Thank you for joining us

We hope you can join us for our spring regional meeting! Our theme this year was “Sanctuary: Towards a Kindom of Peace, Justice and Reconcilliation”. This year’s meeting was a hybrid, held both in-person at North Bramalea United Church and online in Zoom. Our meeting began on Friday June 7 and continued on Saturday June 8, 2024, with our Celebration of Ministries service held on Saturday evening. Please see our Celebration of Ministries page for more information.

If you were unable to join us, not to worry. Below you will find the recordings of the Friday and Saturday sessions of the regional meeting along with pertinent meeting documents and any resources to be shared. We look forward to seeing everyone again soon!

Friday June 7 – Morning Session

Friday, June 7- Afternoon Session

Friday, June 7 – Evening Session

Saturday June 8 Session

Come Celebrate!

See our Celebration of Ministries Service webpage for more bios and reflections from all our celebrants and retirees. More details about our service are below along with the livestream link to our YouTube channel. We hope you can join the celebration!

Watch our livestream of the Celebration of Ministry Service held at North Bramalea United Church in Brampton, as part of the regional meeting on Saturday, June 8, 2024 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Guest speaker: Rev. Brian McIntosh
Executive Minister: Rev. Peter Hartmans
Acting President of SWRC: David Leyton-Brown
Office of Vocation Minister: Rev. Kellie McComb
Pastoral Relations Minister: Rev. Todd McDonald

Celebration of Ministries service bulletin – [ PDF | pages ] – pending

If you require a full script of the service for accessibility reasons, please email swrc@united-church.ca.

Meeting Resources and Materials

These items are pending and will be added as they become available

Resource Book – [pdf | 103 pages] – PDF
Draft Meeting Agenda – Updated June 5, 2024 – [pdf | 2 pages] – PDF
Consent and Procedural Motions [pdf | 2 pages] – PDF
Digest of Actions from Executive [pdf | 18 pages] – PDF (pending more info from the May 28, 2024 Executive meeting)
Holy Manners [pdf | 1 page] – PDF
Draft Minutes of Regional Meeting – May 28, 2023 and Sept. 19, 2023 [pdf | 9 pages] – PDF
Zoom Tip Sheet – includes how to vote during the meeting – [ pdf | 3 pages ] – PDF
TICIF 02 Principles-Based Justice Work – [PDF – 5 pages] – PDF
Proposal: SW2024-01: Financial Assistance for SWRC Proposal – [ PDF – 4 pages ] – submitted by Dalston-Crown Hill United Church – PDF
Proposal: SW2024-02: Viability of Ministries in the GTA Proposal – [ PDF – 2 pages } – submitted by Fairlawn Avenue United Church – PDF
Proposal: SW2024-03: Support of Broadview Magazine Proposal – [ PDF – 2 pages ] – submitted by Grace United Church, Barrie – PDF
Proposal: SW2024-04: Reducing Homelessness in Canada Proposal – [ PDF – 2 pages ] – submitted by the Social and Ecological Justice Commission – PDF
Proposal: SW2024-05: SEJC RC Information Sharing Proposal – [ PDF – 2 pages ] – submitted by the Social and Ecological Justice Commission – PDF
Reports: SWRC 2024 Financial Statements DRAFT – [ PDF | 2 pages ] – PDF
Reports: Regional Council Executive Accountability – [ pdf | 4 pages ] – PDF
Reports: Communities of Faith Commission – [ pdf | 2 pages ] – PDF
Reports: Intercultural Diversity Commission – [pdf | 2 pages] – PDF
Reports: Pastoral Relations Commission – [ pdf | 2 pages ] –PDF
Reports: Social and Ecological Justice Commission – [ pdf | 2 pages ] –PDF
Reports: Nominations Committee – [pdf | 7 pages] – PDF
Reports: General Council Executive (GCE) Report – [pdf | 5 pages] – PDF
Reports: Emmanuel College – [ pdf | 3 pages ] – PDF
Reports: Centre for Christian Studies – [pdf | 2 pages] PDF
Reports: Atlantic School of Theology – [pdf | 1 pages] –PDF
Report: United Church Rural Ministry Network [pdf | 2 pages] – PDF
Report: Growth Animator [pdf | 2 pages] – PDF
Jubilands [pdf | 2 pages] – PDF
Retirees – [pdf | 6 pages ] – PDF
In Memoriam – [ pdf | 3 pages ] – PDF

