Mission and Service
Minute for Missions March 8, 2020 from the United Church of Canada website:
A Tiny Baby
The chaplains of Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto have to respond to many situations. Here is one story from a United Church chaplaincy student about her time in the pediatrics ward: I remember the first time I saw her. I had to put on a gown, mask, and gloves to go into her room. This tiny baby, hooked up to so many tubes, smiled up at me. She had so much trust in her eyes for a baby who had been abandoned by her parents. She’d had two heart surgeries and was now recovering. Each day she grew stronger, and soon most of the tubes had been removed and we no longer needed to mask and gown. What she needed most was human contact, so I would spend time each day holding her, talking
to her, and watching her smile and coo. When she was three months old, her parents came back to reunite with her. They had many meetings with social workers, and I was included in those conversations. Her parents had been refugees who came to this country with their seven children; when the baby was born with Down’s syndrome and many health problems, they panicked and left her at the hospital to be cared for. When the day came for this tiny, beautiful baby to leave with her parents, staff said goodbye to her, and many of them were in tears. After she left the hospital, we
sat around and shared stories and grieved together. It was a very profound moment in my ministry. Mission & Service supports chaplaincy in hospitals, universities, and prisons. If Mission & Service giving is already a regular part of your life, thank you so much! If you have not given, please join me in making Mission & Service giving a regular part of your life of faith. Loving our neighbour is at the heart of our Mission & Service.
Minutes for Mission 2020
Black History Month February 2
Black History Month is a time to honour and celebrate the contributions of Black people in Canada and to look at the past while giving thanks as we look forward to the future. The history of Black people in Canada is part of the history of the United Church.
At the turn of the 20th century there was an influx of Black American men and their wives to Montreal. The men secured jobs as porters, as those were the only jobs available to them in the climate of segregation of the day. The women formed the Coloured Women’s Club in 1902 to assist newcomers to settle into Montreal society. By 1907 this group determined that the overt racism expressed and condoned in White churches of all denominations was not a situation they could tolerate, (which
was welcomed within the Congregationalist denomination as the “coloured church”). At Union Congregational Church all denominations were welcome to pray, praise, and worship in peace, joy, and dignity.
Nowadays, the United Church continues to work toward its commitment to be an intercultural church, although many in our congregations still encounter Black isolation and segregation. Many congregations in diverse parts of Canada do not reflect their community. There is a clear lack of education around what it truly means to be
intercultural, and there is a sense among some people of being singled out as different. Many Black people do not feel welcome at church, which should be a sanctuary from racism.
Thanks to your gifts for Mission & Service, a group called The Journeys of Black Peoples in The United Church of Canada was formed. The group strives for integration, offering help to those who come from outside the church to find a home within the church.
We have come a long way from the days of slavery and segregation, but
we still have a long way to go. This Black History Month, let’s take the
time to learn about the saints who have gone before us and their impact
that is still felt today.
Mission and Service is a vital ministry at our church – with financial support solely through donations from members and friends, we put our faith into action and our love is made known. The Mission & Service Fund supports the ministry and service of The United Church of Canada throughout Canada and around the world.
The Mission and Service Fund enables the United Church of Canada to make global short and long-term commitments. Individuals and groups may give through their own congregation, or can bequeath a gift directly to the United Church of Canada.
