We hope that you are well. If you are in need - physically, spiritually, or otherwise - don't hesitate to reach out to us by phone (506-940-1151) or email (suc@nb.aibn.com). We are here for you and for each other!
Sunday Worship: Our Regular Sunday Worship is held at 11am both in-person at Sackville United and online via our SUC Facebook Page. Mask-wearing and distancing are encouraged but not mandatory. For those not on FB but wishing to watch online, a link to the video of the service will be posted on the church website in the days immediately following the service.
Committee Positions Seeking to be Filled: We have a number of positions within our executive and other committees that we are seeking to fill at this year's annual meeting. If you are called to volunteer, or have a suggestion of someone who might wish to be nominated, please contact the church office or reach out to Rev. Lloyd.
2023-4 Annual Report - Your Reports are Welcome: In preparation for this year's Annual Meeting (to be held after our Sunday Gathering on March 4), we would invite anyone wishing to submit something to the annual report to do so by February 3. This will give Jennie plenty of time to prepare and distribute the report in advance of the annual meeting.
Books Wanted for Dorchester LGBTQ+ Group: Rev. Lloyd is looking for resources that might be shared with a Queer Library at the Dorchester Penitentiary. Please speak to him if you have anything you would be interested in sharing.
Worship at the Drew: You are invited to join Rev. Lloyd and Jennie on the first Sunday of each month at 3pm to share in worship and fellowship together at the Drew Nursing Home. Coming up on Sunday, February 4. All are welcome - masks are encouraged.
Meals on Wheels: The Meals for Seniors program is coordinated by the Drew Nursing Home for the Sackville, New Brunswick, area. If you, or someone in your family, would benefit from receiving a hot meal each weekday, please call us at 506-364-4900, or or call Donna Lowerison directly at 506-364-4909, for more information. If you wish to volunteer to deliver meals, please call the same number. At this time, drivers are needed for Tuesdays or if you are available on an occasional basis, that works too!
Volunteer Opportunity at Salem Elementary: From the community schools coordinator: "I am reaching out today as Salem Elementary is looking to gather volunteers to read to the students. They are looking for adults of any age to go to Salem one morning a week between 10 and 10:30am to spend some time with one student, one-on-one, to share a snack and read a book or play a simple, quick game together. This would happen in the new year for at least 8 weeks." For more information, or if you are interested in volunteering, please contact Jessie Brown at 506-229-1872 or email Jessie.brown@nbed.nb.ca
Senior's Lunch Group: A message from Brenda Allen, coordinator of the group: "Thank you to those who came to Patterson's on Tuesday, There were 11 of us and it was an enjoyable lunch and so good to see so many of you. Merry Christmas and all the best of good health for 2024." The Senior's Lunch Group will meet in the first part of 2024 on the THIRD Tuesday of the month on the following dates: February 20, March 19, April 16, May 21 and June 18 Please note that there will not be a get-together in January.
Seekers Group New Book Study: Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned (by Brian McLaren*) Do I Stay Christian? (2022) helps Christians address the questions of whether and how to stay Christian when the term can mean irreconcilable things. Do I Stay Christian? addresses in public the powerful question that surprising numbers of people―including pastors, priests, and other religious leaders―are asking in private. Picking up where Faith After Doubt leaves off, Do I Stay Christian? is not McLaren's attempt to persuade Christians to dig in their heels or run for the exit. Instead, he combines his own experience with that of thousands of people who have confided in him over the years to help readers make a responsible, honest, ethical decision about their religious identity. There is a way to say both yes and no to the question of staying Christian, McLaren says, by shifting the focus from whether we stay Christian to how we stay human. If Do I Stay Christian? is the question you're asking―or if it's a question that someone you love is asking―this is the book you've been waiting for.
When: Sundays, February 4 through March 10, 2024 at 9:00am via ZOOM
How Much: (only available in hardcopy) $37.69+tax. (if this is too steep, please let us know and we will accommodate you) This book is available as an e-book at a reduced rate.
Who: contact Catherine Gaw at chgaw@eastlink.ca to register and let her know if you would like to order a copy for you.
Deadline for ordering: January 16, 2024
Coffee and Conversation with Open Sky: Coffee and conversation is held every Wednesday morning at 10am at Sackville United (including THIS WEEK JANUARY 4!). Bring your appetite for delicious baked goods and conversation - all are welcome! An important reminder that if public schools are closed, there will be no coffee and conversation that week.
Sackville United Church Choir: The choir is pleased to announce its regular rehearsal time of 5-6pm on Thursday evenings. All are welcome - no audition or experience is necessary, nor is mandatory attendance. The choir also meets starting at 10:15am or 10:20am on Sundays. Come make a joyful noise with us!
Care and support for one another in Community: Meeting in the new year on January 11 & 25 - please note the new morning time of 9am for the fourth Thursday. People of all ages and walks of life are invited to gather for a time of silent prayer in the sanctuary two evenings a month on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 7pm (2nd Thursday) and 9am (Fourth Thursday) for approximately 15-20 minutes. This offers an intentional way to hold in prayer all those persons in our lives for whom we have care and concern. And an understanding that we all carry some heaviness in our lives. All are welcome.
