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Spirit Glen at Pictou United Church
"What is your church lawn doing for your community?" Ruth Mackay wrote to EDGE recently, telling us about how a group of five gardeners went from pondering this question in 2016 to creating the contemplative garden standing at Pictou United Church today. What was a construction zone until 2019 is now transformed into a well-manicured lawn with mature plantings of shade trees and shrubs, providing space for solace, meeting friends, conducting business, holding rehearsals, worship services, and more (even during the pandemic). Christmas Eve worship 2020 under a starry sky was especially magical.
The garden is broadly spiritual rather than religious in its atmosphere. They call it Spirit Glen, a distillation of suggestions offered as part of the September 2019 dedication service. Sandstone entrance signs invite visitors to "rest, reflect, and restore" as they: - Trace the "Tree of Life" sandstone finger labyrinth.
- Linger in the graceful gazebo over a book from the Little Free Library.
- Bask in the sunshine on a gently curving bench.
- Write their thoughts in chalk on the Ponderings Door or scribe them into the Garden Journal.
- Seek inspiration from three Spirit Guide art panels by celebrated Mi’kmaq artist Alan Syliboy.
- Revel in the sensory-rich panorama of diverse flora.
All this is set to the background music of the water feature, built with local grindstones.
This summer, Pictou United lived out a commitment to making Spirit Glen as accessible as possible by upgrading the curving gravel pathway to brushed concrete. Other accessibility considerations include: - A level western entrance
- A stainless-steel handrail anchored in concrete footings up the eastern entrance’s slope
- There are no steps or enclosures at the gazebo.
- Benches immediately off the pathway. Also, a black walnut tree felled by Hurricane Fiona has been milled into planks that will soon be fashioned into a live-edge tree-embracing bench.
The congregation has been warmly receptive to the idea of a contemplative garden, offering suggestions such as the choir director’s naming the importance of a performance space. It was not until several years later, as the prayer shawl knitting circle met in the garden on a pleasant summer’s day, that several individuals confessed some initial skepticism and chagrin at the mess created by construction. But now that the garden was a reality, they brimmed with appreciation for its many gifts.
Pictou United Church is very grateful for the combination of Embracing the Spirit Innovation and Growth Grants, numerous local and provincial grants, generous celebratory and memorial donations, and practical support from other congregation members that make it possible for the initial group of five gardeners to focus their efforts on maintaining the garden rather than conducting fundraising events. They’d like to thank everyone involved with bringing the vision of Spirit Glen to life and encourage congregations everywhere to consider the potential of outdoor space to serve both their community of faith and the broader community of which it is a part. Stepping through church doors is intimidating for some; taking it outdoors has opened Pictou United Church to residents of and visitors to its town, all days of the year!
Thank you to Ruth Mackay for sharing the story of Spirit Glen! Learn more about Spirit Glen and Pictou United Church. [Image credit: courtesy of Pictou United Church]
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Set Your Course Calendar for the Fall And just like that, we’re heading into fall! For most of us, it’s been a short, hot, way-too-busy summer, and now it’s time to think about September and your plans for the last few months of 2023. EDGE community activities and learning cohorts haven’t run over the past few months to give everyone a break and a chance to enjoy the summer season. In September, these activities start again: Theory of Change  EDGE will again partner 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? The Theory of Change course takes a bit of a different form this time around. Instead of the more intensive, three-week learning experience offered in the past, this fall’s offering will run for eight weeks (October 9–December 3, 2023). For the same $50 fee as the shorter course experience, students will learn how to: - Break a program down into its component parts, differentiating between things like "what we do" and "what we achieve.
- Create a roadmap that outlines the steps by which they plan to achieve program goals, telling the story of how they believe their program’s change will unfold.
- Determine the precise link between program activities and program outcomes for the purposes of planning, participation, and evaluation.
A Theory of Change can aid in aligning stakeholders with a program’s larger mission and help them understand their role in achieving it. And the longer course experience gives students more time to consider the concepts, ask questions, discuss them with other students, and contextualize them to their own problems to maximize learning. Registration for Theory of Change opens soon! Stay tuned for updates! And visit EDGE’s YouTube channel to hear an EDGY Conversation with Chris Rotolo about the Theory of Change course!
Leading Adaptively
 Leading Adaptively, 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. 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 the weekly facilitated sessions. The 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, a journal, and an open mind and heart. We’re running a Fall Section of the Curiosity Cohort from September 14–October 12 on Thursdays from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. ET. Register on CHURCHx. We are also running a fall section of Curiosity Cohort: Rural Focus from October 31–November 28 on Tuesdays from 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET to explore curiosity in the context of rural ministry. Register on CHURCHx. 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 at 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET for Idea Days, and 3:30–4:30 p.m. for Rural Ministry Town Hall, starting September 25! *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. NEW! Collaboration for Sustainable Community Collaboration for Sustainable Community is an online gathering place for those interested in learning about different models of community hubs and sharing resources and stories. Community hubs help connect people and forge alliances between organizations in the powerful ways required to plan and implement substantial, positive change. We’re very excited to explore the potential of these hubs to create stronger, more connected communities! The Collaboration for Sustainable Community’s $20 membership fee helps cover honorariums for the community leaders, but we’ll be waiving it until December 2023. Join us this fall to develop the network of people interested in learning about community hubs and to access our fall webinar series – the first one is on September 27, at 1:00 p.m. ET! Register on CHURCHx. Signpost Learning If you don’t have time to attend cohorts or community events, learning on your own time with our asynchronous Signpost Series. Check out CHURCHx for more information and to register. NEW! The latest additions to our Signpost Series are In Case of Emergency: When Communities of Faith Can’t Stay Open, Part One and Part Two, both free of charge. [Image credits: The United Church of Canada]
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Keep watching the Embracing the Spirit newsletter, EDGE’s space in the Essentials newsletter once we start publishing there, and our social media accounts for updates on course availability and new programming announcements! And email edge@united-church.ca with any questions.
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. |
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