Friday Message
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What's Coming!
March 5, 2021
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One of my favorite children’s books is called The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real, by Margery Williams. In the quiet darkness of a child’s bedroom, one toy talks to another and explains how the magic happens.
The Skin Horse says: “‘When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.’ ‘Does it hurt?’, asked the Rabbit. ‘Sometimes,’ said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. ‘When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.’”
You can probably guess why I love the story so much, and why I think it’s really a Lenten story. It’s about what matters. It’s about becoming. Like a well-beloved stuffy that has been dragged everywhere and slept with every night and hugged to tatters, we become Real partly through the wear and tear of relationships. And partly by loving and being loved through the shabby. And eventually, like the Velveteen Rabbit, “these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” Our shabbiness might be unacceptable to the shiny culture that judges by impossible standards, but in the nighttime of our humanity we need this kind of Real.
Blessings, Kathi
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A Reminder - Annual Congregational Meeting
This Sunday, March 7, 2021, EMUC will hold its annual meeting over Zoom immediately following the Sunday service. This meeting is important to vote on new members for the Leadership Circle and to approve the 2021draft budget.
Click the document names to review:
Plan to attend this important meeting immediately after the church service.
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UPDATE on WORSHIP SERVICES
The EMUC Sunday and Wednesday Prayer services will continue online using the Zoom platform until further notice. The possibility of returning to the building for worship will be reassessed each month at the Leadership Circle meeting.
Sunday March 7:
10:00 a.m.: Online Worship led by Rev. Kathi
Annual Meeting following service
Monday March 8:
7:00 p.m.: Bible Study via Zoom
Wednesday March 10:
6:45 p.m.: Prayer Service via Zoom
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Holy Week Service Schedule
Services to be held via Zoom.
March 28 10:00 AM Palm Sunday – with virtual palm parade
April 1 Maundy Thursday – self guided meditation and Communion.
A bulletin will be sent in advance via email for people to follow.
April 2 9:00 AM – Good Friday Service
April 4 10:00 AM Easter Sunday – Communion
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About Affirming Ministries
Q. What is Affirm United’s relationship to The United Church of Canada?
A. Affirm United is a partner organization of The United Church of Canada. The decision to become an Affirming Ministry within the United Church is left to each individual community of faith. All United Churches of Canada are still part of the same faith, whether they become affirming or not.
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United Church of Canada Presents a Series of Online Conversations on Indigenous Issues - Submitted by Lorraine Brignall
This series of 5 monthly online conversations held by the United Church of Canada started on Saturday, February 20th, 2021. While we realize the first conversation has already taken place, we wanted to bring this series of online conversations to your attention as you can register for each individually. There are still 4 conversations which may be of interest you. If you have any questions, please contact Lorraine Brignall.
Introduction to Indigenous Lands & Issues in Canada
February 20 – June 1
Join us for a monthly series of online conversations starting February 20.
Adrian Jacobs, Sandy Salteaux Spiritual Centre (SSSC) Keeper of the Circle, and Indigenous elders from across Canada, invite you to explore the cultural and historic foundations to today’s headlines. Join us for a series of online conversations in response to the Indigenous education mandates from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Final Report.
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Registration is $25/session or $75 for a 5-part series
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New to Do
Anyone may make suggestions of things to do while we are at home. Items on the list are not previewed before listing, so please exercise your discretion when making suggestions to ensure they are appropriate. Submissions should be emailed to Sandy Hayes (sandyhayes88@gmail.com) by Tuesday each week, with “New to Do” as the subject. Please indicate 'time-sensitive' in the subject line if the event is occurring soon.
1. Boy Erased - Movie, Netflix: Memoir re Conversion Therapy (with Nicole Kidman)
2. Superstore - Netflix comedy series, 21 minutes each episode
3. Palmer - Movie, Apple TV (with Justin Timberlake)
4. Scrabble GO - Free App on Google Play
5. Broadchurch - Netflix series
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Living our Mission: Five Oaks Request
We have received a request this week from Five Oaks, the church education and retreat centre in Paris, On. Since they will not be able to run programs this spring, they are again going to be hosting temporary foreign farmworkers while they quarantine before starting their essential work on southern Ontario farms.
Five Oaks is calling on the community for donations of items such as:
- Mini fridges or apartment sized fridges
- Bookshelves
- Small dressers
- Small area rugs or carpet runners
- Warm sweaters and coats
- Spanish language items like novels, magazines, crosswords
- Coffee makers and Kettles
- Games, Cards, Puzzles
- Art supplies
Those able to donate can contact Five Oaks at 519-442-3212 or hospitality@fiveoaks.on.ca to arrange a time for drop-off or pick-up.
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EMUC Fundraising – Easter Bread and Bake Sale, Good Friday
Good Friday is on April 2 and there will be a Zoom service at 9 a.m. In normal times, EMUC has had an Easter bread and bake sale after the Good Friday service. Last year, there was no Good Friday service nor a bake sale; however, this year a Good Friday service via Zoom is planned. We are planning to have a Bread and Bake sale as well!
The bake sale will be an outdoor/curbside event. People can come to pick up the bread and baking between the hours of 11 a.m. and noon on Good Friday, April 2, after the service. It would be similar to the Cookie Drive-through held in December, but people will park and come to the tables to pick the baking they desire and to pay for it. This would be done wearing masks and following social distancing procedures as much as possible. Shoppers will be accommodated on a ‘First Come, First Served’ basis. If the weather is bad that day, the tables will be moved inside to the narthex, since we may have up to 10 people inside if socially distanced.
Bakers are required! If you would like to contribute some baking to the sale or if you would like to make some bread, please contact Barb Jennings at 905-607-1626 or email to barbara_jennings@ sympatico.ca . Further Instructions about dropping off baking will be sent closer to the date.
Fundscrip is Back in March!
Our important fundraising program continues in March. There will be a gift card order placed on Sunday, March 28, so please have all orders emailed to Joanne Hines by Thursday, March 25.
If you need an order form or information about the program, please contact Joanne Hines at twokids@rogers.com. All cheques need to be made out to Erin Mills United Church and they can be left in the church mailbox or taken to Mike Ogilvie directly. Thank you for your support of this program.
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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.
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Office Hours:
Following the latest government order, Tina will be working from home and only going in to the church for essential work when needed.
Also she will be retrieving phone messages remotely only for her and Rev Kathi’s voicemail boxes. So if you are leaving a voice message please make sure you don’t leave it in the general EMUC phone voicemail box.
Tina can be reached Monday to Friday; 9:30am-4:00pm. For the quickest response please email office@emuc.ca, If calling to leave a message use (905)820-9466 ext. 23: messages will be picked up remotely.
If you need access to the church, contact the office and Tina is happy to schedule an appointment.
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Erin Mills United Church | 905-820-9466 | emuc.ca |
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