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Starting July 31st, we have pre-taped services. You are invited to watch it on YouTube or join us at the church on Sundays, to watch the service together.

The service will be in the Lounge

Sunday, August 28th the Worship Service in the church lounge will start at 9:30 AM

Newsletter for August 21, 2022

The Worship Service link below will be active on
Sunday August 21, 2022

CLICK HERE FOR Worship - Sunday August 21st, 2022

In-Person Fellowship Hour After Worship

Please join us for some lemonade after the Sunday Worship Service

Click on the image above to donate today.

If you prefer, you may mail us a cheque at
421 St Paul St Kamloops, V2C 2J7.
Please contact the church office at 250-372-3020 or via email at accounts@kamloopsunited.ca, if you have any questions.
Thank you for your generosity!

In Memoriam

Please remember in your thoughts and prayers the family of
Ishbel Elliot

Memorial will be held at Kamloops United Church on
October 1, 2022, at 3 pm.

The Deadline for all Newsletter Pieces is Wednesday Evening.

August Ukrainian Welcome Dinner

KUC Together

Join us every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday (after service) at 11:00 AM for our virtual coffee hour on Zoom, hosted by the lovely Jayne Martin!

Here is the link: Kamloops United Church Zoom Meetings

Password if required:

gratitude

Ethan's Artwork for the week

Hello there, my name is Ethan Renfrew. I have been given the honor of exploring Climate Change this summer and showing my thoughts to you through art. Every week or two, you will be presented with an art piece, as well as a portion of research findings as I explore Climate Change and learn more about it. This can be in the form of a fact about Climate change, or a way you can help protect your community or environment from its effects.

This is being done to both bring awareness as well as share some insight into the topic in a way that is both enjoyable and beautiful. I will be asking questions along the way in the eNews about your thoughts, and I hope you will engage with me, as I am excited to learn what you think throughout the Summer.

Artist Statement:
This week, the topic I chose was composting. I wanted to do something that isn’t talked about too often and how it relates to climate change. Through the art, I intended to relay the idea that composting can be beneficial in the sense that it is a natural cycle that acts by itself and is safer than having organic waste put in landfills. I also felt it would be good to do a topic that was relevant to the community, as Kamloops is currently going through a composting pilot program. For the art style, I chose to make the art digitally to have access to and present a greater variety of colors to represent a variety of plants

Research:
When people mention climate change, composting is something that probably doesn’t come to mind as often as other things such as weather or recycling. When waste that is organic or biodegradable is put in a landfill, it is broken down anaerobically and results in the creation of methane (a greenhouse gas) which enters the air. This can be avoided through composting which is a natural process and allows the decomposed material to be used in helping grow plants and give people better organic food. Currently, Kamloops is in the second phase of a project taking place throughout certain areas of the city to help divert organic waste away from landfills. According to local news, this program has already diverted waste from entering landfills by 43 percent. With its benefits for the environment, composting is just one way that almost anyone can help slow down climate change and take care of the environment.

Sources of information:

Fact:
Methane gas is 25% more effective in trapping heat than carbon dioxide gas.

Sources of information:

101-Fact-Sheet-Methane-101-1.pdf (togethercolorado.org)

Question:
When was a time that you felt you were helping to slow down climate change?

Please email your answer to centre@kamloopsunited.ca

Ethan's artwork is available for viewing at the church on Sunday, after Worship

Kamloops Pride Parade 2022

Come be P.I.E. with Kamloops United Church on Sunday, August 28!!
(RSVP requested)

August 21 – 28 2022 is Pride Week in Kamloops and there will be daily events all week, but the big one will be the parade on Sunday and the party in Riverside Park after the marching! Except for the pandemic pause, Kamloops United Church has participated in Kamloops Pride celebrations every year
since the First Annual Downtown Pride Parade.

Kamloops United is once again showing up to be public, intentional, and explicit about being a Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ Affirming community of faith. We will be hosting a booth in the park, and those who are able will be marching in the parade so please come! Bring your family and friends! We have new flags to
wave and new buttons to wear and this is one way that we can support the community. The parade begins marching at 11 and the party in the park will follow around noon. Details will follow about where and when we will be asked to gather in readiness to march.

We have 2 banners to carry, buttons, candy, and flags to hand out and we need as many KUC marchers as possible. Let’s show Kamloops some KUC love!
I would like to know how many of you to expect, so this week please let the KUC office know if you plan to participate either by marching with the KUC group, and/or by minding the booth. (We will need to take turns with at least 1-2 people minding the booth at all times, from set-up around 10 am until mid-
afternoon).

Hope to see you soon!
Chris Dolson

Check out all the week’s activities here https://www.kamloopspride.com/pride-week-events

[Video from 2018] As an Affirming church, Kamloops United Chruch welcomes all persons into membership and ministry, we try to be public, intentional and explicit (PIE) in our commitment.

Sharing and Caring, Sunday August 28th

Sunday, August 28, 2022, at 7 pm via Zoom

ZOOM LINK

password (if required) is gratitude

Sharing & Caring is loosely based on the UK’s The Listening Café
(thelisteningcafe.co.uk)

During this listening hour, participants will be paired off randomly into Zoom breakout rooms. For the first five minutes, one participant will be “sharing” (even silence is welcomed) while the other “caring” participant will mute themselves and listen without judgment and without offering solutions or trying to fix anything.

At the end of the five-minute mark, the “caring” (listening) party will simply state, “I heard you” and then the roles will reverse for another five minutes. Afterward, we will regroup, assess, and repeat.

“Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25b

CFJC Video Clip about PIT Stop

While some people are feasting on a rack of ribs at Ribfest, the PIT Stop campaign aims to lend a helping hand to the community for their free rib feast...

Check out the Video Clip about PIT Stop on CFJC link below:

[VIDEO CLIP] PIT Stop program helps people in transition escape the heat for Sunday rib feast

Thrift Shop Sales this Summer!!!

We would like to request for empty egg cartons, for the golf balls.
Please leave the egg cartons at the church office and we will be grateful, thank you!

Thank you from Thailand

Rob Gretsinger has sent a message from Jane's mother, Fongchan, to share with you.

"Thank you very much to everyone for the card."

These pictures were included in the message

Update from Camp Grafton

Another successful camping season has wrapped up at Camp Grafton! After a two summer hiatus, kids were back and enjoying this outdoor ministry once again. During the years where we were unable to run programming, the Camp Grafton Society kept busy, working on a number of critical capital projects. Through the generosity of donors and the hard work of our volunteers, we now have a brand new septic field and a washhouse! That's right, Camp Grafton now has showers and flush toilets! But don't worry, the biffies are still there and very much in use, giving campers old and new, that 'real camp experience'! Next up on the agenda is a new kitchen. It is an ambitious project that the Society will be fundraising for intensively. To learn more about camping ministry and what happens at Camp Grafton, join us for a camping themed service on September 18. To get involved or for more information, you can contact Alix, chair of the Camp Grafton Board of Directors, at alix.dolson@gmail.com

Message from a Summer Student

Hi All, Florence here! We have had six wonderful students working here at the church this summer. I thought about the Cultural Safety Audit that we did a few years ago and I wondered how we were doing from a 2SLGBTQPIA point of view. I asked Miles if he would mind writing something up from that point of view. The following is what he gave me with permission to share it with you and I don't mind telling you I get misty every time I read it. Thanks Miles for sharing!!

Working as a receptionist for the Kamloops United Church this summer has been an incredible experience for me. Especially considering that this was my first real full-time job, I immediately felt welcomed and heard on my first day.
I’ll admit, when I first heard of this opportunity to work at a church for the summer, I was terrified. As a transgender, gay youth I have faced loads of discrimination against my gender identity and sexual orientation my entire life. When I am attending school, I usually do everything in my power to keep my head down and fade into the background. Even then I am still ridiculed and mocked for my identity which I can’t control. When I walked into the church on my first day, I was immediately greeted with several welcoming signs of inclusion, coworkers using my correct pronouns regardless of my voice or appearance, and even a gender neutral bathroom, which is a rare sight for a place like this.
The entirety of my work experience here has been nothing but supportive, not only of me, but to anyone who walks through the doors. The staff and volunteers of the church are all incredibly friendly and welcome anyone in without any judgment. Even if mistakes are made, they don’t hold that against you. I’ll admit, I’ve made quite a few mistakes while I’ve been here, but that’s okay! We all make mistakes, and at the end of the day it is just another learning experience for me to reflect on and continue to grow with the support of my fellow colleagues.
I will forever be grateful that I got the opportunity to work here as my first job, I don’t think that any other place would have a team this inclusive and supportive. I have learned so much from my time here, so much that I feel way more mature and prepared to move on to the next big chapter of my life.
Whatever that new chapter may behold, I know I’m ready for it now.

Hiring Now!

Kamloops United Church is looking for a responsible person to work 2 evenings a week (Tues. & Thurs) with possible additional shifts. The person needs to be able to do; cleaning, and nightly security and be able to greet groups who use the building in a helpful manner. This job includes health and dental benefits, $16/hr.

Hiring as soon as possible.
Find the full job posting at https://kamloopsunited.ca/2022/08/kuc-is-hiring/

Dishcloths anyone?

We are looking for volunteers to knit dishcloths as they are an item that people love and it is a big seller in the Thrift Shop.

Please call Florence at 250-372-3020 if you are interested.

KUC in the Community

KUC will be participating in the first PRIDE RESOURCE CARNIVAL.
3-7 pm at Sahali Secondary 255 Arrowstone Dr.
There will be GAMES!! Please drop by.

What are you reading this week?

This week our Activities Coordinator finds herself a little obsessed with Stanley Tucci. She loved Tucci in The Devil Wears Prada and Julie and Julia. So here is Shakshi's goal for the next week:

Continue reading Taste: My life through Food by Stanley Tucci
Watch Big Night (1996), which was co-directed by Tucci
And try out the recipe, Spaghetti with Lentils from the book...
Oh and of course, continue watching Stanley's food show on CNN, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy.

What are you reading this summer?
To share your reading material email centre@kamloopsunited.ca

This week your editor is Shakshi Paul

KUC Staff:

Minister: Rev. Dr. Michael Caveney mcaveney@kamloopsunited.ca

Admin. Manager: Florence Ballard admin@kamloopsunited.ca

Activities Coordinator: Shakshi Paul centre@kamloopsunited.ca

Office Coordinator: Candace Morrison office@kamloopsunited.ca

Sewing: Chloe

ART: Ethan Renfrew

Music Director: Tomas Bijok music@kamloopsunited.ca

and pitstop@kamloopsunited.ca

Lay Marriage Minister: Chris Dolson

Custodial: Dawn Brodie

Custodial: Ignacio Villalba

Custodial: Jim Cunliffe

Custodial: Manon Tim

Custodial: Sandy Maher

The service will be in the Lounge

The Worship Service link below will be active on Sunday August 21, 2022