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“To know God through Jesus Christ, and to reflect God’s love as the Church in a changing community and world.”

This summer we travelled to Poland with Peter’s immediate family for a two week vacation. There were the grandparents, both in their seventies, who had planned the trip in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary. There were the two sons and two daughters-in-law, all in our forties, all ready for a break from our busy work lives. And there were the three grandchildren, two boys and a girl, ages 11, 12 & 13, who had already been on vacation since school ended. Yes, nine people, coming from different places in their lives to be together for two whole weeks!!

For some of us it can be a challenge travelling with that many people, let alone that many

family members, for that long. We all came to the vacation with different expectations and

needs, different financial resources and levels of energy, different habits and interests,

different likes and dislikes, different values and beliefs……….sounds a little like a church

family, doesn’t it? All of us who are travelling together on our faith journeys, as this church

family, are different in so many ways. Yet like my family on vacation, not only can we survive

together but we can thrive together! We can ensure that all of us are able to thrive within a

family when we take time to listen to each other, when we are patient, when we share

responsibility, when we compromise, when we share our time and talents, when we forgive

and apologize, when we celebrate with and offer gratitude to one another, when we cry and

laugh together….

One of my favourite scripture passages speaks of ways we are called to be with each other in our church family.

“So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. 15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God every step of the way.” Colossians 3: 12-17 (The Message)

As all of us come back together from summer vacations to continue to be the church family of Burton Ave. United Church, let us wear love! Let us wear love in our meetings and at our dinners, in our worship and our pastoral care, in our outreach and our study, in our listening and our speaking and in all that we are and do let us continue to thrive as part of God’s family! Andrea Wheaton, DLM

Minister of Word, Sacrament & Pastoral Care

September

2016

Volume 16 Issue 3

Andrea’s Message 1

Message From Reverend Pat

2

Message From the Chair 3

Treasurer’s Report 4

Worship and Music 5

Looking Ahead

Ministry of Open Hands

United

6

The Rainbow Club

7

Happenings Message From Chelsea

Skanes

8

Outreach 9

Congregational Life

Administration

10

Life Long Learning

Truth and Reconciliation

Group

11

12

Inside this issue:

N e w s l e t t e r

www.burtonavenueunited.ca

Newsletter Editor

Edd Taylor

sjtjet1@gmail.com

If you would like a copy of this

newsletter emailed to you, please

contact the church office.

From the Minister of Justice and Outreach

Dear Friends

This year I have coordinated and led four missions to Nicaragua. There has been one adult mission, one

intergenerational mission and two youth missions. With every mission there are challenges. This year, for example, the

mosquitoes and bugs were particularly awful. Our little hotel in Puerto Cabezas had no air conditioning, which meant there

was no relief from the relentless, suffocating heat. On the mission in August, while travelling upriver in a 40-foot dugout

canoe, the skies opened. For over an hour, we huddled under the weight of a 40 foot tarpaulin, pretending that somehow it

was protecting us from the driving rain. And on a visit to the remote village of St Jeronimo, I slipped on uneven ground and

landed with both feet in a huge cow pie, saturating my shoes and splattering brown muck up and down my pant legs. Did I

mention that with every mission, there are challenges? There are also, of course, blessings. The Vision Statement of Open

Hands United reads, “Building and strengthening relationships, lives, and faith”, and over and over again I see this

happening in the lives of the participants. One such incident happened during the mission in July , when we spent a day at

an orphanage called El Verbo. There are around 145 children there, ranging from about 3 years of age to young adults. We

ran a Vacation Bible School program in the morning, and then were invited to help serve at the noon meal. We watched as

the children took their places at long tables, grouped according to their ages. Then we began to distribute the small bowls of

beans and rice, starting with the youngest children and working our way up to the oldest. It took us about 20 minutes to

distribute the food. When we finished, a group of us stood by the wall talking when suddenly we noticed that only the

youngest children were eating. The rest were sitting in silence, waiting. Waiting for what? we wondered. And then we

noticed that the older kids didn't have either forks or spoons. On my way to the kitchen to get some, I was stopped by one

of the workers and told that the orphanage only had enough utensils for 40 kids to eat at once. After the youngest children

finished eating, their utensils were washed and given to the next oldest, and so on. I was told that some of the oldest kids

had to wait at the table for up to 50 minutes before they could eat.

The Canadian youth, who are so used to eating what they want, whenever they want, were shocked and for awhile,

silenced, by this. Then began to talk amongst themselves. And as they talked, they got excited. One of them said , "We've

figured it out! If each of us gives a few dollars, we can buy the extra cutlery!" And that's what they did. They pooled their

money and bought 200 sets of forks and spoons for about $65 USD, and when we brought them to the orphanage the

director wept. "We have barely enough money for food," she said. " We have been praying about this need for a long time.

Your gift is an answer to our prayers."

Now I know that in a world where there is so much suffering, providing eating utensils so that a group of hungry kids

can eat is perhaps not such a big thing. But for those hungry kids, it is. And for the Canadian youth who worked together to

meet a need, it was huge. They learned that when we combine our resources to address an injustice we can make change

happen. They experienced the wisdom of that famous teaching attributed to Mother Theresa, that "We can do no great things;

only small things, with great love". And they learned God works through us, often without our knowing it, to answer the prayers

of others.

As we look ahead to the new church year that begins this month, it is my prayer that each of us will trust that we, too,

will be used by God, and that when we share what we have with one another, there is no limit to what we can achieve

together for the glory and honour of God.

Blessings,

Rev. Pat

Minister of Justice and Outreach

Executive Director, Open Hands United

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Message From The Chair

One of the highlights of my summer this year was the second Gemmell family re-union in July. My father and all five of

his siblings gathered together at the beautiful Lorretto-Maryholme Centre with many of their children and children’s children

in attendance. We swelled to more than 50 on Saturday afternoon. Amazing when you consider that this family began with

the tiny child, Winnifred Foster, featured in the picture below. This photograph was taken in 1906, with her brother

Reginald, on admission to the Bernardo Home in London, England. Winnifred arrived in Canada when she was just eight

years old on the SS Corinthian in 1913 through the British Home Children (BHC) program. Like many BHC, she was not an

orphan. Her family had fallen upon misfortune and could no longer care for her.

What amazed me about the research on the BHC was how they entered this country condemned by powerful political

leaders and in an almost media frenzy. They were thieves and vagrants and they would pollute the gene pool!

Many BHC were abused and neglected. Beaten and worked beyond exhaustion – many lived in horrible conditions.

Some carried the stigma of their histories throughout their lives - never speaking of their past.

My grandmother was one of the fortunate ones taken in by a family that cared for her well. But she rarely spoke about

her past and experienced discrimination because of her history.

Thanks to social justice work our ideas have progressed so that initiatives, like this one - whatever the intentions - will

never win political favour. Thanks to social justice work that has put into place economic safety nets for families so poverty

in this country will never mean giving up your children.

It is easy to look backward and say these ideas were wrong – much harder to look around and see the injustice. I am so

proud to be a part of a community where social justice matters and the work we do, as Jesus told us, ensures that love and

kindness will always be the center.

Summer was nice but what we do - our voice - is so needed in the world. I’m ready to get back to work!

Blessings

Cathy.

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Treasurer’s Report

August 2016 YTD

As the summer has drawn to a close, the financial results for the first eight months of the year have returned to a more familiar

trend from the past. Our total receipts were up compared to 2015. All of this increase can be attributed to our local giving, which

is a very positive trend for which we are thankful!

Unfortunately, our expenses for the first eight months of this year have also increased. This rather large increase was due to a

number of uncontrollable factors such as some much-needed electrical work, higher labour costs, and utilities.

This leaves us with an operating deficit versus the same period last year. While a disappointing result in comparison to last

year’s performance, we can take some comfort in knowing that we have been in this situation before and worked our way out of it

by the end of the year.

Towards that end, the Time and Talent fundraising campaign will be concluding in the next few months and the Stewardship

Committee has planned a number of events this fall to help reduce the operating deficit and set aside funds for future use. Our

thanks to the congregation for its ongoing support of the ministries here at Burton Avenue United Church.

Sincerely,

Alan J. McGee

Treasurer

Worship and Music Committee

Members: Andrea Wheaton , Miriam Oben, Marg Ralph, Katie Pergau, Bob Gill and Brenda McGee

Thanks to all who worked over the summer to keep Burton Avenue welcoming and vital while Andrea and Katie enjoyed

well-deserved vacations. Supply ministry leadership came from inside our congregation this summer and it was great! Many

thanks to Rick Williams, the Women’s Spirituality Group, Bob Clay, and Cathy Manzato for gifting us with generous and varied

offerings of worship. Music was supplied by Valerie Wauchope. Also, Peter Michalski and Warren DeBoer kept us on track each

Sunday with power point offerings. Well done, all!

This was a summer for making, entertaining, and learning from friends. Chelsea Skanes, a UCC Explorer candidate, spent the

months of May, June and July at Burton, shadowing Andrea and exploring the duties and pleasures of UC ministry. Joyful, bright,

and thoughtful, Chelsea was involved in worship planning, Children’s Time and created two worship meditations for our

congregation. To our delight, she immersed herself in church life here at Burton. Now back home on the East Coast, we wish her

the best as she continues to consider ministry as a vocation. A good friend from Nicaragua, David Sujo, was hosted by the

Burton’s Outreach Team through May and June. After years of supporting our Nica teams during mission visits, it was Burton’s

turn to entertain, feast and share ministry with David. Testing his English and nerves, he acquitted himself well in June when he

spoke to the congregation about his life and work in Nicaragua through a dialogue with Reverend Pat. Truly, it was wonderful to

share ourselves with these young people and to be a part of their lives and faith journeys.

A special thanks to the Rainbow Club for their Sunday service offering on June 5th. Through readings, songs, and video, they

shared the story of Noah’s Ark and gave us another chance to see their spirits and personalities sparkle as they worshipped God.

With autumn and the cool, beautiful weather comes a busy season in our faith community. Welcome to the new members who

joined our congregation on Sept 11th. Jonathan Fitkin, infant son of Bobby and Grisell, will be baptized into the family of Christ

on September 18th. The last weekend in September will see families gather at Sparrow Lake for Family Camp Weekend; Andrea

will be with those brave campers and Alan McGee will provide leadership back home at Burton. Thanksgiving Sunday will

celebrate the bounty we receive daily and that God asks us to share with our community. Remembrance Sunday will honour those

who gave their lives in service to our country and Canadians currently working in peace missions. On Nov.13th come and

celebrate 143 years of ministry in Allandale as Burton Avenue celebrates this wonderful achievement in community and Godly

service! Holy Communion will be observed on Reign of Christ Sunday and lead us into the wonder of the Advent Season.

Autumn is shaping up to be a very busy, joy-filled time here at Burton Avenue. Come and join in the fellowship as we celebrate

the light of Christ in our lives and in our world.

Respectfully,

Brenda McGee (Chair)

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SUNDAY WORSHIP-LOOKING AHEAD

Sept. 18- Baptism Sunday

Sept. 23-25- Family Camp Weekend at Sparrow Lake

Oct. 2- World Communion Sunday

Oct. 9- Thanksgiving Sunday

Oct. 30- Time and Talents celebration

Nov. 6- Remembrance Sunday

Nov. 13- Burton Avenue United Church’s 143rd Anniversary

Nov. 20- Reign of Christ Sunday with Holy Communion

Nov.27- the Advent Season begins

Report on the Ministry of Open Hands United

Open Hands United sponsored 2 missions to Nicaragua this summer. The first took place June 28-July 11. Thirteen youth

from 6 different congregations (including Pearce Fisker, Evan Wauchope and Patricia Wetelainen from BAUC) and 5 leaders,

including Steve and Kim Stoll, Rev Pat, and Sarah Jane Wetelainen, also from BAUC) met for over a year to plan and prepare for

this experience. With the help of their congregations, families, and funding from the United Church of Canada, participants raised

over $46,000 for program and project expenses. This money was used to support the rebuilding of a church/community centre in

the impoverished village of Sangni Laya, as well as provide much needed resources for the elementary school in Puerto Cabezas.

The second mission took place August 18-29. The participants including 6 youth and 2 adult leaders from First St Andrew's

United Church in London, Ontario, who travelled with me to the village of Waspam on the northeast coast of Nicaragua. The

money raised by this group has been used to support a number of initiatives, including school resources for the village of St

Jeronimo and a woman's initiative that supports their work with prisoners and people in hospital.

For both groups, the time in Nicaragua was an immersion experience in a culture and way of life that could not be more

different from life here in Canada. We were welcomed with open arms and had many opportunities to play sports with kids

(sometimes in the pouring rain!); sing songs, and assist at a lunch program which, for many of the children, was their only meal that

day. We worshipped in a number of churches, dispensed medicines to woefully undersupplied clinics where hundreds of people

seek medical care; visited schools where the ceilings are caving in and open wires swing from the walls and there are no supplies of

any kind. None. We met Nicaraguan people who work passionately for their own people and were reminded that each one of us

can make a difference when we use the gifts God has given us in service to others.

There are currently 2 missions planned for 2017. The first is set for February 16-27. If you are interested in learning more

about this mission opportunity, you are welcome to join us at a Nicaragua Mission team meeting on Tuesday September 20 at 7

pm. Or, please also feel free to contact me. Contact information is given below.

Blessings,

Rev Pat MacDonald,

Minister of Justice and Outreach

Executive Director, Open Hands United

revpat@rogers.com

705 795 9438

Rainbow Club

Welcome back Rainbow Club teachers, kids and parents! Registration has begun and we invite all children and youth ages 3

and up to complete a yearly registration form (available in The Ark).

Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who covered Sunday School during the summer. It gave a well-deserved break

to our regular leaders. We are always looking for new leaders, so please see Catherine Fletcher if you are interested.

We look forward to another great year of stories, music, drama, art and friendship in The Ark!!

Catherine Fletcher

Rainbow Club Coordinator

Hello Burton Avenue friends! It blows my mind that it has been over a month since my last worship service with all of you. I am slowly settling back into life back home in Newfoundland. While it is certainly nice to see family, friends, and classmates again that I missed so much, and to see my St. James family and tell them all about my summer, I still miss all of you very much... And the warm Ontario weather! Despite loving the time off from classes this summer, I am happy to be back in school. I feel re-energized and excited to take on the last year of my bachelor's degree. One of my classes this semester is centred around community, and our first paper is about our own experiences within the communities in which we take part. After spending such a fulfilling summer getting to be a part of so many amazing communities, big and small, I find so many of my experiences and learnings from Barrie making their way into my work. How a community is ultimately a place where you feel like you belong, and are connected to other people. How each member adds to the overall function and value of the community as a whole. How, regardless of distance, you can still be a member of a community to which you feel you belong. I think the beautiful thing about the United Church of Canada is that although all its members are so spread out and we are a diverse people, we are still one huge community. We are all connected, and this membership is something that draws us closer together. I loved that things at Burton Avenue reminded me of St. James, and now I am finding the opposite is true as well. So many little things now remind me of my time in Ontario, and I am so grateful that I can feel like I belong to two beautiful faith communities, as well as our large United faith family as a whole. I look forward to maintaining the friendships that I formed over the summer with the Burton Avenue community. I appreciate your presence on my life journey more than I can say with words. Take care, stay safe, and enjoy all the new beginnings that this fall has to offer.

Chelsea Skanes

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Small Group Spiritual Direction - Are you interested in being part of a group that helps you notice and listen deeply for the

ways in which “the Holy” may be touching your life? Perhaps you would like to set aside some time to listen deeply for the Spirit’s

movement in your life and honour your heart’s longings as you grow closer to God and one another. You may want to join a

small Spiritual Direction Group facilitated by Ruth McDonald beginning the first week of October. Tentatively, the group would

meet during the day at a time that suits those who have expressed an interest. There will be space for up to 5 participants for an

8 week session ending the last week of November. Registration will be $50 per person. If you have questions or would like to

learn more please call Ruth McDonald at 705-229-6513 or email ruth.arla.mcdonald@gmail.com. Ruth has a ministry of

spiritual direction in Barrie and has been trained through the Ontario Jubilee Program for Spiritual Direction. She is a member of

Spiritual Directors International.

Time & Talents Challenge Update On Sunday, may 29th the Stewardship Committee launched a Time and Talents Challenge. $20 as seed money was given out to each person who wished to participate. The challenge is to multiply that money using your time and talents in ways that are unique to you. Of course, you can also accept the challenge without the seed money!

There is a display board in the foyer where you can post the time & talents you are offering. And if you are looking to purchase a specific time & talent, such as yardwork, you are invited to post your need and perhaps that will give someone an idea how they might offer their services. So far some of the things being offered for your purchase: Fabric casserole carriers & grocery bags, Strawberry Jam, Homemade pies, Homemade bread, Dog Walking, Drives to Appointments, Housesitting, Pet sitting, Interior decorating, computer classes, Farm fresh eggs, Childcare for Progressive Dinner, Spanish lessons…. There has also been a Card making workshop and an Art Class.

