February 2026 UCRMN ENews

The United Church Rural Ministry Network is for all rural and small town folks - lay and ministry.

Please sign up at UCRMN.ca

Items of Interest in this ENews:

• February Zoom Workshop on “Lay-Led Leadership”

• Summary of January Workshop - “Rural Perspective of Food”

• Reflection from Rev. Dr. Joyce Sasse on Korean New Year

• Poster for 2026 National Affirming/PIE Day

• Tech Corner - “Standing’ at the Crossroad”

• International Rural Churches Association - “IRCA 2026”

• Rural Chaplain’s Association’s Fall Learning Event

• Fall Rural Ministry Conference in Alberta.

• “When Rinks Go Silent” Reflection by Tod Maffin

• Rural Routes Through the Holy - June 2026

• New Book from New Brunswick “Nothing Forgotten”

• LLWL Learning opportunities at Church X (Free)

• Rural Ministry Town Halls - This Wed. Feb. 11, 2026 @ 7:30 pm

• ChurchX - Free Workshops

• UCRMN is looking for “Awesome” Board Members

• Regional Meetings and UCRMN - Fall Request to Regions

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Past eNewsletters are archived at www.UCRMN.ca

If you have a rural story you would like to share, please submit your story to editor@UCRMN.ca. We welcome articles 300 to 500 words.

Possible questions for February Zoom

on “Lay-Led Leadership”

Here are some topics:

1) Training and leadership development

In what areas of ministry would additional training most help you grow in effective leadership and confidence?
(For example: pastoral care in diverse situations; worship leadership/LLWL; preaching and biblical storytelling; children and youth ministry; governance and administration; Christian education leadership; social justice and community outreach; ecumenical or shared ministry; conflict transformation; stewardship; intercultural ministry; etc.)

2) Support needed for lay-led ministry

If you are engaged in lay-led ministry without regular clergy leadership, what kinds of training do you most need?

What forms of mentoring, supervision, or peer networks would make the difference for you?

3) Building and sustaining collaborative models

How might a lay-led, collaborative ministry model in rural contexts be developed and flourish?

When have you experienced spiritual growth or transformation within a lay-led ministry setting?

Thank You!

YunJung Kim

Lay Leadership Training Coordinator (UCC)

Memories from Joyce Sasse

in honour of the Korean New Year - Feb 17

I, Catherine, was an Overseas Personnel with the United Church working with our partner church in Korea from 2010 to 2017. I returned to this small rural community in Saskatchewan and within a couple years helped to start the UCRMN, sharing in the rural ministry of Joyce Sasse.

Joyce had also served in Korea, from 1967-1971. In 1998, she had been invited to write an article with all other past co-workers for a book celebrating the 100^th Anniversary of the UCC and the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea, a volume called Growing Together Into One Hope (Han Somang Anyseo).

Here are her thoughts:

“My main emphasis was rural development rather than urban development. I was very happy when Rev. Lee Young-Min proposed to me that I work at Segwang Middle/High School in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk Province. I can vividly remember what he told me about valuing my talent: ‘We can share the grace of God while you teach fluent English to us. We need the talent you have’...

Rev. Kim Jong-Wook is also my close friend. He was a professor of Cheongju Agricultural College. Especially Rev. Kim explained in a simple way to me about the root of Buddhism which is necessary for understanding the Korean culture. I still remember the memorial service on the 3^rd anniversary of the death of Rev. Kim’s grandfather. Food and wine were laid on a table and they read a prayer and burnt it. They believed that the prayer in becoming smoke would be conveyed to God. We shared the table after the ritual....

Although it was not a long period, the times I spent there were very precious and special. This experience helped me to know how the Christian gospel could be understood in various cultures. Based on the experience, I am working on combining ‘rural culture with spirituality’ and finding out my identity…

At present, I am arranging for old people to meet children in kindergarten and elementary schools. They have a wholesome and interesting relationship in which the children convey enthusiasm and curiosity while the old people give them delicate wisdom and precious memory.

In addition, I am encountering the Peigan Nation, an Indigenous nation which is close by, and sharing mutual interests and our lives. Meanwhile, I am working hard to develop ‘rural ministry’ which is central to my interest. I am developing a documentation centre and carrying out discussion together to study the worshipping culture of small ministry, rural culture and spirituality and our provincial culture. I am able to do this because in Korea I learned how different cultures can coexist and exchange with each other.

When I was in Korea, I am not sure what I gave to the PROK. However, I am sure about this. That is, I have been able to do ministry with far more richness and maturity because of the time I spent in Korea....”

by Joyce Sasse

Contributed by Rev. Catherine Christie

Martin Dawson (PEI) and Peter Chynoweh (AB) are retired United Church Ministers who “love” working with “Open Source Software” and used computers. They help the UCRMN Executive stay online.
The Biggest expense for most churches is updating their computers, and just as expensive, Software.

In this column, Martin and Peter will give you stories, suggestions and links including YouTube, that show you how to DIY, at a fraction of the cost. All this information is stored at UCRMN.ca on the Tech Resource Page.

“Standin’ at the Crossroad”

So, how is 2026 working for you so far? I realize that this is a rather strange question for us, as we are now just finished with January; however, it is common for people to make New Years resolutions at the first of the year and to have already abandoned them a month later. You know what I mean when it comes to getting in better physical shape at the gym or eating a healthier diet, etc.. Well, this year I found an interesting resolution that churches might take time to consider, namely “Janalogue”.

Janalogue has been defined as an attempt in 2026 to undertake less screen time and to substitute analogue over digital technologies…

Martin Dawson, retired minister living in Cornwall PEI

IRCA News:

The IRCA 2026, quadrennial conference is coming in Sibiu, Romania on July 20 to 26, 2026. The theme is “Roots, Faith and Identity; People and Community Living on the Land.” We are in the midst of approving “Expressions of Interest” for next summer’s event.

