Ralph Connor Memorial
United Church
Weekly
Kindly submit your Newsletter items to office@ralphconnor.ca by Thursday at 11:00 AM
|
|
|
Friday, May 8, 2020
FOR THIS WEEK'S WORSHIP
We cannot come together in person, but are delighted to invite you to join us - online - for worship on the Ralph Connor YouTube Channel, posted by 10 AM Sunday each week at the same link
Scripture Lesson for Sunday, May 10 is
Colossians 1: 3-14
We know how much
music means to this congregation - and we also know that there is lots of musical talent out there! If you have a solo or safe-distance-duet you would be willing to record and share, please contact Tanya
rtsully@telusplanet.net
and we'll work out the details.
Similarly, if you have favourite hymns that you'd like to hear, contact Tanya. Now that our services are shared to the world via YouTube, many hymns and anthems have copyright restrictions, but we'll do what we can!
Wednesday night Evensong at 7:15 pm,
is being done as a live “Zoom” event – watc
h for your Monday/Tuesday Evensong email for details. (And if you don’t receive the Evensong email, contact
jan.tissandier@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list!!
|
|
RCMUC now has
two
prayer circles! If you know of someone that is going through difficult times and would like to be included in our prayers, please contact
Sue Nichols
403-678-7025
or
and
Rev. Greg
minister@ralphconnor.ca
.
We request that the person gives consent to have their name mentioned in prayer as privacy/confidentiality is of utmost importance. We also would appreciate knowing when the situation changes and we can release them from our prayers or update the prayer to a changing need.
Tuesday Morning Prayer
Each Tuesday morning at 9:00 AM, we hold a virtual "Morning Prayer" service via Zoom. f you would like to join this service next Tuesday morning, please email Rev. Greg,
minister@ralphconnor.ca
and he will send you the Zoom meeting ID and password.
Healing Pathway Prayer Circle
During this time Healing Pathway members are remaining active by meeting several times a week on the Zoom video communication app. Our thanks go to Val Goodrow for initiating and leading this time when the healing intention of the Divine is held so lovingly.
God bless you and hold you all during this time of change in our lives.
|
|
Children's Church
Remembering Judy Blume's book...
Are you there God ? It’s me Margaret, we have some questions for the children of RCMUC.
Do you have some questions that you would like answers to, or do you have a drawing or a photo that expresses how you are feeling right now? Questions such as:
- Are you there God? It's me...
- I am wondering about...
- I want to know…
- Other questions for God????...
With your permission we would like to share your questions and drawings with our congregation. All submissions will be published anonymously. Please send you questions, thoughts or drawings (scan & email) to
office@ralphconnor.ca
, you can also mail, or drop directly into church mailbox at side entrance.
|
|
FUNDING OUR MISSION
a Message from your Stewardship Committee
Even when we are physically distant from one another, the regular expenses of the congregation still need to be paid: salaries, utility bills and the like. In addition, the RCMUC Benevolent Fund helps us to respond to emergency needs and emerging community projects in the Bow Valley (Canmore, Morley, and neighbouring communities).
A heartfelt thank you to RCMUC friends for your generosity during these challenging times. We continue to receive an outpouring of kindnesses and generosity to others in our community.
Thank you to everyone who has signed up for PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance) - this is a great help in providing predictable income each month for RCMUC. A link to sign up for PAR is found at the bottom of this Newsletter.
We appreciate the additional donations that have been coming in since mid-March; contributions may be made by any of the following methods:
- An eTransfer is the easiest and quickest of all and without fees or nominal fees, sent to office@ralphconnor.ca
- the DONATE NOW button - found on the front page of the ralphconnor.ca website, and linked at the bottom of this page, is an easy way to help our cashflow stay healthy.
- A cheque in the mail will also be warmly received.
Donations will be assumed to be a donation to "general funds" unless otherwise indicated.
Thank you, all, for your continued support of the ministry of Ralph Connor Memorial United Church.
|
|
Care Connections
An ongoing thank you to our "Care Contact" phoners and "Care Courier" errand/delivery team, for doing such wonderful outreach in keeping us connected to one another. If you are showing any cold/flu symptoms at all and need something from the store, please do not “pop out” to get it. Let us know what you need (via Greg or the Office or your Care Contact) and we will arrange a Care Courier to bring it to you.
If you are not on one of our contact lists and would like to be added, just send a note to Barb Profitt at
bprofitt@shaw.ca and she will add you to a list.
|
|
Additional Notes of Gratitude
|
|
Each day at
7:00 PM
, communities around the world are expressing their thanks to front-line personnel. You are invited to join in this! Step out onto your balcony or deck and
make some happy sounds in appreciation
of the efforts made by medical personnel and others providing essential services. You will hear that the bells of
RCMUC
and St. Michael's Anglican are happily ringing,
7 days a week.
|
|
|
Although it will be a while before we are making desserts for Food & Friends...and a while before CYAN hosts its monthly meals...we will be more than ready when those days come. A new stove and range hood have been purchased, due to
a generous $1400 Community Grant from the Rotary Club of Canmore.
Many thanks!!
|
|
|
While we miss gathering in person in the Sanctuary, these unusual days of distancing have given us the opportunity to get some work done! Our Historic Sanctuary has received a fresh paint job, and while the pews are out it gives us a unique opportunity to re-finish the hardwood floors.
While this expense is not in the budget, we are going ahead with this job
with hopes that extra donations will come in, to cover the costs. Thank you in advance! More on this project in coming weeks.
|
|
|
Ongoing Ministries
& Community Programs
|
|
Canmore Young Adult Network - CYAN
with hundreds of followers: CYAN’s Facebook page also has a great collection of information regarding employment, and government support benefit programs.
Bow Valley Syria Refugee Project - BVSRP
The BVSRP remains in close contact with Dana and Wa'ill, who remain in Malaysia until international travel restrictions are lifted. We look forward to welcoming them into the Canmore community.
with hundreds of followers: CYAN’s Facebook page also has a great collection of information regarding employment, and government support benefit programs.
Community Groups at RCMUC -
both the Alpine Voices Threshold Choir and "High Strung" Ukulele
groups have continued to gather online via Zoom. If you or someone you know would like to be held in the Threshold Choir's circle of song, please email Jan at
jan.tissandier@gmail.com
and if you'd like more information about the Ukulele group, contact Donna or Marsh Kennedy at
dmkennedy11@gmail.com
.
COMMUNITY FOOD AND FRIENDS
RCMUC has been a partner in Community Food & Friends since its inception in 2013. To have a meal delivered at suppertime Monday, book through
foodandfriends2020@gmail.com
no later than Sunday night, indicating your name, address, contact phone number, number of meals needed, and SPECIFIC instructions on finding your door (or your ability to meet the driver at the car or the door). Many thanks to the Iron Goat restaurant for their generous assistance; many other local businesses are also contributing to the cause, as noted on the "Canmore Food and Friends" Facebook page. To donate to Food & Friends, see their FB page; to volunteer as a driver, contact the email address above!
|
|
COVID-19 UPDATES
Daily updates (video and transcripts) from the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Deena Hinshaw are available at
Our prayers of sorrow and support reach out to Rev. Shannon Mang, the Living Spirit congregation, and all who grieve.
As well, on Thursday, April 30th, the Government of Alberta announced its "re-launch" strategy: see
https://www.alberta.ca/external/covid19-alberta-relaunch-strategy.pdf
for a 12 page print document. RCMUC Council (meeting by Zoom these days) has reviewed this document and will continue to assess progress toward the goals of healthy re-opening in our subsequent meetings. With the 2-metre-distance rule still in effect throughout all 3 stages of re-opening, we are still a long way from having public gatherings.
|
|
Would you like to ZOOM?
Many of the Church's Ministries have been utilizing Zoom video conferencing platform to stay connected. If you would like to gather a group and don't want to be confined by the 40 minute limit of the free version of Zoom, contact Rev. Greg.
The church has a paid account with Zoom that is intended to be used!
