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January 2024 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.

Flourishing Congregations

Canadian Survey Data for Canadian Congregations/Parishes

Please Note: This Event is this Saturday!

Next “Zoom” Workshop

Thursday February 15, 2024 - 1 pm (EST)

“Lifelong Learning”

Facilitated by St. Andrew’s College, Saskatoon

St. Andrew’s College in Saskatoon (Treaty Six Territory) has a long history of equipping folks for the realities of rural ministry, in all its many and diverse forms.  As you in the United Church Rural Ministry Network know, so deeply in your bones, the needs of our rural churches are changing and intensifying.  More and more of our faith communities are unable to afford even part-time forms of professional ministry, and we are coming to rely on our own people for leadership.  In many ways, that is a blessing!  But at St. Andrew’s we also hear that folks desire training and support as they grow more deeply into leadership roles involving worship and preaching, education, pastoral care, and other forms of congregational leadership.  LLWLs, Sacraments Elders, Congregationally Designated Ministers, care teams, outreach and youth ministry folks … as well as DLMs, VAMs, and Order of Ministry  … everyone could use some help gaining skills in community! That’s where the College comes in.

St. Andrew’s College Lifelong Learning Educational Coordinator, Dr. Bernon Lee and College Recruitment Ambassador Shawn Sanford Beck will share information and answer questions you might have about lifelong learning.

This workshop will give us an opportunity to suggest what learnings we would like for Rural Ministry.

There is no cost for this workshop. 

Lifelong Learning Pathway

   St. Andrew’s brand-new Lifelong Learning Pathway is opening options of theological and spiritual reflection to a much wider community of learners, beyond our traditional degree programs.  For those who are exploring Christian discipleship through leadership in church or in the wider society, and for those who are seeking paths of wisdom in other spiritual traditions, our certificate programs create new possibilities of study.  Our Lifelong Learning Pathway prioritizes the student’s own learning goals, and pairs the learner with their own educational guide.  This unique new program is designed with rural lay ministry folks in mind!  Regardless of your previous formal education, the St. Andrew’s Lifelong Learning Pathway opens a treasure-trove of theological and ministry support to all who desire it!

If you would like to learn more about our “Leadership in the Faith Community” Certificate within the Lifelong Learning Pathway, please get hold of me, the College’s Recruitment Ambassador, at shawn.sanfordbeck@saskatoontheologicalunion.ca   I look forward to hearing from you!

PS … extra bursary support is available to anyone in a rural area!!!

  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 New Meets the Old”

     This article is perhaps a little late; but, I believe that there might be a little wisdom, not only in its content, but also in its overall theme. Last April, the “Rural Routes Through The Holy” team decided to make a podcast promoting the meeting at Camp Abegweit ( Camp Abby) on Prince Edward Island. The podcast was an interview of Dr. Marvin Anderson, a rural ministry specialist/professor and Rev. Dr. Catherine Smith, a retired rural minister and blogger on her website “hemofhelight”. Many rural issues were discussed. The recording/editing of podcasts was the theme of my previous article in June’s e-news of the United Church Rural Ministry Network’s (UCRMN) newsletter. However, it is the unique distribution of the podcast that we shall examine.

     For quite sometime, I have been enamoured of shortwave radio, and for people who are unaware of what shortwave might be, I shall endeavour to briefly explain it. Most of us are aware of the two major bands on a radio, namely the AM band (AM standing for amplitude modulation) and the FM band (FM standing for frequency modulation). Yet, there is another band that can be used, but is often overlooked. The high frequencies of the shortwave band have some unusual characteristics that make it unique. Shortwave in the 1920’s up until the end of the Cold War in the 1990s was the “Internet” of the world. The actual Internet of the present day has seen shortwave broadcasting in decline, but it still serves a purpose. The conflict in the Ukraine illustrates its use, for when Russia bombed the television, radio and Internet facilities in the Ukraine in an attempt to cut off all communication in the country, they were completely unable to stop the communication through shortwave radio from other countries. Indeed the BBC re-activated a transmitter to broadcast information to Ukrainians who still have shortwave band reception on their portable radios. Thus, information can still get through to the general public.

