| | | The United Church Rural Ministry Network is for all rural and small town folks - lay and ministry.
Please sign up at UCRMN.ca |
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| Items of Interest in this ENews: Summary of February’s Zoom Workshop “Lay-Led Leadership” Next Zoom Workshop - any ideas? Reflection from Rev. Dr. Joyce Sasse on “Dayenu”. Tech Corner - “The Rural Network of Ingenuity” Around the World Zoom Prayer - The Americas International Rural Churches Association - “IRCA 2026” Rural Chaplain’s Association’s Fall Learning Event Fall Rural Ministry Conference in Alberta. “Workshops from Interest to Awareness to Action” by Donna Rural Routes Through the Holy - June 2026 Rural Routes Post Event Packages 2025 “Table Church” Event at Rural Town Halls (on Wednesday) LLWL Learning opportunities at Church X (Free) Rural Ministry Town Halls - This Wed. March 11, 2026 @ 2 pm ChurchX - Free Workshops UCRMN is looking for “Awesome” Board Members Regional Meetings and UCRMN - 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. |
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Reporting on “Lay-Led Leadership” Zoom Workshop - February 19, 2026
Some of the topics and discussion:
1) Communion and Baptism Training.
How does a Lay Led Congregation receive these Sacraments (especially where there are no Ministers - retired or even in the area)? Is there a process for Lay Leaders to become a “Sacrament Elder”? Is there something similar for Baptisms?
2) Pastoral Care Training.
Lay folks (especially if they are on Sessions) have always provided (at least) basic Pastoral Care to their Church members. What Pastoral Care courses (online or in person) are acceptable? Is there a Regional requirement for Lay Folks to provide Pastoral Care outside their Home Congregation?
3) Leadership Development for Church Lay Leaders - whether they preach or provide Pastoral Care.
Learning the polity of the United Church, statistics, Church Hub, who do you consult at Region for what? Understanding the processes for providing Lay Led Leadership - approvals, types of acceptable ministries (for your Region), responsibilities to Region? When you are having an issue; conflict training, governance and administration? Ministry Education on Community Outreach, Ecumenical and Intercultural Ministries, First Nations Issues and Stewardship.
4) Networking
To know “We are not alone”, and to share with others in similar situations. To share what works, and the learnings of “what did not work for you”. To share input and support when you want to try something new. A place to share our spiritual growth and transformation experiences in our Lay Led Ministry
5) Collaborative models
How might we build a Lay Led, collaborative ministry model - either with other United Churches or across Denominations? Information shared by Eric Skillings |
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| Dayenu: A Song Reminder for Us to Never Forget As we prepare services for Holy Week coming at the end of March, read this reflection by Joyce Sasse, written on April 12, 2022 and published in the CiRCLe M Blog on its website - circle-m.ca Dayenu: A Song Reminder For Us To Never Forget At first, if you don’t know the word, try to say it with your inner voice … DAYENU. Then say it out loud – Da-ye-nu – like a child trying to say something for the first time … Repeat it with more confidence … Finally see if you can do it while you are laughing – Da-da-da-ye-nu !!! Over the past thousand years “DAYENU” has been the refrain line of a Hebrew children’s song sung by Jewish families at their Passover Feast. An adult will sing the multiple verses (one-at-a-time) and everyone will respond with “DAYENU” … which means “It would be enough”. It is about never forgetting to be thankful for the gifts we have received... Faithful Jewish people know the historical stories they rehearse every time they touch their home’s doorway Mezuzah (and repeat the Shema). Repeatedly their story-song stanzas tell about leaving slavery (in Egypt), about the miracles they witness as they journey through the wilderness, and about what it means to be with their God… The stories are recalled with such spontaneity that the reminder is “to never forget the miracles of our lives”. DAYENU – it is enough! Ukrainian President Zelensky, even in the midst of today’s violence and devastation in his homeland, repeats the Passover song with his Jewish family. “DAYENU”. In this year 2022 when Passover and Good Friday occur on the same day, we non-Jews, as we sing, can give meaning with additional stories … about masks and social distancing … about the hardships of needing to learn to meet by zoom and stay away from the places where we normally congregate … about truck convoys … race riots … children’s unmarked graves … environmental degradation … On the one hand we ask “Will it ever be enough?” even while we are think of the blessings we ignore. DAYENU – sometimes it is sung with the voice of the grieving, sometimes with the voices of children at play … “We must TRY to never forget!” Barbara Bizou writes “this song/prayer said at the Passover Meal … provides a powerful contemporary outlook on life, a call to mindfulness about the way we currently lead our lives. An additional verse is added in Christian hymn books. It invites all of us to celebrate our God-given freedom gifts - But our God who holds the banquet Calls the whole invited world into freedom. Opens up the new creation DAYENU. DA-DA-DA-YE-NU-U
