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Easter is here! Are you ready?
This is our 26th edition of our eNews, which shares information of rural ministry initiatives across Canada, mostly in the United Church of Canada.If you are missing any past ENews, please see them at www.UCRMN.ca
Lots of events and news of what is happening in the Rural Church across Canada.
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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Join our Zoom Workshop on "Collaborative Ministry" on April 27, 2023 at 1 pm (EST).
The cost is $10.
Register here!
We have invited leaders, who are or have already worked, in Collaborative Ministry.
Check out our "Collaborative Ministry" Resource Page.
If you have a topic you would like us to consider and know of a facilitator to lead your topic, let us know at editor@ucrmn.ca
Zoom Workshops are held every quarter.
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1940 - 2023
Reflections on the deep spiritual hunger and rich spiritual heritage
that surrounds us in our rural communities – with Joyce Sasse _______________________________________________________________________________________________
It is not only human beings however who can give thanks. Would you believe a Meadowlark can also say thank you?
According to Noreen Olson, this is what happened to her brother-in-law, Bill, when he was checking the sheep. He noticed the pair of meadowlarks as he made his way across the pasture. The female would spread one wing and try to flutter across the ground. She then fell back exhausted. The male would make a short flight away, call loudly, then return to her side. Bill watched him do this several times. As the big man approached, both birds became frantic. The male was obviously urging his mate to flight, and she plainly wanted to fly but could not. She was so worn out she scarcely struggled as Bill caught her. Imagine him holding her, quieting her, checking the wing. Such gentle movements for those large hands! When he realized the problem was in the shoulder, he gently manipulated the wing and was thrilled to feel a soft ‘snap’ as the joint popped into place. Again there was stroking before he opened his hand to release her … and the meadowlark lady flew into the sky.
The story concludes – The male watched her go, but didn’t immediately follow. Instead, he flew twice around Bill’s head, then settled himself on a nearby post, swelled his chest and sang and sang an ecstasy of meadowlark songs. The complete repertoire was repeated three times before he followed his mate. That music touched the core of Bill’s soul.
This poignant story of pain and ecstasy shows us how God speaks through the voices of nature. The birds and other living creatures understood the darkness of that Friday afternoon long ago when Jesus of Nazareth spoke one last time. To this day, they continue singing the Easter morning alleluia. If God so loves the little things, I know He loves me too.
The Song of the Meadowlark (Nature speaks in unbelievable ways.)
by Joyce Sasse, Canadian Rural Church Network CRCN Circle M Newsletter, April 2015
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 "Tech Corner" 
Martin Dawson (PEI) and Peter Chynoweth (Alberta) are retired United Church Rural Ministers who "love" working with "Open 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 they 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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Your Own Church Radio Station:
Many people, who have attended the UCRMN Zoom webinars during the pandemic, have come to notice that computer technology is not my only hobby. Also, that I am a believer in the adage that if you do not study the past, you are doomed to repeat it, mistakes and all. Thus, the history of old time radio, (1920 to 1960) technology and its applications have always been of interest to me, especially since as a young teen, I helped out at a friend’s family TV and stereo store. What I have learned over the decades of technological change is that there are numerous similarities between the rise and growth of radio in the 1920s and the rise and growth of the Internet.
When radio became popular in the early 1920s, church services were broadcast on Sundays. These services were so popular that in the September 1929 edition of “Radio News of Canada”, an article mentions that when station CHYC in Montreal discontinued the broadcasts in 1928, a petition was gathered, as well as thousands of letters were sent to the station, to request this service be returned. Seven local churches came together to organize the return of the broadcasts, and the radio station even ordered more updated equipment, as the petition and letter campaign noted the benefits to shut-ins.
Another article in the same edition mentions a “heated” telephone call to the station when it went off the air. The reason was that the station’s antenna blew down. Well, these technological breakdowns can occur today as well, as churches move “online” with Facebook and YouTube. Numerous connection “glitches” happened to me as I experimented with online worship service broadcasts in 2014-15. Coincidentally, my earliest experiment was with audio only, just like the 1920s. The software that was used was from “MIXLR”. It is a subscription program that allows you to have your own online radio station. I connected the account to our church’s website and we were broadcasting live immediately. We are able to broadcast for up to 3 hours per day for a $100 annual fee. The program also allows you to record and store all of your broadcasts so that others can listen to them, if they are not able to tune in live. It does not actually require a computer to function, as there is an app available that allows you to broadcast from a smartphone’s microphone. Using a cellular connection, the church can now go live remotely for an outdoor service etc. Listeners, too, can listen to the service through the app on their smartphone. The advantage here, is that audio does not use as much data as an attempt to remotely broadcast with video on Facebook or YouTube.
In conclusion, MIXLR is a relatively inexpensive way to have shut-ins connect with your worship services, etc., especially in rural/remote areas with poor Internet speed. Moreover, it is a great backup plan for churches when Facebook or YouTube suffer from one of their software “glitches”. If you want to hear it in action, go to the Hillcrest United Church website, or if you have downloaded the app on your smartphone, search for “hillcrestunited”.
Here are a couple of helpful links:
https://mixlr.com/
https://www.hillcrestunitedpei.com/
Rev. Martin Dawson (Retired and living in Cornwall PEI)
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International Rural Churches Association
Conference 2023:
13-19 April 2023 - in Dubuque, Iowa
Flourishing: Land, People, Community
The Bible tells us that God is a God of abundance, yet many of us live in settings/contexts that emphasize scarcity.
We are recording the "Keynotes" to provide Zoom coverage and YouTube videos to share the Conference with the world. If you are interested in the Zoom or video option, email secretary@irca.online (by April 6) to receive the schedule. The links will be sent out as they happen. 
Click on picture to receive the quarterly IRCA ENews
on Face Book logo to join the chat.
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Rural Routes Through the Holy 2023 gathering:
10:00 am Thursday, June 15 to 2:00 pm Saturday June 17.
This annual gathering is a chance to network with and nurture those in rural congregations of any denomination.
This year’s retreat will be held at Camp Abby on the south shore of PEI. Dr. Marvin Lee Anderson is the main presenter, and rural café facilitator. We'll also have a variety of brief presentations from a variety of rural practitioners. We'll share worship, prayer, music, good food, lots of stories and nourishing conversations.
Registration is $50.
To register and for more information, please go to www.hemofthelight.com and select the Rural Ministries tab, or contact ruralroutesatlantic@gmail.com
Register early as accommodations fill up quickly.
Catherine Smith For the Rural Routes cohort
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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
Please forward this email to your Rural Ministry Colleagues and encourage them to subscribe 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 - across Canada - in one place;
www.UCRMN.ca
If you have an interest in finding out more, or to volunteer as a Board Member or in some other way, please email us at office@UCRMN.ca
Blessings on your ministry!
Catherine, Eric, Donna and Shelley
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