Elgin Portland United Church
Advance notice JAN 25, 2025 our Canadian Women in Song troupe plays the Joshua Bates Centre, Athens. Get your tickets early. joshuabatescentre.com
Bible Discussion Groups
Reason to read the Bible #24: The Bible teaches that our discipleship requires more than a verbal profession of faith. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Two weekly meetings: Portland UC on Monday at 6:30; Elgin meeting this week will be at the Elgin community Hall next to the post office, Tuesday at 10 am. Please join us. For info contact Jim at ccjimbarton@gmail.com or 613-328-4089.
“You Can Call Me 80s” – A concert worth attending. Two nights of sold-out crowds with proceeds going to the Elgin Foodbank – Your generosity and gratitude are very much appreciated.
Elgin Portland United Church Council
Elgin United Church
Happy Birthday to Murray Osborne, we wish him an exceptionally wonderful celebration.
A celebration of Life will be held for Jim Rowat on Sunday, October 27, 2024, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Chaffey’s Lock Community Hall. All are welcome.
This is a gentle reminder that the need at the Elgin Food Bank is continuing to increase. You can donate in different ways. You can donate via e-transfer to United Church Of Canada-Elgin <treasurer-euc@eppc-ucc.ca> You can also make a donation in your envelope under “other” or by PAR.
Elgin United Church
Portland United Church
THE PORTLAND UNITED CHURCH FAMILY IN 2025
Let’s hear from every PUC family as we look towards celebrating the 100th anniversary of UCC. Why did you decide to call PUC ‘home’? When did you 1st come to PUC? How long has it been your church -does the connection go back a generation or more in your family? Were you baptized, confirmed or married at PUC? If not, where, when, how did you begin your affiliation with UCC in other areas of the country?
Please take a few moments to write your personal and/or your family’s story in order for us to include it in a book and hear it one day in church. By signing the sheet on the bulletin board, we will know how often to schedule each family’s story over the coming months. If you are close to or know of a family that in recent past is no longer with us, please feel free to share their story also. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Details/questions – contact Jane jpick@kingston.net
Pre-Order Your Christmas Tourtieres before November 13th, 2024. The Seventh Annual Tourtiere Sale By Portland United Church UCW. Pies are frozen and ready to bake. 8″ pies @ $20.00 and 4″ pies @10.00. Please order: Call Sheila @613-272-3531 or Connie @ 613-220-7914.
UCW Meeting November 26th at 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
Portland United Church
Devotional Reflection
October 26, 2024
Over the years that I have been in ministry the world has changed. There is always a new perspective out there that we are encouraged to embrace.
I remember an LP my children had – called Bullfrogs and Butterflies. The opening line to the theme song said:
‘Bullfrogs and Butterflies, they’ve both been born again.’
You can just imagine, a talking frog telling his life’s journey from a tiny tadpole, the surprise when he discovered little knobs forming, that became legs. As he told the story he was freaking out! The discovery when he was able jump out of the water and back in – a whole new viewpoint of the world where he lived. A transformation, a life-changing alteration.
We have been enthralled, captivated even, when watching the makeover of a caterpillar to a butterfly. The patience needed to watch as the butterfly struggles to break free. Our desire to jump in and assist. The knowledge, knowing the struggle is necessary to fly, prevents us from interfering in the transformation, as we gaze in wonderment to see the butterfly take flight.
I can look around me, even today, and be mesmerized by the changing colour of the leaves on our trees, the fields turning from bright colours of harvest to the lacklustre hues of approaching winter, the birds leaving their place of birth to find new fields of food in distant places.
Transformation – alteration, change, conversion, makeover, metamorphosis. These words, all mean a change has taken place. But in your life and mine, it means so much more – Born Again! Have you looked at your own life recently?
There are so many passages of Scripture that talk about this change but none so precisely as Romans 12: 2. Quoting from the New Living Translation: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect”.
Reread that verse. What do you think? Does that sound easy? Or can you see the struggle? Have you taken time to look at the miracle of your New Birth in Christ?
Before long, the rush of the Christmas season will be upon us. We will visit again the manger where new Life, given to us, was born – God became human, so that we might have life.
A song from my past says: ‘O what a change, what a difference, to have an encounter with God. Life takes on a new meaning, when you have this encounter with God.’
Transformation takes place all around us. But none is so profound as a human life transformed by the love of God.
This world can be alluring. You may feel like the butterfly who is trapped. The world will try and peel away your protection and will leave you floundering, never becoming what God wants for you. Read Romans 12: 2 and know that God’s got you. He has planned for your transformation. Keep up the struggle and when you are completely ready, soar and become the person God knows you can be – transformed, set free to live!
You are loved. You are blessed.
Liz Church, Director of Pastoral Care
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge