Churches, Denominations and Religions: Embracing the Spirit: Virtual Camp, Rural Church Solutions, and more!

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Embracing the Spirit: Virtual Camp, Rural Church Solutions, and more!

For information about The United Church of Canada’s response and policies regarding COVID19, please visit the church's website for official updates.

Summer Camp in 2020

We knew that summer camp wasn't going to be the same this year. What we didn’t know was what it was going to look like!

Summer camp is a critical ministry of The United Church of Canada; it's a time of growth for the campers, and building new relationships that last a lifetime. It's a place where it's okay to be 'me.' With COVID-19, summer camps have been concerned that this life changing opportunity was going to be lost for so many children and youth.

Some summer camps have decided to close; some have taken this as an opportunity to do renovations and capital improvements, while others have decided to explore what camp can look like online.

Camp Menesetung discerned that the heart of their camp was relationships, so it become imperative that they continued to build those relationships. In the spring they created Club Connect to experiment and explore what was possible online. They ran this for seven weeks doing approximately two activities a day. The best part of this was that the alumni were actively involved, and this created community for the youth and young adult staff (and former staff) while connecting with children.

This was a great trial and put Camp Menesetung in a good spot to decide to do summer programming. Watch the whole story to find out what they have planned and what they're already doing.

[Photo by Josh Campbell on Unsplash]

Neighbourhood App

Communities of faith are often the hub of the neighbourhood. Connections through MacKay United Church have led to the development of a fascinating new app as they seek out creative expressions in the 'new normal'. They are halfway through the app's development; it's a 'locative walk' around the MacKay neighbourhood of historic Ottawa. The soundtrack is from their music and meditation ministry (which is jazz and spoken word). They are constantly learning and collaborating locally as well as with Film Studies staff from York University.

Rural Connect

Rural congregations are facing enormous challenges. Many of them exist in communinties where the social fabric is unraveling and being re-woven. This is a critical time in which our culture is re-shaping the ways it is organized.

The rural church has gifts to offer; The United Church of Canada in particular, as our rural communities negotiate how “the neighbour” and “the stranger/the other” will be included in the new shape of our communities. The United Church has a long tradition and practice of ensuring that those who have been marginalized are given a voice and a place. It operates out of the conviction that concern for and care of the neighbour (especially the most vulnerable) are foundational elements to thriving communities, abundant life.

The rural church also has gifts to offer to those who are seeking to connect with God. We witness to a God who is worthy of one’s trust and commitment; a God who enters into our pain and suffering with redemptive, transformative power. The re-shaping of our culture needs these gifts desperately. Enormous strength, courage, and leadership is being required of our congregations as they respond to the challenges of our day. We need each other. We need to be connected with each other. Rural Connect works to provide an infrastructure that is appropriate and adequate for the challenge.

In response to a resolution passed at the 43rd General Council, Rural Connect has been established to support rural congregations through the use of technology. Using the model of a hub church partnering with satellite churches, a cluster of congregations are joined together for a fully interactive, live worship service with participation from all of the partner churches. All the technology is controlled by the hub/host church, and the satellite/partner churches receive a box with all the equipment fully configured and ready to go – they don’t even need internet.

Check out the website to learn more and apply.

[Photo by John Reed on Unsplash]

Embracing the Spirit is a learning network and innovation fund. It offers funding and support for innovation ideas hatched out of faith communities and communities in ministry. Some of the stories and best practices that are happening throughout The United Church of Canada are shared in this newsletter.

If you have an idea that you want to launch, reach out and tell us about it! Proposal deadlines are quarterly, and due on the 15th of the month: January, April, July and October. Find out more.