New Vision Notes |
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Thursday December 18, 2025 Welcome to a new edition of New Vision Notes! We are grateful to be reaching you each week. This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Advent – Love. A service of Stories and Carols will be led by Martine and other marvelous folks from our New Vision Community.
Important Dates: Advent 4 – December 21st at 10:30am Christmas Eve – Wednesday December 24th at 4pm (communion), followed by a delicious Christmas Eve Dinner prepared by Yusi and our Hospitality team. Christmas Day – No Service Worship will be upstairs in the Music Hall during renovations! Please enter through the door at the corner of Main and MacNab. Seun has made a helpful poster that you may download by clicking here. *** NEW! Accessible Viewing Room! Our new Accessible Viewing Room is open!! Because of our current building renovations, our current worship space is not as accessible as we would like. In response to this, we invite anyone with any mobility needs to view worship from our Accessible Viewing Room. A large-screen tv provides a clear view of the service, and there is a coffee / tea station in the room as well as the weekly Prayers of the People sheet. Enter through the red pillar doors off MacNab St. The space will be open from 10am to the conclusion of the service. A Very Exciting Sponsorship Update! We have good news: Sulah’s application to come to Canada as a refugee has received a G-number, which means his case is in the Canadian immigration system. He also has a Unique Client Identifier (UCI) number now. Secondly, Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has formally approved NVUC (us!) to sponsor him, and his application has been sent to the Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) authorities overseas. Separate from the sponsorship project, some time ago, NV committed to sending $200/month to help support the Nature Network, going forward. If you feel so led, please give to support some of our siblings who are living as refugees in Africa. Thank you! The Immigration and Citizenship Petition is still available for everyone to sign until February 4, 2026. It’s goals are to:
1. Create dedicated and expedited immigration pathways for LGBTQ+ individuals who face systemic discrimination, loss of rights, or threats to safety in their countries of residence;
2. Expand the use of humanitarian and compassionate grounds in immigration decisions where LGBTQ+ rights are under direct attack; and
3. Publicly reaffirm Canada’s role as a safe haven for LGBTQ+ people worldwide, ensuring that Canadian immigration policy reflects this commitment
As an Affirming congregation, we hope all citizens and Permanent Residents will support this petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-6864
A Song of Faith – A Song of Faith, adopted in 2006, seeks to provide a verbal picture of what The United Church of Canada understands its faith to be in the historical, political, social, and theological context of the early 21st century. It is also a means of ongoing reflection and an invitation for the church to live out its convictions in relation to the world in which we live. Please click here to view (and/or download) this important literature. Would you like to try leading a worship service? Our worship team is looking for some folks to consider leading worship. It’s a fun and meaningful way to contribute to our faith community! Please reach out to Julie or Dan to learn more about putting a service together. Enjoy Daily scripture readings from The Revised Common Lectionary: This three-year cycle of scripture readings is used by most churches in Canada and the US. Let the Word inspire you by visiting https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/daily.php?year=B#id79 You’re invited! Join us on Sunday mornings 10:30 am week to week either in person at 24 Main St. W. or on Zoom by clicking here. The link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/782292511. If you’re on Facebook, you may also want to consider joining our New Vision United Community Group , where we post updates and share with one another online. Together, let’s celebrate the gifts and graces of all! |
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