Mount Seymour United Church

Mount Seymour United Church We are an open, kind, diverse & community-minded organization. All are welcome. We are not alone. God is with us. Community Helps us Honour and Sustain the Sacred.

At the heart of our community is a belief that how we live is more important than what we believe. The Mount Seymour United Church community follows a progressive form of Christianity which means:

We take the Bible seriously but not literally. We understand the bible as a human product, written in the context of two ancient communities. It is a record of how those people understood and experienc

ed God and their life of faith. We use the Bible as a central source of wisdom, inspiration, understanding and guidance for our life. We follow the Way of Jesus
We look to the story of Jesus and the way he lived his life as a model for our own living.We understand Jesus as both a figure of history and a mysterious presence we refer to as Christ within and amongst us. Through this understanding we gain a deeper sense of what it means to be created in the image of the divine. We call “God” by many names and experience the sacred in a variety of ways. We experience God as something larger than ourselves and yet part of us. We understand God in human form primarily through Jesus. We gather in community for support, challenge, accountability and to experience the sacred in a particular way. Journeying with others reminds us of the foundations of the Christian path which include prayer and contemplation; the work of seeking justice for our world and for our earth; and compassionate living. Communal life provides the opportunity to engage the rituals of the Christian tradition, particularly communion and baptism, which help to shape, form and sustain us. Our Desire
To be transformed and to be part of transforming our world into a just, peaceful and sustainable earth home. For further information on the beliefs of the United Church of Canada please visit the United Church of Canada Website.

Our Lenten Series about Pilgrimage is named after and occasionally makes reference to the movie, The Way, with Martin Sh...
03/10/2026

Our Lenten Series about Pilgrimage is named after and occasionally makes reference to the movie, The Way, with Martin Sheen, so a group of us gathered alongside the craft group today and watched the movie in the sanctuary.

Holland Landscapers won an award for our Labyrinth project! The 2025 BC LAE Unique Feature Award
03/04/2026

Holland Landscapers won an award for our Labyrinth project! The 2025 BC LAE Unique Feature Award

Coffee and Conversation!Thursdays at 11amOn Thursdays at 11am, men from the church gather at the Church Cafe and purchas...
03/04/2026

Coffee and Conversation!

Thursdays at 11am

On Thursdays at 11am, men from the church gather at the Church Cafe and purchase their coffee/lunch/cheesecake and enjoy conversation.

Saturdays at 9:30am

On Saturdays at 9:30am,
women from the church meet in the Deep Cove Room for coffee and friendship.

Both groups welcome new members and are places of mutual support and encouragement, which is a vital part of our ministry. They are also the longest standing groups at the church!

A few of us walked 5km downtown this evening to raise money for First United Church in the Coldest Night Of the Year wal...
03/01/2026

A few of us walked 5km downtown this evening to raise money for First United Church in the Coldest Night Of the Year walk. Tierney, Laura, Gareth and Rev. Carla represented Mount Seymour United as a team.

Thank you to those of you who donated already, we have raised over $1755 so far! The walk raised over $150,000 for First United! It isn't too late to donate. Here is the link: https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/TeamFundraisingPage.aspx?teamID=1044517&langPref=en-CA

Sunday, February 22, 10amLent One:“The Wandering Way”Scripture Readings:Luke 3: 21-22Luke 4: 1-13This Sunday we begin ou...
02/20/2026

Sunday, February 22, 10am
Lent One:
“The Wandering Way”
Scripture Readings:
Luke 3: 21-22
Luke 4: 1-13

This Sunday we begin our Lenten journey with the theme “The Wandering Way.”

In a world that prizes certainty and straight lines, Lent reminds us that faith is often discovered in the wandering. After his baptism, Jesus was led into the wilderness, not as punishment, but as preparation. It was there, in the disorientation and quiet, that he clarified who he was and whose he was.

We will reflect on the truth that not all who wander are lost. Sometimes the detours, the questions, and even the temptations become the very places where God shapes us most deeply.

As part of our worship this week, we will introduce Spiritual Practice Stations around the sanctuary. These simple, prayerful spaces are invitations to engage your body as well as your heart, places to pause, reflect, light a candle, write a prayer, hold a stone, or sit in stillness. You are welcome to move among them during designated times in the service, or remain seated if that feels right for you.

Lent is not a race toward Easter. It is a pilgrimage. And sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is slow down, wander prayerfully, and trust that God meets us along the way.

Come ready to walk gently.

Recognizing Black History Month today at Mount Seymour. Today was a Gospel Choir Sunday with Marcus and Dominique, and t...
02/15/2026

Recognizing Black History Month today at Mount Seymour. Today was a Gospel Choir Sunday with Marcus and Dominique, and they sang some inspiring songs for today. Rev Deb reminded us that honouring Black History should not just be saved for one month of the year.

Sunday, February 15, 10amEpiphany Six:Black History MonthScripture Reading:Matthew 14: 13 - 21Today, rather than a refle...
02/12/2026

Sunday, February 15, 10am
Epiphany Six:
Black History Month

Scripture Reading:
Matthew 14: 13 - 21

Today, rather than a reflection on this coming Sunday, we offer a prayer for all of us about the tragic events in Tumbler Ridge.

Ever Present God, who meets us not only in the light of the day but in the valleys of the shadows of death, we come before You with broken hearts.

In Tumbler Ridge, nine of our neighbors — adults and children — have been shot and killed. We struggle even to say the words. The weight of this violence feels unbearable. Grief renders us silent.

God of compassion, hold the community of Tumbler Ridge and all of us.

Hold the families whose lives have been torn apart. Hold the parents who must bury children, the children who must grow up without a parent, the friends who replay their last conversations. Sit beside them in hospital rooms, in living rooms, in sleepless nights. When words fail us, let Your presence speak.

We confess that we are shaken. We are confused. We ask ancient questions that have no easy answers. Where were You? Why does this happen? How do we live in a world where such harm is possible?

In our lament, meet us.
Remind us that You are not distant from the pain but present within it. Remind us that death and hatred do not have the final word.

Spirit of comfort, wrap the town in gentleness. Guard the first responders and caregivers from despair. Strengthen teachers, counselors, clergy, and neighbors who will carry others through the days ahead. Protect our children from fear that steals their sense of safety.

God of justice, we also pray for courage. Courage to face the roots of violence. Courage to change what must be changed. Courage to build a community where conflicts are met with compassion, where mental health is cared for, and where love is stronger than fear.

Do not let us grow numb. Do not let us turn away.
We ask in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Amen

And, we'll see you Sunday as we mark Black History Month and enjoy the music and reflections of Marcus Mosely and Dominique Hogan.

Gospel Choir Rehearsal Tonight!

Our hearts are heavy as we heard the news of violence at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.A place meant for learning, laug...
02/11/2026

Our hearts are heavy as we heard the news of violence at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.

A place meant for learning, laughter, and growing has been touched by fear and sorrow, and we feel that grief ripple far beyond one community.

We hold in prayer those whose lives were taken, entrusting them to the tender mercy of God.

We pray for their families and friends, for classmates and teachers, for a whole town now carrying shock and heartbreak.

We pray for those who were injured, for steady hands and wise decisions in their care, and for healing in body, mind, and spirit.

We remember first responders, school staff, counsellors, and all who stepped in with courage - may they be upheld as they process what they have seen and done.

God of compassion,
be close to the students who will be afraid to return,
to the parents who are holding their children tighter tonight,
to educators who must find words in the face of the unspeakable.

Where there is trauma, bring comfort.
Where there is anger and confusion, bring patience and clarity.
Where there is despair, kindle even the smallest light of hope.

We grieve not only this tragedy, but the reality that such violence continues to wound communities. Strengthen us, O God, not to grow numb, but to grow more committed, to kindness over cruelty, to listening over division, to justice and peace in our schools and streets.

May Christ, who wept at the tomb of a friend, weep with Tumbler Ridge now.
May the Spirit intercede with sighs too deep for words.
And may God’s mercy and steady love surround that community tonight and in the days ahead.

-Rev. Carla, Mount Seymour United Church

Sunday, February 8, 10amEpiphany Five”Salt and Light”Scripture Reading:Matthew 5: 13-20Let’s be honest: the world is fee...
02/06/2026

Sunday, February 8, 10am
Epiphany Five
”Salt and Light”
Scripture Reading:
Matthew 5: 13-20

Let’s be honest: the world is feeling pretty loud and a little overwhelming these days. So it’s kind of refreshing that when Jesus wants to talk about faith, he reaches for something as ordinary as salt and light. This Sunday at Mount Seymour, as we continue to navigate a season of transition, we’ll spend some time lingering with those images and asking what they might look like in real life, not in theory, but in the everyday moments we actually live. Drawing on Isaiah’s vision of repair and restoration, and Paul’s reminder that wisdom and humility tend to travel together, we’ll reflect on how small, faithful acts - sometimes quiet, sometimes joyful, sometimes shared over coffee - can still shine with surprising light.

This afternoon Rev. Carla was invited to participate with other faith leaders across the Lower Mainland and was honoured...
02/06/2026

This afternoon Rev. Carla was invited to participate with other faith leaders across the Lower Mainland and was honoured with a blanketing ceremony on the Tseil-Waututh lands. Charlene and Reuben, two of Chief Dan George's grandchildren led the ceremony and spoke. They were asking for the prayers of our faith communities for protection of the waters of the Inlet in light of the upcoming dredging plan.

It was a very powerful and humbling experience and also so heartwarming to be in a room with so many siblings in faith with leaders from communities of Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, United Church, Anglican, and Unitarians, and praying together in a good way.

There is an event coming up called Prayers, People, Inlet on Saturday Feb 21 at 2pm at St Andrews Wesley United Church 1022 Nelson St Vancouver (Nelson and Burrard Downtown). Please mark your calendars and let's get together and make a difference and learn together.

Decolonization is a Community ActA Retreat for Church Leaders and Young AdultsFebruary 17-20, at Camp Fircom, Gambier Is...
02/05/2026

Decolonization is a Community Act

A Retreat for Church Leaders and Young Adults
February 17-20, at Camp Fircom, Gambier Island

There is a wonderful event being held at Camp Fircom on Gambier Island for 4 days beginning Feb 17. Those who attended last year found the experience powerful and even life changing. We apologize for the late notice. Your participation would not only be of value to you but a great assist to Mount Seymour United Church as you share what you learned and experienced. All are welcome and young adults especially encouraged to attend. We realize this is a mid week event and a unique and important opportunity to grow in capacity and connections to further reconciliation.

This is an important invitation to those committed to healing and reconciliation.
Please contact Deb Bowman (604-802-8210) for more information, any help with registration and funding. Financial sponsorship is available! Hard closing date is next Friday, February 13. Thank you for considering this event - something we pray for every Sunday.

Details

Decolonization is a Community Act — Whether that work is in oneself or tied to broader institutional change, it must unfold in a circle alongside Indigenous voices, guiding hands, and the community.

This is a land-based 4-day camp that will be held at Camp Fircom on beautiful Gambier Island in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh territory. Participants will engage in a land-based immersive experience led by Sḵwx̱wú7mesh knowledge-holders and land-based practitioners.
During this unique opportunity, you will:
Engage in a land-based immersive experience with other church leaders, older youth and young adults.
Have the opportunity to develop capacities within yourself that will help actualize the vision of The United Church of Canada to heal relationships within communities.
Through facilitation, consider culture and healing by critiquing the perpetuation of colonizing perspectives in conventional trauma-informed mental health approaches.
Be supported with taking action in helping Indigenous communities and acknowledging the United Church's role in upholding colonialism and racism.

For information on logistics and registration, click here: https://leadershiftuccan.org/decolonization-is-a-community-act-2026

Address

1200 Parkgate Avenue
North Vancouver, BC
V7H2X9

Telephone

+16049291336

Website

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