Meeting

February

22, 2015

Annual Mission & Leadership Congregational Meeting

May 6, 2018

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Elora United Church 2018 Mission & Leadership Meeting May 6, 2018 Proposed Agenda Overview of Vacancies Introductory Business Opening Prayer Purpose of the Meeting Election of Chairperson and Secretary for the Meeting Approval of Agenda Participation of Adherents Mission Reports Minister for Worship, Pastoral Care & Spiritual Development Minister for Children & Youth Elora United Church Women Elora United Church Quilters Ministry & Personnel Committee EDGE Report Initiatives Living Into Our Mission Task Groups Leadership for 2018-19 Nominations and Elections Plan for vacant positions Adjournment

Table of Contents Page

Minutes from 2016 Congregational meetings 2-3

Leadership chart 4

Report of Minister for Worship, Pastoral Care and Spiritual Development 5-11

Report of Designated Lay Minister for Children and Youth 12-13

Project Welcome 14-17

General Reports 18

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Elora United Church Annual Mission and Leadership Congregational Meeting, April 30, 2017 Greg gave an Overview of vacancies. Chair (Carole Kennedy) and Secretary (Beverly Bond) were chosen in February

for this year’s congregational meetings.

Carole opened with prayer. MOTION by Phil Irish/Nancy Van Veen to approve agenda with 2 changes.

CARRIED Greg discussed Passages and his report. There were no questions.

Barb discussed her report on Children & Youth Ministry. There were no questions.

There were no comments regarding the UCW report and no questions.

Arlene discussed Touchstones and clarified its purpose. There were no comments or questions. Bonnie mentioned planning another “Guess Who’s

Coming to Dinner “and incorporating Touchstones. Church Quilters. No presenter. No questions.

Carole briefly discussed Women’s Spiritual Potluck. There were no questions.

The Ministry & Personnel Committee Annual Report. No comments. No questions.

MOTION by Dorothy Hemingway/John Wilke to accept the reports as detailed on page 8-18. CARRIED

Leadership for 2016-17; Greg discussed the vacancies.

Mission Board 4 vacancies, Lois Amos nominated for a 2nd 3 year term, Melanie Anderson nomination for a 2nd 3 year term, Dorothy Hemingway nominated for

a 2 year term. Resources – Tom was nominated for a 2nd 3 year term, there are 3 vacancies.

Phil Irish was nominated for the Ministry & Personnel Committee.

Jeff Negrave was elected in February 2017 to the Board of Trustees.

MOTION by Arlene Callaghan/Amy Weaver to accept nominations. CARRIED

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Initiatives;

Curt discussed finances and presented next steps. 4 task groups to be formed – property, staffing, income, partnerships.

Property – Richard and Judy. Building needs, viable current structure, how make better, potential redevelopment opportunities. Staffing – Carole, Lois, Dorothy. Staff positions current, Joint needs

Assessment process, consult with Bethany about shared staff. Income – new revenue sources (fundraising, rentals, grants, increased givings) Partnerships – Arlene, Bonnie, Greg. Partnership possibilities with other

congregations. 2 month timeline for decisions. Late June present preliminary reports. Would

like the Congregation to decide by September how to move forward and what actions to take. Cap of 5 members for each group. Deadline for joining a group is May 5th.

Living into our Mission;

Greg discussed our mission as a congregation and handed out a survey. John Wilke thanked the EUC Leadership.

Carole closed the meeting at 2:10pm.

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EUC Leadership Positions: Needs for April 2018

MISSION BOARD SECRETARY: Beverly Bond STAFF: Ordained Minister: Greg Smith-Young 519-846-2542

Children & Youth: Barb Smith-Young 519-846-2542 Administrator & Treasurer: Beverly Bond 519-846-0122 Cleaner: Suzanne Flewelling 519-846-0122

For the Year Finishing

(Incumbent) 2017-2018

Term For the Year Beginning 2018-2019

Term Ends

(Spring)

Incumbent eligible

Mission Board 3 year terms

Lois Amos 2 Lois Amos 2020

Melanie Anderson 2 Melanie Anderson 2020

Bonnie Young 1 Vacant 2021 yes

Phyllis Waind 1 Vacant 2021 yes

Dorothy Hemingway 1 Dorothy Hemingway 2019

Arlene Callaghan 2 Arlene Callaghan 2019

Mission/ Presbytery

4 year terms

Vacant Vacant 2021 n/a

Carole Kennedy 1 Carole Kennedy 2019

Resources

Board 3 year terms

Vacant Vacant 2020 n/a

Tom Skimson 2 Tom Skimson 2020

Curt Hammond 1 Vacant 2021 yes

Richard Burt 1 Vacant 2021 yes

Vacant Vacant 2019 n/a

Judy McMullan 1 Judy McMullan 2019

Trustees 4 year terms

Vacant Vacant 2021 n/a

John Beggs 1 Vacant 2022 yes

Randall Howard 2 Randall Howard 2019

Jeff Negrave 1 Jeff Negrave 2020

M&P

4 year terms

Phil Irish 1 Phil Irish 2021

Des Hemingway 1 Vacant 2022 yes

Susanne Thomson 1 Susanne Thomson 2020

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Marking the Seasons of Faith and Life

2017

Baptisms There is one body and on Spirit,

just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)

Owen Avoledo Braeden Ribey Maggie Van Trigt

Professions and Re-Affirmations of Faith Filled with the Holy Spirit, we will continue to support you,

walk with you, and grow together in Christ. With God’s help, we will live out our baptisms as a loving community in Jesus Christ:

nurturing one another in discipleship, upholding one another in prayer, encouraging one another in God’s work.

(Our congregation’s promise)

Lyn Barrett-Cowan

Marriages Do you promise to love, comfort, honour, and keep in sickness and in health,

and forsaking all others, be faithful as long as you both shall live? (From the Marriage ceremony’s Questions of Intent)

Leah Marshall & Brendon Jefferson Amy & Ryan Weaver (vows renewal)

Funerals Into your hands, O merciful Saviour, we commend your servants.

Acknowledge, we humbly pray, sheep of your own fold, lambs of your own flock, sinners of your own redeeming.

Receive them into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints. Amen.

(From the Funeral ceremony’s Commendation)

Eula Norris Edith Aitchison Carleton Armstrong Roy Giesel Alma Skerritt Mentje (Mike) Bremer Annabelle Pedro Matthew Strachan Jack Stoner-Campbell Mildred Witzel

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Minister for Worship, Pastoral Care and Spiritual Development Greg Smith-Young

I try to shape my work around our congregation=s mission as a church of Jesus Christ. So I=ve organized the main part of my report under Elora UC=s four mission themes. I=m reporting to you about things I=ve either led or been part of. Additionally there are many others in our congregation who are leading and serving. You=ll see some of their vital work talked about elsewhere in this annual report.

AGrowing Deeper as Followers of Jesus@ Our Mission of Christian Formation

Jesus calls us to come and live our lives with him. As we spend time in his presence, we become more and more like him. In Jesus, we discover our true humanity; we are made to be in God=s image. This is something that the Holy Spirit is teaching us to do every day. My focus in our congregation is on aiding the Spirit=s work in forming adults. To do this, I developed and led three learning groups in 2017. Loving Our Muslim Neighbour. Jesus told us that the heart of the law (Athe greatest commandment@) includes loving our neighbour. He made it clear, through things like the parable of the Good Samaritan, that our neighbours include those who are different from us, and those with whom we have important disagreements. Our experience sponsoring a Muslim family from Syria made many of us want to learn more about these neighbours. I offered this monthly during the winter-spring. From a Christian perspective, we looked at Muslim beliefs, practices, diversity, and issues that Muslims face. Attendance for this was high, with many people coming from beyond our congregation.

Reconciliation Journey Learning Circle. Jesus calls us to seek justice and peace. This often requires reconciliation when there has been wrongdoing. As United Church people, we have been on a path of reconciliation with Indigenous people, particularly because of the United Church=s complicity in running Indian Residential Schools. To learn more about this, Rev. Mark Laird (Drayton UC) and I ran this learning circle in the winter. We started learning about the schools= experience, and its long-term effects on students, families, communities, and Indigenous cultures. We met monthly. Some of us attended a National Aboriginal Day event in Kitchener on June 21. A few experienced the Blanket Exercise at St. James Anglican Church in Fergus in October; it tells the story of Indigenous-settler history. We took a bit of a break at the end of the year, but hope to resume later in 2018.

ALet us sing of greater things@: Exploring Handel=s Messiah. Using Handel=s masterpiece, we explored how we can love God through great music. We listened and learned about the music and the words. We met every two weeks through the fall. Through it all, we grew in our understanding of the good news of Jesus the Messiah.

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I was very pleased that Rev. Dr. Donna Mann led a group, Discovering Jesus on the Roads through Lent in March-April. She continues to use her gifts in many valuable ways in our congregation, while also serving in supply minister roles throughout our region. In June, I participated in a 2-day Faith Formation national consultation in Toronto. A group of 12-15 of us was brought together to see how faith formation could be prioritized, presented, sustained and resourced in the United Church.

ALooking Higher to Celebrate God in All We Do@ Our Mission of Worshipping Together

Our regular worship gatherings are an important way for us to experience the love of God who is Trinity, and to express our love to God. The Spirit uses worship to form us into people who love God, our neighbour, and one another. Worship is vital to whom we are. The main, most regular thing we do is worship Sundays at 11 am. We worship with a lot of continuity and some change. We have a regular flow to our service, though I adjust it from time to time. This year, I started beginning and ending our worship with words to remind each other that God is present with us (when we are together, and when we are apart). Partway through the year we started to AShare the Peace@ with each other, after our confession time. I shape our worship around either Bible books or themes. We=ve been slowly working through the Gospel of John the past few years; in 2017 we dug into John 7 and 8. We finished up the story of King David, which we had started in 2016. In the fall, I reflected on how we encounter God=s presence in prayer and Holy Communion. Through Advent, we looked at how God called people to Astep out of their boat and into the waves@ C Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph C and how Jesus was God personally Astepping into the waves@ to be with us. Special services included:

Jan 1 we did not have worship Jan 8 A Reaffirmation of Our Baptism (for the whole congregation) Apr 14 Good Friday (with Knox Presbyterian, hosted by Elora UC) Apr 16 Easter Sunrise in Bissell Park June 4 Picnic service, hosted by Bethany UC this year (inside because of rain) Aug 20 Music Service with Glen Soderholm Oct 22 Elora UC=s 182nd Anniversary service Oct 29 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation Nov 5 All Saints Memorial service Dec 24 Multi-generational Improv Christmas Pageant Dec 24 Christmas Eve Celebration (7pm) Dec 24 Christmas Eve Communion (11pm)

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In the summer, we shared worship with Knox Presbyterian Church. During July, the services were hosted at Knox, and I led most of them. In August, Elora hosted and Rev. Susan Clarke provided most of the leadership. It worked very well. Guest worship leaders during my absences were:

Mar 19 Andrew Hyde, campus chaplain at the University of Guelph April 2 Two Countries One World youth mission team May 7 Melanie Anderson, Phil Irish, Jeff Smith May 28 Donna Mann Sep 3 Dave Jagger, stewardship officer for Hamilton Conference Dec 31 Carole Kennedy and Jeff Smith

Music leadership for our worship has continued to evolve. We were without a regular music leader since the end of 2016. The Mission Board decided to work with a rotation of accompanists, for a few reasons.

$ the board was looking at all our staff positions, so hiring a new one during that time seemed unwise;

$ we were unsure whether we could successfully attract a suitable music leader, given our recent experience and that of other congregations;

$ we were not clear on what the congregation needs for its music leadership; $ we were looking to save money.

We were blessed to be well-served during the year by Betty Weinstein, Inkyoung Lee and Brad Halls. A committed team of choir members offered music periodically during the winter-spring, and regularly every two weeks in the fall. The Praise Team led when it was able.

Moving into 2018, Betty and Ink are serving as our accompanists, alternating weeks, with Betty leading the choir. The Praise Team is offering leadership alongside Ink/Betty whenever they are able to.

In addition to our music, many other people help to make our worship happen:

$ greeters $ scripture readers (organized by Coralie Corlett) $ audio-visual system operators $ communion preparers and servers (the servers are organized by Marg Ewen)

On December 10, we had a special Carols and Cider gathering and worship time, hosted by the Weaver family. POTLUCK AND PRAISE B NOVEMBER

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AReaching Wider to Share Blessings with our Neighbourhoods and Beyond@ Our Mission of Welcome, Service, Justice and Partnership