(In the Easter tradition the last verse of this song and its refrain can be sung any time. See Hymn 131 in “Voices United”, a hymn book of The United Church of Canada.) Contributed by Rev. Catherine Christie |
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| 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. |
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| | “The Rural Network of Ingenuity” Long before the Internet connected us via fibre optics, or coax cable, and long before dial -up, cell towers, and satellites, there was what was called the “wireless wired network” of the 1930s, based on radio. Yes, with the expansion of popular “wireless” radio broadcasting in the 1920s (It was like the Internet of the 1990s), and then the stock market crash of 1929, rural communities faced an isolation problem, namely, radios were expensive to purchase at a time when there was little spare cash, they required expensive batteries to run if you lived in non electrified rural regions of the country, and even an inexpensive crystal radio set, which required no electricity at all, but a large antenna, had limited range. All of these factors forced rural residents to develop a solution, and that solution was truly ingenious. I discovered this information in an essay by Susan Opt called, “The Development of Rural Wired Radio Systems in Upstate South Carolina”. I shall sum it up as briefly as possible.
Martin Dawson, retired minister living in Cornwall PEI
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| Around the World Zoom Prayer “The Americas” IRCA - Americas, is hosting a 4 hour Zoom Prayer on Thursday April 16 @ 1 pm ET.
On the Around the World Zoom Prayer, we showcase the different Rural Ministries across the Americas, ask questions, receive information, and then take a few minutes to pray for that specific ministry. It takes place on Zoom. You can join us and learn. The 2025 Prayer Zoom shared about the immigrant communities being targeted by ICE. We can only imagine how more devastating this will be this year. Register here.
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| 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. |
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| September 15 - 18, 2026 in Oklahoma USA
Planning is underway for the Rural Chaplains Association’s 2026 Focus Event in Oklahoma. We will fly into Oklahoma City (or drive). Registration opens in the spring. |
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"Workshops from Interest to Awareness to Action"
Attending a workshop that brings together like-minded people focused on favourite topics is extremely popular. Those who attend and those who organize the event deepen their understanding of their topic of interest. Whatever your level of awareness, you’ll find others who have learned through workshops and are eager to share their experience on any given topic. The more opportunities you create for people to participate in workshops, the wider the circle grows. One program that works well begins with a person filled with the love of the opportunity to share music or topics related to the day's theme. After a welcoming prayer and a brief sharing of a workshop experience that worked for you – add ‘what is today all about?’ – ‘do you know the person sitting beside you?’ – and maybe some music. Introduce the speakers for the day and offer stimulating topics that inspire men and women to begin considering responses. They begin to think, “Yes, me too,” or perhaps, “We could do that,” or “I hope the speakers tell us more about this.” It’s like a thermometer that keeps rising as it gains interaction, cooperation, interest, consideration, resolutions, and blessings. One of the important and rewarding aspects of participating in a workshop is the opportunity to have a voice in the breakout groups. Given questions to ignite a buzz, several groups focused on the same topic, and the freedom to share opinions can jump-start one’s understanding. Sitting around a table with three or four others, invited to share their opinions on a suggested topic, is exciting and informative. Your story develops as you share experiences that echo aspects of the speaker’s challenge. After the participants pause before leaving to write some feedback, you get an opportunity to read their comments, and your heart is warmed as you know, in some significant way, that the actions and attitudes in the room have grown the Kingdom. The area, which had been orderly at the beginning, with everything in its place and ready for the event, had changed by the end of the day; briefcases, sweaters, folders, and coffee cups were scattered around the room. Exciting voices interchanged on various topics. Strangers had become friends, emails were shared, and the odd joke passed around. It felt like family and looked like people on a mission.
