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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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Our sympathies, thought and prayers are with the family and friends of the Rev, Gordon Fulford and the people of Valley Pastoral Charge where Gordon was in ministry. Gordon died on Wednesday, February 24th, 2021 at the age of 82. Throughout his career, Gordon was also engaged in ministry with the people of Rossburn Pastoral Charge, Grey Street United Church and Atlantic Garden City United Church in Winnipeg and the Neepawa Greater Parish.
Obituary of Rev. Gordon Ivan Fulford. Expression of sympathy and appreciation can be sent to the Fulford family through: Nicole Neault (daughter), 149 Eade Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R2G 0R1 |
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COVID Updates for Both Manitoba and Ontario
(COVID updates in either province will be in the government links provided.)
Further Amendments to Red Restrictions - Manitoba
On March 02, 2021 the province of Manitoba announced some further amendments to the red restrictions that are to expire on March 04, 2021. Changes to the Public Health Orders effective March 05,2021 at 12: 01 a.m. that will most directly effect faith-based communities are the permission for Faith-Based Communities to gather together for regular worship with a limit of 25% of capacity or 100 people which ever is less when adhering to social distancing, masking and all other related protocols. These changes effect all areas of the province except some Indigenous Communities which may have their own additional restrictions.
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Communication
The Prairie to Pine Weekly News is our primary means of dispensing information during these times. For those who are not currently receiving, to get registered to receive the Weekly News please email Cherry Abad with your request ( cabad@united-church.ca)
Some information is also available through the Prairie to Pine Regional Council website: www.prairietopinerc.ca |
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Community of Faith Events Calendar
Reminder: our Community of Faith events calendar is open 24/7 for online events! As long as the public is invited, you can post it. From workshops to worship, go for it. Here’s the handy form:
https://prairietopinerc.ca/community-events-form/
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Ministry Personnel Support Gathering 
The Committee on Ministry Personnel Support of the Prairie to Pine Regional Council recently sent out an email about a program offering the listening ear of some experienced retired/retained colleagues, the MP2MP Connectors. Every two weeks on Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m., Ministry Personnel are offered the opportunity to check in with one another through a ZOOM connection. The next one is on March 9, 2021. The Zoom link is available on the P2P website under the events calendar or in the Weekly News. |
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Stay tuned for a word from your
faithful Nominations Committee
The Nominations Committee has started sharing invitations to opportunities to volunteer or serve with the Regional Council, some of its partnerships, and the national church. You can nominate yourself or someone else, with their permission. See their page and this newsletter for updates. First up will be the planning committee for our 2021 Regional annual meeting, and you can read all about that here. |
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Manitoba 150 United Church honourees 
Warm congratulations to a number of United Church people on their Manitoba 150 award!
Auna-Marie Brown (rest in peace); Lois Creith, Diane Dwarka, Ferne Green, Lawrie Kyle, and Judy Morningstar: we are delighted to see the wider province honour your many gifts to the community in this way. |
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2021 Regional Council Meeting
The 2021 Prairie to Pine Regional Council Meeting will be on May 28-30, 2021. It will be an electronic meeting held in blocks of time spread out over three days. Stay tuned for more information.
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Online Ministry Personnel Retreat -
Care for the Pastoral, Prophetic and
Priestly Self in a Pandemic
Deadline for Registration is March 12, 2021
The Committee on Ministry Personnel Support in Living Skies is co-hosting with St. Andrew’s College a retreat for ministry personnel, roughly 1 year after the pandemic transformed our lives. The details of the event, including dates, cost and learning options, is found here. Ministry personnel – registration form is found here.
Lay Leaders – this is an opportunity to offer sabbath to your ministry personnel as they prepare for the busy Holy Week time.
A worship service will be available for use on March 21 to enable ministry personnel to fully experience retreat. If you are worshipping online only (or a combination of online and in-person), this may be a time to find someone else to learn how to record the service or host the online gathering instead of your minister. If you are a community of faith without called or appointed ministry personnel, you are also welcome to access this offering. Watch the Weekly News on March 10 for details on the worship service. |
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Learning on the way: Continuing Education Opportunity for LLWLs
Tuesdays, March 2, April 6, May 4 at 7:00 pm ET, 6:00 pm CT ,4:00 pm PT
or Wednesdays, March 10, April 14, May 12 at 1:30 ET, 12:30 pm CT, 10:30 am PT
These sessions will run for 90 minutes.
