Ralph Connor Memorial
United Church
Weekly
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Friday, August 21, 2020
Kindly submit your Newsletter items to
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FOR THIS WEEK'S WORSHIP - Sunday August 23
Each Sunday, our online Worship is posted by 10:00 AM on our YouTube Channel,
We welcome Jasper United Church who will be worshipping with us once again. The scripture for this Sunday is
This Sunday we will be having another “coffee and conversation” time after worship. Zoom logins were emailed by Rev Greg on Thursday – if you did not receive this info and would like to join us, please email minister@ralphconnor.ca asap!
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PLANS FOR OUTDOOR WORSHIP in SEPTEMBER
Our recent RCMUC survey had an 86% positive response to attending an outdoor worship service, so mark these dates in your calendar:
Sunday, September 13 & Sunday, September 27
We have booked the ball diamond at Millennium Park for
10 AM outdoor Worship service on both those Sundays!
As you can imagine, holding such an event while following the numerous public health & safety directives, will require MANY helping hands!! We are actively recruiting volunteers to assist in distributing face masks, making hand sanitizer available as worshippers arrive and leave, and helping folks keep their 2m distance from others (before, during and after the service).
If you can help, please contact
Also needed: does anyone in the RCMUC family have a "pop-up canopy" that could be used to give a bit of shelter to our presenters and their sound equipment? If you do, please contact Greg - minister@ralphconnor.ca
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I f you have a prayer concern to be shared in our Tuesday "Morning Prayer" or our Mon-Fri Healing Pathway Prayer Circle, please email Val Goodrow at v.goodrow@me.com and Rev. Greg Wooley at 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.
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FUNDING OUR MISSION
a Message from your Stewardship Committee
Ralph Connor Memorial United Church's Mission as a Church Community is:
• to nurture the spiritual exploration and growth of all our members and adherents;
• to be an intentionally inviting Christian community that seeks, welcomes and embraces new members;
• to reach out and become an agent for social justice in our neighborhood and in the global community.
A heartfelt thank you to RCMUC friends for your generosity during these challenging times. We continue to receive an outpouring of kindnesses and generosity, which helps us to pay our ongoing expenses and reach out to others in our community.
As always, donations may be made by letter mail, by eTransfer to office@ralphconnor.ca, or by the “donate now” button on the RCMUC website, or by Pre-Authorized Remittance (links for “Donate Now” and PAR are found at the bottom of this Newsletter).
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OUR MISSION IN THE WORLD
Given the challenges faced by congregations and communities in Canada, imagine facing those challenges with even fewer resources. That is the situation faced by many of our Mission partners around the world. In order to alleviate this situation, the United Church of Canada, through the M&S Fund, has launched a Global COVID-19 Appeal to assist with food, clean water, stable income, and safe shelter learn about~. This work is being done via the ACT Alliance’s Rapid Response Fund. A video is posted on the church website: click here~
Donations to this fund may be made through the “Donate Now” button on the RCMUC website, or directly to Donate here~.
Members of the Ralph Connor congregation have, over the years, been extremely generous supporters of the Mission & Service fund of the United Church of Canada. Thank you, in advance, for your support of this special COVID-19 fund, as well as your regular M&S Donations.
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Sunday night at 7:00 PM, until September 6th, we’ll continue ringing the Church bell in appreciation of medical personnel and others providing essential services in the ongoing pandemic. We encourage all Canmorites to continue to make joyous noise in your section of the Town of Canmore, at 7:00 PM any/every night. |
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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.
With the Alberta reopening strategy in phase 2 and the (occasionally) warmer weather, our Church community is getting “out and about” quite a bit more… and with that, these calls and emails from the Care Contacts will be less frequent. Thanks again Care Contact team! Stay in touch...next Care Contact team meeting will be Wednesday, September 2 at 10 AM.
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Ongoing Ministries
& Community Programs
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Canmore Young Adult Network - CYAN
CYAN’s upcoming events, both held in the back yard at RCMUC, include:
- Tuesday August 25th 6:00-7:30 PM: join us for a community discussion about racism in Canada. Everyone is welcome to come out and have a meaningful conversation about what we need to be doing to change the systems that exist. You do not have to have read the book to participate.
