MaST - Mission and Service Together

Advent Candle Lighting

2011-11-03T17:09:00.005-04:00

We have posted two candle lighting services on our MaST web site.

November M&S Ideas

2011-11-03T17:09:00.003-04:00

This month we celebrate Remembrance Day, Children’s Sunday, Reign of Christ, and the first Sunday of Advent. Hopefully you will be using United Church bulletin covers to honour those occasions. If you would like to order more, they are still available.

Speaking of bulletins, we are always looking for great images for them and for other resources. We need photos of church life and activities. We have a new section on the website all about submitting photos. Check it out. It’s always fun to see your photos “published”!

I imagine that many of you have been involved in your stewardship campaign for this year. This is a reminder that the Mandate magazine is filled with great examples of the Mission and Service of the church. There is also a PDF file of the breakdown of the work we do. Use it as part of your campaign to encourage gifts to Mission and Service.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED

As we approach the end of the year we are all aware that the Mission and Service of the church is only possible thanks to the generous gifts of our supporters. This Advent, as always, there will be many calls on people for their support.

Will you help keep the Mission and Service work of the church a priority for United Church people?

Gifts for the Mission and Service of the church have a positive impact on people’s lives around the world. It is vital that the work continue.

Please speak to your congregation on behalf of those who need our help. How?
o Lead by example as you make a special Advent Mission and Service gift.
o Use the Advent Candle-lighting services to raise the profile of Mission and Service.
o Ask your minister to include Mission and Service in the invitation for the offering.
o Dedicate your congregation’s Christmas Eve offering to the Mission and Service of the church around the world.

Fall M&S News

2011-11-03T17:01:00.005-04:00

In the church it is a busy time getting back into routines, considering next year’s budget, working on stewardship programs, and preparing for the Advent season.

In your congregation, encourage discussions about all of the Mission and Service of the church in Canada and in the world when working on next year’s budget. Use the M&S resources listed below or church bulletins and Minutes for Mission to help celebrate and build excitement about Mission and Service and the positive changes our church makes in the world.

Here are some ideas to help with your fall Mission and Service activities.

Use the Advent Candle-lighting services.

Check out the latest Philanthropy newsletter and meet the new Director of Philanthropy for The United Church of Canada.

The United Church of Canada 2010 Annual Report has been mailed to congregations. Use it to share the good news about the Mission and Service work of the church.

To Do List for October

• Have you ordered your Christmas envelopes? Contact UCRD online at http://www.ucrdstore.ca/ or by phone at 416-253-5456 (local Toronto area) or toll-free 1-800-288-7365 and order envelopes #300 000 959.

• Consider giving a Christmas gift to your church children. M&S for Kids is #300001037 at UCRD and the sequel Hand in Hand is #CH10375. Both are $1.50. Hand in Hand has material for both young children and older kids, and there are ideas about how the two ages can work hand-in-hand to learn about the mission and service work of the church.
• We often think about consumerism in the months preceding Christmas. The dangers of marketing and consumerism are the topics of Overturning the Tables: Consumerism, Children and the Church. It offers lots of relevant information and also gives suggestions to individuals and to the church for overturning the trend. Purchase it from UCRD for $10.95 (#9781551341675.)
• The 2012 church calendar can be part of your fall fairs or fund-raisers (# CH10741.) The calendar features photos of stained-glass windows from United Churches across the country and can be ordered in bulk to save money.
If you have questions about any of the material in this newsletter or would like more information about Mission and Service, contact ms@united-church.ca or call 416-231-5931, Toll-Free: 1-800-268-3781 and speak to the Philanthropy Unit.

A Consumer Christmas?

2011-11-03T16:54:00.002-04:00

Does the consumerism of the season get to you? Are you concerned about the way our culture encourages a gimme attitude? Many people are especially worried about marketing to children. If you have children in your life or are looking for a Christmas gift that will help young families deal with the threat of advertising and marketing, check out the United Church publication, Overturning the Tables.

Advent Calendar

2011-11-03T16:52:00.001-04:00

Looking for an Advent Calendar for your family or for a gift? Here's one from UCRD.

Stewardship at Christmas

2011-11-03T16:50:00.000-04:00

Read about good stewardship in the Christmas season.

Philanthropy Newsletter

2011-11-03T16:47:00.002-04:00

Meet the new Director of Philanthropy for the United Church in the September issue.

M&S AT A Glance

2011-11-03T16:44:00.001-04:00

Download the 2011 M&S At A Glance

Share the descriptions of the Mission and Service work of the church.

White Gift Service

2011-11-03T16:37:00.001-04:00

Check out the Mission and Service Fund White Gift service

Minutes for Mission 2011

2011-11-03T16:25:00.000-04:00

An electronic copy of the 2011 editon of Minutes for Mission is available for download.The file is in RTF format, so you can easily copy/paste into your bulletins, newsletters, etc.

You can also download the HD video clips included on the DVD that was mailed to each pastoral charge from the Minutes for Mission page on united-church.ca.

Jack Layton inspired by United Church spirituality and ethics - The Search

2011-08-25T10:40:00.003-04:00

Jack Layton made his spiritual home in the liberal United Church of Canada. He was a member of the historic, social-activist congregation, Bloor Street United.

The New Democratic Party leader, who died Monday from cancer at age 61, followed his wife, Olivia Chow, to the downtown Toronto church after she joined it in the late 1980s.

The United Church of Canada is the nation's most progressive Christian denomination, having begun to ordain homosexuals in 1988 and women in 1936. The large Protestant denomination, with about 500,000 active members, also began in the 1950s to fight for universal health care.

