Elgin United Church
Elgin United Church is excited to return to in-person worship at 11:00 am, Sunday, February 20th. We look forward to once again being able to worship together even though masks and social distancing remain in place. Rev. Kathleen Walton will be returning to lead us the 1st and 3rd Sundays of March and April. We welcome our reopening for in-person worship and pray for a safe return to full capacity very soon.
The Elgin United Church Annual Congregational Meeting (ACM) is planned for Sunday, March 27th following our worship service. The ACM is an important meeting and more information will be provided in the coming weeks.
Clint Halladay
Chair, EUC
Portland United Church
Welcome news! You are invited to return to Portland United Church for Sunday services at 9:15 a.m. beginning Sunday, February 20th. Leading our service will be Norma Wrightly. Weather permitting, we will be welcoming Rev Kathy Walton the first and third Sundays in March and April. COVID protocols will be in place and you will be required to wear a mask.
We hope to reinstate the assistance of ushers to help seat people, if needed, to light candles 10 minutes before the service and tidy up after the service and make sure the lights and candles are out. We will have a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board so please let us know if you are interested.
Sunday, April 3rd we will have our Annual Congregational Meeting after the church service.
It’s been way too long since we worshipped together and we look forward to seeing you again.
The Portland United Church Council
Virtual Valentine’s Day Youth
On Sunday, February 13 please tune in to the Virtual Valentine’s Day youth-led service on the Facebook or YouTube page for Storrington Pastoral Charge. Allison Gibson and David French from Portland United and Alex Price from Elgin United Church are leading the service with the guidance of Rev. Heather McClurg Murphy and Cathy Ryan. Don’t miss it! Our Four Rivers Youth Cluster (10 to 19 year olds) are excited to bring you Sunday morning worship service from Inverary/ Battersea United Churches. The virtual service will take place starting at 11 am and it will be on facebook and YouTube.
Blessings and a great big LOVE HEART and HUGS to all of you.Cathy Ryan – Youth Leader – Four Rivers Clusters
Devotional Thought – February 12, 2022
This week has afforded me the time to take out some of my favorite books and go back through the underlined passages which spoke to me years ago. One of those books is called ‘The Inner Voice of Love’, by Henri Nouwen. As I began to peruse the pages, I thought I could just read those underlined portions from my earlier read. Not so. In the midst of these truths, I discovered how much I had missed on that first read through the book. And then my heart was tweaked. I didn’t miss those truths. God knew I would come back to them when I most needed them.
I have a very simple faith. I believe that God will always speak to me, guide me, nurture me, chastise me and most of all, love me.
Here is an example of what I mean. I used the word ‘tweaked’ to describe the nudge that I felt as I reread passages from the book. But then I looked up the word. There is so much depth contained in it. I just have to tell you some of this. And then allow God to speak to you as He has me. Pinched, squeezed, twisted, tugged, pulled, yanked, fine-tuned, corrected, adjusted, modified, regulated. As you read these words over, I want you to look at your spiritual life and allow God to do the same miraculous process for you.
Take the time and read the following Scripture verse. Read it a few times and allow the work of Holy Spirit to revitalize you. Let Holy Spirit speak to you, to tweak your heart and grow your faith. Check out how God is tugging, pulling, fine-tuning, etc. And before long, you will be amazed at the new truths revealed to you. And you will be able to deeper grasp the words from Romans 15:13 ‘I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.’
This February 14th, dedicated to love, reminds us there is no greater Love given to us than God’s love. It exists deeper in in our heart than we can sometimes reach. Life crowds out that love sometimes. Some words from Henri Nouwen say it more clearly than I – “Keep moving toward the love. Live a faithful life, a life in which you can receive more and more of the love that comes to you.”
As you celebrate love this week, be assured that the love of God stretches deeper, wider, higher, beyond our thoughts. And reaches into your heart to calm, sustain, and give you joy.
Peace and love to each of you,
Liz Church
Pastoral Care Director
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge