Ours is coming up next Saturday. Scheduled for half a day. Some by-law amendments that might generate discussion but hardly contentious since they are just changing the by-laws to reflect current realities. Budget is looking similar to last year's. I don't really see anything big going down but you never know...
Mendalla
somegalfromcan
Posted on: 05/25/2013 01:43
I'm assuming you mean the Conference meeting. BC Conference only gathers two out of every three years - and this is our off year.
Dcn. Jae
Posted on: 05/25/2013 09:19
We had ours on the last Sunday in May following the worship service.
We discussed and approved the budget, talked about some issues in building repair, discussed current and future outreach ministry, re-elected/elected two men (including myself) to the office of Deacon, and agreed to re-open the church Constitution to consider the possibility of allowing women to be elected to the office of Deacon in the future.
Mendalla
Posted on: 05/25/2013 15:48
somegalfromcan wrote:
I'm assuming you mean the Conference meeting. BC Conference only gathers two out of every three years - and this is our off year.
Yeah, I realized after I posted that's what CH had in mind. London Conference is this weekend and that's what clued me in.
CUC normally has a big national conference and annual meeting over Victoria Day weekend. It was in Calgary this year and pretty low key. Our minister didn't even go, though he's out there now for the UU minister's retreat which alway follows the conference.
Discussions are now under way on changing it to every other year (they did a survey this year to help inform the discussions). There are questions being raised about the cost, carbon footprint, etc. for having UUs from all over Canada travelling to the event. They are booked into venues until 2015 so 2016 will be the year of change if it happens.
Mendalla
crazyheart
Posted on: 05/25/2013 18:27
Sorry that I wasn't clearer. Mendalla, everyone is struggling with same things, money,carbon footprint etc.
crazyheart
Posted on: 05/25/2013 21:07
Saskatchewan has theirs next weekend - Thurs - Sunday.
Jim Kenney
Posted on: 05/25/2013 21:57
Alberta and Northwest are having a mid-Triennium gathering in the Fall this year in Red Deer. The focus will be celebration of community. For retiring ministers and new ministers we have a banquet on June 1 and a service of celebration on June 2 at Red Deer. There will be no conference meeting in 2014.
revjohn
Posted on: 05/26/2013 22:04
Hi crazyheart,
crazyheart wrote:
When is your Annual meeting?
May 24 - 26.
crazyheart wrote:
Is there anything interesting on the agenda?
Probably depends on your definition of interesting. Same old, same old.
crazyheart wrote:
Anything contentious?
Apparently not.
crazyheart wrote:
How many days is your meeting?
Two and a half.
Grace and peace to you.
John
revjohn
Posted on: 05/27/2013 08:15
Highlights from the 89th Annual General Meeting of Hamilton Conference of The United Church of Canada.
Attendence appeared to be low this year. This is the second year that Conference has met at the C.A.W. retreat centre and I suspect that travel was one reason for folk not being present.
No petitions or proposals presented to go elsewhere.
Children and Young Teens registered about 20 to 30 kids (ages 9-13) general consensus from at least one leader is that preachers kids are a handful.
Youth Forum registered roughly 15 to 20 (ages 14-19) I did not get a chance to chat with leadership of this group to see how things were going. Our table was blessed to have a very quiet young woman named Kate join us for part of the program. I'm not sure but Kate probably thought that the preacher at the table was a handful.
I totally smoked the Oreo challenge even after blowing the first run. The second run was made considerably easier by the fact that I am a human furnace and melting oreo icing is a big help in getting the oreo to move where you want it to go.
Sorry folks, none thought to get a picture of that carnage.
Hamilton Conference elected Keith Reynolds OM of the SouthHampton Pastoral Charge to be the President of Conference for the next year and it acclaimed Ted Smith DLM of the Southwest Norfolk Pastoral Charge as President-Elect.
In the Celebration of Ministries service Hamilton Conference ordained seven new ministers, commissioned one new minister and admitted one minister from the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches.
We celebrated jubilands of 25 years of service (12 individuals), 50 years of service (10) individuals and 60 years of service (4).
We thanked 8 retirees for their many years of service to the Church and to the Conference and expect that many, if not all of these will continue to find ways to offer their experience and talent to the Church in the years to come.
We morned the deaths of a number of our clergy colleagues over the past year, I regret that I do not have the full count for that. It was a fairly lengthy list several of whom I have had the priviledge of serving with in one capacity or another. The Church will miss their presence and their service.
As is typical for the big worship events at Conference I try to sit away from a crowd because I am not the most reverential or deferential worshipper in the house and depending upon the service my running commentary can be quite a distraction.
Many thanks to my colleague in Ministry Ted Smith (President-Elect) for providing me with the first bit of fodder to keep our corner in stitches.
Many thanks to whomever picked the text about the Gerasene Demoniac as the preaching text for the Ordination Service. I'm sure to have an epiphanic moment as to why any day now. Until then it makes for much levity.
Many, Many, Many thanks to the family of ordinand Christopher Mazhandu for sitting behind me in the corner and enjoying the service in the way only those raised in African Christianity can. Their raucous enthusiasm was infectious and apart from taking delight in the foibles of others (which I really do appreciate) I was able laugh openly in the joy of others.
As far as I am aware it is the first time at an ordination service in Hamilton Conference that ululation made an appearance. One of Christopher's sons openly asked that and I amid tears of laughter and joy confirmed that it most likely was.
Workshops for the day were billed as "Courageous Conversations." I think, in the end, that was more hype than substance. Conversations were had, I'm not certain how courageous it was to have them. I could probably go on for quite a bit about what I think of the heavy use of certain qualifiers. For brevity's sake let me say I am not a fan.
Conversation options can be found beginning on page 6 of the following:
Comments
Mendalla
Posted on: 05/24/2013 21:57
Ours is coming up next Saturday. Scheduled for half a day. Some by-law amendments that might generate discussion but hardly contentious since they are just changing the by-laws to reflect current realities. Budget is looking similar to last year's. I don't really see anything big going down but you never know...
Mendalla
somegalfromcan
Posted on: 05/25/2013 01:43
I'm assuming you mean the Conference meeting. BC Conference only gathers two out of every three years - and this is our off year.
Dcn. Jae
Posted on: 05/25/2013 09:19
We had ours on the last Sunday in May following the worship service.
We discussed and approved the budget, talked about some issues in building repair, discussed current and future outreach ministry, re-elected/elected two men (including myself) to the office of Deacon, and agreed to re-open the church Constitution to consider the possibility of allowing women to be elected to the office of Deacon in the future.
Mendalla
Posted on: 05/25/2013 15:48
I'm assuming you mean the Conference meeting. BC Conference only gathers two out of every three years - and this is our off year.
Yeah, I realized after I posted that's what CH had in mind. London Conference is this weekend and that's what clued me in.
CUC normally has a big national conference and annual meeting over Victoria Day weekend. It was in Calgary this year and pretty low key. Our minister didn't even go, though he's out there now for the UU minister's retreat which alway follows the conference.
Discussions are now under way on changing it to every other year (they did a survey this year to help inform the discussions). There are questions being raised about the cost, carbon footprint, etc. for having UUs from all over Canada travelling to the event. They are booked into venues until 2015 so 2016 will be the year of change if it happens.
Mendalla
crazyheart
Posted on: 05/25/2013 18:27
Sorry that I wasn't clearer. Mendalla, everyone is struggling with same things, money,carbon footprint etc.
crazyheart
Posted on: 05/25/2013 21:07
Saskatchewan has theirs next weekend - Thurs - Sunday.
Jim Kenney
Posted on: 05/25/2013 21:57
Alberta and Northwest are having a mid-Triennium gathering in the Fall this year in Red Deer. The focus will be celebration of community. For retiring ministers and new ministers we have a banquet on June 1 and a service of celebration on June 2 at Red Deer. There will be no conference meeting in 2014.
revjohn
Posted on: 05/26/2013 22:04
Hi crazyheart,
When is your Annual meeting?
May 24 - 26.
Is there anything interesting on the agenda?
Probably depends on your definition of interesting. Same old, same old.
Anything contentious?
Apparently not.
How many days is your meeting?
Two and a half.
Grace and peace to you.
John
revjohn
Posted on: 05/27/2013 08:15
Highlights from the 89th Annual General Meeting of Hamilton Conference of The United Church of Canada.
Attendence appeared to be low this year. This is the second year that Conference has met at the C.A.W. retreat centre and I suspect that travel was one reason for folk not being present.
No petitions or proposals presented to go elsewhere.
Children and Young Teens registered about 20 to 30 kids (ages 9-13) general consensus from at least one leader is that preachers kids are a handful.
Youth Forum registered roughly 15 to 20 (ages 14-19) I did not get a chance to chat with leadership of this group to see how things were going. Our table was blessed to have a very quiet young woman named Kate join us for part of the program. I'm not sure but Kate probably thought that the preacher at the table was a handful.
I totally smoked the Oreo challenge even after blowing the first run. The second run was made considerably easier by the fact that I am a human furnace and melting oreo icing is a big help in getting the oreo to move where you want it to go.
Sorry folks, none thought to get a picture of that carnage.
Hamilton Conference elected Keith Reynolds OM of the SouthHampton Pastoral Charge to be the President of Conference for the next year and it acclaimed Ted Smith DLM of the Southwest Norfolk Pastoral Charge as President-Elect.
In the Celebration of Ministries service Hamilton Conference ordained seven new ministers, commissioned one new minister and admitted one minister from the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches.
We celebrated jubilands of 25 years of service (12 individuals), 50 years of service (10) individuals and 60 years of service (4).
We thanked 8 retirees for their many years of service to the Church and to the Conference and expect that many, if not all of these will continue to find ways to offer their experience and talent to the Church in the years to come.
We morned the deaths of a number of our clergy colleagues over the past year, I regret that I do not have the full count for that. It was a fairly lengthy list several of whom I have had the priviledge of serving with in one capacity or another. The Church will miss their presence and their service.
As is typical for the big worship events at Conference I try to sit away from a crowd because I am not the most reverential or deferential worshipper in the house and depending upon the service my running commentary can be quite a distraction.
Many thanks to my colleague in Ministry Ted Smith (President-Elect) for providing me with the first bit of fodder to keep our corner in stitches.
Many thanks to whomever picked the text about the Gerasene Demoniac as the preaching text for the Ordination Service. I'm sure to have an epiphanic moment as to why any day now. Until then it makes for much levity.
Many, Many, Many thanks to the family of ordinand Christopher Mazhandu for sitting behind me in the corner and enjoying the service in the way only those raised in African Christianity can. Their raucous enthusiasm was infectious and apart from taking delight in the foibles of others (which I really do appreciate) I was able laugh openly in the joy of others.
As far as I am aware it is the first time at an ordination service in Hamilton Conference that ululation made an appearance. One of Christopher's sons openly asked that and I amid tears of laughter and joy confirmed that it most likely was.
Workshops for the day were billed as "Courageous Conversations." I think, in the end, that was more hype than substance. Conversations were had, I'm not certain how courageous it was to have them. I could probably go on for quite a bit about what I think of the heavy use of certain qualifiers. For brevity's sake let me say I am not a fan.
Conversation options can be found beginning on page 6 of the following:
http://www.hamconf.org/Registration%20Booklet%202013.pdf
Viewing the document will also show you who our Key-note speakers were and their areas of expertise.
Grace and peace to you.
John