OFFICE CLOSED

The church office is closed. We are checking messages regularly.

If you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious and need to speak with someone please, call the church office at 613-836-4756. If you prefer to speak to Rev. Elaine directly you may call her cellphone number 613-240-9388. Our pastoral care team are willing to be listening ears. You may leave a confidential message at 613-435-4500, and someone will call you back as soon as possible. You are not alone; we are here for you and we are here for each other. This is one of the joys of being a community.

Announcements

Please contact the office for the contact information of our many volunteers

Communion on Sunday

This Sunday, November 29th, we will celebrate communion. Those at home please have bread and juice available. Those who will be in church, please bring your own gluten-free option. Others will be supplied.

In Memoriam Poinsettias

The flowers in the sanctuary are donated in loving memory of:

their parents, by Hal & Faye Adams;

Ormonde Kentner, Holly’s dad, by Holly & Mike Egan;

parents Hilda & William Hodgson and Jean & Dr. William Sprules, by Nancy Sprules & Wayne Hodgson;

parents Madeline & Doug Hough and Annie & Fred Maunder, by Bob & Dianne Hough;

Slavko Magajna, Al Johnston and Dragica Doliska by the Johnston and Lee-Yow families;

Tom Wood by David & Judy Rothwell;

dear family and friends, by Sherry Sharpe;

Helen & Len Curtis, by Kathy Shultz;

parents by Cathy Turner;

Rhoda & Bob Robertson, Esther & Dan Will and Cliff Symons, family, by Patricia & Emmett Will.

Blue Christmas Service

Sunday, December 20^th at 2:00 pm

Christmas Eve Services

6:00 pm Family Service

8:00 pm Carols and Lessons Service

11:00 pm Candles and Communion Service

On Sunday, December 27^th, we will join with Kanata United Church and Bells Corners United Church for online worship, led by Bells Corners United Church.

Christmas Special!! Can't get out to shop in person? Why not take advantage of our seasonal gift card selection, and contribute to our fundraising activities at the same time? We will be placing a seasonal order for gift cards that we don't traditionally have in stock, on Friday, December 4, 2020, the cards should be in hand by December 14th. Curbside pick-up will be available on a couple of evenings and an afternoon during the weeks of December 14th and 21st. (don't worry, you will have a dedicated time slot!). Home delivery can also be arranged. Simply review this list 2020 Xmas Gift Cards and email your requests to me (Sharron) at: giftcards@gcuc.ca . You can pay by either an e-transfer to the church office, (office@gcuc.ca), or by a cheque at pick-up time. No order is too large or too small, all are welcome. Last day for your Christmas Special requests is Friday, December 4th. For additional information, please feel free to email Sharron at giftcards@gcuc.ca. Happy Shopping!!

Christmas Outreach – The Smiles for Seniors program works with senior residences and communities in the Ottawa area serving all those who are receiving assistance from the City of Ottawa. The City of Ottawa senior residences also house adults with disabilities, who are included in the program. Last year the program provided over 1300 gifts to more than 55 residences!

This year we are happy to continue to support Carleton Lodge, with some modifications to our program to adhere to COVID safety guidelines.

Thank you to those who have adopted a senior. ALL SENIORS HAVE NOW BEEN ADOPTED. Wrapped and labelled gifts can be dropped off in the back parking lot of the church on Sunday Dec 6 1-2pm or Sunday Dec 13 1-2pm, or in the Outreach Bin on either of these Sundays if you are attending church in-person. If you are unable to drop off during these times, please contact Holly to make alternate arrangements. Please DO NOT leave gifts outside the church.

Christmas Outreach - Other Options: If you were not able to participate in the GCUC Smiles for Seniors program but wish to participate in outreach during this Christmas season, here are a couple of options.

Due to COVID-19 and the limits it has placed on volunteer involvement, many elf groups were not able to participate in the overall Smiles for Seniors program. This leaves many residences without elves. Smiles for Seniors has created a Go-Fund-Me page to collect money to help with the program this year. Christmas Smiles for Seniors is not registered, so it needed to be a forum where elves donated freely. Here is the go-fund-me link https://gf.me/u/y5ckr3 if you wish to donate or see more details.

The Kanata Food Cupboard is also hoping to connect with people looking to adopt a local family in need of assistance. In light of COVID-19, this year Kanata Food Cupboard has had to make some changes to their Christmas program. The 2020 “Adopt-A-Family Program” will use gift cards to support families. In past years, adopters would purchase presents and a holiday meal for their adopted family. This year, to respect Ottawa Public Health guidelines, KFC is requesting adopters to digitally adopt families via online donation. The funds provided by virtual adoption will be used to purchase gift cards for items such as a Christmas dinner, Christmas goodies and treats, toiletry items, and/or presents for family members under the age of 18 (if applicable). Those gift cards will then be given to the adopted family to purchase their direct Christmas needs. The link to our online donation platform is http://www.kanatafoodcupboard.ca/adoptafamilyprogram

Events the week of November 30^th

Chat time on Wednesday, December 2^nd at 11:00 am We are now meeting indoors; there is space for 9 people. Please register by emailing Rev Elaine at elaine.beattie@gcuc.ca by Tuesday afternoon. Rev. Elaine will email to confirm. Please note you will not have access to any other part of the building, including washrooms, unless it’s an emergency. You will be invited to enter by the doors at the hall.