    The reason for this advantage is the result of the high frequency radio waves reflecting off the earth’s ionosphere and bouncing around the globe. So, this “skip” allows anyone with an inexpensive (10-25 dollar) radio to listen to a broadcast without the extra cost of an expensive computer/smartphone and the monthly bill from an internet service provider. Some of these radios are even solar powered, so the expense of batteries is also precluded from listening. Moreover, the listener does not give away their location through the tracking of the computer or smartphone apps.

   Well, it was decided to give shortwave a try for the broadcasting of our podcast. I contacted a powerful station in Florida  (WRMI) that has numerous transmitters at multiple high frequencies. We discussed the best frequency, time, and direction of the signal, and it was felt that 15770 kHz just before noon would be best. The date was scheduled for April 22 (Earth Day). The cost of making this broadcast was $30 US for the 30 minutes.  When the scheduled broadcast day came, I used my laptop computer to connect to a site for “software defined radio” (SDR). Here, I was able to track reception through a series of amateur (HAM) radio operator’s antennae that are hooked up to this network. The signal of the podcast could be heard in Florida, Connecticut, Maine, PEI (Canada), Iceland, Ireland, England, Moscow, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.  Quite impressive!

     Now, I cannot say exactly how many people listened, as shortwave listening cannot be tracked. Still, the demonstration did indicate that a blend of the “new”, a podcast that went through Facebook, Soundcloud, and Mixlr on the Internet, could also be made known through the “old”, namely, shortwave radio, in order to reach an even larger audience. Moreover, since shortwave radio has a low entry cost to the listener, which is especially important for rural, isolated communities and  impoverished people in general, it is truly an inexpensive means to make information and ideas more ‘inclusive” through blending the “old” with the “new”.

Martin Dawson, retired minister living in Cornwall PEI

Germinal Roots for Rural Church Movement

on the Canadian Prairies:

(By Joyce Sasse - Notes prepared by Joyce Sasse Sept. 2015 & Feb. 2016 and published in Gleanings from a Prairie Pastor, 2021, p. 22-24

(This EBook can be downloaded at the CIRCLe M website www.circle-m.ca) 

It is said that telling our story helps us make sense of our lives.  As I think back over my call to ministry and go over the files I’ve collected since becoming involved in the Rural Church movement, I realize the privilege I’ve had to be exposed to multiple educational opportunities having to do with the Social Gospel and finding ways the church could work in partnership with the residents of rural communities to help build and maintain spiritually healthy congregants and communities.

In addition to the insights gained through learning and training opportunities obtained by befriending persons involved in the Western Co-operative College, my orientation in preparations for serving as a United Church missionary focused on “Partnership” with those in the countries that received us.  We learned much more than we had to offer on the mission field.

Reflecting on the Feminist Movement from the time when I was the only woman in my seminary (1960’s) has helped me understand why I often responded in different ways to what my male classmates and teachers did.  I enjoy being a woman in my profession, and I enjoy working with those who come from different perspectives. Click for the Rest of the Story:

 (Written by Joyce Sasse) - shared by Catherine Christie)

“Reimagining Church”:

• Imagine your community of faith as a fellowship of disciples (instead of a floundering institution);

• Imagine following in the footsteps of our radical Teacher (instead of being ground down by budget shortfalls and petty conflicts);

• Imagine being part of a Christian community that understands the essence of our identity and call as people of God.

Fall in love with your faith all over again!

Join us for this six-week series to renew and rekindle your call to ministry and discipleship in their fullest sense. “To embody God’s love in the world,” says the Song of Faith, “the work of the church requires the ministry and discipleship of all believers." 

“Rural Routes Through the Holy”

In 2019 I began “Rural Routes Through the Holy” with the help of the small rural congregation,  with whom I was in ministry.  Here’s to First United Church, Murray Corner, NB!  They may have thought I was a bit crazy (they told me so afterward) but they stepped up anyway, providing great food, decorating, registration and showing up in all kinds of ways.  

Each year since, the team has grown from its original one to a core group of five, plus those who take on pieces of the work to ease the load.  

