| |  | February 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. | | This month’s “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.
The cost for this workshop is covered by UCRMN. | | | 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 Three Mile Per Hour World” If Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), then perhaps we may imitate Christ by examining communication, past, present, and future as well. Presently, I am writing this newsletter article on technological instruments of the 21st century. Thus, I am using my laptop computer, a word processing program, and eventually, I shall send it via the Internet to the editor of the United Church Rural Ministry Network. The words will be sent at almost the speed of light, namely 186,000 miles per second through fibre optics. The speed and ease of writing and sending a message today is truly amazing, and a person would think that with all these tools of technology, we would be better at communicating than in any previous century. However, I beg to differ. Many of my colleagues are aware that I am also a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America; therefore, I am aware of the differences in communication between the early 19th century and the 21st century. Moreover, I am also a regular letter writer, not just by computer, but also by hand in cursive writing. I correspond monthly with numerous people. They all inform me that they sincerely appreciate the time and effort taken to compose, write, and post an actual letter. In addition, they look forward to receiving it in their mailbox. So let us briefly look at the differences in technology. (Click below for the rest of the story) Martin Dawson, retired minister living in Cornwall PEI
| | |  | Rural Ministry Was My Calling:
Words from Joyce Sasse's Gleanings from a Prairie Pastor, (pub. 2021) as she reflects on Rural networks. UCRMN has arisen from the networks here described, as well as the Alex Sim Symposium (1996 to 2016 in Ontario). (This EBook can be downloaded at the CIRCLe M website www.circle-m.ca) It was obvious there were “a whole host of people” who believed in the unique significance of what it meant to be “Rural Church”. As people shared with me (on my speaking tours, at our conferences and with workshop participants) it was evident a network was forming – a network that could be identifiable. CRCN (Canadian Rural Church Network) came into being. Catherine Christie did a great job chairing our “Harvest Conference” at the St. Peter’s Abbey facilities (Munster, Saskatchewan). Garth Cant came from New Zealand as a visible reminder of how we could share identity with the IRCA (multi-denominational, rural & Indigenous, clergy and lay-leaders …). Meanwhile Cam Harder took Sabbatical time from the Lutheran Seminary in Saskatoon to visit educational programs in other countries and help conceive what is now named CiRCLe M (Centre for Rural Community Leadership and Ministry). We can’t begin to imagine the research time and effort he spent cobbling together the permission and funding and outreach work required to bring this concept into being. Cam well deserves more appreciation than we can ever acknowledge. Our website now defines CiRCLe M as a Centre for “Equipping Rural Clergy and Lay Leaders to help revitalize our town and country Canadian Communities”. I was glad to offer to write a regular CRCN- CiRCLe M newsletter so that all the efforts we made could be shared. Fortunately, too, CiRCLe M made it possible for me to continue the Country Preacher’s Notes blog. These were “reflections on the deep spiritual hunger and rich spiritual heritage that surrounds us in our rural communities.” So we have been able to affirm to even the most isolated, and even in pre-Covid 19-21 times, that “the Church hasn’t forgotten you”! The fresh-baked “sour dough” bread aroma of the Gospel has been so enticing we continue partaking together of the “of the body broken”. What a blessing to have one generation lead into another. For all living bodies’ issues like age and health compel us to confer the reins of ownership and management to others. For myself and for Cam and for the former CiRCLe M Board the evolving has taken place – and new leadership is beginning to make fresh imprints in our lives. … The vision, as our Indigenous friends will remind us, is that we might consider our actions “to the Seventh Generation”.
(Written by Joyce Sasse) - shared by Catherine Christie) | |  | “Rural Ministry Town Halls 2024” in 2024, the Rural Ministry Town Halls are focusing on different subjects to allows Rural folks to share our experiences, about that month’s topic. Knowing that ministry vitality looks different in rural areas and valuing those differences, these gatherings are a chance for the growth team to develop an understanding of what might be most helpful for rural ministry going forward. Any learnings from these gatherings will enhance our understanding as we work with regional councils to support rural ministry.
Here are the dates for our Zoom Meetings – Please Mark Your Calendar! Wednesday, February 28, 1-2 pm ET – Deep Spirituality Wednesday, March 27, 1-2 pm ET – Daring Justice Wednesday, April 24, 1-2 pm ET – Bold Discipleship Wednesday, May 29, 1-2 pm ET – The United Church of Canada Vision – Connected but Evolving Church
| | | Upcoming Events at Affirming Connections
(Click on either poster for more information)
Making Space - Black History Month and National Affirming / Pie Day |  |  | |  | “Rural Routes Through the Holy”
The team is getting ready for our Rural Routes Through the Holy: 2024 gathering, June 13 - 15th at Orchard Valley United Church, New Minas NS. Lots of Tasters (30 minutes presentations), workshops, worship, theme presentation and Rural Cafe gatherings. Lots of good food too.
