Horseshoe Falls Regional Council

GC 45 Commissioners Town Hall
2024-04-29 19:00 (America/New_York) | Online via Zoom
You are invited to a
General Information Town Hall on what’s involved with becoming a:
GC 45 Commissioner
via Zoom Meeting

Monday April 29th, 2024 at 7pm
Join Regional Council Executive Minister, Rev. Mark Laird to discuss becoming a GC 45 Commissioner with others and get your questions answered.

Questions?
Not sure?
Learn more.
Find out why you would want to put your name forward.
Don’t think you qualify to apply? You do not have to be Ministry Personnel or a Lay Representative to be a Commissioner.

45th General Council Resources:
HF General Council 45 Website
An Invitation from the Moderator VIDEO
GC45 Nomination Form

ARW Discipleship & Justice Meeting
2024-05-07 10:00, 2024-09-10 10:00, 2024-10-08 10:00, 2024-11-05 10:00, 2025-01-14 10:00, 2025-02-11 10:00 (America/New_York) | Online via Zoom

The Basics: Ministry & Personnel Committee Workshops
2024-05-08 14:00 - 16:00, 2024-06-25 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Online via Zoom
The Basics: Ministry & Personnel Committee Workshops
Online by Zoom, Spring 2024 dates:
February 15th 2-4pm, March 19th 7-9pm, May 8th 2-4pm and June 25th 7-9pm
with Micol Cottrell, Minister, Pastoral Relations

Ordered ministers and designated lay ministers while in paid accountable ministry positions are office holders within The United Church of Canada.
While there may be elements similar to employment,
the essential nature of the relationship is a covenant.
~ Statement on Ministry in The United Church of Canada (2012)
New members are often elected to the vital Ministry & Personnel Committee near the start of the year, although M&P Committee membership can change for many other reasons throughout the year.
The Basics will help a new member learn the essentials of this crucial role. More experienced members of M&P Committees are invited to take this workshop as a refresher with their team, and keep up with changing United Church practices and policies. This workshop is open to members from Western Ontario Waterways, Antler River Watershed and Horseshoe Falls Regional Councils!
Please Note: each member of your M&P Committee attending this workshop is required to register.
In your Confirmation Email, you will receive the Zoom link and material in preparation for the meeting to make the most of our time together. If you have questions about the content, please email Micol Cottrell, Minister, Pastoral Relations, at MCottrell@united-church.ca, or better yet, write down the questions to bring with you.

Save the Dates: Spring 2024 Tri Regional Council Meeting
2024-05-24 - 2024-05-26
Spring 2024 Tri-Regional Council Meeting
REGISTER for the Tri-Regional Council Meeting
Time will be designated for each individual Regional Council to meet separately. Each Regional Council will be electing their GC45 Commissioners, President Elect and slate of Executive/Commission members.
Friday May 24: 2 PM start & Friday evening The Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne will speak
Saturday, May 25: All day. Includes Celebration of Ministries Service in the afternoon
Sunday, May 26: 9 AM to Noon: Includes Honouring of Retirees, Jubilands, In Memoriam, Community of Faith Life Cycle Changes

Kids Across the Regions 2024
2024-06-07 - 2024-06-08 | Camp Bimini, 3180 Perth Road, St. Paul’s, Ontario, N0K 1V0, Canada
Camp Bimini, St. Paul’s, Ontario (Google map)
Kids Across the Regions is a fun, faith-filled weekend for children (in grades 4-8) from across the three regional councils of Antler River Watershed, Western Ontario Waterways and Horseshoe Falls of The United Church of Canada!
Please note: your GPS and/or Google Maps will not lead you to the camp! Download a Camp Map and Directions, Participant Letter, Permission Form and Packing List.
These are also attached in the Confirmation Email once you submit your registration.
Knowing that families have different financial realities, we offer a Voluntary Three-Tier Pricing System. Participants can choose the tier that is most suitable for their family: $50, $60, $70 (closest to actual cost). There is no cost for Leaders.
Payment is by E-Transfer to hfrc@united-church.ca.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: MAY 24th Your application, signatures & payment are required to complete your registration. If you don’t receive a Confirmation Email after submitting the registration form please call Kathy Douglas at 519-441-0656 to confirm we have received your registration.
Register Now:
Event Leader Registration

