Category: News

There’s a FAB new team in town

There’s a fab new team in town. When Centenary decided on May 6 2012 against disbanding as a congregation, we committed to a future that would be different from our present and past. Conversation at the Church Board subsequent to that congregational decision focused on how to get the changes that would lead to that future. The Church Board saw we needed a coordinating team to help us do this work. This team would help Centenary keep all the balls in play we need in play for the transformation to be successful. This coordinating team would help us to use the limited time we have in the best possible way to make good and effective decisions.

Out of these insights the FAB Team was born. FAB stands for Fundraising, Amalgamation and Building. The Team’s job is to advance the transformative work with the congregation that it began on May 6 2012 when it overwhelming decided against disbanding. The FAB Team will help the congregation to keep coordinated the themes of fundraising, amalgamation discussions, and what to do with the building. To get the ball rolling, Joey Ruiz, Karen Mathewson, Tom Betts and Ian Sloan joined the team at the Board’s request.

Here are starting points the FAB Team has come up with for each area:

  • Fundraising: The FAB Team is talking about organizing major annual fundraising events that draw on members of the wider community for significant support: we’re looking for major fundraising event ideas and themes!
  • Amalgamation: Through the FAB Team Centenary is joining the discussions with First-Pilgrim and St. Giles that are focused on the idea of amalgamating the three congregations into one “Main Street Ministry.” We are also continuing our conversations around cooperation in ministry with the other “west end churches”: Binkley, Westdale, Melrose and First-Pilgrim. These were the churches with which we were involved in the combined Pentecost service.
  • Building: Through the FAB Team Centenary will explore with downtown stakeholders (eg.our New Globe Youth Centre, City of Hamilton, Hamilton Community Foundation, Social Planning and Research Council, service agencies and arts organizations and businesses, individuals) the feasibility of sustaining the current built form of Centenary’s building. Is there more value to be gotten out of it through new business and organizational uses while we retain ownership on behalf of the United Church and continue to use it ourselves? If not, what?

 

The FAB Team will begin to connect with the congregation in a sustained way when the congregation returns from its summer visits to First-Pilgrim, Melrose and St. Giles to worship again at Centenary. We begin worshipping again at Centenary on the second Sunday of September, September 9th.

Until then, have a FABulous summer!

The FAB Team

Summer Combined Worship Schedule 2012

All services are at 10:30 am

Date Location Congregations attending
July 1 Centenary Centenary, First-Pilgrim, Melrose, St. Giles
July 8 Centenary Centenary, First-Pilgrim, St. Giles
July 15 Centenary Centenary, First-Pilgrim, St. Giles
July 22 First-Pilgrim Centenary, First-Pilgrim, St. Giles
July 29 First-Pilgrim Centenary, First-Pilgrim, St. Giles
August 5 Melrose Centenary, First-Pilgrim, Melrose, St. Giles
August 12 First-Pilgrim Centenary, First-Pilgrim, St. Giles
August 19 St. Giles Centenary, First-Pilgrim, St. Giles
August 26 St. Giles Centenary, First-Pilgrim, St. Giles
September 2 St. Giles Centenary, First-Pilgrim, St. Giles

Centenary: 24 Main St. W.
First-Pilgrim: 200 Main St. E.
Melrose: 86 Homewood Ave. (Homewood and Locke St.)
St. Giles: 85 Holton S. (Holton and Main St. E.)

The Fourth Was With Him

On May 4th 2012 Centenary’s Music Director Brian Turnbull presented a recital of organ music to celebrate the organ’s recent refurbishment and raise money for the organ fund.

Brian’s programme featured pieces from diverse styles, periods and genres, chosen to showcase the organ’s capabilities. It included virtuosic and classic organ works as well as two selections from the Star Wars movie soundtrack (it was May the Forth, after all!)

Dorothy Arnold, a former member of the Centenary choir, made a generous donation towards the refurbishment of our pedal organ. Work was completed in May 2012, by Bruce R. Cross Pipe Organ Maintenance.

Attendees enjoyed a wine and cheese reception in the narthex.

Brian Turnbull at the Centenary Organ
Brian Turnbull at the Centenary Organ

Sanctuary during Organ Concert, May 4, 2012
Sanctuary during Organ Concert, May 4, 2012



Centenary's Five-Manual Casavant Organ
Centenary's Five-Manual Casavant Organ

Organ Concert, May 4, 2012, reception
Organ Concert, May 4, 2012, reception in the Centenary Narthex

Covenant of Respect

View or download the Covenant of Respect document that was approved on (date here)
Approved in principle at the 2011 congregation annual meeting, Feb 26, 2012.

We commit together as a congregation to these covenants with each other and to God:

Our Promises to God

We will pray, together and alone, to thank God and to ask for God’s help in our lives and in our work for our Church, and we promise to listen to God’s answer to us.

>Our Promises to our Church Family

  • We will speak with each other addressing the Christ who is in each one of us.
  • We will try to discover what is best for our Church as a whole, not what may be best for us or for some small group in the Church.
  • We will respect and care for each other.
  • We will listen, and we will speak with an open, non-judgmental mind, and disagree openly in meetings, expressing ourselves as clearly and honestly as possible, paying attention to our voice levels and body language, so that we are confident that everyone understands our point of view.
  • We will support the final decisions that are made at Council and congregational meetings whether these decisions reflect our view or not.