2017 Outreach Summary

Each month, we raise funds for a different non-profit organization whose mission is in line with our principles.  We call this “Outreach”.  Unless otherwise noted, half of each month’s offering plate collections are given to the Outreach Recipient for that month.  

During the 2017 year, we collected the following amounts for our Outreach recipients:

January: $1,075 for the Paul Sugar Palliative Support Foundation.

February: $1,399 for the WISH Drop-in Centre

March: 100% of donations ($3,441) to our Partner Church in Hungary

April:  $1294 to the Unitarian Service Committee Canada

May: $852 to McLaren Housing Society

June: $604 to the North Shore Women's Centre

July: (No church services)

August: $562 to Child Haven International

September: $803 to Kwi Awt Stelmexw

October: $1,196 to Sheway

November: $917 to the North Shore Lookout Shelter

December:  100% of donations ($3,275) went to our Minister's Discretionary Fund

Cancelling Church Services due to Snow or Other Emergencies

On rare occasions, church services and events may be cancelled due to extremely snowy conditions, loss of electricity, or other emergency situations.  When this happens on a Sunday morning, the decision will be made prior to 8:00 am.  

SAFETY FIRST  

Our number one concern is for the safety of our congregants.  We recognize that there are many factors that determine the safety of driving in inclement weather.  Therefore, it is not possible for us to have a “one size fits all” recommendation when it comes to emergency situations and inclement weather.  We leave it up to individuals to determine whether or not they feel safe coming to church considering road conditions and other factors. 

CLOSURES

On rare occasions, church may be cancelled due to inclement weather, power outages, or for other reasons deemed necessary at the time.  When this happens, church events scheduled on that day will also be cancelled.  We will use several methods to notify the congregation of church closures, including:
1.    Posting a message on the Home Page of our website.
2.    Posting a message on our Blog. 
3.    Sending out a mass email to the members and friends who are on our eBulletin email list (if you don't receive our eBulletins but would like to, please notify our office so we can include you).  
4.    Changing the message on our phone’s answering machine to announce the closure.  
5.    Encouraging “word of mouth” communications.  Although we have no official “phone tree” in place, we encourage members and friends to communicate with each other via phone about closures, especially those who may not have online or email access to the information.  

CANCELLING OTHER CHURCH EVENTS

Church events other than Sunday Services may be cancelled due to inclement weather conditions at the determination of the event leader.  It is generally the responsibility of the event leader to communicate the cancellation with the participants.
 

Hot off the press: Winter Newsletter

The Winter newsletter is ready to view!  Click HERE to see it online, download, or print it.  (Printed copies are also available on the foyer table).

This edition features a front-page article about our proposed new site, and other exciting news and events happening at NSUC.  

Collecting for Christmas Hampers

This year the NSUC will provide Christmas Hampers for two families and a senior. We need donations and volunteers.  Please bring the following items to the church and place them in the bins provided in the foyer:

• CASH to purchase grocery gift cards.

• VOLUNTEERS to purchase gift from the wish lists.

• WRAPPING PAPER.

• FUN ITEMS to add into the hampers like chocolates, tea/coffee, decorations, candles.

• SPECIFIC GIFTS from their wish lists. (New items only, please!)

We must deliver the hampers on December 14th, so will need donations to be at church by Sunday December 10th so we can assemble the packages.  A volunteer from the Social Responsibility Team, will collect money for grocery cards and names of people who can volunteer to buy gifts.  Please contact the Church Office if you can help (604-926-1621 or info@northshoreunitarians.ca).

Click Below to see the wish lists:

Soul Matters

Small groups gather each month to discuss the monthly theme using materials from the Soul Matters sharing circle, a resource over 150 Unitarian congregations in Canada, the UK and the US contribute to and use for service preparation and small group ministry.  

New Soul Matters groups are forming at North Shore Unitarian Church.  To be added to an upcoming group, contact Rev. Marcus or the Church Office.  

Want to learn more about Soul Matters? Check out their website at https://www.soulmatterssharingcircle.com.

Gift-Making Workshop: Sunday, November 19th 2-5pm

On Sunday, November 19th, we will host our annual Christmas Gift-Making Workshop downstairs at the church from 2-5 pm.  Children over 5 years of age will have the opportunity to make gifts for their friends and family.  There will be 10-12 craft tables each set up with 2 adults or youth who will show the children how to make each project.  The cost of each craft ranges from 25 cents to $3 and is designed to cover the expense of materials only.  Admission is a toonie and includes hot apple cider and goodies.  We hope you can join us, enticed by the aroma of apple and cinnamon and the sounds of soft winter music.  I personally love seeing the children’s faces when they have created something special and feel the satisfaction that comes with making a meaningful gift for a loved one.

Thankfully, we have a core of adults who don’t want to miss helping with this event, but we need more volunteers.  To volunteer or learn more about it, call Lynn at 604-926-1621.