- Every Wednesday night from 7:00-8:00 PM: yoga, with a maximum of 25 participants
Community Food & Friends
Food & Friends is now serving TWO nights a week rather than just one, with meal delivery on Monday and Thursday. If you wish to receive a meal or are willing to deliver meals, please email foodandfriends2020@gmail.com
For those requesting meals, please provide your name, phone number, address, and whether you are a single or a family and thus require more than one serving. Provide specific instructions for access if it is not a simple knock on the door.
Note: Food & Friends will return to normal after Covid-19 reopening regulations permit.
Community artsPlace - Summer Camp
It has been a pleasure to update with artsPlace to make our back yard available for their children’s Summer Camps. Programs end on August 28th.
Climate Action in the Park
officially launched Sunday, August 8th, and will continue each week until the end of September, weather permitting. Bow Valley Climate Action will be present Sundays from 5:00-7:00 PM at Riverside Park to discuss specific issues related to climate change with anyone who wishes to engage in the subject. All perspectives are welcome to the discussion, with a different focus each week.
ONGOING ADAPTATIONS
New Town COVID-19 Bylaw
Although the Church building is being used for very little at present, please note that the Town of Canmore’s COVID-19 bylaw, which took effect two weeks ago, explicitly includes Churches within the list of indoor public spaces where masks must be worn. https://canmore.ca/covid-19/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-canmore/mandatory-mask-bylaw. This applies to any group or committee meeting in the Church as well. For those who don’t have a mask with them, we do have an ample supply of single-use disposable masks.
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"Because of the uncertainty of the Covid-19, your golf committee has decided to cancel this year’s Nine and Dine golf tournament usually held in September.”
a Message from your Nine & Dine Host Joyce Chilcott
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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
Our world has become physically smaller, our contacts minimized, travel restricted. To varying degree, and with fluctuating acceptance, people are conforming to the narrowness of our new reality. The onward push of civilization has conditioned us to revel in expansion and conquest which has led to greediness and inattention towards ourselves, each other and the planet. An article in the Globe and Mail reports: Small businesses serving local residents cope better in pandemic times. click here~
When we narrow our focus, the world does better. When local wounds are tended to first it has an impact on the larger community’s anxiety and global ills. But this is not a new concept. EF Schumacher's controversial study, Small Is Beautiful, was first published in 1973 but remains as relevant and thought-provoking today as it was in the 70s. Schumacher inspired such movements as "Buy Locally" and "Fair Trade," while voicing strong opposition to "casino capitalism" and wasteful corporate behemoths. It is well worth a read in these uncertain times.
In 2018, Cardus, Public Theology For The Common Good, released an entire issue exploring the trend of minimalism. No one could foretell that this crisis was coming or how it would highlight the need for change in our world but there were many people examining the harmful trends already taking place. Click here for more.
Screens are Small portals onto large/global world but what would the world look like without them? An artist shows what the world looks like if mobile phones were removed from all the spaces they’ve invaded. Reducing small to invisible….. click here~ and click here~
In an effort to better understand and support those around us, on Thursday, September 3 at 7 pm, The Calgary Institute for the Humanities, Second Annual LGBTQ2S+ Lecture, will feature a ZOOM presentation with Dr. Lillian Faderman on The Rise and Fall of Lesbian Nation: A Brief History of Lesbian Feminism, Registration is required. Click here to register or for more information.
To bring the world-wide outrage home to Alberta an Indigenous song about racism: click here~
Small Is OK, People MATTER!!
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OFFICE CONTACTS
The Church building remains closed, other than periodic office use. Emails and phone messages will be retrieved Tuesday-Thursday; if you have any questions about accessing the Church building, please contact Trish (see below).
If you would like to have a safe-distance get-together with Greg, please send him an email at minister@ralphconnor.ca and he’ll set up a time and place.
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 regularly.
Administration: Trish Campney (away Aug 14-24)
Minister: Rev. Greg Wooley
Music Director: Tanya Sullivan
To print a
Preauthorized Remittance Form
To make a donation to RCMUC through the
"Canada Helps" organization
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Ralph Connor Memorial United Church
617 Main Street, Canmore, Alberta, T1W 2B1
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