09/06/2025
OUR STORY
United Church is a small member congregation on the banks of the Salmon River in the town of Chipman within the municipality of Grand Lake NB. We have another small church in Gaspereau Forks that is used for Gospel concerts in the summer. Our membership is largely senior with a sprinkling of youth people. Four of whom make up our Youth Worship Team.
Chipman is a busy small town with many amenities and is home to a large sawmill.
Our church recently celebrated our 126th anniversary. We pride ourselves as being a congregation that is open and welcoming to people from all walks of life, we invite residents and visitors to join us for our 11am Sunday services. You can add your voice to that of our small but excellent choir lead by two skilled organist, or you can be part of our online ministry, worshipping with us at any time during the week on Facebook and soon on YouTube. In the future you will be able to join us in person via Zoom.
Our congregation is very community oriented volunteering with many organizations; including service clubs, the youth centre, outreach programs, community choir, the seniors complex and the nursing home. We take part in the annual Christmas parade serving hot chocolate to the attendees. A couple in our congregation have both served as mayor of out town.
We take great satisfaction in being an integral part of our local 100 year old church camp, Wegesegum, which is very well managed by one of our former Sunday School students, and is staffed by other former church school students. We sponsor children associated with our congregation for summer camp.
Our church hall is open for use by community groups and sports programs. At present we have two making use of the facility. Through our LIFT program at the Youth Centre our church serves about sixty meals, once a month to children from the Elementary School and seniors. Providing home delivery to shut-ins.
Our congregation is small, vibrant, welcoming, and committed with a deep faith and a desire to share God's word with those beyond our walls, that has been the motivation behind offering our worship services online. Initially we hoped to reach about twenty of our shut-ins. However, within weeks our views reached the thousands with many hundreds staying for the whole service.
We are now purchasing proper cameras to enhance the broadcast for people viewing from home.
If you would like to become part of the "Church without walls" we hope to develop, please send us an email so we can contact you. Anyone desiring prayer can email us at [email protected]
If you wish you can specify the prayer concern, you will be put on our prayer list and you will be mentioned by FIRST name the first Sunday after we receive it.
We are presently preparing cards with an original painting of the sanctuary by a now deceased member and booklets that we will send to anyone who provides us with an address,
We would be grateful if viewers watching could send us an email letting us know where you are watching from and how often you tune in.
It would be great help as we find our way in developing this new outreach ministry offering God's word to the wider community.
"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
The Chipman Gaspereau Pastoral Charge
The United Church of Canada
