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Celebrating 30 Years in our Church Home
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Bringing the Children Home
Last summer, our nation was rocked when the Tk’emlúps First Nation was the first among a number of Indigenous communities to share information that it had located unmarked and undocumented burial sites on the property of former residential schools. This was not “news” to these communities; it had been known and spoken of for years.
At the time of the announcement and in the months that followed as more and more unmarked sites were discovered, many people asked what was going to be done to address this tragedy. The United Church of Canada is responsible for 15 residential schools and also operated Teulon Residence in Manitoba, which was not included in an earlier legal settlement agreement.
As a church, we have a primary duty to care for those who are marginalized, less powerful, or more vulnerable in our community (Deuteronomy 10:17–19; Isaiah 61:1–2).
This initiative has three main components:
- Should they wish it, making funds available to Indigenous communities to support the work of identifying unmarked graves, knowledge gathering, commemoration, and ceremony to honour the children who did not return home from these residential institutions.
- Should they wish it, direct provision of all United Church archival records related to residential institutions to these communities.
- Archival and oral history work to create a document index and narrative of all the information we have related to students’ deaths and burial sites.
A special meeting of the General Council Executive approved an initial million dollars to fund this work. The United Church of Canada Foundation is supporting the archival portion of the initiative.
Rev. Kathi
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From the Chair of the Leadership Circle
This being the first Communiqué of 2022, I would like to wish everyone a happy, prosperous, and joyful New Year.
At our last Leadership Circle meeting, we worked on the budget for 2022 and also reviewed the preliminary results for 2021. Next meeting in February, the LC will be receiving the audited financial results and finalizing a budget to present at the Annual Congregational Meeting, which will be in early March.
Looking back, I feel EMUC hasn’t done too badly over the past two years which have basically been the COVID years. We have had hardly any in-church worship or in-person meetings. Yet we have maintained our congregation through continued effective worship services, and in turn our congregation has been financially very generous. None of this would have happened without the huge effort of a dedicated volunteer group.
So now is the time to look to the future and how we can sustain this needed volunteer effort. I think I am correct in saying that the vast majority of the volunteer group have been in their roles for more than two years. This is not a good situation to be in. Getting new volunteers takes time and so this must be our focus now. The Inspire Initiative is something we have going and it has the potential to involve more people. We should seize this opportunity. Please everyone, energize yourselves around this and support all and any new initiatives that the Inspire Team take on.
I would like to thank the congregation for their generosity with respect to December givings. You responded to our request in the last Communiqué. Let’s try and get that same response to Inspire.
Paul Marot
Chair, Leadership Circle
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Thanks to:
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The Membership and Pastoral Care committee, Joanne Hines, and all the elves for their help with organizing, baking, packaging, distributing, and delivering for the cookie bag drive-thru on December 16;
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Cathy Scattergood, Nancy Blackport, and Cathy Kiteley for organizing and producing the Women for Women Zoom Christmas gathering on December 10;
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Sylvia Arnold and the Worship Committee for decorating the church for Christmas, and a special thanks to Karen Colwell and Mary Anna Williams who took down the decorations and packaged them for storage after Christmas;
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Sylvia Arnold, Len Feldman, and the Tech Team members for establishing and testing the processes required for in-person livestreaming of services;
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The Zoom team for continuing the Sunday online services;
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All those who read scripture for the Advent and Christmas services; and
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The Inspire Team who oversaw the successful “Vax to the Max” campaign.
A Special “Thank You” from Sylvia Arnold
I would like to express my deep gratitude to all my church family friends for all your good wishes for my recovery from my fall on ice in December to my surgery for a shoulder replacement last week. Your texts, phone calls, emails, cards, delivery of meals, desserts, muffins, treats, flowers and plants, socks and books have been so important to keep both Dave and my spirits uplifted! Thank you also to those who have driven me to appointments at Credit Valley in your SUV. (It is easier getting in and out of an SUV with a broken shoulder and arm!!!) Dave and I appreciate it so much. We are both overwhelmed (in a good way) by your generosity! Having a loving and supportive church community is so precious and it is something I don’t take for granted. I am truly blessed.
