Category: New Vision Notes

Thur Mar 18 2021

1. This coming Sunday, March 21, is the International Day for the Elimination of Racism. To mark the occasion, the United Church is hosting a webinar from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, called “A Biblical and Theological Exploration on Preaching Race and Racism.”  This will be a rich conversation about anti-racist preaching, biblical interpretation, and realities of racism in The United Church of Canada, led by United Church of Canada Emmanuel College preaching professor HyeRan Kim-Cragg.

2. Palm Fronds for Palm Sunday (March 28) have been ordered and will be distributed on Saturday, March 27th at the west side parking lot at City Hall (exit off Bay Street) from 10 am to 11am, rain or shine. We will deliver the Palms to those who wish them too, and will be seeking volunteers to help with the delivery. We will be asking the ‘callers’ who keep in touch with our folks on the ‘Phone list’ to advise them of the Palm pickup, or arrange for a delivery of the palms. For more information, reach out to Dan Peace (dgpeace1@gmail.com)

3. We will share in a Maundy Thursday agape (love) feast and then a service of the shadows (Tenebrae) in our zoom worship gathering room on Thursday, Apr 1 at 7 pm. Please use this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86280033103?pwd=bWxKZVdOeUtlOC9hdGpqMDY3Y0YrUT09

4. A brief worship gathering will take place in the New Vision virtual worship room on Good Friday at 10:30 am. Please use this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89632575420

5. Thanks to all the cooks in the kitchen last Sunday for our first annual national PIE Day. We have three recipes for New Vision PIE (Public, Intentional, Explicit) from our work together on Sunday for the upcoming year. I am sharing one now and will share the others in the weeks ahead.

6. Our Regional Council social justice officer is inviting Hamilton residents to contact their ward councilor to encourage them to pause changes to the City’s Official Plan initiated by the province that would cause more urban sprawl. For more information for your email follow this link.  You may also choose to sign the petition you find there.

7. Even though Hamilton has moved into the Province of Ontario’s “red zone” the New Vision Church Council prefers at this time that New Vision not participate in potentially virus-spreading activities in the community. Hamilton residents are being given clear warnings by our Public Health Board that faster spreading variants of the coronavirus are now occurring here. I am sad to say this means that New Vision folks without access to Zoom will have to wait for a while more to participate in person at 24 Main W in our Zoom worship gathering on Sundays. I know those gathering on Zoom keenly miss those who have been gathering in person. I am looking forward to the day we can meet again in person.

8. New Vision Virtual Worship is experiential, participatory, image-rich and collective, just like worship in person at New Vision! Join us on Sunday mornings 10:30 am week to week during the Covid-19 emergency by clicking here. If you want to put the link someplace easy to find each week, here it is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/782292511. Please share it with others and invite them to a “different” kind of time on Zoom from the usual.

9. You can also call in to the gathering on the telephone toll free. Call 1 855 703 8985, then, when prompted, input the Meeting ID 782 292 511 followed by the # sign. Ignore the prompts for Participant ID and Password. You are in when the recorded voice says, “You are in the meeting.” If you can only connect by video on your computer with no audio, you can use the phone connection for audio and the computer connection for visual.

10. For updates on New Vision plans in the post Covid-19 emergency recovery, please visit http://newvisionunited.org/new-vision-covid-19-updates/.

Hope to see you Sunday – again, or for the first time ~

Rev Ian

Fri Mar 12 2021

1. This Sunday, March 14 we will hold our first Affirming PIE Day. PIE = Public. Intentional. Explicit. These are the standards we hold ourselves and our welcome to as an affirming and inclusive community. March 14 is a chance to serve some pie and roll out the PIE by celebrating the full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit people in faith communities and beyond across Canada.

2. For those who might be wondering where The United Church of Canada’s “PIE Day” comes from: a) “Pi” Day is the totally irrational creation of the mathematics community that noticed that March 14 could be construed numerically as 3.14 (March= 3rd month); b) 3.14 is a mathematical short hand for “pi” – shorthand because pi is an “irrational number” — the quotient of a division that cannot be expressed as a common fraction, and its decimal equivalent never settles into a permanently repeating pattern; c) because the solid scientific evidence that individual sexual orientation and gender identity belie human categorization, “irrational” is a good way to characterize these elements of human diversity; d) “Pi” is also a mathematical constant – another metaphor to describe the reality of gender identity and sexual orientation in humans (and other species); e) “PIE” as an acronym captures ingredients successful Affirming ministry in the UCC aspires to: public, intentional, explicit; and finally f) tell me who in the United Church does not like pie of one kind or another?

3. For this PIE Day, our theme is “What’s in your PIE?” We will be using the photo of recipe card included in these notes to share thoughts about this during our virtual worship gathering this Sunday!

4. We planned to have our first PIE Day worship gathering last year, but it fell on the first Sunday of the pandemic lockdown. It took us a couple of weeks to migrate to this virtual platform using Zoom. As a result, we missed PIE Day last year.

5. One could also say that viruses have an element of the irrational and constant to them, and so this anniversary of the COVID-19 virus pandemic seems like something to mark with PIE too.

6. PIE is useful for a lot of things, including the effective response seen across Canadian society to the pandemic, as well as revealing the yawning gaps between rich and poor, settler and first nation, and racialized and white divisions of our populace (see how pi is calculated – the division of circumference of a circle by its radius).

7. A couple of Sundays ago I drew attention to the presence of a Black Sunday School in a United Church Hamilton tradition of recognizing best attended and largest growing Sunday Schools through the first half of the last century. I mentioned in wondering out loud if anyone might research that as part of the development of our intercultural relationship currency design project, that the UCC has awarded an Embracing the Spirit grant to a national United Church program of intercultural research. Six young racialized scholars have recently been awarded funds from this grant. To learn more about them and their projects, follow this UCC link.

8. Even though Hamilton has moved into the Province of Ontario’s “red zone” the New Vision Church Council prefers at this time that New Vision not participate in potentially virus-spreading activities in the community. Hamilton residents are being given clear warnings by our Public Health Board that faster spreading variants of the coronavirus are now occurring here. I am sad to say this means that New Vision folks without access to Zoom will have to wait for a while more to participate in person at 24 Main W in our Zoom worship gathering on Sundays. I know those gathering on Zoom keenly miss those who have been gathering in person. I am looking forward to the day we can meet again in person.

9. New Vision Virtual Worship is experiential, participatory, image-rich and collective, just like worship in person at New Vision! Join us on Sunday mornings 10:30 am week to week during the Covid-19 emergency by clicking here. If you want to put the link someplace easy to find each week, here it is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/782292511. Please share it with others and invite them to a “different” kind of time on Zoom from the usual.

10. You can also call in to the gathering on the telephone toll free. Call 1 855 703 8985, then, when prompted, input the Meeting ID 782 292 511 followed by the # sign. Ignore the prompts for Participant ID and Password. You are in when the recorded voice says, “You are in the meeting.” If you can only connect by video on your computer with no audio, you can use the phone connection for audio and the computer connection for visual.

11. For updates on New Vision plans in the post Covid-19 emergency recovery, please visit http://newvisionunited.org/new-vision-covid-19-updates/.

