Currents – February 2022

In September 2021, the General Council Executive extended the temporary suspension of the requirement for congregations or pastoral charges to hold an annual meeting and the temporary amendment of the responsibility of the congregation or pastoral charge to make a decision on the annual draft budget by allowing the governing body of the congregation or pastoral charge to fulfil this responsibility where necessary. Each of these temporary amendments is in effect until June 30, 2022. If you decide to proceed with a meeting, any electronic method is acceptable as long as the participants have the ability to communicate with each other orally or through typed messaging at the same time. As long as most members have and can use the needed technology, it is a reasonable choice to proceed with a meeting. If you have questions about the temporary amendments related to the Annual Meeting or the budget, please contact Jody Maltby (JMaltby@united-church.ca) or Kim Uyede-Kai (KUyedeKai@united-church.ca).  For more information, see the Shining Waters website page on Annual Meetings.

The General Council Executive also extended the temporary amendments to pastoral relations policies for urgent decisions related to call or appointment and these are also in effect until June 30, 2022. If you have questions about the temporary amendments to the pastoral relations policies, please contact Dale Hildebrand (DHildebrand@united-church.ca) or Todd McDonald (TMcdonald@united-church.ca).

Please remember to send a copy of your Annual Report to the regional council office.  An electronic copy can be sent to rhowes@united-church.ca (preferred) or you can mail a hard copy to 59 Line 4N, Oro-Medonte, ON L0L 2L0.

Also, a reminder to update Church Hub with your new regional lay reps and church leadership.  It would be appreciated that you also let the regional office know the names and contact information of your lay reps.  Again, that can be sent to rhowes@united-church.ca.

The Regional Council annual meeting will be held virtually on May 27-28, 2022, but our hope is to hold an in-person Celebration of Ministries Service on Sunday May 29. In planning the service, we will follow the direction of the government and the public health unit and make safety a priority. The service will also be live-streamed on YouTube. Plans are underway for both the meeting and the service, so save the date and stay tuned!

General Council 44 is starting Sunday, February 13th! There are ways that folks in the region can get involved and stay connected.

1. From Facebook to YouTube, there are many ways for people to participate throughout these next several months of GC44! These options are outlined here: https://generalcouncil44.ca/about/connect-gc44

2. If people want to register to attend online as a visitor, they can do so at https://pheedloop.com/register/UCGC44/attendee/?

3. Worship resources for congregations can be found on the website at https://generalcouncil44.ca/community/worship-resources-congregations

4. The latest General Council news will be on the home page of the website: https://generalcouncil44.ca/

The Pastoral Relations Commission has approved a new policy in the area of Pulpit Supply. The policy provides direction in areas such as the frequency with which Communities of Faith can use one minister or Licensed Lay Worship Leader for pulpit supply. It also outlines eligibility for the pulpit supply list and accountability relationships. The policy is being sent to all Communities of Faith, Pastoral Charge Supervisors, and those who are on the Pulpit Supply list. It is also posted to the Shining Waters website here. The pulpit supply list itself is available from the Pastoral Relations Ministers (tmcdonald@united-church.ca – north of Highway 407; dhildebrand@united-church.ca – south of Highway 407).

The Commission also continues to work on putting into action the Equity Report recommendations. A multi-year implementation plan is being developed. However, some steps are happening now. For example, on February 4 – 5, Shining Waters pastoral relations liaisons participated in equity training that will equip them to incorporate broader and deeper equity issues with search teams.

As part of the Commission’s Flourish program to support the health, joy, and excellence of ministry personnel, we continue to gather ministry personnel monthly on Zoom to support and nourish our ministers. On February 15, Rev. Marlene Britton from the Office of Vocation will provide leadership in exploring collegial support and allyship.

-An opportunity to share stories of success;
-Time for learnings from not-so-successful experiences;
-And tools for organizing for local initiatives;
As well as engaging in breakout rooms.

Please contact Jeffrey Dale at jdale@united-church.ca for more information

Wednesday, March 9th, 7 pm – 8 pm, Youth Ministry in these Changing Times. We will begin gathering together for intentional conversations regarding youth ministry in this fluctuating time of COVID-19 and how the church will engage youth and children moving forward. We will hear of the experiences at St. James United Church in Etobicoke. Zoom Link: https://united-church.zoom.us/j/93723351187

 

The Communities of Faith Commission is in the process of identifying key directions that they want to pursue in addition to their responsive duties so that they can better support and encourage communities of faith. They spent some time considering the national strategic directions, call and vision https://united-church.ca/community-and-faith/welcome-united-church-canada/our-call-and-our-vision in light of their own work.

The Commission is also setting dates quarterly to receive any church governance documents that are to be reviewed by the region, and will publish those dates once they are set.

United-in-Learning is distance learning for leaders in The United Church of Canada.  They offer a wide variety of webinars, including the monthly  Church Treasurers workshop and a new online Lenten journey, Lesser Evils.  Find all of them on their website, here.