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Thames Road-Elimville United ChurchP.O. Box 3, Exeter, Ont. N0M 1S6 |
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CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT FROM APRIL 2, 2025 The April 2 Church Council meeting took place on Zoom with a quorum present. Chair John Miner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with a territorial acknowledgement of the land on which we were meeting. Minister's Report During the month of March, Reverend Louise attended the Council meeting, prepared and led 4 Sunday worship services, attended a worship service led by the UCW followed by a pancake lunch, prepared and led a worship service at Exeter Villa, attended a meeting with the South Huron Food Grains Committee to prepare for the April 6 service, met with Paul Vollick twice to discuss the shared Food Grains, Good Friday and summer services and the collaboration venture, attended a lunch meeting with the Perth area United Church ministers, attended a UCW meeting, attended the World Day of Prayer gathering, attended a Ministerial meeting, attended a collaboration meeting of the Sharing Team at Exeter United Church, did 5 in-person pastoral care visits, took an online course called "Effective Transitional Leadership" for 4 Thursday afternoons, made a number of phone calls and sent a number of emails and text messages to stay in touch with members of the congregation and to conduct administrative business, checked the church email and phone messages, kept up to date with United Church and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council emails and other information. Finance Committee March 31, 2025 quarterly financial statements will be sent to the congregation when they become available. Fundraising Committee The March gift card fundraiser saw the church receive $322 with 18 participants buying $8,400 worth of gift cards. There was 1 new participant. This brings our first quarter total to $932.50. The next two gift card orders are due on April 6 and May 4. Worship Committee April 6 is the 5th Sunday of Lent. There is no worship service at Thames Road Elimville as the South Huron Food Grains service is taking place at Exeter United Church at 10:30 a.m. Lunch will follow the service. April 13 is Palm Sunday and on April 18 a Good Friday service will take place at Thames Road Elimville at 10:00 a.m. Exeter United Church will be joining us. On April 20, Easter Sunday will begin with breakfast at 8:30 a.m. followed by the worship service at 10 a.m. A signup sheet to attend the breakfast is on the back table. May 4 is Camp Sunday. Come dressed in your camp attire. There will be camp songs and skits. A hotdog lunch will follow the service. There will be no service at Thames Road Elimville United Church on May 18 as Reverend Louise is on study leave. Outreach Committee Reverend Louise led the worship service at Exeter Villa on April 1 with 7 residents attending. Sharon Lynn, Janis Richardson and Judith Parker assisted. Agnes Bray accompanied on the piano. The next service is May 6 at 10 a.m. At the end of the donation period towards the Coldest Night of the Year, the TR-E Huggers team had raised $3,539. Since the first CNOY walk in 2020, our team has raised $23,579 for the homeless and hungry in our community. Thank you for the continued support of canned, boxed, dried foods and hygiene items, for the local food bank. Families in need receive 5 days worth of food once a month. There were 12 people pre-order the special June issue of Broadview marking the 100th Anniversary of United Church of Canada. The publication is to be delivered in mid-May. Some area churches have been meeting to discuss community meals in Exeter. The proposal is to offer weekly nourishment and social interaction at an evening meal for families, the unhoused, young adults, seniors and newcomers.
Where: Precious Blood Catholic Church Ministry and Personnel Committee Reverend Louise will be on vacation from Monday, June 30 to Monday, July 14 and from Friday, August 8 to Friday, August 22. Church cleaners are always needed. If you are able to help out, please sign up on the cleaning schedule posted above the desk in the basement of the church or contact Helen Kadey. Community Park Committee An astrophotographer visited the park on the night of the lunar eclipse and shared these photos. Trustees Report As an update on the proposal from Dave and Sarah Govers to purchase the church building and surrounding property, the lawyer is moving forward with closing the transaction. The updated closing date is April 25, 2025. United Church Women The ladies met on March 11 with Sharon Lynn and Helen Kadey presenting a program on using our gifts to serve a greater purpose. Helen is on the Board of Directors for the South Huron Arts Centre and gave a presentation on the programs offered. She also showed some of the crafts she has learned to make. The ladies catered a bonspiel dinner for the Exeter Curling Club on March 29. The next UCW meeting is April 8 with Joan Skinner and Diane Jeffery leading the program. The roll call is: “Your favourite tree or shrub” and lunch hosts are Carolyn Johns and Pat Ballantyne. Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada Several emails were received from Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council and the United Church of Canada during the month of March and any pertinent information was passed on to the appropriate people. The Region’s Facebook page is a good way to keep up-to-date on regional happenings including upcoming events, workshops, and programs for children and youth. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wowrcucc1. The region’s weekly newsletter is another way to keep in touch with regional happenings. Subscribe to it here: https://mailchi.mp/united-church/wowrcsubscription. The Spring 2025 Regional Council meeting will be in-person and online on May 2 and May 3 at the Unifor Centre in Port Elgin. Reverend Louise and Sharon Lynn plan to attend online. Our hearts are with all those affected by the devastating earthquake in Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and the surrounding regions on March 28. Please join us in prayer for the lives lost, the injured, the many still missing, and those on the frontlines of the recovery efforts. Give it up for the Earth! is a national faith-in-action campaign that raises awareness about the climate crisis and mobilizes people across Canada to reduce personal and household greenhouse gas emissions, engage in acts of solidarity, and collect signatures as a demonstration of support for increased federal climate action. The 2025 Give it up for the Earth campaign will run during Lent from Wednesday, March 5, 2025 – Thursday, April 17, 2025. More information here: https://cpj.ca/fortheearth/. During Earth Week 2025, the United Church of Canada is joining with numerous denominations and faith-based organizations under one banner, Together for the Love of Creation. Communities of faith are invited to participate in climate justice events during the week of April 20-27 to pray, learn, and act for the love of Creation. A Mother Earth Day Prayer Service is one of many events being held across the country during Earth Week. With recent confirmation that remains of Indigenous women have been found at Winnipeg area landfill sites, the United Church of Canada offers its prayers to the families of all missing and murdered Indigenous peoples. We can show our support for the families, and demand justice for the missing and murdered, by participating in two upcoming days of action: May 5 is Red Dress Day, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S). On this day you can wear red, hang a red dress outside your home or church, and participate in Red Dress events in your community. May 15 is Moosehide Campaign Day. The United Church supports the Moosehide Campaign. For more information on this year’s Campaign Day activities, please visit the website. Stay up to date on plans and celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada by signing up for the Centennial Newsletter and checking the Centennial webpage. Food Grains Report The annual South Huron Food Grains church service will take place at Exeter United Church on Sunday April 6 at 10:30 a.m. Nevin McDougall will be the guest speaker. Lunch will follow the service with proceeds going to the 2025 growing project. Other Business The Sharing Team, comprised of representatives from Thames Road Elimville and Exeter United, continues to meet as they work to develop a collaborative relationship between our congregations. Several items of business from their meeting on March 25 were considered by Council. The two congregations will join for a Good Friday service on April 18 at 10:00 a.m. at Thames Road Elimville United Church. Thames Road Elimville will host a 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada service at the community park on Sunday, June 8. Exeter, Centralia and Zion West congregations will be invited to join us. Watch for details as they become available. A 2025 Shared Summer Services worship schedule was approved that includes congregations from Thames Road Elimville, Exeter and Centralia United Churches. Several services will take place at our community park. All services will begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by a social time with refreshments. Council agreed to proceed with the experiment to share ministers for the month of September 2025 with worship times of 9:45 a.m. at Thames Road Elimville United Church and 10:45 a.m. at Exeter United Church. During the month Reverend Louise will lead two worship services and Pastor Paul Vollick will lead two services at Thames Road Elimville United Church. A shared Worldwide Communion service is planned for October 5. The Sharing Team meets next on August 5. A project underway within the Western Ontario Waterways Region is the 100th Anniversary Puzzle Project. Communities of faith are to design a puzzle piece that tells about their congregations ministry. The puzzle pieces will be incorporated into a mosaic. Thank you to Virginia Warwick for creating our contribution to the project. The dates represent Elimville church built in 1875; Thames Road church in 1881 and the two congregations blending together in 1997. The people are shown outside the church doing outreach as a community. The top left corner shows a pavilion at the community park we have been stewards of for 100 years. The top right corner depicts a cairn for former Elimville church building and the cemetery we continue to care for. Our church has supported the Food Grains Bank for 30 years and is represented by the rural landscape on the bottom corners. The meeting closed with prayer and was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. The next regular Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday May 7, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in-person at the church. CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT FROM MARCH 5, 2025 The March 5th Church Council meeting took place in-person at the church with a quorum present. Chair John Miner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with a territorial acknowledgement of the land on which we were meeting. Minister's Report During the month of February, Reverend Louise attended the Council meeting by Zoom, prepared and led 4 Sunday worship services (one by Zoom), attended our Annual Meeting, prepared and led a worship service at Exeter Villa, attended a Trustees meeting, met with Paul Vollick twice to discuss a shared Good Friday service and the collaboration venture, attended a UCW meeting, attended a Ministerial meeting, attended a lunch meeting with the Perth area United Church ministers, did 3 in-person pastoral care visits, attended a United Church of Canada Zoom workshop called "Rural Ministry Table Talks: Governance," attended a Faith+Lead webinar called "Beyond the Walls: Simple Pathways to Reaching Neighbours with the Gospel, attended the Moderator's "Flourishing" event in Stratford, participated in the "Coldest Night of the Year" walk, took a week of Study Leave, made a number of phone calls and sent a number of emails and text messages to stay in touch with members of the congregation and to conduct administrative business, checked the church email and phone messages, kept up to date with United Church and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council emails and other information. Finance Committee February 2025 Financial Statements were received and reviewed. Fundraising Committee The next gift card fundraiser order is due on Sunday March 09, 2025. There is a small chance that the gift cards will be back for Sunday, March 16th