Prairie to Pine Regional Council

Committee on Community of Faith Support
2024-01-25 09:30 - 12:30, 2024-02-22 09:30 - 12:30, 2024-03-28 09:30 - 12:30 (America/Winnipeg)
The Committee on Community of Faith Support is holding its regular meeting via Zoom every fourth Thursday of the month.

Indigenous Church Remit: open learning time part 2
2024-01-30 19:30 - 21:00 | Zoom
Tuesday January 30, 7:30 PM Central, 6:30PM Mountain, we will again have an open learning conversation on the remit on creating an autonomous Indigenous organization within the United Church. This time we are honoured to work with Gloria Cook, Fisher River Cree Nation and member of the National Indigenous Council; Rev Murray Pruden, Saddle Lake Cree Nation and Executive Minister, Indigenous Ministries and Justice; Rev. Shannon McCarthy, Regional Council Executive Minister. Please click here to register. Be sure to check your email spam folder if you do not get the automated reply from Zoom in your inbox.
All welcome, from any Regional Council you live in, whether your pastoral charge has voted or not! If you’d like to share this invitation, you can also use this link. We strongly encourage everyone to read the latest letter from the General Secretary and to watch two short videos first: Perspectives on the Remit from the National Indigenous Gathering, and a new video on questions addressed by members of the non-Indigenous church.

Affirming PIE Day preparation!
2024-01-31 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
The Affirming movements in our three Regional Councils are hosting open houses online to talk about our local plans for celebrating Affirming PIE Day: Public, Intentional, and Explicit support for 2SLGBTQIA+ people and allies. It’s also a great excuse to share in whatever desserts are a sign of celebration in your culture and area. PIE Day takes place Thursday March 14.
Come with your plans, hopes, and questions on January 31 and join Prairie to Pine’s Equity and Diversity Committee for some good discussion and planning. Bring dessert or pizza pie if you like. All welcome, from all Regional C0uncils and from ecumenical extended family, whether you’ve been thinking about the Affirming process and aren’t there yet, or you’ve been Affirming for decades. Please share the information by email, but do not post it on social media.
Wednesday January 31 at 7:00PM CST/ 6:00PM MST. Here is the Zoom info:
https://united-church.zoom.us/j/81578258746?pwd=[REDACTED]

Sunday School at Fort Garry United Church
2024-02-04 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-02-18 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-03 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-17 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-07 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-21 08:00 - 17:00 | Fort Garry United Church, 800 Point Rd, Winnipeg, MB, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 3L8, Canada
Sunday School at Fort Garry United Church starts February 4
Sunday School is back at Fort Garry United for children from Kindergarten to grade 6.
Join us in the basement on the first and third Sunday of every month, from 10:30-11:30 am, February 4th to the end of May.
We’re welcoming the children back with exciting new activities and stories that offer them a place in our church community.
Registration forms will be available to fill out starting half an hour before our first session.
Teachers: Tessa Allen & Adrienne Gill

Ministry Personnel Support Gathering
2024-02-06 15:00, 2024-03-05 15:00, 2024-04-02 15:00
Gatherings will be held every first Tuesday of the month at 3:00 p.m. Here is the Zoom link information.

Pastoral Relations Commission meeting
2024-02-13 10:00, 2024-03-12 10:00, 2024-04-09 10:00

Zeebu 2024 Regional Youth Retreat in Killarney, MB
2024-02-17 18:30 - 2024-02-19 13:00 | Killarney United Church, 432 Williams Ave, Killarney, Manitoba, R0K 1G0, Canada
If you are a grade 7 to 12 youth, we welcome you to register for the upcoming region-wide youth retreat, being held at Killarney United Church in Killarney, MB, Saturday, Feb 17th to holiday Monday, Feb 19th.
Make friends with other youth from across the United Church’s Prairie to Pine Region while exploring the theme of Climate Action through Worship, Song, and Inter-active “Global Warming of Hearts” Theme Times. The retreat wouldn’t be complete without social time — dancing, games, chatting over meals (and canteen treats)! …and then rolling out your sleeping bag on the church floor to dream sweet dreams surrounded by new and old friends resting up for another busy exciting day!
The retreat is planned by young people for young people, with input and leadership from young climate motivators and an Indigenous Educator.
Invite your friends, neighbours, cousins (the ones you see often and the ones you would like to see more often!)
Haven’t been to a retreat before? – See: Retreat description for potential participants.
To allow all to attend, no matter their family’s financial status, the fee is suggested on a “pay what you can” scale from full fee of $95 down to $0.

First time registrant fee stays the same right up until the deadline, to give us time to get the word out to new families – $80

All return retreat-goers:

$5 off early bird fee if registered by December 15th -$80
Early bird fee if registered by January 15th – $85
Registration deadline: Feb 5th – $95

REGISTER HERE
We are also looking for leaders age 16+. Interested? Apply here ASAP.

Nominations Open House and Jamboree!
2024-02-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Wednesday February 21 at 7:00PM
Who is this mysterious committee called “Nominations”? Are they friendly? Even cool? How does someone go about getting to know all the groups that make up our Regional Council governance and program, and why would anyone want to join? Do I have the skills and ideas the Regional Council is looking for?
We have answers! (Hint: almost all of them are “yes”).
Join us for an open house that might include a Best Hat competition, and will definitely include door prizes, and non-gambling bingo. Regional Council representatives: please bring at least one other person from your community of faith along.
This will be an opportunity for both seasoned committee-servers and rookies among us to gather, ask questions, hear from committees in need of fresh faces, and play games (yes! Games!) All with an eye to serving our broader church.
If this is you, or if this is someone in your network, we would invite you and all your church friends to join us. If you have any questions, feel free to email our committee at p2p.nominations@gmail.com. More information on Nominations can also be found here: https://prairietopinerc.ca/about/governance/nominations-committee/
Here’s the connecting information:
https://united-church.zoom.us/j/81835451705?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 818 3545 1705 Password: [REDACTED] 1-855 703 8985 Canada Toll-free

CCS Friday: Creating Harmonious Space
2024-02-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
On Friday, February 23 from 12:00 to 1:00 CST join an online conversation about creating “harmonious space” rather than “safe space”. Harmonious space is the condition in which diversity and inclusion truly grow. Guided by author and educator bell hooks, who said, “ Learning takes place in harmonious space” and “Community that allows for risk, the risk of knowing someone outside your own boundaries is love.” We will consider harmony and risk as opposed to “safety” as the best environment suitable for diversity.
Our special guest will be Deaconess Adrainne Gray. Adrainne was consecrated a Lutheran Diaconal Association (LDA) deaconess and ordained an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) deacon in 2017. She is currently the Director for Recruitment for the LDA with a focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and works remotely from her home in Atlanta, GA.
CCS Fridays are free. Please register to receive a zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kcOCoqz8tGtf4EgB269gUXM_d-r_sSrqc#/registration
CCS Fridays are online conversations to help us respond faithfully to emerging issues in local contexts. These workshops are open to anyone who might be interested. There will be a presentation that will be recorded for future viewing, plus opportunities to engage with the ideas in small groups.

REWIND - Show Band - Night of Entertainment - In Support of 1JustCity
2024-02-24 19:00 - 21:30 | Immanuel United Church, 755 Golspie St., Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2K 2V4, Canada
The northeast cluster group T’BJIGGN, is hosting an evening of music, entertainment, and dance featuring the Show Band REWIND, in support of 1JustCity. REWIND plays a variety of music from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

PIE Day In The Public Square with Comedian Lara Rae
2024-03-09 13:00 - 15:00 | Knox United Church, Brandon, 451 - 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 5Y2, Canada
National Affirming PIE Day in the Public Square with Comedian Lara Rae, Brandon, MB!
The Affirming ministries of Trinity and Knox United invite you to be our guest for this special community-wide celebration. Lara Rae, stand-up comic, comedy writer, former Artistic Director of The Winnipeg Comedy Festival and proud transgender woman, will be our guest speaker as we celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ diversity and identity in our communities.
Date: Saturday, March 9, 2024
Location: Knox United Church, 451 – 18th Street, Brandon, MB
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3 p.m.
More details
Lara Rae, stand-up comic, comedy writer, former Artistic Director of The Winnipeg Comedy Festival and proud transgender woman, will be our guest speaker as we celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ diversity and identity in our communities. PIE Day is a time to recognize people and programs in The United Church of Canada and be-yond that are Public, Intentional, and Explicit in celebrating, educating, and creating awareness of 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion. National Affirming/PIE Day was co-founded by Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble and Affirming Connections. The day is observed every on March 14th. Hence the name, PIE Day, 3.14.
PIE Day also reminds and challenges us to continue widening our welcome and using the concepts of PIE Day to embody love and celebrate gender and sexual diversity in all its forms. Our theme this year is PIE In The Public Square, and who better to speak than Lara Rae?
Lara was the first trans woman to host the CBC news program The Current, and she won the 2020 Chris Johnson Award for her play Dragonfly, which is the story of a trans woman’s journey, related by two characters named “They” and “Them.” The Affirming ministries of Trinity and Knox United invite you to be our guest for this special community-wide celebration.
For more information, please go to:
https://knoxunitedbrandon.ca/
https://trinitybrandon.ca/
www.pieday.ca
Photo Credits: Lara Rae

CCS Friday - An Ecology of Faith Formation
2024-03-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom, Canada
Join the Centre for Christian Studies on Friday, March 15 (noon Central, 1pm Eastern, 11am Mountain, 10am Pacific, 2pm Atlantic) for an online conversation about the eco-system of faith formation in congregations. Our special guest will be UCC Growth Animator Greg Smith-Young.
Within creation, ecosystems form as different and diverse creatures (living and non-living) interact together. Each part plays a vital role in making the whole. Ecosystems are about interdependence and integration. What can happen when we bring an “ecosystem” way of thinking into the faith formation work of congregations? Join us as we imagine the possibilities.
Greg Smith-Young (he/him) is a Growth Animator with the United Church of Canada. He serves alongside existing and newly-forming communities of faith in southwest Ontario, helping them to share in what Jesus is already doing in their places: inviting, welcoming, engaging, forming disciples, and sending to share in God’s Presence.
CCS Fridays are free. Please register to receive a zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsceGsqzIuHtcJfObCM1xhPf4sRLMj18nC#/registration
CCS Fridays are online conversations to help us all to respond faithfully to emerging issues in local contexts. These workshops are open to anyone who might be interested. Each session will be on a Friday from 12:00 to 1:00 CT and in the form of a Zoom workshop. There will be a presentation that will be recorded for future viewing, plus opportunities to engage with the ideas in small groups.

Cluster gathering of Ministry Personnel of the former Selkirk Presbytery
2024-03-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Little Britain United Church, 5879 Highway 9 - Lockport, MB, MB, R1A 2P7, Canada
A cluster of Ministry Personnel who have had connections with the former Selkirk Presbytery are gathering on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at Little Britain United Church from 10:00 until noon. This is an opportunity to check-in with one another and to share some reflective time with a Lenten theme while enjoying hot cross buns with cheese and fruit. If there are any Ministry Personnel within the larger Region who have not been part of this cluster, and who would like to attend, you would be most welcome. Little Britain is about 3 kms north of Lockport on Hwy #9. Please RSVP to Beth McLean at ebethmcl@mymts.net to help with planning.

Winnipeg city-wide Easter Vigil event for youth (grade 7+) and young adults.
2024-03-30 19:00 - 2024-03-31 07:00 | St. Mary’s Road United Church, 613 St. Mary's Road, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Come pull an All-Nighter March 30th-31st to experience Easter as it was the first night!
Join us as we travel from the cross to the grave to the sky through prayer, scriptures and activities.
Event will be held at St. Mary’s Road United church from 7pm March 30th, concluding at 7am March 31st.
This event will be in conjunction with a leadership development opportunity, for all youth and young adults grade 7+ to have an opportunity to be a part of the planning team to lead and plan sections of the worship and activities. If you are interested in learning what it’s like to lead a small portion of the event, we will be having a leadership training and planning meeting Sunday March 17th 6-9pm at St.Mary’s Road United Church.
To help the organizers in the planning of the event please fill out this form to indicate your interest in either attending just the Easter vigil or both the Easter Vigil and planning night.
For any Questions or concerns you may have about the event, please contact the coordinators
Chelsea Sosiak teens@ucim.org
Marissa Smirl mjmsmirl@gmail.com
Elizabeth Kenyon Lizkenyon07@gmail.com

Alzheimer’s, Aphasia, and Dementia: Multi- Sensory Storytelling Workshop
2024-04-06 10:00 - 12:00 | John Black Memorial United Church, 898 Henderson Hwy, Winnipeg, MB, R2K 3T4, Canada
This is an invitation to participate in a workshop based on clinical research and experience in using storytelling techniques to engage with people suffering from memory loss. Hear stories of hope and learn easy things that anyone can do when talking, visiting, and interacting with anyone struggling with memory loss… even your own.
When: Saturday April 6: 10-12
Where: John Black Memorial United Church
898 Henderson Hwy
To register: 204-661-2579 to leave a message
There will be a short break with beverages and snacks. Free will offering. Hope to see you there! Don’t forget!!!

Zoom Event: The Israel-Hamas War: Seeking Understanding
2024-04-10 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-04-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
Brandon Knox United Church’s Outreach Committee is inviting us all to think more deeply about the current war and ongoing conflict in Israel/Palestine. We will gather on Zoom on Wednesdays 10 & 17 April, 7 pm – 8:30 pm to view a recording of the United Church of Canada Moderator’s conversation with authors Jeff Wilkinson and Raja Khouri about their book The Wall Between: What Jews and Palestinians Don’t Want to Know about Each Other.
If you would like to participate in this discussion event, please reply to Lydia Glawson via email lydiamae1953@gmail.com so that we can send you the Zoom link and final details. We are distributing this invitation widely, everyone is welcome. We are looking forward to seeing you!

Earth Sunday: Planet vs Plastic, Lunch and Learn Event
2024-04-21 12:00 - 13:30 | Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3N 0H9, Canada
Earth Sunday Planet vs Plastics Lunch and Learn Event: Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue, invites all who care about the ongoing chemical and plastic pollution of Lake Winnipeg to join us on Earth Sunday, April 21. Bring your bag lunch to eat with others at 12:00 noon. The presentation begins at 12:30 pm with Sarah Warrack, a researcher who works at the International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD)- Experimental Lakes Area. Sarah has investigated microplastic pollution in Lake Winnipeg and surrounding waterways. She has found that it is infiltrating the lake’s ecosystem. This is a relatively recent development that has serious implications for ecosystems in Canada.
We look forward to seeing you.

Traveling Youth Group
2024-04-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3N 0H9, Canada
April Traveling Youth Group will be hosted at Westworth United Church (1750 Grovesner Ave) Sunday April 21st 7-9pm. Come join us as we compete in popular 2000-2010’s TV Game Shows, enjoy a snack together and participate in worship hosted by Rev Tricia Gerhard.
Sign up here to attend
