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Dear Friend,
Advent blessings to you all in this month of waning light and waiting under bright stars. I hope this note finds you in good spirits and surrounded by the warm embrace of community.
As we move steadily and patiently toward Christmas and the turning of the year, I am reminded of the beauty and strength of the traditions of our faith. We gather, we sing, we listen to the stories, and we light four candles… and finally a fifth. Hope, peace, joy and love are followed by the gleaming light of the birth of Christ.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12
The yearly ritual of Advent is an embodied way of recalling and living into the sacred traditions Jesus, those ways of being and blessing that He lived during His time on this earth. Caring for our siblings in Christ, caring for creation, celebrating diversity, subverting oppression, and letting the light pierce through the darkest night. As we wait through these weeks for Christ’s arrival, we wait while preparing the way with works of loving justice. The events and resources included in this month’s newsletter are wonderful places to nourish and sustain this journey that encourage our world and humankind toward the light of God, and to not be afraid.
May your burdens and the burdens of the world be made light this sacred season, and may we all find hope in the presence of one another.
In solidarity,
Kendra Mitchell-Foster
Regional Minister: Justice, Pacific Mountain Regional Council
KMitchellFoster@united-church.ca
1-800-934-0434 (within BC) or +1-604-431-0434
Lheidli T’enneh Territory
Prince George, BC
PacificMountain.ca/Justice-Network
Affirming Ministry
Merry Christmas to all! Join us in-person or online for our 4th annual Queer Xmas Worship at Trinity United Church in partnership with Pacific Mountain Regional Council Affirming Ministries, December 8th, from 2:00-3:00 pm PT.
All are celebrated, included and beloved; come to rejoice in the holiday season, sing some carols, and be merry and at peace. This worship is made by and for our 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and allies are welcome.
Recordings of this Queer Xmas worship will be available at both trinitypg.ca and on the below facebook account should you be interested in hosting your own Queer Xmas worship in your Community of Faith at a time that fits with your Christmas traditions.
In person:
Sunday, Dec 8, 2024
2:00-3:00 pm
1448 5th Ave, Prince George, BC
Online:
Trinity United Church PG website live stream
Trinity United Church PG YouTube channel
Trinity United Church PG facebook page
You can also access our Regional Trans Day of Remembrance Service from November 17th, 2024
Tuesday, December 10, 6pm PT / 7pm MT
Online, presented by Affirming Connections
Zoom registration link
After decades of gains, 2SLGBTQ+ rights are being rolled back. From drag and book bans to pronoun policies to bans on gender-affirming medical care for youth, queer and trans rights have become a political wedge issue. All the while, misinformation about 2SLGBTQ+ people, especially youth, is ubiquitous.
This talk will cover how we can rise to the challenges this crucial moment brings and share strategies to spot and respond to misinformation, make our actions count, have difficult conversations, and learn from other communities’ successes. There will be plenty of time for questions, too!
Featuring special guest Ziya Jones, a writer and editor based in Montreal. They currently work as a senior editor at Xtra Magazine, and their writing has appeared in publications such as Chatelaine, the Toronto Star, The Narwhal, and Ricochet, among others. Ziya primarily covers health, housing, culture, relationships, and LGBTQ2S+ stories.
SQUID is an ecumenical project to provide online secular and spiritual communications support for queer and allied religious communities in the Pacific Northwest.
Development of the SQUID Discord server is sponsored by Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver. We are currently in open beta testing, providing space for coordination, event planning, and community building for programs and groups including Pacific Mountain Affirming Ministries, St Brigids, Sanctuary Dungeons & Dragons, and the Drag Communion project.
You may join the SQUID Discord at this link. (If you haven’t used Discord before, you may want to check out the following information first.)
**SAVE THE DATE** January 15th, 2025 at 6:00pm we will have a live information session with Ben Dobyns about SQUID, how to use it to reach out and connect, and why strengthening and nourishing queer community networks is crucial to Affirming Ministry in our region. More information is forthcoming in January.
Discord is a free application used by millions of people to connect and build community around shared interests. It is available for desktop, on mobile iOS and Android apps, and as a browser app. If you are new to Discord, check out the following resources:
Download Discord
A Beginner’s Guide
Getting Started with Discord
Moderators are available on the SQUID Discord to answer your questions, or you can email ben@thecathedral.ca for personal assistance.
Drag Communion was held on October 6th, 2024, at Shaughnessy Heights United Church, with pews brimming with smiling faces and the felt presence of the unconditional love of God. A queer-led service of Holy Communion led by four drag queen liturgists, inspired by the unconditional love and acceptance offered at Drag Brunch. Developed in partnership with Shaughnessy Heights United Church and Christ Church Cathedral Vancouver, this ecumenical eucharist welcomes everyone to Come As Who You Are. This pilot program hopes to bring Drag Communion on a seasonal basis to host churches around the Lower Mainland.
If you didn’t have a chance to go, or to watch it live-streaming, you can access the recording to this monumental worship here
Solidarity With Palestine
Bethlehem neither lies still nor quiet this Advent season. It has been 425 days since the beginning of the horrific military bombardment of Palestine and her people. It may seem that there is little we can do, but this is far from the truth. The United Church of Canada has a long history of being in solidarity with Palestine and the Palestinian people.
Most recently on October 19th, a resolution passed at GC44 based on “a proposal that affirmed the application of justice principles to the conflict in Israel and Palestine in such a way that enables the adoption of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) strategies and joins in the consensus of the international human rights communities in recognizing and rejecting Israel’s apartheid system”. We are thrilled to acknowledge that this proposal was forwarded to GC44 from our own PMR AGM, and was crafted by PMR Justice Ministries based on the tireless work of many, over many years. Both the full statement from GC44 regarding the passing of this resolution, and the original proposal PMR 24-05 Non-Violent Economic Advocacy Responses (pg. 139) are resources to help shape this solidarity work in our communities.
What does this mean for us this Advent? Solidarity with Palestine is central to celebrating the the story and tradition of Advent, the Nativity, and Christmas by grounding this living faith in relationship with the place of his birth.
Reflections from Bethlehem: An Advent Devotional is a wonderful place to begin to incorporate learning and solidarity based on the lived experiences of Palestinian Christians.
Advent reflections and devotionals from Bethlehem Bible College are available for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac’s blog on christatthecheckpoint.bethbc.edu offers insights and stories from Bethlehem
Both websites for Sabeel, Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre and Friends of Sabeel North America have excellent resource pages, and you can sign up to pray and worship with Sabeel every Thursday morning at 8:00 am PT/ 6:00pm Jerusalem Time at this link
December 10th is the Preach Palestine Day of Action to commemorate International Human Rights Day. You can find specific resources from FOSNA to support solidarity in your own community of faith this Advent season.
Guaranteed Livable Income
Poverty can happen very quickly to anyone. Our long-standing commitment to calling for a Guaranteed Livable Income first articulated in 1972 took on new resolve and urgency in the pandemic, and we continue to persist today.
We are often reminded during the Christmas season to give generously from what we have to ensure all have what they might need. It is a gospel message to bring good news to the poor, and not just at certain times of the year. Advocacy and work to achieve a nation-wide Guaranteed Livable Income program helps us to carry this message into our communities and to those in power. There is always work to do.
Leading into the election in 2025, The PMR GLI group is revitalizing and organizing to support grass-roots advocacy actions in our communities. There is a national GLI meeting each month via zoom, and regional communications, efforts and support. The next meeting is December 10th at 10:00 am. If you are interested in joining, please contact Barry Morris at bkmorris60@yahoo.ca, or Kendra Mitchell-Foster at kmitchellfoster@united-church.ca.
To learn more about the United Church’s involvement and advocacy with GLI initiatives, visit the UCC National GLI page. For more information on broader anti-poverty initiatives, visit the UCC National Ending Poverty page.
Eco-Justice and Care of Creation
The UN Conference on Climate Change (COP29) took place from November 11-22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbailjan. With many lessons and outcomes that move us closer to our climate targets, these rich resources may support a focus on EcoJustice this Advent. In a time where travel, purchasing, and consumerism are culturally elevated, it can be important to draw the call to care for the Earth back to centre.
Both the United Nations and the COP29 Baku websites have excellent resources for connecting with community, with youth, and with our own ways of living in climate justice work.
Faithful Footprints is our partner organization in helping congregations to engage in climate justice work, beginning in their own sanctuaries and buildings. You may find resources to begin or sustain your community’s journey throughout this busy season.
Screening the new documentary Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy may be a great way to draw awareness to curbing material consumption and consumerism around our Holy Days. Buying less, means lower production, means less waste, and lower emissions.
The 2017 documentary Wasted: The Story of Food Waste is another important film to watch during times where feasting may lead to extra food being spoiled or thrown out. Food waste accounts for up to 10% of global greenhouse emissions, and COP28 in Dubai saw more than 130 countries signing the Emirates COP28 Leaders Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action with a goal of reducing food loss and waste and greenhouse gas emissions in the food chain. The World Food Program found that roughly 1.17 billion tonnes of food is wasted around the world each year.
Gifts With Vision
The United Church of Canada developed Gifts with Vision in response to requests to be able to give gifts to relatives, friends, and loved ones that directly support projects developed by the church’s Mission and Service partners. These gifts help to address issues locally, nationally and globally, and they help in reducing material consumption for the holidays decreasing the impact of our Christmas celebrations on our beloved planet.
The United Church of Canada provides Mission and Service support to partners for their ongoing work in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and right here in Canada. Gifts with Vision turns gift-giving into an opportunity to do something extra for our church partners. Through Gifts with Vision, you give gifts to friends or family to support specific partner activities—and you are transforming the world, one gift at a time.
Please note: No money raised in this project supports the United Church’s annual Mission and Service funding, except for direct gifts to Mission and Service through Gifts with Vision. Amounts donated are forwarded to our partners quarterly, minus the cost of printing and distributing the catalogue (up to 10 percent.)