Carlyle United Church

06/01/2026

I'm sure most of you are aware that the Bits & Pieces Quilt Club meets at CUC on Mondays from September to June. This gives our talented sewers a chance to dedicate one afternoon or evening each week to their craft while enjoying some social time. They also enjoy a retreat twice a year at the Mother Teresa Centre at Kenosee where they typically spend Friday to Sunday in that beautiful lake setting, relaxing, sewing, enjoying nature (including the bear last fall), eating delicious food provided by each of the attendees, and just hiding out to focus on what they love to do.

We are fortunate that the club members graciously display their intricate work in our Church Hall year round with special Christmas themed quilts displayed for our Dickens High Tea. The quilt display creates a visual feast, and prompts admiration and many conversations.

That is just the tip of the iceberg for this club. What you might not know is that this club also donates Comfort Quilts / Cancer Quilts to those who are dealing with serious health problems. Each quilt given to a very deserving recipient is hand picked by a member(s) of the club and hand delivered. What a beautiful way to care for local people who might need that extra warmth, comfort and concern during a potentially lonely and stressful time. Since January 2021 the club has made, hand picked and hand delivered 105 quilts. According to AI, the average throw quilt contains 50,000 to 100,000 stitches depending on the design. Even at the low end, that is approximately 5.25 million stitches. It's a good thing these ladies have complex machines that can stitch them. In these modern times, there just isn't time for someone to stitch that many quilts by hand. We are fortunate that these creative ladies call CUC home. 🪡🧵 #

05/29/2026

May 31st we celebrate Trinity Sunday. Join us at 10:00am.

05/16/2026

This Sunday is Mental Health Sunday.
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 1 in 7 people in the world live with a mental disorder and most don't have access to effective care. That is alarming.

I'm sure that most of us know of someone who suffers from a mental disorder. It may be minor enough for the person to successfully hide it from the general population, or severe enough to cause family members to worry daily for the safety and stability of their loved one.

Our family was touched by a mental disorder. It was a constant worry, causing us to be ultra focused on any change in behavior that might signal the beginning of another breakdown. It certainly isn't any less concerning or significant than any physical illness, but even after all the years of trying to "normalize" mental disorders, we still seem to feel like it's some kind of weakness that should be hidden.

Have you ever listened to the conversations in a medical facility waiting room? People are more than happy to explain, in great detail, all the symptoms they have, all the surgeries and treatments they've had, naming the good and bad doctors and surgeons. It sometimes becomes almost like a competition to see if one party had it worse than the other. Okay, not funny, but it kind of is.

However, I doubt very much that you've heard many people talk about the therapy, treatment and meds for their depression, eating disorder, paranoia, addiction, etc. It's still an uncomfortable subject for people to share and by no means does this form of illness become a competition about who had it worse. If anything, it is more of a "Shhh, don't ever tell, it's my little secret" kind of situation.

Full disclosure...I took today (Friday) off from work...not because I was sick...because I just needed some downtime. Although some of you might disagree, I don't have a mental disorder, LOL...at least not one that's been diagnosed 😉. But I really should have taken a sick day rather than a vacation day. It really was a day off for my mental health...I was burnt out, I was overwhelmed, I could no longer focus, and I needed some time to decompress. But I didn't request a sick day...I requested a vacation day.

Mental disorders, stress, anxiety...they still have a stigma attached and despite our best efforts, we have yet to remove that stigma. Why? Why are we so reluctant to say, "I'm not okay and I need someone in my corner". And, yes, before I set off any alarms, I am okay...I just needed some "me time" with my blanket, with my cat, with my tea. I just wish my blanket, my cat, and my tea could fix the 1 in 7 people that suffer from this perfectly normal, perfectly human, perfectly acceptable condition.

I'm looking forward to hearing what Rev. Emily has to say on the subject this Sunday. I have no doubt it will be thought provoking.

Did you catch last Sunday's sermon? I was pretty sure Emily was speaking directly to me. I've had some rough Mother's Day Sundays over the years...all because of me, my flaws and my beliefs. But Emily put it all into perspective last Sunday. Since the beginning of time, there has never been a perfect family and it's okay to be imperfect. Maybe I am worthy after all. Maybe I'm not as inadequate and messed up as I think I am. We are all dysfunctional in some way. If you haven't listened to her sermon on Mother's Day, it's worth your time to look it up. Just go to this link for all new and past services, you'll find it here:
https://mcclureunitedchurch.org/

05/09/2026

Celebration of Life for longtime CUC member, Cliff Walker at Sutherland Cemetery on Saturday, May 23rd at 11:00am.

Share Memories of Clifford & Support the Walker Family

05/09/2026

05/01/2026

This Sunday at McClure is the Annual Camp Sunday. Each year Camp Tapawingo leaders deliver a service full of fun, joy, and great music! There is nothing like Camp Sunday to get you fired up for summer. 🌞 😎 🛶

I never went to summer camp. I doubt I would have made it to supper on the first day let alone the full week 24/7. My two youngest sons however were a different story.