Chat time - change of day and room - Beginning Tuesday, December 8th we will meet in room C on Tuesdays at 11:00 am. Please RSVP by the Friday PRIOR, e.g., for December 8th RSVP with Rev Elaine by Friday, December 4^th.

Morning Prayer on Facebook- Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:00 am.

Wednesday, Afternoon Craft Group - every Wednesday at 3:00 pm by Zoom

Thursday Evening Craft Group - every Thursday at 7:30 pm by Zoom

Please contact Vida Johnston if you have any questions.

Our prayer blankets are progressing well and we are hoping to have them done by the end of November. If you have any remaining squares at home, please bring them to the bin located outside the main entrance of the church. As well if you have any hats, mitts or scarves you have been working on to donate to the shelter, please drop them in the bin as well. We hope to donate them the first week of December. Thanks. Please contact Vida Johnston if you have any questions.

Wednesday Evening Bible Study – 7:00 – 8:00 pm by Zoom

Have you ever read or studied the Book of Daniel? Our Wednesday evening group is now reading this most fascinating and evocative book filled with dreams, lions and fiery furnaces and much else. Yet throughout the whole book Daniel and his friends remain faithful to God, continue in regular prayer to God, refuse to accept the 'easy' way out of a situation and in the process become a wonderful time-honoured example of how to bring glory to God in one's daily life. If you're interested in joining fellow GCUC'ers exploring this uplifting and encouraging book contact me at kevinmccomas@outlook.com and I'll send you the details.

Coffee n Conversation

Friday mornings at 11:00 am by Zoom

Looking Ahead…

Book Club – by Zoom

The next meeting of the Book Club will be on Tuesday, December 8^th at 7:00 pm via Zoom.

We will be discussing ‘White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo.

All are welcome.

Pastoral Care Team

“Reach out and connect in Christ’s name”: In these very difficult times due to COVID-19, we all need one another more than ever in our church family. The members of the Pastoral Care Team are offering their care and spiritual compassion, as well as their non-judgemental listening ears to those who request them on a confidential basis. Though we cannot have face-to-face visits yet, we can still connect by phone, e-mail, cards, technology and most of all, through prayers. Our contact person for December for calls and emails is Bev Armbruster (613-592-4155) and bev@armbruster.ca. Or you can call our confidential number (613-435-4500) and leave a message which will be returned promptly. For more supportive information about living in COVID times, see our website link at https://www.gcuc.ca/what-we-do/care

Healing Pathway Team

The GCUC Healing Pathway Team is offering a modified ministry of healing and prayer within the church and community. Monday mornings, we gather via Zoom technology with anyone who wishes to receive a distance healing session, pray and meditate together. We are inviting anyone who would like to join us in these Zoom meetings on Monday at 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. to experience Healing Pathway in a new way. Please contact our Coordinator, Nancy Kerr at healingpathwaygcuc@gmail.com to be invited or to give us names whom we can include in our healing prayers. Alternatively, you can call our confidential number (613-435-4500) and leave a message which will be returned promptly. We can still connect heart-to-heart in faith and hope!

United Church Women

Christmas Pudding

Are you already wondering about the tasty Christmas Dinner and the delicious Christmas pudding with brown sugar sauce? There won't be a dinner this year in December but Delma will be making the pudding and selling $10 packages of 4 slices and the recipe for the sauce. Please contact Delma directly to place your order and arrangements will be made for pick-up or delivery. Please pay her in cash or a cheque made out to Glen Cairn UCW.

Christmas Cookies

One of the joys of attending worship services in November was listening to all of the announcements for the multitude of Advent and Christmas events coming up in our church. You are probably particularly missing Martha begging, cajoling, wishing, pleading, beseeching you to bake Christmas Cookies for our Annual Christmas Cookie Walk. After many discussions since the summer time it has been decided that this event will not be able to happen in 2020. But if you would like to help UCW support our church and other worthy charities you may send a cheque to Glen Cairn United Church memo line UCW Cookie Walk or send an e-transfer with UCW Cookie Walk in the message. Martha and UCW would like to thank everyone who have donated items for the craft table and the silent auction. They will be saved for next year.

Pickled Beets

Faye is pickling beets. If you would love to purchase some, please call Faye directly and place your order. You will arrange with her to pick up the jars from her front step or she will deliver them to you. The beets are so tasty that some people are placing second orders so if you would like to purchase some for Christmas gifts do it now.

The West Ottawa Ladies Chorus invites you to enjoy a virtual mini Christmas concert on Friday, December 4th at 7:30 pm. Directed by Sosun Suh & accompanied by Peter Brown, the ladies have been working hard to offer a Christmas gift of music despite the pandemic. https://westottawaladieschorus.ca/events.

Continuing Events

Glen Cairn United has suspended many in-person gatherings. Church continues through:

• Personal prayer and meditation

• Checking on our friends and neighbours

• Sunday worship on YouTube and in person.

• Prayer broadcast on Facebook, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:00 AM

• Friday morning coffee time on Zoom - contact the office for details

• Online bible study - contact the office for details

• Online book club - watch for announcements below or contact the office

2020 Newsletters

2019 NEWSLETTERS

2018 NEWSLETTERS

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