Ralph Connor Memorial United Church
Weekly
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Friday, June 25, 2021
by Thursday at 11:00 AM
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Please send all Office emails to office@ralphconnor.ca. The old canmoreu@telusplanet.net and canmoreu@telus.net addresses are now defunct.
Please also note: if you are sending letter mail to RCMUC, please include “Box 8901” in the address to make things easier for the folks at Canada Post.
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Sunday, June 27, 2021
This week’s scripture is 2 Corinthians 8: 7-15 click here~. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church in Corinth, implores them to pick up on a task they had started a year earlier. What does this evoke for us, as we recall hopes from early 2020 and what those might mean for the second half of 2021…? As usual, Worship will be an online experience, posted at our Ralph Connor Canmore YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi8loA1BP8lNAppSRR9_aQQ
Rev Greg Wooley is on duty until June 30 and then off for a month’s holidays. Note: Rev Michael Ward said YES to providing emergency pastoral coverage July 1st to 27thish!
In Greg's absence, Sunday online worship will continue each week – watch this space for details! Depending on how everything goes with Alberta’s Stage 3 summer reopening, we are tentatively planning an outdoor in-person worship service for Sunday, August 15th. More details once August arrives.
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Rundle & Ralph Connor
Update: TODAY at noon
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As mentioned in recent Newsletters, there will be a "Rundle & Ralph Connor Information and Accountability" Zoom session TODAY from 12:00 noon to 1:30 PM. Bring your questions about the proposed amalgamation, and we will do our best to provide answers. Please note, this is NOT a congregational meeting that will make formal decisions – that is still a ways off! Today’s session is a time when the Rundle & Ralph Connor group will be available to hear and respond to your wonderings, questions and concerns. Hope you can make it!
Zoom session: Friday, June 25, 2021 from 12 noon to 1:30 PM
Meeting ID: 858 2097 7520
Passcode: 320789
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$ News from the Stewards $
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While we are very sad to see that Terry Tuepah
has stepped down from chairing the Property Committee, his contribution to the current and future well-being of our church property is truly priceless. Thank you Terry!!
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Recent revelations – whether new information, such as the terrible discoveries at Kamloops and Cowessess, or information about processes that have been ongoing for nearly a decade, such as the investigations of the Residential School grounds in Brandon – remind us of how important it is to be aware of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and its 94 Calls to Action which were released in 2015.
Our hope is to highlight many of the calls of the TRC and related documents in upcoming Newsletters.
As the Kamloops discovery continues to have national impact, we note that no fewer than six of the 94 calls come under the heading of “Missing Children and Burial Information.” Included in these is # 76:
76. We call upon the parties engaged in the work of documenting, maintaining, commemorating, and protecting residential school cemeteries to adopt strategies in accordance with the following principles: i. The Aboriginal community most affected shall lead the development of such strategies. ii. Information shall be sought from residential school Survivors and other Knowledge Keepers in the development of such strategies. iii. Aboriginal protocols shall be respected before any potentially invasive technical inspection and investigation of a cemetery site.
As we read many calls in social media for the immediate investigation of all Residential School sites, we are reminded by call #76 that First Nations must not be disempowered yet again, as settlers push forward their agenda. Every resource and all documents must be made available, but the process of investigation and honouring will be determined by First Nations leaders.
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In the spirit of reconciliation, there will be a tipi on the NWMP grounds this summer. Traditional stories and knowledge are shared and crafts, games and traditional skills are demonstrated as part of the Barracks' new Indigenous Stories tipi program at the NWMP Barracks. The program runs daily Thursday to Monday, June 26 to August 30, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm with a Stoney Nakoda cultural interpreter, Leandra Beaver. The program is offered in partnership with Nakota Tipi n Rider Style Craft from Eden Valley. |
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June is The Canmore Library tribute to Helmi Bracco month |
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The Canmore Library was extremely important to Helmi Bracco, a well-known Canmore resident and beloved Ralph Connor member who fought cancer for many years as a young mother and passed away in 2014. She was totally involved in the library, served on the board in the 1990's, and was deeply committed to issues related to literacy. Her family appreciates the tribute to Helmi, noting that she was always surrounded by books and has passed on a deep love of libraries and literacy.
Like many of us, Helmi appreciated all the things a library represents in a community – a welcoming “hub” where people can connect, a place for people to explore and learn at their leisure, a place for reflection. All made possible because of dedicated and passionate community-minded people… people like Helmi. People like you.
The Canmore Library partnered with the Banff Canmore Community Foundation to establish the Library Endowment in 2019, the same year they abolished library membership fees to ensure all members of the community are able to access the library without cost. We invite you to donate to the Library Endowment Fund, even if it’s as small as what your membership fee might have been. Big or small, everything contributes to the long-term sustainability of the Library.
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We have two prayer groups at RCMUC: The Healing Pathway Prayer which meets on Wednesdays and Fridays, and Tuesday's “Morning Prayer” group.
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.
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The RCMUC Council meets next on Wednesday,
June 30 at 3:30 PM. Council meetings are open to congregational members and adherents – please contact Ruben Nelson, Secretary rubennelson@shaw.ca or
if you’d like to receive the Zoom link to join this meeting.
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Bow Valley Refugee Project |
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BVRP is delighted and proud that on June 17th Anto, Rema, and Tia Kahkejian became new Canadian citizens! They took their oaths before a Citizenship Judge during a Citizenship ceremony via Zoom!
We are also pleased to be able to share photos and wonderful words of thanks from Anto to BVRP and the kind donors and supporters of RCMUC.
“…thank you from the heart for giving our family
a second chance, thank you for bringing us to one of the best communities in Canada,
thank you for being around us all the time,
thank you for being in our life.
We hope we were worthy of the trust you gave us.
God bless you, God bless Canada.”
See below for BVRP details.
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Margaret Claveau is making a move to Calgary at the end of the month. We thank Margaret for her many contributions to RCMUC – serving on Council, co-Chairing the Affirming Committee, initiating our Tuesday Morning Prayer group, and providing such wise and gracious support for anyone dealing with grief. We wish her all the best in this move and, hey, Calgary to Canmore isn’t that big a drive so we will see one another again!!
We also express our best wishes to Rev. Nancy Monteith of Jasper United Church, as she and her spouse Glyn move into retirement in the Okanagan. It has been good to share in online worship with Nancy and the folks in Jasper.
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If you would like one of the Pentecost-and-following Faith@Home kits for children or grandchildren in your circle of care, and have not yet received one, please contact the Church Office and we will get one to you. |
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Ongoing Ministries
& Community Programs
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Alpine Voices Threshold Choir
Alpine Voices offer their voices in service, singing at bedside as a gift to those at life's thresholds. Rehearsals, on the 2 nd and 4 th Mondays of the month, are continuing on Zoom. Contact jan.tissandier@gmail.com for more information.
Bow Valley Refugee Project
Canmore Young Adult Network - CYAN
For recent news see http://cyancanmore.ca/ or contact Caylee LaBranche, CYAN Executive Director, at canmoreyaya@gmail.com.
Evensong
Our Wednesday night Contemplative Service has concluded for the season. We look forward to resuming Evensong's next season in September! During the pandemic we have gathered Worshippers from far and wide, including Calgary, Camrose, Saltspring Island, the Sunshine Coast, and the UK, as well as Canmore, Harvie Heights and Banff. Many thanks to Jan Tissandier and all the lay leaders who make this such a meaningful gathering.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Missing hugs? If you'd like a woollen hug, i.e. prayer shawl,
please contact:
Rundle United Thrift Shop
As Banff's Rundle Memorial United Church Thrift Shop looks to open two afternoons and two evenings per week, and to keep expenses lower, by increasing the mix of volunteers with some paid staff… would a group of Ralph Connor Memorial congregants and friends commit to working one day a week?
Our model is to open for three hours, so the commitment would be to work for three and a half hours – ten minutes before opening to turn on lights and set up cash, and twenty minutes after closing to make the bank deposit and turn off lights.
Duties are light, honestly! One person would handle cash and card payments. We offer no receipts since we take no returns. The other person would work in the store, mostly tidying the racks and shelves, answering a few questions and occasionally showing a few “valuables” in two locked cabinets.
Interested persons are kindly invited to email us at office@rundleunited.ca We guarantee a response by the following Wednesday!
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Community Connection:
Canmore Hospital Ladies' Auxiliary
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Throughout the summer, we will be hosting the Hospital Tuck Shop crew in the courtyard at RCMUC on Fridays and Saturdays.
On Saturday afternoons at 2 PM, we’re also going to resume BELL RINGING at RCMUC as a thank you to Health Care Workers, Teachers, Servers & Frontline staff who have been faithfully on-the-job for public benefit throughout the pandemic.
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Bow Valley Affordability Guide
A good resource to reference services available in the community. Link here~.
Food Security
Many organizations in the Bow Valley help to provide healthy, affordable food and meals. For a listing of these, go to
This includes Community Food & Friends, Food Recovery, Bow Valley Good Food Box, Food Banks, and the Bow Valley Root Cellar. If there are other programs that should be added, please let us know!
Three Communities...One Valley
Friends and neighbours in the Bow Valley are still needing support during these times of COVID-related restrictions. If you would like to help others as a volunteer, or if you need support, please email bowvalleyisolations@gmail.com or text 403-679-3340 and we will get you signed up and do what we can to get you what you need. |
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Our gratitude to Robin Slater for offering the following feature in our weekly Newsletter, as part of our efforts to be a more broadly inclusive, and affirming, Community of Faith.
ROBIN'S WEB
CONNECTING DIVERSITY
Here’s a flurry of events before the laziness of summer sets in. Many puzzle pieces waiting to be put together to reveal the picture of a Post-Covid reality they will jointly form. What Did We Learn from the Great Pause? Take a big breath before you step back out into the world. What do you want it to look like? Click here~.
Imagining a Healthy Society: A Devotional Gathering and Spiritual Conversation June 29, 7-8:30 pm On zoom. We will combine prayers for the healing of our communities and our society with readings from the Baha'i writings and other sources about the connection between spiritual work and collective social action for a better world. For Information: email here~ or telephone, 403-852-8283 or Zoom link here~.
This Canada Day, the Best Way to Celebrate Is to Cancel It. This nation continues to inflict harm on Indigenous people. Fireworks won’t change that. Click here~.
Housing Inclusion, a 3-part virtual workshop July 9, 1:00 p.m. Sessions have been developed to bring more awareness to the fundamental lack of access to housing options available to people with disabilities Link here~.
Affirm United/S'affirmer Ensemble's 2021 Virtual Annual General Meeting July 24th 12-2:00pm MST. Register NOW~
This is beautiful!! Members of Great Heart and The Metropolitan Choir sing Sara Bareilles' Brave for Pride month 2021! Audio: Benjamin Stein. Video: Charlie Davidson. Click here~.
Land-Based Learning Literacies August 4 St. Mary's University is delivering a course where participants will be introduced to storytelling and On the Land learning from an Indigenous perspective in the context of Treaty 7 and Blackfoot Confederacy nations. Participants will be invited to examine their relationship to the land as a way to inform how they approach their teaching practices. Click here~.
Anti-Racism and Collective Hope August 10 St. Mary's University is delivering a workshop using popular theatre and Métissage as the foundation for exploring the concept of human plurality and how we can develop perspectives of the “other” to become allies in combatting racism and building communities of hope within our classrooms and work environments.
The Ending Poverty Together Online Workshop invites you to explore the big questions about poverty and discuss tangible solutions. August 14 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM MDT on Zoom. Organizer: Food For The Hungry (FH) Canada, part of the global FH family, this is a Christian non-profit organization dedicated to ending poverty-one community at a time. Materials will be emailed to you for most effective participation. Eventbrite link here~.
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Ralph Connor Memorial
United Church (RCMUC)
CONTACTS
Note 1: The church offices are closed in compliance with Alberta Covid mandatory office workers Work At Home restriction. The mail, email and phone messages will be picked up regularly between Tuesday to Thursdays.
Note 2: For RCMUC business please contact at the following phone or email designated for business purposes. Please respect that questions often may not be answered afterhours without access to business resources. Access to personal mobile phone and personal email devices are intended for emergency purposes.
Administration: Trish Campney
outgoing: ralphconnormemorial@gmail.com
Note: Trish will be away from office after June 24, 2021,
returning Wednesday, July 7, 2021, and then for a couple of weeks in August when family medical procedure is scheduled.
Minister: Rev. Greg Wooley
Note: Rev. Wooley will be on a well deserved vacation from July 1st to 31st inclusive - Rev Michael Ward will provide emergency pastoral care July 1st to 27thish.
Music Director: Tanya Sullivan
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Rundle Memorial
United Church (RMUC) Contacts
The mail, email and phone messages will be picked up regularly.
Administration: Nancy Murray
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1086
Street address: 102 Banff Ave
Banff, Alberta, Canada T1L 1B1
RMUC Website: http://rundleunited.ca/
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Ralph Connor Memorial United Church
Mailing address: P.O. Box 8901
Street Address: 617 Main Street
Canmore, Alberta, T1W 2B1
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