• Final date for “Expressions of Interest” is March 30, 2026.

  
  

• Cost is $1,150 CDN plus return flight.

  
  

• Registration includes conference, room, food, field trips and local transport.

Space is still available for North America Participants. Please fill out an Expression of Interest as participant numbers are capped because of available space. We are planning to offer Zoom sessions.

"When the Rinks Go Silent"

Three hockey players — teenagers — were killed last week in a car accident in Alberta. It was the top story for days here in Canada.

If you’re not from Canada, you might wonder why a car accident, tragic as it is, is such a big moment here… why Canadians are so shaken by the deaths of these kids.

There are a couple of reasons.

Hockey:

The first, of course, is that hockey is woven deeply into the fabric of this nation. It’s how we see ourselves: small population, big heart, tough enough to endure winter.

There are roughly 600,000 registered hockey players in Canada in a typical season, most of them children and teens. In many small towns, the arena is the busiest building after the grocery store.

It’s where you learn to fall, and then to stand.

It is where the whole town gathers when something really good or really terrible happens.

History:

But mostly, it’s the history.

In 1986, four members of the Swift Current Broncos were killed when their team bus crashed in Saskatchewan.

Then in 2018, sixteen people connected to the Humboldt Broncos died in another bus crash. Ten were players. Kids. This whole country stopped.

When these three teens had their lives stopped this week, Canadians were not reacting to a car accident. We were reacting to a trauma pattern that our collective memory already understands.

Canada is a country of distance. Teams travel hours on dark highways between towns. Winter roads. Early mornings. Late nights.

It is normal here for teenagers to pile into vehicles after practice and head home on two-lane roads bordered by snowbanks and fields.

So when something goes wrong, it feels close.

It feels like it could have been your kid.

Article from @todmaffin - used with permission

Rural Routes Through the Holy (RRTH)

RRTH will hold its annual three day gathering from June 11^th through 13^th at Queens-Central United Church in Hunter River PEI. There’s more information to come but we want to get the word out right away so you can make space and think about accommodation early. Check out our website at https://ruralroutesthroughtheholy.ca . For questions contact us at ruralroutesatlantic@gmail.com

Rev. Dr. Catherine Smith (RRTH)

“New Book from Rural NB”

“There was once a woman who loved a thousand things.” So begins Nothing Forgotten Where Love Lingers, a gentle imagining of flourishing through and beyond the loss of memory and other cognitive functions. While Nothing Forgotten isn’t exclusively a ‘rural’ story, it tells a story that many of us are living in rural places. Here’s how it’s described:

“At some time in our life we will feel the sadness of cognitive impairment or memory loss. It may be our own or that of someone we love. We need stories to shape our sadness in heart-healing ways. This is one of those stories. In it we follow “the woman who loves a thousand things” through a rich life in her home in a small town on the marsh, through cognitive decline and a move into assisted living. The woman finds new companions, feels her loss, and dreams a hidden growth.”

Nothing Forgotten is available from Indigo and other online sellers. Or, you can inquire with your local bookstore to see if they’ll stock or order it in. You can reach me at hemofthelight@gmail.com with any questions.

Join Us for the Fall Zoom Meetings

of Rural Ministry Town Halls

The next Zoom meets this Wednesday (February 11) @ 7:30 pm (ET).

Please share this group with others that you think might appreciate it!

Upcoming Meetings:

Wednesday, February 11, 7:30 pm ET

Wednesday, March 11, 2 pm ET

Wednesday, April 15, 2 pm ET (Easter Monday is April 6)

Wednesday, May 13, 7:30 pm ET

Check out ChurchX for all kinds of Learning Events:

Many are free. Some are learn at your own pace.

There are plenty to choose from.

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Click Below if you wish to join the “Lenten Study”

UCRMN Board Member?

UCRMN has been supporting Rural Ministry in Canada for six years. We are looking for New Board Members who have a passion for Rural Ministry.

Time commitment is:

• Monthly planning Meeting for ENews (9 times per year).

• Review each ENews to ensure quality.

• A yearly Board Meeting to approve Financials, Budgets and to set direction.

• Possible leadership and/or participation in Quarterly Zoom Workshops.

If you have the skills and passion, please contact us at info@UCRMN.ca

Regional Meetings and UCRMN:

UCRMN has approached all 15 Regions for a “Networking” Donation to keep UCRMN viable. What we are finding is that Regions are setting up “Funds” that Networks can apply to. If your Region has now using a “Fund” that we need to apply to, please share the information. editor@ucrmn.ca

We are asking $ 500 per Region. This will allow UCRMN to continue to offer rural resources, Zoom Workshops, and nine ENews per year to keep everyone informed.

We have shared with the Regions the important work we have accomplished in 2025, and provide them with a 2026 Proposed Budget. Feel free to encourage your Region to support UCRMN. Thank you!

Regional Spring Meetings are ahead. We invite you to share our 2025 UCRMN Report in your Region’s Spring Workbook. Available at editor@ucrmn.ca

Please invite people interested in rural ministry to check out us at UCRMN.ca.

So Long For Now!
We hope you enjoyed this Edition of ENews.

Any suggestions are most welcomed.
Email editor@UCRMN.ca
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Please forward this email to your Rural Ministry Colleagues and encourage them to “sign up” from our webpage at www.UCRMN.ca
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Who is UCRMN?
We are a Volunteer Charitable Network that is collecting and posting Rural Ministries initiatives in the United Church - from across Canada - all in one place; www.UCRMN.ca
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If you have an interest in finding out more, or to volunteer,

please email us at office@UCRMN.ca
Blessings on your ministry!
Catherine, Eric, Donna, Shelley and Yvonne