The bereavement facilitators of the Olds & District Hospice Society have created a workbook for people who want to work through their thoughts and feelings during this period of social isolation. Click here to download this workbook.

Minister's Message ...
Posted June 2, 2020

Peace and love to you, friends in faith. The following is a piece I wrote for the Olds newspaper's Hope and Happenings column. Each week one of the local ministry personnel or pastors writes a reflective piece to share with the community. Each week, we get a message of hope. This week, I found it hard to be hopeful, as I listen to the news stories of the riots and protests happening to the south of us. As a Christian, I look for that hope in the life and mission of Jesus. As a Christian, I hope that peace may prevail on earth, for all of God's people. And so I wrote this for the paper:

Our world is off kilter. I'm sad, and I wonder, will it ever end? Will racism ever end? This isn't just an America problem. Racism exists in Canada too. It exists in the communities in which we live.

Once again, we heard recently of the death of an African American person at the hands of a police officer, in the United States. Once again, our neighbours to the south of us are in turmoil, as people protest the injustice of this most recent death. In the midst of all this, there's all kinds of news reporting related to this, and it is not clear whose truth is real truth.

And then the President of the United States took the opportunity to have a photo op in front of a church building, holding a bible. First though, the people in the church yard were assaulted with tear gas and forced out of the yard. These were people supporting peaceful protesters with water, food, and first aid. These were church and community volunteers, standing in solidarity with people who have been oppressed for far too long. They were violently pushed aside for a photo moment.

I can't help but imagine Jesus, weeping at this scene, weeping, and praying, and then calling upon the people of God to follow the words of the prophet Micah - to seek justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God. That is what we must do to end racism, to end the hurt, and the hate, and the violence. We must stand up, we must speak up, we must walk in the way of Jesus. We must walk in the way of love. Hope begins here, at home, with each step you and I take, toward a world of love.

In peace, Tammy (Reverend Tammy Allan)
Olds-Sundre Pastoral Charge of the United Church

An update on church and worship ...
Posted June 2, 2020

COVID 19 continues to leave us with uncertainties and the need to be cautious around gatherings of large groups of people. For now, we must follow the guidelines of both our provincial health officials and of the United Church of Canada, for the safety and well-being of our communities. Although the province has declared that places of worship may open up again, there is still great concern about gatherings indoors, particularly for populations in the over 60 age group. We are also still being advised to maintain social distancing, and not to sing. There are so many factors in the guidelines that make it difficult to think that we will ever return to "the way we were". For now, we are moving with great caution, and will not be resuming regular worship this month, and most likely not until the end of the summer, providing we don't find ourselves in a second wave.

I will continue to post Sunday reflections/worship resource to both the Olds and Sundre websites. I and others are calling folks and checking in, and I welcome phone calls and emails to me as well.

David Birch and I are talking about posting some video reflections and music to our sites or to the Facebook group, Olds-Sundre Pastoral Charge. This is a learning curve for me, but something he has talent for! I'll keep you posted on that.

For now, know that we are the church - in spite of not being in the building. Hold fast to that, and be the church in Olds, as you follow the way of Jesus, and share your love wherever you go.

Blessings and Peace,
Tammy

Are you someone who has questions, who is seeking to explore your faith, and learn stories of our faith?

You're welcome to join us in worship on Sundays, in Olds at 10:00 am, and in Sundre at 1:30 pm.

If you'd like to have a conversation with Reverend Tammy, the minister of the Olds-Sundre Pastoral Charge, please call the Olds office and we can set up an appointment!

Phone: 403-556-3052

Church News & Events
PLEASE NOTE: SOME OF OUR REGULAR EVENTS WILL BE POSTPONED OR CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19

Next date TBA
WORSHIP & COMMUNION
Come and join us as we worship together on Sunday morning. In the meantime, please follow our Olds United At Home Worship

Next date TBA
CONNECTING NEEDLES
Connecting Needles is a group of quilting, sewing and knitting enthusiasts who gather the third Monday of each month in the Upper Hall of Olds United Church between 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Participants are invited to bring a current project to work on or start a new one. Connecting Needles is all about connecting with other crafters through crafts, participating in demonstrations, charity work and the occasional party! All are welcome - stay for a few minutes or a few hours. For more information please call Craig's at (403) 556-3717.

Sundays
MORNING WORSHIP
We hope you will join us for worship at Olds United on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. Ask us about our programs for young people, families, and seniors.

MORE EVENTS HERE

Dear People of Olds United Church

• PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance) - Are you on PAR? If you already pay bills, taxes, or your mortgage with automatic withdrawals from your bank account, then you've got the PAR principle. Monthly PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance) offerings are an exceptional expression of commitment and allows you to support Olds United Church through automatic monthly withdrawals from your bank account.

  Besides being convenient, using PAR for your offering ensures regular monthly givings to help our Church's ministry and increasing our overall financial stability, even while you are away. You can also include a regular Mission & Service gift at the same time. Why not participate in PAR? Here's how ...

  1. Prayerfully decide how much you want to give each month.
  2. Fill out a PAR Authorization Form with a cheque marked "VOID".
  3. Enclose both in an envelope and place on the offering plate, or leave at the church office.
  4. We send this information to the United Church's national office, who instructs your bank to automatically withdraw your gift around the 20th of each month.

  You can increase, decrease, or cancel your contribution at any time. To learn more, please call the church office at (403) 556-3052, The United Church of Canada at 1-800-268-3781, or visit www.united-church.ca. Thank you!

• WELCOME TO THE OLDS COMMUNITY LENDING SHELF! - Effective October 20, 2017 the Olds Community Lending Shelf became an outreach partner of Olds United Church. This means that this very important community non-profit is now housed in the lower level of our building, and has more space to carry out its work. We're happy to be able to provide space for these great folks, and we are pretty sure their director, Lucinda Watkins, has a spouse who is very happy to have his garage back! So, again, welcome!

Daily Scripture Reading

Jas 5:16 - Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

A Message from Kasota East Camp

Update from Kasota, Fall 2019

Our church is always beautifully decorated. Visit our Photo Gallery to see our favourite pictures, including pictures from our 120th anniversary. Better yet, stop in for a personal visit!

United Church of Canada Videos
How We Go Back to our Buildings
Re-entry to Gathered Worship in Buildings - Making Faithful Decisions in a Pandemic (Part 2). Created for Communities of Faith by the Rev. Diane J. Strickland. Worshipping together in a building is a high-risk activity. How are we going to make decisions about re-entry that are faithful in every respect? This is a two-part resource about how and when we go back into our buildings to worship.

You are a child of God. He created you in His own image. He chose the day for you to be born. Look up your birth date and see what Bible verse corresponds to it. Click the image above to look up your verse now.

	How to get here
				Olds United Church is located on the corner of 48th Avenue and 50th Street, just a couple of blocks west of Olds College. Click the map for an enlargement.
		office@oldsunited.ca Ph: 403.556.3052 Bookmark our website www.oldsunited.ca