Communiqué
November 2020





Ordinary Time




"Water Is Caring"
Water to my house comes from a well I share with my neighbours. It is fresh, clean and plentiful. At the cottage, we bring in our drinking water, while water for washing and flushing is pumped up from the lake. I turn off the water supply for the colder months to prevent the lines freezing and bursting. We carry in all the water we use, and we get quite good at using it sparingly. But it is ever only for a day or two at a time.

Now, imagine if for 25 years the water that came from your taps was considered so unsafe that you had to boil it, even for washing. Imagine a whole generation only ever getting their drinking water from the store at an unbelievable mark up.

The Neskantaga First Nation has been evacuated away from their homes since October 19, when the reservoir which is the source of their water was found to be contaminated with oily hydrocarbon. The community had been promised a working water plant by 2018, but until last week they remained under a boil water advisory that was put in place in 1995.
 
A week after the water stopped flowing into homes, a handful of residents remain behind to keep houses safe and prepare for the eventual return of the evacuees. The conditions are dire. With no running water, they must use pails and buckets to collect water from the lake in freezing temperatures. They are also responsible for keeping empty homes heated to a minimum temperature to prevent frozen pipes, and for feeding pets left behind.
 
They chose not to be evacuated out of a sense of duty and responsibility, and it is part of their commitment to the community. They committed to each member of the community that their houses will be taken care of.
 
The federal government said last week that they are committed to helping Neskantaga get through this latest crisis, by supporting the evacuation and other needs that may arise. The Indigenous Services Ministry is working as quickly as possible to fix the ongoing water crisis in Neskantaga, but there are many hurdles to overcome. Once the contamination of the water is cleared and the plant becomes functional, leaks in the old water distribution system must be addressed, and then there's the problem of waste water. The new water plant is not compatible with the old sewage system.
 
In the scriptures, water flows from Genesis to the last book, Revelation. It cleans and purifies in baptism, and it destroys in the great flood. It is transformed into wine as Jesus’ first miracle. Water is often a metaphor for hospitality. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus says: Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

If water is a way for showing that we care for each other, surely, we can do better for our First Nations.

Blessings, Kathi
From the Chair of the Leadership Circle
It’s November and, as expected, the second wave of the pandemic has begun. Consequently, though we all yearn for a return to normalcy, we must continue to conduct services via Zoom rather than in-person. Unfortunate as the situation is, we can be thankful that, to my knowledge, our congregation has remained virus-free.
 
But let us step back for a moment. The pandemic hit just as we had started working on congregational growth. That committee made a presentation at the annual congregational meeting in March. A lot of preparatory work had been done and the next steps were to define initiatives for achieving growth. Well, we still need to work on this. 
 
Remember the old sayings “necessity is the mother of invention,” and “in crisis lies opportunity.” Like other churches whose doors were closed because of the novel coronavirus, we took these words of wisdom to heart and successfully developed a new way of worshipping together through the relatively new Zoom application. It has been serving us well, but looking forward, once churches are permitted to resume holding church services with congregants in the sanctuary, we will need to put our “boots on” again. At the Leadership Circle August meeting, we recognized that some folks will be very eager to worship in the sanctuary, and others will prefer to continue to worship from afar. We also acknowledged that to respond to the new rules of social interaction, which are likely to stay with us for a while, and to use this opportunity to reach new people, we should offer a choice of worship services: in-person and/or on-line, even after we can “go to church” again. The Worship Committee started looking into this and reported back at the September LC meeting with what options are possible.
 
Put the above together with our need to work on congregational growth and we have the “opportunity” and the “invention” to reach out to many more potential congregants by offering our service remotely to folks who are not able to come to the church or are not yet ready to walk in through the church door. 
 
I have a vision of a congregation double our current size participating both remotely and in church for Sunday services. Consider seniors without easy transport, hockey parents with games or practices conflicting with Sunday morning worship, former members who have moved out of the area, new arrivals shopping for a church, and students away at university. We can reach these people and more, remotely. To do so, we will need to continue to develop the ability to broadcast our church services remotely. And, we will have to allocate resources to acquiring the know-how and equipment we need to confront the reality that our world has changed. We must invent new ways to operate, and seize the opportunity to expand our reach.  
 
I challenge us all to support this effort so we can go forward and grow.  