Hope to see you Sunday – again, or for the first time ~

Rev Ian

Thur Mar 4 20211. 1. We will be celebrating communion this Sunday, March 7, the third Sunday of Lent. Have some food and drink at hand to commune in virtual space and real time. 2. Two Sundays from now, March 14 we will hold our first Affirming PIE Day. PIE = Public. Intentional. Explicit. These are the standards we seek to hold ourselves and our welcome to as an affirming and inclusive community. March 14 is a chance to serve some pie and roll out the PIE by celebrating the full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit people in faith communities and beyond across Canada. PIE, anyone? 3. If you hadn’t noticed, this Sunday coming up will be the 52nd Sunday since we ceased gathering at 24 Main W for our Sunday worship. 4. Even though Hamilton has moved into the Province of Ontario’s “red zone” the New Vision Church Council prefers not to participate in potentially virus-spreading activities in the community. I am sad to say this means that New Vision folks without access to Zoom will have to wait for a while more to participate in person at 24 Main W in our Zoom worship gathering on Sundays. I know those gathering on Zoom keenly miss those who have been gathering in person. I am looking forward to the day we can meet again in person. 5. New Vision Virtual Worship is experiential, participatory, image-rich and collective, just like worship in person at New Vision! Join us on Sunday mornings 10:30 am week to week during the Covid-19 emergency by clicking here. If you want to put the link someplace easy to find each week, here it is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/782292511. Please share it with others and invite them to a “different” kind of time on Zoom from the usual. 6. You can also call in to the gathering on the telephone toll free. Call 1 855 703 8985, then, when prompted, input the Meeting ID 782 292 511 followed by the # sign. Ignore the prompts for Participant ID and Password. You are in when the recorded voice says, “You are in the meeting.” If you can only connect by video on your computer with no audio, you can use the phone connection for audio and the computer connection for visual. 7. For updates on New Vision plans in the post Covid-19 emergency recovery, please visit http://newvisionunited.org/new-vision-covid-19-updates/.Hope to see you Sunday – again, or for the first time ~ Rev Ian

Thur Feb 25 2021

1. Join in New Vision’s Saturday Night at the Movies, this Saturday. Feb. 27 at 7 pm, in recognition of Black History Month. We will be watching “Journey to Justice”, a film paying tribute to a group of Canadians who took racism to court. They are Canada’s unsung heroes in the fight for Black civil rights. Their stories deserve to be told. Join in using the following link: https://zoom.us/j/93558790014?pwd=cUl1VUhKdllEQ3NieUpnbWlkNWJ5QT09 . Presented by the Affirming Committee, with discusssion to follow this 50 min. long film.
2. It has been a while since I’ve shared updates from the Music Hall at New Vision initiative. Of course the pandemic has halted all kinds of congregate gathering performances and performances in the Music Hall are no exception. We have been carrying on gathering broader community notice for the Music Hall while we figure out what the mid-term holds for our initiative.
3. Our Heritage Designation at 24 Main W by the City has meant that we have been granted funding for our heritage architect consultants to assess the impact of the renovations we plan for the building on the designated heritage attributes of the building. The Heritage Property Grant Program is also funding about 45% of the cost of our new boiler.
4. We recently were awarded an Investment Readiness Program (IFP) grant to help us put together the governance and operating structure of the Music Hall. If you follow this link and either keep clicking your mouse pointer to zoom in on Hamilton on the map, or type “New Vision” into the organization box below the map, you will get to the public details of our award. The IRP program provides grants to “social purpose organizations” like us to help us ready ourselves to obtain impact investment loans to help fund our start up. You can learn more about the IRP Canada-wide federal program at the same link.
5. This IRP grant will support work by the Music Hall project that complements our New Vision intercultural relationship currency design project.
6. Even though Hamilton has moved into the Province of Ontario’s “red zone” the New Vision Church Council prefers not to participate in potentially virus-spreading activities in the community. I am sad to say this means that New Vision folks without access to Zoom will have to wait for a while more to participate in person at 24 Main W in our Zoom worship gathering on Sundays. I know those gathering on Zoom keenly miss those who have been gathering in person. I am looking forward to the day we can meet again in person.
7. New Vision Virtual Worship is experiential, participatory, image-rich and collective, just like worship in person at New Vision! Join us on Sunday mornings 10:30 am week to week during the Covid-19 emergency by clicking here. If you want to put the link someplace easy to find each week, here it is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/782292511. Please share it with others and invite them to a “different” kind of time on Zoom from the usual.
8. You can also call in to the gathering on the telephone toll free. Call 1 855 703 8985, then, when prompted, input the Meeting ID 782 292 511 followed by the # sign. Ignore the prompts for Participant ID and Password. You are in when the recorded voice says, “You are in the meeting.” If you can only connect by video on your computer with no audio, you can use the phone connection for audio and the computer connection for visual.
9. For updates on New Vision plans in the post Covid-19 emergency recovery, please visit http://newvisionunited.org/new-vision-covid-19-updates/.

