Get Happy!

In every life we have some trouble

But when you worry you make it double

Don't worry

Be happy, don't worry, be happy now

If we only listened to our media outlets and social media, we could be forgiven for believing that the world is in pretty bad shape and getting worse. Taxes are rising, poverty is out of control, the environment is in dire peril and violence threatens all of our well-being. But are things really as bad as that?

The modern world is driven by pessimism, but - according to a Harvard professor - it is actually the best time in history to be alive. Steven Pinker says that we don't recognize the relative security of our modern lives because we have a cultural amnesia about what life was like centuries or even mere decades ago, and we focus on the negatives. We too easily overlook our society's achievements when we get distracted by what he refers to as the modern world's "indiscriminate pessimism." 

Here are just a few of the uplifting facts that confirm we are better off living now than ever before:

Life expectancy - In the 18th century, you could expect to live to the ripe old age of 30. Now in the developed world, it's almost 85. Worldwide, it's 73.

Literacy Rates - 200 years ago the majority of people could not read or write and education was a luxury for male children. Today the world is enjoying a literacy rate of 90 per cent for people under the age of 25. And according to the World Bank the number of primary school-aged girls who are denied an education has dropped from 130 million in 2003 to 30 million in 2023.

Compassion – We care more about others around the world. Technology has helped raise global awareness. In the past there were regions that had genocide and mass killings and displacements that were just not on the world's agenda at the time, and that many people forget today. Now we have billions of people who can use their cellphones and share colour video footage to the web instantly. This heightened awareness enables us to react and respond with assistance or calls for change.

Poverty - According to the United Nations, since 1990 extreme poverty rates have been cut by more than half. In 2015, the UN had set a goal of eliminating extreme poverty everywhere by the year 2030, and in 2019 it seemed that the goal was attainable. 

Unfortunately, poverty reduction was severely impacted by the COVID pandemic causing three years of lost progress. Extreme poverty rates are now back to pre-pandemic levels globally, although some of the poorest nations have yet to recover.

In this Easter season, we know that it can get awfully dark before we are able to see the light. But we serve a God who consistently comes through, who stands for and with us throughout this life. With Jesus as our guide and inspiration, and with the gifts of intelligence and ingenuity, we can solve the world’s problems and make it possible for all people to live better lives. Hallelujah!

Rev. Kathi

In our last Communiqué I told you about the consultant that we hired, Banyan & Finch, to help move us forward in our strategic direction of becoming a growing and thriving church. I am excited to tell you that the consultant presented her 24-page report to the Leadership Circle last month containing a myriad of ideas for branding and communications that will help us become more visible in our community. The consultant acknowledged that some of her ideas will be easy to implement while others may not be possible. In order to get the most out of the consultant’s report, the Leadership Circle has agreed to form two “Think Tanks,” one we call Spirituality and the other Branding. 

The Spirituality Think Tank will address questions such as: Why would someone want to come to our services? What differentiates us from other churches? What is our WOW factor? What are the consistent messages that come from our services? How do we verbalize these items? What do we have to offer?

The Branding Think Tank will examine the consultant’s report in detail to determine what suggestions we will implement, how we can implement these suggestions and what the priority is. Both Think Tanks will report back to the Leadership Circle and will also work with each other so that we have a unified approach.

It is hard to believe that Easter is upon us. This is one of our most sacred holidays encouraging us to reflect and renew our spirituality. I hope it is also a time for us to think about our church and to consider making a donation that will be so valuable in the church operations and to fulfill our mission.

I wish you all a Happy Easter with family and friends.

Kathy Andres 

Chair of the Leadership Circle

Thanks

Thanks to:

• All who read and participated in February, March and Easter services
• All who volunteered to host coffee on Sunday mornings
• Sylvia Arnold, Barb Jennings, and Rev. Kathi for hosting the Drop-in Coffee event in February
• The Worship Committee for decorating the sanctuary for Easter
• Joanne Hines and the Affirming Team for organizing the Drag Trivia Lunch
• Karen Colwell for organizing the readers for the Easter services
• All those who donated for Easter flowers to decorate the sanctuary for Easter
• Member and Pastoral Care for organizing and hosting the Memorial Banner Dedication event
• John Morrison for playing the drum to accompany the choir on Palm Sunday
• All who helped with the Pancake Supper
• Brian Takayesu for leading the Service of Ashes
• All who helped plan and present the successful Annual General Meeting
• Patti King and Tina Driscoll for the ongoing work putting a safety plan for the church in place

Transitions

Condolences are sent to the family of Peter Hodgkinson, who passed away on March 15. Visitation and the funeral are April 4 and 5 at Neweduk Funeral Home. Click the following link for details: 

Peter Alexander Taylor Hodgkinson (permavita.com)

Fifty Years Today

In Kathi’s Friday Message of January 26, 2024, she gave a history of the United Church of Canada containing the following:

“From the 1940’s to the 1970’s there were negotiations between the United Church of Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada about a possible union, but in the end the two denominations decided not to amalgamate. Union talks also took place in the 1970’s between the United Church and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) but ended in 1985.”

Did you know that our congregation played an active role in these developments? On March 31,1974, 50 years ago, Church at the Crossroads was constituted as a joint congregation of the Christian Church (Disciple of Christ) and the United Church of Canada. A group of 28 founding members along with representatives from both denominations gathered in the gym of Brookmede Public School to celebrate the formation of a new church family in Erin Mills. Families from both denominations had started to worship at the school in 1973, the second year of the development of this community. Three of those listed on the charter are still members of EMUC; Ann Boston and Linda and Dave Leeder.

The congregation went on from that day to become one of the four that established the South Common Church Campus. In partnership with St. Thomas a Beckett (Anglican), Glenbrook Presbyterian, and Credit Valley Baptist, an exciting ecumenical ministry grew as the congregations not only shared the building but developed joint programs. Summer Joy, a program for children, brings back memories of what can happen when Christians work together.

When the union discussions between the two denominations faltered and to better identify the congregation, the name of the congregation was changed to Crossroads United Church.

Over time, the Campus space became too small to accommodate the growth and viability of so many 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. With the appointment of ministers, Rev. Harry Oussoren, Yvonne Stewart and Kathy Toivanen to work with the congregation, Erin Mills United planned and worked toward a move to a new location 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 5th, 1992. 

Dave Leeder

South Common Church Campus

EMUC's Inaugural Service 1992

Affirming Celebration

Happy Anniversary!

On Sunday, February 11, EMUC celebrated our first year of being an Affirming congregation. The service included reflections from our first year, inclusive prayers and music, and a guest minister. Rev. Shawn Lucas, Manager of Spiritual Care Services at CAMH, spoke of his journey as a gay man who came out later in life and the reality of being discriminated against when he attempted to donate blood many times. The Affirming team took part in the service written by Rev. Kathi. Cindy Young reflected our affirming year through the beautiful slides included in the service. Naturally, our celebration ended with folks sharing cake and conversation with each other and our invited guest.

Affirming Group

Intersectional Banners

Celebrating with Cake

PIE (Public, Intentional, Explicit) Day was also celebrated on March 17. Pie was served after the service. Yum! Yum!

Circle of Friends

Circle of Friends continue to meet on Zoom on the second Wednesday of the month from1 to 3 p.m. In February we watched a video presentation from The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, with help from Janet Morrison who kindly volunteered to run the technical “sharing” part. We learned the acronym FAST, meaning:

Face. Does one side of the face droop when smiling?

Arms. Ask person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Speech. Ask person to repeat a simple phrase. Is speech slurred or strange?

Time. If you see any of these signs, call 9-1-1 right away. 1.9 million brain cells die every minute after a stroke, so fast action is vital.

We had a really good discussion afterwards about heart attacks and strokes. This was good information that we can all use. If you would like to view the video, or other resources the link to the Heart and Stroke Foundation is here: https://www.heartandstroke.ca

Future topics for discussion are being confirmed. Feel free to join us. The link is always in the Friday Message the week before the meeting. 

Patti King, LC Vice Chair

Drag Trivia Lunch

The Affirming committee proudly hosted their first Drag event on Saturday, February 24. Over 80 people joined us for trivia, drag performances by AnneTique Doll, lunch, and prizes. The afternoon was filled with uplifting music, singing, smiles and lots of laughter. Our commitment to being public in our welcome to all was celebrated and the feedback from this “love is love” event has been tremendously positive. We raised over $1300.00 for our Affirming designated fund and hope to continue supporting and hosting events like this in the future. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this fun afternoon.

Introduction to Play

Welcome

AnneTique Doll

Performing

Singing

Standing Ovation

Tipping

Drop-in Coffee Event Grows

On Feb 27, EMUC hosted 18 people for coffee and conversation. Sylvia Arnold, Rev. Kathi, and Barb Jennings hosted because Lorraine Moore was away. Good conversation, coffee, and goodies were enjoyed by folks from Sheridan UC, St. Stephen’s on the Hill, and EMUC. The group is starting to grow.  The next Drop-in Coffee will be in April, since the March date has been cancelled during Holy Week. Come and join in on April 30, from 1-3 pm!

Lorraine Moore, Community Life FCL

Memorial Banner Dedication/Baptism

On Sunday, March 10, we welcomed many extended family members and friends as we gathered for a dedication service being held to honour the lives of six people who had been part of the EMUC family. Their names have been added to those on our Memorial Banners which hang in the sanctuary. A brief presentation was offered to recognize each person and to describe their connection to Erin Mills United.

During the service a baptism was also held to bless and celebrate a new life and to welcome a new member into our community of faith.

It was a very moving, meaningful service, filled with both remembrance and joy.

Striders

On March 24, fourteen hikers took a sunny walk through Streetsville. It was a mix of gentle incline and flat walking taken at each own's pace. This walk was part of the Mississauga 50th Anniversary History Hunt. The group stopped at the Leslie Log house on the way to check the marker on the History Hunt. Three more markers were checked during the walk. Part of the group took the opportunity for a coffee break at the Tim Horton's next to the Library.