Paul Marot
Chair, Leadership Circle
Thanks!
Thanks to:

  • Sandy Hayes, FCL of Membership Development and Care; the Pastoral Care Committee; Tina Driscoll; and Barb Jennings who worked together to update the congregational contact list
  • All those who have read scripture at the services in October
  • Tina Driscoll and Sylvia Arnold for preparing and delivering service material to those without access to the Zoom services
  • All those who have helped others get set up technically for Zoom services
  • Carole Neely for her service as Payroll Coordinator for the past several years
  • Ian Love for getting the rainwater leaks in the basement fixed
  • Karen Colwell for “doctoring” the plants in the church



Thank You to the 52nd Mississauga Brownie Unit for Their Service

Recently the 52nd Mississauga Brownie Unit, who hold their meetings on the church’s parking lot, helped with yard cleanup. Brown Owl, Heather Nutbeem, explained this would be their way of thanking the church for allowing the pack to hold their weekly meetings outdoors on our premises. 

The girls arrived with gloves, rakes, and shears. One group deadheaded the plants facing The Collegeway. The other group picked up and bagged the leaves and hedge clippings along the wheel chair ramp.

Thank you, Brown Owl and the other leaders, for suggesting this idea. The brownies did a great job. There was lots of laughter, smiles, and eager willingness to help. On behalf of the EMUC congregation we thank you.   

Submitted by Mary Anna Williams 
2020 STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
November has traditionally been stewardship renewal month at EMUC. The current situation has forced us to review our processes in this regard. We will not be distributing the commitment forms that we have used in past years. Instead the Finance Committee will be assuming that you will continue with your current level of giving unless you inform us otherwise. If you would like to make a change, please email office@emuc.ca with the subject “Attention - Mike Ogilvie, Envelope Secretary” asking Mike to contact you. These messages will be forwarded to Mike for his attention. Another alternative is to mail a letter to the church to Mike’s attention.
 
On behalf of the Leadership Circle, I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the strong financial support that EMUC has received from the congregation over the last months. Givings to date are very close to budget along with increased support for the Benevolent Fund and the Deacon’s Cupboard. Mission & Service donations are at the same level as last year. This is a demonstration of your commitment to EMUC and our mission. Rental and fundraising revenues are respectively 50% and 79% below budget. These decreases have been offset to a degree by grants through the federal wage subsidy program (CEWS). We will most likely have a higher year-end deficit than the $12.5K projected, but careful planning through the years has provided an operational reserve that we can use.
 
Thank you for your generosity, commitment and participation in the life of EMUC.

David Leeder, Treasurer
 
 
Our Congregation’s PAR Program
 
1.   What is PAR? PAR means Pre-Authorized Remittance whereby your monthly donations are debited to your bank or credit card. If you have automatic withdrawals from your bank account to pay bills, taxes, or mortgage, then you already understand the PAR principle.
 
2.   Why give using PAR? Besides being convenient, using PAR for your offering ensures regular monthly givings to help our church’s ministry even when you are away or when the church is closed as it is now. You will be providing EMUC a dependable flow of contributions, which increases our overall financial stability. The fact that 90% of our monthly givings are currently through PAR, has been a blessing during this COVID-19 crisis.

 3.   Are there other donations that can be made using PAR? In addition to local operating expenses and Mission & Service you can donate to the Benevolent Fund and the Deacon’s Cupboard.
 
4.   When are payments charged to my account? Payments are processed on the 20th of each month.
 
5.   Can I change or stop my PAR donations if my circumstances change? You may amend or revoke your authorization at any time, subject to providing notice of 15 days to our Envelope Secretary, Mike Ogilvie.
 
6.   What if my bank or credit card information changes? You simply inform Mike Ogilvie of the change and he will update your information.
 
7.   How do I enroll in PAR? If you wish to take this step, please contact Mike Ogilvie in person or through the church office.
 
Life at EMUC
EMUC COVID-19 Re-Opening Committee Update

COVID-19, which necessitated closures and restrictions since March 2020, continues in a second wave, along with evolving restrictions. The EMUC Leadership Circle asked for a COVID-19 Re-Opening Committee to oversee the development of a plan in response to the pandemic and the public health and government guidelines.

The EMUC COVID-19 Re-Opening Committee has achieved a lot and reported to the Leadership Circle most recently on October 20, 2020. A summary of the Committee’s work is below.

Summary of the EMUC COVID-19 Re-Opening Committee’s Work
•       Committee began weekly meetings on May 27 and moved to monthly meetings in September and October
•       Created a plan for opening to individuals, comprised of getting proper cleaning supplies, implementing protocols, placing appropriate COVID-19 signage in the church
•       Developed and reviewed rental addenda
•       Opened to tenants on a case-by-case basis as allowed by Peel Public Health and the Government of Ontario
•       Developed two working documents for all to source:
o  The first document covers who can use the premises and the regulations for their use of the facilities. The regulations are similar to the addenda developed for the rental users. Small groups (e.g., Worship Committee, knitters’ group) could be admitted to the premises if they wished and if they followed necessary regulations.
o  The second document lays out a procedure to follow if we are made aware that we have had an active case of COVID-19 in our building.

