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September 2023 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

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.

Regional Meetings and UCRMN:

Our Regions are planning their fall programming and budget. Most Regions have a Networking Fund that allows Networks such as the United Church Rural Ministry Network to apply for funding. We are asking for $300 from each Region.

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

Collaborative Ministry Resources Page

 We have continued our Collaborative Ministry Workshops with many interested folks. We are answering (collectively and the best we can), questions about how, why and explaining some of the Collaborative Ministry examples.

   Over the summer I have received so many emails about Collaborative Ministry Workshops, including the 4 part United Church Workshop this fall. You can register for the United Church’s workshop at ChurchX

See below for this month’s Zoom Workshop on Collaborative Ministry.

    Check out our Collaborative Ministry Resource Page at UCRMN.ca.

If you have a Collaborative Ministry story to share, please send us your story to Editor@ucrmn.ca.  

This month’s “Zoom” Workshop

Thursday September 21, 2023 - 1 pm (EST)

Further discussions on

“Collaborative Ministry”

  Many of our Rural Churches (and even some of our Urban Churches) are looking for ways to stay open in their community.

The comment is made that many folks are looking to Collaborative Ministry as a “Palliative Care” plan. The reality is that for many churches, it is just that.  However we can remain the church in our community, is worth looking at.

Yet we are aware that Collaborative Ministry can be so much more. We have learnt that many churches are already doing something in ministry collaboratively. The idea of “Collaboration” is not foreign to many of our churches. We need encouragement to take the next steps.

There is no cost for this workshop.

Rural Routes Through the Holy

From June 15 – 17, 2023, “Rural Routes Through the Holy” held its third annual gathering, this time at Camp Abegweit, a United Church Camp on Prince Edward Island.  This gathering always fills me with hope as people come, drawn by the desire to be together, to worship, learn, talk and laugh, and risk possibility, buoyed by the sharing of stories.  Tired as I because of all the organization that precedes it, joy slips in as we gather and I am re-energized. (Click below for “The Rest of the Story”).

Martin has recorded Marvin’s theme addresses and has created podcasts - (Click below for the “Theme Speaker’s Podcasts”).

  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.

The “Ram” Scam

    To start this article, I should explain what RAM is, in order to understand how we are being scammed in our purchases of laptop computers. RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It allows your computer to quickly access files and programs. Generally, the more RAM available, the faster the computer will respond in opening those files and programs. Thus, 16 GB of RAM will make your computer run faster than 8 GB of RAM. (click below for “The Rest of the Story”)

Martin Dawson, retired minister living in Cornwall PEI

Antidote for Justice

(By Joyce Sasse - September 30, 2020 - shared by Catherine Christie).

Prejudice causes pain for everyone.  First Nations People know that.  Women know that.  So do so many others – both individuals who feel the pain caused by words and actions, and individuals whose words and actions cause the pain.

   But there is an “Antidote for Prejudice”.  The antidote for treating prejudiced ways of feeling the pain and also for unconsciously inflicting pain lies in broadening the spiritual ways we think of ourselves and each other.  What all of us need is help in visioning the bigger picture.

   In a sense, many of us who think about God often recognize the fact that the breadth of Godly understanding is bigger than any one can begin to comprehend.

   Imagine ourselves to be blind people who are “seeing” an elephant for the first time.  Some of us, along with our family / friends, may touch the elephant’s ear – so we feel we have a sense of what the elephant is like.  Others brush against a leg … or smell the elephant’s droppings.  If our little group examined the tail, we may talk with the group who described the trunk … Conversations take place.  Each contributes and recognizes the elephant is really far bigger than we ever imagined.

   That conversation would help us to push away the belief that there is only one correct way to think … Our knowledge about the elephant broadens our perspective.

   In a small way the elephant image helps me think about spiritual things, about recognizing the much bigger picture that is involved.  I am always keen to know more.  God’s gift is to help me push my limited “blindness”, listen for what others have experienced, and feel the excitement of trying to answer additional questions that come to mind.

   It is possible for us to stop putting limits on who we are and what we think.  Changes are constantly happening all around us.  Do we feel afraid … or hopeful?  Do prejudices limit how we think and act, or can we enjoy the possibilities?  We do have great capacity when we think spiritually!

   At the moment I’m especially thinking about my friends whose lives are centred around our “oil-patch economy”.  As changes come in the world and to the world, our carbon centred ecosphere is undergoing drastic changes.  What happens to the thinking, the economy, the attitudes and understandings of the people in the carbon-centered world?  How many prejudices affect our ways of thinking?  Are there any antidotes?  Are we able to give thanks for what has been … and not be afraid of anticipating NEW tomorrows?  Where does Our Help come from?  (Written by Joyce Sasse)

How’s the Weather?

On our September UCRMN Zoom Planning Call, we asked each other about the weather - We got quite the response and wish to share:

In Eastern Canada: “Hurricane Season is Among Us”

    In the “Battle of Britain” in World War Two, there was a fighter airplane named the “Hawker Hurricane”. Despite being overshadowed by the more popular fighter “Spitfire”, the “Hurricane” was key to saving the island of Britain from invasion. Well, the “Hurricane” airplane may have saved a country, but over the past three years, hurricanes have been “bad news” for the province of Prince Edward Island.