Beautiful to Behold: Broken Open Church, will be our theme and Rev. Dr. Catherine Smith will be our theme speaker. We are beautiful in our grief, our joy, our uncertainty. Beautiful in our complexity, seen through the eyes of Love. This is the foundation for valuing where we are and staying open to what may come. You can read more about the theme at hemofthelight.com under Rural Ministries. Our full itinerary will be up on the site on Februray 9th.
Registration opens February 12th at hemofthelight.com You can also follow us at https://www.facebook.com/togetheronthejourney/ to receive updates and news.
Catherine For Kerry, Martin, Marvin & Sara The RRTH Team |  | |  | EXPERIENCE OF ALBERTA FOOTHILLS RURAL CULTURE
JUNE 18-21, 2024
Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre, Cochrane, AB, Treaty 7 Territory
Hosted by CENTRE FOR RURAL COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND MINISTRY
And Rural Church Network of the United States and Canadafind information and registration form on www.circle-m.ca Some Background Information: 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.
Catherine Christie - CiRCLe M Chair
| | | Pastoral Visits (# 5 Reflection) Focus on the Present; See God in the Moment
There are many churches without leadership. The downward slant has been steady but slow, so slow we look back and wonder when it began. Yes, COVID-19 played a massive part in enabling drastic changes. Almost overnight, staff had to learn new ways of ministering, being available and ensuring that office hours were published in the weekly bulletin. People now needed more attention, more notice, and more communication. And if they couldn’t find a path through the maze, they gave up and became a name on the drop-out list. In the meantime, the active church focused on anything from assisting staff to spreading a warm blanket of love and understanding around the parishioners. Some found ways to show care in the sanctuary and the home. Stewards focused on financial matters. Elders quickly invited people to join pastoral relations teams. Caring for money and the people were foremost on their agenda. Plans for starting something new in churches were often subtly laid aside to concentrate on relational opportunities. (Click below for the rest of the Story) By Reverend Donna Mann (Retired) - Ontario | | |  | A Prairie Rune RUNES, ROOTS, AND RECONCILIATION. Equal parts spiritual meditation, collaborative interpretation, and poetic exposition, A Prairie Rune explores the mysteries of the Old English / Anglo Saxon futhorc (rune poem) from a contemporary Christian Animist perspective. Blahut and Sanford Beck, after 30 years of friendship, write from their experiences of growing and living embedded within the beauty and sacredness of Treaty Six Territory, while wrestling with the painful inheritance of settler colonization.
(Click on Book picture above to learn more)
New Title: A PRAIRIE RUNE Authors: Darcy Blahut and Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck Categories: Canadiana; Christian wisdom literature; poetry. ISBN: 978-0978008376 (paperback) ISBN: 978-0978008383 (e-book) Note from Shawn: Happy New Year, blessings and peace! As a regional Canadian co-author of a recently released book, please share this with the librarian in charge of new book acquisitions for your church, chaplaincy programs, and resource centres. I believe that this new title, A Prairie Rune, will be of special interest to many you serve and I would love to see it included in your collections. Available on Amazon, this title can also be ordered through Canadian wholesaler, Library Bound Inc. | |  | 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. .
| |  | |  | | More on Digital Ministry…
As you are likely aware, we at the United Church Rural Ministry Network (UCRMN.ca) held several Zoom Workshops to talk and share Digital Ministry ideas, two years ago. I personally followed and participated in several of Reverend Jim Keat’s workshops in 2020. Jim (pictured above) is the Digital Minister at Riverside Church in New York City (don’t let that fool you), as Jim offers several simple examples and thoughts. Enjoy the above video, and catch up with Jim’s words below. Enjoy! Foreword by Eric Skillings (editor) | | From Jim: Say what you want about resolutions, but a new year brings a new energy to try new ideas. And so what better time to explore 24 digital ministry ideas for 2024. I recently talked with three incredible digital ministers – Rev. Nathan Webb, Rev. Bethany Peerbolte, and Rev. Natalie Renee Perkins – about 24 digital ministry ideas. (Click here to watch all three webinars and hear all 24 ideas for $10 US!) But in this email, I want to share my favorite digital ministry idea that I will be implementing in 2024. My favorite idea is the way we have started celebrating communion at The Riverside Church, specifically with our online congregation. Up until last summer, a Communion Sunday at Riverside looked the same, especially for people worshiping online: you watch the livestream as people in the room line up, take communion, and return to their seats. Everyone worshiping online was invited to take communion on their own at home, but overall it was a very passive and voyeuristic experience. Until we tried something new. READ THE REST
Note: All these links take you to Jim’s pages | | On a further note about the same thing… |  | Social Media Zoom Workshop April 18 @ 1 (EST)
resourced by United Church of Canada Social Media Team | Our next Zoom Workshop is scheduled for April 18, 2024 at 1 pm EST.
We will be joined by the team responsible for Social Media at the United Church of Canada. Are you dealing with questions and concerns that your Social Media presence is not what you want? Are you confused about why, how or what is Social Media anyways?
Check out our March ENews for more information and to register. | | 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
_________________________________________________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 | | | | |
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