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FALL NEWS LETTER SEPTEMBER 2023
From the minister’s desk,
Dear friends, slowly the season of Summer is slipping away and we see the signs of Fall, in the trees turning yellow, orange, and purple. With Fall comes anothebusy season in the life of the Church. We are delighted to see children, youth and families returning to Church life following summer holidays.
This is the time of the year we pause and think about what the passing days have revealed to us and thank God for all the blessing great and small. In the midst of our joys and sorrows, good times and bad times we must stay focused upon the ways God’s Grace and goodness remained with us in the past. As we begin another season in the journey of faith, our desire is to grow stronger in the knowledge of God. In every passing day and in every task accomplished we become people as God has intended for us.
The hymn that we sing, “Come in, Come in and sit down, we are a part of a family,” reminds us that we can not exist or continue as a church family in isolation from one another. Together by sharing our joys and sorrows, laughter and pain, we celebrate life as a faith family. Where there is hurt and pain, where there is loneliness and despair, we are called to be God’s presence.
As we approach the celebration of Thanksgiving, let us take time to think about the new things we have experienced or received in the past year, and in what ways our lives will be a new song to God who is with us in our life’s journey. May God’s blessing be upon you as you all celebrate the festival of Thanksgiving with joy and happiness this time and always
Regards,
Mohandas Barnabas
Music at Grace
We are so excited to be started up for the fall of 2023!
We have lots of music going on in our church and we are thrilled with our participation!
This year, Small Voices of Grace has 20 little singers! They are fun, enthusiastic and energetic! We meet Thursdays from 3:45-4:30 pm to play games, listen to a story, have a snack and of course, sing! Small Voices will be singing in church on the third Sunday of every month. They definitely add joy to our services and to our church as a whole.
Spirit of Grace is currently made up of 19 singers who are in Grades 3-9. This group meets Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. and will be singing in church on the fourth Sunday each month. Right now, they are working on a musical, “The Wizard of Oz”, which they hope to perform at the beginning of November.
Our Spirit Singers are our oldest youth singing group and they meet Fridays after school. There are 9 teens in this group and they will also be singing every fourth Sunday. They are in the planning stages for some exciting things coming up for them this year!
Our ever-faithful Chancel Choir continue to meet every Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. Rehearsals include lots of singing, fellowship and fun. New members are always welcome. Chancel Choir is an integral part of Grace as they provide their beautiful harmonies for Sunday services as well as for funerals. Their dedication is admirable and very appreciated.
We are adding one more choir to our church family this year. This group will be very fluid and participation may be different every month! It will be called our “Open Door Choir”. If anyone would like to sing in a choir just “once in a while”, this choir is for you. You don’t have to worry about singing in parts and you don’t even have to be able to read music. The only requirement is that you like to sing! The Open Door Choir will sing on the third Sunday of the month and practice will be the Thursday preceeding that Sunday. The first get-together will be Thursday, October 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. Everyone is welcome! We are looking forward to filling our choir loft chairs!
If you, or anyone you know, has questions about any of our groups please let us know. Gerri has all of our contact information at the office. (303-842-5131)
Colleen Weimer & Kendra Gonczy
The Fellowship Committee is so pleased to be back organizing the monthly potluck lunches. Sunday, September 17th we had 37 attend. What a wonderful way to enjoy a delicious meal and meet members of our congregation! The potlucks are usually the 3rd Sunday of the month however for the month of October the date is the 22nd.
Our committee consists of Kerri Forsgren, Tammy Friesen, Bev Johnstone, Pat May, Kathy Erickson and co-chairs Maureen Clay and Grace Plonka. A big Thank-you to our dedicated volunteers as well as several individuals who assist us on these Sundays. Please consider joining our committee if you would like to help in any way.
Our committee helps with the organization and duties of the Annual Turkey supper being held on Monday October 30th. Under the direction of the Chairperson we assist in several areas.
This committee also organizes the monthly social time following worship. The sign–up binder and instructions are located on the table by the bulletin board in the Gathering Place. We have revised the instructions to make this event easier so please consider taking a turn to host.
Respectfully submitted,
Maureen Clay & Grace Plonka
Fellowship Committee
Grace United Church Annual Turkey Supper ~ Monday, October 30, 2023
1st Sitting: 5:00 – 6:00 pm
2nd Sitting: 6:00 pm
* Take-Out Tickets available as well
Prices: Adults - $20.00
Children - $10.00 (6 to 12 years)
5 years and under – FREE
ADVANCED TICKETS REQUIRED!
E-TRANSFER ACCEPTED!!
Tickets available from the Grace United Church Office, please call
306-842-5131 Everyone welcome!!!
A Message from your Church Board
Wow! Fall has certainly entered with a bang! It is always wonderful and a little bit amazing at how quickly things seem to move in church life. Wasn’t it just a short month ago when we were still basking in the laziness of summer? October and November are shaping up to be some wonderful ministry filled months and we hope that whether it is in one of our many wonderful choir groups, Sunday School, Pastoral Care, Church Board or our Annual Turkey Supper and of course Sunday worship that you will be a part of it all.
There is a seasonal aspect to life that closely mirrors the seasons of the year. We are in the middle of a wonderful season of busyness here at the church, but just because we are busy, we do not need to be burdened.
Jesus says many wonderful things, and one of Jesus sayings is: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NRSV).
It was explained that Jesus is telling us in this moment that if we ground the work we do, whether for the church, or our families, and even our community, in God we will find not a life of ease but a life of joyful work.
So we call on you, one and all, to share some of your time, talents and blessings in the many activities and events being planned that will support the financial and community needs of Grace United Church. We thank you for your generosity and commitment and look forward to joyfully working together with you all!
Respectfully submitted by Board Chair,
Nancy Smoliak
Happy Fall Everyone !!!
We are so excited for a new Sunday school year!
Thank you to Brooke and Justice who will again plan and organize Sunday School lessons. They will teach some and we are hoping to get lots of parent volunteers to help them out by taking a Sunday or two to teach.
The Sunday School kick off was held on September 24th with a 70’s/Tye dye themed Pizza Party!
We welcome any fresh new ideas from parents/grandparents to enhance the Sunday School experience for the children. We all are looking forward to working with these little people. Our hope is that they will want to come as much as we want them to be there.
Coreen Ward, Livia Steininger, Jayme Payak,
Tammy Friesen, Jodie Schneider
Christian Education Committee Members
Greetings from
Ministry & Personnel
The good news is that Grace United is blessed with having a very, very good staff who are willing and very able to carry out the work of serving the congregation and the community. It is a pleasure to work with them.
The less than good news is that many of the committees of the Board are in dire need of volunteers to serve, this is particularly true of the Ministry and Personnel Committee. The M & P Committee meets only three or four times a year to discuss issues regarding support of the staff hired by the church. Though members of the committee are technically members of the Church Board, they are not required to attend Board meetings, though they are most certainly welcome to do so So, the time commitment is minimal but the committee’s work is essential. Please consider volunteering to serve your congregation.
Ray Hamm
(306) 861-9071
PAR ~ Pre-authorized remittance
If you have automatic withdrawals from your bank account, then you already understand the PAR principle.
Besides being convenient, using PAR for your offering ensures regular monthly givings to help our church’s ministry even when you are away. You will be providing our congregation a dependable flow of contributions, which increases our overall financial stability. Why not participate in PAR? Your regular giving supports the local ministry of our congregation.
To participate in PAR, you may contact the Church Office. (306) 842-5131
Pastoral Care
The monthly Church and Communion Services have once again resumed in Weyburn Special Care Home, Midtown Care Home, Parkway Lodge, Hill Top Manor and Tatagwa View.
Once again, I am very appreciative for the 20+ church volunteers and pianists who have graciously volunteered their time for these monthly services. The residents and staff of these facilities are most happy to have us come into their home to offer our church service, friendship and visits with the residents. This commitment involves about one hour of time monthly for each volunteer. If anyone else is interested in volunteering on this committee please contact me.
Pastoral Care Chairperson.
Connie Milligan. 306-861-9973
Dear Fellow Church Members,
Our UCW remains active with 24 members and 3 Associate members and always reaching out for new members to join us on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 2 pm at Upper Grace.
After having a successful garage sale and salad smorg in the spring, we continue with our monthly meetings this fall. Each meeting consists of a program by members and concludes with lunch and fellowship. UCW members also visit Hilltop Manor monthly.
We recently replaced and installed new blinds in Upper Grace as well as purchasing some new round tables. Our sick and visiting committee reaches out to many church members in need, on a regular basis. Our group will continue with other projects in the near future.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Respectfully yours,
Blanche McRae
UCW President
The Worship Committee assists Reverend Barnabas with the worship service each Sunday. The committee is responsible for organizing many facets of the services such as ushering, scripture reading, communion preparation, finding servers for communion and participating in the baptisms. We again look forward to the music provided by our Music Director, Colleen Weimer, and our choirs during our worship. We appreciate Doug Weimer for donating his time and expertise operating the sound system and power point during services. We would also like to extend a thank-you to Laura Watson for decorating the church for the season of Thanksgiving. Our committee would like to thank the many people who take part in services. We are always looking for more volunteers who would like to participate in worship services. Please reach out to our committee members if you would like to help.
Respectfully submitted,
Sharynne Pearce,
Worship Committee Chair
MONDAY to THURSDAY
9:00 am to 4:30 pm
Fridays
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Closed Weekends
and Holidays
Grace United Church email: grace.weyburn@sasktel.net
Phone: 306-842-5131
Website: graceunitedchurch-weyburn.ca
Facebook: personal login and Grace United Church-Weyburn
Minister: Reverend Mohandas Barnabas (phone: 306-415-0195)
Administrative Secretary: Gerri Becker
Music Director: Colleen Weimer
Child and Youth Music Coordinator: Kendra Gonczy
Child and Youth Activities Coordinators: Brooke Ward and Justice Morrison
Custodian: Dave Rennie (phone: 306-861-0110)
MISSION STATEMENT
The Mission of Grace United Church is to help people discover and nurture their Christian Faith,
within a loving and inclusive community, which serves God daily in the world.
SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE AT :10.30 AM
HOLY COMMUNION SERVICE: FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH
SUNDAY SCHOOL AT 10.30AM
EVERYONE IS WELCOME WITH OPEN ARMS
RECORDED SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE IS AVAILABLE ON :
Grace United Church Weyburn- You Tube
Grace United Church email: grace.weyburn@sasktel.net Phone: 306-842-5131
Website: graceunitedchurch-weyburn.ca
Twitter - @gracechur Church Board
Facebook: personal login and Grace United Church-Weyburn
Minister: Reverend Mohandas Barnabas (phone: 306-415-0195)
Administrative Secretary: Gerri Becker
Music Director: Colleen Weimer
Child and Youth Music Coordinator: Kendra Gonczy
Child and Youth Activities Coordinators: Brook Ward and Justice Morrison
Custodian: Dave Rennie (phone: 306-861-0110)
Trustees of Grace United Church Congregation of the United Church of Canada
210 Third Street Weyburn, Saskatchewan Canada
Cindy Bell Bob Klemmer , Don Neill Nancy Smoliak , Margaret Lukey, Sharynne Pearce ,
Darcey Ward , Mal Barber , Allan Beach Murray Keefe
Trustees of Grace United Church Congregation of the United Church of Canada
210 Third Street Weyburn, Saskatchewan Canada
Cindy Bell
Bob Klemmer
Don Neill
Nancy Smoliak
Margaret Lukey
Sharynne Pearce
Darcey Ward
Mal Barber
Allan Beach
Murray Keefe
BOARD TERMS STARTING SEPTEMBER 2022
TITLE NAME PHONE NUMBER TERM
Chairperson Nancy Smoliak 306-842-2636 (Home) 2022-2025
306-861-5124 (cell)
Vice Chairperson _____________
Secretary Marg Stewart 306-842-7633 (Home) 2022-2023
COMMITTEES
Christian Education
Co-chairs: Coreen Ward 306-891-8681 (cell) 2022-2025
Jodie Schneider 306-861-3666 (cell) 2022-2025
Members:
Jayme Payak 306-842-5755 (Home) 2022-2025 306-861-5739 (cell)
Tammy Friesen 306-891-4260 (cell) 2022-2025
Livia Steininger 306-861-2994 (cell) 2022-2025
Fellowship
Co-chairs: Grace Plonka 306-861-6598 (cell) 2022-2025
Maureen Clay 306-842-2894 (cell) 2022-2025
Members: Bev Johnstone 306-861-2832 (cell) 2022-2025
Tammy Friesen 306-891-4260 (cell) 2022-2025
Keri Forsgren 306-861-6090 (cell) 2022-2025
Finance
Chairperson: Melanie Sorensen 306-842-2296 (Home) 2022-2025
306-861-6595 (cell)
Members: Terry Steininger 306-861-4761 (cell) 2022-2025
Mal Barber 306-842-7708 (Home) 2022-2025
Andrea Corrigan 306-848-3534 (Home) 2022-2025
306-861-9250 (cell)
Ministry and Personnel
Chairperson: Ray Hamm 306-842-3826 (Home) 2022-2023
Members: Mal Barber 306-842-7708 (Home) 2022-2023
Marie Grohn 306-861-7302 (cell)
Pastoral Care
Chairperson: Connie Milligan 306-842-2259 (Home) 2022-2025
Members: Marie Grohn 306-861-7302 (cell) 2022-2025
Member: _____________
(FYI – part of the Pastoral Committee but not on as board members)
Georgia Jensen – card service
Volunteers and Pianists for the Care Homes
Property
Chairperson: Byron Skjerdal 306-842-5890 (Home) 2022-2025
306-861-6542 (cell)
Members: Gordon Smoliak 306-842-2636 2020-2023
Lorne Klein 306-861-9235 2022-2025
Social Action and Outreach
Chairperson: _____________
Members: Sharynne Pearce 306-861-5871 (cell) 2022-2025
Member: _____________
Worship
Chairperson: Sharynne Pearce 306-861-5871 (cell) 2020-2023
Members: Heidi McCallum 306-848-0184 (Home) 2020-2023
UCW Representative
President: Blanche McRae 306-842-2898 (Home) 2022-2023
Representatives of Living Skies Regional Council: Margaret Lukey
Nancy Styles
Cindy Bell
Terry Steininger
Livia
Chancel Choir
Singing ~ Fellowship ~ Fun ~ Laughter ~
Caring ~ Serving
This is what happens in our Grace Chancel Choir!
The very dedicated members of this group gather for rehearsals every week and lead our services with their awesome music almost every Sunday! Their musical talent and commitment to the church is invaluable and I feel so fortunate to work with each and every one of them! Each week we rehearse music that we hope will be relevant to and will complement the messages Barnabas delivers. They always present their music with sincerity and enthusiasm! Their leadership of hymn singing is a great contribution to not only Sunday services, but to funeral services as well.
This year, the Chancel Choir will be presenting a Christmas cantata with the theme “Road to Bethlehem”. Jean Fahlman is composing the narrative for this cantata and the choir will be singing the songs which, when all put together, will make for a wonderful Christmas message. They will be presenting this cantata during the worship service on December 11.
The choir will also be a part of some outreach into the community as they will be performing at the Rotary Carol Festival on December 4. This has been a long-standing tradition, with Grace United Church Choir being part of the festival since its inception almost 70 years ago!
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the members of Chancel Choir for their commitment to the choir and to our church! Also, thank you to Barnabas for his encouragement and unending enthusiasm for the music in our church!
Submitted by
Colleen Weimer- Grace Music Director
2:00 and 7:00 p.m.
PASTORAL CARE COMMITTEE
As chairperson of the Pastoral Care Committee, I am pleased to report to Grace United Church on the work and activities of our committee.
The main purpose of our committee is to provide volunteer support to Reverend Barnabas and the pianists for monthly Worship and CommunioN Services in the Long-Term Care facilities in our city.
Our church services and visiting in these facilities is warmly welcomed by the residents and staff.
On behalf of Grace United Church board and all the congregation, I thank the volunteers who make this possible.
Tatagwa View, Weyburn Special Care Home, Parkway Lodge, Hill Top Manor, and Midtown Care Home.
Worship/Communion services are scheduled and provided monthly to each care home except for July and August. To date we have had services in September, October, and November. Unfortunately, some facilities had to cancel within these months due to Covid issues.
On separate dates, we also provide volunteer visiting to the United Church members who are residents of these facilities.
This pastoral care is provided by a committed and faithful group of 14 volunteers and 5 pianists on a regular basis and 8 volunteers to fill in on an alternate basis. We are always eager to accept more volunteers, so if anyone is interested in this valuable work of the church please call/text me at
Connie Milligan
CHILDREN AND YOUTH MUSIC MINISTRY
Grace Youth ~ Kendra Gonczy Sunday School Coordinator & Youth Music Leader
Once again, the youth are busy filling the halls and sanctuary with energy and enthusiasm! There are currently approximately 35 children enrolled in our Sunday School program. Each Sunday, they are excited to get together, hear stories, and make crafts pertaining to the Bible story of the week. We have a dedicated group of volunteer teachers who make it fun and inviting for all who come!
Our Small Voices of Grace is a lively group once again! They sing in church the third Sunday of every month and bring smiles and joy to all! They meet every Thursday for 45 minutes of stories, games, snacks and lots of singing! This group performed at Communithon and they look forward to sharing some Christmas songs with the congregation during the December 18thservice.
Spirit of Grace is made up of 15 very amazing girls who love to sing and perform! The enjoy getting together every Sunday afternoon, and they also enjoy leading the music for worship services once a month. They were great ambassadors for our church at Communithon as they performed a variety of religious and Broadway songs. These girls will be performing at Rotary Carol Festival on December 4. As well, they are busy preparing a Christmas musical called “Three Wise Men and a Baby”. They will present this to the congregation on Sunday, December 18 during worship service.
The third group of youth who meet each week for song and fellowship are our
Spirit Singers. These very talented teens love to sing together and have a very fun time at rehearsals! They also performed some impressive music at Communithon and will be sharing more of their music at the Rotary Carol Festival. As well as leading music for worship services, these teens were also excellent food servers at our Turkey Supper! All of our youth groups generously contribute their time and talents to church activities as well as to community events. We are very proud of all our Grace Youth – they are invaluable members of our church family!
Your church board strives to ensure that the church stays true to its core mission by participating in sound decision-making, using good judgment, setting aside personal interests to ensure the best interest of the organization is kept, and by complying with governing laws. We have a wonderful group of volunteer board members who donate countless hours to achieve these goals and are blessed with an amazing congregation that guides and supports them. I would like to take this opportunity to wish each and everyone of you a most joyous Christmas and I look forward to working together with you all in helping Grace United Church thrive in 2023.
Nancy Smoliak / Church Board Chair
“FELLOWSHIP IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE”
Togetherness, Supporting, Sharing and Strengthening one another are the rewards of attending our potluck lunches. After a Covid hibernation we are finally able to organize this event that takes place the third Sunday each month.
Our committee consists of Keri Forsgren, Tammy Friesen, Bev Johnstone and co-chairs Maureen Clay and Grace Plonka. Thank-you to our dedicated volunteers as well as several individuals who assist us on these Sundays. Please consider joining our committee if you would like to help with the monthly potlucks.
In addition to the potlucks, we assist with the Annual Turkey supper in many ways. We would like to thank this year’s Chairperson Nancy Smoliak and her team for their excellent organization of this successful event.
So mark your calendar for the next potluck taking place on Sunday, December 18th!
Grace Plonka, Fellowship Committee
UNITED CHURCH WOMEN
Wishing you the Very Best of the Season. May your holidays be filled with Joy and Special Moments.
Our UCW group is now busy planning and baking for the Annual Bake Sale & Ten Thousand Villages Craft Sale on December 3rd at Upper Grace at 10 am. We are hopeful the congregation will support us too. We were able to donate $10,000 to the church on Stewardship Sunday in October from proceeds of our virtual salad smorg in June and the garage sale in April.
We are extending an invitation to new members to join us. There is no initiation or requirement, just join us on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 2 pm at Upper Grace. We have had a couple members move away, a couple snowbirds away, and others whose illness prevents them from attending so we wish them well and hope to see them back soon.
May the Peace & Joy of the holiday season remain with you always.
Sincerely
Blanche McRae, President
It is time once again to take to the stage as we gear up for another musical at Grace!
We are very excited to come together and showcase some of our finest talent—and that talent can show up in so many ways! We are going to present this year’s musical as a church fund-raiser, so we need lots of volunteers to jump on the wagon! We need help with ticket sales, promotion, media, advertising, sets, costumes, props, technical, maybe a canteen? maybe a dinner theater? We need actors, singers, musicians, and people who just like to have fun together! Thank you to our church board who have already agreed to support this endeavour! Now we are ready to go!
If you are interested in being involved in any aspect of the musical, please come to a meeting on Monday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Upper Grace. We are looking to present our musical at the beginning of March.
GRACE UNITED CHURCH PHOTO DIRECTORY!!
Photo session schedule
November 30 (1:30 pm - 8:30 pm)
December 1 (1:30 pm - 8:30 pm)
Another 5 days of photo sessions will be scheduled in April 2023 for the “Snowbirds” and others. Please call or text Livia Steininger at 306 861-2994 for an appointment.
SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE
THE COMMUNITY HOT MEAL
Grace United Church, in partnership with Knox Presbyterian Church, is helping with “The Community Hot Meal” on THE FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH that is being held at Knox Hall. Grace United will be supplying chili and Knox Presbyterian will be supplying buns and cookies. Signup sheets are in the Gathering Place. Food to be delivered to Knox Hall at 4:00 pm. There will be no meal deliveries.
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