E-ssentials: Moderator's Easter Message, Good Friday Service Invitation, Holy Week Worship Resources, and more

Moderator's Easter Message This year's Easter message is a unique take on the Easter story after Mary Magdelene's visit to the tomb. Eavesdrop on a conversation between Mary and the disciple Peter on what she saw, or didn't see. (Written by Moderator Richard Bott—and thank you to Alydia Smith for her participation!)   Invitation to Worship: Moderator's Good Friday Service On the morning of April 2, join the Moderator and members of the General Council Executive for a Good Friday service on the United Church's YouTube channel. We will gather online to remember stories of Jesus' final hour, and sing and pray together. Find out more.   Annual Declaration: Reminder   It’s no joke! 2021 annual declarations for ministry personnel open this Thursday, April 1, until June 30. Also no joke: if you make your declaration (about whether you’ve had criminal charges in the last year or not) each year, you never have to get a police records check again! Plus, it’s free and only takes a few minutes, by logging in to ChurchHub.ca (just remember to use Chrome or Edge as your browser; do not use Safari). Need help accessing ChurchHub? Please contact ministry@united-church.ca.   LifeSpeak's April Campaign: Getting Your House in Order Life tends to spring surprises on us from time to time. And while we can’t plan for everything, LifeSpeak’s four-week campaign (starting on April 5) wants to give you a jump start at organizing your affairs to "Get Your House in Order." LifeSpeak has gathered extensive knowledge from their experts into four categories to help you get organized: Week 1: Getting your finances in order  Week 2: Getting your work life in order Week 3: Getting your health in order  Week 4: Maintaining your good habits Find out more about the campaign. Be sure to also join the “Ask the Expert” conversation with Shannon Lee Simmons and Bob Gavlak, Certified Financial Planners, on April 21 at 12:00 p.m. EDT. The French version will be with Jean-François Rousseau on April 22 at 12:00 p.m. EDT—you can find out more about it here. This wellness campaign is available exclusively on the website. It’s not accessible on the mobile app.   Stories of Our Mission: Work Brings New Life: Jesse's Story Part 2   Supporting job training and employment programs has never been more important than it is today. Because of the pandemic, 114 million more jobs were lost in 2020 than in 2019—that’s four times more jobs than were lost during the global financial crisis in 2009. Your gifts through Mission & Service support programs that help people like Jesse find meaningful employment and renewed life. It’s one of the ways we can participate in God’s holy, resurrecting work every day. [Photo credit: Stella's Circle]   Sign Up to the United Church Bookstore Newsletter! Sign up today and be among the first to hear about special book launches (we had two in the last month) and great offerings like the new GO! Project curriculums—why not try their Easter lesson for free! [Photo credit: Adam Solomon on Unsplash]   Worship Resources  See our Worship Resources for upcoming Sundays and special celebrations. April 1 - Maundy Thursday April 2 - Good Friday Morning Service: "From the Table to the Cross," with Moderator Richard Bott and members of the General Council Executive April 3 - Holy Saturday April 4 - Easter/Resurrection Sunday Facebook Twitter Website Email Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Our gifts for Mission & Service bring healing, justice, and hope to life. Donate today.

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