“Rural Routes Through the Holy” is a gathering to recognize the goodness and deep wisdom in rural contexts.  It’s not to romanticize rural but to encourage rural voices, the expression of rural grief and joy, and to address the challenges that face us.  We do this through worship, education, engagement with our main presenter during Rural Café time, and with briefer presentations by those in rural contexts themselves.  How are they finding life and loving their neighbours?  How might we?

We build in time for informal conversations and rest, the exploration of spiritual practices, music, and good food.  

We’ll be sharing more specifics of our 2024 gathering in the next newsletter.  Registration will open mid-February.  In the meantime, you can read about previous gatherings at hemofthelight.com.  Just hover over Rural Ministries in the top menu and a drop-down menu will appear.  Please follow us on FB at https://www.facebook.com/togetheronthejourney/ to see what’s growing in our rural ministries plot.

I’m grateful to Martin Dawson, who’s on our team, for his recording of last year’s main presentation and for his initiation of a series of recordings on topics of interest to rural places. The recordings can be found as podcasts on the UCRMN site under resources and broadcast over shortwave radio.

For those of you who find yourself near Nova Scotia in June, I hope to see you.  For those who know someone who might be close, I hope you’ll share the word.  For all of you who love and value a rural way, I hope you’ll hold us to heart in prayer as we prepare and as we gather.

Catherine

For Kerry, Martin, Marvin & Sara

The RRTH Team

  Before COVID Rural Conferences were held in Eastern Canada and in Western Canada. A handful of folks would travel from East to West to attend the other’s Rural Conference. CiRCLe M is hosting this year’s Western Conference this June. Further details below.

Catherine Christie - CiRCLe M Chair

Pastoral Visits (# 4 Reflection)

Had an Epiphany Moment Lately?

I was laity for a few years before I was ordained and felt very comfortable ministering to people. However, I wasn’t aware that it was an important ministry. As a member of the second point, I was never taught, never went to classes or groups to talk about pastoral care, and never knew what I did had a name. I just did it.  In those days and perhaps even now, the U.C.W. visited, sent birthday cards, and prepared baskets for the shut-ins at Christmas time. I suppose I went along with my mother in the early days, watched and learned. 

    In Seminary, many years later, I had an Epiphany moment as I read Ephesians 4:11-12: Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. I soon learned with great passion from Professor Greer Boyce that this was ministry at its finest.

    From day one, I organized and taught by example the precious responsibility and opportunity of caring for people. Regardless of what expression it took: visits, sending out birthday cards or preparing baskets for the shut-ins at Christmas time, the individuals and teams were ministers, ministering to people in the hospital, at their kitchen table and wherever they had opportunities to care for another. Sharing stories, praying, and leaving a calling card with important information were three critical aspects of pastoral care. A caregiver led the family and friends through the funeral service in one situation. The more we spoke openly about the pastoral care team outside and in church, the more people understood it as ministry. It was a significant shift in thought for many.  (Excerpt from Faithful Choices, 2024)

By Reverend Donna Mann (Retired) - Ontario

“The Future of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is Pastor-less, and That’s Okay!”

     Catherine Neely Burton writes, “A church can be viable without a pastor,  Once we embrace this, churches can go about their work of being Christ’s body.”

   This article about Pastor-less churches can be found in the Presbyterian Outlook - January 2024 issue.

Read the article

Collaborative Ministry Resources Page:

  We are learning you need to know the “Why”, before the “How”. The “Why” is based on you, as a unique Church Community. The “How” will be different for each “Why”.

  For tools to help you figure out the ”Why” and then later the “How” - the Antler River Regional Council has a Toolkit # 9.

 See ARWRCUCC.ca - there is a Step by step process available. - your Region may have something similar. Talk to your “Congregational Resource Person”

 UCRMN has quite a selection of helpful Collaborative Ministry resources on our website. 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.   .

   Check out the 4 part United Church Workshop called Collaborative for Sustainable Communities (already started). You can register for this United Church’s workshop at ChurchX

Regional Meetings and UCRMN:

   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. Thank you to those Regions who have supported UCRMN in 2023 (Antler River Waterways, Western Ontario Waterways, Prairie to Pine, Northern Spirit, Nakonhaka, Living Skies and Horseshoe Fall).

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