Course Description: These round table discussions are designed to provide continuing support and education for people who are currently serving the church as Licensed Lay Worship Leaders. If you've already received your training and been licensed by your Regional Council to serve in this way, join us to go a little deeper in the themes of the season, and connect with others who are also leading worship in the same ways.
These discussion groups will have a minimum of 6 persons and a max of 10, and will be led by experienced leaders from our Online Licensed Lay Worship Leader's training program. Cost of $ 34.99 with a $5.00 discount for online registration. For more information and to register please go to the United-in-learning website.
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Renewals of Appointments for July 01, 2021
It is that time of year when Communities of Faith/Pastoral Charges with Ministry Personnel whose appointment end June 30, 2021 and those Ministry Personnel begin the process around renewal of appointments. Individual emails outlining the details of the processes and timelines associated with renewal were sent on February 23rd, 2021 directly to the emails of Ministry Personnel eligible for renewals with the request that they be forwarded on to the Chair of the Governing Body in the Community of Faith/ Pastoral Charge. These two instructional emails are attached here for easy access by Board / Council / Leadership team members:
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New Manual (2021) Now Available
The 2021 edition of the Manual of the United Church of Canada is now available online. It comes into effect March 01, 2021.The changes from the previous 2019 edition can be spotted with the year “2021” in the margin.
As with the 2019 edition, there will be no printed version available for purchase. People are encouraged to use the version on-line or print it themselves if they prefer a hard copy.
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Creative Ideas
One thing that happens during the bi-monthly connections with some of Prairie to Pines Ministry Personnel is the sharing of some ideas for worship, study and community building. Creativity can be contagious and ideas that get can be implemented in other places. Here are a few things that you may want to try in your community of faith:
For Black History Month:
*stories about the two communities featured on the two special Black History month Canadian stamps; Amber Valley, Alberta and Willow Grove, New Brunswick – Commentary by Ralph Thomas in a CTV News Clip (Thanks to Rolanda Taylor, Boissevain-Minto for this idea)
* sharing a UTube video (through Global Citizen) entitled “Children Talk about Black History Month” (Thanks to Lesley Harrison at Knox United Church, Winnipeg)
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Please send 2020 Annual Report
Please send two copies of your community of faith’s 2020 Annual Report to the Committee on Community of Faith Support: one hard copy mailed to Prairie to Pine Regional Council, 1622B St. Mary’s Road, Winnipeg, MB R2M 3W7, and an electronic copy (if you’ve saved the report on a computer) to PrairietoPine@united-church.ca. These annual reports will be available for reference by the Committee on Community of Faith Support, staff, and other committees / commissions who may have need to see them. Be sure to keep a copy to be archived at some point. The 2020 report may be of particular interest to future researchers looking at how churches did their work during Covid-19 pandemic.
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Congregational annual meeting top secret secret voting strategies and more
Lots of you are going ahead with congregational meetings online, and have many good questions about voting. Here are some thoughts from Executive Minister Shannon McCarthy on not so secret ballots and your community of faith’s online annual meeting. Here’s a good resource from some of our kin in Ontario that outlines the various options. (Hint: there’s really no such thing as a completely secret ballot for everyone.)
The Centre for Christian Studies also has a great recorded “how to” workshop (and a hilarious video that may sound just a bit familiar). |
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Important update:
Congregational annual meetings for 2021
A reminder of a notice sent late last year: The General Council Executive has suspended the requirement to hold congregational annual meetings until June, in light of the pandemic. You can still hold an online meeting as possible, but meetings are not required. Please click here for details. Further details about related matters like budgets and annual reports this will be shared later this month. |
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Information About Annual Meetings
and Annual Reports
The calendar now has us in 2021 and many questions have been forthcoming about Annual Reports related to 2020 and also Annual Meetings for that period. Many of our Congregations have remained closed for several weeks if not months. Committees have been less than active in many cases due to the disruption. Others have been extremely active in creating safe space and connections in your midst.
The General Council Executive back in April, 2020 made some amendments to The Manual (2019) related allowing for some matters that are deemed necessary.
See this link for details.
https://united-church.ca/sites/default/files/gs_49_temporary_amendment_re_pastoral_relations.pdf
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2021 Bursary applications
We welcome Darlynne Smith as the New Chair of the Prairie to Pine Bursary Committee and thank Shirley May for her many years of service as the Past-Convener of the committee.
