Weekly Update - April 2, 2021

Celebrating Hope Dinner April 3

People have purchased 125 dinners. Well done!
Meals will be distributed as last time, from DeliWorks in the parking area on Spetz St.
The map and instructions have been included again for those coming for the first time.
 
Please arrive wearing a mask, watch for directions from the traffic manager, stay in your vehicle, identify who you are and the orders you are picking up and open your trunk so the restaurant staff can place those orders safely and directly. You may want to have a container to hold the dinners in place so they don’t slide.

I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the pick-up instructions from Angus and also guidelines that are reprinted again this week for everyone’s safety.  

If each person coming to pick-up dinners can arrive at their appointed time, and bring along a little patience and flexibility the staff from the restaurant will help us get on our way in a timely manner.

Thanks Everyone,
Muriel Omand-Naylor

WILL WE TOO RISE SOME DAY?
Out of our pre-pandemic rutted routines and unhealthy practices and patterns, dying to our own ungodliness, we will too rise some day?

Out of our tomb-like times of isolation and social distancing, unmuffled by masks, vaccinated to restored hope in a virus-held-in-check-instead world we will too rise some day?

Breaking through the greyed thick mists of past traditions
welcoming the dawn of a reawakened hybrid church, both in-person and online, we will too rise some day?

Freed from the failures and flaws of our systems of long-term care to live in the new light of the lessons we have learned, we will too rise some day?

Unbound, unwrapped strip after strip from systems embedded with racism and injustice and inequities, able to create harmonious human community we will too rise some day?

We shall.  We shall.  God being our Helper, we shall.
Easter joy and blessings,

Harry 

Worship this Easter Sunday -  10:30a.m.

- Livestreaming to http://www.firstunitedchurch.ca, Facebook,  YouTube
- Communion – You will need to have access to your own supply of bread or gluten-free alternative and grape juice or wine, enough to serve everyone where you are, as we receive the gift of the living Christ into our hearts and lives again.
 
Let's get together after church this week on Zoom! 
This is a chance to have friendly "coffee time" with others in our church and check in with one another. The Zoom will start at 11:15 (or so). Thanks to Muriel for hosting us.
 
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89426100259
+1 647 374 4685 Canada
+1 647 558 0588 Canada
Meeting ID: 894 2610 0259

Outreach Drive-By Food Drive
On Saturday, April 10, from 10:00am till noon, we will be accepting your food donations at the church. We will have staff to collect it from you if you need our help. A shopping cart will be available to drop off your donations as well. The food collected will go fill our pantry and to help the foodbank of Waterloo. Please donate only non-perishable items, canned stews and the like are ideal.

Mike Savage

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Grand River UCW Annual Meeting (formerly Waterloo Presbyterial)
Sat. Apr. 10  10:00 – NOON
To see program and zoom link, CLICK HERE

Please note, if you are having trouble seeing the poster and the zoom link, please contact the office.

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Noon Hour Concerts at First - Live streamed from 12:00 – 1:00
Larry Larson with his 5 trumpets and Lori Gemmell with her gorgeous 88 string harp performed a very ambitious program beginning with Bist du bei mir (J.S. Bach) in memory of Carol Class, his sponsor in the KWS, and finishing with fabulous Spanish music, entertaining their in-person audience (of three) with a fabulous array of musical styles. Harold Arnett continues to please viewers with his attention to audio and visual details. Special thanks to Rev. Harry for welcoming our Canadian and American viewers, and to Rev. Rose Ann for watching remotely while still under lockdown.

As the Board mentioned in a previous newsletter, we may be able to allow for a very small audience only if the Waterloo Region COVID-19 designation improves. If this is the case, we will post a notice on the First United Church website. Spots will be limited so potential audience members must register at firstunitedconcerts@gmail.com as soon as possible once notice has been posted on the website, and no later than 4:00 pm on the Saturday before each Tuesday concert. (In the event that the Government’s announcement happens on a Monday, registration would need to be made by Monday evening).

Audience members must register in this way for each concert that they wish to attend. Registration is necessary for contact tracing in case of an outbreak and to ensure that we stay within the allowable number of people in the sanctuary. Once you register, you will receive an email if there is a spot for you at the next concert. Information will be provided about how to submit the Church’s Liability Waiver, as well as the self-health checklist to be completed before arrival at the church. Once you are at the church, you will be asked to sign in on the audience list for that concert. So, keep an eye on the First United Church website for updates!

The remaining concerts in this series are best accessed at:
https://www.facebook.com/MusicPerformanceTrustFund/events/

April 6 - Springdale Trio - Wendy Wagler (flute), Ben Bolt Martin (cello) & Boyd McDonald (piano)
April 13 - Ian Sadler (pipe organ)

Additional Concert!
An additional concert has been added featuring Joanne Bender (piano) and Bruce Skelton (violin) on Tuesday April 20 from 12:15 – 12:45. Since this is not part of our 8 concert series, access to it has not as yet been decided. Stay tuned!

Cheers!  Sharon Gowland

For additional FREE concerts, Click Here