Child Participant Registration

The Day of Fellowship - Horseshoe Falls
2024-06-08 10:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
Register Now

Save the Date:
The Day of Fellowship will launch us into the year long Centenary Celebration of the United Church with Greetings from General Secretary, The Rev. Michael Blair.
Renewal and Transformation … A Season of Hope
The day will begin with Gathering at 10:00am
Morning service 10:30am – 12:00 noon
Lunch Break 12:00 noon – 1:00pm
Afternoon Session from 1-2:30pm (cultural expressions from around the region).

Watch this video:

ARW Regional Council Orientation
2024-06-13 11:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
To be held at: St. Andrews United Church, Chatham, ON

HF Regional Council Orientation
2024-06-26 09:00 (America/New_York)

Rendez-Vous 2024 - Audacious Hope
2024-07-03 - 2024-07-06
Youth, Young Adults, and Those Who Lead Them:

Save the Date!

Audacious Hope
July 3-6, 2024, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON

Brought to you by the Rendez-vous team of The United Church of Canada and the LIFT team of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.

More information soon!

#UCCan #AudaciousHope2024

Ask An Expert
2024-09-18 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Toronto) | Online via Zoom
We’re trying something new. We’re introducing an Ask An Expert series in partnership with the General Council Office. You ask the questions, and we’ll provide the expertise.
Who are the experts? Well, it depends on the topic and staff availability.
Maybe you want to know more about the insurance partnership between the GCO and Communities of Faith. Or what you do when the local newspaper calls (or when you want to get a good story out). Or what the new government relations officer does. Or what the cost-of-living-adjustment is.
It’s kind of like a Pick-Your-Own-Adventure book. Here’s how it works:
1. You send us your questions here: https://forms.office.com/r/q7UM9spU9z
2. We find the expert who can answer them.
3. We all tune in on Wednesday September 18th, 7-8 p.m. by Zoom here: https://united-church.zoom.us/j/89972136949
4. As many questions will be answered as can be within the allotted time. Unanswered questions will carry over to the next session, or we’ll answer them on our Regional Council Facebook group.
5. Tough questions are okay. We’ll do our best to answer them, and if we can’t on the spot, we’ll follow up with the right information.
So, pick your adventure. Will it be insurance? Or grants? Climate justice? Governance? Media relations? Government relations? Global partnerships? Or something else?
You pick. Ask your question here: https://forms.office.com/r/q7UM9spU9z. Join us on Wednesday September 18th at 7 p.m. to get an answer in real time. Don’t have a question right now? Listeners welcome!
This session will be facilitated by: Michelle Owens

HF Discipleship & Justice Meeting
2024-09-25 18:30 (America/New_York) | Online via Zoom

HF Regional Council Fall Meeting (online)
2024-10-04 - 2024-10-05 | Online via Zoom
Fall 2024 Meetings

HFRC Fall Meeting (online): October 4-5, 2024
Celebration of Ministries: To be confirmed

ARW Regional Council Fall Meeting (online)
2024-10-25 - 2024-10-26 | Online via Zoom
Fall 2024 Meeting

ARWRC Fall Meeting (online): October 25-26, 2024
Celebration of Ministries: To be confirmed

WOW Regional Council Fall Meeting (online)
2024-11-16 - 2024-11-17 | Online via Zoom
Fall 2024 Meeting

WOWRC Fall Meeting (online): November 16-17, 2024
Celebration of Ministries: To be confirmed

Fishbowl – Cross Generational Discussion
2024-11-28 18:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Online via Zoom
Regional Councils of ARW, HF and WOW in partnership with The Hub and Trinity UC Kitchener-
Thursday November 28th, 2024, 6:30-8:30 (all participants are asked to arrive at 6:40).
Background: Post-pandemic, Youth leaders struggle to put together groups. A message often heard from youth in the church is that what’s being offered doesn’t work for them. Being an intercultural church includes finding ways to bridge communication between different age groups/generations.
Goal– To offer a forum that brings together youth and Elders in the church– a forum that allows the two groups to hear one another and be heard by one another, and to consider what might be the Spirit’s invitation to the church for youth ministry at this time.
FISHBOWL PROCESS:
8 Youth (teens to twenty-somethings) and 8 Elders (45+) from WOW, HF and ARW Regional Councils and facilitators will gather via Zoom.

