I have worked with Michelle Owens, Principal, for a number of years, back when we were both at the London Conference of The United Church of Canada. We were the cyclists who would bike into the office on warm summer days, arriving sweaty and a little musty. But the bike rides home were always the…
If we were to glance around the table of the new Denominational Executive appointed at the 43rd General Council of the United Church of Canada, we would note, perhaps, the diversity that was there. With intention, this executive draws from people who bring different backgrounds and complexity in ethnicity, ministry in the church (paid accountability,…
During General Council 43, various people will be reporting on what’s happening, sharing moments and offering their reflections. Tammy Allan and Marlene Britton-Walfall share sites, insights, music and a new Moderator is elected. Another couple of days have passed. Yesterday we dealt with business in the morning and then had the afternoon for excursion tours to see…
During General Council 43, various people will be reporting on what’s happening, sharing moments and offering their reflections. Marlene Britton-Walfall gathers with DUCCs and annoints while the Jenga towers fall. Greetings from Marlene. Lunchtime on Tuesday was filled with laughter and animated discussion as the DUCCs at GC43 gathered. It was a wonderful…
Updated, July 25. During General Council 43, various people will be reporting on what’s happening, sharing moments and offering their reflections. Marlene Britton-Walfall* reminds us that amongst the fun there is challenge and hard work. It’s the morning of the 4th day of this meeting in OshaWow! Devotions this morning challenged us to reflect…
During General Council 43, various people will be reporting on what’s happening, sharing moments and offering their reflections. Deborah Laforet and Marlene Britton-Walfall found connection at GC43. General Council is a place to reconnect. As someone who was a candidate in one conference, a student in another, settled into a third, and am now in…
During General Council 43, various people will be reporting on what’s happening, sharing moments and offering their reflections. Tammy Allan sets the stage. We have arrived! We are here in Oshawa Ontario at the site of General Council 43. The theme is “Risking Faith, Daring Hope.” The day was mostly devoted to a “Festival…
This past May and June, Conferences across the country gathered for what may be the last time as the United Church moves towards collapsing our 4-court model to 3 and replacing Presbyteries and Conferences with Regions. In the face of change we continued to hold the ancient rituals of our gatherings, marking beginning, endings and…
Barbara Hansen already had a heart for justice when she arrived as a student at CCS. In fact, she met her spouse, Stephen, at a hearing in Calgary about the Mackenzie pipeline 42 years ago. On April 28 of this year, the 2014 CCS graduate boarded a bus with about 48 other people from Vancouver…
Richard Manley Tanis is the Minister of Evangelism, Mission & Church Development at the Winnipeg Presbytery, the incoming principal at St. Andrew’s College in Saskatoon and a graduate of CCS. This is a reflection from his blog A Deacon’s Musing. Creator’s Children This last Sunday I offered the Prayers of the People during the Annual…
In the Presence of the Creator of the world, eternal God, We come from many places for a little while. With the Redeemer of humanity, God with us, We come with all our differences seeking common ground. Enlivened with the Spirit of unity, go-between God, We have come on journeys of our own to a…
This is one of a series of reflections about Courageous Risking, the 2018 gathering of DUCC (Diakonia of the United Church of Canada). It was an amazing few days of learning about forgiveness, colonization and economics with a social justice bent, and being inspired by filmmakers, survivors and change makers. Hearing amazing stories from amazing…
This is one of a series of reflections about Courageous Risking, the 2018 gathering of DUCC (Diakonia of the United Church of Canada). My diaconal ministry classmates and I were invited to join the DUCC conference outings on April 18th. Diaconal ministers and students from across the country spiraled out into Winnipeg, visiting sites about…