Hope to see you Sunday – again, or for the first time ~
Rev Ian

Fri Feb 12 2021

1. This Sunday continues our Black History month celebrations with the New Vision Players sharing aspects of jazz immortal Louis Armstrong’s participation in the American civil rights movement.
2. Join together for Saturday Night at the Movies, on Sat. Feb. 27 at 7 pm, in recognition of Black History Month. We will be watching “Journey to Justice”, a film paying tribute to a group of Canadians who took racism to court. They are Canada’s unsung heroes in the fight for Black civil rights. Their stories deserve to be told. Join in using the following link: https://zoom.us/j/93558790014?pwd=cUl1VUhKdllEQ3NieUpnbWlkNWJ5QT09 . Presented by the Affirming Committee, with discusssion to follow this 50 min. long film.
3. New Vision Threshold Partners Annual Meeting will take place this Sunday, Feb 21 after our virtual worship gathering. A link to the annual report 2020 will be made available to you before the meeting begins if you have not yet seen the report. If you can have a copy open on your computer prior to the meeting that would be helpful.
4. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions on how to bridge between the worship gathering time and the meeting this Sunday. Here is the plan: we will take a 20 minute break and play a music stream and run a count-down clock on the New Vision video feed after the worship gathering ends. You can turn your video off and go get yourself something to eat and then come back to the gathering at the commencement of the meeting.
5. Even though Hamilton has moved into the Province of Ontario’s “red zone” the New Vision Church Council continues to prefer New Vision not participate in potentially virus-spreading activities in the community. I am sad to say this means that New Vision folks without access to Zoom will have to wait for a while more to participate in person at 24 Main W in our Zoom worship gathering on Sundays. I know those gathering on Zoom keenly miss those who have been gathering in person. I am looking forward to the day we can meet again in person.
6. New Vision Virtual Worship is experiential, participatory, image-rich and collective, just like worship in person at New Vision! Join us on Sunday mornings 10:30 am week to week during the Covid-19 emergency by clicking here. If you want to put the link someplace easy to find each week, here it is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/782292511. Please share it with others and invite them to a “different” kind of time on Zoom from the usual.
7. You can also call in to the gathering on the telephone toll free. Call 1 855 703 8985, then, when prompted, input the Meeting ID 782 292 511 followed by the # sign. Ignore the prompts for Participant ID and Password. You are in when the recorded voice says, “You are in the meeting.” If you can only connect by video on your computer with no audio, you can use the phone connection for audio and the computer connection for visual.
8. For updates on New Vision plans in the post Covid-19 emergency recovery, please visit http://newvisionunited.org/new-vision-covid-19-updates/.

