You folks made my heart so happy last Sunday. There was a visiting minister and his husband from Kamloops United Church in the congregation and he commented after the service on the hospitality they experienced! He said that they have rarely experienced that kind of welcome when they have been visiting a church, from the greeter, to the folks around them in the pews, to the welcome I extended at the beginning and the Land Acknowledgment. His husband looks after hospitality and welcome at his church and is always observing and looking for best practices etc.
This week in worship we start our ‘Who Are the People in Our Neighbourhood’ series, with a neighbour close to home, although many of you may not know it. Phil Bissett, Executive Director of 2 Denarii Society, which is an addiction recovery society and who make their home in the church hall, will speak about their organization.
The scripture is Acts 8: 26-39 and my reflection title is Look! Here is Water! A direct quote from the text. It’s a story of inclusion, evangelism and excitement and fits perfectly with the series. Although builds a bit on last week’s message that everyone has something to offer.
My Week
Aside from the usual things, I’m headed to the Atlantic School of Theology late Wednesday afternoon for an alumni event with Diana Butler Bass; I’ll be there all day Thursday as well, so will be working Friday, although from home. It will be great to connect with folks from my graduation year as well as many that I have come to know through Facebook and on-line groups and meetings.
Selling the Hall
Whenever a community of faith makes a big decision, like selling a piece of property, there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes. The initial team that was formed before I arrived here: Dale Hudson, Murray Wylie, Ian Travers, Wilf Laybolt, Wayne Cochrane and Jackie Clark and then I joined them in January 2023. A big thanks to Dale who took the lead on the process. While it might feel to some that we have reached the end of a process and indeed in a way that it true. In another way, we are just beginning and there may be lots of confusion and disruption along the way. The Leadership Team will endeavour to keep you updated on a regular and timely basis. After Sunday’s vote, the next steps were for the Trustees to all a special meeting; this is necessary in the case of a property sale or major renovation, and can take place no sooner than 7 days after the meeting has been called. So, we are meeting next Monday evening (May 12) to complete the necessary paperwork to send to the Regional Property Committee, which I believe is meeting on May 16, 2025, and I trust we will hear from them immediately after that. Each time I engage a new congregation in an Intentional Interim Ministry I learn something new; this time it’s been a great deal around the policies that are in place for the selling and renovation of church property.
St. James United Church Dartmouth 