If you have experience with Zoom and would be willing to help us host gatherings (meetings, worships, discussions) please let Reg. Greg know - we do need extra hands to assist with this task.
|
|
Have you been doing on-line courses that you think others would enjoy? Let us know and we'll put a note in the Newsletter!
One course coming up, from May 18-22, is the annual
Festival of Homiletics
.
This is a highly regarded annual gathering of preachers and presenters, and this year's topic is,
"Preaching a New Earth: Climate and Creation".
If you would like to participate in this event Register for free
https://www.festivalofhomiletics.com/register
and then let Greg know you have registered! We plan to have RCMUC Zoom gatherings each day of this event, to discuss together the content we have seen. Greg will also be obtaining a license for us to see some of these presentations in coming months.
|
|
Many thanks to Robin Slater for offering "Robin's Web" as a feature in our Newsletter, as part of our efforts to be a more broadly inclusive Community of Faith.
ROBIN'S WEB
CONNECTING DIVERSITY
A cloud of Angst has settled over Canada, the continent and the globe. Before Ignaz Semmelweis imagined germ theory and recognized the significance of hand washing, we would have called it a shadow of cadaver particles settling and killing the population.
The Canadian Council of Churches
describes and prays thusly: Anxiety never feels like a gift, but it reflects an important impulse. Creation is gifted with a survival instinct. Anxiety is a normal reflection of that impulse. This is an important lens for understanding reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. People are responding out of their instinct to survive. May this time of anxiety heighten our awareness of the needs of others. May our response reflect the gracious love instilled in each of us for God, ourselves, and others.
An American Church response can be found in Finding Peace in an Anxious World, leader’s guide, by Olivia DiAgostino,
United Methodist Women
: “Eternal God, grant us peace in this anxious world. May we trust in you with all of our hearts, and may you bring us insight and refreshment. Help us to practice Christian acceptance of the things we cannot change, and give us the courage to take action when we are called to act.”
The rhythm of seasons and religious celebrations continue. As you may know, over a billion Muslims worldwide are currently observing “Ramadan”, the holiest month of Islamic calendar. Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamā’at Calgary has a tradition to invite its non-Muslim friends to break Fast & experience Ramadan with them. This year, the Jamā’at has launched a campaign called
‘Virtual Ramadan’
to offer fellow Canadians the same opportunity to ‘virtually’ come together and participate in Ramadan with their Muslim friends and neighbors while learning about the month of Ramadan and the importance of fasting. Leaders from various faith traditions and dignitaries will bring their messages.
This will add a direction to our prayers: The Calgary Interfaith Council and Calgary Alliance For the Common Good invite you to an upcoming webinar on
Grief During COVID19
. There is much to grieve, many have died, both from COVID19 and other causes. Many of us have lost jobs, freedom, plans, and human connection. The natural human response is to grieve. How do we understand how grief impacts us? How do we care for those who grieve? How do we mark losses when we cannot gather for funerals?
This webinar will focus on how we can understand grief and its impacts. How do we care for those who grieve? What wisdom and practices do our different traditions give us?
Guest Speakers Include:
- Brian Pickering - Retired Grief Counselor with Alberta Health Services Grief Support Program
- Rev. David Robertson – United Church Minister who pastored his community though the Flood in High River
- Rabbi Mark Glickman - Rabbi of Temple B'nai Tickvah
Please be sure to ZOOM into the session on May 27
th
about Conversion Therapy and LGBTQ activism.
|
|
HERE COMES SPRING
Photo provided by Robin Slater
|
|
OFFICE CONTACTS
The Church Offices are closed, but emails and phone messages will be retrieved Tuesday-Friday. Note: You may still use letter mail via Canada Post, or drop mail off at the church side entrance. Mail is picked up and distributed weekly.
Administration: Trish Campney
Minister: Rev. Greg Wooley
To print a
Preauthorized Remittance Form
To print a
Cheque Requisition Form
To make a donation to RCMUC through the
"Canada Helps" organization
|
|
Ralph Connor Memorial United Church
617 Main Street, Canmore, Alberta, T1W 2B1
|
|
|
Stay Connected Follow Us on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