Power, Privilege and Social Justice: A Study Group

Starts Friday, October 20th

Three of our Unitarian Principles call us to serve social justice in all our actions:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;

This study group will explore the dynamics of power and privilege and how they impede true and lasting social justice.  We will use the lens of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) to remove our blinders about the privilege we hold and how it prevents us from realizing our Unitarian principles. Then drawing on our collective knowledge, we will explore the lessons from various social justice movements to identify what we can do to create the change we want to see in the world.

This study group will be facilitated by Cathy Strickland and Athene Lohan.  The group will meet the first and third Friday evenings of every month from 7:30 until 9 pm at the church.  The first session will be held on Friday, October 20th and the group will continue until May.  There will be an information session for those interested on Sunday, September 17th at 12:30 in RS305 after church.

Please RSVP to Cathy Strickland if you plan on attending any or all of these sessions:  cstrickland@shaw.ca.

UUA Pacific Western Region Regional Mission Trip for Youth and Adults

Roots, Reflections, Relationships - An Environmental Justice Journey

Led by retired DRE, Katie Covey, this is a week long UU "mission" style trip to Pasadena, CA where a group of 25 youth and adults will partner with Throop Unitarian Church and other community leaders to explore the theme of environmental justice, all the while focusing on developing ongoing relationships, learning skills, and engaging in hands on justice work in solidarity with local experts and advocates.

• Do you have a passion for environmental justice?

• Have you been interested to partner with grassroots organizations to create a lasting partnership in solidarity with local communities?

• Have you ever wanted to make a real difference while learning hands on skills and concepts?

• If you answered “Yes,” or better yet, “Hell yes!” to any of the above, then the new PWR Justice Journey is for you!

Logistics: Sat. night, July 14 - Sunday afternoon, July 22, 2018 at Throop Unitarian Universalist Church  300 S. Los Robles Ave.  Pasadena, CA 91101  

Cost is $550.00 per person for 8 days. All meals, lodging at the church, local transportation. (Air and ground Transportation to the Throop Church is not included.)

Staff: Eric Bliss, PWR Youth Specialist, Rev. Jae Scott, Buddhist minister and UU Religious Educator, Katie Covey, PWR Mission Trip Lead.

The Pacific Western Region Mission Trip provides an opportunity to practice environmental sustainability in the unique permaculture urban garden at Throop, as well as a variety of community projects and events. Once a barren corner, now it is a flourishing site co-partnered with Transition Pasadena. In addition, the group will engage in centering meditative UU and Buddhist practices as developed by Rev. Jae Scott’s Mutuality Movement as a way to build a lifelong foundation for justice work and compassionate understanding.

Come participate in a unique, transformative week and walk our talk!

Registration: https://register.pwruua.org/event-registrations/pwr-mission-trip/ 

Registration Deadline is Nov. 20, 2017

Payment: A $50.00 non-refundable deposit is due by Nov. 20, 2017. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first served basis with the additional provision of accepting participants from marginalized populations.

More information HERE, or contact: Katie Covey, PWR Mission Trip Lead at katiecovey@gmail.com

Library News

We recently received donations for the children collection.  For teens, from Marcia Stephenson, Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War, a film by Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky; from Nancy McMaster, For Today I Am a Boy by Kim Fu; from Karen Epp, George by Alex Gino (a transgender first person narrative); from Nicole Hostinsky, Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery; from Melanie Zdan Johnson, Celebrate the Sun: A Heritage of Festivals Interpreted through the Art of Children from Many Lands by Betty Nickerson.  The following two donations are anonymous and for younger readers: Looking for Angels by Valiska Gregory and Leslie Baker, and The Dragon’s Tale and Other Animal Fables of the Chinese Zodiac by Demi.  Also, Nora Coates purchased Dr. Seuss’s Butter Battle Book, a timely parable.

Help yourself to the free magazines that will be on display on the library table during October.  

October Outreach Recipient: SHEWAY

Each month, we select a non-profit organization to receive 50% of our Sunday morning collection plate.  We call this "Outreach".  During October, our Outreach recipient will be SHEWAY, a project of the Vancouver Native Health Society.  SHEWAY provides comprehensive health and social services to women who are either pregnant or parenting children less than 18 months old and who are experiencing current or previous issues with substance use. The focus of the program is to help the women have healthy pregnancies and positive early parenting experiences. The program consists of prenatal, postnatal and infant health care, education and counseling for nutrition, child development, addictions, HIV and Hepatitis C, housing and parenting. SHEWAY also assists in fulfilling basic needs, such as providing daily nutritious lunches, food coupons, food bags, nutritional supplements, formula, and clothing.

Learn more about SHEWAY here.

Please make your cheque payable to "North Shore Unitarian Church".