My recovery will be long and slow, but I am up for it! Knowing I have you all behind me with your prayers and support makes a huge difference!
Thank you again for everything!
Sylvia
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Update on worship services
Sunday worship will continue online using the Zoom platform only. In-person services have been suspended until further notice. The Leadership Circle wll reassess the church reopening at its February meeting.
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A Christmas Poem
One of Santa’s elves came to our door
Delivering a smile and cookies galore
EMUC, once again, remembered their flock
Greeting their members plus a little talk
COVID has really turned everything around
With 3 needles you can now stand your ground
Just sit at the computer and tune in; on time
EMUC will bring you the Church Service online
Thanks ever so much for the thoughtful gift
It certainly gave Bob and me a big lift
Merry Christmas to all the bakers and crew
Who helped to make our season not so blue
Mora & Bob
Christmas 2021
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EMUC Cookie Caper
On Thursday, December 16, the Membership and Pastoral Care committee, along with the help of a number of other Christmas elves, braved the near gale-force winds to distribute fifty-two festively-decorated bags of Christmas cookies in the church parking lot. For the second year, the Annual Christmas Tea became a drive-thru event. Despite the inclement weather, spirits were high as the elves fought to hang on to their hats. A sweet thank-you goes to everyone who helped bake, package, and distribute the goodie bags!
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2022 – Celebrating 30 Years in Our Church Home
1992, the year our church home opened. It was an exciting time! How quickly the years go by!
A little history…
The first United Church community in Erin Mills began in 1973 as a union congregation with the Christian Church Disciples of Christ, worshipping at Brookmede Public School. In 1974, the congregation called “Church at the Crossroads” became part of the Erin Mills Church Campus, in the building near South Common Mall. The name of the congregation was changed to Crossroads United Church.
Over time, the Campus space became too small to accommodate the growth of four churches under one roof. Halton Presbytery guided Crossroads United through a period of consultation with the result that in 1988, Crossroads gave "birth" to Erin Mills United Church. Rev. Harry Oussoren, Yvonne Stewart, and Kathy Toivanen, the appointed ministry team, worked with the congregation to plan, build, and move to a new church home located at the corner of Winston Churchill and The Collegeway. In the summer of 1992, the new church building was completed and the congregation celebrated an inaugural service on July 5, 1992. The new church was formally dedicated on October 4, 1992.
How well this building has served us! What are your “special moment” memories in our church building? How would you like to celebrate our church home? If you have pictures or stories of special moments over the past 30 years, contact Barbara Jennings, Chair of the Communications Committee (communications@emuc.ca). We will be sharing memories in each issue of the Communiqué. If you have suggestions on how to mark this occasion, contact Patti King or Heather Bunting; and consider joining the planning group. In keeping with our Inspire program, let’s celebrate in ways that take our building and congregation into the next 30 years.
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Ground Breaking, June 20, 1991
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First Service, July 5, 1992
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Inaugural Service,
October 4, 1992
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Recycling Matters
Many of you have asked me various questions about waste and garbage. Here is your chance to investigate directly with the Region of Peel Waste Management through their virtual forum. It covers Peel’s Waste User Fee Financial Plan and the three Rs plan set in motion in 2016. At that time Peel adopted a diversion target of 75% by 2034. Currently the focus is how we may pay for waste services in the future to achieve these goals. Different funding ways are being explored for the future.
Your taxes will be impacted.
If you want to know more, pre-register for virtual workshops being held on February 2, 2 to 4 p.m., February 8, 5 to 7 p.m., or February 16, 7 to 9 p.m. Pre-register at peelregion.ca/waste-consultation. Alternatively, share your feedback through the Online Open House starting Jan. 24 at the above website.
Submitted by Mary Anna Williams
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ABOUT ERIN MILLS UNITED CHURCH
EMUC's Vision is to be a thriving Spirit-filled congregation;
diverse, inclusive, and engaged with the community
and creation.
The Mission of EMUC is to offer opportunities for all persons
to experience the love of God through Jesus Christ.
Newsletter Editor: Janet Morrison Layout: Barbara Jennings
Proof-reader: Cindy Young
3010 The Collegeway
Mississauga, L5L4X9
905-820-9466
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