Ralph Connor Memorial
United Church
Weekly
Kindly submit your Newsletter items to office@ralphconnor.ca by Thursday at 11:00 AM
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Friday, April 17, 2020
FOR THIS WEEK'S WORSHIP
Join us - online - for worship on the Ralph Connor YouTube Channel, always posted at the same link
Gospel Lesson for Sunday, April 19 is John 20: 19-31
click here~
Since mid-March, Ralph Connor Memorial United Church has discontinued all public worship gatherings and all Church-organized in-person gatherings and meetings. We are, however, learning how to worship “together” without leaving our own homes!
Many thanks to our online worship team. If you would like to assist with our online worship services - including musical offerings (solos, duets 2m apart, etc) please contact Greg. For musical offerings we'll need to double-check that we have the proper copyright permissions (see
https://onelicense.net/publishers for a list of music publishers covered by our license).
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!)
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STAYING CONNECTED -
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
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The United Church of Canada is actively responding to the needs of congregations and communities as we find our way through these times of pandemic. Some key pages are:
UC National COVID-19 page:
UC "EDGE" Network COVID-19 page:
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As mentioned earlier in "Robin's Web", daily two minute sermons by various contributors are being shared by the Wisdom Centre, St. Laurence Anglican Church, Calgary - posted on the Wisdom Centre's Facebook page.
Aurora Claire Borin, musician at Rundle Memorial UC in Banff (and our 2020 scheduled "PIE day" speaker) has been choosing classical music inspired by the Sunday Gospel readings for the week, and recording these pieces to SoundCloud. She writes, "I hope these recordings bring you some enjoyment or peace" and notes that this is also a personal challenge to herself, learning two pieces of diploma level music each week!
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CHURCH BELLS ARE RINGING!
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COVID UPDATES
For a full listing of links to stay abreast of the most recent COVID news, please
click here to access our March 27, 2020 RCMUC Newsletter. If there are substantial changes to local practice, these will also be published on ralphconnor.ca and circulated electronically (or by alternate means for those without email).
A NOTE OF CAUTION
A time when many people are showing profound generosity is also, unfortunately, a time when that generosity may be vulnerable to abuse.
A number of Canmore Churches have been targeted with the same email scam, utilizing the name of your local Pastor/Priest/Minister, or another person typically understood to be in a position of trust, but with an unfamiliar return email address (in this case, churchonline####@gmail.com). DO NOT open this first email, as this opens the door to the scam! The next email sent by the scammer usually introduces a scheme involving the purchase of hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards, with instructions that will give the scammer full access to the gift cards.
Please know that any legitimate fundraising request affiliated with RCMUC will be publicized in this Newsletter. If an email looks suspicious to you, please do not open it; if you wish, phone the person who supposedly sent it, to check it out. If you wish to contact the RCMP you may do so, though they have already been notified that this scam is in the area. If your email server allows you to flag and email as "spam" or "phishing", do so to avoid further emails from that address - and then delete the email.
In these days of COVID isolation, please stay safe - physically, and financially!
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.
Two notes to our Care Contacts & Couriers: (1) The ecumenical Prayer Shawl Knitters have produced many "woollen hugs" - do not hesitate to ask Jeanette Aishford at
jaishford@yahoo.ca or Mona McIntyre at
mona.mcintyre@shaw.ca if you feel a Prayer Shawl is in order for one of the folks you contact. And (2) if you have expenses to reimburse, the form is at the bottom of this page, scan and email
completed form & receipts to
office@ralphconnor.ca or drop off at RCMUC side entry mailbox. After the expenses have been approved by the Treasurer, you will be mailed a cheque. The process may take 10-14 days. Note: Please submit original receipts once social distancing has been lifted.
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.
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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).
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.
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ONGOING MINISTRIES AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Although we are not meeting in person, the work of the Committees and Ministries of the Church have been continuing – by phone, by email and, in many cases, by the Zoom internet platform.
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 Greg – the Church has a paid account with Zoom that is intended to be used!
One additional item of note: in order to take advantage of a Sanctuary that cannot presently be used, the Sanctuary has been painted this week.
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HEALING PATHWAY PRAYER CIRCLE
During this time healing pathway members are remaining active by meeting regularly on the Zoom video communication app.
Our thanks go to Val Goodrow for organizing and figuring out the technology involved with help from Greg and Tanya.
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 email Val Goodrow
v.goodrow@me.com
We request that the person gives consent to have their name mentioned in prayer
as privacy/confidentiality is of utmost importance in our group.
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.
God bless you and hold you all during this time of change in our lives.