AThe Word became flesh and dwelt among us.@ A recent translation of that familiar verse (John 1:14) puts it this way: AThe Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood@ [The Message]. Jesus calls and places his people in particular communities. Our job is not so much to bring him there, but to discover what he is already doing and join with him. A main focus for me continued to be the Project Welcome refugee sponsorship. You=ll find a report about that elsewhere in the annual report. I continue to be an active member of the Centre Wellington Ministerial Association. I serve as its treasurer and organize the regular worship services we provide in retirement and nursing homes. This body is an important way for clergy to connect with each other. In addition, a group of ministers has been meeting weekly in a huddle. This is great for mutual support and learning. We are now starting to imagine how our congregations can share in Jesus= mission together in our Elora-Fergus community. As part of the Elora-Bethany pastoral charge and, more broadly, the United Church of Canada, Elora UC doesn=t do things alone. I am glad to serve in a number of roles in our presbytery and conference. The United Church is undergoing significant changes in how it operates. While the final decisions will be made in July, it looks like we won=t have presbyteries and conferences anymore. Instead, we will be part of Aregions@ which will be a bit like those former bodies, but also different. Also, there will likely be changes to how the whole United Church is funded and how congregations pay for that. As things become clearer, I=ll keep the board and congregation informed about these changes. For Remembrance Day, I organized leadership for the Salem and Elora community services. In the afternoon, our congregation was excited to host a tribute event, Remember the Veterans and Honour the Fallen. Donna Mann conceived and developed this. It was an afternoon of stories and music. She pulled together people to share vignettes from their own (or families=) history of war. She also organized music, advertising, and all the other details. It was a wonderful time! On November 5, we hosted a community support gathering. This was part of our response to tragic deaths that struck our community in the weeks beforehand. It included a potluck dinner, games, and offered a good time to simply sit and chat. In the spring, our Mission Board decided to review our congregation=s marriage policy and consider celebrating same-sex weddings. It decided to seek congregational input in September. (In the meantime, the board gave me permission to preside at the wedding of two men in June, which was held in another church building in town.) A number of written submissions were received, the strong majority of which encouraged a change in our policy. In October the Mission Board gave careful consideration to what it had heard, and its own understandings of Scripture and marriage, asking the question: what do we understand Jesus to be calling us to now?

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The board unanimously agreed that Elora United Church affirms in its marriage policy and practice an understanding of marriage that includes both opposite-gender and same-gender couples. We also agreed that this can only be a beginning; we need to continue to grow in our understanding, welcome and celebration of people of different sexual orientations and gender identities whom Jesus is calling to follow him. I am hearted that our decision has given encouragement and freedom to some people within our congregation who are gay men, lesbians and bi/pan-sexuals. Others are beginning to see Elora UC as a welcoming faith community for them and their families. I also recognize and honour that our congregation is not of one mind on these important matters. We must continue learning to live together in disagreement and diversity.

ADrawing Closer as a Community@ Our Mission of Caring and Support

On his last night with his disciples before his crucifixion, Jesus said to them, AThis is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than to give up one=s life for one=s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.@ Jesus calls us into communities (churches, congregations) so we can share in love for one another. When people from our congregation and community have experienced illness, bereavement, or other needs, many from our congregation have cared for them. Often we think of this as simply the normal things for friends/neighbours to do. Yet when we are part of the Body of Christ, we are also living out Jesus= call to us to Alove one another.@ I am glad to share in that important way of serving with you. In December, Donna Mann prepared a Christmas Newsletter. We=d gone a while since we had regular newsletters, so this was a welcome addition. I hope that in the future we can explore how we can use various forms of media to better connect with each other, tell our stories of how God at work in our lives, and share the gifts that God is giving us.

Leading Our Mission I am blessed to work with strong teams of leaders in our congregation. I serve on the Mission Board, Resources Board, and Trustees Board. My gratitude to all who serve on these teams (as well as the Ministry & Personnel Committee) is great. In particular, I am thankful for the leadership of the chairpersons: Carole Kennedy (mission), Curt Hammond (resources), Jeff Negrave (trustees) and Phil Irish (M&P).

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It=s been a challenging year for our leaders. A looming financial crisis highlighted the need for hard decisions. This was but a symptom of the challenges most congregations are facing in a changing culture, where the identity and role of Christ=s church are undergoing tremendous and unpredictable transformations. For us, it is a time of insecurity and uncertainty. It is also a vital opportunity to deepen our trust and commitment to God and God=s work among us. The Mission and Resources Board worked hard on:

$ Communication: We strove to keep our congregation aware of our financial needs, and the role each member can play in supporting our work together. We also tried to update the congregation about the work we were doing, though much of that work was focussed on information-gathering, and some of it was necessarily confidential.

$ Visioning: We delved into our congregation=s vision-mission-values statements for direction, and sought to build on the work the Re:Genesis committee did a few years ago. Paul Miller from Waterloo Presbytery led us in a morning workshop where we looked at Elora UC=s future through the metaphor of Agoing on a journey.@ We also identified things our congregation does well and times when we have been at our best.

Task Groups (sub-committees of the boards) focussed on particular areas:

$ Staffing: A task group reviewed all our staff positions, and made recommendations about changes to our treasurer and music leadership roles. No more changes are expected in the near future.

$ Income: The faithful and generous financial support of our congregation members continues to be, by far, the most important way we fund our mission. Through our stewardship campaign at the end of 2016, members told us that they could not give more than they already are A task group looked at other ways we can generate revenue for the congregation. This work continues, with a particular focus on rentals.

$ Partnerships: A task group met with leaders from Melville United Church, Knox Presbytery Church and Faith Lutheran Church. We also responded positively to an overture from Arthur United Church to talk about partnerships. While nothing immediate has come from these conversations, we expect them to continue.

$ Building: A task group engaged with EDGE, the United Church=s national network for ministry development (www.edge-ucc.ca). This yielded important information, which will be presented at our congregation=s Mission & Leadership meeting on May 6.

The boards made the difficult decision to end the treasurer position as a cost-saving measure. This meant that Kim Saunders’ employment was ended late in the year. While I agree with the reasoning behind this decision and support it, this was a painful thing for me. I have valued working with Kim for many years. She has been a very good colleague, and continues to be an important part of our congregation. Beverly Bond continues to do excellent work as our administrator. She is a joy to work with, and brings efficiency and excellence to her job. When the treasurer position was ended, Beverly=s role was expanded to include bookkeeping. We=re fortunate that she has experience and skill, and has worked well into this expanded roll.

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Designated Lay Minister for Children and Youth 2017/18 Report Barb Smith-Young

This is a report of the ministries for children and youth from July 2017 – April 2018. Sundays are a busy day for the ministries that serve children and youth at Elora United Church. So I am blessed with many opportunities to see God at work in our church family and in our broader community. At the end of the day, I am often very thankful and reflective. God continues to bless me with surprises. Something very real is happening when we gather together. God is on the move! Jesus is transforming people of all ages. And I am very blessed to watch the Holy Spirit at work. A large part of my role in our church family is to equip and empower others to serve using the gifts God has given them. I would like to give a huge thank you to those who work with me to serve children and youth within our church family and beyond.

Children’s Worship Leaders (plan, prepare, lead on Sunday mornings) Lisa Miller, Sheila Keane, Alison Negrave, Jen Krul, Steve Beggs, Jaime Harper

Toddler Care (care for youngest children during worship) Jamie Weaver, Caleb Smith-Young, Luke Alessio

Youth Exploring Faith – YEF (plan, prepare, lead Gr. 5 – 7 on Sunday mornings) Kim Saunders

Grade 3 – 7 Youth Group (assist me with evening youth nights) Phil Irish

Kids Camp in July (eg. teaching, leading children, music/drama, snacks, registration) 30 youth and 20 adults make this a fantastic week

Mel Anderson works with me months in advance to plan and prepare

New Opportunities for worship and fellowship (eg. Praise and Potluck, Carols and Cider, Saturday Night Live @EUC)

Amy Weaver and SNL team – Jamie & Emily Weaver, Caleb SY, Phil Irish

Community Dinners (prepare/ serve dinners 1 – 2 times per year at Knox Presbyterian)

Youth and Adults Children and Youth Ministries July 2017 – April 2018

Kids Camp (Hero Central) morning day camp July 3 – 7, 2017

Children’s Worship every Sunday morning of the school year (JK – Grade 4) Toddler Care every Sunday morning of the school year Youth Exploring Faith (YEF) every Sunday morning of the school year (Grades 5 – 7) Youth Breakfast Club Sunday morning once a month (Grades 8 – 12) Youth Group Nights once a month (Grade 3 – 7) Youth Group Nights once a month (Grade 8 – 12) Youth Special Events (eg. Elora Santa Claus Parade food collection for CW Food

Bank, Shantytown fundraiser for The Door Youth Centre) Toronto Team exploring ways to serve in our local community

