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We acknowledge with gratitude the traditional territories of our Indigenous and Metis neighbours and their hospitality. We offer our respect and commitment to living into right relationship with all our relations.
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Information that you would like included in the Weekly News should be sent to Cherry through this email by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays: PrairietoPine@united-church.ca
We REALLY want to facilitate the sharing of news about pastoral concerns, celebrations, educational opportunities and events so PLEASE share them with us. Due to the volume of requests, we will be pleased to publish announcements about events on 2 occasions before the deadline for registration and/or the actual event.
NOTE: We will be aiming to send out the Weekly News on Wednesdays.
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- Sympathies are extended to Judy Hare and her extended family on the death of her sister-in-law, Jackie in Miramichi, New Brunswick at age 54 on Sunday August 30, 2020 after a short illness. Judy is the Pastoral Relations Minister for Prairie to Pine Regional Council.
- Our prayers of care and concern are offered for students, parents, teachers, bus drivers and other support workers as children return to work next week in schools across Manitoba and Ontario.
- Our prayers are with Bernice Saulteaux as she continues her recovery.
- Congratulations to Michael Blair on his appointment as the new General Secretary of The United Church of Canada effective November 1, 2020. Read the full news piece.
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Registration for Prairie to Pine
Regional Meeting now open!
The moment you’ve been waiting for all summer (right?) is now here! Registration for the postponed meeting of our regional council is now open. If you are a delegate or plan to be a visitor, please use this registration link. There is no cost.
The meeting will take place on Zoom Wednesday, September 30, 6:30-9:00 PM and Wednesday, October 7, 6:45-9:00 PM. A separate, optional Zoom orientation and practice will be available. Details such as the Zoom link and agenda will be emailed to registrants directly, and the full workbook of documents will be publicly available on the website.
Many communities of faith experienced serious disruptions of their annual meetings because of spring COVID closures. In turn, this may have affected your ability to elect lay delegates to this meeting. If your ministry has not yet had a chance to choose your lay delegate(s), please do so as soon as possible.
The Regional Council co-chairs have issued a letter providing an update; Information on the Celebration of Ministries service, which has also been affected by COVID-related restrictions, will be coming soon.
Many thanks to members of the annual meeting planning committee, who moved with grace into planning a very different meeting. Together, we will make this work. Questions? Please email Cherry Abad at cabad@united-church.ca |
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In Memoriam
The Annual Meeting on October 7th will honour members of our church who passed away since our last Annual Meeting. Please let us know the names of those who have been at any point became lay representatives within the former structure (Presbyteries and the Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario) or within the current structure who passed away, so they can be acknowledged during the In Memoriam portion of the meeting. You can email Cherry Abad at cabad@united-church.ca |
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Ministry Personnel Support Gathering
A decision was made by those gathered together on August 25 th,2020 in the Ministry Personnel support gathering on ZOOM that such gatherings would be offered every second week. That means that the next opportunity to gather for check in and sharing will be Tuesday, September 08, 2020 using the links below. Subsequent gatherings will be held on September 22, October 6 & 20 and November 10 and 17 th, 2020. Here is the Zoom link information or you can check the Prairie to Pine Regional Events Calendar. |
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Lay Leaders Check-in
After the summer break we thought it important that there be an opportunity for lay leaders and Pastoral Charge Supervisors in Communities of Faith to gather together via ZOOM to check in, share news about protocols developed around re-opening of buildings, re-engagement of activities and/or identify any questions that they might have related to COVID 19 matters related to worshiping communities at this point in our pandemic journey. People are invited to gather via ZOOM on Tuesday, September 15th, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Please use the links below. The frequency of future meetings will be determined at that time. Here is the Zoom link information or you can check the Prairie to Pine Regional Events Calendar. |
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Request of Evangelical Ministers
A final year student at the Atlantic School of Theology is seeking assistance for his final year graduate studies project from self identifying evangelical ministry personnel within the United Church of Canada.
For more information click here. |
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United in Learning Webinars
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Infopac Mailing
As a result of the recent General Council Office reorganization, staff reductions, and cost-cutting measures, our quarterly Infopac mailing to the church will be coming to an end effective immediately.
Information about General Council Office programs, events, and resources that have traditionally been included in Infopac will now be shared through our other existing communication vehicles, such as E-ssentials, the United Church website, and our social media channels.
E-ssentials comes out weekly and is sent to all communities of faith and regional councils. Individuals are also encouraged to subscribe to the e-newsletter!
To receive news about United Church Bookstore’s products, please subscribe to the UCRD newsletter or visit UCRDstore.ca. |
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Vacation Bible School programs
Balmoral United Church has some Vacation Bible School programs that we are no longer needing. Each of the programs include the program manuals, and samples of our crafts. Many also include music CDs, related videos, decorations or leftover supplies from when we ran the programs. The programs may also be adaptable for any churches running Messy Church programs! If you are interested in purchasing any of the following programs or would like more information about them, please contact Teresa Melnychuk ( teresamel@xplornet.ca, or 204-467-9752)
- Zoom Zone
- Hometown Nazareth
- Everywhere Fun Fair
- Sonworld
- Great Bible Reef
- Walking with Jesus
- PandaMania
Used hymn books: Balmoral united church has the following Hymn books we are no longer using. Please contact Teresa Melnychuk ( teresamel@xplornet.ca, or 204-467-9752) if you would like them.
- The Hymn Book (red) large print 2 copies
- The Hymn Book , words edition 9 copies
- The Hymn Book , words and music edition 32 copies
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Shared Recording Music (hymns/anthems/slideshows)
Many congregations have been recording music (hymns/anthems/slideshows) for use in on line worship. Sharing our work is an effective way to be good stewards of our time and talents. A small number of congregations have been sharing files through Drop Box and are now inviting others to do the same. (there is no cost to upload or download from drop box). There is no obligation to contribute material, but if you have music which can legally be shared (copyright is to be respected) that would be great. We are working on a simple spreadsheet which will serve as an index to the materials available.
Contact Don Schau ( dfschau@mts.net) for more information. |
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Emmanuel College’s Online
Education Response to COVID-19
The health and safety of our students, faculty, librarians and staff are our top priority. We are making pedagogical and technological innovations to ensure that all course activity and interaction in the fall 2020 semester, and most of the winter term, will be online. Many courses are available to auditors for registration after August 15. See our course schedule for details and more information about our response to COVID-19.
https://emmanuel.utoronto.ca/current-students/course-and-registration-information/
The College has hired an expert in Instructional Design and is in the process of long-term planning for flexible online and hybrid programs.
Email emmanuel.admissions@utoronto.ca for more information!
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SAC (An Invitation: #NoGalaGala)
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Hello friends & family,
I am writing to share some news and extend an invitation. As many of you know, in the last few
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years, I have assumed the role as Principal at St. Andrew’s College, a graduate theological school at the University of Saskatchewan. Since then, COVID-19 has turned the world upside down and presented unexpected opportunities! One of those happen to be a #NoGalaGala! |
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Resources Related to Re-Opening of Buildings
As we approach September and the re-opening of schools, some governing bodies or task groups within Communities of Faith along with their Ministry Personnel or Pastoral Charge Supervisors are attempting to make decisions around re-engaging worship and/or some activities within church buildings.We remind you of the various resources accessible through this link on the Prairie to Pine Regional Council website: https://prairietopinerc.ca/covid-19/In developing a re-opening plan there is the assumption that Communities of Faith will adhere to the latest information provided by the Health Authority in our jurisdiction and there are links to the latest restrictions and guidelines:
In Manitoba:
https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/restoring/index.html
and guidelines for worship:
https://www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/covid/restoring_faith_based_gatherings.pdf
In Ontario :
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/
Diane Strickland, a Trauma Counsellor, critical incident responder and United Church Minister who shared a series of four videos with the church called the PandemicPracticum, has made two new videos to assist Ministry Personnel and lay leaders as they make decisions about re-opening and begin re-engaging. They are accessible through:
http://www.knox-united.com/making-faithful-decisions-on-re-entry---part-1.html |
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Financial Support for Congregations
During the Pandemic
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National Opportunities to Serve the Church
The national church has several important openings for lay and order of ministry people in our Regional Council. Please see the link below for a summary and please share! Opportunities include: Healing Programs Working Group (1‒3 vacancies); Justice and Reconciliation Fund Committee (2 vacancies); Office of Vocation, Prairie Candidacy Board (4 vacancies). More details are here. |
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Caregivers Retreat Weekend
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Specifically designed for family caregivers, this weekend is all about relaxing, rejuvenating and connecting with other caregivers. Presented by Naramata Centre, the workshops will run from September 11 to 13, 2020. Click the poster for details or visit Naramata Centre. |
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Expressing Wonder Conference
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You are invited to participate in the fall on-line conference, Expressing Wonder, Seeing the World with Eyes Wide Open. October 2-4, 2020. Sponsored by SSUC – Spiritual Seekers United in Community, Edmonton and Saskatoon (Southminster-Steinhauer United Church).
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Theme Presenters: Ali Akbar, CEO for the Saskatoon Open Door Society. A refugee and immigrant himself, he is passionate about social justice and overcoming social inequity. Ernie Louttit, a member of the Saskatoon Police, is a Missanabie Cree. Award winning author, he blows the lid off of taboo topics around policing and racism. Mitch Babin will share his art. On hand will be Nancy Steeves and Christopher New as well as Gretta Vosper and Scott Kearns with their spiritual message and music leadership.
Cost is $75 per viewing device. For all the information, the conference schedule and registration form, follow the link https://ssucedmonton.com/expressing-wonder-2020
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Naramata Centre 2020 Online Programs
The Naramata Centre is excited to offer ongoing online programs and content with over 40 programs to choose from. Registration is now open. For more information, visit Naramata Centre or check their Online Programs 2020.
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New Wine: Western Intercultural Gathering
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Join us for a cross-Canada gathering of people living out the United Church’s intercultural vision. Rev. Dr. Eric Law and Tony Snow will be our lead resource people.
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When: Fridays on September 25, October 2 and October 9, 2020.
Cost: FREE. (Thank you for your support through Mission and Service!) These will be three-hour sessions, with presentations, reflection, song, and small group discussion. Tools for engaging with your ministry between sessions will be offered, and so will afternoon/ evening informal conversation groups.
Full information: https://bit.ly/2CqFRjt
Sessions are free but registration is still required; please click here. If you would like more information, please contact the Western Intercultural Ministry Network Executive through staff support Julie Graham, jgraham@united-church.ca
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Rural Ministry Network
Catherine Christie of Abbey, Saskatchewan notified us that she and a few colleagues interested in rural ministry have set up The "United Church Rural Ministry Network", and have applied to Edge for a grant to get ourselves organized in ways to serve the rural communities across the country.
As UCRMN, have put together a one page webpage at UCRMN.ca
We just posted our first newsletter this week, (the link is on the webpage) which includes some information about what is happening across Canada. We encourage people to check it out and if they like what they see, feel free to “Subscribe” (right from the webpage) to receive further newsletters.
Our second newsletter is planned for September 9th. We are planning a 2 hour Zoom Workshop for September 23rd to help rural folks share stories about how it has been to live through COVID. Once you are subscribed, you will automatically be kept up to date.
Thank you for your attention to this, and may God continue to bless your ministries!
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Regional Council Prayer Rooms
Thank you to those from across this United Church of Ours especially those from Prairie to Pine who joined the online facilitated time of prayer time sponsored by the national Faith Formation Team on Tuesday, August 18th, 2020. During the half hour from Noon to 12:30 p.m. Central time, prayer was offered by for each pastoral charge/community of faith within the Prairie to Pine Regional Council. Any who would like to learn more about this opportunity for prayer as it moves further west across the country, please see:
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United Theological College
Please click here for an important announcement from the Chair of the Board of Governors and Principal of the United Theological College.
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Opportunities to serve the Regional Council
now available
It’s that time of year! Here's the list of openings your Nominating committee is seeking to fill.
Please help spread the word in your community of faith and beyond. Here is text for a bulletin or email announcement encouraging members of your community of faith to discern: please include it wherever you can. Encourage people to contact the Nominating Committee with questions and ideas; they would be delighted to talk with you further and offer more details on the opportunities currently posted, or on the nominating process. People are also welcome to nominate others, preferably after checking with the nominee first. |
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Funds available for your anti-racism learning
Your Regional Council is offering the beginnings of a recommended reading and viewing self-education resource list. The Regional Council is offering up to $30 for resources of your choice, whether from this list or beyond. Please see the link above for details. As we (hopefully) remain in the slower, gentler time of summer, consider taking the time to reflect on a book or movie that points us towards and challenges us to live into the commitment to being anti-racist churches. |
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2020-2021 Admission Courses
United Theological College
Anyone interested in registering for these courses may email admin@utc.ca.
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Reminder: put your community event
on our website!
Reminder: you can still promote your local event through our website. Regular worship should be registered with the national church’s map and listings, but everything from bible study to a workshop to drive up pie or bannock fundraisers can be shared on our Communities of Faith events calendar through our community form. The event needs to be a United Church event open to the public. Give it a try! |
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Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday!
To make a submission of United Church related news to the Prairie to Pine Weekly Newsletter:
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Deadline:
Email:
Subject line:
Include:
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Tuesdays at 4:00 PM
PrairietoPine@united-church.ca
"Prairie to Pine Weekly News"
TITLE of your news piece
BLURB or WRITE-UP to be included
Files or posters to be included (if any)
Thank you!
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To see all of our previous issues, all in one tidy place, please click below:
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Prairie to Pine Regional Council
1622-B St. Mary's Rd
Winnipeg MB R2M 3S7
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PrairietoPine@united-church.ca
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Prairie to Pine Regional Council
STAFF
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Shannon McCarthy
Executive Minister for
Prairie to Pine Regional Council
Living Skies Regional Council
Northern Spirit Regional Council
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SMcCarthy@united-church.ca
204-421-8149
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Jamie Mckay
Program Assistant for
Prairie to Pine Regional Council
Living Skies Regional Council
Northern Spirit Regional Council
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JMckay@united-church.ca
204-594-8380
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Judy Hare
Pastoral Relations Minister
Prairie to Pine Regional Council
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JHare@united-church.ca
204-421-8151
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Twila MacNair
Minister of Young Adults And Youth
Prairie to Pine Regional Council
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TMacNair@united-church.ca
204-421-8148
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Cherry Abad
Administrative Support
Prairie to Pine Regional Council
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CAbad@united-church.ca
204-594-8381
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Heather Dootoff
Financial Administrator for
Prairie to Pine Regional Council
Living Skies Regional Council
Northern Spirit Regional Council
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HDootoff@united-church.ca
Phone:306-789-1622
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Julie Graham
Regional Minister: Justice & Communication for
Prairie to Pine Regional Council
Living Skies Regional Council
Northern Spirit Regional Council
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JGraham@united-church.ca
Phone: 306-244-2157
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Erin Acland
Keeper of the Archives
Prairie to Pine Regional Council
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ucarchives@uwinnipeg.ca
Phone: 204-783-0708
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