The pandemic has moved into a second wave and the restrictions are shifting again. Because COVID-19 still poses a significant risk, worship services will continue to be via Zoom. There are presently no foreseeable changes to the Committee’s response to the COVID-19 situation.

The Leadership Circle and the EMUC COVID-19 Re-Opening Committee feel that this will be the status quo for some time. For now, the Committee will step back. If the situation changes and the public health and government guidelines indicate that we are approaching a time that we can safely re-open the church, the Re-Opening Committee may be asked to reconvene.

If the church is allowed to bring back rentals prior to opening the church for worship, Tina Driscoll, Dave Leeder, Ian Love, and Paul Marot will oversee the rental agreements and will ensure that any public health and government guidelines are implemented.

**We Need to Hear from You**
From the Affirming Congregation Group
 
Over the last few weeks, an announcement about EMUC becoming an Affirming Ministry within the United Church of Canada has been circulated through the Friday Message. We hope you have had a chance to read it. Perhaps you have even visited the Affirm United website and explored the Open Hearts document. As we mentioned, much of this work will require face-to-face discussions and in-person workshops. When we are back together, this work will go ahead.
 
Thankfully, there are a few things we can invite you to help us with right now. Please consider thinking about and responding to the following questions. Your answers are so important to help our working group move forward in planning the education process around our Affirming mission.
 
  1. Why should EMUC consider becoming an affirming congregation?
  2. What are your concerns/questions around becoming an affirming congregation?
  3. With consideration of the various learning styles that individuals have, which educational method do you find most beneficial? (i.e., reading material, movies, workshops, guest speakers, etc.)
 
We invite you to email anyone on our working group with your responses and any other feedback that may be helpful as we move forward in this process.
 
Thank you in advance for your participation,
Joanne Hines (twokids@rogers.com)
Karen Colwell (karencolwell.home2@.gmail.com)
Sandy Hayes (sandyhayes88@gmail.com)
Rebecca Hines (hines.becca.j@gmail.com)
Deb Sturgeon (sturgs4@rogers.com)
 
Blessing of the Animals Service

On Sunday, October 25 some of our four-footed friends joined us on the Zoom service. Blessings to all animals…pets, working animals and animals in the wild! 
Honeybun
Milo
Nutmeg
Smoke
Smoke & Shadow
Lucy
Shadow
Sofie
Sully
Zuka
Sheep & all farm animals
Squirrels
Lincoln & Billyboy
Llamas

Historic Roll NOT Role

With the restructuring of the United Church of Canada, each church was asked to review and update their congregational list to reflect active participants. As part of this review, Sandy Hayes and Tina Driscoll tackled an overhaul of the EMUC Historic Roll (HR/Roll). The book itself was falling apart, and despite many rewrites, the information in the Roll did not accurately reflect the membership of Erin Mills United Church.

The Roll is one of those documents, kept by churches, that most people don’t know about. The HR is meant to be a living document: a historic record of membership for a church. Once a part of this document, a person entered in its pages is a permanent part of our history. A member’s name is never erased or crossed off. When a person requests a transfer to a new congregation, passes away, or requests to be removed from our membership, this is recorded in the Roll.

Sandy Hayes, Tina Driscoll, and Mike Ogilvie worked very hard over the summer. Our Roll had been rewritten before, and these versions are still there for all to see. Things learned/included in our latest version, and hopefully last revision of the Roll:
  • The spelling of Roll: it is not Role!
  • In November of 1988, when Crossroads United became Erin Mills United, eighteen members of Crossroads made EMUC their home. The date they joined Crossroads was recorded in the HR to honour their long history with the United Church.
  • Five hundred and fifty-three names were entered in our final rewrite of this historic document. To say Tina’s hand was tired is an understatement!
  • We currently have one hundred and eighty-one members.

Once updated, the book itself was sent to a bookbinder as the final step in its makeover. In a digital age, finding someone with this skill was not easy. The finished product is beautiful. Our Roll is kept in the office, and if you want to hold this piece of history in your hands, all you need to do is ask.

Tina Driscoll
Upcoming Events
EMUC Christmas Hamper Program

A message from Sandra Witterick, Focus Circle Leader, Community Life:

We have helped many families over the years through our annual Christmas Hamper Program, some of whom have returned each year for assistance. Those of us who have contributed to the program, either through monetary donations or in assistance with the coordinating or delivery of parcels, have been given a gift as well: we are practising our faith here at EMUC (Love thy neighbour as thyself). 

