Embracing the Spirit: Community Engagement at Christ First United, Remit Resources, and more! ✨

Community Engagement at Christ First United, Mississauga EDGE loves to hear about communities of faith with lots of community spirit, so Bronwyn Corlett was thrilled to catch up recently with Victoria Keene of Christ First United Church Mississauga near Toronto, Ontario. Keene is the Community Engagement Coordinator at Christ First United. Two congregations amalgamated in 2019 to form Christ First United–one in Ward One of Mississauga, the other in Ward Two, both with solid histories of community outreach and involvement. Both also had church buildings, which Christ First United continues to maintain to this day. But they’d learn that their value really lay in the networks they’d created in their respective wards. After the amalgamation, Christ First United quickly generated a list of 20 nonprofit organizations within Wards One and Two (with a physical address) with which it had a tie, providing a wide variety of support services. Community round tables in the next few years showed a high degree of overlap in the services that these organization provided, and reliance on each other to do their work effectively. Christ First United Church’s South Mississauga Nonprofit Networking Initiative grew out of this realization. The South Mississauga Nonprofit Networking Initiative started as a two-part venture. Initial focus centred on building its online home, creating Facebook and Instagram pages. The social media presence gave the initiative’s member organizations a place where their volunteers could share contact information and resources and to talk about their work while the pandemic was on. Once in-person interaction became more feasible, Christ First started to host Non-Profit Networking Breakfast in one of its buildings. Every month or so, a volunteer chef cooks breakfast for sometimes over 30 representatives from non-profits from in and around Mississauga. As it dines together, the group engages in networking discussions, presentations from organizations, and learning opportunities about topics such as social media marketing. The breakfasts are for “helping those who help others,’” Keene told Bronwyn. Keene is pleased at how well-received the South Mississauga Nonprofit Networking Initiative has been in the community, and surprised by how quickly and effectively it catalyzed connections to make things happen for others. Almost right after the first breakfast, a writing circle for people from underserved groups and an organization providing employment support to people with intellectual disabilities partnered to run a writing workshop together. However, Keene also acknowledges that the Initiative faces challenges that most volunteer-run organizations coming out of the pandemic will recognize. “We’re not the same people going into 2020 as we are now,” she says, referring to how fatigue after several years of dealing with pandemic stress has made volunteers more susceptible to burnout during a time when a hunger for in-person contact makes them more necessary than ever before. Events bring in more people, but also increase the demand for volunteers, so they build the initiative slowly to keep it sustainable. Her advice to change makers is: “You may not get it right the first time, and that may be okay.” The initiative didn’t get Embracing the Spirit funding the first time it applied. Now Keene realizes that maybe they needed more time to figure things out and get what they needed in place to get their ministry running. She’d like people to know that starting a new ministry, “will be a roller coaster, and it’s hard, but it will definitely be worth it once you can start to see it.” View Victoria Keene’s full EDGEy Conversation with Bronwyn Corlett on the EDGE YouTube Channel! [Image credit: EDGEy Conversations] Remit Resources   Indigenous peoples have a long history within the United Church and have been working towards self-determination for decades. Many steps have already been taken, and at General Council 44, the current National Indigenous Council put forward a vision of its future structure and relationship with the United Church. They laid out their vision in NIC-01. Because the National Indigenous Council’s vision includes structural changes to the Terms of Union, a Remit (vote by the whole church) must take place. In this case, Regional Councils and the governing bodies of pastoral charges will vote (by March 31, 2024) on a remit prepared by the General Secretary. All Regional Councils and pastoral charges must vote–if you do not vote, it is considered a vote against the Remit. Following the church’s commitment to reconciliation, the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and the Calls to the Church, this Remit recognizes Indigenous peoples’ rights to self-determination and spiritual identity. It recognizes and removes current obstacles to the Indigenous Church making its own decisions. Review the following for more information: Remit 1: Establishing an Autonomous National Indigenous Organization –Background information and resource materials. Responding to Questions Which Have Already Been Raised –A video addressing frequently asked questions. EDGE thanks Sara Stratton (Reconciliation and Indigenous Justice Animator) for her generous help with this article! [Image credit: The United Church of Canada] Set Your Course Calendar for the Fall   During the long, lovely days of summer, when EDGE isn’t running any cohorts or discussion groups, it’s easy to get relaxed and forget about the importance of lifelong learning–keeping the heart open and the brain sharp. So, maybe make it a point this month to sit down with your fall calendar and do some advanced planning before it starts to fill up. We have educational activities running in the fall that we’d love you to be a part of! Curiosity Cohorts  The Curiosity Cohort is a five-week synchronous opportunity that will allow you to get curious about your own community of faith and connect with other change leaders. We will engage with stories and ideas from across the country about different ways congregations are bringing new energy into their communities. Throughout the five-week process, you will also have access to videos, journaling questions, “homework” prompts, and other materials to support your journey. This is supplemental to weekly facilitated sessions. Curiosity Cohort is for everyone wanting to find that piece of themselves and use it to help guide their work. All you need is a pen, journal and an open mind and heart.  We’re running a Fall Section of Curiosity Cohort from September 14–October 12, on Thursdays from 12:00–1:00 p.m. EDT. Register on CHURCHx  We are also running a Fall Section of Curiosity Cohort: Rural Focus from October 31–November 28, on Tuesdays from 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET, to explore curiosity in the context of rural ministry. Register on CHURCHx  Leading Adaptively  Leading Adaptively is led by priest, researcher and revitalist Clara King, is open to lay leaders and clergy from any denomination.  This three-session Zoom course helps participants discover new ways to lead adaptively with skills they already have. You’ll encounter the core theory of Adaptive Leadership in a vibrant new way and come away with usable practices to reinvigorate your day-to-day leadership journey.  Clara teaches one more section of Leading Adaptively online in 2023. The course covers: 1) The six core competencies of leadership 2) Understanding and changing the organizational culture of your congregation 3) How to view conflict as a leadership resource you can steward wisely.   Leading Adaptively meets on Thursdays, November 2, 16, and 30, from 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET. If you are looking for usable practices to reinvigorate your day-to-day leadership journey, this is the course for you! Register on CHURCHx  Theory of Change  EDGE will partner again with Chris Rotolo to run a section of Theory of Change in the fall.  What impact are you having? How do you know? What difference is your ministry or program making? Learn what your mission is and understand the roles in achieving it.  Dates aren’t confirmed yet–stay tuned for updates!  Community Engagement Events   The Rural Ministry Town Hall and Idea Days also return in the fall!  Both happen on the fourth Monday of every month–from 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET, for Idea Days and 3:30–4:30 p.m. ET, for Rural Ministry Town Hall, starting September 25! Register on CHURCHx  *NEWS* On October 30, The Right Rev. Cameron Lansdowne, Moderator of The United Church of Canada, joins the Rural Ministry Town Hall for Q&A and discussion! Register on CHURCHx  Summer Learning Opportunities  If you’d like to keep learning over the summer, our asynchronous Signpost Series is still available. Check out CHURCHx for more information and to register.  Keep watching the Embracing the Spirit newsletter and our social media accounts for updates on course availability and new programming announcements! And email edge@united-church.ca with any questions.     [Image credits: Canva] Embracing the Spirit supports 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! We're happy to consult with communities of faith about the supports available to help them develop their new ideas. Share Tweet Forward to a friend Sign up for the Embracing the Spirit newsletter! Facebook Twitter Website Email Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Donate to The United Church of Canada and help fund life changing work around the world!

Copyright © 2023 The United Church of Canada, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you indicated that you would like to receive updates about the work of The United Church of Canada. Our mailing address is: The United Church of Canada 3250 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario M8X 2Y4 Canada