Ralph Connor Memorial
United Church
Weekly
Kindly submit your Newsletter items to office@ralphconnor.ca by Thursday at 11:00 AM
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Wednesday, June 10th is the 95th anniversary of Church union - the 95th birthday of The United Church of Canada! This hymn stanza for "Union Sunday" is offered by Catherine MacLean:
Emerging, united, we speak our prayers,
step up where the Spirit dares:
celebrating a church that leads
open to truth and faithful deeds.
Bless this day as we recall
mission for the good of all
justice, peace, and dignity:
holy vision of what will be.
(tune: Voices United 669)
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Friday, June 5, 2020
FOR THIS WEEK'S WORSHIP
COME FOR COFFEE!!
After Worship this Sunday, June 7th, join us by Zoom for virtual "coffee and conversation" at roughly 10:45 AM. Everyone on our "Instant Church Directory" list will be receiving a Zoom link by email; if you have not received this link by noon today (Friday, June 5) - OR - if you're not in our Directory but would like to join us for a virtual face to face visit - please email Greg at
minister@ralphconnor.ca and we'll send you the link!
Thank you to everyone who participated in last week's virtual Communion service...and thanks in advance to everyone who will join us for a virtual chat this Sunday. We don't want to have a bunch of gimmicks on Sunday but we are looking for ways to stay connected in Worship. Your willingness to try new ideas is appreciated, and new ideas are welcomed!!
Scripture Lesson for
Sunday, June 7 is
Ephesians 4: 1-16
click here~
Wednesday night Evensong at 7:15 pm,
is being done as a live “Zoom” event – watc
h for your Monday/Tuesday Evensong email for details. (And if you don’t receive the Evensong email, contact
jan.tissandier@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list!!)
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RCMUC now has two prayer circles! Monday-Wednesday-Friday, our Healing Pathway Ministry gathers in prayer, and Tuesday morning at 9 AM, an online "Morning Prayer" time is held. If you know of someone that is going through difficult times and would like to be included in our prayers, please contact
Sue Nichols
403-678-7025 or
And...if you would like to participate in our Tuesday morning gathering, send Rev. Greg an email at
minister@ralphconnor.ca and he will make sure you get a Zoom link.
We request that the person gives consent to have their name mentioned in prayer as privacy/confidentiality is of utmost importance. We also would appreciate knowing when the situation changes and we can release them from our prayers or update the prayer to a changing need.
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FUNDING OUR MISSION
a Message from your Stewardship Committee
A heartfelt thank you to RCMUC friends for your generosity during these challenging times. We continue to receive an outpouring of kindnesses and generosity, which helps us to pay our ongoing expenses and reach out to others in our community.
Thank you to everyone who has signed up for PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance) - this is a great help in providing predictable income each month for RCMUC. A link to sign up for PAR is found at the bottom of this Newsletter.
We appreciate the additional donations that have been coming in since mid-March; contributions may be made by any of the following methods:
- An eTransfer is the easiest and quickest of all and without fees or nominal fees, sent to office@ralphconnor.ca
- the DONATE NOW button - found on the front page of the ralphconnor.ca website, and linked at the bottom of this page, is an easy way to help our cashflow stay healthy.
- A cheque in the mail will also be warmly received.
Donations will be assumed to be a donation to "general funds" unless otherwise indicated.
Thank you, all, for your continued support of the ministry of Ralph Connor Memorial United Church.
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Each day at
7:00 PM
, you are invited to step out onto your balcony or deck and make some happy sounds in appreciation of the efforts made by medical personnel and others providing essential services.
Now that the sanctuary floor has been refinished, the bells of RCMUC will be happily ringing, 7 days a weeks. In addition to front-line personnel, we also thank those who have faithfully committed to ringing our Church bells.
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The sanctuary has been freshly painted and the floors sanded and refinished. Such a beautiful update, in these days when we still need to be away from our beloved 1891 sacred space.
At this point we're not doing a formal fundraising campaign... but if you do feel drawn to donate, note "building fund - floors" on your donation and we'll get it to the right budget line.
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An ongoing thank you to our "Care Contact" phoners and "Care Courier" errand/delivery team, for doing such wonderful outreach in keeping us connected to one another. If you are showing any cold/flu symptoms at all and need something from the store, please do not “pop out” to get it. Let us know what you need (via Greg or the Office or your Care Contact) and we will arrange a Care Courier to bring it to you.
If you are not on one of our contact lists and would like to be added, just send a note to Barb Profitt at
bprofitt@shaw.ca
and she will add you to a list.
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Ongoing Ministries
& Community Programs
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Children's Church
We hope that the children of RCMUC are finding ways to remain healthy and happy, and that the extra challenges of schoolwork-at-home are getting easier for families with the passage of time. If children would like to submit artwork that we could use in our Sunday online services, we would like that very much! We'd be happy to receive drawings of favourite things that you are doing these days...or things you look forward to doing again...or favourite animals that you see (from a safe distance!) when you are outside...or for Father's Day, a drawing of your Father or Grandfather doing something that you enjoy doing with them...whatever you'd like to send us! Please send to office@ralphconnor.ca - or drop it off in the mailbox at the side of the Church. Thank you!!
