E-ssentials: General Council 44, Annual Declaration Reminder, Then Let Us Sing! Submissions, and more.

Welcome to the 44th General Council For the first time in the church’s 97-year history, the General Council will be held completely online in 2022. The 44th General Council starts on February 13, 2022, and continues with a series of gatherings, learning and listening sessions, and decision-making meetings through August 2022. Registration is open by invitation for all Commissioners and alternates as identified by the regional councils, the National Indigenous Council, and the General Council Executive. Visit the GC44 website for more information and key dates. Moderator Richard Bott has shared a prayer on Facebook for GC44 as we prepare to gather.  [Photo credit: The United Church of Canada ] Annual Declaration Reminder! Happy New Year! Don’t celebrate too much, but the 2022 annual declaration for ministry personnel is now open, until May 15, 2022. It’s free and only takes a few minutes—just log in to churchhub.ca to get started (remember that Chrome or Edge are preferred browsers for ChurchHub; Safari is not optimal). If you make your annual declaration (about whether you’ve had criminal charges in the last year or not) each year, you do not need to get a new police records check! Need help accessing ChurchHub? Please contact ministry@united-church.ca.   2023 Call for Calendar Photos    Photographers! We are looking for photos of United Churches from all parts of Canada—urban, suburban, and rural; summer, fall, winter, and spring. Submit online for the 2023 Canadian Church calendar. The deadline has been extended to January 31, 2022. Find out more on the Submit Your Photos webpage. [Image credit: The United Church of Canada] Then Let Us Sing! Submission Deadline: January 15, 2022   A reminder that submissions are being received for Then Let Us Sing! until this Saturday, January 15, 2022. Then Let Us Sing! is a new online musical portal launching in fall 2024. It will contain most of the pieces you’ve come to love from Voices United, More Voices, and Nos voix unies, plus a growing collection of new music. Find out more and make your submission!  [Image credit: Then Let Us Sing] United Church Bookstore: Facebook Live with the Rev. Dr. John Pentland Are you fishing for new tips to sprout growth within your congregation? Are you looking for effective ways to move the culture of your community forward? Join author the Rev. Dr. John Pentland for “Fishing Tips 2.0” on January 26 at 3:00 p.m. EST, where he'll be talking with the United Church Bookstore about his book Fishing Tips, and discussing how his ideas on curiosity and congregational growth have evolved throughout the pandemic. This event will be on Zoom for those who sign up early here, as well as livestreamed on the United Church Facebook page. [Image credit: United Church Bookstore] Worship Resources  See our Worship Resources for upcoming Sundays and special celebrations. January  16 - Second after Epiphany January 18 - Week of Prayer for Christian Unity February is Black History Month. Find your worship resources for week one here. 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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