that were in a bad state of repair.  We have had inquiries from individuals  wanting to donate funds to help cover the cost of the chairs.   The cost of each chair was $65.00.  If you wish to make a donation, you are invited to place it on the offering plate, clearly designated for the chairs.   
 
 
'FUNDSCRIP' PROGRAM
We are continuing with FUNDSCRIP, an innovative fundraising program that asks you to purchase gift cards in order to pay for regular items you buy every month.  A percentage of the cards we purchase through FUNDSCRIP is donated back to our church.  Order forms for gift cards will be available the last Sunday of every month.  The next order date is this Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018.  There will be no FUNDSCRIP order in July.  Please see the display board at the back of the church or speak to Joanne Hines if you have any questions about the program.

WHAT TO DO WITH USED GIFT CARDS?
Erin Mills Town Centre has a box beside the Guest Service desk where you can deposit your depleted, used gift cards. You may also place then in a small box on the Visitors table beside the photocopier room for those who would prefer to leave their old cards at church.  Mary Anna Williams will ensure they are dropped off at the Town Centre.   The program is run by Terracycle.ca.  If you have any questions please speak to Mary Anna.