due to March break, but will be for sure on March 23rd. Christian Education Committee The committee has decided to forego a March break activity this year. Worship Committee Proceeds from the Lenten pancake lunch on March 2nd amounted to $309 and will be donated to the Out of the Cold Walk. March 9th is the 1st Sunday of Lent and Communion will be served. The South Huron Foodgrains service will be on April 6th at Exeter United Church at 10:30 a.m. There will be no worship service at Thames Road Elimville United Church that day. The Lake Huron Catholic Family of Parishes will be holding 6 Year of Jubilee Worship Nights at 7:00 p.m. on the following dates: March 23rd at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Mt Carmel), April 27th at St. Boniface (Zurich), May 25th at Precious Blood (Exeter), June 29th at St. Peter’s (Goderich), July 27th at Immaculate Heart (Grand Bend), and August 31st at St. Peter's (St. Joseph). Outreach Committee Reverend Louise led the worship service at Exeter Villa on March 4th with 6 residents attending. Sharon Lynn, Janis Richardson, Bev Prout, and Judith Parker assisted. Agnes Bray accompanied on the piano. The next service is Tuesday, April 1st at 10 a.m. The 2025 Coldest Night of the Year Walk for South Huron was held on Feb 22nd exceeding the overall goal of $50,000 and raising $77,918 to date. The TR-E Huggers team had 13 participants and raised $3,020. An additional $309 was donated at the Lenten pancake lunch making the total raised $3,329. Thank you to our generous donors and the energetic walkers Helen Kadey, Sharon Lynn, Kara Lynn, Louise von Massow, Robert & Kathy Bray, Charlie & Barb Dalrymple, Ruby & Rosie Parker, Ben Parsons, Rick & Judith Parker. Our small church made a big difference for the homeless, hurting and hungry in our community. A shopping cart full of donated food and hygiene items continues to be dropped off for the Exeter Community Food Bank on the first Sunday of the month. Thank you for your generosity. As the 5 subscribers needed for the group rate for the Broadview magazine was not met, those wishing to receive the magazine must now subscribe on their own. The single annual subscription rate is $35. The June 2025 issue of Broadview will be a historic keepsake edition celebrating the United Church’s 100th anniversary — a once-in-a-lifetime issue filled with powerful stories, pivotal moments and reflections on the past, present and future of the church. The special edition can be pre-ordered. Price: 1 copy $7.00, 2-10 copies $5 each, 11+ copies $4 each. Order Deadline is April 7th with a delivery date of May 9th. Contact Judith Parker by March 30th if interested in ordering a copy. Ministry and Personnel Committee Church cleaners are always needed. If you are able to help out, please sign up on the cleaning schedule posted above the desk in the basement of the church or contact Helen Kadey. Trustees Report As an update on the proposal from Dave and Sarah Govers to purchase the church building and surrounding property, all church approvals are complete, and the proposal is in the hands of the lawyer who is working with the Bereavement Authority of Ontario to finalize the agreement. The closing date for the transaction has been set for April 15, 2025. United Church Women The ladies met on Feb 11th with Janis Richardson and Joan Morgan presenting a program on the theme of Love with readings and a Valentine word scramble. On March 2nd, the UCW led the worship service honouring 100 years of women serving in the United Church of Canada. A Lenten pancake lunch followed with anniversary cake. On March 7th at 10 a.m. the World Day of Prayer gathering will be held at the church. The 2025 WDP program is prepared by the Christian women of Cook Islands on the theme “I made you wonderful”. Coffee and snacks will be served while watching the WDP video. The next UCW meeting is March 11th with Sharon Lynn and Helen Kadey leading the program. A special fundraiser for the Mission & Service Fund will be a ‘Bakeless Bake Sale’. Bring a cash donation for M&S. The Roll call is: “A hobby you enjoy” and lunch hosts are Joan Morgan and Melonie Miller. Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada Several emails were received from Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council and the United Church of Canada during the month of February and any pertinent information was passed on to the appropriate people. The Region’s Facebook page is a good way to keep up-to-date on regional happenings including upcoming events, workshops, and programs for children and youth. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wowrcucc1. The region’s weekly newsletter is another way to keep in touch with regional happenings. Subscribe to it here: https://mailchi.mp/united-church/wowrcsubscription. The Board of the Christian Resource Centre at 29 Ontario Rd. (Main Street), Mitchell is looking for a few volunteers to help in the storefront with selling materials to the general public. No experience is required, and all training will be provided. Even just a few hours during the day on a regular basis would be helpful. If interested contact CRC at 519-348-9261. Camp Menesetung is hosting a Cabaret Fundraiser Concert. 10+ amazing camp alumni musicians and friends are coming together to put on a show to raise money to replace the Walk-In Cooler and celebrate longtime now retired Camp Directors Clayton & Mary Peters. Join them for a family friendly afternoon of Music & Goodies at Goderich District Collegiate Institute on Sunday, March 23rd from 2:00-3:30pm. Drop-In, no tickets required. Suggested donation $20. Learn more on their website: www.campmenesetung.ca/events/cabaret The Spring 2025 Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council meeting will be in-person and online on May 2nd and May 3rd at the Unifor Centre in Port Elgin. Reverend Louise and Sharon Lynn plan to attend online. Violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has displaced 400,000 people this year, adding to the 4.6 million already displaced. The United Church of Canada, through its Global Partnership, is supporting efforts to provide food, shelter, water, and mental health support. We urge prayers and donations to the Global Emergency Response Fund to aid those affected by this escalating crisis. Read the full news story. March 14, 2025 is National Affirming/PIE Day. Why PIE? PIE = Public. Intentional. Explicit. Those are the standards we hold ourselves and our welcome to when we seek to live into being fully Affirming, Welcoming, and Inclusive people and communities. This year’s theme, "Sing Out Proud," represents our sharing of values and joy in celebrating difference and diversity throughout our 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Click below for the Moderator’s 2025 PIE Day Message. As 2SLGBTQIA+ rights face increasing opposition, this message is more important than ever. https://bit.ly/42ChVUm Give it up for the Earth! is a national faith-in-action campaign that raises awareness about the climate crisis and mobilizes people across Canada to reduce personal and household greenhouse gas emissions, engage in acts of solidarity, and collect signatures as a demonstration of support for increased federal climate action. The 2025 Give it up for the Earth campaign will run during Lent from Wednesday March 5, 2025 – Thursday April 17, 2025. More information can be found here: https://cpj.ca/fortheearth/. Stay up to date on plans and celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada by signing up for the Centennial Newsletter and checking the Centennial webpage. Food Grains Report The annual South Huron Foodgrains church service will take place at Exeter United Church on Sunday April 6, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. Nevin McDougall will be the guest speaker. Lunch will follow the service with proceeds going to the 2025 growing project. Other Business Our Collaboration Team continues to meet with representatives from Exeter United Church as they work to develop a collaborative relationship between our congregations. Feedback on the proposed sharing of ministers and collaboration in general was heard, and a good discussion took place. Several points raised during the discussion will be taken to the next meeting with Exeter on March 25th. Council is considering ways in which our congregation can celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the United Church of Canada. To date a few suggestions have been received and Council will begin making some decisions at their meeting in April. Contact any member of Council if you have an idea to share. The meeting closed with prayer and was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. The next regular Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday April 2, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT FROM FEBRUARY 12, 2025 The February 12th Church Council meeting took place on Zoom with a quorum present. Chair John Miner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with a territorial acknowledgement of the land on which we were meeting. Minister's Report During the month of January, Reverend Louise attended the Council meeting by Zoom, prepared and led 4 Sunday worship services, prepared and led a worship service at Exeter Villa, attended the Western Ontario Waterways Clergy Gathering on Zoom, attended a Ministerial meeting, attended a collaboration meeting at Exeter United Church, did 4 in-person pastoral care visits, officiated at the funeral for Betty Borland, attended a United Church of Canada Zoom meeting called “Visions and Dreams”, attended a United Church of Canada Zoom workshop called “Rural Ministry Table Talks: Collaboration”, made a number of phone calls and sent a number of emails and text messages to stay in touch with members of the congregation and to conduct administrative business, checked the church email and phone messages, kept up to date with United Church and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council emails and other information. Finance Committee The 2025 fee schedule for use of the church and equipment was approved. Fees remain unchanged from last year. Fundraising Committee The gift card fundraiser was a little smaller in February with the church receiving $294.75 after 16 participants bought $7,675 worth of gift cards. The next gift card order will be on March 9, 2025. Christian Education Committee The Sunday school enjoyed their first social activity of the year on Sunday February 2nd. A small crowd of 7 children and their parent(s) met at Morrison Dam to brave the chilly weather and have some fun racing down the snow hill and getting great exercise climbing back up the hill. An event during March Break is being considered. Watch for details as they become available. Worship Committee The Commissioning of Council will take place during the worship service on February 16th. A centennial worship service to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the United Church of Canada will be led by the UCW on Sunday March 2nd. Following the service, to recognize Shrove Tuesday a Lenten Pancake Lunch prepared by the Worship Committee will be served with assistance from the UCW. Anniversary cake and ice cream will close off the morning. There is a signup sheet on the table at the back door for the pancake lunch. Donations from the lunch will go to the Coldest Night of the Year Walk. March 9th is the 1st Sunday of Lent. Outreach Committee Reverend Louise led the worship service at Exeter Villa on February 4th with 11 residents attending. Sharon Lynn, Janis Richardson and Judith Parker assisted. Agnes Bray accompanied on the piano. The next service is March 4th at 10 a.m. The 2025 Coldest Night of the Year Walk is on Saturday February 22, 2025. With two weeks remaining the TR-E Huggers team has 6 walkers registered and has raised $1000.00. There is still time to join as a walker or donate in support of the South Huron Connection Centre and the Huron Homelessness Initiative in Exeter. Help those experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness in our South Huron community. Food and hygiene items for the Exeter Community Food Bank can be brought to church on the first Sunday of the month. Alternatively, there is a bin at Hansen’s Independent to drop off food bank donations. Proceeds of $120.00 from the luncheon held prior to the Annual Meeting will be donated to the Mission and Service Fund. The renewal time is here if you want to subscribe to the Broadview magazine. Contact Judith Parker or Marianne Timmerman by February 25th to renew or become a new subscriber. Cost for one year is $30.00. Visit www.broadview.org to read some of the poignant articles that explore spirituality, justice and