HARCOURT MEMORIAL UNITED CHURCH

Moving Into the Future: Champions Update

7/4/2023

The leaders of the four focus areas of Harcourt’s priorities met again in mid June. They, and their teams, continue to work diligently to bring your vision for Harcourt to life. Spiritual Life and Growth, Worship, Supporting the Growth of Manna, and Community Hub/Building Partnerships are all working together to move forward into a future filled with opportunities to be God’s presence in a complicated and changing world. Our discussion was thoughtful and Spirit-filled. The Worship team continues to focus on changes that reflect awareness of the importance of worship in the life of our communities of faith, and the changing needs and interests of a diverse worshiping community. The Manna team is building a shared leadership model that is respectful of the realities of their members. Pamela has completed a course on Pastoral Care that supports and augments the work that has created a network of care within their community. In addition to their articles and spiritual growth opportunities, Spiritual Life is leading the group in planning the Day of Discovery in September (an opportunity to encounter the sacred, growth together and be in community). The Community Hub is moving ahead, as Steve Pierce’s messages in the e-weekly and The Herald will have kept you informed. It is an exciting and brave step in our mission to be a relevant source of God’s love, hospitality and presence in our community and beyond. Harcourt United Church is blessed to have such skilled and devoted leadership, and teams of people committing their time and energy to Harcourt’s future. Merrill Pierce and Pamela Girardi (Manna), Dan Ganesh (Worship), Steve Pierce (Community Hub), Andre Auger (Spiritual Life), and I, Kathy Magee, (Council representative) welcome the opportunity to have conversations with you about this important work. Together we will accomplish more than we imagined possible.

Summer Worship 2023

6/27/2023

Beginning Sunday, June 18th, 2023, Sunday worship will begin at 10am instead of 9:45am until the end of August.
Manna will pause for July and August and will resume September 10th. Stay tuned for updates on their summer picnic date still TBD!
The Chapel Service will continue until June 29th and will then pause for July and August. The Chapel Service is expected to return in September.
Holy Listening Circle will continue to meet at 9am on Zoom throughout the summer.

A graphic depicting a beach with a clock in the sand set to 10:00. Text says

Hold the Date!

5/11/2023

Registration will open in August!

Harcourt Discovery Day. September 23, 2023. 10:30am-7:30pm. Come and join us for a fun-filled family camp day with activities suitable for all ages, abilities, and interests. Come and learn new ways to: Encounter the Sacred- Reflect during a quiet hike or in a discussion circle. Grow Together- activities such as bucket drumming, crafts & games. Be in Community- Parents and children can be apart or together. A fire pit gathering will close our day. Below the text is photos of past Harcourt retreats and groups activities representing engagement across all age groups doing hikes, bucket drumming, and sharing a meal. The retreat will take place at Crieff Hills Retreat Centre, 7098 Concession 1 Puslinch, ON N0B 2J0

Chapel Service Resuming!

5/4/2023

After being put on hold because of the pandemic, we are happy to announce that our Chapel Service is back, starting this evening, and will be happening every Thursday evening, 6:15pm to 6:45pm, until the end of June. This will be a simple service, with a liturgy and readings and opportunity for prayer and reflection.

Welcome to Harcourt!

5/4/2023

A new poster has appeared in the Greeting Area and is ready to welcome all Harcourt visitors! Come check it out!

Champions’ Group Meeting Update

4/20/2023

At the end of March, the leaders of the task groups for Harcourt’s four vison priorities met. Steve Pierce (Partnerships and Community Hub), Andre Auger (Spiritual Growth), Merrill Pierce and Pamela Girardi (Supporting Manna), Dan Ganesh (Worship), and I, Kathy Magee (Council Liaison), along with Kate Ballagh-Steeper and Kent Hoeg, spent a Spirit and information filled evening discussing the progress and interconnections of their task groups.

Worship
Dan identified that the diversity of the Worship task group and their variety of perspectives makes for rich and wide-ranging discussion.
They clarified their vision and mission:

Vision: to imagine and to hope through the development of experiential worship model for Harcourt that embraces change, adaptability and technology, under an umbrella of spiritual enrichment, stewardship and sustainability.
Mission: the how, the what, the why will involve proposing a list of ideas, concepts and experiences for worship activities to the Harcourt Community over the next 3-5 years while adhering to Harcourt’s overall purpose and core values.
The group recognizes the importance of adaptability and compassion for the impact of cultural change. Communication with the congregation in a variety of ways is seen as essential.

2. Spiritual Growth Andre outlined the next near steps from the Spiritual Growth team (the Spiritual Life Committee). The theme of Thin Times and Places continues to guide their focus.
Congregational gathering is planned for September 23, 2023 at Crieff Hills. It will be joint with Manna and involve a variety of activities, ending with a bon fire.
Monthly articles, Food for the Journey, in the Harcourt Herald
Lenten meditation series
Holy Saturday vigil on Zoom
Five-week Prayer Circle series at Wellington Park Retirement Residence in May
Holy Listening Sunday mornings – in-depth bible study and creation of community
Andre will be working with Pamela to guide spiritual practice development for Manna
Hosting Listening Heart in September – training program for those who wish to be Prayer Guides for the Week of Guided Prayer
Exploration of The Hub – an existing digital ministry for 20–30-year-olds
Available to committees and teams to assist in exploring Thins Times/Places and deepen awareness of Spirit in their work

3. Supporting Manna
New members of Manna are expressing interest in participating in the leadership roles. New families are coming to Manna every week. Some are racialized and come from a variety of backgrounds
To enhance the welcome to Manna, work is being done on the Manna website to more accurately describe what it offers
The shift to chairs and flexible seating in the sanctuary will greatly facilitate Manna’s use of space – toys (and storage space for them) for the very young still need to be added
Expanding the focus to include adult seekers, as well as families
Andre (from Spiritual Life Committee) will be working with Manna to explore spiritual practices
Many social justice issues are in the works: a) in keeping with the focus on the Watershed, plans are to make use of City of Guelph project to increase the tree canopy b) a workshop on April 16th c) partnering with Kairos on Earth Evening event d) clean up that may link with City of Guelph Clean and Green program e) pride celebrations f) Gardening Sunday in the Harcourt Garden g) anti-oppression training - with plans to include the whole Harcourt community in community care. Pamela will be participating in a Pastoral Care course in May and June. Peter Gill will facilitate a Manna Men’s group
Shared services with Music and Message will continue to provide opportunities for joining together

4. Partnerships and Community Hub
In working toward the larger goal of broadening Harcourt’s community connections and ability to respond to community needs, the current focus of the task groups is the “nuts and bolts”.
Issues of costs, expenses, building maintenance and property management under consideration
Rental agreements, community use policies and guidelines are being organized
Building and Operational Management Group will be developed to oversee the building, with the focus initially on rentals. This will require specific staff. Kate is working on funding application to UCC to cover costs during start up and transition. The grant request received Council endorsement on April 12th.
Staff to include a) building manager to be responsible for rental requests and building maintenance b) building host to represent Harcourt when renters are in the building and welcome, greet, develop relationships with renters, and secure the building
Open House for the Community on May 16th to familiarize potential partners with our goals and potential as a Community Hub. Much work has been done on improving Harcourt’s appearance, inside and out.
A sense of expanded community is gaining traction
Steve’s leadership is key, as he facilitates 6 different task groups whose member participation helps integrate a sense of community
Working on policy around alcohol use in Harcourt
Communication is essential. It is important to let congregation know what is being proposed. There has been additional information shared over the past week and there will be an Information Session on Zoom on May 1st.
A congregational meeting will be held on May 7th

5. Integrating our efforts and supporting each other
Worship adaptability
Compassion for cultural change
Congregational gathering in September
Joint anti-oppression training and social justice activities
Recognition and appreciation for interconnectedness of each focus. We will support each other and engage in positive communication to the Harcourt communities of faith as we move forward

6. Next Near Steps
Each month, a champion/task group will be submitting an article to the Harcourt Herald outlining their process and progress. Watch for these important next Near Steps updates as we continue to focus on sharing the advancement of the priorities you, the Harcourt Communities of the Faithful, have identified. The Spiritual Growth task group will be in the May Herald, June will be Partnerships and Community Hub, September will be Worship, and October will feature Supporting Manna

We, the Harcourt community of faith, are blessed to have these people sharing their faith, energy, expertise and love of Harcourt as we make our way, one experimental step at a time, to a future that is hopeful and meaningful, as God’s people in our time and place.