“Community is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another” * *Henri Nouwen
Support Group for Caregivers: Meeting on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month at 1:30pm - meeting next on Tuesday, January 23. An informal get-together with light refreshments for current and former caregivers of those with dementia or physical issues to share experiences of their journey and to know that you are not alone and can depend on support and understanding from each other. Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone you think would be interested. Contact the church office or speak to Diane Fullerton or Sheina Grant for more details. All are welcome!
Scripture/Announcement Readers: We are grateful that we have volunteers signed up until the end of the year! Would you be interested in reading on Sunday Morning? You may sign up on the list on the Circles of Service Board or by calling the Church office. On Thursday afternoon the Church Office will communicate with you and provide you with the specific text(s) you will be asked to read, including the possibility of a selection of modern wisdom in the form of a quote from a current text. A sign-up list for Scripture from January - March 2024 is posted on the circles of service board, and we are still seeking readers for February 11 onward through March.
Broadview SubscriptionS
Please contact the church Office To Renew or begin your broadview subscription
$30/year
New subscribers welcome at anytime!
What's New at Broadview: The United Church magazine has a variety of topical articles on subjects that reflect many of the interests and initiatives of our congregation. Please contact the church office to renew your subscription if you have not already and/or to sign up through our discounted group subscription rate of only $30/year. New subscriptions can be added at anytime of year!
Fall Church Office Hours: The church office hours are Tuesdays/Thursdays from 12-4:30pm. Any changes to this schedule, including illness or snow days (during which Jennie can sometimes be found working remotely) will be posted on the church FB page, and, if possible, on the church doors as well.
Affirming Fund and Benevolent Fund: These two funds, one of them newly created, allow Sackville United to respond to individual needs of those in our local community. The newly-created Affirming Fund is intended for local LGBTQ2+ persons needing assistance - this includes support for gender affirming care (legal changes of name and/or gender, LGBTQ2+ related medical expenses not covered by health insurance, etc.) and other areas in which LGBTQ2+ persons might be of need. Both of these funds exist by virtue of your generous donations. Contributions can be made regularly through PAR (contact the church office to update), by e-transfer, or by indicating the name of the fund to which you wish to contribute on your offering envelope.
Parents and Tots: Parents and Tots meets Thursday Mornings from 9:30am to 11:00am at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. There is no charge, and volunteers are present to assist with childcare. Bring your young ones for a time of community, play and fellowship (and a chance to chat with other grownups!).
Preacher's "Help Group" (Scripture Study): meeting on Tuesdays at 10:30am via zoom. Speak to Rev. Lloyd for more details.
Food Bank In Need: As the cost of living continues to steeply rise, here are a list of items needed this week by the Sackville Food Bank. Items dropped off at the church will be collected weekly, and monetary donations collected through SUC will be given directly to the food bank. Please see information about food insecurity and food insecurity resources in Sackville here.
For school lunches:
granola bars, fruit cups, small yogurts, tuna, peanut butter, Cheez Whiz, jams, etc.
Also needed for families and single adults:
cereal
crackers, cookies
pancake mix and maple syrup
baking needs: flour, sugar, shortening, baking powder, salt, etc.
canned and fresh fruit
canned and fresh vegetables
canned tuna and meats
cans of baked beans
pasta meals (KD, Side Kicks, etc.)
pasta sauce, canned tomatoes
rice and rice meals
instant coffee, regular coffee, tea bags
children's diapers (all sizes from newborn to pull ups)
baby wet wipes
toilet paper and tissues
sanitary products (pads and Tampex)
dish detergent
toothpaste and toothbrushes
deodorant
shampoo
Family Games Night at SUC: Meeting next on January 18. Christy Watts shares: "I hope everyone is having a good week so far, this is a friendly reminder that Family Games Night meets on the third Thursday of each month from 6-8pm. This games night will be for anyone that is interested in attending. Remember you can bring a friend along and snacks for yourself or to share, all ages are welcome. You can contact Christy with any questions or concerns at 506-612-0608 or by emailing the church office.
Family Friendly Games Night will be held on the third Thursday of every month at the Sackville United Church (110 Main St) from 6-8 pm.
REMINDER from the Food Security Action Group: Meal Delivery for Low-Income Seniors Program Available: Co-ordinated through Nursing Homes without Borders and in conjunction with Horizon NB, there is a new meal service for reduced-income seniors available throughout the rural Tantramar area. Because NHWW is paying for the delivery, the senior must be a registered client of the Nursing Home Without Walls program. Terissa has confirmed there is no cost and no criteria to be a client of NHWW. Once a senior is a client of NHWW and their application is approved by United Way to receive the meals ( must have income level or lower) then the client pays only $40 per month for a weekly delivery of 10 meals. Please encourage all the seniors in our area who are struggling financially to put a meal on the table, to reach out to Nursing Home without Walls for this service. Forms for application can be found here and here.
Prayer Bench Group Subscription Coming to an End: The Prayer Bench is now moving away from annual group subscriptions. As such, we will no longer be receiving these resources regularly, but have been invited to save or bookmark the URL (web address) of any resources we have previously purchased that we would like to retain. Please contact the church office if you would like any of these resources bookmarked on your behalf.
What's Coming Up
AA meets 12-1pm Saturdays in the sanctuary
Food Bank Collection every Sunday
THIS WEEK: Choir Practice Thursday 5-6pm, Sunday worship at 11am
Watch recordings of previous services: