Friday Message

What's Coming!

October 9, 2020

Creation Time

One of the writers I am reading this fall is Glennon Doyle. Her book Untamed is on several lists of recommended reading. She has a style that uniquely personal, vulnerably honest, and raw. Today, I am sharing with you some of her words about how the pandemic is changing us:

When this is over, we will be different – my mom and I.

We used to believe there was solid ground.

When my mom and I finally run toward each other, we will check each step. We will expect tremors.

When this is over, our children will be different.

They have seen the worst of us.

They know now that we don’t know.

That we don’t know how to save them.

That sometimes we do know--but we don’t do it.

When this is over -- we will all be different.

Let Us Vow to Stay Different.

In the after:

Let us keep our to-do lists shorter.

Let us keep our grudges shorter.

Our patience, our visits, our naps, our laughter, our embraces--Let’s make them longer.

In the after, let us refuse to be tricked again into believing that

We are what we get done.

We are who we align with, who we hate, what we reject, what we have and consume and produce and save and spend and claim.

No.

We Are Who And What We Love.

That is all we’ve ever been and that is all we’ll ever be.

We are our mothers and our fathers and our friends and our sisters and our brothers and our grandparents and our grandchildren and our children and our books and our pets and our neighbors and our couches and our sunsets and that long walk down that one path where the light slices through the trees just right and reminds us of magic.

When this is over, we will be different.

Let us vow to Stay different.

Let us remember Who We Are.

And to those of you who say:

“We won’t remember. We will go back to ‘normal.’ People always do.”

To those I say: You don’t know us.

We’ve missed our people.

We’ve missed everything.

We are different.

Blessings,

Kathi

This Week at EMUC

UPDATE on WORSHIP SERVICES

At its September 15 meeting, the Leadership Circle decided that EMUC will continue to conduct Sunday services on the Zoom platform until the end of October. There are still many unknowns regarding the return to school, a second wave of the virus, and the flu season. We have seen an increase in the number of COVID19 cases recently. The safety of the congregation is the priority. The possibility of returning to the building for worship will be reassessed again at the October 20 Leadership Circle meeting.

Sunday October 11:

10:00 a.m.: Online Worship led by Rev. Kathi

Monday October 12:

7:00 p.m.: Bible Study via Zoom is cancelled for this week

Wednesday October 14:

6:45 p.m.: Prayer Service via Zoom is cancelled for this week

What's Coming!

Office Hours: Please note updated hours.

Tina will be in the office on Mondays and Tuesdays from noon until 4:00 pm, Thursdays and Fridays from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm.

She can be at the church on an “as needed” basis on other days, but this needs to be arranged in advance with an email or with a message left with the office.

From the Chair of the Leadership Circle

Thanksgiving Letter

Dear Friends,

This year has been an unprecedented one, given the COVID-19 pandemic. Difficult as it may be to consider in this uniquely challenging time, Thanksgiving calls on us to reflect in gratitude for the daily blessings we otherwise might take for granted – the beautiful countryside and its nourishing crops, the love of family and friends, and our safe and warm homes. For these and the many other gifts we have been given, let us be thankful.

As congregants of EMUC, we are also grateful for the ongoing fellowship we have been able to enjoy as a congregation, even as the church closed its doors to Sunday morning services. That we have been able to continue to worship God together, by Zoom, has given us the ability to remain spiritually connected while we navigate the social isolation and emotional upheaval brought on by the virus. Let us recognize and be thankful for our continued ability to worship God together as a congregation – in spite of it all.

Mindful of the church’s importance to us, I invite you to celebrate us, a steady and faithful congregation, and our unwavering commitment to worship God together by making a special Thanksgiving offering this year. This demonstration of gratitude will let us continue to delight in our experience as members of this blessed church community.

Thanksgiving offerings can be made in person at the church, by mail, on the website http://emuc.ca or through Canada Helps https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/6741/.

Please clearly identify your donation as a Thanksgiving Offering.

With gratitude for you and our church community,

Paul Marot

Chair, Leadership Circle

Thanksgiving Offering

As your Treasurer, I give thanks for the strong financial support from the congregation during these difficult times. Givings to date are very close to budget along with increased support for the Deacon’s Cupboard. When we set the annual budget, we included special donations at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas in an effort to cover operating expenses.

I invite you, if you are able, to make a Special Thanksgiving Offering in person at the church, by mail, or through Canada Helps by going to our website http://emuc.ca. Please clearly identify your donation as a Thanksgiving Offering.

Your ongoing support is greatly appreciated.

Dave Leeder

Turkey Pies

After Thanksgiving, the Loaves and Dishes ladies will be making turkey pies. Please contact Sue Ogilvie (905-820-2387) to place an order.

Fundscrip Fundraising Gift Card Program is back in October!!

Back by popular demand, we are happy to announce that anyone interested in purchasing Fundscrip cards in October will be able to do so by following the procedures listed below;

1. Email Joanne Hines at twokids@rogers.com to receive an order form.

2. If you already have an order form, send an email to Joanne Hines with your order by Thursday, October 22.

3. Take the cheque or cash for your order amount and drop it off with Tina in the church office (Tina’s office hours are Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, but call ahead to be sure) or take your cheque or cash directly to Mike Ogilvie by Friday, October 23

4. Your order will be placed on Sunday October 25 and will arrive at the church office sometime on Thursday, October 29.

5. Arrange to pick up your order from the church office anytime after Thursday, October 29.

**Please note that we only have orders for October and November left for this year. Think ahead for Christmas, birthday shopping etc., as we will not be ordering Fundscrip in December**

Thank you for your support of this fundraising project and please contact Joanne Hines if you have any further questions.

Donations to EMUC

Some of you have asked how you can make donations to operations, mission and service, the benevolent fund, and the Deacon’s Cupboard. You can donate through Canada Helps by going to www.emuc.ca or by mailing a cheque to EMUC at 3010 The Collegeway, Mississauga, ON., L5L 4X9. Please mark the envelope "Attention Envelope Secretary".

Please note that Deacon's Cupboard would prefer to receive financial donations rather than actual food donations because the church remains closed so that managing food is difficult. The Cupboard is giving only vouchers to its guests. They are open only on Wednesdays and not on Monday evenings for the duration of the pandemic.

Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support.

EMUC Finance Committee

‌