NUC Weekly News and Notes

*New start time for church:  10:15 am

*Rev Simba can be reached at:   unitedinspiritclergy@outlook.com

*Our new email address for the church:  nivervilleunited@outlook.com

Heritage Moment

On June 10 of this year the United Church of Canada will celebrate 100 years. Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting some of the significant historical happenings. How do you squeeze ten decades of history into a few weeks? That’s why you will hear about some of the happenings. You may have memories of your own to add to the ones we will share.

Let’s begin by looking back. In the early 1920’s, Presbyterian, Congregational and Methodist congregations within Canada began to explore the possibility of joining together as one Canada-wide denomination. This was to address the duplication of buildings and resources, and with the hope of blending into a stronger unified body.

Here in Western Canada, it was already happening. Did you know that, in 1908, Methodists and Presbyterians in Melville, Saskatchewan joined together, calling themselves “First Union Church”. This is generally considered to be the first such union. In 1909 they constructed a building and in years to follow the congregation flourished. It became a case study for Church Unionists, helping to foster the development of other Union Churches across the country. In 1925, following several years of discussions and negotiations among Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists, the United Church of Canada was formed. In 1968 the Evangelical United Brethren also joined the union.

The formation of the United Church of Canada involved an “Act of Parliament” which granted the newly formed church a charter, establishing it as a legal entity, allowing it to own property, enter into contracts and conduct its affairs. This Act also addressed how property previously held by the merging denominations would be transferred to and held by the United Church, and it incorporated the “Basis of Union,” which outlines the church’s theological principles, governance structure and other core aspects. 

In addition to the federal Act, many provinces also passed legislation to address the specifics of property transfers and other matters within their jurisdictions. Over time, amendments have been made to both federal and provincial legislation to reflect changes in the church’s structure and processes. The federal Act of Parliament was amended in April of 2019 to reflect changes to the church’s governance structure approved by the 43^rd General Council following the remit process. Similar amendments were made by the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

Back to the beginning … on June 10^th, at the Mutual Street Arena in Toronto, over 7000 people witnessed the official joining together (except for 38% of the Presbyterians who opted out of the union). The Rev George Pidgeon, formerly a Presbyterian, became the first moderator of the United Church of Canada. There were 250 in the choir, 350 commissioners, three of whom were women.

Can you imagine 7000 voices raised in singing? Could any of them imagine all that would happen during the next 100 years?

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May 4, 2025

If you know of someone who could use the blessing of a prayer shawl, please contact Ellen or Roxanne!

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Did you order a UCC Centennial Book? If so, the books have arrived and are located in the church foyer…price is $12.00. Upon pick up, please place your money in the envelope and cross off your name from the list.

Niverville Helping Hands is in need of donations now.  The family hampers are now at 47 families; receiving hampers twice a month. This is double the amount since 2020. Any non-perishable food contributions are be gratefully appreciated. If you don’t know what to bring,  Cheques can be made payable to Niverville Helping Hands and mailed to  Niverville Helping Hands, Box 1201, Niverville MB R0A 1E0 .  This would be a great help. Heather  will be happy to forward anything to Helping Hands. Blessings to all who can contribute to this cause.

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Joint Ministry Project

Exciting News! The equipment for live streaming for the Joint Ministry Project with Steinbach UC is in operation. This is a special time for our church family as we move forward with our friends from Steinbach in this joint ministry.

If you would like to make a donation, it can be done by cheque or etransfer (please note that it is for “Joint Ministry Project”). Etransfer address:  nivervilleunited@outlook.com

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Niverville Service to Seniors:  Heart to Home Meals are a healthy and convenient way to ensure you or your family members are receiving balanced nutrition at an affordable price! These meals were created specifically with seniors in mind! Many delicious options to choose from including a special diet section for folks with dietary restrictions! The order deadline is every two weeks. Order as little or as many as you want, no commitments! Meals come frozen and in a convenient microwave/oven friendly package. Call Fred to order or to get your own free brochure, 1-888-216-1067. Credit card or cheque only! Delivery is always the day after ordering around 11 am!

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The invasion of Ukraine is costing precious lives and creating a humanitarian crisis as people flee to safety. You can help. Right now, people are urgently in need of shelter, clean water, food and medical attention. The United Church of Canada M&S is committed to working in partnership with ACT Alliance and the Canadian Food grains Bank.

As part of the UC’s Emergency Response Fund, 100% of your donation goes directly to emergency relief, with 85% of your donation responding to this designated emergency and 15% responding to future emergencies that do not receive intense medical coverage. Donation to M&S enable the UC to cover all the costs of emergency response work without deducting any fees from your donation.

If you wish to send a cheque to the UCC, please be sure to note, “Emergency response – Ukraine” on the face of your cheque. (For donations to Turkey, note on your cheque: “Emergency response – Turkiye”)  

The United Church of Canada

Philanthropy Unit – Emergency Response

3250 Bloor Street West, Suite 200

Toronto, ON M8 2Y4

This address can also be used for your donations to Turkiye (Turkey)

Earthquake in Turkey

On Feb 6^th, a series of powerful earthquakes struck southern Turkiye, near the border with Syria. The quakes caused extensive damage and loss of lives. At the time of this writing, the death toll has surpassed 20,000 people, and thousands more are missing. The winter weather makes the situation even more dire for people who are without shelter, warm clothes, blanket water and food. Some of the people affected by the earthquake were already displaced by conflict.

Today, people need emergency shelter, blankets, mattresses, clean water, food and hygiene products.

We join M&S partners, the Middle East Council of Churches, ACT Alliance, the Canadian Food grains Bank and the Humanitarian Coalition to show tangible support for the people of Turkiye and Syria.

Online donation via secure page – United Church of Canada website.

Phone: 416-231-5931 or toll free 1-800-268-3781, ext 2738 to use your Visa or Mastercard.

Next Council meeting will be April 30, 2025…please contact any member of council if you wish to have an issue/concern addressed at this meeting.

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In-person: masks will be made optional, however, council strongly recommends the continued wearing of masks due to the lack of fresh air circulation in our church. If you are not feeling well or have been in close contact with someone with covid, please stay home.