Welcome Message

We’re trying something different for our regional meeting this year. The theme for both 2024 and 2025 is ‘Sanctuary: towards a kindom of peace, justice and reconciliation’. This theme is rooted in the story from 1 Kings 17 when Elijah found sanctuary in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, then in Zarenphath in the region of Sidon where he stayed with a widow. In both instances, sanctuary was provided not by the wealthy but by people who were the poorest of the poor and considered unclean.

A significant portion of our 2024 regional meeting’s agenda will be considering and voting on proposals intended for action by either Shining Waters Regional Council or by the General Council in the summer of 2025. To help us make good decisions, we will be grounding our understanding of sanctuary both in the lived experiences of people who are marginalized in society and in the principles-based approach to justice work that was approved by the General Council in October 2023.

On Friday afternoon, we will be hearing from members of the Theology and Inter-Church Inter-Faith Committee of General Council regarding the proposal that was adopted by the General Council at its Annual Meeting in the fall of 2023:

TICIF 02 Principles-Based Justice Work – [PDF – 5 pages]

The 44th General Council asked that a principle-based approach to its justice work be developed. A set of principles would govern the church’s responses to historic, current, and emerging social justice issues and enable timely and contextual responses. Shifting to a principles-based approach to our justice work will enable the church to respond more quickly to situations of injustice, while at the same time being guided by a consistent framework.

You are encouraged to review the proposal so that we can have a fulsome discussion on Friday. The hope is that – while these principles are intended to give direction and guidance to national committees and staff – they may also inform our regional response to proposals and the creation of priorities for our work.

Our theme planning team this year includes President Maria Christina Conlon, Past-President David Leyton-Brown, Ariel Saigan who is in ministry with Asbury and West United Church and is a member of the working group that developed the principles for the General Council, Allyce Mutungi who is a member of the Shining Waters Executive and Uganda Martyrs United Church, and Ruth McDonald who is involved at Burton Avenue United Church.

A two-year theme will give us the opportunity to hear many perspectives and reflect deeply on issues connected to sanctuary, including displacement, housing, reparations, restoration and reconciliation. Come join us on this journey.

Town Hall Gatherings

Proposals Discussion Town Hall

Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Online on Zoom – 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

This first town hall will focus on the following proposals:

1: SW2024-03: Support of Broadview Magazine Proposal – [ PDF – 2 pages ] – submitted by the Official Board, Grace United Church, Barrie

2: SW2024-04: Reducing Homelessness in Canada Proposal – [ PDF – 2 pages ] – submitted by the Social and Ecological Justice Commission

3: SW2024-05: SEJC RC Information Sharing Proposal – [ PDF – 2 pages ] – submitted by the Social and Ecological Justice Commission

Thank you to all those who attended this town hall. If you wish to view the recording please contact swrc@united-church.ca to request the link.

Please see the video or download the PDF of The United Church of Canada Housing Charter, which was approved by the 37th General Council of the United Church of Canada, August 2000.

hand holding a calculator over an open file folder on a table

Budget and Proposals Town Hall

Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Held Online on Zoom – 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Our second town hall was focused on the following proposals:

1. SW2024-02: Viability of Ministries in the GTA Proposal – [ PDF – 2 pages } – submitted by Fairlawn Avenue United Church

2. SW2024-01: Financial Assistance for SWRC Proposal – [ PDF – 4 pages ] – submitted by Dalston-Crown Hill United Church

3. Proceeds from Property Sales Proposal – submitted by the SWRC Executive (This proposal has been rescinded as of June 4, 2024)

Thank you to all those who attended this town hall. If you wish to view the recording please contact swrc@united-church.ca to request the link.