Canmore Young Adult Network - CYAN
Tara offers community yoga lessons on Wednesday nights via Facebook,
click here~ with hundreds of followers: CYAN’s Facebook page also has a great collection of information regarding employment, and government support benefit programs.
Bow Valley Syria Refugee Project - BVSRP
The BVSRP remains in close contact with Dana and Wa'ill, who remain in Malaysia until international travel restrictions are lifted. We look forward to welcoming them into the Canmore community.
Community Food & Friends
As of Thursday, June 4th, Food & Friends will be serving TWO nights a week rather than just one, with meal delivery on Monday and Thursday. See their Facebook page for details and contact
foodandfriends2020@gmail.com if you would like to receive a meal or would like to volunteer as a driver. Many thanks to the Iron Goat restaurant for their ongoing partnership in this expanded venture.
Community Groups at RCMUC
The Alpine Voices Threshold Choir
jan.tissandier@gmail .com group has continued to gather online via Zoom. "High Strung" Ukulele group had gathered online via Zoom, please email Donna or Marsh Kennedy
dmkennedy11@gmail.com if you'd like more information about the Ukulele group.
Other Initiatives
Rather than posting a comprehensive listing of websites and ongoing local initiatives in each week's newsletter, Go to
click here~
and you will have an abundance of information. If there are new initiatives that come to our attention - or substantial changes to ongoing programs - we will note those in the Newsletter.
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Opportunities for
Learning & Reflection
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Right Relations Opportunities in June
June 2020 is Indigenous Heritage Month! Each week, the RCMUC Newsletter will feature a fresh event listing for events coming up that week.
Every Sunday in June at 2 PM, explore the foundations of the Indigenous Church in the United Church of Canada. On June 7, Rev Bernice Saulteaux will present Foundations: Indigenous Women's Spirituality. To register for this online event, contact
right.relations@hillhurstunited.com
Tuesdays, from 6:30 – 8:30 PM, Community Drumming For Women, Youth, and Two Spirit Voices. Chantal Chagnon will host the community gathering each week, sharing songs, stories and her drums. Join us for one Tuesday session, or many. To register for this online event:
Chantal@Cree8.ca
Rendez-Vous Reimagined
Open Out
Rev. Bill Millar, RCMUC’s “Sabbatical Minister” in the spring of 2019, has continued to post podcasts at
http://openout.ca/ to help listeners “develop a sense of compassionate curiosity about the changing cultural landscape of Canada.” Wherever you are on this journey – from curious, all the way to continuing a process that is well under way – Bill has podcasts waiting for you! the most recent episode is entitled "De-shuttering worship (1) - a deep dive into worship with the other 90%!"- see
https://www.buzzsprout.com/917410/3994214
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Many thanks to Robin Slater for offering "Robin's Web" as a feature in our Newsletter, as part of our efforts to be a more broadly inclusive Community of Faith.
ROBIN'S WEB
CONNECTING DIVERSITY
At a time when demonizing those who are not yet with us is commonplace and the political discourse is becoming more polarized as the bonds of our civilized world are being severed, insisting on seeing the humanity of others even when you despise their behaviour, is a radical political act. Become curious. Ask not what is wrong with someone you don’t agree with, but rather what is driving them to support policies and misinformation that is so hurtful to others. The priest who wrote “On Eagle’s Wings,” one of the most popular Christian songs in the hymnal, has penned a new tune inspired by the coronavirus world pandemic. Titled “Shelter Me,” the new hymn touches on themes of social isolation and uncertainty, based on the text of Psalm 23. Send it to all the people you know who don’t understand the Zen paradox of winning against this pandemic; it will not be a visible and strident warrior’s defeat but rather a quiet undetected steadfastness in principles of wellness where success arrives without the fanfare of a victory parade.
St. John of the Cross gives a few helpful tips to those struggling with solitude in Sayings of Light and Love. The key is to accept the solitude you experience and strive to listen to God as he seeks to teach you. Draw closer to God in solitude. The further you withdraw from earthly things the closer you approach heavenly things and the more you find in God!
June 1-7 Humainologie is hosting Empathy Week, a seven-day digital festival of events that promote empathy, human connection, and the recognition of our shared humanity.
Click here for schedule
June 5 at 6:00 p.m. THIRD ACTion Film Festival invites you to join the Alberta Seniors' Week Watch Party for an evening of film and talk.
Register here
June 9 at 11:00 a.m Join the webinar, Creating a Culture of Equity and Reconciliation,
Register here
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OFFICE CONTACTS
The Church Offices are closed, but emails and phone messages will be retrieved Tuesday-Friday. Note: You may still use letter mail via Canada Post, or drop mail off at the church side entrance. Mail is picked up and distributed weekly.
Administration
: Trish Campney
Minister: Rev. Greg Wooley
Music Director:
Tanya Sullivan
To print a
Preauthorized Remittance Form
To print a
Cheque Requisition Form
To make a donation to RCMUC through the
"Canada Helps"
organization
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Ralph Connor Memorial United Church
617 Main Street, Canmore, Alberta, T1W 2B1
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