Regional Council Meeting

Proposal #1

Emma Seamone/Karen Tjaden

That Prairie to Pine Regional Council will

1. Instruct the Regional Council Executive to review the Regional Council’s investment policies, investments, and the practices of its financial institutions, using the United Church in Canada’s “Responsible Investing Guiding Principles”, with a particular focus on climate justice and encouraging the transition from a carbon economy toward becoming leaders in a green economy.
2. Create an educational process to assist communities of faith and other ministries, their membership and supporters to:

• communicate with their financial institutions with regard to any policies and practices that fall short of a transition to a green economy, particularly continuing investments in fossil fuel expansion projects.
• Consider other actions such as switching to a more climate-conscious institution, divesting from less ethical investments, and transferring investments to ethical funds.

3. Support and promote a Network within the Regional Council to assist its membership in living out the above commitments, and to study Committed to Climate Action: The 2021-2022 Sustainability Report | The United Church of Canada (united-church.ca) and study and act on recommendations found in the 44^th General Council proposal GS08 Climate Justice Commitment (2).pdf ).

We invite feedback on this proposal that will go to the Regional Council Executive. Please send your feedback by August 4, 2023, to prairietopine@united-church.ca with the subject line: Feedback on Proposal #2. Thank you!

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Proposal #2

Whereas

We, the Prairie to Pine Regional Council body are only just, in the moment of this weekend, emerging from an imposed, multiple year isolation that global pandemic has inflicted on our lives, the life of our Pastoral Charges and our only just established functioning as a newly created Regional Council, and;

Whereas

We are only just, in the moment of this weekend beginning to asses the collateral damage to our momentum as a church body, including having to remind ourselves of where we last left our decision-making work around who we define ourselves to be as Prairie to Pine Region and how we intend to function as a body of the larger church, and;

Whereas

With the dissolution of Presbyteries the Regional Council meeting is now the only opportunity to connect and network as the functioning representatives of the wider church in particular for those representing rural Pastoral Charges or operating in isolated geography, and;

Whereas

We are only just, in the moment of this weekend, experiencing the release of pandemic grip such that we can be reminded of the multiple levels of benefit that connecting with one another over our various ministry challenges provide us and our church’s development, and;

Whereas

We have just been encouraged by the Regional Youth Minister and YAAY Ministry representative to consider the evidence of the essential contribution that participating with the meeting of the regional church council has in youth and young adults finding and taking their places in their own churches and the larger church, and;

Whereas

In the particular life of a teenager, a three year gap in the provision of a regional meeting can typically preclude them from having more than one experience of this kind, and;

Whereas

In the face of mounting challenges to be church, we are being encouraged to capitalize on and get actively involved in the work of creating new pathways of thinking on and creating what Christ’s church can look and function like moving forward together, and;

Whereas

The expectation of the nationally deployed staff is to resource three regions and by necessity three annual general meetings over three provinces, in such a short frame risks placing unreasonable work expectations on them and their various ministries, and;

Whereas

The decision to hereafter move the annual general meeting of Prairie to Pine Regional Council to an every three year rotation was taken outside of consultation of the council body,

We propose that: 

The Prairie to Pine Regional Council three year meeting rotation be reconsidered in order that an alternate functioning model be explored and considered by the regional council body.  

Potential models may include:

1. The meetings of the three cooperating regions be held over expanded months (e.g. May, September, February) in a yearly rotating fashion between them, thereby reducing the undue expectation on resource staffing to reasonably facilitate meeting needs.
2. An every third meeting of each body be offered virtually in a rotating fashion
3. An every other year meeting model be adopted by all regions reducing the staff resourcing to two yearly meetings versus three.
4. An every other year business meeting model be adopted with alternate years provided as a retreat and resource event based gathering.  Staff requirements to resource these gatherings to be necessarily considered per event as AGM planning team determines.
5. Any potential model of meeting rotation would take into account the business necessitated by a General Council Meeting year.

Implications

1. Regionally deployed National staff time commitment.
2. Cost of hosting up to two in person meetings in a three year rotation, instead of one.

Moved by:  Frances Flook

Seconded by: Brenda Shodin

2023 REGIONAL MEETING WORKBOOK &

PASTORAL RELATIONS COMMISSION STATUS REPORT

The 2023 Regional Meeting Workbook and Pastoral Relations Commission Status Report are now available to download.

You can also download the Workbook by section:

• Enabling motions
• Meeting Procedures, Basic Rules for Debates and Proposals
• Reports from the Moderator, General Secretary, GCO Rep., Co-Chairs and Office of Vocation Minister
• Retirees
• Profile: Ordination, Commissioning and Admission
• Staff Reports
• Treasurer’s Report
• Executive Consensus Decisions
• Committee Reports
• Other Reports
• Reports of Theological Schools
• Anniversaries
• Appendix I – 2022 Regional Council Meeting Minutes (Draft) 
• Appendix II – Nominations Regional Slate
• Appendix III – Remit 1: Study Guide for Category 3 Remit
• Appendix IV – Proposal
• Appendix V – 2022 Audited Financial Statements
• Agenda

Thank you to those from Knox United Church, Kenora for hosting the Celebration of Ministry Service of Prairie to Pine Regional Council last Sunday, June 26,2022. The newest ministers in the United Church Canada from Prairie to Pine Regional Council pictured in the attached photo left to right include: Rev. Carrie Martens, Pembina Parish admitted from the Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada; Rev. Chewe Mulenga, Rock Lake Pastoral Charge admitted from the Church of Zambia; Susan Girard from Riverview Atikokan ordained into the Order of Ministry of the United Church of Canada; and Rev. Schalk Naude, Knox United Church, Fort Frances admitted from the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa. All these Ministers will be continuing in a pastoral relationship with their current communities of faith.

Here is the link to the recording for those who were unable to attend the service in person.

To know more about our ministers, here are their profiles.

Pastoral Relations Commission Status Update

The Pastoral Relations Commission Status Update for the period of May 16, 2021 to June  15, 2022 is now available to view and download.

Audited Non-Consolidated Financial Statements

Please click here for the audited non-consolidated financial statements of Prairie to Pine Regional Council (the “Council”) from BDO Canada LLP, which comprise the non-consolidated statement of financial position as at December 31, 2021, and the nonconsolidated statements of operations and changes in net assets, and cash flows for the year then ended, and notes to the non-consolidated financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies.

Meeting Summary

This following documents sum up the 2-day meeting of the 2022 Regional Council on May 6-7, 2022. Thanks to Bev Diebert of Living Skies Regional Council for taking notes and preparing the summary.

• May 6, 2022 (evening)
• May 7, 2022 (morning)
• May 7, 2022 (afternoon)

Message from the Co-Chairs

Here is the Regional Executive Co-Chairs reflection on the recently concluded 4th Regional Council Meeting.

Video Recordings

You can now watch the video recordings of the 2022 Regional Council Meeting on YouTube.

• May 6, 2022, Day 1
• May 7, 2022, Day 2

2021 Regional Council Meeting Minutes

The 2021 Prairie to Pine Regional Council Meeting minutes have been approved on May 6, 2022.

2022 REGIONAL MEETING WORKBOOK VOL. 1

The 2022 Regional Meeting Workbook Vol. 1 is now available to download.

You can also download the Workbook by section:

• Enabling motions
• Meeting Procedures, Basic Rules for Debates and Proposals
• Reports from the Moderator, General Secretary, Co-Chairs and Office of Vocation Minister
• Retirees
• Staff Reports
• Executive Consensus Decisions
• Committee Reports
• Other Reports
• Reports of Theological Schools
• Anniversaries
• Appendix I – Nominations
• Agenda

• Draft minutes of the 2021 Regional Council Meeting
• Here are the PPT and Video materials for the Regional Meeting.  Please continue to check back before the meeting starts as additional materials will be uploaded. We are asking you not to share any of the material (no posting, no emailing). Thank you.

Meeting Summary

This document sums up the 2-day meeting of the 2021 Regional Council on May 28-29, 2021. Thanks to Bev Diebert of Living Skies Regional Council for taking notes and preparing this summary.

Video Recordings

You can now watch the video recordings of the 2021 Regional Council Meeting on YouTube. Also included is the Affirming Celebration and Worship video on May 30, 2021. Please feel free to use it in your Sunday worship or Pride Sunday in your area.

• May 28, 2021, Day 1
• May 29, 2021, Day 2 (morning)
• May 29, 2021, Day 2 (afternoon)
• May 30, 2021, Affirming Celebration and Worship

2020 Regional Council Meeting Minutes

The 2020 Prairie to Pine Regional Council Meeting minutes have been approved on May 28, 2021. Click here to see the approved minutes.

2021 REGIONAL MEETING WORKBOOK VOL. 1 &

PASTORAL RELATIONS COMMISSION STATUS UPDATE

The 2021 Regional Meeting Workbook Vol. 1and Pastoral Relations Commission Status Update are now available to download.

You can also download the Workbook by section:

• Enabling motions
• Meeting Procedures, Basic Rules for Debates and Proposals
• Reports from the Moderator, General Secretary, Co-Chairs and Office of Vocation Minister
• Retirees
• Profile: Admission
• Staff Reports
• Treasurer’s Report
• Executive Consensus Decisions
• Committee Reports
• Clusters and Networks
• Other Reports
• Reports of Theological Schools
• Anniversaries
• Appendix I – Nominations
• Appendix II – 2020 Audited Financial Statements
• Appendix III – Departmental Income (December 31, 2020)
• Agenda

• Draft minutes of the 2020 Regional Council Meeting
• Here are the PPT and Video materials for the Regional Meeting.  Please continue to check back before the meeting starts as additional materials will be uploaded. We are asking you not to share any of the material (no posting, no emailing). Thank you.

Summary and Video; Meeting and Worship Resources

October 7th 2020

Please click here for the summary of the October 7th meeting.

The video of the 2nd night of the 2nd Annual Meeting of the Prairie to Pine Regional Council is available to view on YouTube.

The draft minutes of the Inaugural Meeting of the Prairie to Pine Regional Council on June 13-16, 2019 at the Keystone Centre, Brandon, MB can be viewed here.

Archived: PPT slides for announcements including Zoom instructions and Remit 1 wording.

Our closing worship for the second night included covenanting with Communities of Faith, In Memoriam, Honouring Retirees and Celebrating New Ministers. Worship resources are available to download.

Summary and Video, Sept. 30, 2020

Please click here for the summary of the September 30th meeting.

The video of the 1st night of the 2nd Annual Meeting of the Prairie to Pine Regional Council is available to view on YouTube.

2020 Regional Meeting Workbook Vol. 1 &

Pastoral Relations Commission Report

The 2020 Regional Meeting Workbook Vol. 1 and Pastoral Relations Commission Report are now available to download.

You can also download the Workbook by section:

• Enabling motions
• Meeting Procedures, Basic Rules for Debates and Proposals
• Reports from the Moderator, General Secretary, Co-Chairs and Office of Vocation Minister
• Retirees
• Profiles: Recognition 
• Staff Reports
• Treasurer’s Report
• Executive Consensus Decisions
• Committee Reports
• Other Reports
• Reports of Theological Schools
• Appendix I – Nominations
• Appendix II – Proposals
• Appendix III – 2019 Audited Financial Statements
• Agenda
• Remit on Amendment to Basis of Union (PDF)

Additional reports:

• Emmanuel College