You can do hard things
2024-05-24 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
You can do hard things:
How to Preach on Stewardship and Talk about Money

A workshop for ministry personnel and those who lead worship in their communities of faith.10am-12pm on Friday, May 24 at Port Elgin United Church Stewardship, like prayer, worship, or loving service, is a critical aspect of our lives of faith. The Bible is chock full of passages about how money and wealth harm people and communities, and how generosity liberates us from those corrupting influences. As preachers, we have an amazing opportunity to tell people that they belong to God, not their bank accounts, and because of that, they can make a difference by sharing their gifts. Yet so many of us avoid talking about money. The truth is, whether or not we discuss it, the people in our congregations are thinking about money all the time. How do I decide how much should I give? What should I spend it on? How do I raise generous kids and grand-kids? Whether they have a little or a lot, money takes up a lot of spiritual and emotional space. So how can we deepen faith and generosity as spiritual leaders?

In this workshop, participants will:

Process all the fears and worries around preaching on money (no, you’re not just preaching for your salary!)
Learn techniques for stewardship preaching that will encourage and inspire
Look at some of Jesus’ messages on money and talk about the good news that could be used in a sermon.
Be introduced to resources that can give you more confidence when talking about money and ministry

For more information, please contact your Stewardship Support Staff, Brenna Baker, at bbaker@united-church.ca

Port Elgin United Church840 Bruce St, Port Elgin, ON N0H 2C2
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Registration Link:

https://regionalcouncil789.formstack.com/forms/you_can_do_hard_things

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

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
