Elgin United Church
Best wishes to all who are celebrating special occasions this week.
May all who are experiencing troubles be comforted with God’s Grace.
We wish you enjoyment and safety on this May long weekend.
As part of Leeds Heritage Day, The Elgin & Area Heritage Society is hosting an open house at the Red Brick School from 10-4, May 27th.
Elgin Council
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Portland United Church
Reminder – Portland CEC – Farmer’s Breakfast at Portland United Church Saturday, May 20th @ 8 -11 am. Adults $12 Children 12 and under free. Take out available. Proceeds will be shared 50/50 for the new village playground equipment and the Go Green Project for the church. Please contact Bob @ 613-272-2399 or Connie 613-220-7914
2023 EOORC Annual General Meeting May 26 – 27, 2023 Brockville Memorial Centre, Brockville, ON Friday 9:00 am. – 8:00 p.m. (registration begins at 8:15 a.m.) Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. REGISTER TODAY https://eoorc.ca/2023-eoorc-agm/Guest Speaker: Rev. Michael Blair General Secretary, United Church of Canada
County Road 44 – Bluegrass Band – Portland United Church Saturday July 8th @ 7 pm. Goodwill offering requested.
MarkOne – Portland United Church July 22nd @ 7:00 pm. Goodwill offering requested.
Portland Council
Annual General Meeting – May 26, 27, 2023
These past few months I have been involved with the planning of the Annual General Meeting for this region. I believe I was a bit overzealous in my volunteering for helping out. You see, I was excited. It is my first time to attend such a meeting and the ideas in my head came out in words like: ‘’Sure, I can help with that”, and, “Yes, I would love to pick out some music for this event”, and “Of course I can be a steward” and to top it off, ‘I would love to organize, take part, and prepare the Worship times’. Now you see what I mean about my mouth opening before my brain processed it all!
Inevitably, everything is falling into place and there are many people involved that will make this event spectacular. So, no, I’m not doing any of things on my own.
This preamble is really leading up to some discoveries I have made. The theme for the week-end is ‘Courageous Communities’. We – the congregations, the Regional office and the National office of the United Church of Canada, are assembling together to share in the joys of community, the work of the Lord still to do, the preparation we need to meet the needs of the present world. All this under the leadership of God and The One given to help us –the Holy Spirit.
We will sing, pray, share with each other and hear from God’s messenger, Michael Blair. We will leave with new vitality, new ideas, and new purpose.
This request today, is to ask that as partners in prayer, as members of the Body of Christ, you will pray for this gathering. You are welcome to attend. But, if you cannot join us, join others in prayer. As we lift our prayers heavenward, God will be blessed and His blessing will fall afresh on us. I thank you in advance.
Liz Church
Pastoral Care Director
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge
Devotional Thought, May 20, 2023
This week found a few staff members trying to fish a baby Hooded Merganser duck from the Marina pool. That little life was trapped but managed to avoid capture for quite a few minutes. Every time we got close, he would dive down into the pool and come up yards away from where we were.
As I watched this duckling I was reminded of our spiritual life. Amazing isn’t it! A lifeline, given from love and we refuse to take it. We swim and dive and beat around in life as if we didn’t need anyone’s help – even though we may be trapped, drowning in our own foolish choices, unwilling to admit that we need saving.
And like this little creature, only after exhaustion sets in, and there is no where else to turn, do we take the chance, and allow the outstretched hand of our Saviour, to lift us up, comfort us and reassure us that we will survive.
Fragility of life! Never it is more in front of us than when we are affected by it. As I share with you this week, I wonder if there are those among my readers that are feeling lost, or drowning. Is the journey you are on filled with situations that cause heartache? Burdens that you carry in secret? Perhaps you see the struggle in someone close to you, someone you love? I am here to remind you – reach out to Jesus. Take the lifeline.
Perhaps you are being asked to give a lifeline to another. Maybe God is speaking to you to bring comfort to a friend, a family member, a co-worker.
Wherever you are – in the pool, needing rescue; or holding out the life Preserver for another, may you hear God’s voice and know with certainty that you are not alone.
To each of you, may you be blessed.
Liz Church
Pastoral Care Director
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge