Pastoral Care Team

Despite the need for social distancing at this time, we remain spiritually close. Community and spirituality are a vital component of personal resilience. Glen Cairn United Church is a welcoming community. Our strengths, weaknesses, and individual differences are always accepted. We feel joyful and energized by being part of this community.

As we support one another, we remember to: 

• Pray to accept the things we cannot control and for the strength to assist those who are needing our help 

• Be mindful: meditate, cultivate a clear, peaceful state of mind

• Take walks, especially outdoors in the woods or our garden

• Play 

• Read

• Listen to music

• Connect with one another (by phone or internet, if necessary) 

The Pastoral Care Team members at GCUC  are praying for you. May you have strength, courage, good health and resilience. We will get through this and we will get through it together. 

Healing Pathway

The Healing Pathway Team offers in-person sessions at Glen Cairn United Church on Mondays. We can also make personalized arrangements for other times, places and methods.  Sessions are free of charge. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

Healing Pathway is a Ministry of the United Church of Canada. We are not a cure for any medical condition, but we do provide support for self-healing of mental and physical distress.  

Do you know someone in the community who might benefit from a Healing Pathway session?  Healing Pathway members can adapt the sessions for anyone in need regardless of spiritual beliefs.

If you have any questions, or wish to make an appointment, please contact our Coordinator, Nancy Kerr at healingpathwaygcuc@gmail.com.

For more information about the Healing Pathway ministry at GCUC, you can download our brochure.

When A Loved One Dies

Few things you face in life will be as hard as the death of someone you love, or the death of someone whose love you have always been able to count upon. Few things will challenge, as death does, everything that you believed and understood.

Grief is normal

Death, even expected, can send us into a spiral of grief which may involve long or recurring periods of intense feelings, including anger, confusion, numbness, guilt, sadness, or relief for the end of suffering.

The death of a loved one is a time of strong emotion and for some a fearful time. It is also a time to give thanks for the life of the deceased and to gather with others to mourn the loss.

We hope that the following information will answer some of the questions you may have about Funerals, Memorials and Prayer Services at Glen Cairn United Church.

In the United Church

Our focus is on celebrating the life of the deceased and offering comfort for the loved ones who are bereaved. We encourage you to be involved in the preparation of the services.

How can I help to plan the Funeral Service?

Your wishes are very important to us. If there are any special Hymns, music, poems or passages of Scripture that have a particular meaning to your family, you may share these with the Minister and include them in the Service.

As part of our planning, we encourage family or friends to share their memories of the deceased in eulogies or storytelling. These rituals of remembrance can give you and other family members the opportunity to express your grief through simple actions. These in turn aid the healing and grieving process.

How will the Minister be involved with my family?

The role of the Minister is to offer pastoral care and to be a comforting presence as you plan the Service. This may involve visiting with you in your home, the church office or at the Funeral Home to make arrangements for the Funeral.

They will then conduct the Service and a follow up with a call, or visit, sometime after the Funeral.

Funerals or Memorial Services

Funerals and Memorial Services can be held in the church Sanctuary or at the Funeral Home. At the end of this document you will find the fees for use of Glen Cairn United Church.

Prayer Services

On occasion, the family may wish to have a Prayer Service in addition to, or instead of, a Funeral or Memorial Service. The Prayer Service is usually held in the Funeral Home.

A Note about Catering

If you are planning to rent the Main Hall for a reception, please coordinate the catering arrangements with the Glen Cairn United Church Funeral Coordinator. Our Coordinator can also provide you with contact details for a full service caterer who is familiar with our facilities.