The Regional Council Bursary Fund and UCW Bursary applications are now available. Please visit the Prairie to Pine Regional Council website for more information and how to apply, including the letter to the Chairperson of Official Boards of Communities of Faith and UCWs or Women's Group. |
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Support for Ministry Personnel
These are stressful times when ministry personnel are attempting to fulfill the tasks associated with their role and calling and find safe and creative ways to keep congregations connected and spiritually nurtured. For many the time it takes to draw upon the gifts and skills of others to carry out some tasks and the learning curve around new technologies to enable meetings, study groups, worship and virtual coffee times to happen is significant. Ministry Personnel are encouraged amid all that is being required of them, to tend to self care and seek out the support of others if and when it might be helpful. The Employee and Family Assistance Plan of the United church of Canada offers several supports accessible online or by calling: 1-800-387-4765
With further details under: www.uccan-benefitscentre.ca |
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HELP REQUESTED:
Sharing resources for re-engaging during COVID 19
During recent ZOOM meetings with leaders from Communities of Faith (September 15, 2020) and Ministry Personnel (September 22,2020) requests were made from some for samples of protocols developed by Communities of Faith for worship in building, celebration of baptism in person, celebration of communion in person, celebration of virtual communion on World wide Communion Sunday and plans for Sunday School or ministry with children and youth (both in person and virtual). If you are willing to share any of your resources please send them along to Cherry Abad and indicate whether you are willing to have a link posted on the Weekly News or prefer that they be available to others only upon request from Regional Council staff.
A reminder that there are links to resources of various types on both the Prairie to Pine Regional Council website and the General Council website. Another website with resources for ministry with children and families is Messy Church at Home: https://messychurch.org.uk/resources/messy-church-home-ideas
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Our world seems smaller and more confined since COVID began. May these stories help widen it, and help us see where our prayers and actions from home can support those we may never meet in person, but with whom we are part of the Body of Christ.
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Reflections on the other pandemic: opioids
Across Canada, too many in church and pastoral leadership, and too many in our communities, have already experienced the impact of the ever-expanding opioid overdose crisis. The March edition of Broadview, the church’s independent national magazine, offers a more personal story from a United Church minister, and invites our reflection on the impacts and causes of this epidemic, which has gathered strength during COVID. Watch for an upcoming United Church gathering series on this crisis in our communities, and on different perspectives on the decriminalization of drugs.
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Update on Bill C-15 and the United Church
Following discussions with the National Indigenous Council and the Elders Council, the United Church of Canada has not signed on to the ecumenical campaign supporting the federal Bill C-15 on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Both the Council and the Elders cited the need for community discernment, as outlined in the Calls to the Church, before a decision could be taken. This is a reflection of our commitment to the Declaration, which we continue to support as the framework of reconciliation.
We also continue to encourage everyone to learn more about the UN Declaration. It remains one of the many crucial calls to our church within the TRC Calls to Action. (You can download a free PDF of the text here and read KAIROS’ summary of the Declaration’s long journey.) See the Events listing in this newsletter for a related event from churches who have taken a position on Bill C-15, and watch for an upcoming event on diverse points of view on Bill C-15, hosted by KAIROS Prairies North. |
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Affirming PIE Day 2021 and video launch,
Sunday March 14
PIE= Public+Intentional+Explicit: the standard for creating a safer sacred space for LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit people. For 2021 and its many online events, Affirm United/ S’affirmer Ensemble and Calgary’s Affirming Connections ask: What ingredients or recipe make up your PIE and your radical hospitality? Have a look at the materials to help you animate PIE, including a new worship service. Check out online events, and add your own. Your gathering or worship doesn’t have to be complicated…. It doesn’t even have to include pie (any dessert or savoury treat is welcome. But do make it PIE. And, if you want your PIE hot, check out the forthcoming short video on a topic that is overly close to many LGBTQIA+ people: What the Hell?
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Up to date 2021 Minutes for Mission:
where to find them!
There are lots of ways to access Minutes for Mission and all the great videos and photos that go with them. Have a look here. |
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Thriving Churches
Thriving Churches tells the story of two United Church ministers who travelled across Canada visiting flourishing United Churches to uncover the reasons for their success. Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd, minister at Westworth United Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, visited urban churches and Tammy Allan, minister at Olds-Sundre Pastoral Charge, Alberta, visited rural churches.
