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The United Church of Canada E-ssentials - January 18, 2022
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Support Circles for People of Colour


Photo of an old, leaning tree supported by a sculpture of a hand

Are you looking for support around experiences of racism in the United Church? Join other people of colour from across the church for a monthly time of sharing, support, and community-building.
 
These gatherings are open to people of colour (including those who identify as Indigenous, racialized, mixed-race, and/or non-White). To register, please complete this form.
 
When: Every third Thursday of the month (next gathering on January 20, 2022), 4:00-5:30 p.m. ET

[Image credit: Neil Thomas on Unsplash]
 


A Cup of Hope: Online Festival of Faith

Photo collage of all the Cup of Hope presenters


Amidst the colder days of winter and another pandemic wave there is cause for hope! A Cup of Hope has recruited a team of presenters who have some interesting insights to share about what a vibrant, viable, and vital community of faith looks like.

For more information and if you have any questions, please contact the Rev. Dr. Bob Filler, A Cup of Hope Lead Organizer (Trinity United - Prince George, BC) at revbob@trinitypg.ca or +1-250-301-9658 (voice/message/text). For the $200 registration rate for groups of four or more people from the same congregation, please contact Jes Berkerley at JBeckerley@united-church.ca. Worship resources for Sunday morning featuring the Moderator are available as part of the festival.

When: Monday, January 31 to Friday, February 4, 2022; 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. MT / 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. ET.
 


Building Better Habits

 Bird's eye photo of a tasty looking lunch of eggs, salads, and avocado, alongside a cup of tea and some flowers.

 

LifeSpeak

It’s easy to fall into bad habits when our work and lifestyle have been so busy, especially over the holidays. What’s even harder is breaking these bad habits to build better ones. This month, LifeSpeak’s winter campaign will help you reset your lifestyle this year by Building Better Habits by looking at
  • breaking unwanted habits
  • taking good care of yourself
  • building new habits
  • maximizing resilience

The last couple of years have been unlike anything we’ve experienced before. We’ve had so much to manage, it’s no surprise that some of us have slipped into unhealthy habits to cope—but that’s okay! During unprecedented times we need to be gentle with ourselves, but it’s also good to take a moment to re-evaluate our habits. Which ones are holding us back—and what should we be doing instead?

On January 19 at 12:00 p.m. ET the Ask the Expert Web chat by Tom Toth addresses finding time for fitness.

Check out your LifeSpeak platform now! Log in using the Group Account option. The password is "wellness".

WorkHealthLife 

As the worldwide situation remains uncertain, taking care of your own health and well-being is more important than ever. If you don’t feel like you have the time for self-care, it’s probably a sign that you need it the most! In this microsite, Building your self-care toolkit, explore why self-care should be part of your routine and how to work it into your daily life, no matter the situation.

There are also plenty of articles on the WorkHealthLife site under the Health & Well-being tab, and don’t forget about the different kinds of support you can access under the My Services tab!
 

United Church Bookstore

On the topic of self-care, the United Church Bookstore has The Healing Oasis and Returning to the Healing Oasis, guided meditation resources for everyone that are designed to connect us with our heart, mind, and soul.

[Photo credit: Brooke Lark on Unsplash]
 


Haiti: How Your Generosity Is Helping

Photo of workers in Haiti receiving and sorting aid packages.


Last August 14, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Haiti, swiftly followed by Tropical Strom Grace. In the five months since the earthquake and storm struck, Mission & Service partners have been working hard to respond to the emergency. Through them, your generous gifts to the Haiti Emergency Appeal are helping people rebuild their lives.

[Photo credit: Thomas Noreille/ACT]
 


United Church Bookstore: Bulk Discount Available for New Lenten Devotional

The 2022 United Church Lenten devotional is now available! Written for both personal and group reflection, we would like to encourage you to make use of the study guide and engage in a group reflection with a special offer—use code LESSER20 to receive 20% off your order of five or more copies of the Lesser Evils softcover edition!

Lesser Evils: Daily Reflections on Seeking Wisdom explores everyday dilemmas of seeking the good while choosing the lesser evil from a Christian perspective. The diverse group of contributors reflect on how their faith informs their daily choices, from "Do I take this parking space?" to "Do I wear this mask?" to "Do I choose to forgive you?"
 
Edited by Alydia Smith, the book includes daily scripture, reflections, personal questions, and prayers for individual devotions or group study that explore how we attempt to seek wisdom and do good as followers of Jesus.
 



Worship Resources 


See our Worship Resources for upcoming Sundays and special celebrations.

January 23 - Third after Epiphany

February is Black History Month. Find your worship resources for week one here.
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