Elgin Portland United Church Council
EOORC
Letter of Invitation
This autumn, EOORC is hosting two gatherings to discuss our future as the United Church of Canada. These gatherings will be the first of their kind, bringing together congregational leaders from across our region.
At these full-day events, participants will be given the opportunity to hear about the state of the church today, where we would be in ten years if the trajectory were to continue, and how we might work collaboratively to impact and shape that future.
The events will take place:
Friday, September 19th – Riverside United Church, Ottawa
Saturday, October 4th – Trinity United Church, Smiths Falls
Both events run from 9:30 – 4 pm. An agenda will be available shortly. Please choose one of the two events.
We encourage members of your decision-making body (Church Council or Board) to attend. Chairs and Presidents of congregations and pastoral charges, as well as key decision-makers in your community of faith are key players in the future of the church. This is why we are asking you to take this time out of your schedules to come and reflect together how we move forward.
Lunch will be provided at no cost. You can see the menu here. You are also welcome to bring your own lunch if you have special dietary needs or simply prefer to bring your own. EOORC is not covering mileage for these events.
As these will be large gatherings, registration will help us plan and prepare, including meals and group facilitation. You can learn more about the events and register at https://eoorc.ca/holding-a-vision-for-the-future/.
Happy Birthday to Pat Greenhorn. Sending her wishes for a very special day.
Elgin United Church Council is called to meet at EUC at 7pm, September 23rd. This is an in-person meeting; all are welcome.
UCW will be making Apple Pies on September 23rd from 9 am to Noon. Please let us know if you can help peel the apples and/or roll. Poster is out on the board and a sign-up sheet. Price $18.00 each,
Bible Discussion Groups
Two meetings each week. Monday evening at Portland UC at 6:30-7:45 and Tuesday mornings at Guthrie House in Elgin (10 Perth St.) at 10;00-11:30. All are welcome to join in the friendly discussions and fellowship. For more information contact Jim Barton at ccjimbarton@gmail.com or 613-329-4089.
“THREE! A Musical Adventure “ an event by the Tipped Ship – Trish Bolechowsky, and hosted at Elgin United Church, 7:30 PM October 4th. Thomas Bethune (Pontoon Tom) is an opera-trained tenor known around Broadway and Sand Lake. Anne Lewis is a Rideau Lake musical treasure who shares her singer-song writer music from her perch at the grand piano. Campbell Woods is a true folk singer who sings and writes soft songs about hard luck. Tickets are $25, available at the Tipped Ship, online at https://thetippedship.ca/events/6220964/732444814/three-a-musical-adventure or at the door.
Mary’s Merry Minstrels, Saturday, Sept. 27th, 2025 @ 7:00 p.m., PU. This is a Fundraiser for the Portland Foodbank. A free-will offering will be received. Refreshments will be served. Air-conditioned building.
And as an added “BONUS”, you can visit our craft table and purchase any of the following: Canadian-themed luggage tags, a colourful variety of handbags, eyeglass folders, various-sized food-safe baggies, zippered pouches, gift bags, and numerous Christmas items. All proceeds go to the outreach programs of PUC. Air-conditioned building.
Devotional Reflection
September 20, 2025
I grew up in a 4-bedroom home. I shared my bedroom with 6 other children. Even though there were many children always running around, we always seemed content.
That contentment was sometimes disrupted by a visit to a friend’s home, where she would have her own bedroom, her own bookshelves, her own bed! Discrepancies meant little to me. I was happy having lots of siblings. But on the occasions when I would enjoy an afternoon with my friend, I wondered why she needed so much space!
And as I grew older, was married and lived in an apartment, I sometimes dreamed about the house I would choose to buy.
What would be in that house? A main floor laundry room would have been a priority. More than one full bath. A closed-in deck area, surrounded by glass. A big backyard with a lovingly-attended manicured lawn. Perhaps a grounds-keeper to keep it trimmed would be really opulent.
Since all those dreams are just that, I have added a few more desires – a labyrinth surrounding my property, cutting through the green belt forest. There I could meditate and enjoy the outdoor sounds of wildlife, birds, and of course, the ever-bubbling stream as it meanders through the labyrinth, sending a calmness of spirit as you wander the pathways.
I can picture the sunrise and the sunsets, a 360-degree view of my world. I can create the most delightful of visitors joining me there for a retreat, studying the Scriptures over a long-weekend, engaged in the solitude as they walk and commune with God.
The fragrance of the wild white roses. A whiff of frangipani as you walk past the multicoloured array of flowers hanging above you in baskets, just out of your reach – the petals cascading around you; the exotic tangy aroma of peach mixed with jasmine; the heady perfume filling your nostrils and you glory in the peaceful moments you are spending with the Lord.
My life’s journey never really led to that dream home and yet, I have a contentment that extends beyond the beauty of a palatial structure here on earth. I could continue with this most imaginative dwelling here on earth and that would not come close to where I am going to dwell forever.
A city that is lit by the holy Presence of God. No more pain, crying, suffering. No more hurt. No evil. Eternal peace.
And to give you only a brief description I would leave you with words from Scripture, written by John himself:
Revelation 21:22-27
J.B. Phillips New Testament
I could see no Temple in the city, for the Lord, the Almighty God, and the Lamb are themselves its Temple. The city has no need for the light of sun or moon, for the splendour of God fills it with light and its radiance is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. The city’s gates shall stand open day after day—and there will be no night there. Into the city they will bring the splendours and honours of the nations.
But nothing unclean, no one who deals in filthiness and lies, shall ever at any time enter it—only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
With that assurance, I believe we have a future lifestyle beyond our imagination, past any earthly description. And I am already heading that way.
You are blessed and loved.
Liz Church, Director of Pastoral Care
Elgin/Portland Pastoral Charge