Welcome to First! We’re glad you are here!

A warm welcome to Rev. Sebastian Meadows-Helmer from St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church of Kitch.

Rev. Hoeun Lee will take a study leave to attend (Re)Generate leadership program with the Moderator at Five Oaks Retreat Centre next week. If there are emergency pastoral care needs please contact:

Rev. Brenda Torrie

(519) 886-1471 #101

revbrendat@emmanueluc.ca

 

Sunday, January 26 – Third after Epiphany

Lectionary Readings:

Nehemiah 8 1-3, 5-6, 8-10;   Psalm 19 (VU pp. 740-741); 

1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a; Luke 4: 14-21

 

Deadline for submission to the weekly updates is Tuesday by 12:00 p.m.

 

CONTRIBUTIONS:  

To get your offering to the office you can use PAR, e transfer to firstunitedchurch@rogers.com, website donation www.firstunitedchurch.ca or send a cheque. Cheques can be dropped off at the church mailbox which is located at the Entrance on the William Street side of the building.

Also, you may send your cheque to 

First United Church

16 William St. West

Waterloo ON

N2L 1J3

Reminder, credit card companies have a fee of around 3-5%.  If you wish First to get the full amount, then please add that percentage to your contribution.

 

ANNUAL REPORT INFORMATION

 

PREPARATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT

 

All groups and committees preparing information for the Annual Meeting on March 9, 2025, are reminded of the following timelines: 

 

Friday January 17, 2025  All reports must be in Word Document format, are to be sent electronically to the new address only (not the church office). firstunited.annualreport@gmail.com

 

Please submit Financial reports to treasurer, Paul Miller  pmiller0324@rogers.com

 

TUESDAY NOON HOUR CONCERTS

47th SEASON! Join us on Tuesday Jan. 21st for  our FREE Noon Hour Concerts Penderecki String Quartet will thrill us with a performance you won't want to miss.  Remember to pre-order your lunches by Thursday Noon at firstunitedconcerts@gmail.com. (egg, ham, salmon or tuna on whole wheat $6;butter tart, nanaimo or date square $2; tea or coffee $2) See you there!

 

FRIDAYS AT FIRST

Our weekly Fridays at First program which operates during the winter months (November 1 to mid-April) to serve people who need a time for socializing and a nutritious meal, is in need of money. The program depends on donations, and we have not asked for help in the past year or so. 

The group also provides meals to Better Tent City. The Food Bank provides boxes of ingredients, and Cathie Stewart-Savage and her faithful volunteer crew prepare about 100 meals (40-50 for Fridays at First, 60 for Better Tent City). Other volunteers come in to serve, and others to clean up. Guests begin to arrive about 2:00 for socializing and snacks, dinner is served at 6:00, and the doors close about 7:30, when the clean-up crew takes over.

As we all know, food is very expensive, and even with the Food Bank donation, there is much to purchase--between $800-$1,000 per month. Boxes from the Food Bank arrive on Thursday, and from that Cathie plans a menu and purchases what is needed, always with good nutrition in mind.

There are envelopes available for donations. In order to receive a tax receipt, cheques should be made out to First United Church, with Fridays at First in the allocation line. Any amount will be greatly appreciated. If a tax receipt is not required, the cheque can be made to Out of the Cold, First United Church.

Shirley Irish, Treasurer, on behalf of Fridays at First.

 

NOTE FROM YOUR MINISTRY & PERSONNEL COMMITTEE:

One of the roles of your Ministry and Personnel Committee is a healthy relationship role, responsible for overseeing the relationship of the pastoral charge staff to each other and to people in the congregation.

 

First United is blessed with staff who are so committed to their work for us.  If you have praise or concerns about a staff member or the work of a staff member, we urge you to speak to that staff person.   If you are not able or willing to speak to the staff member the matter can be shared in signed correspondence with the M&P Committee.  All issues are considered confidentially by the M&P Committee.  Anonymous complaints or rumours will not be considered.  

The current members of the Ministry and Personnel Committee are Marg Dickson, Jean MacLean, Nola Mott, Ken Mott and Joan Westcott.

 

Joan Westcott, Chair, M&P Committee





JOINT YOUTH GROUP

With all the talk last meeting about the changes in store for us because of the new year, we couldn’t think of a better time to do something fun and much less serious!  We’ll be playing group-favourite ,Telestrations and playing some party games at First United.  We’ll also be doing some reflection and looking at the concept of community in our faith context.

Our next dates:  Wed. Jan 22; Wed., Feb 5th; Wed. Feb 19th

Come as you are! We strive to create a brave space for all of you by being an explicitly 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusive and neurodiverse accepting group! We also recognize that youth group can be intimidating for Indigenous and racialized youth, and we are committed to building a welcoming and inclusive group. Please feel free to contact us at bethany.mcmullen@parkuc.ca if you have any questions.

YOU ARE LOVED. YOU MATTER TO US. EVERYONE IS WELCOME.

 

Blessings, 

Bethany McMullen and Rebecca Whiting

 

[INTERCULTURAL LUNCH AND LEARN - CELEBRATE UKRAINIAN CULTURE WITH US! JAN 26(SUN) 11:45 AM TO 01:20 PM 

We are thrilled to announce an upcoming cultural event that promises to be a vibrant celebration of Ukrainian traditions and artistry. Taras Rudyi will host this special occasion. 