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A bulk order of this new book was suggested at the book launch for our region in the Winnipeg area. If you would like to order a copy of the book with a discount for the book and for the shipping, please email: Mona Denton at mfdenton@shaw.ca, or phone her at 204-334-7181. Please have your request to Mona by Tuesday, March 9 th. |
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For the Love of Creation:
"Take a Sacred Pause"
Prairie to Pine Church in the Wild planning group encourages you to continue to spend time outdoors, connecting with your faith and the call for climate justice. While we wait to resume our monthly worship and learning resource and gatherings, we want to encourage you to use this excellent resource from For the Love of Creation. "Take a Sacred Pause", alone or in small groups outdoors, with children youth and adults. For more information about Prairie to Pine Church in the Wild, contact Karen Tjaden (204) 745 6477 or Lori Stewart (204) 832 5310 or Caryn Douglas (204) 256 7002. |
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Introduction to Indigenous
Land and Issues in Canada
March 10-June 19, Sandy Saulteaux Centre
Host Adrian Jacobs, SSSC Keeper of the Circle, and Indigenous elders from across Canada invite you to explore the cultural and historic foundations to today’s headlines. Join us for a series of online conversations in response to the Indigenous education mandates from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Final Report. Registration info here. Please check the times carefully! |
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World Day of Prayer
First Friday in March (March 5)
To attend a Manitoba wide service please register at Eventbrite. Its free but you must register to get a ticket. Go to www.eventbrite.ca to register. When you register you will get the Zoom link. It is set up for Friday, March 5 at 1:00 pm. Please click here for more information. |
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"Becoming the Beloved Community:
A Call to Transformative Discipleship"
The Rev. Michael Blair, General Secretary, General Council for The United Church of Canada (UCC), will be delivering the 2021 Gandier Lecture at Emmanuel College. This will take place March 05, 2021 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. CT. Named after the College’s first principal, this lectureship reflects the College’s partnership with the UCC from its founding until the present day, as well as our intent to bridge conversations between the College and the wider UCC context. In this spirit, this year's lecture will be presented by Emmanuel College's Centre for Religion and Its Contexts with the support of the UCC's United in Learning. This lecture is free (ZOOM link will be sent to registrants on the morning of March 05,2021) To register go to United-In -Learning website. |
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Steinbach United Church Affirming Celebration
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With a vision of hope, we journey on…
Steinbach United is becoming an Affirming Ministry!
Join our celebration!
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All are welcome to attend a Zoom pre-recorded service on March 14th at 10:30AM. Following the service remain on Zoom to visit. To join the Zoom service, email Steinbach United Church steinbachunited@mymts.net by Thursday, March 11 th and request the Zoom link. The service will also be posted to the church website http://steinbachunitedchurch.ca/ministers-message. Please click here for more information. |
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Looking for income?
Passionate about a justice topic?
Like video editing?
The UCC is looking for youth 12 to 30 years of age to create 10-15 minute videos to be used as conversation starters for Youth Groups across the United Church of Canada to engage in important conversations around mental health, environment and social justice. Please email TMacNair@united-church.ca
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Upcoming Events - Emmanuel College
Emmanuel College’s Centre for Religion and Its Contexts has assembled an exciting roster of events for February and March; AND there is a Call for Papers for their second annual Christian Left Conference (to be held in July 2021). These events are free and online. All are welcome! Please visit the events page for the Centre for Religion and Its Contexts for more events, full descriptions, biographies and registration inks. |
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National UCC Meeting on
Crisis in Long Term Care
All who are concerned about the quality of both spiritual and physical care in long term care facilities, and the ways that Covid-19 has laid bare the state of crisis many facilities are in, are invited to gather for a Zoom gathering. To register to receive the Zoom link, please contact Regional Council staff member Diane Matheson-Jimenez at dmatheson@united-church.ca |
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Faith on the Move:
a national journey online through Lent
Feb 23, March 2, March 9, March 16, March 23, March 30, Noon Central/ 1:00pm Eastern. Please refer to this link for a full description and to confirm times, as the dates fall over the daylight savings time change. These will be 60 minute programs. |
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Indigenous Lenten Series: Ahogichipabi
Wednesdays Feb 24 - Mar 31 2021 at 7:30 PM MST. Join us during this Lenten season as we explore Christ’s journey into the desert and the connection this has to Indigenous spiritual traditions: the 7 sacred teachings of the Assiniboine and the Vision Quest. We will examine the intercultural traditions found in Indigenous Christian theology and how this impacts our spiritual formation and worldview today. Sponsored by the Chinook Winds Region and the Urban Indigenous Circle. Click here for the Facebook event. The Zoom link is here. Contact Tony Snow for more information: tony.snow@hillhurstunited.com
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Hopeful Economics UnConference
March 3-5, 2021, hosted by the UCC’s EDGE Network. "Hopeful Economics" is a way of looking at the world of the assets and abundance that it has and making that work for everyone. And "UnConference" is when topics and discussions are informed by the people who show up. You'll be helping lead the direction of the conversations! With an incredible lineup of speakers, you'll dive deep into the relationship between social enterprise and faith. You'll learn about the economic impact of churches and how to pitch your community of faith to form new partnerships. Details, agenda, and registration:
https://whova.com/web/virtu20_202012/
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Make Your Own Videos
An Online WeVideo Training Course
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WeVideo is a powerful, easy-to-use cloud-based program for creating and editing videos to use as worship resources, for raising awareness about social justice issues, for chronicling a congregation’s life and work, or for sharing personal stories.
