Tuesday, August 18, 2026

RNS Morning Report - As ICE closes in, Ohio churches line up families to care for Haitian kids left behind

RNS Morning Report Desktop
 

Top Stories

As ICE closes in, Ohio churches line up families to care for Haitian kids left behind

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (RNS) — In Springfield, Ohio, ICE shifts tactics to stealth raids and ankle monitors. Churches are responding by helping Haitian parents line up temporary caregivers, preparing for the worst.

How a trans activist and a priest are creating inclusion in India’s Catholic Church

CHENNAI, India (RNS) — Earlier this year, the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore launched the first sustained initiative by India’s Catholic Church to minister to and engage with transgender people.
 
 
 

Opinion

We should treat foreigners like Jesus did

(RNS) — In talking to the Canaanite woman, Jesus sounds like Donald Trump and JD Vance.

ICYMI

Texas barbecue is getting a halal makeover

FORT WORTH, Texas (RNS) — As anti-Muslim rhetoric rises in Texas, Muslim pitmasters are winning over diners and reshaping one of the state's most iconic culinary traditions.

A Jewish scholar of Jesus makes history as president of the Catholic Biblical Association

(RNS) — The New Testatment scholar has had a lifelong fascination with all things Catholic and has devoted her life's work to understanding Jesus as a first-century Jew.
 
 

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E-ssentials: Take Action for Peace, Put Your Community on the Map, and more!

Children of Al-Taybeh Live In Fear From Settler Harassment and Violence

An Easter procession in Taybeh, 2023. Father Bashar Fawadleh holding two lit candles walking by people gathered for Easter in Taybeh

[Image credit: Wikimedia/Shai Kendler]
 

Father Bashar Fawadleh, Latin Parish priest in Taybeh—the last remaining Christian village in the West Bank—is sounding the alarm about escalating Israeli settler violence and harassment. He says children are terrified, and those travelling to and from schools in Ramallah face unsafe roads. Earlier this month, the Israeli military closed Taybeh to non-residents in response to the settler attacks.

This place of deep significance to Christians has endured attacks, arson, harassment, and shootings. Father Fawadleh stresses that diplomatic visits alone are not enough.

Read the full news story, visit the Take Action webpage to advocate for a just peace in Palestine and Israel, and share the Prayer for the Peoples of the Middle East.

Read the full news story

40th Anniversary of Church Apology to Indigenous Peoples Commemorated in Sudbury

People gathered and seated for The 40th anniversary commemoration of the 1986 Apology to Indigenous Peoples at Laurentian University, Sudbury

[Image credit: Kim Uyede-Kai]
 

Forty years after The United Church of Canada’s 1986 Apology to Indigenous Peoples, more than 100 people gathered in Sudbury to remember, witness, and recommit to the work of reconciliation.

The Rev. Kellie McComb reflected on attending the original Apology as a member of the 31st General Council Youth Forum. The Very Rev. Dr. Stan McKay spoke of the Apology as a covenant and emphasized the importance of consultation with Indigenous peoples.

Participants also reflected on a question posed by Anishnaabe Elder Art Solomon after the original Apology: “What are you going to do about it?” They responded by painting commitments on stones and adding them to the commemorative cairn—a reminder that reconciliation calls for continual, meaningful action.

Read the full news story.

Read the full news story

2026 Map of 100 Tables Is Growing!

100 Tables map with colourful picnic tables around it

[Image credit: The United Church of Canada]


The 100 Tables map is growing—and there’s a place for your community.

Launched for The United Church of Canada’s Centennial, 100 Tables transformed picnic tables across the country into vibrant spaces of welcome, creativity, service, and connection. More than 115 gatherings brought neighbours together in 2025, expressing a bold promise of love and belonging.

Now, 100 Tables is carrying that spirit into the church’s second century. Through food, art, conversation, and acts of service, communities of faith are creating places where everyone can feel seen, valued, and included.

Explore the 2026 Map of 100 Tables—then plan your event and put your community on the map!

View the 2026 100 Tables Map!

Sign the Petition: Stand Up for Palestinian Children’s Rights


“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Mathew 5:9 

Please sign this e-petition calling on the Government of Canada to take concrete steps to protect Palestinian children facing violence on a daily basis, detention without charges or a fair trial, and even death.
 
Join the ecumenical network of Canadians saying, "Canada, Stand Up for Palestinian Children's Rights."
 
Note: after signing the petition, an email will be sent to confirm your signature. To ensure your action has impact, please ensure you follow up immediately and click the link sent to your email.
Sign the Petition

New Webinar! The United Church of Canada Network for Migrant Justice

Network for Migrant justice, and image depicting multi coloured hands reacing for the earth

                                                        [Image credit: The United Church of Canada]
 

Are you passionate about migrant justice and supporting newcomers as they build their lives in Canada? The United Church of Canada’s Migrant Justice Network connects migrants and allies to share information, discuss intersecting issues, support one another, and help inform the church’s work. The network meets quarterly, with upcoming online sessions on October 14 and November 24, 2026.

Learn more and join the Migrant Justice Network.

Register today on CHURCHx

Mission and Service Stories: Faithful Futures

Youth Smiling and looking happy with a paint splattered wall behind them at the Hub
[Image credit: The Hub Community Network]
 

Across Southern Ontario, The Hub Community Network is helping youth and young adults find connection, explore faith, and experience God’s inclusive love. With support from Mission and Service, The Hub creates welcoming communities through churches, camps, small groups, worship, and online gatherings—and helps congregations build lasting relationships with young people.

Read the full Mission and Service story and give generously to support ministries that create spaces of belonging for young people.

Read the Mission and Service story

The United Church Bookstore: Wear Orange in Remembrance and Solidarity

[Image credit: The United Church of Canada]
 
Orange Shirt Day, on September 30, is a day to honour Residential School Survivors, remember those who did not return home, and affirm that Every Child Matters.

We invite you to order and wear this bilingual shirt featuring the Every Child Matters / Chaque Enfant Compte trademark and The United Church of Canada crest. Wearing an Orange Shirt is one way to participate in acts of remembrance, reflection, learning, and solidarity within your community of faith and beyond.

As The United Church of Canada, we acknowledge the harms caused by the residential school system and the ongoing impacts on First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. We remain committed to walking the path of truth, justice, healing, and right relations with Indigenous Peoples through continued learning and meaningful action.

EVERY CHILD MATTERS is a trademark owned by the Orange Shirt Society and is used under license. These shirts are sold at cost; prices reflect the base garment and printing production costs.
Get your Orange Shirt today!

Worship Resources

See our Worship Resources for upcoming Sundays and special celebrations.

Thirteenth after Pentecost - August 23, 2026
Fourteenth after Pentecost - August 30, 2026
Fifteenth after Pentecost - September 6, 2026
Creation Time 1 - September 13, 2026
Creation Time 2 - September 20, 2026
World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel - September 20, 2026
Creation Time 3 - September 27, 2026
Orange Shirt Sunday - September 27, 2026

For more inspiring worship ideas and resources, subscribe to GatheringWorship.ca.
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