Hope to see you Sunday – again, or for the first time ~
Rev Ian

Fri Feb 12 2021

1. I haven’t mentioned Caremongerers for some time in these notes. #CareMongering is hosting a winter clothing and supply drive to be distributed to unhoused community members across the city. They are looking for donations of winter jackets, clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, tents, and similar items. Items can be dropped off at New Vision United Church (24 Main St W – East entrance) on: Wed Feb 10, 4-6 PM, Fri Feb 12, 12-2 PM, Sun Feb 14, 11 AM-1 PM, and alternate drop off times can be arranged by emailing abadershamai@gmail.com.
2. Caremongerers continue to operate their delivery food and personal hygiene supply depot out of New Vision’s Lower Hall. You can offer mutual support and ask for it a care@djno.ca, and on the Caremongering Hamilton Facebook group.
3. In other local neighbourhood news, the Hamilton Spectator published a report on neighbourhood interest in the redevelopment of our Holton Ave. S. property Wednesday evening.
4. The report was timely, since we and our development partner the United Property Resource Corporation (UPRC) were invited yesterday evening (Feb 11) by Ward 3 Councilor Nrinder Nann to share with the neighbourhood our redevelopment plans. Dan Peace and I attended on New Vision’s behalf and took part in the presentation by UPRC.
5. Follow this link to see the digital file the presenters used for the meeting.
6. The Zoom meeting was attended by about 50 neighbours. It was a lively and engaged dialogue between UPRC and them, facilitated by Councilor Nann’s office. More consultation with the neighbours will take place as the proposal moves along toward submission to the City.
7. I am grateful we have arrived finally at this point where all the discontinuous change by which the former St. Giles congregation ceased being central to the well being of the neighbourhood is concluding and new ways of connecting and deepening understanding and improving well-being is commencing.
8. Join the United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine-Israel for A Taste of Palestine: A three-part event February 16, February 23, March 9 Live Zoom with Fatma and Claire from Palestine Cooking Demo (follow along & enjoy the flavours). TASTE FOOD – HEAR STORIES – MAKE CHANGE For more information and to register follow this link.
9. New Vision Threshold Partners Annual Meeting will take place next Sunday, Feb 21 after our virtual worship gathering. All Threshold Partners and New Vision friends for whom New Vision has an email address will have received a link to the electronic version of the 2020 Annual Reportearlier this week. If you don’t receive an email message with the link, or you encounter difficulty accessing the link, please advise us at officeadmin@newvisionunited.org.
10. How shall we create the atmosphere that comes with sitting down to a potluck meal before the annual meeting? Suggestions most welcome. I look forward to seeing you there!
11. With the continuing lock-down New Vision folks without access to Zoom have not been able to participate in person at 24 Main W in our Zoom worship gathering on Sundays. We connect with many who do not have the ability to connect to our Zoom gatherings by phone. I am looking forward to the day we can meet again in person.
12. New Vision Virtual Worship is experiential, participatory, image-rich and collective, just like worship in person at New Vision! Join us on Sunday mornings 10:30 am week to week during the Covid-19 emergency by clicking here. If you want to put the link someplace easy to find each week, here it is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/782292511. Please share it with others and invite them to a “different” kind of time on Zoom from the usual.
13. You can also call in to the gathering on the telephone toll free. Call 1 855 703 8985, then, when prompted, input the Meeting ID 782 292 511 followed by the # sign. Ignore the prompts for Participant ID and Password. You are in when the recorded voice says, “You are in the meeting.” If you can only connect by video on your computer with no audio, you can use the phone connection for audio and the computer connection for visual.
14. For updates on New Vision plans in the post Covid-19 emergency recovery, please visit http://newvisionunited.org/new-vision-covid-19-updates/.

Hope to see you Sunday – again, or for the first time ~
Rev Ian

Fri Feb 5 2021

1. We will celebrate communion this Sunday, February 7 as we begin our Black History month observances. If you are able to join us for worship have some bread and beverage at hand.

2. Join the United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine-Israel for A Taste of Palestine: A three-part event February 16, February 23, and March 9. Live Zoom with Fatma and Claire from Palestine Cooking Demo (follow along & enjoy the flavours). TASTE FOOD – HEAR STORIES – MAKE CHANGE For more information and to register follow this link.

3. We may be locked down, but Hamilton’s Winterfest can set us free in spirit! Sorry to say, however, that the City has decided against permitting the streaming of concerts from The Music Hall at New Vision after revising its initial permission based on its re-interpretation of the provincial health orders. For more info about Hamilton’s Winterfest, follow this link.

4. New Vision’s Threshold Partners Annual Meeting will take place on Sunday, Feb 21 after our worship gathering. All Threshold Partners and New Vision friends for whom New Vision has an email address will receive a link to the electronic version of the 2020 Annual Report early this coming week. If you don’t receive an email message with the link, or you encounter difficulty accessing the link, please advise us at officeadmin@newvisionunited.org.

5. How shall we create the atmosphere in a virtual gathering that comes with sitting down to a potluck meal before the annual meeting? Suggestions most welcome! Connect with me at revian@newvisionunited.org

6. With the continuing lock-down New Vision folks without access to Zoom have not been able to participate in person at 24 Main W in our Zoom worship gathering on Sundays. We connect with many who do not have the ability to connect to our Zoom gatherings by phone. I am looking forward to the day we can meet again in person.