Discussion questions will invite each to share and listen to experiences of their own youth faith formation, and hopes and challenges for youth ministry then and now.
On each question, using the Zoom spotlight feature to focus on one group of eight:

Youth will invite one another to share, while the Elders listen.
Places will be switched, and the Elders will invite one another to share while the Youth listen.
For some questions, the order might be reversed, with Elders sharing first

After two rounds of sharing in separate groups, Youth and Elders will have an opportunity to reflect together as one group.

Each group will be invited to reflect on what they have heard and consider possible next steps.
Participants will be given questions for reflection and feedback, to be submitted in writing following the session.
This is a cross-cultural listening event, and a pilot project. This session will not focus on problem solving or planning. The focus of this event is to listen and learn about one another as a first step of re-visioning youth ministry in ARW, HF and WOW in this post-pandemic time.
An HONORARIUM of $105 is available for participants who are not otherwise paid for their time in this discussion.
To apply, complete the Application Form :
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=qLUYz3gmEUCTEhXw9xV1dPBWSFWIXSNPila5mgKiAchUM0NLV0kyWUtVM1JXUEcyOUw4QlVaRlVDUS4u
Application deadline November 18, 2024

For more information contact
Thérèse Samuel tsamuel@united-church.ca
Kathy Douglas kdouglas@united-church.ca
Adam Cresswell – hubleadership@gmail.com
Aimee Belanger at youthevents@hubcommunity.ca

Tri-Regional Executive Meeting (Online)
2024-12-06 11:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Online via Zoom

Christmas Office Closure
2024-12-24 - 2025-01-01

HF UCW Gathering
2025-01-18 14:00 (America/New_York)
Topic: Horseshoe Falls Fall zoom event
Time: January 18th, 2025 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://united-church.zoom.us/j/83472886564

Liaisons Gathering
2025-01-28 19:00 (America/Toronto) | Online via Zoom
A time for connection, mutual support, and information sharing.
We are meeting on Tuesdays January 28th, March 25th, and May 27th at 7PM on Zoom.
For more information contact Micol Cottrell at mcottrell@united-church.ca
Register now here: https://regionalcouncil789.formstack.com/forms/liaisons_gathering

HFRC Learning Session for GC45 Proposals Special Meeting
2025-02-04 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Toronto) | Online via Zoom
Please join us for a Horseshoe Falls Regional Council Special Meeting for GC45 proposals on Saturday February 8th from 9am-3pm with a Learning Session for questions of clarification on Tuesday, February 4th from 6:30-8pm (for attendance to ask clarifying questions meeting registration is required). Proposals will be posted on Horseshoe Falls Regional Council website here: https://hfrcucc.ca/regional-council-meeting/ on January 30th, 2025. Registration will open Monday January 6th, 2025.

HFRC GC45 Proposals Special Meeting
2025-02-08 09:00 - 15:00 (America/Toronto) | Online via Zoom

Black History Month Event
2025-02-14 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Toronto) | Online via Zoom

UCC 360 Anti-Racism Program
2025-02-19 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Toronto) | Online via Zoom
UCC 360 ANTI-RACISM:

Have you engaged in previous anti-racism or racial justice training?
Are you ready to take your antiracism education a bit deeper, within a United Church context?

If you answered yes to both questions, this is for you:

UCC 360 Anti-Racism Program
with antiracism educator Rev Alcris Limongi, and Minister for Social Justice Dr. John Egger.
An in-depth 4.5 hour course offered over three weeks,
sponsored by the tri-regional councils of Antler River Watershed (ARW), Horseshoe Falls (HF) and Western Ontario Waterways (WOW).

