The below groups are currently active in Harcourt and are happy to welcome new faces. If you would like to connect with a group or receive more information, please contact the Harcourt Office.

• Music at Harcourt: Join the established music tradition at Harcourt in one of our music groups. Click here to learn more.
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• MindStretch: A discussion group with no boundaries.  It is for everyone who is curious about faith, the changing concept of God, spiritual experiences, near-death experience – anything really! Our conversations are prompted by readings or video clips. We listen respectfully as each person in turn responds to the week’s question. We make no decisions and seek no consensus. Listening to others’ viewpoints stretches your mind!
  Meeting time: Thursday mornings, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. online. 

• Harcourt Quilting Group: Harcourt’s industrious Quilting Group has been meeting for over 10 years. It began with former minister Monica Moore’s encouragement. All of our quilts are machine made and either donated to folks in need or used for fundraising projects. Past projects have included creating quilts for young adults exiting foster care, for refugees sponsored by our community, to fundraise for Uganda and local supports such as Meals on Wheels and Chalmers Community Services Centre. We welcome experienced quilters to join our group.
  Meeting time: the fourth Tuesday of the month, September to June
  

Quilt: “It Takes a Village”

• Prayer Shawl Circle: We are a group who love to knit and crochet. Our shawls are given to people experiencing difficult times in their lives, or sometimes it may be a joyful time. Every baby and child is given a white shawl to celebrate their baptism. Requests for prayer shawls may be made through the church office. Fellowship and caring is an important part of this circle.
  Meeting time: currently not meeting in person, but we are active.
  

Prayer Shawl Circle

• The Gardening Team is under the umbrella of the Property Committee and is a convivial and much appreciated community of friends. We look after the church grounds surrounding the building, with the exception of the Harcourt Communal garden and Guelph Community orchard. In addition to members of the Property Committee, the Team includes ~10 enthusiastic gardeners from the church community. We plant, prune, weed, mulch and water the trees, shrubs, and flower beds. Our objective is to provide an attractive and diverse space for people of all ages, as well as benefitting insects, birds and wildlife.
  Meeting time: main gardening days consist of a Saturday in spring and one in the fall. There is also an evening weeding session in June, which usually includes a social gathering with refreshments. Smaller groups of gardeners and individuals volunteer on their own schedule (occasionally or on a regular basis), weekly or monthly. 

Last fall's garden clean-up event

• The Harcourt Communal Garden was planted in 2011 and has since harvested in excess of 7,000 lbs. of organically-grown vegetables and herbs.  All produce is donated to Chalmers food pantry in downtown Guelph for distribution to food-insecure folks.
  
  The garden is fully planted and maintained each year by volunteers. We work weekly in teams of three or four, usually for 2-3 hours depending on how much weeding, watering and harvesting needs to be done. Our season is from June until October.  Additional volunteers will help us keep the work commitment for each person to one week in three or four.
  
  Expertise in vegetable gardening is not required as we have a number of experienced volunteers who are most willing to mentor others. Please contact Jill Gill, HCG Coordinator, at  [email protected]

• The Guelph Community Orchard Project - a working group of Transition Guelph. This small, diverse fruit and nut orchard in the heart of the city of Guelph, was planted by volunteers in the fall of 2012 and is still fully maintained by volunteers.  The fruit and nuts grown here are available for anyone in the community to harvest when they are ripe.  Regular work ‘parties’ are scheduled periodically throughout the summer and fall when work needs to be done. If you are interested in helping to maintain the Orchard, please contact:  Jill Gill, Project Manager, GCOP at  [email protected]