As with all programs however, I believe we must continuously evaluate the effectiveness of such. What are the outcome measures of what we are doing? Are we duplicating already existing community programs? Are the needs perhaps greater in other areas, warranting our time and monetary resources? As a social worker, I am always looking to be accountable, and to ensure we are helping those as best we can.

After consultation with various members and staff at EMUC, and the program volunteers and coordinator over the past year, three recommendations were brought to the September LC meeting and approved:

Recommendations:
  1. To discontinue the current EMUC Christmas Hamper Program.
  2. That anyone in need who contacts EMUC be redirected to the Salvation Army Annual Christmas Care Program, or be assisted with grocery cards through the benevolence fund, at the discretion of the EMUC Minister (Kathi).
  3. To focus on the Deacon’s Cupboard Food Bank this 2020 Christmas season.

So, why the decision to discontinue the EMUC Christmas Hamper Program, especially this year in the midst of a pandemic? The rationale is as follows:

There already exists a much larger Christmas support program in our local community, operated through the Erin Mills Salvation Army. Our existing families who contact us each year or those who are looking to EMUC for assistance for the first time can be helped through the Salvation Army’s longstanding program. Possibly some families already knew about and have been utilizing this program; we have no way of knowing due to confidentiality protocols.

The youth who have been such a great help to us in shopping and organizing the program these past few years are older now and the newer youth are looking to other programs in their communities to support. While the pandemic would have prevented youth from helping us at all this year, we would in future need to fill the void left by those youth who have been so supportive in doing the shopping and wrapping of gifts in the past.

Most importantly, our Deacon’s Cupboard needs us. We are currently in a second wave of COVID-19. Food insecurity is a huge issue in Mississauga, and the number of families coming into the DC for help is increasing weekly. While the DC has some financial resources to continue to operate, volunteers have been reviewing the DC finances and they have concerns of whether it will be able to sustain its resources. They realize also that they are unable to provide extra gifts and assistance to guests this Christmas as they have done in the past year. Through our congregation’s generosity this Christmas, we could potentially fill this gap.



Special Christmas Project for 2020

How can we help our Deacon’s Cupboard this Christmas in the midst of COVID-19? After some consideration regarding safety concerns during this pandemic, Community Life is inviting everyone who is able to please order Fundscrip cards through this coming November order and direct them either to the Deacon’s Cupboard Regular Funds or as a special donation to the EMUC – Deacon’s Cupboard Christmas Project. Any Fundscrip cards ordered and directed to be a special donation to the Christmas Project will be distributed with a greeting card letting folks coming in for food support know that we, at EMUC, are thinking of them during this holiday season. Cards for this Christmas Project can be grocery, coffee, or any other Fundscrip cards you wish to donate. Fundscrip cards ordered in smaller denominations ($25 or below) will likely make for easier distribution by the DC.

Also, for all our wonderful knitters at EMUC, please continue to donate hats, scarves, and mitts. These winter items will be collected in a box just inside the EMUC office during the Christmas season and taken to the Cupboard for some special seasonal holiday warmth.  

If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact Sandra Witterick (Focus Circle Leader, Community Life) at sandra.witterick@gmail.com.


Amnesty International Write for Rights

Every year, leading up to International Human Rights Day on December 10, Amnesty International organizes Write for Rights Events. They identify people and communities at risk of human rights abuses worldwide and join them in solidarity to seek justice.

In 2019 the Interfaith Peace and Justice Committee organized an event and we wrote letters and signed petitions in solidarity with young people on the front-lines of human rights challenges. This year we are not organizing an in-person event, but are asking you to be pro-active and visit the Amnesty International Write-a-thon Website at www.writeathon.ca. On this site you will meet the ten individuals who have been identified for this year’s event; for example, you will meet Melike and Orzgur, Turkish university students who are being persecuted for celebrating LGBTQI+ rights; Jani Silva, a young Columbian woman risking her life to protect the environment; three young men, who cannot be identified because of their age, who are imprisoned in Malta for protesting torture. The list goes on. You will have the opportunity to write to government officials, send cards or letters to the individuals, sign online petitions, or support them on social media. The resource section offers sample letters and instructions on how to address the various officials.

Please take the time to visit www.writeathon.ca read through the cases, choose one that resonates with you, and write a letter.
If you have any questions, contact Debby Sturgeon (sturgs4@rogers.com).