CANMORE YOUNG ADULT NETWORK - CYAN
Tara offers community yoga lessons on Wednesday nights via Facebook,
https://www.facebook.com/canmorecyan/
. CYAN’s Facebook page also has a great collection of information regarding employment, and government support benefit programs.
CHILDREN’S CHURCH
Due to the coronavirus, Children's Church is on hiatus. The following page from the United Church of Canada's EDGE program has many good links:
Canmore's ArtsPlace has also opened registration for a number of upcoming children's programs, offered online starting in early May:
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ALPINE VOICES THRESHOLD CHOIR
The singers of Alpine Voices Threshold Choir continue to gather online via Zoom, on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 7:30 PM, singing for those in need of compassion and healing light. If you or someone you know would like to be held in this circle of song, please email Jan at
jan.tissandier@gmail.com
UKULELE PRACTICE
The Ukulele folks have trialed the Zoom app to see how it will work for an instructional setting. All but the host will be muted so guided practice while you see your musical friends. Thank you to Donna and Marsh for giving it a go.
Contact Donna or Marsh Kennedy for more information at
dmkennedy11@gmail.com
ADDITIONAL CIRCLES OF CARE
MONDAY NIGHT FOOD AND FRIENDS
Community Food & Friends has successfully re-launched! 347 meals were delivered last Monday. 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; a number of other local businesses are also contributing to the cause, as noted on the "Canmore Food and Friends" Facebook page.
If individuals wish to make a donation to help cover the costs of Food and Friends and the Iron Goat, please check the "Canmore Food and Friends" Facebook page for specific details on how to donate; the preference is to give through St. Michael's Anglican Church with a "Food and Friends" notation. If you wish to volunteer as a driver, please contact the email above..
Note: Due to the coronavirus, the monthly dessert-making group at RCMUC is not currently gathering to make desserts for Food and Friends.
CANMORE FOOD RECOVERY BARN
The Canmore Food Recovery Barn, housed at the Lutheran Church (adjacent to Canmore hospital) and will be open to the food recovery community on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 pm.
There is a new system in place. The food will now be pre-bagged. CFRB attendees will need to sign up at
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080F44AFAD22A2F85-food . There are three 15-minute time slots between 6 and 6:45 pm. Each slot has space for ten people to sign up to recover a bag of food. CFRB asks at this time that each person sign up for no more than one slot per week. It is a suggested donation of $5 per bag.
CANMORE SOUP FOR THE SOUL
The Malcolm Hotel is making soup and bread each day Monday-Friday from 10:00 AM until the soup runs out. The soup and bread is free for those who need it the most. Any donations received will be accepted by cash, debit, or credit, with 100% of the proceeds to the Bow Valley Food Bank.
Please proceed to the Malcolm Hotel's main entrance. They will be operating on a one in, one out basis to be socially responsible, and respect social distancing. Delivery can be arranged for those self-isolating or unable to leave their home, by emailing Canmoresoup@springcreekmv.com. The soup of the day will be announced the night before on the Malcolm's Facebook and Instagram.
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
There are many ways that the Canmore community as a whole expresses care for one another in this time of social distancing, including the following:
• "
Stone Soup Canmore" is a Facebook group with 2,300 members recently created "so that anyone in Canmore who is desperate for certain things or can't leave their house can place a request here and our community can come together to help”.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/556533621645187/
• Numerous government initiatives, FCSS programs, and service club initiatives are being organized – check local media for these.
CYAN Canmore’s Facebook page is also a good source for information.
• We also encourage everyone to stay in contact with your friends and neighbours and others in your personal "circles of care". - And if you become aware of needs beyond our congregation that we could assist with, please make those known to your "Care Contact" person or to the Church Office,
403-678-5354
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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.
Watch this space for fresh content, next week!
One event that Robin brought to our attention, is an online
cross-Canada Holocaust remembrance presentation.
This is a time to come together as a nation to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, remember the victims, and pay tribute to the resilience and faith of the Canadian community of survivors. To sign up in advance to live-stream the
Yom Hashoah V'Hagvurah Cross-Canada Virtual Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration
,
Monday, April 20 at 5:00 PM MDT,
go to
https://www.holocaustcentre.com/yom-hashoah?fbclid=IwAR33x_prOz6R7bzZvERMafNY7QH5fxLbTgbdJJXxvfaRDGtIXqYF6aXRazs
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OFFICE CONTACTS
The Church Offices are closed, but emails and phone messages will be retrieved Tuesday-Friday.
Administration: Trish Campney
Minister: Rev. Greg Wooley
Note: You may still drop mail off at the church side entrance. Mail is picked up and distributed weekly.
To print a
Preauthorized Remittance Form
To print a
Cheque Requisition 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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