May 8, 2026



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Your news this week:

Sunday Service

Others Day with GLEE Club this Sunday

Technical Glitch

Amalgamation Staffing Update

Spotlight on Our Community: May 24 Lunch and Learn

Saint Andrew's Supports Social Justice: Turn Debt into Hope Campaign

Drag Me To Church on June 6

Green Tip of the Week

On The Stage at Saint Andrew's

Sunday Service

Office Technical Difficulties

Amalgamation Staffing Update

The staffing committee met with the Joint Council on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at St. Andrew’s to present the staffing complement for Halifax United Church (excluding clergy positions). We were very pleased that Joint Council approved the staffing complement.

The staffing complement for Halifax United Church will consist of:

Minister’s of Music – 1 for 25 hours and 1 for 15 hours per week

Operations Manager – 1 Full Time Equivalent (FTE)

Office Administrator – 1 FTE

Sexton at Robie Street – 1 FTE

Sexton at Barrington Street – 16 hours per week

Sexton at Tobin Street – 16 hours per week

Venue Coordinator – 20 hours per week

Internal postings have been conducted first as per the Amalgamation agreement. Job descriptions were sent to all employees presently employed at the 3 churches. Deadline for applying to the positions is Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

Interviews will take place and letters of offer will be presented. If an internal candidate is not found, the staffing committee will go external to fill the position(s). We hope to have all positions filled and ready to begin with Halifax United on July 2, 2026.

If you have questions, please contact Sherrie Bushen at sab0108@icloud.com

Spotlight on Our Community: May 24 Lunch and Learn

With our amalgamation date close at hand, and our three churches working so closely together, we already becoming one community. On May 24th, a Lunch and Learn will follow worship in the Saint Matthew's church hall

All are welcome. A light lunch will be served. 

George, the Senior Education Coordinator at Hope for Wildlife, will be giving an engaging introduction to the world of wildlife rehabilitation. 

He will give an overview of how injured and orphaned animals are cared for, from rescue and treatment to their eventual release, while offering a behind-the-scenes look at the facility and the work that happens there each day. The presentation will also explore how people and wildlife share the same spaces, and what that means for the animals, using a real story from rehabilitation to bring these challenges to life.

Saint Andrew's Supports Social Justice:

Thank You for Supporting the Turn Debt into Hope Campaign

During 2025, many members of St. Andrew's signed a petition at the entrance to the church on Sunday mornings as members of the Social Justice Committee told you of the Jubilee 2025 Campaign.

This is a faith based campaign that has taken place every 25 years to cancel the unjust debt of the poorest countries of the world, which, due to interests on these debts, are unable to provide the basic necessities of life for their own people - such as health care, education and recovery from climate disasters. 

Thank you for signing the petition as part of this international campaign for debt cancellation and restructure of the global debt system. 

The "Turn Debt into Hope Campaign" co-sponsored by KAIROS Canada and Development and Peace, concluded April 28 with special meetings, reports and a presentation of the total of 72,514 signatures on petitions to MPs in Ottawa. Read more about the trip to Ottawa by clicking here.

While the global petition is now closed, people can still write to their MP, calling for sovereign debt justice using KAIROS’ online letter form. More than 500 letters have been sent to date. We encourage you to send a letter if you have not done so already.  

Urge your MP to advocate for debt justice! To learn more, click here.

Drag Me To Church on June 6

We had so much fun last time, we’re doing it again ... Drag Me to Church returns on June 6, and this time we’re “goin’ to the chapel” at St. Matthew’s United Church!

Once again, we’re going to fill the sanctuary with fabulousness and celebrate the artistry, inclusivity, and community of drag.

Tickets are on sale now!

Drag Me To Church

Saturday, June 6

6pm - 2SLGBTQIA+ Market

8pm- Drag Show

$10 per person

Click here to buy your tickets!

Social Justice Committee's Green Tip of the Week

Last year was one of the driest years the Atlantic region has ever experienced. It was a bit scary; the feeling that we were just one spark, one bad decision, one lightning strike away from serious consequences.

Fire safety and water for the garden are two good reasons to invest in a rainwater collection system. In more urban areas, rain collection systems can help on the other end of moisture extremes too: preventing storm sewers from becoming overwhelmed in heavy rain events.

A rain collection system need not be complicated:

• You can buy rain barrels at many garden centers or hardware stores.
• You can make your own, if you can find a local supply of barrels.
• If you want to go the full monty, you can source a used 1000 litre tote.
• Then all you need are a few eavestrough parts – mainly elbows and screws – to redirect your downspout into your container.

To make it handier still, you can install a tap in the bottom of a container so you can connect a garden hose. You can find the parts you need at hardware or plumbing stores. Let’s do it!

On The Stage at Saint Andrew's

Cecilia Concerts: 

Bryan Cheng and Balourdet Quartet: heartSTRINGS!

Saturday, May 9 at 7:30pm

For his final residency concert of the season, our 2025/26 Musician-in-Residence cellist Bryan Cheng, joins the prize-winning Balourdet Quartet—who wowed our Halifax audience just a couple of years ago—for a captivating evening of chamber music that bridges the sensuous sound world of French Impressionism and the emotional depth of the Viennese Romantic tradition. The program features Maurice Ravel’s luminous “String Quartet in F major,” a piece renowned for its shimmering textures, rhythmic vitality, and refined harmonic palette. Equally compelling is Franz Schubert’s monumental “String Quintet in C major,” widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements in the chamber music repertoire—introspective, expansive, and rich with lyrical beauty. Cheng, known for his interpretive insight and expressive range, brings added resonance to Schubert’s poignant score, while the Balourdet Quartet delivers performances marked by warmth, clarity, and a deep sense of ensemble connection. Together, these five string players offer a richly layered musical experience that balances structure with spontaneity, lightness with gravity, and precision with heart.

Halifax Queer Ensemble

Friday, May 15 at 7:00pm

The Halifax Queer Ensemble began in 2018 and after a brief hiatus in 2020/23, is back making music and building community. The ensemble is directed by professional musicians, Jessica Amador and Jacob Caines who guide the group of musicians through a wide variety of repertoire that has included ABBA, Sam Smith, The Beach Boys, Tchaikovsky, Hamilton, and everything in between.

The ensemble brings together Queer musicians of all experiences and interests. The group includes beginners in their first couple years of playing, as well as pros who are excited to bring their skills into an entirely Queer space for the first time. “The group is much more concerned with building strong community bonds and making music together with friends than playing at the highest level or being an elitist orchestra.” says co-director Jessica. “The classical music world comes with a lot of baggage for Queer people and we are really striving to make playing in an ensemble a fun and joyful experience.”

All are welcome at Saint Andrew's

Sunday Service: 10:30am

Office Hours

Monday - Friday 9:00am -1:00pm

Contact & Newsletter Submissions

(902) 422-3157

info@saintandrewshfx.ca