 Celebrating an anniversary is often an opportunity to make connections, renew friendships, and sometimes even build new relationships.
How many times have you attended family gatherings where distant relatives met for the first time and discovered a shared history? The bonds become stronger when we celebrate and honour our interconnections.
This is also true for the family we call The United Church of Canada. Congregations and diverse community ministries span this country from coast to coast to coast. Our global partners and overseas personnel extend our family ties around the world. From urban centres to small towns to rural and remote communities, we are all connected.
On June 10, The United Church of Canada’s 85th Anniversary was a time to remember, renew, rejoice, - and make new connections!
Thank you to all the volunteers and staff who helped to make the 85th Anniversary Worship Service of The United Church of Canada such a wonderful celebration. The sextons prepared the church inside and out to look its best; the ushers and greeters extended a warm welcome to all our United Church “relatives” visiting from congregations far and wide. Ministers and musicians contributed to the liveliness and warmth of the worship; the bread bakers and Communion Ministry prepared and presented a meaningful meal with special bread prepared from flour from across our nation. And the Hospitality Committee completed the evening with a “wow” of a reception.
Islington has been paired with Petite Rivière Pastoral Charge in Petite Rivière, Nova Scotia (located on the south shore between Bridgewater and Shelburne). Mark Aitchison will be in touch with this congregation but we’d like to do more. Michael Shewburg and the youth created a video about Islington to send to our “relatives” in Petite Rivière. We are also sending the folks a book of messages from us.
Making Connections also allowed the entire United Church to share a Common Loaf for Communion on Anniversary Sunday, June 6. |