7. New Vision Virtual Worship is experiential, participatory, image-rich and collective, just like worship in person at New Vision! Join us on Sunday mornings 10:30 am week to week during the Covid-19 emergency by clicking here. If you want to put the link someplace easy to find each week, here it is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/782292511. Please share it with others and invite them to a “different” kind of time on Zoom from the usual.

8. You can also call in to the gathering on the telephone toll free. Call 1 855 703 8985, then, when prompted, input the Meeting ID 782 292 511 followed by the # sign. Ignore the prompts for Participant ID and Password. You are in when the recorded voice says, “You are in the meeting.” If you can only connect by video on your computer with no audio, you can use the phone connection for audio and the computer connection for visual.

9. For updates on New Vision plans in the post Covid-19 emergency recovery, please visit http://newvisionunited.org/new-vision-covid-19-updates/.

Hope to see you Sunday – again, or for the first time ~
Rev Ian

Thurs Jan 28 2021

1. We will celebrate communion next Sunday, February 7 as we begin Black History month. Have some bread and beverage at hand a week from this Sunday for our celebrations.
2. Join the United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine-Israel for A Taste of Palestine: A three-part event February 16, February 23, March 9 Live Zoom with Fatma and Claire from Palestine Cooking Demo (follow along & enjoy the flavours). TASTE FOOD – HEAR STORIES – MAKE CHANGE For more information and to register follow this link.
3. We may be locked down, but Hamilton’s upcoming Winterfest can set us free in spirit! The Music Hall at New Vision is the site from which two Winterfest concerts will be live-streamed – one by Hamilton’s Illitry http://illitry.othersongsmusic.com/ (Jan 30), the other by Monowhales https://www.monowhales.com/ (Feb 13). Both are free. For more info about Hamilton’s Winterfest, follow this link.
4. New Vision’s annual meeting will take place on Sunday, Feb 21 after our worship gathering. The annual report for 2020 is in preparation and will be available electronically Sunday February 7. How shall we create the atmosphere that comes with sitting down to a potluck meal before the meeting? Suggestions most welcome!
5. Because of the lock-down New Vision folks without access to Zoom have not been able to participate in person at 24 Main W in our Zoom worship gathering on Sundays. We continue to connect with many who do not have the ability to connect to our Zoom gatherings by phone. It’s pretty clear everyone misses each other.
6. New Vision Virtual Worship is experiential, participatory, image-rich and collective, just like worship in person at New Vision! Join us on Sunday mornings 10:30 am week to week during the Covid-19 emergency by clicking here. If you want to put the link someplace easy to find each week, here it is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/782292511. Please share it with others and invite them to a “different” kind of time on Zoom from the usual.
7. You can also call in to the gathering on the telephone toll free. Call 1 855 703 8985, then, when prompted, input the Meeting ID 782 292 511 followed by the # sign. Ignore the prompts for Participant ID and Password. You are in when the recorded voice says, “You are in the meeting.” If you can only connect by video on your computer with no audio, you can use the phone connection for audio and the computer connection for visual.
8. For updates on New Vision plans in the post Covid-19 emergency recovery, please visit http://newvisionunited.org/new-vision-covid-19-updates/.

Hope to see you Sunday – again, or for the first time ~
Rev Ian

Wed Jan 13 2021

1. New Vision’s Church Council has signed the Christian Peacemakers Team’s “Ecumenical Leaders Condemn the Criminalizing of Land Defenders” letter found here. The letter focuses on the problem for right relationship with first nations people to which the historical treatment of the Haldimand Tract has led over generations. They encourage you to read the letter and sign it yourself. I have done so and I am happy to talk with you about it. Email me at revian@newvisionunited.org
2. Hamilton Voices of Palestine Film Series is back! Join them for their first online screening of the new year on Sunday, January 24th at 1 pm EST. They will be screening “The Village Under the Forest” (Grey Matter Media, 2013), a feature-length documentary by Heidi Grunebaum and Mark Kaplan. The screening will be followed by a discussion with filmmaker Heidi Grunebaum. Please register in advance.
3. Today is Lincoln Alexander Day in Canada. Read about this indispensable Canadian of Hamilton here.
4. We may be locked down, but Hamilton’s upcoming Winterfest can set us free in spirit! The Music Hall at New Vision is the site from which two Winterfest concerts will be live-streamed – one by Hamilton’s Illitry (Jan 30), the other by Monowhales (Feb 13). Both are free. For more info about Hamilton’s Winterfest, follow this link.
5. Many thanks to everyone for submitting their non-financial annual reports. The deadline for 2020 financial reports for the annual report is Tuesday Jan 26. If you are responsible for one, you can send it to officeadmin@newvisionunited.org.
6. Because of the lock-down New Vision folks without access to Zoom have had to suspend participation in person at 24 Main W in our Zoom worship gathering on Sundays. We continue to connect with many who do not have the ability to connect to our Zoom gatherings by phone.
7. New Vision Virtual Worship is experiential, participatory, image-rich and collective, just like worship in person at New Vision! Join us on Sunday mornings 10:30 am week to week during the Covid-19 emergency by clicking here. If you want to put the link someplace easy to find each week, here it is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/782292511. Please share it with others and invite them to a “different” kind of time on Zoom from the usual.
8. You can also call in to the gathering on the telephone toll free. Call 1 855 703 8985, then, when prompted, input the Meeting ID 782 292 511 followed by the # sign. Ignore the prompts for Participant ID and Password. You are in when the recorded voice says, “You are in the meeting.” If you can only connect by video on your computer with no audio, you can use the phone connection for audio and the computer connection for visual.
9. For updates on New Vision plans in the post Covid-19 emergency recovery, please visit http://newvisionunited.org/new-vision-covid-19-updates/.

Hope to see you Sunday – again, or for the first time ~

Rev Ian

Wed Jan 13 2021

1. A celebration of Martin Luther King Jr Day is being offered to all by the Afro Canadian Caribbean Association this Sunday, January 20th at  2 pm. Martin and “Linc” (Lincoln Alexander) will be celebrated by guest speakers MP Matthew Green and former MP Celina Cesar Chavannes. 2 pm online. Register for free here: https://bit.ly/2XsKOQ7
2. Hamilton Voices of Palestine Film Series is back! Join them for their first online screening of the new year on Sunday, January 24th at 1 pm EST. They will be screening “The Village Under the Forest” (Grey Matter Media, 2013), a feature-length documentary by Heidi Grunebaum and Mark Kaplan. The screening will be followed by a discussion with filmmaker Heidi Grunebaum. Please register in advance.
3. A Palestinian newcomer known to many of us, Amr Abdel-Latif, is without the essentials of life following a fire on Monday that destroyed his Hamilton home and left one of his house-mates in hospital. To contribute to the GoFundMe campaign to raise $12,000 for immediate emergency assistance to him and his housemates follow this link. You will find a link on the GoFundMe page to a CTV story that gives more details.
4. Because of the lock-down New Vision folks without access to Zoom have had to suspend participation in person at 24 Main W in our Zoom worship gathering on Sundays. We continue to connect with many who do not have the ability to connect to our Zoom gatherings by phone.
5. Many thanks to everyone for submitting their non-financial annual reports. The deadline for the financial reports is Tuesday Jan 26. You can send them to officeadmin@newvisionunited.org.
6. New Vision Virtual Worship is experiential, participatory, image-rich and collective, just like worship in person at New Vision! Join us on Sunday mornings 10:30 am week to week during the Covid-19 emergency by clicking here. If you want to put the link someplace easy to find each week, here it is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/782292511. Please share it with others and invite them to a “different” kind of time on Zoom from the usual.
7. You can also call in to the gathering on the telephone toll free. Call 1 855 703 8985, then, when prompted, input the Meeting ID 782 292 511 followed by the # sign. Ignore the prompts for Participant ID and Password. You are in when the recorded voice says, “You are in the meeting.” If you can only connect by video on your computer with no audio, you can use the phone connection for audio and the computer connection for visual.
8. For updates on New Vision plans in the post Covid-19 emergency recovery, please visit http://newvisionunited.org/new-vision-covid-19-updates/.

See you Sunday – again, or for the first time ~
Rev Ian