ethical living. The June 2025 issue of Broadview will be a historic keepsake edition celebrating the United Church’s 100th anniversary — a once-in-a-lifetime issue filled with powerful stories, pivotal moments and reflections on the past, present and future of the church. The special edition can be pre-ordered. Price: 1 copy $7.00, 2-10 copies $5 each, 11+ copies $4 each. Order Deadline is April 7th with a delivery date of May 9th. Ministry and Personnel Committee Reverend Louise will be on study leave from February 24th to March 2nd and from May 12th to May 18th. Thank you to the Govers family for keeping the parking lot clear this winter. Church cleaners are always needed. If you are able to help out, please sign up on the cleaning schedule posted above the desk in the basement of the church or contact Helen Kadey. Community Park The annual park report for the Municipality of South Huron will be sent as per our Memorandum of Understanding agreement. Trustees Report As an update on the proposal from Dave and Sarah Govers to purchase the church building and surrounding property, those attending the Congregational Meeting on December 8, 2024 voted to accept the terms of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale that were negotiated between the Trustees and the Govers. Council met following the Congregational Meeting and voted to forward the agreement to the Trustees for their final approval. The Trustees passed the resolution and forwarded it to the Congregational Support Commission of Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council for approval. The resolution was approved by the Commission and all church approvals are complete. We are now awaiting approval from the Bereavement Authority of Ontario. United Church Women The ladies will meet on February 11th at 7:00 p.m. with Janis Richardson and Joan Morgan leading the program. Helen Kadey and Virginia Warwick will prepare lunch. The Roll Call is "What is your favourite board or card game". On March 7th at 10 a.m., the World Day of Prayer gathering will be held at the church. The 2025 WDP program was prepared by the Christian women of Cook Islands on the theme “I made you wonderful”. Coffee and snacks will be served while watching the video provided by the Women’s Inter-church Council of Canada based on the theme. Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada Several emails were received from Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council and the United Church of Canada during the month of January and any pertinent information was passed on to the appropriate people. The Region’s Facebook page is a good way to keep up-to-date on regional happenings including upcoming events, workshops, and programs for children and youth. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wowrcucc1. The region’s weekly newsletter is another way to keep in touch with regional happenings. Subscribe to it here: https://mailchi.mp/united-church/wowrcsubscription. Camp Bimini Summer Camp registration is now open. Click on the link for information and to register. Camp Bimini Registration Portal: https://campbimini.ca/summer-camp/. Summer staff applications are now being accepted for Camp Bimini. First round ends Saturday February 8th. Click on the link for more information and to apply: https://campbimini.ca/join-our-team/. The Spring 2025 Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council meeting will be in-person and online on May 2nd and May 3rd at the Unifor Centre in Port Elgin. Moderator Carmen Lansdowne wrote a powerful letter of support and gratitude to Bishop Mariann Budde following her address to President Trump on January 21st. In her letter to Bishop Budde Moderator Carmen says: “What you preached, and then speaking directly to the president, was bold and prophetic. And it was deeply rooted in our faith tradition. You stood on the shoulders of generations of political theologians who preached, in love, that the compulsion to dominate must not be allowed to reign.” Read the full news post and the Moderator's letter to Bishop Budde. Stay up to date on plans and celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada by signing up for the Centennial Newsletter and checking the Centennial webpage. Food Grains Report At this time the 2025 growing project will consist of 3.5 acres of soybeans planted on land provided by Rob Essery and Mary Peterson. Bob Down and Shane Mudge will also be growing wheat for the project. The annual South Huron Foodgrains worship service will take place at Exeter United Church on Sunday April 6, 2025. Nevin McDougall will be the guest speaker. There will be no worship service at Thames Road Elimville United Church that day. Nominating Committee A thank you was extended to all who took a position on the 2025 Church Council. One position on the Finance Committee remains vacant. Sharon Passmore and Joan Morgan will assist the Finance Committee with counting the offering on Sunday mornings as needed. Other Business Representatives from Thames Road Elimville continue to meet with representatives from Exeter United Church as they work to develop a collaborative relationship between our congregations. Those attending the Annual Meeting were asked for feedback on the proposed sharing of ministers which would have Reverend Louise conducting services twice a month at Thames Road Elimville and Exeter United, and Pastor Paul covering services twice a month at Exeter and Thames Road Elimville. Several thoughts and concerns are being considered. Discussions will continue at the March Council meeting. Council is beginning to consider ways in which our congregation can celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the United Church of Canada. To date a couple of suggestions have been received. Contact any member of Council if you have an idea to share. The meeting closed with prayer and was adjourned at 8:05 p.m. The next regular Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday March 5, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. REPORT FROM THE CONGREGATIONAL ANNUAL MEETING FEBRUARY 9, 2025 Following coffee and a snack hosted by the Outreach Committee after the worship service, the 2024 Annual Meeting of Thames Road Elimville Pastoral Charge was held in the church basement on February 9, 2025 with a quorum present. Welcoming 22 members and adherents of our community of faith, Chair of Council John Miner called the meeting to order at 11:30 a.m. followed by a territorial acknowledgement of the land on which we were meeting. Remembered in prayer by Reverend Louise were Kathleen Hodgert, Doris Simpson, Jean Hodgert, Helen Webber, Beatrice Dawson and Karel Hodgert, members and adherent of Thames Road Elimville Pastoral Charge who passed away in 2024. Welcomed with joy to our church family were Brynlee Marie Kemmere by Baptism, Jason Govers and Janelle Parsons by Affirmation of Faith Confirmation, Beth Cooper by Reaffirmation of Baptismal Faith, and June Hodgson, Jerry Traquair and Linda Traquair by Transfer. Following a motion passed by the full members of the congregation, adherents were extended voting rights on all matters of business coming before the meeting. The minutes from the 2023 Congregational Annual Meeting held on February 4, 2024, the April 2, 2024 Congregational Meeting, and the December 8, 2024 Congregational Meeting were approved. The reports in the 2024 Annual Report booklet were reviewed and adopted as printed.
Motions were passed to: Judith Parker was acknowledged for creating the cover on the Annual Report booklet and for compiling the photo gallery at the end of the report. She was thanked for helping to print the paper copies of the report and distributing them, and for the time she devotes to sending the numerous emails to members of our church family throughout the year, keeping everyone up to date with what is going on in our community. Robert and Kathy Bray were thanked for their work in administering the gift card fundraiser. At this time the 2025 South Huron Foodgrains growing project will consist of 3.5 acres of soybeans planted on land provided by Rob Essery and Mary Peterson. Bob Down and Shane Mudge will also be growing wheat for the project. The annual South Huron Foodgrains worship service is planned for Sunday April 6, 2025 at Exeter United Church. Currently Church Council has a partial slate of members for 2025. No nominations were received, and no volunteers came forward to fill any of the open positions. Most retiring members of Church Council agreed to return to their positions for another term. One position on the Finance Committee remains vacant. Other Business: As an update on the proposal from Dave and Sarah Govers to purchase the church building and surrounding property, those attending the Congregational Meeting on December 8, 2024 voted to accept the terms of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale that were negotiated between the Trustees and the Govers. Council met following the Congregational Meeting and voted to forward the agreement to the Trustees for their final approval. The Trustees passed the resolution and forwarded it to the Congregational Support Commission of Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council for approval. The resolution was approved by the Commission and all church approvals are complete. We are now awaiting approval from the Bereavement Authority of Ontario. Representatives from Thames Road Elimville continue to meet with representatives from Exeter United Church as they work to develop a collaborative relationship between our congregations. Following a recent meeting, a suggestion came from the joint committee. The idea from the two ministers on the committee would be to share resources, with Reverend Louise conducting services twice a month at Thames Road Elimville and Exeter United, and Pastor Paul covering services twice a month at Exeter and Thames Road Elimville. Those attending the Annual Meeting were asked for their feedback on this suggestion. A good brainstorming session took place offering several thoughts and concerns for Council to consider. The United Church of Canada is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2025. The UCW will celebrate the anniversary by leading a centennial worship service on Sunday March 2nd. Following the service, to recognize Shrove Tuesday a Lenten Pancake Lunch prepared by the Worship Committee will be served with assistance from the UCW. Anniversary cake and ice cream will close off the morning. We invite everyone to join us in celebrating 100 years of women in the United Church of Canada and the beginning of the Lenten season. At their February meeting, Council will begin looking at other ways our congregation may be able to celebrate this milestone. John Miner extended a thank you to Reverend Louise for her worship leadership in 2024, and for being so dedicated to pastoral care within our church family. John also extended a thank you to our hardworking, dedicated Council and to the members and adherents of our church family for their participation in the life and work of our church. Sharon Lynn extended a thank you to Chair John for his wisdom and guidance throughout another busy year. The first meeting of the new Church Council will be on Wednesday February 12, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. The meeting closed with prayer and was adjourned at 12:30 p.m. CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT FROM JANUARY 8, 2025 The January 8th Church Council meeting took place on Zoom with a quorum present. Chair John Miner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with a territorial acknowledgement of the land on which we were meeting. Minister's Report During the month of December, Reverend Louise attended the Council meeting by Zoom, prepared and led 3 Sunday worship services and the Christmas Eve service, shared in preparing and leading one shared worship service, prepared and led a worship service at Exeter Villa, prepared and shared with others from the Ministerial in leading a Blue Christmas service, attended our Christmas celebration and potluck supper, attended a Congregational Meeting and special Council meeting, attended a Trustees meeting, attended the Western Ontario Waterways Clergy Gathering on Zoom, attended a Ministerial meeting, attended a UCW meeting, had a meeting with Pastor Paul Vollick to discuss collaboration, attended a collaboration meeting at Exeter United Church, did 3 in-person pastoral care visits, made a number of phone calls and sent a number of emails and text messages to stay in touch with members of the congregation and to conduct administrative business, checked the church email and phone messages, kept up to date with United Church and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council emails and other information. Fundraising Committee The Gift Card Fundraiser had a good start to the year with the church receiving $315.75. 