Parkminster United Church
275 Erb St. E. N2J 1N6 Waterloo, ON, Canada

Online worship for Parkminster United Church Link to Activities for Children and Families: http://www.parkuc.ca//Parkminster-Sunday-School-God-Provid

Online Climate Conversation Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 at 7 pm Register for free at this link: https://themuseum.ca//the-alarm-dialogues-a-climate-conve/... For the past year, THEMUSEUM has sounded the ALARM through our exhibitions and programming. Through transformative experiences, we sought for visitors to adapt their lifestyles, take responsibility for their impact on the environment, and mobilize climate action. While our ALARM exhibitions are now closed, we want to continue the conversation related to the climate crisis and our responsibility for climate justice. The event will feature speakers from the University of Waterloo’s Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change (IC3), activists and community stakeholders as they weigh in on this past year of sounding the ALARM and the changes that we still need to make. Toward the end, we will host a Q&A portion where you can ask your questions for the speakers from IC3 and 50 x 30 Waterloo region.

December 27 Worship-The 12 Days of Christmas-The Waterloo United Churches

January 24 Worship Link to Activities for Children and Families: http://www.parkuc.ca//Parkminster-Sunday-School-God-is-My-

Racial Justice Pop Up Discussion Wednesday January 20th 7pm - for ZOOM link and questions contact Adrienne Barrett Hofman ([email protected]) In Parkminster's Statement of Solidarity with Black Lives Matter, we commit to deepening our understanding of systemic racism, as well as "learning to work against racist oppression in its many forms". To help us live into this promise, the Inclusive Ministries Committee wants to provide ongoing opportunities for Parkminster memb...ers to explore and grow in these vital ways. If you’d like to engage in open-hearted conversation about race with other Parkminster members who are curious, confused, impassionedor any combination thereofplease join us for our second pop-up discussion on racial justice. This one is centred around an 8-minute video, Ijeoma Oluo on Talking about Race and Racism. Oluo is a Black American writer whose excellent book So You Want to Talk About Race is packed with valuable insights. You’re encouraged to watch the video on your own; we’ll then watch it again at the beginning of our discussion. No registration is required. See more

January 17 Worship Link to Sunday Activities for Children and Families: http://www.parkuc.ca//Parkminster-Sunday-School-God-Knows-

Christmas Eve Worship

January 10th Worship Link to Activities for Children and Families: http://www.parkuc.ca//Parkminster-Sunday-School-John-Bapti

A brief family and kid friendly worship service celebrating Christmas Link to Christmas Activities for children and families: http://www.parkuc.ca///2020/12/SS-Activities-Christmas.pdf

Link to Sunday Activities for Children and Families: http://www.parkuc.ca//The-Sheep-and-the-Goats-SS-Nov-22-20

Explore and engage the deep spiritual meaning of the Christmas season this week. For families, a shorter, pre-recorded, child friendly service will be available on the Parkminster website (parkuc.ca) on the morning of December 24th. Later in the day at 8 pm live on FB we'll host our Christmas Eve communion service. Merry Christmas.

A prayer for the Trans Day of Remembrance Creator, Source of Life, Transforming One... and Maker of a way where there is no way. For your astounding creativity, we, your children, give you thanks. For the fullness of gender - its expressions, its experiences, its gifts, its transitions, we give you thanks. You did not make us all the same, but rather with diversity that we will never fully grasp. So give us grace, in the mystery, to seek understanding. And in the seeking, to celebrate. God, your children grieve today. We join the timeless voices of lament, the voices we believe you hear and hold in your heart. We grieve the lives of too many transgender siblings lost over the past year. We lament the systems that endangered them and turned them into targets: misogyny, colonialism, white supremacy, economic inequality, militarism, homophobia, transphobia, religious fundamentalism, and political extremism among them. We mourn for a world that makes so little space for empathy and compassion to grow... a world where too many refuse to acknowledge trans people for who we are... a world who sees us as disposable, as outcast, as sinful. Fill us with righteous anger, with an abiding passion for destroying these systems and undoing injustice. We grieve as we remember the lives of Julie and Coco, trans women lost to violence in Toronto during the last year. And we grieve the over 400 siblings we lost all over the world. With every name written on every ribbon, with every story repeated, every violent detail recounted, our hearts hurt. Our eyes fill with tears. We believe that your heart hurts as well, Eternal One, that you weep as we weep. Receive these, your precious children, to yourself. Bless us with memory, so that the light they carried, the light the bigoted and the violent wish to put out, may never be extinguished. Help us to carry their light, so that our dark world may become a little brighter. In the hope of your everlasting presence, and in faith that somehow, even death cannot separate us from your love, we offer you our prayer today. Amen. https://twitter.com/jrjoplin/status/1329796784588283906?s=20

Longest Night Service-A service for those whom Christmas is a difficult time of year.

Pageant Sunday Advent 4 Family Activities http://www.parkuc.ca//Do-Not-Be-Afraid-Devotional-Advent-4

The Black Clergy Network in The United Church of Canada has offered a prayer of support for the Rev. Michael Blair, as he begins his new role as the General Sec...retary, General Council. In part, the prayer reads: It is with joy and hopeful anticipation that we, members of the Black Clergy Network of The United Church of Canada, celebrate and welcome you as the new General Secretary, General Council of The United Church of Canada. As you move into this ministry, we bring prayers of gratitude and of hope. If we could, we would encircle you, lay on hands and pray a blessing. Even though we cannot do this in person, in the Spirit may you know our presence right there with you. " Read the full prayer: http://ow.ly/nCcP50C9jP5 [Art: The Sankofa bird symbol, arising from the Akan people of Ghana. As the Sankofa goes forward while looking back, Akan wisdom tells us that the past serves as a guide for planning the future. Credit: Logo for the Sankofa Global Project, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons] #UCCan

A big congratulations and thank you to Parkminster's Maedith Radlein who has just been appointed to the Region of Waterloo's Anti-Racism Advisory Working Group (ARAWG). Blessings to you and the Group as you engage this important work.

Today we remember, lest we forget.. On this day of Remembrance, O God, we give thanks: For peacekeepers and pacifists; for those who served on the front lines, and those who protest and march; for those who volunteered and those who waited anxiously at home; for those who hoped that things would get better, and those who could not stand by and wait.... We give thanks for those who believed that the world could be a better place. We remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, trusting that others could and would carry the torch. We give thanks for those who were once enemies who have become friends and allies. Rev. Dr. Neil Parker, military chaplain at the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre in Meaford, ON

Remembrance Sunday Worship 2020