AUC Weekly Newsletter from Rev. Heather for September 12, 2024

Hello All: 

It’s Thursday again and what a beautiful day it is!

Last Sunday the AUC congregation unanimously passed the Congregational Profile to be passed on to the Region. 

Many thanks to the hardworking and diligent team who assembled the Profile. I’ll keep you posted as the process unfolds. 

Life is gearing up here at Almonte United church: Our wonderful Sunday School children return this Sunday as well as our dedicated Choir and Organist. And of course a calendar filled with meetings is always a sign of ‘return to normal!

This Sunday our scripture lesson is Mark 9:30-37. It’s a wonderful story about adults arguing about greatness and Jesus enfolding a little child in his arms. 

Please read the important notice at the bottom of this newsletter; hopefully the culprits will be found soon before more damage is done!

Enjoy this beautiful weather!

Fondest wishes from Rev. Heather🙏

IMPORTANT Scam Alert : The United Church of Canada has posted the following on their social media: We’ve become aware of a phishing scam currently targeting United Churches. You might receive e-mails, text messages, or phone calls that appear to be legitimate asking for a change of banking information etc. . We at Almonte United Church have not been targeted at the same time. We will remain vigilant. There are police investigations underway with respect to phone calls etc. targeting individuals and their financial information. We are alerting you about this so you may be prepared if you are contacted. If you are contacted, please advise the office and/or the police.

Hello All: 

What a beautiful autumn day! Here at the church, we’ve been joined by a large group of cyclists from Kanata who stopped at AUC for a break and lunch. Oh, to be filled with so much strength and stamina!

So what’s going on here this week: 

This Sunday we are voting on a new member to the Board of Trustees, and The Congregational Profile which has been assembled by a dedicated group of volunteers. This profile is a necessary and preliminary step in our search for a new minister. We will be voting on the profile immediately after worship so coffee time will be in the pews; please plan to stay for these very important votes.

In keeping with our Profile, I have chosen as our scripture lesson, 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 where Paul writes about the various gifts of the Spirit . 

This is your last chance to see the marvelous tree made entirely of single use plastics before it’s dismantled; it was made by our Youth Group and we thank them for their creativity and enthusiasm. 

I hope you are able to enjoy all of the activities going on in Almonte this weekend; what a great community we live in including Almonte United Church!

I need to sign off, Virginia is waiting for this!

Blessings, Rev Heather🙏🌻🦋😍💕

Good Day to All:

It’s Thursday again…and not just any Thursday but the end of summer holidays and very soon, the beginning of school, choir, Sunday School, meetings, etc. The September calendar is already beginning to look very busy! What’s going on this Sunday: Our scripture lesson is from the Epistle of James where the writer states that “faith without works is dead.” Indeed, it’s a privilege to work with so many faithful people who are so generous in giving of their talents and time! So we will celebrate God’s work among us and our own works of faith. 

I hope you have an opportunity to enjoy this Labour Day weekend. Take really good care of each other💕

Blessings to all, 

Rev. Heather🙏🙏

Hello All:

Everything seems to be pointing towards autumn: the cool, dewy mornings; the tasseled corn in the fields; and of course, the busy process of getting children off to university, college and school. I hope you have an opportunity to enjoy the last of these August days and nights. 

What’s Going on This Sunday:

We are hosting our good friends from Community Presbyterian Church at 10:30 am. 

The scripture lesson is Ephesians 6:10-20 where the writer suggests we should wear God’s qualities (truth, peace, faith, etc.) like armour. 

Nick and Dini Frans have been graciously hosting our after worship hospitality. If you are able, please plan to give Nick a hand this Sunday (Dini is away); also if you can contribute something to the goodie tray, please bring it along for sharing. 

As you know, our diligent search committee and others have assembled the AUC congregational profile needed for calling a new minister. This profile needs the authorization of the congregation. You will be receiving the profile via email next week; please read it; we will be voting on the profile at a congregational meeting after worship on Sunday, September 8th. 

If you are able, I hope you can enjoy this sunny day. 

Rev. Heather 🙏😍🦋

Greetings from Mennonite Country
 

Hello All: 

I’m enjoying some time in Stratford Country where the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye and the various kinds of blooming hydrangeas are simply glorious. I hope you are having an opportunity to enjoy some August beauty too.

What’s On This Sunday:

Rev. Matt Gallinger will be leading worship at 10:30. He has led worship at AUC before and always brings an inspirational message. 

Sunday, August 25th at 10:30: 

We will be hosting our good friends of the Community Presbyterian Church so plan to join us in this ecumenical service. 

Enjoy the Puppets Up Festival this weekend….it’s such an awesome event in the Almonte community.

Take very good care of each other!

Fondest greetings, Heather 🙏

Hello Friends:

Now wasn’t that another big rain? I haven’t seen any arks in the area yet but it maybe soon time to think about building one! And we’d need to think about who and what we would/wouldn’t include…a real dilemma for sure! 

What’s going on This Sunday at AUC at 10:30 am:

We’re going to enjoy a “Singing Sunday” with some of the old, favourite hymns. So bring your singing voice (whether high or low, raspy or on key, or maybe none at all) and enjoy the joyful sound we make together. Lemonade and goodies will be served on the lawn after the service. Please plan to join us. 

Many, many thanks to the many people who joined us last Sunday at the Community Presbyterian Church; it was great to see so many AUC people there! And we’ll be hosting CPC on Sunday, August 25th for another joint service. 

Please continue to keep our sick and dying in your prayers…..and also the firefighters and people who have needed to abandon their homes and businesses because of the wildfires. Put in perspective, deluges of rain aren’t so bad after all!

August is soon upon us; enjoy the rest of your summer. 🦋🌺😎🌻

Fondest Wishes to All, Heather🙏

Greetings from supply Minister, Rev. Heather

Hello All: It’s me again! I’ll be looking after you while the wheels are in motion for finding a new full-time minister. While I can never be a true substitute for Rev. Mary, with your prayers and encouragement, I’ll do my very best. It’ll be great to see all of your smiling faces again. 

This Sunday, June 30th, let’s wear our ‘red and white’ in honour of the Canada Day celebrations. 

The scripture lesson is Psalm 139, an affirmation of faith that God is with us always….even in these times of change. 

If you are in need of pastoral care or want to leave me a message, my phone number is (613) 619-5966. 

Enjoy this beautiful long weekend and see you on Sunday!

Blessings from Heather 🙏

P.S. Godspeed, Rev. Mary. We wish you well in your new ministry and will really miss you! 💕💕

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a nice week and finding ways to beat the heat! It is hot out there for sure. 

Keep reading to learn more about:

1. What's Happening This Sunday?

2. Rev. Heather Kincaid - Supply Minister 

1. This Sunday will be Rev Mary's final Sunday as the minister of Almonte United Church. Everyone is welcome to come and join together in saying goodbye. The scripture reading will be John 6: 1-13 the feeding of the five thousand. Following the service you are invited to join in a potluck lunch in the Social Hall. You are invited to bring your own plates and utensils to help save time on cleaning up. 

2. Rev. Heather Kincaid - Rev Heather's first Sunday as the Supply Minister will be Sunday, June 30th. Rev. Heather will be filling in until a new minister is selected and arrives. If you have any pastoral concerns please reach out to her. Her email address is grovesprings@sympatico.ca 

Thanks for reading, See you Sunday,

Mary 

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a nice week. The Movie Night was a hit! It was so fun to come together and watch a movie and eat snacks together. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen! 

Keep reading to learn more about:

1. What's Happening This Sunday?

2. Update on the Veggie Beds 

3. Rev Mary's Final Sunday

1. This Sunday we will be hearing from Psalm 121, one of my all time favorites passages from the Bible, we will also acknowledge Indigenous Peoples Day as part of the service. Following the service there will be a time of coffee and fellowship in the Social Hall. 

2. Update on the Veggie Beds- Please make time for a visit to our raised veggie beds they are in!!  Thank you to all for your generous contributions to this project.  We will soon be inviting the community to share in the bounty of our garden.

3.Rev Mary's Final Service-  My final service as the minister at AUC will be on Sunday, June 23rd. Following the service there will be a potluck lunch. If you can bring along your own plates and cutlery that will save time on cleaning up. My final day in the office will be Thursday, June 27th. I'm looking forward to having a chance to connect with you before I go. Rev. Heather Kinkaid will then be filling in on a temporary basis until a new minister is called. 

Thanks for reading, See you Sunday,

Mary   

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a nice week. What a fun time we had at the Sunday School Celebration last Sunday. Make sure you've checked out the photos on the Facebook page. 

Keep reading to learn more about:

1. What's Happening This Sunday?

2. Rev. Mary's final Sunday

3. Update on the Search for the New Minister

1. This Sunday we are celebrating our 190th anniversary. We will be welcoming Rev. Anne Montgomery from Ottawa to be our guest preacher. Her texts will be 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 and Mark 3:20-35. Following the service there will be cake! Hope to see you on Sunday and why not invite a friend to come along. 

2. Rev. Mary's final Sunday- My last Sunday in the pulpit will be Sunday, June 23rd. Following the service there will be a potluck lunch. More details to follow.

3. Update on the Search for the New Minister- There have been some questions about the search for the new minister. I'll attempt to answer them here but if you have more questions please just ask.

I will finish my role as the minister here at the end of June. The council has asked Rev. Heather Kincaid to fill in on a temporary basis until a new minister can be called. This process will likely take several months. A small committee has been formed to write The Faith Profile for AUC once that is completed the position vacancy can be posted. A Search Committee has also been formed and they will review the resumes and conduct interviews and then make a recommendation to the congregation. Likely then the minister would give 90 days notice in their current role. So the wheels turn somewhat slowly in this process. However it's not necessarily a bad thing. Rev. Heather is here in the meantime and she knows the congregation very well. Also when a minister leaves after twelve years it's wise to have an in between season before the new person arrives. This can allow the congregation to transition and get ready to look to the next season. 

Thanks for reading, See you Sunday,

Mary 

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a nice week. There are lots of exciting things planned for the Sunday School Celebration on Sunday. You will want to be there!!

Keep reading to learn more about:

1. What's Happening This Sunday?

2. Anniversary Sunday

3. Rev. Mary's Last Sunday at AUC

1. This Sunday is the Sunday School Celebration. The children and youth and their teachers have put together a wonderful service. Join us following the service for a time of coffee and fellowship. 

2. Anniversary Sunday- Next Sunday, June the 9th we will be celebrating the 190th anniversary of the Almonte United Church congregation. Our guest speaker will be Rev. Anne Montgomery from Ottawa. 

3. Rev. Mary's Last Sunday at AUC- Save the date for my last Sunday at AUC on Sunday, June 23rd. More details to come. Several folks have asked if I will be able to stay involved in the congregation once I start my new job. The answer is that there are professional ethics and boundaries that I need to observe so while I won't see you around AUC I will definitely still be around town!! 

Thanks for reading, See you Sunday,

Mary r.

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a nice week. And staying cool! A huge thank you to everyone who helped with the Plant Sale. It was a great success! 

Keep reading to learn more about:

1. What's Happening This Sunday?

2. Gardening Opportunity 

3. Sunday School Celebration

4. Anniversary Service 

1. This Sunday we will be hearing once again from the Epistles. We will hear 1 John 4: 7-21 God is Love. Following the service there will be a time of coffee and fellowship in the Social Hall.

2. Gardening Opportunity   Help wanted!

We have plants that need to be culled and flower beds to be turned over to receive new contributions.

After coffee on Sunday, we’ll head out to the yard to start some yard work.   So bring your lunch and shovels and help dig up some of the gardens.   Wear your gardening clothes.   If you can’t or don’t want to dig, come and cheer the rest of us on!   Bring your lunch and a chair,  Supervisors always welcome!    If we need to, we will continue the digging on Monday morning starting around  9 am.  We should be finished before Noon.  Again, supervisors will always be welcome!   Looking forward to digging with you!

3. Sunday School Celebration- On Sunday June 2nd the children will be leading the service as we celebrate another wonderful year of Sunday School. There are lots of exciting things planned and you won't want to miss it. 

4. Anniversary Sunday- We are celebrating the anniversary of Almonte United Church on Sunday, June 9th. We will be welcoming Rev. Anne Montgomery from Ottawa to be our guest preacher. More details to come! 

Thanks for reading, See you Sunday,

Mary 

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a good week. The Plant Sale is on Saturday! Why not invite your friends and neighbours to come with you? 

Keep reading to learn more about:

1. What's Happening This Sunday?

2. Plant Sale this Saturday

3. Refreshments at the Plant Sale

1. This Sunday is Pentecost. We will hear the Pentecost story from Acts 2;1-13 and share in Communion together. Following the service there will be a time of coffee and fellowship. 

2. Plant Sale- Come be a part of the Plant Sale on Saturday starting at 8:00 am.  We will be accepting your donations of plants, seedlings, garden tools and decorations on Friday, May 17th from 1 - 7pm and on Saturday from 7 - 7:30am.   Our doors will open at 8 for all to come and shop.  Jaime Morrison will have her wonderful reversible fabric baskets for sale and John Peters will have his awesome fairy houses for sale.   

3. Plant Sale ‘Brunch to Go’ and Tasty Treats!

Bring your appetite to the plant sale, not just your gardening list! The Likulezi group will be selling beverages and items to eat in, take out or buy in bulk and freeze! Sandwiches, unusual muffins, breakfast egg bites, and donated baked goods.

We would appreciate any baking or other tasty treats you can make and donate. Please drop them off at the church kitchen on Friday afternoon or Saturday by 8am, ideally pre-packaged. We will price them. Contact Laurie if any questions: 613-796-2116 or roadtowisdom@hotmail.com

Thanks for reading, See you at The Plant Sale,

Mary

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a nice week. It's a beautiful day out there! 

Keep reading to learn more about:

1. What's Happening This Sunday?

2. The Plant Sale 

3. Save the Dates for June Special Event! 

1. This Sunday we will continue our journey through the Epistles. We will hear Philippians 1:1-18a, the opening passage of Paul's letter to the church at Philippi. Following the service there will be a time of coffee and fellowship in the Social Hall. 

2. The Plant Sale- It's almost time!! Our second annual Plant Sale is on Saturday May 18th. If you have items to donate or can help with set up on Friday or at the sale on Saturday please speak to Mary Smilie.

3. Save the Dates for June Special Events- There are lots of special things happening around here. Join us on:

Sunday, June 2nd for the Sunday School Celebration service. 

Sunday, June 9th for our Anniversary Service and Potluck lunch

Sunday, June 23rd Celebrating Rev Mary's final Sunday at AUC

Thanks for reading, See you Sunday,

Mary 

Good Morning,

I hope everyone is having a nice week. What an exciting service we had last Sunday!! Thank you to Margie and the Youth Group for all their hard work. I hope you've seen all the photos of us making prayer flags on the Facebook page. So much fun! 

Keep reading to learn more about:

1. What's Happening This Sunday?

2. Church family news: Myrtle Crawford

3. Church family news: Jack Falt 

4. May is PAR Month

1. This Sunday we will continue our journey through the Epistles. We will hear the passage Paul writes about love from 1: Corinthians 13:1-13. Following the service there will be a time of coffee and fellowship in the Social Hall. 

2. Church Family News: Myrtle Crawford It is with sadness that we let the church family know about the death of long time church member Myrtle Crawford. Myrtle was a remarkable woman and lived to be 103. Maytle has been living in Country Haven for the past few years so has not been seen on Sunday mornings. Here is the link to the obituary: https://memorials.crgamble.com/myrtle-crawford/5419529/

3. Church Family News: Jack Falt It is with sadness that we let the church family know about the death of long time church member Jack Falt. Jack along with his wife Doris, who died last year, were both very involved in the life of Almonte United Church over the years. Jack volunteered with Camp Lau-ren as well as being a keen participant in church discussion groups. Jack will be missed by his friends here at AUC, many of whom belonged to a special study group Jack hosted in his home. Here is the link to the obituary  https://millstonenews.com/jack-falt-obituary/

4. May is PAR Month- Are you on PAR? (Pre Authorized Remittance)  Sometimes life’s agenda takes over our best-laid plans. With PAR, you don’t have to worry about writing a cheque or forgetting to donate to the church because life has thrown you a curveball. By signing up for PAR, you make a clear statement of what is important to you. You also give the recipients of your gift the peace of mind that comes with knowing your help is stable and reliable. It's really easy. If you would like to request a PAR form to get set up please speak to Virginia in the office. 

Thanks for reading, See you Sunday,

Mary