Places of Worship Allowed to Re-open in Ontario
This week, the Province allowed places of Worship to open at 30% of the buildings capacity. The GTA, including Durham Region, remains in Phase 1 of the Province’s three stage economic re-opening plan.
Therefore, in an abundance of care and caution for our congregants, our employees and volunteers, and our communities, the Church building will not be a place of physical worship for us at this time, however we will continue to be the church. Our online services will continue, our food banks are supporting the needs of our community, we continue to be available and connected to each other by phone, email, texting and praying. I strongly urge us to remain socially connected as we remain physically distanced. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you updated.
Thank you for being the Body of Christ, loving our neighbour is at the heart of who we are. Thanks be to God.
Peace and Blessings.
MInister Stephanie
Stephanie is offering Online Services during the church closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Please click below to view online services
 June 28 – Sunday Service | Good Morning I hope everyone is keeping well and enjoying the nice weather. As the COVID restrictions loosen I pray that we remain diligent with the physical distancing and mask wearing when we cannot physical distance. Physical distance does not mean social isolation, I believe it is so important that we remain socially connected safely. Thank you for worshiping with us this Sunday as we continue our on line services. I Thank all the participants in the service and all who have submitted photos. Minister Stephanie |
In light of the events in The U.S. our United church has released a statement to all Members. I invite you to read this statement and consider how we go forward as the Body Of Christ, Loving All In God’s name.
Peace and Blessings
Minister Stephanie
“We affirm Black Lives Matter,” says the Executive of the General Council.
The General Council Executive issued a statement yesterday (June 18, 2020) confirming unequivocally that Black Lives Matter to The United Church of Canada. The Executive acknowledges racism as a sin, and admits that the church has not confronted adequately the racism within its churches and councils. The letter to members states:
We confess that our United Church has not been such a sanctuary against racism. In particular, we regret that our church has been complicit in racial injustice, and that systemic anti-Black racism still exists within our structures. The church has not always lived up to its understanding of itself. We are sorry for our inability to hear and respond to the pain of our Black siblings.
The Executive commits to making anti-Black racism a priority, encouraging the church to
publicly commit, in worship and elsewhere, to the stance that Black Lives Mattereducate themselves about anti-Black racism and White privilegename and confront anti-Black racism and White privilege wherever they appear in our personal lives, communities of faith, structures of The United Church of Canada, and in Canadian societyprovide safe spaces for people of colour to report racist harassment and achieve redress
The letter is in response to the tide of Black Lives Matter demonstrations sweeping across the continent and is part of the church’s continuing response to the last hours of the 43rd General Council in August 2018, when many clergy and members spoke about their own painful encounters with racism in the church. The church’s actions have not fully lived up to the good intentions voiced, but the Executive’s statement vows to change that, concluding: “Love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action”—these are words that no member of the United Church, with our creedal commitment to “seek justice and resist evil,” can ignore.
The full statement is available by clicking the link below.
https://www.united-church.ca/sites/default/files/resources/gce_03_gce_statement_that_black_lives_matter.pdf
Events …
Annual Beef BBQ Cancelled !
Due to the current health situation and for everyone’s safety, the Greenbank United Church has decided to cancel the Beef BBQ for this year. As this has been a vital component to the operation of the Church, for what would have been our 45th year, we will have further information in the future hoping for your support. […]