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In this hands-on 6-hour course – delivered via Zoom in 3 sessions - participants will learn video editing tools and creative techniques needed to create their own videos.
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UNJPPI Network News
Are you interested in peace and justice issues? Do you want to learn more about Israel and Palestine? Or are you already engaged in these issues and want to connect with other advocacy initiatives to further your commitment? UNJPPI (United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine/Israel) is a grassroots network of United Church members and adherents, and other friends, working toward the goal of a just peace in Palestine and Israel by calling for an end to Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian lands and equal rights for all who live in Palestine/Israel through education and advocacy. Read more about UNJPPI.
You can subscribe here for their monthly Network News containing resources, opportunities for learning and campaigns to get involved in justice and peace in the region. Click here to subscribe. |
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Study and Discussion Opportunity
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STUDY AND DISCUSSION THURSDAYS 1-2:30 p.m. BEGINNING FEBRUARY 18th
Interested in joining others for some reading and discussion – and learning more about the gospel according to John? We will meet by zoom once a week (Thursday afternoon) for an hour and half.
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As a resource we will be using An Audacious Invitation by Walter Farquharson and Jeff Cook. Print copies of the book can be ordered through the Harrow church office ( secretary@harrowunited.ca) or directly from Woodlake Publishing ( https://www.woodlakebooks.com) It’s also available as an ebook. The study will be led by Teresa Moysey. We’re thrilled to announce that co-author Jeff Cook will also be joining us for some of our discussion.
The zoom link to participate is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84092258399?pwd=ck92RTMrUE1XWXRhcXlVeUFhQTNwQT09
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Lenten Prophecy
Lenten Prophecy - Rev. Robert Johannson
Looking for a Lenten Discipline, I have been studying The Prophets by Abraham Heschel. Anyone interested in doing a few zoom sessions on the prophetic witness can contact Robert Johannson at 204-775-5436.
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Kairos Regional Online Gathering 2021
This gathering is centered on Treaties 1 and 2 Territory, ancestral land of the Dakota, Anishinaabe, Ojibway, Ojibway- Cree, Cree, Dene
and the homeland of the Metis Nation
WE ARE HOSTING A SERIES OF ONLINE ZOOM SESSIONS TO REPLACE OUR IN-PERSON ANNUAL GATHERING. ALL ARE WELCOME!
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United-in-Learning
The webinars offered over the next several months are now posted and open for registration on the United in Learning website. These webinars include:
- Pension Information Seminar (March 09, 2021);
- Congregational Finances (monthly with the first one on January 27);
- Thriving Churches Beyond COVID 19 (January 27 and February 3 & 10);
- faith on the Move Lenten Series (beginning February 23).
For details and registration please go to:
https://united-in-learning.com/index.php/webinars/upcoming-webinars
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New at United Church in Learning
Have a look at some great new opportunities here. |
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CDI Loan and Grants applications
Grants and Loan applications are now available. To know more about Church Development Inc. (CDI) and how to apply for the grants and loans, please click here.
Deadline to receive grants applications: March 31 and October 15
Deadline to receive loan application: Accepted anytime
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Reminder: be careful with photo copyright!
Here are some tips
Photos are vital to our websites, social media, worship PowerPoints and much more. They add a lot to our online ministry and in-person PowerPoints. And they’re sometimes a little too easy to take and share. So please beware, and follow good copyright practices. Click here for some further information, resources, and ideas for copyright-free or fair use photos. |
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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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To subscribe to the Weekly News, 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
1-800-268-3781 ext. 2028
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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
1-800-268-3781 ext. 2040
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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
204-781-8124
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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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