     Yes, our island, and much of Atlantic Canada has been invaded by Hurricane Dorion in 2019 and Hurricane Fiona in 2022. The question in 2023 is, “What is in store for us this autumn?”. So far, we have had wildfires, heat, and floods in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and rainy weather on PEI that has the potato farmers worried about the quality of their crop. However, the biggest worry is whether another hurricane will visit us again.

     Just a few weeks ago, there was a false alarm, as Hurricane Frederic made a right turn in time, so that it stayed out over the Atlantic. The emergency crews were meeting, plans were beginning to be put in place, but “whew” it was only a close call. Presently, there is another hurricane forming in the Atlantic, named “Hurricane Lee”. The forecasters are already making predictions about its force and its track. Yes, it could turn and run up the eastern Atlantic side of North America, and, you guessed it, eventually head our way. Hopefully, like Frederic, it will stay out to sea.

     Ecclesiastes 1:9 says that there is nothing new under the sun; however, I believe that global warming is certainly something new for us. Despite the threats that attend this change, perhaps people can become more united in our reactions and responses.

Rev. W. Martin Dawson (retired and living in Cornwall PEI)

In Southern Western Ontario: “Rain, Rain, and More Rain with a Tornado or Two Thrown In”

    July 20, 2023 a tornado formed about one kilometre to the East of South Buxton and traveled South East and entered Lake Erie at Pardoville. Several Barns where damaged, shingles blown off, tree branches ripped off and thrown 30 meters away. One house lost a roof, and many older maple trees got a good trimming - not so pretty.

   The last week of August, Merlin and South to Wheatley received 7 inches of heavy rain, overflowing ditches and flooding fields for several days. Tilbury lost electricity in the midst of the rain and many basements were flooded - many had never been flooded before. Reports of tornados surfaced. The winds were severe as trees and shingles were damaged. We are blessed as there has been no reports of loss of life, and relatively small property damage.

Pastor Eric Skillings - Minister of South Buxton and Talbot Street Pastoral Charges)

In Western Canada:   “The Summer of Fire”:

Reflections from a Smoke Breather

I was driving home from the first face-to-face meeting of our Regional Council in four years. While meeting delegates were enjoying what it is like to see each other in 3D again, it seemed like the whole of north central Alberta had burst into flames.

Places I had driven through many, many times on my trips to and from church meetings along the Yellowhead Highway were being evacuated and frightened people were wondering if their homes would survive the wind fanned fires. I drove home with a province wide phone in show on the radio as callers told stories of harrowing escapes and gave information about where help could be found and what people should do. That was May of 2023…(Click below for “The Rest of the Story”)

Peter Chynoweth Cochrane, Alberta

Chinook Winds Regional Council

“Rural Ministry Conference 2023”

RURAL HOSPITALITY, INSPIRING THEME SESSIONS, AND PRACTICAL WORKSHOPS

Rural Ministry Conference 2023

Friday September 29 - Sunday October 1

High River United Church, High River, Alberta

A LEADERSHIFT EVENT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHINOOK WINDS RC

This conference is for Lay Leaders and Ministry Personnel in the Chinook Winds Regional Council of The United Church of Canada — and anyone whose church life and work is rooted in a rural setting.

Living Skies Regional Council

Pastoral Visiting Workshop (Zoom)

“Equipping the Saints”

Do you feel called to walk with others when they are facing difficult circumstances?  Do you have a gift for listening and practicing compassion?  Join Emily Carr, chaplain with the North Saskatchewan Hospital Chaplaincy, Lorna King, chaplain with the South Saskatchewan Hospital Chaplaincy, and Tracy Murton, Pastoral Relations Minister for Living Skies, for an afternoon of learning and sharing wisdom for the task of lay pastoral visiting.  You will learn practical tips for visiting both within and outside health care facilities, understanding your boundaries, and navigating the SHA system. 

This learning opportunity will be on Thursday, October 12, 1 - 4 pm (CST) over Zoom.   

What does the word “pastoral”

mean in our churches?

What is a Pastoral Charge in our great United Church of Canada? What does it mean when a minister is placed in a pastoral charge and a description of duties follows the name, such as Minister of Pastoral care, etc.? What does the term Pastoral Relations mean to the church staff? What is a member of the church to expect? And what will a stranger who drops in on a Sunday morning look forward to? What is pastoral care? What does it mean, and what does it not mean?…(Click below for “The Rest of the Story”)

By Reverend Donna Mann - Ontario

The Postcard Project

A Discussion Series will be available at hemofthelight.com September 15th. A leader’s guide and take-home pages containing reflection, stories, scripture, practices, and questions to support your group’s conversation about the themes of Hope, Lament, Stories, Fear, Neighbours, and Joy, particularly but not exclusively as they relate to rural contexts.

Gather a group and deepen your sense of connection as you read and wonder and share. What might it mean for our faith communities to look at them through these lenses? What might it mean for us?
   There will also be an online Postcard Project discussion group beginning on Thursdays at 3 pm EST October 12th. I’m going to keep the group small so the first to email me at ruralrouteslantic@gmail.com will form our group.          

Catherine Smith - Facilitator

ChurchX

“What do you want to learn this month?”

Sarah Levis has send out an email to share the online workshops on ChurchX.

Click on ChurchX to see what is available.

The Curiosity Cohort:

Meets Thursdays, Sept 14 - Oct 12, 12 - 1pm Eastern.

Becoming Eco-Mystics: 

Meets weekly each Tuesday on Zoom from 7:45-8:30 am 

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

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Email editor@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