Please plan to attend all three Wednesdays: Feb 19, Feb 26, and March 12, 2025 @ 6:00-7:30 PM Eastern
(Note: we take a week break for Ash Wednesday)
Session topics will include:
– A 360 View of Yourself, and developing your Antiracist Personal Purpose (APP)
– A 360 View of your immediate context (your church or regional council context)
– A 360 View of the United Church of Canada
.
(If you have to miss a session a recording of the session will be available, but will not include breakout discussions.)

This is not an introduction to anti-racism, but is intended for people who have engaged in some previous anti-racism training. If you are not sure if your previous anti-racism work has prepared you for this session, contact Thérèse Samuel tsamuel@united-church.ca

Advance registration required. Click to register now.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
There is no registration fee. The costs for this program are fully covered by Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils.
For information contact Thérèse Samuel tsamuel@united-church.ca

Bio: Rev. Alcris Limongi

The Rev. Alcris Limongi was born in Venezuela and has been a member of the United Church of Canada since 1996. She has served the Church in different capacities. She was a Th.D. candidate in NT at Emmanuel College and the Racial Justice, Gender Justice and Sexual Minorities Program Coordinator at the General Council Office. She also was the Liaison to the UCW National and to Affirm United. She was the staff lead for the GC40 Commitment to Inclusion, and has served as facilitator of the UC Racial Justice Mandatory training since 2009. As an Ordained Minister she served at Parkdale United Church in Ottawa for five years and currently is part of the Center for Christian Studies in Winnipeg staff team as Program/Educator.
She offers both experience and perspective from our national denomination structures a well from a local-congregational community and based ministries.
Rev. Alcris trained in Courageous Conversations about Race with the Pacific Educational Group. The focus has been identifying systemic racism and racial differential gaps, as well as facilitating Courageous Conversations.
Her own identity as a racialized woman in Canada, her life experience between marginality and privilege in different ways, combined with a sound theological education, and personal and theological commitment to justice, have helped her develop a particular lens, what she calls “the gift of her brown eyes” to the Church. Her passion is to encourage racial majority and minorities to engage together identifying, naming, interrogating, interrupting and dismantling racism. She is a teacher/preacher/facilitator with creativity, flexibility, and openness to respectfully listen and learn from cultural differences. She adds “English is not my native language, which is both strength and weakness. It is a strength because with language I also bring different perspectives of defining and understanding reality”.

This is not an introduction to anti-racism, but is intended for people who have engaged in some previous anti-racism training. If you are not sure if your previous anti-racism work has prepared you for this session, contact Thérèse Samuel tsamuel@united-church.ca

Registration information coming soon.

Flourishing: Spend a day with the Moderator
2025-02-22 09:00 - 16:30 (America/Toronto)
Flourishing: Antler River, Western Ontario Waterways, and Horseshoe Falls Regional Councils
Spend a day with the Moderator, engaging in reflection and energizing activities towards dream-oriented actions for our churches and communities.
Saturday, February 22, 2025, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm (local time).
9:00am -9:30am Registration and coffee/tea
9:30am – Welcome and Introductions
In person
Avondale United Church, 194 Avondale Ave., Stratford, ON N5A 6N4
All around the world – from universities to the United Nations, from corporations to community organizations – people are talking about flourishing. Rooted in belonging, flourishing means living with purpose and joy, and bringing bold collaborative solutions to our world’s challenges.
The Moderator, the Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, wants to bring that conversation to The United Church of Canada. She invites us to connect to one another in hope, with a deep conviction by a belief that, despite all the challenges of church life in this day and age, we can move from despair to transformation – from languishing to flourishing.
Is your church flourishing?
(Perhaps that’s the wrong question.)
Is your church contributing to the flourishing of your community?
How might we truly be a flourishing church in the world? How might we live in deep spirituality, bold discipleship and daring justice, linked from coast to coast to coast in ministry that transforms us and the world around us?
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: Flourishing Workshop