Even though the New Democratic Party is often associated with secular people and atheists, Layton often talked proudly of the "social gospel" values that fueled NDP founder Tommy Douglas, a Baptist preacher who was appalled in the 1940s at the treatment of working and sick people. Layton also appreciated the theology of NDP MP Bill Blaikie, a United Church minister and thinker.

Philanthropy Newsletter

2011-04-27T10:19:00.001-04:00

Check out the new Philanthropy Newsletter which takes the place of Stepping Stones and offers even more about fundraising at all levels of the church.

Easter Greetings

2011-04-20T18:44:00.000-04:00

A short Easter note from the M&S office.

Earth Hour March 26

2011-03-24T13:46:00.001-04:00

Church House offices will be participating in Earth Hour on Saturday, March 26th, 2011 from 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Earth Hour is a worldwide event and collective effort to address the important issue of climate change. Millions around the world, including over 100 cities across Canada, will turn off their lights in a show of support to promote action on climate change.

Oxford Properties Group will be turning off the lights at their buildings in Mississauga, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and in Toronto where Church House is to participate in the event. "We encourage you to join us in this initiative."

To learn more about Earth Hour or to sign up your organization, visit http://www.earthhourcanada.org/

Show Us Your Photos

2011-03-23T14:10:00.005-04:00

No that's not a line out of an old movie. It's an invitation to be part of a long tradition in church resources.

It is a reminder that we are starting to receive submissions for the 2013 Bulletin Covers. The deadline is the first week of June. If you have (or someone in your congregation has) great photos that would make terrific bulletin covers please let us take a look! The Call for Photos gives you all the details. Why not print it off and post it on your church bulletin board or email it to a friend.

United Church bulletin covers are an important worship resource and fundraiser for the denomination.

WDR Worship Service

2011-03-09T11:51:00.004-05:00

Have you seen the WDR worship Service? Use it with the Children's story and the More Than Aid Lenten calendar.

Ideas that Worked

2011-03-08T16:43:00.003-05:00

We need some M&S ideas that worked in your congregation: ideas about telling the stories, raising the money, getting people excited about our ministry.

Big or small ideas, we want to hear them to share in the next M&S Mandate magazine. You can comment here if they are really short or email me at jkinkaid@united-church.ca. Please include a contact person and their info in case I have questions.

Thanks,
Julie

Less for Lent

2011-03-03T15:49:00.005-05:00

Are you looking for a good Lenten study for young people? We are living in the greatest consumer age so why not include that in your Lenten discussions. Check out Overturning the Tables as a place to start any group conversation. There are study ideas at the end of each chapter and you can find more to talk about on the web site. Click the book image at the bottom of this page.

Last Stepping Stone

2011-03-03T15:42:00.002-05:00

Check out the last issue of Stepping Stones. Please send me your comments at ms@united-church.ca.

UCC Makes the Rick Mercer Show

2011-02-25T17:11:00.001-05:00

EASTER RESOURCES!

2011-02-23T11:21:00.003-05:00

Have you ordered your Easter envelopes?
If you are calling in your order from UCRD they are #CH10456.

Use them with the WDR Lenten calendar which you can download off the Web.

NEW LOOK

2011-02-18T11:32:00.002-05:00

Our Web Team has created a new look for MaST. What do you think?

Early Spring Cleaning!

2011-02-18T11:28:00.002-05:00

I am looking over materials in our warehouse and am posting suggestions for all those interested in promoting M&S in their congregations.

This week why not order a couple of Thermometer posters so that you can keep track of your 2011 M&S gifts.

This is an oldie but goodie resource that my report says is still available. No charge for this one!

More next week!

WDR in Time for Lent

2011-02-15T14:04:00.008-05:00

The WDR resources are available for Lenten program planning. They are called "More Than Aid."
The poster is available for free from UCRD #CH10719. Order online.
The calendar and children's piece are at this link.
The WDR worship service will be posted in the next week so stay tuned.

2010 M&S Totals

2011-02-15T13:24:00.006-05:00

Our M&S donations last year were higher than the previous year and very close to our goal.
Here is the link to the 2010 final tally for M&S gifts.
Let's go for $30.2 million in 2011!

A Template for Annual Reports

2009-01-07T15:47:00.002-05:00

Are you responsible for annual financial reporting at your church? Here's a template for annual reports that may be helpful.

The M&S Logo - an Interpretation

2008-12-23T12:36:00.000-05:00

True Colours

Is it a flame, a hand, a flower? These are some ideas about what our Mission and Service Fund logo represents. But what about the colours of the logo?

The M&S logo is the colour of the rainbow—God’s promise. These are also the colours of the light spectrum. Only when seen together do the colours form the rainbow, only together can they produce light. Our rainbow logo represents the collected and connected work that we do as United Church.

Here is an interpretation of how the colours might illustrate the great diversity of work that you are part of because you are a member of the United Church and because you support M&S.

Red is for passion, the colour of Pentecost. It represents the energy we bring to the work that we do with ecumenical partners in advocating and promoting world peace, justice, and human rights.

Orange is the gold of a chalice, a font, a gilded page--our worship life in the church. The M&S Fund supports theological colleges and intern ministers, produces resources for worship, gives grants for church development, operating, and equipment.

Yellow is the ray of sunshine that we can bring to thousands around the world as we work with global staff and partners to promote education and health care, fight disease and bring emergency relief and long term development to those who need it.

Green is for our earth and the work that we do to promote a cleaner healthier planet.

Blue is for Hope--Hope that we bring to hundreds of people in Canada through our mission support units. These are organizations that we fund to carry on outreach programs, safe houses for women and children, social development work, and support groups.

Purple represents General Council, its meetings, offices, and staff, and funding for the Conference offices.

Together the rainbow, United the church.

Link here for another resource on the colours.