If you have money to submit already from your time and talents, please do so at anytime to the church office. Remember, if you are unable to accept the challenge, you can still participate when you purchase a service, a lesson or ticket to an event. This is an amazing opportunity for all of us…. children, youth and adults… to participate in the life and work of our church. The money we raise will be used to support the life and work of the church. This challenge will run until the end of October. We will have a service in which the money raised will be presented and the different talents celebrated!

Time & Talents Challenge Ideas!!

Give an individual or group lesson

*Quilting, knitting, or crocheting *Dance or *Music or *Pottery

*Computer Skills (ie, Powerpoint) *Cooking or Baking or *Scrapbooking

*Crafts or *Flower arrangements *Photography or *Woodworking

Host an Event

*Host a dinner party (30$ per guest) or *Host a picnic

*Organize a Motorcycle ride-a-thon or *bowling night

*Arrange a wine country tour (use the money for gas and then charge each participant a fee)

Offer your Labour

*Yard Work or *Gardening *Mow lawns for your neighbours or *Walk dogs

*Wash Windows or *Spring Cleaning or *Clean a vehicle

*Take someone's junk to the dump or *Babysit *Sell advance snow shoveling

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Provide a Service

*Make a dessert once a month for a year *Boat ride/supper on the lake

*Manicures/pedicures or *Set up a lemonade stand *Tutoring

*Make your cottage available for a weekend/week *Hem pants or *Refinish furniture

Sell your product

*baked goods or *artwork

*perennials or *cards or *lemonade

Website Update – our website has been redesigned. Check it out at www.burtonavenueunited.com Note that the address has

changed from .ca to .com. Please email blindalleyarts@rogers.com for corrections, changes, or additions to the website.

Open Hands United has a website! You can visit it at www.openhandsunited.com

You are invited to a Party! - On Sat., Oct. 1 you will have an opportunity to participate in a wonderful “Party” for only

$35.00. We are looking for people to host 6 guests in their home for a starter and then 6 different guests for a main

course. Then all of us, hosts and guests, will meet at the church for dessert. Hosts do not purchase a ticket, nor do they have

to supply dessert. But they do receive the great joy of welcoming people into their home. What a fun way to get to know more

people in our church!! Consider whether or not you want to purchase a ticket to be a guest, open your home to be a host, or

perhaps donate a dessert for the cause. For more information or to offer to host or purchase a ticket, speak to Kevin Wauchope

or Andrea Wheaton.

Outreach Committee

Hello from the Outreach committee! Summer is coming to a quick close, and while everyone was holidaying the work of

outreach continued with donations coming in for Youth Haven, the Food bank and Samaritan house as well as weekly

sandwiches being made a delivered for the Busby Centre.

Thank you to all for your generous donation of goods and time!

Youth Haven is still in need of men’s boxer shorts, blankets etc. and lunchtime snacks for the youth that are continuing

their education. The Barrie Food Bank is also looking for lunchtime snacks, as well as the never ending need for larger size

diapers. The weekly sandwiches for the Busby Centre outreach is continuing, and the sign-up sheet is posted in the foyer.

Samaritan house has started their literacy program again for the year, and they are always welcoming new volunteers!

Joan Belacque has been doing a marvelous job with organizing the Minutes for Mission. If there is anyone who feels a

calling to read one of the minutes, please contact any of the committee members and we will make sure you get on the

list – new faces are always welcome!

Believe it or not, Christmas is only 3.5 months away, so we are already planning the Snowflake tree for Samaritan House..

more information will be announced as we get closer.

Thank you all again!

Devon Williams

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Congregational Life

On Fri./June /03 we helped Andrea and Chelsea host a newcomers dessert party.About 25 longtime people and

newcomers enjoyed a pleasant social introductory time with great desserts.

Our group are thinking of planning a fall card party and we would appreciate any other suggestions for adult fellowship

events.

We are appreciative of the people who served refreshments over the summer. We are always looking for people to help

serve coffee .Please sign up downstairs at the coffee table for this fall..Would any church committees or groups be interested in

having their group sign up for an occasional Sunday? Training and info is available .

Our Administrative Committee have had new stoves installed over the summer.They worked hard on this and we would

like everyone to be aware these glass topped stoves can be easily damaged and need to be wiped after every spill. Special

cleaning solution is provided and a small amount goes a long way.

On Sept/ 11 we are welcoming the following group to our membership:

-Trudy Paterson who has retired in Dec/2015 was a planning consultant and registered professional planner. She also

graduated with a B.A. in geography .Trudy enjoys being a member of the King Edward Choir (since 1981).

-Sheena Paterson (daughter of Trudy) is a volunteer at Grove Park Home. Sheena is an avid hockey and Blue Jays fan.

-Lauraleigh Brumwell is retired from her late husbands consulting engineers business which she helped get started.

Lauraleigh has 3 children and 4 grandchildren and enjoys quilting as a hobby.

-Robert (Bobby) Fitkin and Grisel Fitkin. This couple also have a young son named Jonathon. Bobby and Grisel met each

other in the work place and Grisel is currently on maternity leave until Nov./2016. Bobby is a hockey fan and Grisel enjoys the

outdoors( nature and hiking) and also reading.

Please keep Sunday September 18 open as it is our church barbeque after service. Miriam Oben has graciously offered her

home (again) for the day. Drinks and main course provided and families are asked to bring a chair and either a snack, salad or

dessert to share. In case of rain the location will be the church.

Lois Delaforce, Lynn Garraway, Linda Hudson, Barb McLelland and Nancy Sawyers.

Administration Committee

Quite a few improvements have taken place over the summer months, and a significant amount of money has been spend

to achieve our goal of making the church building a safer place.

The two stoves in the kitchen have been replaced by brand new ones, they are both identical and are glass-top type stainless

steel. Hopefully the learning curve to get use to the modern stoves will be short and painless. Spillage on these surfaces is more

difficult to deal with, especially if not dealt with when they happen.

In addition the electrical wiring has been up-graded to make it safer to use, and less prone to blowing fuses. The safety

factor was especially important for the daycare users in the Hope room and auditorium, and had been mentioned by the

inspector as necessary. Safety outlets have replaced the old outlets to prevent little ones from putting things into them. In the

kitchen extra outlets have been added and each outlet has been rewired to have their own breakers, to prevent over-use; some

outlets are now single only, so only one item can be plugged in. Walwin electric has done the upgrades and we are happy with

the results, and confident that the necessary changes will be good for years to come, and for the benefit and safety of all users.

On behalf of Barry and Lyle,

Warren De Boer.

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Life Long Learning

At the time of writing, the LLL Committee is gearing up for our weekend at Camp Sparrow. We will be gathering from

September 23-25 at this beautiful spot nestled on 100 acres in Severn, Ontario. Our theme is “Sacred Community” and we’re

looking forward to fostering connections together over crafts, camp songs, canoe trips, and of course, worship.

This summer’s Camp Awesome was, well, awesome. We had 16 children attend this lively Vacation Bible School, also on

the theme of “Sacred Community.” We are eager to invite this United Church of Canada camp back again next year for another

week of faith-deepening and fun-filled activities.

As fall approaches, Youth Inc. and the Women’s Group are getting ready for a new season. Keep your eyes peeled and

your ears open for announcements about meetings and events.

Yours,

Julie McGonegal, Lisa Edgar, Meaghan Cliche, and Brenda Marion

The Truth and Reconciliation Group

In the summer of 2015 some of us travelled to Ottawa to serve as witnesses on behalf of Toronto Conference at the closing

ceremonies of the Indian Residential School Truth and Reconciliation Commission (IRSTRC). Profoundly moved by that

experience, and committed to living out the United Church of Canada’s call to “explore, develop and nurture just and respectful

relations between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples” in the aftermath of the residential school legacy, we are planning a

fall film series in hopes of raising awareness about this legacy as well as sparking a congregation-wide conversation about the

path toward healing and right relations. The first film, Doctrine of Discovery, will be shown on Wed. September 21 at 7 pm.

Tentative dates for the other films are October 19 and November 16. Please write your name on the sign-up sheet in the foyer

if you plan to attend.

We will be reflecting further on what it means to be witnesses to the stories of residential school survivors when we attend a

gathering with Moderator Jordan Cantwell on October 22. The following day we will be holding a special service on Mission

and Service Sunday on this theme.

We are exploring and discussing other possibilities for moving forward with our commitment to reconciliation, and will

update you on our plans as they come closer to fruition. In the meantime, we look forward to hearing your thoughts, concerns,

and questions, and to continuing the conversation.

Blessings,

The Truth and Reconciliation Group (Rev. Pat MacDonald, Julie McGonegal, Islay Scott, Jane Sullivan, Sarah-Jane

Wetelainen)

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