“Two Countries One World” - Waterloo Presbytery opportunity for learning and service

EUC youth are applying for 2018/2019 team

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Special Events May 2017 – April 2018

Christian Family Sunday, May 14 – Children’s Worship hosted fellowship time

Picnic and Praise Sunday, June 4 – hosted by Bethany United Church

Community Dinner, Nov. 3 at Knox Presbyterian – EUC prepared and served

Community Potluck and Games, Nov. 5 – we hosted for our Centre Wellington community during a difficult week of grief for many

Potluck and Praise, Nov. 12 – worship and fellowship at the Weavers home

Carols and Cider, Dec. 10 – Christmas songs and fellowship at the Weavers home

Children’s Worship shares skit “An Unexpected Christmas” in worship

Faith at Home Parent Discussion, during Sunday worship Feb. 11

(“Thanks, Sorry, Please – Leading Our Children and Youth in Prayer”) Acorns and Oaks Breakfast for Youth and Guests – April 8

Saturday Night Live @ EUC, April 14 – dinner, worship, fellowship for CW community

Instead of giving details about all the above, I would like to share with you some stories. The stories tell us about the presence of God in the lives of children, youth and adults. “We love worshiping God with our Elora United Church family because we love to be with all the children and youth.” (older adult) “At Elora United, I feel safe and welcome to be who I am.” (youth) “My boys can’t wait to come on Sunday morning and play with Caleb and Jamie!” (parent) “My grandson wanted to come spend the weekend with me just so he could come back to Children’s Worship!” (grandparent) “My kids had such a great time at youth group last night.” (parent) “I really enjoyed the Acorn’s and Oaks Breakfast. It was so good to get to know some of the youth and get know other adults in our church family too.” (adult) “We have the best youth at Elora United Church! They were such good workers serving at the Fish Fry.” (adult) “Our son loves Sunday morning. We will certainly be back.” (visiting family) “Can we do the prayer stations again?” (Grade 2 -7 children enjoyed for 4 weeks in January)

“I challenge you to look for the people, like Heather, who are overlooked and ignored in your own life and talk to them. God might just surprise you.” (Blog post - a youth on Toronto Team) “God’s a show off, one of our leaders said one night...Since then I have begun to feel and notice what He is doing throughout my day and it’s really exciting.” (Two Countries One World youth participant) “My kids love Kids Camp. They can’t wait to get here!” (parent from CW community)

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Project Welcome

Report for the Elora United Church congregation April 2018

Following Jesus Christians have a long history of welcoming people who are fleeing violence and turmoil in their homelands. It is ingrained into who we are as people of God. With Israel, God enjoins us to Awelcome the stranger,@ remembering that we ourselves have been homeless and God welcomes us (for instance, Deuteronomy 24:17-22). Jesus was a refugee, forced to flee a tyrant=s death squads with his parents (Matthew 2:16-23). He commands us to love our neighbour, who is anyone in need (Luke 10:25-37). Beginnings In 2011, a civil war began in Syria. It has resulted in widespread devastation, with hundreds of thousands killed. Many millions have needed to flee their homes for safety, either within Syria or to neighbour countries. As this crisis worsened, some people in Elora UC began talking about how we might help. Building on the United Church=s history of refugee sponsorship, we thought of starting a sponsorship initiative. At the same time, concern about the plight of Syrians was growing. People in the broader Elora-Fergus community were wondering what they could do to help. Project Welcome was a result. It is a group of citizens from Centre Wellington who want to be part of the solution to the Syrian refugee crisis. Our team includes committed citizens from all corners of our community with different faith identities. All are welcome! Project Welcome is Anested@ within Elora United Church, which has included Project Welcome Centre Wellington in its mission. The church provides logistical, administrative and some leadership support. Project Welcome is also part of the Centre Wellington Refugee Network and the Guelph Refugee Forum. The Sponsorship Process Canada=s unique private sponsorship system allows local groups to actively participate in supporting refugee newcomers. Project Welcome has been able to work through the United Church of Canada, which is a Asponsorship agreement holder@ recognized by the Canadian government. Project Welcome committed to supporting a refugee family for at least 1 year. This includes financial, housing, social and integration support. We began the government=s matching process. However, we soon became aware of a particular family with needs. So we changed our application, making it specific to that family. That=s how we came to know the Al Housaryas.

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The Al Housarya Family Nahed Al Housarya and her two sons, Majd and Faris, come from Homs. Similar in size and economy to Hamilton, Homs was one of the cities where demonstrations against the government broke out in 2011. This was part of the Arab Spring that swept through much of the Middle East. The Syrian regime responded with brutal violence. In March 2012 government-backed paramilitary forces carried out a massacre in Homs. Nahed=s husband and oldest son were murdered. That summer, Nahed fled with the rest of her family to Jordan. They lived in a refugee camp, then an apartment, needing to work in the underground economy because they had few rights in Jordan. Nahed=s daughter is married, and with her husband and children came to Canada separately, settling in Ottawa. The Al Housaryas in Canada

Nahed Nahed is currently attending St. George school in Guelph full time, progressing well and speaking English fluently. In Syria, Nahed was a licensed hairdresser who owned her own salon. An application has been submitted to the Ontario College of Trade to determine whether she can write her license in Ontario. Nahed enjoys cooking, hairdressing and spending time with her grandchildren (living in Ottawa).

Majd Majd is very proud to have completed Level 3 to Level 7 in ESL within one year! (Doing 2 levels in 1 year is considered good; Majd doubled that!) This achievement has enabled him to enrol in Conestoga College to complete his college entry requirements. Come September, Majd hopes to be enrolled in the college=s co-op courses in the field of Computer Security. Majd is applying for employment during the summer months. He currently has established his own business to repair smart phones, tablets, laptops and computers.

Faris Faris loves his new Canadian home. In the past year Faris has graduated from Grade 8 at JD Hogarth School and is now attending Grade 9 at John Ross High School in Guelph. Faris is a model student achieving top marks in his grade and has been advanced to Grade 10 academic math. Faris enjoys sports, especially soccer and technical challenges. His objective is to study engineering after high school.

Their New Home(s) Nahed, Majd and Faris enjoyed their apartment living in Fergus. The location was perfect for Faris attending grade 8 directly across the street. In July of 2017 a decision was made to move to Guelph. Faris would be required to attend John Ross High School and Majd and Nahed were continuing their ESL classes. Although the Al Housarya family miss Fergus, they are enjoying their new apartment and have a wide circle of friends in Guelph. (Regarding the Fergus apartment, when we found a suitable one at a good rent, we signed the lease. This was 6 months before they arrived, which increased our costs.)

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The Project Welcome Team Project Welcome has been blessed and thankful for our many volunteers who supported and welcomed our family. PW team was led by Greg Smith Young, Donna Pardy and Bonnie Norris. Over 60 volunteers provided the following :

fund raising, securing and furnishing an apartment, private ESL tutoring, driving Nahed and Majd to Guelph every day to St. George School support and visitation dental services, eye exam services and medical services.

Nahed, Majd and Faris showed their appreciation by hosting and preparing a delicious dinner for the volunteers at Elora United. Fundraising and Expenses Project Welcome has been blessed with exceptional financial support from the Elora-Fergus community. Our congregation managed these funds. It used its Canada Helps page, enabling donors to give online. Donations are tax-deductible charitable gifts.

Financial Summary (December 2015 to December 2017) Income

Individuals B Elora UC $ 10,866 Individuals B Community 16,178 Elora UC UCW 500 Elora UC Special Gifts 613 Elora UC Other 1,085 Toronto Conference 5,000 Knox Presbyterian 5,500 St. John=s Anglican 4,435 Melville United 2,590 Belwood United 442 St. Vincent de Paul Society 225 Bethany United 200 Ian Evans Event 2,320

$49,954

Expenses Start-Up $ 2,471 Travel Loan 3,757 Housing (18 months) 20,241 Utilities 3,241 Daily Living 13,017 Transportation 873 Portion of car purchase 5,774 Interpreters 260 Promotion 170 Canada Helps 150

$49,964

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Project Welcome Continues . . . Building on Project Welcome=s success, Elora UC=s Mission & Resources Boards has endorsed our plan to begin a new sponsorship. The Al Housaryas ache for family members who remain in Jordan, where their existence is unstable and future insecure. So we will be partnering with them to sponsor 6 family members: Nahed= brother, his wife, their 3 children and Nahed=s mother. One of the children is living with cerebral palsy. We think this sponsorship will work well because:

We have had an excellent experience sponsoring Nahed and her sons. Family reunification is a vital part of refugee success. Project Welcome has experience and systems in place. They will be coming to people they know, encouraged by the success Nahed, Majd and

Faris are having here. Nahed, Majd and Faris will provide the primary social and integration support. We expect the new arrivals will live in Guelph, hopefully close to Nahed. The need for

drivers will be greatly reduced. Shokran Canada, a refugee support organization in Guelph, is eager to partner with us

and contribute funds. The United Church has accepted our application and will be submitting it to the Canadian government. We expect that, unfortunately, it will take 1-2 years, maybe more, for these new arrivals to get here. Positively, we can use this time to build support and raise funds. Following Jesus It is exciting to see what Jesus is doing in our communities! In our global community, we saw a dire need and heard Jesus= call to help a family from Syria. In our local community, we saw a growing desire to make a difference, and heard Jesus= call to offer our congregation=s leadership. God has blessed us with so many gifts! We have grown new relationships with our neighbours in Elora, Fergus and beyond. We have connected congregations together in new ways. We=ve been blessed to get to know Nahed, Majd and Faris. They have impressed us with their courage, commitment and dedication. We have been overwhelmed by God=s generosity. Thanks be to God! Submitted with gratitude by

Bonnie Norris Greg Smith Young

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THE ELORA UNITED CHURCH QUILTERS

We still meet in the Bissell Room, Janet McPherson, Carol Webers and Connie Percy, every Monday from 1pm until 3:30pm to quilt and chat. In January we completed one quilt and began another that is well underway. We welcome other quilters, experienced or not. We'll be happy to help you get started at something we enjoy.

. Connie Percy

Ministry & Personnel Committee Annual Report

Ministry and Personnel Committee Members 2017:

Bethany United Church:

Elora United Church: Phil Irish, Susanne Thompson, Des Hemingway

We are very grateful for the commitment each of our staff has to their responsibilities and for the

enthusiasm they bring to their roles. We rarely see all the work that goes into making our church

community successful and vibrant and our sincere appreciation is extended to all of our staff members

for their dedication, energy and leadership.

Our staff this past year included:

Greg Smith- Young Minister for Worship

Barb Smith-Young Lay Minister for Children and Youth

Beverly Bond Office Administrator and Treasurer (Elora)

Kim Saunders Treasurer (Elora)

Judy Howse-Ward Treasurer (Bethany)

Suzanne Flewelling Cleaner (Elora)

Marlene D. Cleaner (Bethany)

Betty Weinstein Musical Accompanist (Elora)

Brad Halls Musical Accompanist (Elora & Bethany)

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ELORA MINISTRY CONVENORS/CONTACT PERSONS 2018

Book Group (formerly Amateur Theologians): Greg Smith-Young 519-846-0122

Church Library: contact the office 519-846-0122

Children's Worship Library: Jamie Harper 519-993-5126

Children's Worship Team Leader: Barb Smith-Young 519-846-2542

Children's Worship Treasurer: Beverly Bond 519-846-0122

Church Treasurer: Beverly Bond 519-846-0122

Coffee and Juice (Fellowship Hour): Beverly Bond 519-846-0122

Communion Preparers and Servers: Janet McPherson 519-846-5857

Marg Ewen 519-843-5117

Centre Wellington Food Bank:

Flower Convenors: Ethel Hornsby 519-846-9763, Sheila Calvert 519-846-8675

Friendship Community Living Group: Norma Wallace 519-846-9934

Greeters: Beverly Bond 519-846-0122

Lay Readers: Coralie Corlett 519-846-0073

Quilters: Connie Percy 519-846-5965

Stamps: Bonnie Arnew 519-843-7521

UCW Contact Person: Norma Wallace, 519-846-9934

Social Convenor: Phyllis Waind 519-846-9936

Websites: Judy McMullan 519-572-3833 (webmaestro@elorauc.org)

Women’s Spiritual Potluck: contact the office 519-846-0122

Worship Planning Team: Greg Smith-Young 519-846-0122

Elora United Church 75 Geddes Street,

Elora, ON N0B 1S0 Phone: 519.846.0122 FAX: 519.846.2905 email: elorabethanyuc@bellnet.ca website: www.elorauc.org

Office Hours: Rev. Greg Smith-Young is usually in the office mornings, Tues-Fri Contact Barb Smith-Young via the office or at 519-846-2542 Administrator Beverly Bond is in the office Thurs & Fri 9:30 to 3:30 from

Sept to June