We worship, we sing, we learn, we care for each other,
and we reach out to our local community in Kanata and to the world.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Star Words – January 4th – February 22nd Giving “Star words" is a practice associated with the Epiphany season. On January 4th during worship you will receive single word to reflect on and use for spiritual guidance throughout the year. Each week during Epiphany questions will be provided to help you reflect and ponder the significance of that specific word in your life. 

Some of you worship online and some were not here the week the “star” words were given out.

To help you participate in this activity, follow this link https://perchance.org/starwords2022 to generate a star word for the year.

Star Words questions for this week

• How has my word appeared unexpectedly in my life recently?

• What is one thing I need to change or notice because of this word?

Annual General Meeting (AGM) The Annual General Meeting of the Glen Cairn United Church community of faith will be held Sunday, February 8 after the regular service. In addition to the “regular” business we have two items that require your attention. As you are aware, over the past two years we have been investigating what it means to be an Affirming Church. At the AGM we will vote on whether to become an Affirming Church. We will also be electing new Trustee(s) at the annual meeting. Please arrange to attend this important meeting.

Living the Questions Adult Study The Living the Questions (LtQ) Study, is a Progressive Christian DVD curriculum and book series. It provides a platform for exploring faith through questioning, aiming to bridge the gap between academic theology and laypeople. The program tackles topics like the Bible, atonement, and inclusivity in a non-judgmental, open-minded way, encouraging a "living" faith, that embraces ambiguity. The study targets adults and older teens and will last 6 weeks, running from 22-Feb through to 29-Jan. Sessions will be run after Church on Sundays, in room A. If you are interested, contact Tom Dickson before/after Church

services or at tedickson1965@gmail.com.

Red & White Gift Sunday, February 15th has been an annual activity of the Sunday School. Years ago, the children would pick up tissue-covered food items for the Kanata Food Cupboard and bring them to the front of the church as an offering. You may also recall that in the past several years we have switched to financial donations. This is both simpler logistically and allows the Kanata Food Cupboard to leverage the funds as it is able to make specific purchases in bulk. This year we are again asking church members to make a financial donation to Glen Cairn United Church and indicate clearly the amount is for the Kanata Food Cupboard.  These funds will be tallied and a single cheque will be sent at the end of February from the church to the Kanata Food Cupboard. Individuals who have made donations will have this amount credited to their annual donation and it will be part of their tax receipt from GCUC at the end of the year. You may send an e-transfer (or cheque) to the church; please be sure to

indicate the amount is for the Kanata Food Cupboard.  Red & White Gift Sunday will be celebrated during the church service on Sunday, February 15, 2026. The children will be making reminders to distribute the week before. The vulnerable families in our community need your help. Please support this outreach project.

UCW Meeting – Thursday, February 19th All ages and all genders are welcome to attend our next UCW meeting on Thursday, February 19th at 1pm in the Lounge. Do you have thoughts, advice, previous experience? Our topic is "How to De-hoard, How to Down-size, Where can all the stuff go, Is there Help out There?" Please let Anne or Martha know if you have information or you would like to attend. We are at church so speak to us or email at racmac999@yahoo.com or mtcolford@yahoo.ca

Tax Receipts Your tax receipts are ready to be picked up February 8. If you have a friend or neighbour that you can deliver to, that would very much be appreciated. Postage is expensive. If you have any questions about your tax receipt, please speak to Martha or call 613-889-3694 or email giving@gcuc.ca

Miyawaki Mini-Forest discussion There will be a meeting with Bruce Dudley following the service on Sunday, February 15, 2026 at 11:15 a.m. in Room A. If you are interested in supporting this project as it moves forward, please join us to discuss next steps and how GCUC can make this happen.

Community, Coffee, and Chat on Fridays at 10am  

Join us for Community, Coffee and Chat at 10am on Friday’s here in the Lounge. Please feel free to invite friends as all are welcome. Also, in the event that you bring some goodies to share, you are invited to share your recipes too!!  When there is inclement weather, please check your email to make sure that the Community, Coffee and Chat will take place as scheduled.

Healing Pathway In-person Sessions Sessions take place each Monday here at the church. For more information, or if you or someone else needs some TLC with prayer, please email: healingpathwaygcuc@gmail.com , or call or text Nancy Kerr at: 613-402-2149.

Reach out and connect in Christ's nameMembers of the Pastoral Care Team continue to offer their care and spiritual compassion, to those who request them on a confidential basis.   For the month of February please contact Dorothy Gordon, at 613-829-7122 or  djg@sympatico.ca

BOOK- CLUBNext meeting: Tuesday, March 3rd at 7:00pm The book for discussion is “A Minor Chorus” by Billy-Ray Belcourt.

EXTENDED THROUGH FEBRUARY - January Outreach - LITSPARK YOUTH 

LitSpark Youth is a youth-led nonprofit based in Ottawa,dedicated to making literacy more accessible for children, immigrants, and underserved communities. It was founded in Ottawa in Fall 2023 by a group of high school students who shared a love of reading, along with a deep awareness of how many children never get that same chance. As young immigrants, they experienced firsthand the power of books to build language skills, foster confidence, and open doors to new opportunities. But they also saw the

barriers, such as limited access to books, that keep literacy out of reach for so many in our communities. In order to solve this problem, they began by organizing local book drives to collect and redistribute books to families and schools in need. This inspired them to create a free, youth focused language-learning app that would support early literacy in a fun, interactive, and culturally inclusive way, making reading more accessible to children no matter their background or resources. We will be collecting new and gently used books for children and youth during the month of January. The last day for donations is Sunday, February 22. Please place your items in the outreach bin in the foyer. More information can be found at https://litspark.ca/.

WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY

All are welcome as we look at various bible passages and try to relate them to our own lives and understanding. We meet by zoom on Wednesday Evenings

from 7.00 -8.00.  Contact Kevin McComas at kevinmccomas206@gmail.com and he will send you the Link.

THURSDAY DAYTIME BIBLE STUDY

Join us at the Nadelle residence from 10am-12pm. If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Johan at johanjong@nl.rogers.com .  All are welcome

COMMUNITY EVENTSPlease See the Bulletin Boards for Details

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper Emmanuel's Mens Club is hosting a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on Tuesday, February 17th from 5:00pm-7:00pm. All are welcome. Tickets are $10 each, or $5 for children under eight. Tickets are available from the office, after the Sunday Service, or at the door. See poster for details.

The Power of Planning Seminar Trinity Presbyterian Church will be hosting an informative seminar entitled "The Power of Planning" on Saturday, February 21, 2026 beginning at 1 PM. Our guest speakers will discuss various aspects of financial planning, wills and estate planning, as well as funeral planning -- come and discover how pre-planning final arrangements can provide both you and your loved ones with peace of mind. All are welcome to this free event. See poster for details.

Coldest Night of the Year, Fundraiser – Saturday, February 28th 4pm at John G. Mlacak Community Centre. Visit the website for more details: https://cnoy.org

NEWSLETTERS