Event Highlights:

* Ukrainian Cuisine Table

Enjoy authentic Ukrainian dishes provided by Eastern European Cuisine - ZUPA. https://kwc-zupa.ca/ 

 

Speakers: Ivan Yaworsky and more 

Performances:

  • The Ukrainian Theatre KOLO will open the event with a performance showcasing Ukrainian Christmas traditions. 
  • The dance group OBYEDNANI - UNITED will perform 3-4 traditional dances. (Logo and photo attached.)
  • Singer Tanita Nova will present 2-3 beautiful Ukrainian songs. (Photo attached.)

Exhibitions:

  • Ukrainian Traditional Towels
  • Ukrainian Easter Eggs (Pysanky)
  • A captivating photo collage

Join us for an unforgettable experience celebrating Ukrainian culture through food, art, music, and traditions

UCW Meeting

UCW will meet in Parlour on Thursday February 7th at 1:30 pm.  

All are welcome!

 

Edith Coyle



COMMUNITY EVENTS

 

SPEAKER SERIES: 

United Against Hate: Racism, Religion & Conflict in the Middle East and at Home

You are invited to join Islington United Church on Sunday, January 19, 26 and February 2, 2025 at 1 pm for a Speaker Series entitled United Against Hate: Racism, Religion & Conflict in the Middle East & at Home.  Virtual or In-person in Toronto.

The Anti Racism Working Group of Islington United Church is hosting this three part education and information speaker series and the talks will take place in the sanctuary of the Church. The speakers are passionate experts who will help shed some light on these important and urgent issues. 

Speakers include Dr. Karen Mock, whose talk will focus on Antisemitism; Amira Elghawaby, who is Canada's first special representative on Combatting Islamophobia; and Brian Carwana of Encounter World Religions, who will help us understand the historical causes of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. We invite everyone to join us in person or online by zoom for all three dates. Registration is at islingtonunited.org.

 

 

CONRAD GREBEL EVENTS:

 

LOOKING FOR MORE PURPOSES IN YOUR LIFE?

Whether you are interested in exploring vocations of ministry and service, deepening your understanding of Christianity and the church, or seeking personal enrichment, the Master of Theological Studies program at Conrad Grebel University College could be a great fit for you.  Apply by February 1st.  Full tuition scholarships available for full-time Canadian students.   www.uwaterloo.ca/theological-studies

 

MASTER OF PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES (IMPACS) PROGRAM

Create meaningful impact with the Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (IMPACS) program at Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo.  Combine interdisciplinary scholarship and experiential learning with a focus on nonviolent peacebuilding and community-led change.  Apply by February 1.  Discover more at www.uwaterloo.ca/impacs or register for an upcoming information session.

 

KITCHENER/WATERLOO COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA

The Kitchener/Waterloo Community Orchestra is thrilled to present an evening of exceptional music featuring the acclaimed violinist, Jeremy Bell.  A native of Toronto.  This event is scheduled for February 1st, 2025 at 7:30 pm at Knox Presbyterian Church, 50 Erb St. W., Waterloo.

The KWCO is dedicated to making this cultural experience accessible, especially for students.  High school and younger      music enthusiasts can attend free of charge, while tickets for adults are $25, $22 for seniors, and $18 for university and college students.  To secure your seats, please visit www.kwco.org/programme or purchase tickets at the door.



 

Sunday, Jan 19

  

10:30 am

Worship – 2nd After Epiphany

Sanctuary

2:00 pm

MTSpace (Ukranian Dance)

Labyrinth Room

 

 
Monday, Jan 20
  

1:30 pm
Pastoral Care

Parlour

5:00 pm
KWYO – Sinfonia

Sanctuary

7:00 pm
Scouts

Hilliard Hall
 
Tuesday, Jan 21
  

8:00 am

Noon Hour Concert Prep

Hilliard Hall/Kitchen

12:15 pm

Noon Hour Concert

Sanctuary

5:00 pm

KWYO – Strings

Sanctuary

5:15 pm

KWYO – Preludium Strings

Chapel

7:00 pm
Worship Committee

Parlour
 
Wednesday, Jan 22
  

1:00 pm
Blind Dinner

Kitchen/Chapel

2:45 pm
KW Chamber Music Society

Sanctuary

6:30 pm
Sparkes

Labyrinth Room

6:30 pm
Embers

Hilliard Hall

7:00 pm
Joint Youth Group

Parlour
 
Thursday, Jan 23
  

10:00 am
Bell Choir

Sanctuary

4:00 pm
Family Choir

Chapel

7:00 pm
Gallery Choir

Chapel
 

Friday, Jan 24

  

1:00 pm
Fridays at First
Hilliard Hall/Kitchen
 
Saturday, Jan 25
  

9:00 am
Knitting Group
Parlour

1:00 pm
MTSpace(Ukranian Dance)
Chapel

1:00 pm
Dungeons & Dragons
Labyrinth Room
 
Sunday, Jan 26
  

10:30 am
Worship – 3rd After Epiphany

Sanctuary.

11:30 am
Intercultural Lunch & Learn

Hilliard Hall/Kitchen







WEEKLY UPDATE

of happenings, events and concerns of our

First United Church Family













January 19, 2025

 

      Minister                                             Rev. Hoeun Lee      

Music Director                           Kathleen King Martin

  Church Administrator                      Sheena Curwood

AV Technician                                       Harold Arnett                                       

Custodian                                                Jay Brooker

Assistant Custodian                              Craig Lennox

 

16 William Street West

Waterloo, Ontario N2L 1J3

Office: 519-745-8487 x201 

Office Hours: Mon-Thu 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  

  

email: office@firstunitedchurch.ca

website: firstunitedchurch.ca

 

Chair of the Board

email:  firstunitedboardchair@gmail.com

 

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