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Feature Article by Rev. Kathi
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Dear Friends,
We are so grateful that you have chosen to be part of the Erin Mills United Church family. We imagine that there are many reasons why you would have decided to walk in the doors for the first time and why you keep coming back, but we hope that one of them is because you feel that you have found a community with us and a sense of being a part of something that matters.
This year, our faith community celebrates Thanksgiving on Sunday October 7th. What a glorious time of year for giving thanks! The harvest is in and we can enjoy the beauty of cooler days with clear blue skies and trees ablaze with colour. While the roots of the Thanksgiving holiday may be recognition of the bounty of the land, there is so much more that those of us who live in Canada can give thanks for.
One of the privileges we share is the freedom to assemble and worship as we please. For this we are thankful and even more so we are thankful to be part of the EMUC community. We think of the vibrancy of our community - for example, the creativity and attention to detail that went into an uplifting cafe style Sunday worship on September 23rd. We think also of the commitment to our church's future demonstrated by all those who have joined in our brainstorming sessions about congregational growth. It is with gratitude that we celebrate these gifts.
As you contemplate the things about EMUC for which you are grateful, we invite you to help us sustain our ministry through a special Thanksgiving offering. You will be helping us all to touch lives and make a difference here in Erin Mills and around the world.
Special envelopes will be available as part of the worship bulletin for the next three Sundays. If you are not able to attend, we invite you to make your donation by mail or by Interac e-Transfer. In the latter case please contact the church office, and we will facilitate your donation.
Thank you for your ongoing support,
Rev. Kathi & Dianne Hope, LC Chair
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From the Chair of the Leadership Circle
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For this edition of the Communique I'd like to take the opportunity to update you on the brainstorming we have been doing as a congregational growth group. Thus far, we have had three meetings and I am delighted that as many as 13 of us have gathered to share ideas. Rev Kathi has supported the gatherings by centering us with prayer and spiritual insight as well as a wealth of wisdom based on her past experiences. If you feel called to do so please join us on Monday, October 15th at 7:00 pm when next we gather to share ideas and plan next steps.
As well as sharing our own ideas on how to grow and sustain the congregation, we have consulted resources from the United Church, other faith communities and non-profit groups. These resources give us insight into current trends in Christianity in Canada, inform us of initiatives other faith communities have tried to sustain their ministry, and give us insight into the characteristics of our Erin Mills neighbourhood.
We have identified four main themes that we will continue to develop with concrete action plans. They are as follows:
- Welcoming Newcomers - a welcome beyond hello that creates a desire to return to worship and to join in our mission.
- Determining who we are as a congregation - What do we value? What is our purpose in this community and how can we communicate this to our neighbours and others?
- Worship that attracts and inspires others - on-going assessment of and planning for this.
- Becoming an Affirming Congregation - a detailed, long term process that involves not only accepting and affirming members of the LGBTQ community, but also addresses how we engage with the wide diversity that exists among persons.
In the report "Changing Congregations" by Christine Jessop, about the ways congregations in the United Church are finding their way in to God's "new thing", I found much food for thought. Here I share four ideas that resonated with me -
- Current Canadian Christian Culture - We live in times of rapid and unpredictable change and for many reasons there has been a significant decline in those of the Christian faith. Those of us who so confess and gather may need to think about "church" in a different way.
- Discerning how to move forward is key - There must be much prayerful consideration and open dialogue about who we are as a community and how we live out our call to be a light in our world.
- Building relationships with our neighbours and community is essential. The report encourages us to have an "asset-based" mind set when thinking of these relationships - think about strengths and assets as opposed to needs and problems.
- Communication is critical - Members of the congregation and community need to be fully aware of on-going activities and proposed changes. There must also be opportunity for feedback and open dialogue.
The work of the Congregational Growth group continues. If you would like to contribute your ideas or have questions, please join us for one session or for a longer term to work on the themes identified above. Key contact persons are myself, Dianne Hope, Joanne Hines and Rev. Kathi.
Many Blessings,
Dianne Hope, Leadership Circle Chair
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Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jennifer and Paul Allen and the entire family mourning the death of Jennifer's father, Donald Thomas Whitfield.
We also hold
Ross and Karen Pearman in our prayers after the death of Ross' mother,
Barbara.
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Sending heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make our café service a big success:
- to the focus circle leaders and other volunteers who facilitated the discussions;
- to the many hands who helped with set up and clean up;
- to the Nominations team who came up with an idea, planned and made it happen;
- to Len and the choir for wonderful music;
- to the Worship team who gave me the freedom to do something different, who welcomed everyone and organized the food and drink, and
- to everyone who stayed and joined in the conversations.
Thank you!
And if you weren't able to be with us but still want to share your thoughts about the church and our future, please feel free to send me an email at kathi@emuc.ca
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Life at EMUC
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Northwest Mississauga Constituent Group
Members of Erin Mills, Streetsville, Erindale, and Eden United Churches gathered at EMUC on Sunday, September 16 to formally welcome our sponsored refugee family, Nadeem, Oulla, Lelas and Ahmed, and Tarek to Mississauga. Both the family and Tarek thanked the Northwest Mississauga Constituent Group for working with them through the lengthy refugee application process, finding accommodation, and continuing to support them as they settle in to life in Canada. The generosity of all donors is much appreciated.
Both Nadeem's and Tarek's degrees have been evaluated by World Education Services (WES) and been granted Canadian equivalency. This fact will prove helpful as they seek employment. Oulla is taking ESL courses, Lelas is enjoying senior kindergarten, and 19-month-old Ahmed is in child care.
The reception was attended by approximately 80 congregants who enjoyed the opportunity to meet Nadeem, his family, and Tarek and to view photos and a video of their home city in Syria. Nadeem's family and Tarek were all grateful to meet more members of the community. Light refreshments, including some Middle Eastern desserts, were enjoyed by all.
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Below are pictures from the first fall hike which was at Mount Nemo on September 16th. It was a beautiful day and eight hikers enjoyed the scenery, exercise and camaraderie as can be seen in the pictures below. The next hike is October 21st at Spencer Gorge and Webster Falls.
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Last Sunday, September 23rd, a special event was held to welcome people back to church from the summer. The church was set up with tables and chairs in café style for the informal service. Coffee and tea were served as people arrived for the service. People mingled and talked and greeted one another, reconnecting with friends whom they may not have seen over the summer. The service was casual and Rev. Kathi mingled among the tables during the service.
After the service everyone was invited to stay for lunch. At this time the Focus Circle Leaders set up information about each Focus Area in our church, i.e., Worship and Music, Children and Youth, Caring for People, Social Groups, Connecting with the Community, Financial Health, Caring for the Building, Communications, and Think Tank (Congregational Growth). People were asked to take their lunch and sit at any table of interest to them to hear about what is happening in that area and to talk about what could be done in the future. There were three rotations so that people had the opportunity to provide ideas in several areas.
There was so much energy in the church! Many comments and ideas were received. People liked the informal setting and suggested that it be done again. A handout of key contacts with phone numbers was provided and is available at the office if you were unable to attend last Sunday. These contacts are happy to receive further suggestions at any time. Below are a few pictures of the day.
Lunch & Chats
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Deacon's Cupboard Activities in August
The Deacon's Cupboard reopened August 1st after having a summer break in July. In August the number of guests using the Cupboard was 149. This represents a total of 480 individuals in the various households. The estimated retail value of the goods provided in August is $8,910.
Deacon's Cupboard is supported by EMUC and four other churches. A number of volunteers from EMUC are involved each week. You may support the Cupboard through food donations, financial donations or Fundscrip cards.
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Anti-Black Racism and Afrophobia in the Canadian Context Webinar
On MONDAY, OCTOBER 1st, 2018
at
9:30 am, t
he United Church of Canada, in partnership with the World Council of Churches' Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, is presenting a webinar on anti-Black racism and Afrophobia. This webinar is part of the church's participation in the
UN International Decade for People of African Descent
.
This will be an on-line event.
++ More information and to join the webina
r
++
Panelists: Carl B. Duncan, Kofi Hope, Nestor Medina, Peter Noteboom
Facilitator: Semegnish Asfaw Grosjean
Moderator: Adele Halliday
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KAIROS BLANKET EXERCISE
- the history we rarely see
Join the Erin Mills United Church Interfaith, Justice and Peace Group for a "lunch and learn" after worship on
Sunday October 14th, in the lower hall. A light lunch will be served from 11:30 -12:00. The workshop is from 12:15 to 2:30pm and is facilitated by a representative from KAIROS. Freewill donations are gratefully accepted. Please
RSVP by Sunday October 7th (Dianne Hope - dadihope@gmail.com; Deb Sturgeon - sturgs4@rogers.com)
This workshop will walk us "through the history of relationships between aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples in Canada. As we learn what went wrong we discover how to move forward together."
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Women for Women starts our year with a gathering on
Friday, October 19th at EMUC starting at 6 pm.
We will have dinner & a workshop on
"Mindful Yoga" with Daphne Bennett
. Email invitations will go out soon with more details. Cost is still $10. Future events will be listed on the invitation as well as outlined on Oct. 19. See Cathy Scattergood for more information. Hope to see you there!
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The next hike is planned for
October 21st
to Spencer Gorge/Webster Falls, Dundas Ontario. From the escarpment brow, noted for its panoramas, to the forested depths of the gorge below, the Spencer Gorge Conservation Area exhibits the physical features which have made the Niagara Escarpment one of Ontario's most spectacular geological formations.This significant natural area contains two beautiful waterfalls: Webster and Tew Falls. Both offer spectacular vistas of the gorge. More details on car pooling and timing will be available as these dates approach.
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Open Door Dinner
As part of the Open Door Program,
EMUC will be hosting a dinner at Square One on Thursday, October 25th.
There will be a sign-up sheet posted at the back of the church or you may call Lorraine Moore.
How to help:
Prepare a casserole (e.g. Shepherd's pie, MacN'Cheese, Turkey Pot-Pie, vegetarian dish); slice up some fresh veggies (e.g. carrots, celery, peppers, cucumber) or toss a salad (e.g. green, cole slaw, Caesar, Greek). Bake some cookies or squares. If anyone wishes to be creative, some Halloween themed cookies would be great for the kids. If cooking isn't your forte, we need drinks, buns, paper plates, napkins, cutlery.
If you are pressed for time and unable to cook, but want to help, we will need four people in addition to me.
There will be about 50-60 people in attendance.
We will meet at the church at 4:30 that day. If you wish more information, please contact Lorraine Moore, 905-821-1741.
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EMUC's Vision is to be a thriving Spirit-filled congregation;
diverse, inclusive, and engaged with the community
and creation.
The Mission of EMUC is to offer opportunities for all persons
to experience the love of God through Jesus Christ.
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Communiqué Dates for 2018
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COPY DEADLINE
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PUBLICATION
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OCTOBER 26
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NOVEMBER 4
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NOVEMBER 23
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DECEMBER 2
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Editor: Janet Morrison
Layout: Barbara Jennings
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