Nelson United Church Outreach

Introduction:

Following Jesus' example of social activism, the Outreach Committee of Nelson United Church is dedicated to affirm the worth and integrity of all creation by:
    –   standing in solidarity with marginalized and oppressed people without regard to race, creed, gender or sexual orientation
    –   educating the congregation and community about issues of social justice, peace and the environment
    –   offering opportunities to participate in effecting change
    –   nurturing the emerging spirit of new life and hope in our world

  OUTREACH News:   

Our regular monthly meetings, on the third Wednesdays of the month, at 5:00 p.m. in the Fariview Lounge.
You are welcome to join us.

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     ...In our hymns, prayers, and sermons we portray Jesus as an inoffensive, kindly, and soft man who cares only about healing the sick, welcoming children, forgiving every sin, and going humbly and silently to his death when he was faced with the powers of the world. Yet Jesus did and was so much more.

More than anything else Jesus said or did, he proclaimed and modeled a kingdom of God, a kingdom of heaven that confronted the kingdoms of this world. Jesus would never have been crucified had he only been loving and kind. He was a threat because he proclaimed God's kingdom over and above the authority of both the Roman Empire and the Temple system. After all, he called for his disciples to have ultimate allegiance to a kingdom that was "not of this world." What was this kingdom that he proclaimed?

To show what it was, he broke social barriers and taboos by the way in which he lived. He gathered and fed, touched and healed rich, privileged, and "righteous" people right alongside the poor and outcast and "unclean." More important, he treated them as equals. But the really outrageous thing was that he told everyone and acted as if the despised and unsavory ones were actually ahead of the upright and privileged in God's kingdom. He portrayed this surprising social order as divine and eternal reality, in stark contrast to the temporary social illusion we construct in this world.

— excerpted from becoming human Core Teachings of Jesus by Brian C. Taylor; Cowley Publications, 2005

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Nelson Food Cupboard.

An ecumenical and Nelson community effort, coordinated by Marya Skrypiczajko, providing supplementary food for people in need. Located in Nelson United Church, it is organized by The Nelson Food Coalition Action Group who's vision statement is "Everyone has access to enough good food. We trust people to know what they need".

Given that a community is only as rich as its poorest member, and a healthy, optimally functioning community is well fed, we are a committee without borders — everyone is welcome and needed, and free to come and go. We are food bank users and food activists, representing a variety of groups and organizations concerned about food access, poverty, and human rights.
It serves the needs of many folk weekly and these numbers are rising rather than declining.   (read more)

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Who is KAIROS:
Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives unites eleven churches and religious organizations in work for social justice in Canada and around the globe. In so doing, we give life to our name, KAIROS, a Greek word meaning a moment of crisis and opportunity, a moment to act in faith with hope for real and lasting change.

What KAIROS does:
KAIROS takes action for social change in parnership with church and civil society groups in Canada, Africa, Asia,Latin America and the Middle East. We provide financial support and solidarity to anti-poverty initiatives in grassroots education and action through an annual campaign and a network of 100 local groups.

We are a member of KAIROS through the United church of Canada. Through the Outreach committee, we have representation at the local level.    (read more)

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Global Connection

African Partners in Prayer: Two communities that Nelson United Church have a connection with: Nyanyadzi Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, and Kukua Pamoja ...programs for Social Change!, based in Kenya.

                       Nyanyadzi Methodist Church, Zimbabwe

Grist Mill at Nyanyadzi

Since Nelson (BC) and Mutare (Zimbabwe) enjoyed a government-sponsored link, the Outreach Committee, in 1989, was stimulated to seek a relationship with a Church in the area.

The Methodist Church, Nyanyadzi (a village about 100 km away) was considered closest to our United Church in outlook and so correspondence began, Mrs. Eleanor Maposa writing regularly since then. We have shared their Church family's hopes and fears, work and prayers as their country has struggled through drought and floods, drastic devaluation in their currency and the ever-increasing tragedy of the AIDS epidemic.

Our partnership has resulted in some practical help too. The main efforts being a collection to buy a Church owned grinding machine and a small building to house it and to raise money when floods destroyed their food-producing fields. This was greatly appreciated as was the help offered to Eleanor, personally, when fire destroyed much of her home.

November 30, 2008 – Minute for Mission presented by Elaine Hurley:

The Minute for Mission this morning is about Nelson United Church and the Nyanyadzi Methdosist Church in Nyanyadzi, Zimbabwe. It is a village about the size of Salmo. A donation of $370 was made to the Nyanyadzi Church for their Harvest Thanksgiving Fund from our Church Council, which is all of us. With inflation, this was over 9 million Zimbabwean dollars.

Eleanor Maposa, in 2000

This donation was given in memory of Peggy Corbett.
I received an email confirmation of the arrival of the monies which had been sent via Western Union to Mutari — the nearest Western Union depot. Mutari is about a 1½ hour drive away, The arrival of the donation is a miricle in itself because of the war-torn conditions of Zimbabwe. In a quote from Pastor Onisimo Mabwasha's email I read, "We feel the warmth of belonging whenever we have such people as you around. The congregation is humbled by your positive response and we thank the Lord for your hand in making the harvest a success."
Eleanor Maposa and Peggy Corbett had corresponded for many years until financial conditions made it impossible to afford to send letters. Eleanor, in her letters, constantly wanted to know how "John and his choir" were doing.
It is heartwarming to hear that our donation can do so much for rhe faithful, hardworking, caring people of Nayanyadzi. In recent correspondence from Rachael, Eleanor's daughter, Eleanor had asked us to pray for Zimbabwe and her people and she sent her blessings for our church.

Click here for a look at some 2003 correspondence from Eleanor and Rachael Maposa

United for Peace Campaign

The United for Peace campaign was initiated by the United Church of Canada on Peace Sunday November 4, 2007 and continued until December 31, 2009.

Congregations were invited to participate by: learning about the root causes of violence, and about the work of partners in Canada and around the world to prevent conflict and support reconciliation acting by calling on the Canadian government to take actions that promote peace around the world, such as calling for a Federal Department of Peace giving to support Canadian and Global partners as they work for peace with justice for all people

As part of our church's participation in this campaign the Outreach committee sold hand carved olive wood pins with a dove and olive branch motif. Sixty percent of the wood used to make the pins comes from groves uprooted for the path of the wall (an 8-metre-high Israeli wall separating Bethleham and Jerusalem). Forty percent comes from the careful pruning of remaining groves.

The Palestinian people consider the olive tree to be sacred. Some in many areas are over 2,000 years old.

The pin was created by some of the many artisans in the Bethlehem area who have been cut off from marketing their crafts by the construction of the wall. The fasteners come from an Israeli workshop in Jerusalem. The artisans see this as "symbolic of the symbiotic relationship that can exist between Arabs and Jews in the Holy Land".

The income generated by the sale of these pins will provide income for the artisans, their families and others in need where possible. The United for Peace pins will be on sale after church during Lent. We will be selling these pins for $20 each ($5 will pay the artisans for their work and the rest contributed to the work of the Campaign). Donation above this price will be gladly accepted and if requested, a tax receipt can be provided for greater amounts. (Watch a video clip and read more about the Pins... and about the Campaign...)

Thank you for helping us "Pass the Peace".

Please Note: We achieved our goal of $2,000! Thanks to our congregation for generously supporting this important campaign!

 

...is an ecumenical agency of the Canadian Council of Churches established in 1976 to implement the churches' call to be peacemakers and to work for a world in which justice will flourish and peace abound. (read more...)

"and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation;
neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4)

Dear God, for the gifts of those who care, for the enthusiasm of those
who reach out, and for the commitment of those who seek to live the life
of Christ in our day, we give you thanks. Be with all who seek to walk
the way of compassion, and share the message of hope, in Jesus' name.
AMEN
—Bill Steadman
Executive Minister - Financial Stewardship
The United Church of Canada

Mandate, the United Church's mission magazine, brings you stories of people and churches making a difference in their communities and around the world. Mandate helps people become more aware of Canadian and global issues and what the United Church is saying and doing about them... (read more)