News

Rev. Nancy Wilson and members of Keene United Church collate news from within the Church, Keene as a community, and the broader United Church of Canada, and provide it here for your information.

Restore, Renew, and Refresh Project

 

 

Letter to the Congregation regarding Fundraising for the Keene United Church Sanctuary Restore, Renew, and Refresh Project

June 10, 2025

Dear Members & Friends of Keene United Church

As you may already know, our church building is welcoming the summer of 2025 with a major restoration project which involves the church sanctuary, the church narthex (entrance), and the interior of the church bell tower.

For several years the Church's Property Committee has identified the need to restore the plaster and repaint the ceiling and walls of the church sanctuary, narthex, and bell tower. In numerous locations the plaster is cracked, and the top layer is delaminating (pulling away) from the underlying foundational coats of plaster. When attending services and events in the church we have all experienced the many cracks and hanging pieces of plaster that are now very evident to everyone that visits the church.

The Church plays a very significant role in the life and wellbeing of the members of the Congregation, and the broader Keene community. In addition to Sunday morning worship services, weddings, funerals, and other specifically church related activities, many other groups utilize the Church's physical space regularly for a broad range of activities. These activities include the Otonabee-South Monaghan Food Cupboard, the EarlyOn program for preschoolers and their caregivers, the TOPs group, the Knit and Purl knitters' group, and those that play pickleball. The Church is also used more occasionally for activities such as: concerts, dinners, children's March Break and Summer Camps; occasional meetings by a variety of area groups and by individuals who may wish to rent church space for a special occasion.

Although some of these activities do not take place in the sanctuary, narthex, or bell tower, – the other spaces within the church – the church hall, the kitchen, the multi-purpose room (where the OSM Food Cupboard is located), and the basement meeting areas, would not be available for congregational and community use if the church did not exist.

Because Keene United Church plays a huge role in the day-to-day life of the congregation and the broader Keene community, we are asking for your help as we work to reach our financial goal to pay for this very necessary building restoration project. If you would like to support this project, watch for upcoming fundraising activities and events, and/or donate directly to the Keene United Church "Restore, Renew, and Refresh Project, by contacting Church Treasurer, Ted Eason, at 705-295-6692, teason@nexicom.net or if you prefer you may e-transfer funds to the Church at treasurerkuc09@gmail.com.

We truly appreciate any support you may wish to provide!

Thank you,

Rev. Nancy Wilson Judy Coward
Minister, Keene United Church Chair, Keene United Church, Church Council.

UCC Launches 100 Years, 100 Tables

June 14, 25. The United Church of Canada officially launched one of many Centennial initiatives, 100 Years, 100 Tables, Sunday at Metropolitan United Church in Toronto with a joyful Pentecost celebration and community potluck.

As part of the launch, Metropolitan unveiled a striking 100-foot picnic table, welcoming over 200 people to share a meal outdoors in the heart of the city. The event marked the first of 100 gatherings planned across the country in 2025 to celebrate the church's 100th anniversary.

Rooted in the values of justice, compassion, and radical belonging, 100 Tables invites communities to transform picnic tables into spaces of welcome and connection. Each table reflects local priorities—from food security and environmental care to 2S and LGBTQIA+ inclusion and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

"These tables are more than just places to sit—they're places to be seen, heard, and valued," said Rev. Michael Blair, General Secretary of The United Church of Canada. "We're bringing faith into everyday spaces and inviting everyone to the table."

100 Years, 100 Tables is a living expression of the church's centennial theme: Deep Spirituality, Bold Discipleship, Daring Justice.

To find a table near you or learn how to host one, visit the 100 Tables webpage.

Mission and Service Fund - June 14 2025

May 14, 25.

Here is the Mission and Service Fund story for this week. Your support will ensure that those who carry the grief of entire communities do not carry it alone.
In 2024, a group of United Church ministers serving in northern communities gathered for a retreat made possible by your support through Mission and Service. These ministers carry an extraordinary burden. The number of deaths in their communities, many of them young people, has been devastating. The unrelenting cycle of grief, funeral after funeral, has left deep emotional and spiritual wounds. "When I started in the United Church, we buried a lot of elderly people," says Rev. Grant Queskekapow, who was ordained in 1987. "But now we bury a lot of youth who die as a result of suicide."
Last year, Rev. Queskekapow was one of twenty-three Northern ministers and their partners who took part in a healing and rejuvenating retreat at Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre in Manitoba. For many, including Rev. Queskekapow, it was the first time they had gathered in this way with fellow ministers. The retreat offered a needed opportunity to pause, to grieve, and to find healing.
Ministers received critical support including rest, trauma-informed training, and spiritual care through sharing circles, art therapy, and cultural practices like beading. It gave participants space to process what they had been holding, sometimes in silence, for far too long. The impact was clear. Ministers returned to their communities with renewed strength. Participants shared their appreciation for a space where they felt truly supported in the face of burnout. Because of this profound response, a second retreat is being planned for September 2025.
The need has not lessened. If anything, it has deepened. Your continued support through Mission and Service will ensure that those who carry the grief of entire communities do not carry it alone. Our ministers are doing sacred work in places where loss is deep and ongoing. They need time to rest. They need space to grieve. And they need to know they are not alone.
Your compassion through Mission and Service makes that possible. Thank you.