Circa 2009, maybe 2010, I was searching the web for information on summer camps at Kenosee for the boys who were ages 7 and 8 (I could be out by a year or so). Again, having no personal experience with summer camps, I wasn't paying much attention to the religious affiliations. I was likely more interested in a cost effective week of summer entertainment for two very energetic boys. The camp I settled on had a pool...and, BONUS, swimming lessons were included in the registration fee! It still didn't sink in that there were 3 different faiths side by side by side on Hazelwood Ave, Kenosee Lake. A true blonde moment much like I have on a daily basis.

I messaged a friend whose son was a close friend of our youngest to see if he might be interested in a week at camp with our boys and she was happy to report, "He's in!" So our plan was in motion. Sunday afternoon came...the first day of Boys' Week...and off we went, armed with many cans of bug spray, bottles of sunscreen, snacks, clean clothes (that was a total waste of suitcase space), toiletries (even worse waste of space), and swimming report cards so they were placed in the correct level.

I fully expected to get a call mid week that one of them was having a melt down and needed to come home. There was no call. Friday night we headed to camp for the program evening and those 3 boys were so in love with camp, we pretty much had to peel them off the counsellors so we could head home for a much needed bath and bed! An hour later I found our youngest crying on the sofa and I asked him what had him so upset. Through the sobs, he managed to utter, "I miss everyone at camp."

And so began more than a decade of camp as their second home. They began as campers, many summers attending two weeks of camp back to back, graduated to junior counsellors, then counsellors, and then maintenance workers whenever they could get a week or so to volunteer. And guess where each of them had Graduation pictures taken...you guessed it, the camp. They made lifelong friends at that camp and to this day one of those friends is still our son, B's, good friend and roommate. And that "camp group" still love to get together...vacation together...ski together.

Our protestant faith was a non issue. Kenosee Boys & Girls Camp taught Catechism, led by Sister Lucille, who our family grew to adore. Father Banga, rest his soul, never turned the boys away. On Friday night when they begged to go back for another week, he would cheerfully yell from his perch by the mess hall door, "Bring them back on Sunday! We'll find room".

Our youngest was an extremely fussy eater and I always worried that he wouldn't find anything to eat at camp. Well...if Father Banga made it, it was the best food on the planet. I still don't really know if Father cooked any of it but, hey, if it got JR to eat, who am I to question who made it.

I could have just as easily registered them for either of the other 2 camps on Hazelwood Ave, and they may have been better suited to our faith, but I'm sure glad my blonde moment made me follow my intuition. Being exposed to another faith and accepted without prejudice is God at work.

Every year when McClure turns over the service to their "camp group" I, unsuccessfully, fight back tears. Camp comradery is close to my heart even though it was never my personal experience.

04/24/2026

Here we are approaching the last Sunday of April already. I think we are all ready to welcome May and hopefully Mother Nature's cruel joke comes to an end. I think winter has gone on long enough. All our church events and fundraisers are complete until next fall and it's time to enjoy the awakening of God's creation.

There were 14 of us in church last Sunday. Sadly, that's a pretty average attendance. I was sitting in the back pew (my claimed spot) noticing how many of the previously "claimed spots" are no longer occupied. It's unfortunate that those spots are mostly abandoned due to our aging congregation. I hope they know that they are missed and spoken of often.

Those of us who attend most Sundays are there for our own personal reasons... sometimes just to recharge for another week of running from one activity, committee meeting, or job to the next, or maybe for the comfort found in community, companionship and familiarity. Whatever the reason, I'm pretty sure all 14 of us that were there last Sunday are happy that we can continue, for now, to keep the doors open.

We aren't alone in these declining numbers. Churches in the southeast are all struggling to stay afloat. But there are programs and projects in their infancy that have been put in place to address this very issue. We are thankful that there are people who understand there is still a need to come together every Sunday for whatever personal reasons draw us through the doors and into our "claimed spots". My co-chair made the comment that we are basically keeping the church going for the board members. This is pretty much true as there are 9 on the board and that is more than half of our attendees on the best of Sundays. But, as long as we can keep the lights and heat on, we will continue to show up for ourselves and each other.

Our beloved Rev. Emily from McClure announced her decision to leave McClure this summer and move to a different church in Saskatoon. We will be sad to see her go but we wish only the best for her and her family. Our loss is their gain.

On the bright side, Rev. Debra will return during the summer from her sabbatical and we will be happy to see her back, refreshed and ready to lead us through life's many stages and challenges.

Remember, if you ever want to attend service, we don't bite, and would be happy to have you join us. There is no such thing as "your Sunday best"...bluejeans and your favorite jersey is just fine...nobody will judge you...nobody cares. If you feel like you need a recharge, this just might be what you're looking for.

And if you want to check it out from the comfort of your own home, you can join the livestream here: https://mcclureunitedchurch.org/

03/23/2026

03/04/2026

Please share, share, share!
Get your ticket for the St. Patrick’s Day Stew Supper before they’re all gone! Stop in at N Dyer Need on Main Street…Sandra and Keith can get you set up 😊

01/28/2026

February 14…don your red and white and come on out for an afternoon of delicious refreshments, good company and some fun, love themed word games.