Submitted by Reverend Donna Mann - Workshop Planner |
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Rural Routes Through the Holy: 2026 |
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| Rural Routes Through the Holy (RRTH)
Tales, Tables, and Tending: The slow work of God in a fast world
Finding creative ways to live into our complex life together calls us to be pay attention to our tales, to gather at tables and The Holy Table, and to tend to ourselves and others in community. Rural churches have gifts of long experience to bring to this way of life. Rural Routes 2026 is stirring up worship, presentations, workshops, prayer spaces, good food and lots of time for conversation to encourage you to see your story or your church's story in our larger story.
June 11 - 13 in Hunter River PEI at Queens Central United Church
Registration opens at https://ruralroutesthroughtheholy.ca on March 16, 2026
Check out our website at https://ruralroutesthroughtheholy.ca . For questions contact us at ruralroutesatlantic@gmail.com
Rev. Dr. Catherine Smith (RRTH) |
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| | Rural Routes Post-Event Package 2025 Much as we'd love to have you all there, we know not everyone can travel to the in-person Rural Routes gathering. So, last year we recorded and edited it all to provide a post-event package that you could share with your congregation or faith formation group in all kinds of ways. It includes recordings of keynote presentations, tasters and worship. A curated reading/resource list and suggestions for using the package in a group
When we sent it out last summer it was our intention to gather people together to hear what came of it all. How did you gather? What of the presentations attracted you? What did you learn? Were you encouraged and in what way? We had some amazing presentations and I really hope you found some time to spend with them. So we are hosting an UCRMN Zoom gathering for those who purchased the Post-Event Package 2025 on April 23 at 1 pm ET. Catherine Smith will host a conversation on what emerged for you. Who knows what we’ll learn from one another.
“Oh Yeah, I wanted to purchase the package and then summer took over” - well you are blessed. Catherine is making available the package for folks who still wish to purchase it.
Just contact Catherine at ruralroutesatlantic@gmail.com
For those of us who have the package, but didn't get around to checking it out, there's still time to do so. Mark April 23 at 1 pm ET on your calendar. Catherine will contact those who purchased with Zoom details.
Rev. Dr. Catherine Smith (RRTH)
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| | | Table Church Popping Up All Over When I imagined Table Church it was for in person gathering but we've been meeting in a small online group since October and I've loved the sense of grounding and community that has developed. That's one place it's popping up.
This month’s Rural Ministry Town Hall on March 11, (see below) Catherine will be offering “Table Church”.
We'll share in worship and engage some of the pondering questions that join our lives with Scripture. It's a good opportunity to try this to see if it might be helpful in your setting. I hope you'll join us. You can read about the vision for Table Church here, have a look at some samples here and, if it feels right for you, purchase the first series here.
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| The next Zoom meets this Wednesday (March 11) @ 2 pm (ET).Please share this group with others that you think might appreciate it! Upcoming Meetings:Wednesday, March 11, 2 pm ET Wednesday, April 15, 2 pm ET (Easter Monday is April 6) Wednesday, May 13, 7:30 pm ET |
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| 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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| | 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 |
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| | Regional Meetings and UCRMN: |
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| 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. |
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| | 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
_________________________________________________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, and Yvonne |
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