Break-in on March 18, 2023

3/22/2023

Harcourt Memorial United Church was broken into on Saturday March 18 during the overnight hours. Much of our Audio Visual Equipment, some laptops and other technology were stolen. There was costly damage to doors and locks throughout the building. While we are grateful to have insurance coverage for most items we do have a $5000 deductible which is an unanticipated expense. Any donations to offset our deductible would be greatly appreciated and received with gratitude. Ways in which you can give:

PAR. Automatic Payment through your bank. This is the most effective way that we keep a consistent revenue stream. Setting up PAR is easy! Just print and fill out the form located here. You can contribute to “Local church” (meaning our Operating Fund), “Mission and Service”, or “Other” (which can be Property Pillar, Outreach Pillar, Music and Arts Pillar or Spiritual Life & Education pillar).

Send (with a VOID Cheque) to: Harcourt Memorial United Church, 87 Dean Avenue, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 1L3 (or you can drop it in the mail slot at Harcourt’s front door).
Interact e-transfers. You can sign onto your own online banking and send an electronic transfer. Send the transfer to office@harcourtcommunity.ca (no password required) and note in the message line where you want the funds allocated to. You can contribute to our Operating Fund, Mission and Service, Property Pillar, Outreach Pillar, Music and Arts Pillar, Spiritual Life & Education Pillar or other programs.
Credit Card – Pllenty. You can donate to Harcourt and get an instant tax receipt for the total amount donated. Click the Donate button in the navigation above. Fill in the required fields on that page. A convenient option but does come with a 2% service fee that reduces the amount received by Harcourt.
Cheque – Mail. Canada Post is another method. Even with the office closed, we continue to pick up and process our mail. Insert a cheque (or many post-dated cheques!) into your regular Harcourt Offering Envelope. You can mail it to Harcourt or drop it in the mail slot at Harcourt’s front door.
UCC Foundation. Donation of securities via the Foundation provides a significant tax benefit to the donor. A transaction fee of 1.5% up to a maximum of $250 is applied. Visit their website here.

Town hall meeting on Harcourt’s visioning priorities

3/2/2023

On Sunday, February 12, 2023, Council hosted a hybrid (in-person and Zoom) meeting at which
a panel of “champions” or task group leaders gave an update on the activities of various groups who are working on “next near steps” related to Harcourt’s four visioning priorities. Click below to read the summary of the meeting.

Town Hall February 12, 2023
File Size:	229 kb
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2023 Annual General Meeting

2/24/2023

Annual Congregational Meeting
Sunday, March 5 (12:00-2:00 p.m.)
In Sanctuary and on Zoom
If attending on Zoom, please pre-register by March 3 on SignUpGenius here.

It is important to read the 2022 Annual Report before the meeting here. Some printed copies are in the Greeting Area and the bin outside the parking lot entrance at the church. The 2022 Financial Reports and the Proposed 2023 Budget are included. Please note that the Manna report has been replaced.

We ask that you read two other documents before the meeting (copies in Greeting Area).
- Meeting agenda here
- 2023-2024 list of Council, Committees and Teams here

Wednesday, March 1 (7:00-9:00 p.m.) on Zoom: Brian Magee will host a Budget Information Session to help you understand the details about our revenue sources, anticipated expenditures, and overall assets. It’s an opportunity to ask questions before the Annual Meeting. Please watch for the Zoom link next week.

Our Annual Meeting is an important time to review the past year, and to look forward to what 2023 holds for Harcourt. Please join us!

2022 Annual Report

2/16/2023

The 2022 Annual Report is now available online below. There are physical copies in the Greeting Area of the church and in the bin outside the main door to the parking lot. We encourage you to view the report online if you are able to do so. The trees thank you and so does the Church budget!

Harcourt Annual Report 2022 Updated
File Size:	986 kb
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