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Message from Leadership Council Co-Chair, Joanne Pritchard
With the closure of our building due to the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic in March and the loss of our primary renter at the end of the summer, McDougall has taken a significant financial hit this year. Fortunately, through the work of our innovative, staff team, our Operations team and volunteers, the important work of our church has continued.
Mission & Service Thank You
"We are grateful to the people of McDougall United Church who have generously given $28,653 in 2019 to enable life-saving and life-changing work through our shared Mission & Service."
Feed the Hungry Dinner Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who supported this year’s Feed the Hungry Dinner through financial contributions, volunteering and prayer.
Pastoral Care Update
The Pastoral Care Committee is planning a phone out at the end of September. Phoners can expect to hear from Shirley Wilding with details beforehand.
Leadership Council Update
A July Leadership Council meeting was planned as it appeared that, without a serious reduction in our budgeted expenses, the church would accrue a significant budget deficit by year-end.
Taking a Deep Dive into Caterpillar Life.
Over two and a half years ago now, I left social media. This is not a humble brag, or an outright brag. It is just a fact. In the early days of Facebook, back in the aughts, I was hesitant to join.
Choral Listening Series - Recording # 13
This Finnish song is composed by one of Rajaton’s members. Soila Sariola sings alto and is also one of their most prolific songwriters and arrangers.
Race is Not Like Rain
I have been thinking a lot about this topic. Who was Jesus? What did he look like?
The Acadia Brown Bag Lunch Program
Providing Brown Bag lunches during these challenging times.
Choral Listening Series - Recording #12
About the performers: Rajaton was founded in 1997, and is a six-part ensemble (SSATBB) that performs in both Finnish and English. They have gained renown in the last decade for their original music and creativity in performance. I would like to look at two original songs premiered and championed by this group.
Marion Enta’s Birthday
Mom celebrated her 90th Birthday with her usual style and grace during a beautiful cloudless July 27, a gift just for her.
Be Ready to Accept Your Call
I write this to you today as I am watching and listening to the livestream of Rep. John Lewis’s funeral. There is a grief to losing such a giant in character and integrity. While his works served the country he lived in, people like him make all of us better.
Choral Listening Series - Recording #11
That ending. I don't know how they can have any lungs left! Vocal Spectrum is my favourite barbershop quartet, and I hope you enjoyed their rendition of Go the Distance, from Disney's Hercules.
We are Called to Forgive. It isn’t Optional
I have been thinking a lot about forgiveness this week. As a relatively new Christian, I cannot lie: this forgiveness business is a hurdle. We are called to forgive. It isn’t optional. We don’t get to dine at the banquet and just deny this particular course.
Choral Listening Series - Recording #10
I hope you had fun listening to it! I've performed this piece with a few different groups, and it's fun every time. The original is a famous organ fugue by J.S. Bach, composed between 1703 and 1707, and popularly dubbed The Little Fugue.
Pain is a Messenger
Pain is a messenger. This is something I used to tell my patients when I was working as an intern acupuncturist. I had heard it said by wise folks whom I respected and it seemed to make sense to me. So, I would say it to people and encourage them to try to tune in to what it was their bodies might be trying to tell them.
2nd Quarter Financial Report
The 2020 Budget was revised to ensure that we operate within our reduced income. A revised budget to the end of August was previously approved by Leadership Council.
Operations Working Group - Second Quarter Report
The Operations Working Group has been working timelessly since the COVID19 pandemic changed our world in March. We responded quickly to move McDougall into compliance with the AHS safety guidelines and research the supports available to us through the United Church of Canada and our federal government.
Governance Working Group - Second Quarter Report
The Governance working Group has not met in this quarter due to the need for members of the working group to focus our time and energies on other priorities during the first months of the COVID 19 pandemic.