wfn.org | The United Church of Canada Marks Its 85th Anniversary

["Broadhurst, Tom" <tbroadhu@united-church.ca>]

News Release -- Tuesday, June 1, 2010

The United Church of Canada Marks Its 85th Anniversary

United Church congregations throughout Canada will be marki ng the
denomination's 85th anniversary beginning this weekend. Local
celebrations will be happening in the days leading up t o and immediately
following June 10, the date on which The United Church  of Canada was
formed in 1925. In addition to the many different activ ities being
planned in communities from coast to coast to coast, th ere are a number
of shared initiatives that the whole church has been in vited to
participate in during this anniversary celebration.

In an initiative called Making Connections, more than 2,0 00
congregations, community ministries, and overseas personnel w ere
randomly matched with one another and invited to exchange  anniversary
greetings and get to know one another. Many congregations  took this
opportunity to find innovative ways to share their storie s with one
another. For example, two congregations arranged a conferen ce call so
they could exchange greetings and talk about what they  found special
about their own congregations. Another church's Sunday scho ol class made
friendship bracelets to send to the children in their p artner church.

Even though churches were matched randomly, surprising coin cidences and
interesting connections have surfaced. In one instance an  Ontario United
Church minister had placed the highest bid in a fundrai sing auction for
a week at a cottage in PEI and then found out that  her congregation had
been paired with one in PEI. Needless to say, the min ister is planning
to visit the partner church while she is on vacation  this summer.

A second 85th anniversary initiative across the church is  called Sharing
a Common Loaf. Locally milled flour was gathered from e ach of the United
Church's 13 regional Conferences. Then a group of volunte ers from Wilmot
United Church in Fredericton, New Brunswick, blended the  flour with the
other dry ingredients needed to make bannock and packaged  and labelled
the mix to be shipped to United Church congregations ac ross the country.
Congregations are invited to use the mix to bake bannoc k to be used as
communion bread at their 85th anniversary worship service  or to be
shared at a community meal.

The third 85th anniversary initiative is an all-day open  house at the
United Church's national office in Toronto on June 10.  Members of United
Church congregations throughout southwestern Ontario have bee n invited
to drop in for a visit or take part in a full pro gram of activities. The
day wraps up with a worship service at 7:30 p.m. at  Islington United
Church in Toronto.

Another special 85th anniversary worship service will be  held on Sunday,
June 20, at Metropolitan United Church in downtown Toront o. This
service, which begins at 5:00 p.m. EDT, will be streame d live via the
Internet. For further information, please visit
http://www.united-church.ca/getinvolved/events/more-franchises-a-second-
cup#highlights.

>For more information:
>http://www.united-church.ca/85th
>Mary-Frances Denis
>Program Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
>The United Church of Canada
>416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (office)
>1-800-268-3781 ext. 2016 (toll-free)
>mdenis@united-church.ca

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