19 participants bought $8,235.00 worth of gift cards. The next gift card order will be due on February 2, 2025. Property Committee Rob Lynn repaired the upstairs furnaces. Worship Committee The UCW Installation of Officers will take place during the worship service on Sunday January 12th. The worship service on February 9th will be shorter than usual due to the Annual Meeting, set to begin at 11:00 a.m. We will be taking a break from the shared worship services with Exeter United Church for January, February and March. Outreach Committee Reverend Louise led the worship service at Exeter Villa on Tuesday, December 13th with Sharon Lynn, Linda Traquair and Helen Kadey assisting. There were 4 residents attend. January 7th at 10 a.m. started off the new year with 7 attending and Judith Parker and Linda Traquair assisting. Agnes Bray accompanied on the piano. Our donations toward cost-covering the 200 boxes of Stovetop Stuffing Mix for the Christmas Hampers being distributed from the South Huron Connection Centre totaled $860.00. The expense amounted to $238.16 and $621.84 was passed on to Noah’s Ark to assist with their Community Table outreach project. Food and hygiene items for the Exeter Community Food Bank can be brought to church on the first Sunday of the month. Alternatively, there is a bin at Hansen’s Independent to drop off food bank donations. Watch for details on the 2025 Coldest Night of the Year Walk coming up on Saturday February 22, 2025. The TR-E Huggers team will be looking for walkers and donors to help those experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness in our South Huron community. Ministry and Personnel Committee Church cleaners are always needed. If you are able to help out, please sign up on the cleaning schedule posted above the desk in the basement of the church or contact Helen Kadey. Community Park The committee has received a request from an astrophotographer who would like to come to the park when it reopens in the spring. Ideally, he would like to come for 4-5 hours at night to take photos of the night sky. Further contact will be made with him in the spring. Trustees Report As an update on the proposal from Dave and Sarah Govers to purchase the church building and surrounding property, those attending the congregational meeting on Sunday December 8, 2024 voted to accept the terms of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale that were negotiated between the Trustees and David and Sarah Govers. Council met following the congregational meeting and voted to forward the agreement to the Trustees for their final approval. The Trustees have passed the resolution for the sale of the church and surrounding property to the Govers and have forwarded it to Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council for approval. If approved by the region, it will then be up to the Bereavement Authority of Ontario to approve the transaction. United Church Women The UCW ladies met on December 10th with Janis Richardson and Judith Parker leading the program. The theme was “The Twelve Days of Christmas” with the hidden Christian meaning revealed behind each verse in the popular song. Lunch hosts were Joan Morgan, Bev Prout and Melonie Miller. The $5.00 gift exchange was enjoyed during lunch. There is no meeting in January, however the installation of officers will be held during church on January 12th. The World Day of Prayer service will take place Friday, March 7th. The service, available in video format, will be shown at the church while we enjoy coffee and snacks. The next UCW meeting will be on Tuesday February 11th at 7:00 p.m. Janis Richardson and Joan Morgan will lead the program and Helen Kadey and Virginia Warwick will prepare lunch. The Roll Call is “What is your favourite board or card game?”. Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada Several emails were received from Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council and the United Church of Canada during the month of December and any pertinent information was passed on to the appropriate people. The Region’s Facebook page is a good way to keep up-to-date on regional happenings including upcoming events, workshops, and programs for children and youth. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wowrcucc1. The region’s weekly newsletter is another way to keep in touch with regional happenings. Subscribe to it here: https://mailchi.mp/united-church/wowrcsubscription. Stay up to date on plans and celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada by signing up for the Centennial Newsletter and checking the Centennial webpage. Food Grains Report Harvested in 2024 were 5+ acres of soybeans and 3.5 acres of corn. Bob Down and the Rob Essery family donated the land and Jeremy Brand and Sereda Farms looked after planting and harvesting the crops. $15,000.00 was sent to Winnipeg for this South Huron Foodgrains Project. Matched 4 to 1 by the federal government, this amount makes $75,000.00 available to buy food for those unable to support themselves. The annual South Huron Foodgrains worship service will take place at Exeter United Church on Sunday April 6, 2025. Nevin McDougall will be the guest speaker. There will be no worship service at Thames Road Elimville United Church that day. Nominating Committee The Nominating Committee is Joyce Fulton, Ken Kadey, Judith Parker, Kathy or Robert Bray, Amy Parsons, and John Miner. No one from the congregation came forward to stand as a member-at-large on the committee. Council positions to be filled for 2025 include Council Secretary and one member on each of the Finance, Property, Outreach, Worship, Christian Education, and Ministry & Personnel Committees. Several volunteers have come forward to fill these positions; however, positions on the Finance Committee and the Christian Education Committee remain vacant. Further nominations and volunteers for any of the positions will be accepted up to the day of the Annual Meeting. Contact any member of the Nominating Committee for more information, or to volunteer or make a nomination. Other Business On December 18th representatives from TR-E met with representatives from Exeter United Church to continue exploring ways in which our congregations can work together. A suggestion from the meeting, which requires a good discussion within both congregations, would be to share ministry resources. The change being considered would have Reverend Louise conduct services two Sundays a month at both Thames Road Elimville and Exeter United, and Pastor Paul cover services two Sundays a month at both Exeter United and Thames Road Elimville. One benefit of such a move would be a reduction in the amount of time Louise and Paul would devote to sermon preparation, allowing for more time for pastoral care and other church endeavours. It would also allow us to worship in our own church building most Sundays, instead of joining with Exeter United once a month as we have been doing. As such a change would mean that worship times would change, a challenge would be to come up with worship times that would suit both congregations. A discussion will take place at the Annual Meeting on February 9th. Please plan to attend and be part of the discussion. Your input is important. Our Living Faith Story prepared for Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council was approved and will be taken to the Annual Meeting for consideration by the congregation. Reports for the Annual Report are to be to Sharon Lynn by January 19, 2025. Annual Report booklets will be available on February 2, 2025. The 2024 Annual Meeting will take place in-person at the church following the worship service on Sunday February 9, 2025, with an alternate date of Sunday February 16, 2025, if needed. A light snack will be provided by the Outreach Committee between the worship service and the Annual Meeting. For the meeting to proceed, a quorum must be in attendance; a quorum is at least 20 full members of our congregation. A person becomes a full member in one of the following ways: confirmation, adult baptism and profession of faith, or through a certificate of transfer from another congregation or church, among others. Council is asking full members of our congregation to make a prior commitment to attend the meeting. The meeting invitation and RSVP date will be sent to all congregation members and adherents with the Annual Report by February 2, 2025. The meeting closed with prayer and was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. The next regular Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday February 12, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT FROM DECEMBER 4, 2024 The December 4th Church Council meeting took place on Zoom with a quorum present. Chair John Miner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with a territorial acknowledgement of the land on which we were meeting. Minister's Report During the month of November, Reverend Louise attended 2 Council meetings, one on Zoom and one in-person, prepared and led 3 Sunday worship services, prepared and participated in one shared worship service, prepared and led a worship service at Exeter Villa, took a week of Study Leave, attended the Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council Fall Meeting on Zoom, attended the Western Ontario Waterways Clergy Gathering on Zoom, attended a meeting of the Perth area United Church ministers, attended a Ministerial meeting, had a meeting with Pastor Paul Vollick to plan ahead shared services, did 2 in-person pastoral care visits, made a number of phone calls and sent a number of emails and text messages to stay in touch with members of the congregation and to conduct administrative business, checked the church email and phone messages, kept up to date with United Church and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council emails and other information. Finance Committee The 2025 Proposed Budget was approved by Council and will be taken as a recommendation to the Annual Meeting in February 2025 for approval by the congregation. Fundraising Committee The December gift card fundraiser was very successful. It brought in $537.30 for the church with 25 participants buying $13,495.00 worth of gift cards. We had 4 new participants this time. Total profit in 2024 has amounted to $4,268.70. A thank you is extended to all who have participated. A thank you is also extended to Helen Kadey and Sharon Lynn for making the payments promptly each month so the gift cards are received in a timely manner. Also, a thank you to Judith Parker for her many emails to promote the fundraiser throughout the year. The next gift card order is due on Sunday January 5, 2025. Christian Education Committee Stormy winter weather held off on Sunday December 1st and a successful Christmas Celebration went off as planned with a good number of kids, parents, grandparents, and friends in attendance. The Sunday School children presented a program of songs and readings before being rewarded with a visit from Santa. Lively fellowship and a bountiful potluck supper followed. A big thank you is extended to Amy Parsons and Sarah Govers for their planning, to Beth Cooper and Costas Kollias for their music leadership, to Robert and Kathy Bray for their technical expertise, and to all who helped in the kitchen and with cleanup. Worship Committee Christmas Eve services will take place on Tuesday December 24th at Thames Road Elimville UC at 7:00 p.m. and at Exeter UC at 5 p.m. There will be no worship service at Thames Road Elimville on Sunday December 29th. Outreach Committee The Exeter Villa worship service planned for December 3rd was cancelled due to unpredictable weather. It is rescheduled for Friday December 13th at 10:00 a.m. Food and hygiene items can be brought to church on the first Sunday of the month. Alternatively, there is a bin at Hansen’s Independent to drop off Food Bank donations. Mark your calendars to join us on Saturday February 22, 2025 for the Coldest Night of the Year walk to support those experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness in our South Huron community. Council approved an allocation of $7,000.00 to the Mission and Service Fund for 2025. This will be taken as a recommendation to the Annual Meeting in February 2025 for approval by the congregation. Ministry and Personnel Committee Council approved the 2025 Honoraria and Employee Salary Report which will be taken as a recommendation to the Annual Meeting in February 2025 for approval by the congregation. Church cleaners are always needed. If you are able to help out, please sign up on the cleaning schedule posted above the desk in the basement of the church or contact Helen Kadey. Community Park The park committee is happy to report that with several bookings over the past year, the park is being used. Trustees Report As an update on the proposal from Dave and Sarah Govers to purchase the church building and surrounding property, a Congregational Meeting will take place in the sanctuary of the church on Sunday December 8th at 11:00 a.m. to present background information and to vote on the terms of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale that have been negotiated between the Trustees and Dave and Sarah Govers. United Church Women The UCW met on Nov 12th with Joan Skinner and Sharon Lynn leading the program. The theme was Remembrance Day. Several letters from soldiers were read that had been sent home to family in the area. Notably Earl Johns who was killed in action and Elmer Bell. These letters can be found at https://www.canadianletters.ca/collections. The next meeting will be on Dec 10th with Janis Richardson and Judith Parker leading the program. Roll call is “Who is the hardest person to buy a Christmas gift for in your family”. Lunch hosts are Joan Morgan, Bev Prout and Melonie Miller. The $5.00 gift exchange will be held during lunch. Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada Several emails were received from Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council and the United Church of Canada during the month of November and any pertinent information was passed on to the appropriate people. The Region’s Facebook page is a good way to keep up-to-date on regional happenings including upcoming events, workshops, and programs for children and youth. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wowrcucc1. The region’s weekly newsletter is another way to keep in touch with regional happenings. Reverend Louise and Sharon Lynn attended the virtual Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council Fall Meeting on Saturday November 16, 2024 and Sunday November 17, 2024. Approximately 132 attendees met in 2 sessions on Saturday for a total of 6.75 hours. The theme of the meeting was “We are One – Widening the Circle”. A significant part of the agenda was dedicated to the proposals from our Regional Council to the General Council which meets from August 7, 2025 to August 12, 2025 in Calgary. On Sunday a Celebration of Ministry Service for three candidates for ministry was livestreamed from Grace United Church, Hanover at 3:00 p.m. The Spring Regional Council meeting will be on Friday May 2, 2025 and Saturday May 3, 2025. It will take place in-person and online. Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada (Continued) The United Church of Canada developed Gifts with Vision in response to requests to be able to give gifts to relatives, friends, and loved ones that directly support projects developed by the church's Mission and Service partners. This holiday season choose meaningful gifts from the comfort of your home. Access the catalogue here: Gifts with Vision. A historic day marking the 100th anniversary of The United Church of Canada will take place on June 8, 2025 at Gower St. United Church in St. John’s, NL. The Centennial Worship service will be livestreamed, allowing people from across Canada to participate in real time. Stay up to date on plans and celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada by signing up for the Centennial Newsletter and checking the Centennial webpage. Nominating Committee The Nominating Committee is Joyce Fulton, Ken Kadey, Judith Parker, Kathy or Robert Bray, Amy Parsons, and John Miner. No one from the congregation has come forward to stand as a member-at-large on the committee. Council positions to be filled for 2025 include Council Secretary and one member on each of the Finance, Property, Outreach, Worship, Christian Education, and Ministry & Personnel Committees. Several volunteers have come forward to fill these positions; however, positions on the Finance Committee and the Christian Education Committee remain vacant. Further nominations and volunteers for any of the positions will be accepted up to the day of the Annual Meeting. Contact any member of the Nominating Committee for more information, or to volunteer or make a nomination. Other Business Representatives from TR-E continue to meet with representatives from Exeter United Church to discuss ways in which our congregations can work together. The group meets next on December 18, 2024. "Stuff the Hamper": Our church will once again support supplying stuffing mix for the Christmas hampers distributed to local families from the South Huron Connection Centre. Donations towards covering the cost of 200 boxes of “Stove Top Dressing” can be by cash or cheque (payable to Thames Road Elimville UC) and given to Helen Kadey or put on the offering plate. Include name and address for a tax receipt. OR e-transfer to thamesroadelimvilleuc@hay.net and put “Stuffing Mix” in the description. Reports for the Annual Report are to be to Sharon Lynn by January 19, 2025. Annual Report booklets will be available on February 2, 2025. The 2024 Annual Meeting will take place in-person at the church following the worship service on Sunday February 9, 2025, with an alternate date of Sunday February 16, 2025, if needed. A light snack will be provided by the Outreach Committee between the worship service and the Annual Meeting. For the meeting to proceed, a quorum must be in attendance; a quorum is at least 20 full members of our congregation. A person becomes a full member in one of the following ways: confirmation, adult baptism and profession of faith, or through a certificate of transfer from another congregation or church, among others. Advance commitment of attendance will be requested to ensure a quorum will be present. The next regular Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday January 8, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT FROM NOVEMBER 6, 2024 The November 6th Church Council meeting took place on Zoom with a quorum present. Chair John Miner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with a territorial acknowledgement of the land on which we were meeting. Minister's Report During the month of October, Reverend Louise attended a Council meeting, prepared 3 Sunday worship services and led 2 (Worship Committee led one when she was sick), prepared and participated in one shared worship service at Exeter United Church, prepared and led a worship service at Exeter Villa, prepared and led a funeral, attended a meeting of Council members with our Growth Animator, Reverend Greg Smith-Young, attended a Ministerial meeting, attended the UCW meeting, had a meeting with Pastor Paul Vollick to plan ahead shared services, did 4 in-person pastoral care visits, made a number of phone calls and sent a number of emails and text messages to stay in touch with members of the congregation and to conduct administrative business, checked the church email and phone messages, and kept up to date with United Church and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council emails and other information. Finance Committee The 3rd quarter financial statements dated September 30, 2024 were sent to the congregation on October 31, 2024. Fundraising Committee The November gift card fundraiser brought in $386.25 for the church with 19 participants buying $10,025.00 worth of gift cards. The next gift card order is due on December 1, 2024. Property Committee Ken Kadey has sealed the two large cracks in the north kitchen window to prevent mice from coming in that way. He replaced the two No Trespassing signs on the shed. The batteries have been replaced in all of the clocks and the two smoke detectors. All of the clocks have been set to Eastern Standard Time. The property committee would like to thank Janis Richardson and Joan Morgan for steam cleaning the area rug in the basement. Christian Education Committee A successful Halloween Party took place at the church on Friday evening October 25th with a large crowd of children, parents, grandparents, and friends in attendance. Group activities, Halloween treats, and a bountiful table loaded with potluck snacks were enjoyed by all. A highlight of the party was the arrival of Cruella de Vil and Barbie on horseback. Congrats Natalie and Janelle…you rocked it! A big thank you is extended to Amy Parsons, Sarah Govers, and Maggie Miller for their planning and decorating. Worship Committee Remembrance Sunday will be observed on November 10th. On November 17th, in the absence of Reverend Louise, the Worship Committee will lead a hymn sing service. November 24th is Reign of Christ Sunday and also White Gift Sunday. December 1st is the first Sunday of Advent. The worship service will be a shared Communion service at Exeter United Church at 10:30 a.m. Food Bank donations are welcomed, and gift card orders are due. There will be Advent daily devotionals for sale that morning for $5.00 a booklet. These daily readings will link with the Advent themes in worship throughout the Advent season. Reverend Louise encourages folks to purchase one of the devotional booklets and follow along with the daily readings. Outreach Committee There were 9 residents attend the worship service at Exeter Villa on Tuesday November 5th. Reverend Louise led the service with Agnes Bray on the piano and Judith Parker, Janis Richardson and Sharon Lynn assisting. Food and hygiene items can be brought to church on the first Sunday of the month. When we have shared services at Exeter United Church, Food Bank items can be collected at their church. Alternatively, there is a drop off bin at Hansen’s Independent for Food Bank donations. At the coffee hour held following the November 3rd worship service, donations amounting to $115.00 were collected for the Mission and Service Fund. Ministry and Personnel Committee Council approved the 2025 Minister’s Remuneration Report, which will be taken to the Annual Meeting In February 2025 for approval by the congregation. Church cleaners are always needed. If you are able to help out, please sign up on the cleaning schedule posted above the desk in the basement of the church or contact Helen Kadey. Trustees Report As an update on the proposal from Dave and Sarah Govers to purchase the church building and surrounding property, the Trustees have prepared a formal agreement of purchase and sale that will be brought to Council for consideration at a meeting later in November. United Church Women The United Church Women met on October 8th with Anne Kernick and Diane Jeffery leading the program. A talk on the origin of birthstones revealed that the Biblical history of gems can be found in Exodus on the breastplate worn by Aaron. The Nominating Committee presented a full slate of officers and committees for 2025. Virginia Warwick and Judith Parker provided lunch. An Executive meeting was held on October 21st to discuss business, charities to support with donations, and program/lunch committees for next year. The next meeting will be on November 12th with Joan Skinner and Sharon Lynn leading the program. The Roll Call is to “name something you had that you won’t find at your adult children’s home.” Donations of cash/cheque will be collected for the annual Huron County Christmas Bureau. Pat Ballantyne and Diane Jeffery will be hosts for lunch. Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada Several emails were received from Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council and the United Church of Canada during the month of October and any pertinent information was passed on to the appropriate people. The Region’s Facebook page is a good way to keep up-to-date on regional happenings including upcoming events, workshops, and programs for children and youth. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wowrcucc1. The region’s weekly newsletter is another way to keep in touch with regional happenings. Subscribe to it here: https://mailchi.mp/united-church/wowrcsubscription. The fall meeting of Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council will take place virtually on Saturday November 16, 2024 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The livestreamed Celebration of Ministry service will take place on Sunday November 17, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. Reverend Louise and Sharon Lynn plan to attend. Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada (Continued) A historic day marking the 100th anniversary of The United Church of Canada will take place on June 8, 2025 at Gower St. United Church in St. John’s, NL. The Centennial Worship service will be livestreamed, allowing people from across Canada to participate in real time. Stay up to date on plans and celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada by signing up for the Centennial Newsletter and checking the Centennial webpage. Nominating Committee The Nominating Committee consists of the retiring member from the Finance, Property, Outreach, Worship, and Christian Education Committees plus the Council Chairperson and up to two congregation members or adherents at large. If a position on the Nominating Committee interests you, contact any member of Council for more information. The retiring members of Council are Joyce Fulton, Ken Kadey, Judith Parker, Robert or Kathy Bray, and Amy Parsons. Finishing her 2-year term as Council Secretary is Sharon Lynn. Finishing her 4-year term on the Ministry and Personnel Committee is Helen Kadey. Other Business Representatives from TR-E continue to meet with representatives from Exeter United Church to discuss ways in which our congregations can work together. The group meets next on December 18, 2024. A note was received from Lorne and Pat Ballantyne expressing thanks for the gathering in their honour following the worship service on October 20th, and for the gift cards presented to them. They added that it was a pleasure to keep the flower beds groomed for so many years. The Huron County Christmas Bureau is committed to assisting families in our community during the holiday season. As in recent years, they kindly ask for financial donations only. Our local bureau at the Exeter Christian Reformed Church, 332 Huron Street West, Exeter will be open from November 25th to November 29th between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to accept cash and cheques in person. Please make cheques payable to Rural Response for Healthy Children. Credit card donations can be made online or by calling 1 (226) 699-0707 ext. 101 anytime. If you know a local family who is in need of support, please have them call Christmas Central at 1 (888) 705-1579. Phone lines are open from November 12th to November 29th, Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The meeting closed with prayer and was adjourned at 7:50 p.m. The next regular Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday December 4, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT FROM OCTOBER 2, 2024 The October 2nd Church Council meeting took place in-person at the church with a quorum present. Chair John Miner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with a territorial acknowledgement of the land on which we were meeting. Minister's Report During the month of September, Reverend Louise attended a Council meeting, prepared and led 4 Sunday worship services, attended and participated in one shared worship service at Exeter United Church, prepared and led a worship service at Exeter Villa, attended and participated in the UCW Welcome-Back dinner event, attended a Trustees meeting, attended a Ministerial meeting, attended a Collaboration meeting at Exeter United Church, had a meeting with Pastor Paul Vollick to plan ahead shared services, attended the special commemorative event at the Community Park, did 3 in-person pastoral care visits, made a number of phone calls and sent a number of emails and text messages to stay in touch with members of the congregation and to conduct administrative business, checked the church email and phone messages, kept up to date with United Church and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council emails and other information. Finance Committee The quarterly financial statements for September 30, 2024 will be sent out to the congregation when they become available. Fundraising Committee The church received $428.50 from the September gift card fundraiser where 24 participants purchased $10,870 worth of gift cards. The 3rd quarter total for the gift card fundraising is $1,007.50. Thank you to everyone who has participated. The next gift card orders are due on October 6, 2024 and November 3, 2024. Property Committee Pat and Lorne Ballantyne have given notice that this is the last year they will be cleaning up the flower beds around the church. We thank them for their service over many years. One additional accessible parking sign will be erected in the parking lot making a total of three spots available for accessible parking near the back door of the church. Christian Education Committee Sunday School will start up again on Thanksgiving Sunday, October 13th. The annual Halloween Party will take place at the church on Friday October 25th beginning at 6:30 p.m. Those attending are asked to bring potluck snacks. This is a community event, and everyone is invited to come and join in the fun. Worship Committee Sunday October 6th is Worldwide Communion Sunday. Our congregation will gather for a joint intergenerational worship service at Exeter United Church at 10:30 a.m. Communion will be served. There will be a collection box for food bank items and gift card orders are due. A social time will follow the service. On October 13th Thanksgiving Sunday will be celebrated at Thames Road Elimville United Church at 10:00 a.m. Sunday October 27th will be Baptism Sunday. Worship Committee (Continued) A shared worship service with Exeter United Church will take place on Sunday November 3rd at Thames Road Elimville United Church at 10:00 a.m. Communion will be served. A social time will follow the service. On Sunday November 17th the Worship Committee will lead the service in the absence of Reverend Louise. Outreach Committee There were 10 residents attend the worship service at Exeter Villa on Tuesday October 1st. Reverend Louise led the service with Agnes Bray on the piano and Janis Richardson and Judith Parker assisting. The next service will be on Tuesday November 5th at 10:00 a.m. Food and hygiene items can be brought to church on the first Sunday of the month. When we have shared services at Exeter United Church, the items can be collected at their church for the food bank. A coffee hour will be held following the November 3rd worship service with donations going to the Mission and Service Fund. Ministry and Personnel Committee Church cleaners are always needed. If you are able to help out, please sign up on the cleaning schedule posted above the desk in the basement of the church or contact Helen Kadey. Community Park Committee A wonderful celebration took place at the park on September 21st with over 100 people attending. Games for the young and young at heart started at 3 o'clock under the supervision of Amy Parsons, followed by hot dogs, corn on the cob, and cupcakes. Thanks to Sarah Govers for decorating the park with pumpkins. A big thank you is extended to Wayne, Jo-Anne and Jeff Rowe for donating the corn for our meal, and to Bev and Mercedes Prout for making the 100 cupcakes. Dedication of the rose garden planted by Jack Hodgert saw many past students attending to represent one of the twelve one room schools in Usborne Township. Another rose was planted in the centre of the garden to represent Usborne Central School. First principal Arnold Mathers was in attendance. The rose garden commemorates the 60 years since the one room schools closed and Usborne Central opened. The celebration was a fundraiser for the South Huron Foodgrains project which was initiated 30 years ago. Donations of $970.00 were collected at the event and will go to the South Huron Foodgrains project. The celebration also recognized the 100th anniversary of the donation of the park to the community by Thomas and Margaret Cameron. To commemorate this milestone, a tree will be planted at the park. Thank you to members of the Park Committee and the Foodgrains Committee for their work in making the day a great success. Trustees Report As an update on the proposal from Dave and Sarah Govers to purchase the church building and surrounding property, the Trustees are preparing a formal transfer of ownership and agreement proposal which will then be presented to Council for approval. Permission was granted to Dave Govers to relocate the gravestones from the parking area to the west side of the church, as per the request from the Bereavement Authority of Ontario. United Church Women The UCW Welcome Back evening was held on September 10th with a ‘safari’ theme and 23 ladies attending. A catered meal was supplied by Robinson’s Fresh Cafe and the committee members Kathy Bray, Judith Parker, Helen Kadey and Anne Kernick. Reverend Louise led everyone in some African interpretative dance routines following the meal. Then Joan Cooper and Caroline May presented an amazing slide show and commentary on their golfing/safari adventure in Kenya last January. On September 25th the UCW held an autumn tea party at the Exeter Villa. There were 25 residents come and enjoy the afternoon event. Happy Birthday was sung to Annie Jean Johns who was celebrating that day. Hosts were Anne Kernick, Diane Jeffery, Barb Dalrymple, Pat Ballantyne and Judith Parker. The next meeting is October 8th with Anne Kernick and Diane Jeffery leading the program. Lunch hosts are Virginia Warwick and Marg McCarter. The Roll Call is ‘name your birthstone.’ Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada Several emails were received from Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council and the United Church of Canada during the month of September and any pertinent information was passed on to the appropriate people. The Region's Facebook page is a good way to keep up-to-date on regional happenings including upcoming events, workshops, and programs for children and youth. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wowrcucc1. The region's weekly newsletter is another way to keep in touch with regional happenings. Subscribe to it here: https://mailchi.mp/united-church/wowrcsubscription. Stay up to date on plans and celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada by signing up for the Centennial Newsletter and checking the Centennial webpage. Foodgrains Report Year end donations to the South Huron Foodgrains Project can be made until the end of October. Cheques made payable to South Huron Foodgrains can be given to Brent Caslick or a committee member. E-transfers can be sent to shgbtreasurer@g.mail.com. Other Business Representatives from TR-E continue to meet with representatives from Exeter United Church to discuss ways in which our congregations can work together. A set of guidelines for joint worship services has been established. The town wide dodgeball event planned by the local Ministerial for Saturday November 2nd has been postponed for now. The meeting closed with prayer and was adjourned at 8:10 p.m. The next Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday November 6, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT FROM SEPTEMBER 4, 2024 The September 4th Church Council meeting took place in-person at the church with a quorum present. Chair John Miner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with a territorial acknowledgement of the land on which we were meeting. Minister's Report Reverend Louise reported that during the months of June, July and August she attended a Council meeting, prepared and led 5 Sunday worship services and shared one with Pastor Paul Vollick, attended 3 shared worship services, prepared and led a worship service at Exeter Villa, participated in a Memorial Service at Exeter Villa, attended a lunch meeting with the Perth area United Church ministers, attended an online United Church of Canada course called “Getting Started in Stewardship”, attended 3 Trustees meetings, attended a Ministerial meeting, attended a Collaboration meeting at Exeter United Church, attended a Western Ontario Waterways Clergy Gathering on Zoom, took two 2-week vacations, did 10 in-person pastoral care visits, made a number of phone calls and sent a number of emails and text messages to stay in touch with members of the congregation and to conduct administrative business, checked the church email and phone messages, kept up to date with United Church and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council emails and other information. Finance Committee Quarterly financial statements for June 30, 2024 were sent out to the congregation on July 26, 2024. Fundraising Committee September gift cards are due September 8th with pickup on September 15th. June 16th – The church received $369.50 with 18 participants buying $9,525.00 worth of gift cards. July 28th – The church received $394.25 with 19 participants buying $10,075.00 worth of gift cards. The church received $905.65 for the second quarter of 2024. The next gift card order will be due on October 6th. Worship Committee Worship services will resume in our church building on September 8th. Coffee and a time of fellowship will follow the service. Our congregation will gather for a joint worship service at Exeter United Church on Sunday October 6th, Worldwide Communion Sunday. Communion will be served. Outreach Committee There were 13 residents attend the worship service at Exeter Villa on September 3rd. Reverend Louise led the service with assistance from Agnes Bray, Marianne Timmerman, and Janis Richardson. In September we will resume bringing food items to church on the first Sunday of the month. Thank you for supporting the Exeter Community Food Bank in this way. Ministry and Personnel Committee Church cleaners are always needed. If you are able to help out, please sign up on the cleaning schedule posted above the desk in the basement of the church or contact Helen Kadey. Community Park Committee SAVE THE DATE! Saturday September 21, 2024 The South Huron Foodgrains Committee and the Thames Road Elimville Community Park Committee are planning a celebration at the park to commemorate four special events in the life of our churches’ community. 1. 100 years since the donation of Thames Road Park to the Sunday school. 2. 60 years since the one room schools in Usborne were closed and the Usborne Central School was opened. 3. 30 years for the South Huron Foodgrains Project. 4. This year a rose garden was planted at the Thames Road Elimville Community Park by Jack Hodgert - one rose for each of the one room schools that served the municipality of Usborne. To celebrate/commemorate these events, a Special Day is being organized for Saturday, September 21st at the Thames Road Elimville Community Park. There will be Farmer Olympics at 3:00 pm (for all ages), followed by a Corn Roast and Hot Dogs at 5:00p.m. All of our church communities, as well as the bigger community, are welcome. Freewill donations will be collected, and the proceeds will go to the South Huron Foodgrains Project. Bring a friend or a neighbour, see you there! Please RSVP to help with food preparation. Judith Parker rjparker@quadro.net 519- 235-0978 Beth Cooper bcooper@quadro.net 519-671-1030 Robert/Kathy Bray vkjbray@quadro.net 519-229-8863 Amy Parsons parsonsfamily@quadro.net 519-872-8763 Trustees Report As an update on the proposal from Dave and Sarah Govers to purchase the church building and surrounding property, the Trustees continue to be in discussions with the Govers. United Church Women The next UCW meeting will be on September 10th with a Welcome Back evening with a catered supper at the church and program/entertainment to follow. Kathy Bray, Judith Parker, Helen Kadey and Anne Kernick are organizing the evening. Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada Several emails were received from Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council and the United Church of Canada over the summer and any pertinent information was passed on to the appropriate people. The Region’s Facebook page is a good way to keep up-to-date on regional happenings including upcoming events, workshops, and programs for children and youth. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wowrcucc1. The region’s weekly newsletter is another way to keep in touch with regional happenings. Subscribe to it here: https://mailchi.mp/united-church/wowrcsubscription. The fall meeting of Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council will take place virtually on Saturday November 16, 2024 and Sunday November 17, 2024. On Sunday June 9, 2024 the United Church of Canada kicked off its Centennial celebrations with a special service at Metropolitan United Church in Toronto. The full service is available to watch on the church’s YouTube channel, and you can read more about the day in this recent news post. The 100th anniversary is June 10, 2025. Stay up to date on plans and celebrations by signing up for the Centennial Newsletter and checking the Centennial webpage. Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada (Continued) Moderator Carmen Lansdowne urges us to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, on September 30, 2024. This is a day to reflect, pray, learn, and to honour survivors, their families, and the communities affected by Indian Residential Schools and those who operated them. For non-Indigenous Christians in particular, this is a time to reflect on their role in colonialism and the ongoing responsibility to make reparations. Other Business Representatives from TR-E continue to meet with representatives from Exeter United Church to discuss ways in which our congregations can work together. They meet next on September 17th. The local Ministerial is running a community wide Alpha program beginning on September 29th. Watch for more details coming soon. The local Ministerial is planning a town wide dodgeball event on Saturday, November 2nd. Watch for more details as they become available. The meeting closed with prayer and was adjourned at 7:55 p.m. The next Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday October 2, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in-person at the church.
CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT FROM JUNE 5, 2024 The June 5th Church Council meeting took place in-person at the church with a quorum present. Chair John Miner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with a territorial acknowledgement of the land on which we were meeting. Minister's Report Reverend Louise reported that during the month of May she attended the Council meeting, prepared and led 2 Sunday worship services, prepared and led a worship service at Exeter Villa, attended a lunch meeting with the Perth area United Church ministers, took a week of Study Leave to virtually attend the Festival of Homiletics, met with a couple regarding a wedding, attended a Teams meeting with United Church Growth Animator Reverend Greg Smith-Young, attended 2 Trustees meetings, attended the Ministerial meeting, attended the 3-day Tri-Regional Council meeting by Zoom, attended a Zoom Rural Town Hall led by Edge (United Church of Canada network), did 3 in-person pastoral care visits, made a number of phone calls and sent a number of emails and text messages to stay in touch with members of the congregation and to conduct administrative business, checked the church email and phone messages, kept up to date with United Church and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council emails and other information. Finance Committee Quarterly financial statements for June 30th will be sent out in July. Fundraising Committee The May gift card fundraiser was a little smaller with the church receiving $289.15 after 19 participants bought $7,530 worth of gift cards. The next gift card order due date will be June 16th. There will be 6 weeks before the next gift card order is due on July 28th. A gift card order will also be due on September 8th. Christian Education Committee June 16th will be the final week for Sunday School before summer break. It will resume again in mid-September. Worship Committee On June 9th and June 16th worship services will be in the community park, weather permitting. On June 23rd the Summer Worship schedule begins with Thames Road Elimville and Exeter United co-hosting the service at our community park. In the event of inclement weather, these three services will be held at Thames Road Elimville United Church. Please bring your lawn chair for the services in the park. The Summer Worship schedule is at the end of this report. All services begin at 10:00 am. There will be no worship service on September 1st at Thames Road Elimville United Church, but you are invited to worship at Exeter United Church at 10:00 a.m. Worship services at TR-E resume on September 8th. Outreach Committee There were 15 residents attend the worship service at Exeter Villa on June 4th. Reverend Louise will be leading the next worship service on Tuesday, September 3rd at 2 p.m. Reminder: Contribute some recipes to the South Huron Ministerial Cookbook fundraiser for the South Huron Connection Centre. There are forms available at the church. Contact Judith Parker if you need the online form resent. The deadline for recipe submissions is June 25th. This project will support the hungry and homeless in our community. Thank you for bringing your food items for the Exeter Community Food Bank to church on the first Sunday of the month. Ministry and Personnel Committee Church cleaners are always needed. If you are able to help out, please sign up on the cleaning schedule posted above the desk in the basement of the church or contact Helen Kadey. Community Park Committee Ground maintenance continues at the park by Corey Laye, C&M Landscaping. The port-a-pottie will be serviced by Central Sanitation when the lawn is fit to drive on. Trustees Report As an update on the proposal from Dave and Sarah Govers to purchase the church building and surrounding property, the Trustees are in discussions with the Govers. United Church Women The UCW met on May 14th with Melonie Miller and Barb Dalrymple presenting a program theme for Mother’s Day. Joyce Fulton and Shirley Cooper hosted lunch after the meeting. The UCW will be catering to a funeral luncheon on June 8th for the late Joanne (Mair) Fordham. On July 18th, we will be donating 25 dozen rice krispie squares to Camp Bimini for the campers. The next meeting will be on September 10th with a Welcome Back Supper. Further details will be coming from Kathy Bray, Judith Parker, Helen Kadey and Anne Kernick. Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada Several emails were received from Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council and the United Church of Canada in May 2024, and any pertinent information was passed on to the appropriate people. The Region’s Facebook page is a good way to keep up-to-date on regional happenings including upcoming events, workshops, and programs for children and youth. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wowrcucc1. The region’s weekly newsletter is another way to keep in touch with regional happenings. Subscribe to it here: https://mailchi.mp/united-church/wowrcsubscription. Enjoy this cute video shared by the Christian Resource Centre in Mitchell: https://www.wevideo.com/view/3431033126 Reverend Louise and Sharon Lynn attended virtually the Tri-Regional Council Spring Meeting on Friday May 24, Saturday May 25, and Sunday May 26, 2024. The hybrid meeting, held in-person at the Unifor Family Education Centre in Port Elgin and on Zoom, was a joint meeting of Antler River, Horseshoe Falls, and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils. The theme of the meeting was “Life Together” with The Right Reverend Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, Moderator of the United Church of Canada, as the theme speaker. From Friday at 2:00 p.m. to Sunday at 12 noon, participants met in six sessions for a total of 16 hours. Attendance at the sessions varied, with the largest gathering of participants being on Friday evening when the Moderator was featured. Over 350 people gathered in person, with another 145 plus meeting on Zoom. The fall regional meeting will take place on Zoom on Saturday November 16 and Sunday November 17, 2024. On May 22, 2024 national Canadian church leaders, including Moderator the Right Reverend Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, marched on Parliament Hill in Ottawa as part of KAIROS Canada's Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage, issuing an urgent call for the federal government to support an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza, the establishment of a life-saving flow of humanitarian aid, and an end to all arms transfers to Israel. Find out ways you can take action, pray, and advocate for lasting peace and justice in Palestine and Israel. June 10, 2025 will mark The United Church of Canada’s 100th anniversary. The Centennial Commemoration year launches with a worship service on Sunday June 9, 2024 at Metropolitan United Church in Toronto from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The service will also be livestreamed on the United Church’s You Tube channel at this link: https://www.youtube.com/live/L0Zwd8Y5SI8. The 100th Anniversary will be celebrated in worship on June 8, 2025. Sign up now for your monthly Centennial Newsletter. Other Business Joan Morgan and Janis Richardson have volunteered to clean the carpet in the basement of the church. A copy of the Usborne Township history book "Between the Fences" has been donated to the church by Carolyn (Kellett) Knight. If anyone has an extra copy of the "Supplementary" edition, it would also be a valuable addition to our library. The meeting closed with prayer and was adjourned at 7:50 p.m. The next Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in-person at the church.
CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT FROM MAY 1, 2024 The May 1st Church Council meeting took place in-person at the church with a quorum present. Chair John Miner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with a territorial acknowledgement of the land on which we were meeting. Minister's Report Reverend Louise reported that during the month of April she attended the Congregational meeting, attended the Council meeting, officiated at a funeral and a burial, took a week of Study Leave and a Sunday of vacation, prepared and led 2 Sunday worship services, prepared and led a worship service at Exeter Villa, attended the Western Ontario Waterways Clergy Gathering on Zoom, attended a Collaboration meeting at Exeter United Church, attended a Trustees meeting, attended the Ministerial meeting, attended a Zoom workshop on Social Media led by the United Church Rural Ministry Network, attended a Zoom workshop on Vulnerable Congregations led by Western Ontario Waterways, attended Exeter Villa’s Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast, had a meeting with Pastor Paul Vollick at Exeter United Church to plan a schedule of shared summer services, did 4 in-person pastoral care visits, made a number of phone calls and sent a number of emails and text messages to stay in touch with members of the congregation and to conduct administrative business, checked the church email and phone messages, kept up to date with United Church and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council emails and other information. Fundraising Committee We had another successful gift card response in April. The church received $431.75 after 21 participants bought $11,375.00 worth of gift cards. Thank you to everyone who participated. The next gift card order is due on May 12, 2024. Property Committee A new branch circuit feed for receptacles has been ran in the basement of the church. The receptacle beside the piano has a plate cover on it now and cannot be used. Worship Committee At the worship service on May 5th, Asian History month will be recognized with guest speaker Janet Worthington. A Coffee Hour and social time will follow the service. We celebrate Mother’s Day on May 12th. There will be no worship service at Thames Road Elimville United Church on Sunday May 19th as Reverend Louise is away on study leave. May 26th is Trinity Sunday. Outreach Committee The Exeter Villa staff hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Pancake Breakfast on April 19th. Attending were Reverend Louise, Janis Richardson, Sharon Lynn, Marianne Timmerman, and Judith Parker. Reverend Louise will be leading the next worship service at the Villa on Tuesday, May 7th at 2 p.m. The South Huron Ministerial is organizing a fundraising cookbook project in support of the South Huron Connection Centre (Community Table/Noah’s Ark). Area churches are invited to submit recipes that will be compiled into this new cookbook idea. There are forms available at the church. An email with online forms was also sent to the congregation. Contact Judith Parker if you need the forms resent. The deadline for recipe submissions is June 25th. This project will support the hungry and homeless in our community. May is PAR month! PAR or Pre-Authorized Remittance is the tool United Church congregations use for monthly donations. Giving consistently is not only good for our ministries and communities of faith, it’s good for us as well. Giving on a regular basis helps us grow in our discipleship and deepens our relationship with our generous God. This month consider your gifts and your giving: Join PAR and designate a monthly donation to the church from your bank account Change your donation amount if already a member of PAR Designate a portion of your PAR donation to other areas e.g. Mission & Service Fund, Community Park, Sunday School Contact Sharon Passmore (PAR Secretary) shapassmore@hay.net or 519-235-2708. Thank you for bringing your food items for the Exeter Community Food Bank to church on the first Sunday of the month. Ministry and Personnel Committee A big thank you is extended to the Rooseboom family, who for several years have done a great job at maintaining the lawn around the church. They are now wishing to pass the responsibility on to someone else. We are happy to report that Jason Govers has agreed to take on the job. Church cleaners are always needed. If you are able to help out, please sign up on the cleaning schedule posted above the desk in the basement of the church or contact Helen Kadey. Community Park Committee The park was booked on Thursday, April 25th for some young families to come and play, and will be booked again on Saturday, July 6th for a family gathering. The certificate of insurance has been sent to the Municipality of South Huron as per our Memorandum of Understanding agreement. Trustees Report As an update on the proposal from Dave and Sarah Govers to purchase the church building and surrounding property, the Trustees are currently gathering estimates for legal costs and appraisal fees. Regional Council will be contacted to request the use of restricted funds to pay these costs. United Church Women The UCW met on April 9th with Virginia Warwick and Sharon Lynn leading the program on the history of the playing card, which dates back to antiquity in many countries around the world. A fun game of springtime trivia was also played. Helen Kadey and Janis Richardson hosted lunch after the meeting. The UCW hosted a Tea Social at Exeter Villa on April 19th with 23 residents and friends attending. On April 21st, the ladies provided refreshments for the congregation following the Confirmation Sunday service. The next meeting is May 14th with Melonie Miller and Barb Dalrymple leading the program. The Roll Call is “Location of your first childhood home.” Joyce Fulton and Shirley Cooper will host lunch. Donations will be collected for a “bakeless bake sale” with proceeds going to the Mission and Service Fund. Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council/The United Church of Canada Several emails were received from Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council and the United Church of Canada in April 2024, and any pertinent information was passed on to the appropriate people. The Region’s Facebook page is a good way to keep up-to-date on regional happenings including upcoming events, workshops, and programs for children and youth. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wowrcucc1. The region’s weekly newsletter is another way to keep in touch with regional happenings. Subscribe to it here: https://mailchi.mp/united-church/wowrcsubscription. The Amazing Grace – Friday, June 7th (7 p.m.) – Saturday, June 8th (6:30 p.m.) at Camp Bimini. Kids Across the Regions 2024 – A fun, faith-filled overnight retreat for children (grades 4 to 8) from across the three Regional Councils; voluntary three-tier pricing: $50, $60, or $70 – choose the tier that is most suitable for your family. Youth Leadership Opportunities as Cabin Leaders (high school plus). There is no cost for Leaders. Payment is by E-Transfer to hfrc@united-church.ca. Application deadline is May 24th. Your application, signatures and payment are required to complete your registration. If you don’t receive a Confirmation Email after submitting the registration form, call Kathy Douglas at 519-441-0656 to confirm your registration has been received. Please note: your GPS and/or Google Maps will not lead you to the camp. Download a Camp Map and Directions, Participant Letter, Permission Form and Packing List. Child Participant Registration for Kids Across the Region 2024..,,. Leader Registration for Kids Across the Region 2024 Rev. Dr. Sheila Macgregor and St. Andrew’s Pastoral Charge, Bayfield entered into a new pastoral relationship on January 2, 2024. The Spring 2024 Tri-Regional Council Meeting will take place on Friday May 24th, Saturday May 25th, and Sunday May 26th at the Unifor Centre in Port Elgin, and online. The theme of the meeting is “Life Together”. The Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne will be the theme speaker on Friday evening. Reverend Louise and Sharon Lynn plan to attend the meeting online. It is now more than six months since the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023. In the bombardment by Israel, millions of Gazans are starving, displaced, killed and imprisoned, crowded into a small area, and currently under threat of further warfare. Partners in Palestine and Israel cry out for an end to the decades-long occupation of Palestine and blockade of Gaza. We seek to be in solidarity. Join with others in Canada and globally in prayerful solidarity. Read the full news announcement to find out more about how you can participate by praying and advocating for Palestine. The United Church of Canada is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2025. An in-person worship service to kick-off a year-long celebration will be held at Metropolitan United Church in Toronto. It will also be livestreamed. Save the date: Sunday June 9, 2024, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Sign up now for your monthly Centennial Newsletter and explore the rich history of The United Church of Canada pulled from church archives. In a rare opportunity, The United Church of Canada has partnered with the 2024 Stars on Ice tour as part of a strategic plan to Strengthen Invitation. A 30-second video will be witnessed by over 100,000 guests during the 12 live performances by the world’s top skaters in arenas across Canada. Find it here: https://united-church.ca/.../strengthening-invitation... Foodgrains Committee Another successful South Huron Foodgrains service took place at Exeter United Church on April 14, 2024 with a good crowd in attendance. Approximately 80 people enjoyed lunch and a time of fellowship following the service. On behalf of the South Huron Foodgrains Committee, Chair Tom Prout extends a thank you to everyone who participated in the service, including the ladies who helped with the food. Other Business Reverend Louise, John Miner, and Ken Kadey met with representatives from Exeter United Church on Tuesday, April 16th to discuss ways in which our two congregations, and others, could work together. Council approved a joint summer worship schedule that will include the congregations from Exeter, Thames Road Elimville, Centralia, and Zion West. Many of the services will take place at the Thames Road Elimville Community Park, weather permitting. A copy of the schedule is attached to this report. Council also approved a joint worship service with Exeter United Church once a month, alternating the location of the service between Exeter and Thames Road Elimville. A joint Sunday School and choir may also be considered at these services. Watch for more details as they are announced.
A Regional Council cluster gathering took place on Monday April 15th at Exeter United Church. Fifteen representatives from Crediton, Centralia, Hensall, Huron Shores Grand Bend, Thames Road Elimville, and Thamesview Fullarton were in attendance. John Miner and Sharon Lynn represented our congregation. The meeting focused on learning about the purpose and work of Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council. Representatives shared how their congregation is practicing outreach within their community, and fundraising projects they are having success with. The cluster plans to meet again in mid-October. The meeting closed with prayer and was adjourned at 8:10 p.m. The next Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in-person at the church.
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We believe that guided by the Holy Spirit our Pastoral Charge will nurture Christian faith so that we may serve God by word and personal example. |
