Renovating or Reconstructuring in the United Church

[jimkenney12]

There are many programs and projects in the United Church related to rejuvenating congregations and expanding ministry including planting new churches. I would like this thread to start with descriptions of those programs and projects. When I am able to come back to WC2 in the next few days, I will start describing projects and programs in EOORC. I hope we can describe many before we start discussing their merits and issues.

 

[Luce NDs]

Folk in my immediate fuzzy circle are trying to work with this conception ... but it is hard ... the solid parts we've been dealt!

The Naked Pastor (a FB site) had some excellent images of this including one on WATERMELLONS and presidency! Came up like an spray of Lilly Pads ...

He challenged folk on the iconic nature of watermelon ... the busting thereof ...

 

[newfyxing]

Out west you will find plenty of church planting and expanded/new ministry.

The Abbey Church in Victoria, BC is an Anglican-United Church Plant (alongside a neo-monastic community there)
Becoming Church in New Westminster, BC a new United Church Plant
WeirdChurch in Cumberland, BC is a United Church Plant
Feast & Fallow in Vancouver, BC is a new, vegan cafe with creation care as it's core ministry
Christ our Rock United Church is a brand new church plant in Pemberton, BC
Campus United is an expanded, campus ministry that has gone from 2 schools to over 10 in 5 years in BC and Alberta.
There's a posting for a Church Plant/Campus United job in Olds, Alberta, which is a new ministry.
Affirming Connections is a collective of various Affirming Ministries and Projects out of Calgary

Those are all easily searchable online, but just scratch the surface.

 

[Jaebius]

Out west you will find plenty of church planting and expanded/new ministry.

The Abbey Church in Victoria, BC is an Anglican-United Church Plant (alongside a neo-monastic community there)
Becoming Church in New Westminster, BC a new United Church Plant
WeirdChurch in Cumberland, BC is a United Church Plant
Feast & Fallow in Vancouver, BC is a new, vegan cafe with creation care as it's core ministry
Christ our Rock United Church is a brand new church plant in Pemberton, BC
Campus United is an expanded, campus ministry that has gone from 2 schools to over 10 in 5 years in BC and Alberta.
There's a posting for a Church Plant/Campus United job in Olds, Alberta, which is a new ministry.
Affirming Connections is a collective of various Affirming Ministries and Projects out of Calgary

Those are all easily searchable online, but just scratch the surface.

Def would try Feast & Fallow

Welcome to Wondercafe2

 

[jimkenney12]

Out west you will find plenty of church planting and expanded/new ministry.

The Abbey Church in Victoria, BC is an Anglican-United Church Plant (alongside a neo-monastic community there)
Becoming Church in New Westminster, BC a new United Church Plant
WeirdChurch in Cumberland, BC is a United Church Plant
Feast & Fallow in Vancouver, BC is a new, vegan cafe with creation care as it's core ministry
Christ our Rock United Church is a brand new church plant in Pemberton, BC
Campus United is an expanded, campus ministry that has gone from 2 schools to over 10 in 5 years in BC and Alberta.
There's a posting for a Church Plant/Campus United job in Olds, Alberta, which is a new ministry.
Affirming Connections is a collective of various Affirming Ministries and Projects out of Calgary

Those are all easily searchable online, but just scratch the surface.

Thank you.

 

[BetteTheRed]

Much more hopeful news than in Ontario, I think, although I think mergers and closures have slowed a bit. We might be "right-sizing" here.

 

[Luce NDs]

New churches are needed because of what's gone wrong with some of the old ideas that have reformed into hate missals ... especially regarding paranoia and fear of knowing the unknown ... driving us to stand back from the edge of it ... impacted?

Great powers are especially uneasy about curiosities that could generate probes ... into prodigious fears of the veiled wealth! That's sacred and hidden ... resembling a deep mine, or head space with confined thought! Stiff-necked hard hedonist ... not required by most and thus san hed Rons ... those Don 'n holes for sense to come and go ...

What is that? That's word ... once released it flies ...

 

[jimkenney12]

Luce, please save this thread for initiatives for growing ministry. We are well aware there are problems with what has happened in many churches.

 

[Mendalla]

(accidentally posted when I was not ready)

 

[paradox3]

Luce, please save this thread for initiatives for growing ministry. We are well aware there are problems with what has happened in many churches.

As the thread starter, you might try requesting a thread ban for any poster not keeping to the topic.

 

[jimkenney12]

I chose to offer Luce an opportunity to self regulate for now.

 

[Mendalla]

Much more hopeful news than in Ontario, I think, although I think mergers and closures have slowed a bit. We might be "right-sizing" here.

Yeah, I haven't heard of any around here since Arva closed and the members started going to Siloam (it was not a formal merger, IIRC). That said, I'm not exactly plugged in here, just what I hear from local news and the churches' websites.

Wesley-Knox, Riverside, and White Oaks are in the second year of a shared ministry pilot project with their three ministers apparently acting as some kind of team but I don't details. Presumably trying to more efficiently share resources or something. It started May 1, 2025 per Riverside. I only know because W-K is one of the churches we occasionally attend.

 

[jimkenney12]

EOORC has a major project underway. I do not remember the name right now but will provide that when I post information from my notes.

One of the churches in Laurentian Area Ministry has a breakfast after its 9 am service every Sunday thanks to a grant from the United Church Foundation. Provides a time and place to connect. It has added a few participants over the last couple of years. One of the key leaders died after a short illness early this summer and that led to panckes not being part of the menu for now as he was the cook for those.

The coordinating minister for LAM is leading a series on end of life issues that is open to the community and includes participation by other churches in that community. The first session was well attended.

LAM is celebrating its 10th anniversary tomorrow and we put an announcement in the October issue of the local monthly newsletter for the region. We wiil find out tomorrow how well that worked. I will not be there as an hour and 20 minutes is a long ride for me right now. My broken leg (5 weeks ago) makes long car rides hard on my but.

The church I supervise received a grant to host a couple of community suppers along with some other ministry.

 

[JayneWonders]

Sorry to read of your broken leg @jimkenney12 .
welcome @newfyxing

I had to look up EOORC Eastern Ontario Outaouais Regional Council

 

[newfyxing]

Much more hopeful news than in Ontario, I think, although I think mergers and closures have slowed a bit. We might be "right-sizing" here.

Plenty of closures and amalgamations too.

But much of this is thanks to the Pacific Mountain Region committing 1/3 of it’s budget and staff to First Third Ministry (those under 30) and money from closed congregations being saved to plant new ones.