Salt Spring Island United Church

08/15/2026

From our friends at Broadview Magazine

Research shows evacuations can damage family support networks, but marginalized communities are reorganizing and learning from the past

08/15/2026

The wildfires threaten so much of our world. Even this.
Former Moderator Carmen Lansdowne, PhD shared this message:

"On what was supposed to be a pivotal year for Naramata Centre, the decision to offer refuge for evacuees, and honour the grief of what’s happening with local wildfires more broadly will have a six figure figure impact on the centre’s bottom line this year.

If you are able, please consider making a donation to the centre to help mitigate the impact of the program closures, and to ensure it can continue to be a nimble and flexible resource for its community and surrounding region."

Dear Friends,

This is a hard morning in the valley. Summerland is empty. Whole streets of people we know left their houses in the dark, and this morning many of them do not know what they will go home to.
Fifteen of them came to us in the middle of the night. More are on their way today.
We have said for a long time that we are here for our neighbours. This morning our neighbours need somewhere to sleep. There are times when we are called to be in service, and we believe this is one of them.

So we have cancelled Gospel Week and all adult programming for Week 5, August 9 to 15. We are offering those rooms to people who have nowhere else to sleep because of an emergency evacuation order.

Some of you have been coming to this week for decades. You have been looking forward to it since last summer. Cancelling it was difficult. We are sorry, and we would not have chosen this. Our values are leading our decisions and we are committed to them.

Naramata Centre is not under an evacuation alert or an evacuation order. Naramata Road is open, and so is the road south into Penticton. This is not a decision about danger here.

Your booking
Anyone booked with us between August 8 and 14 will be credited in full, and the credit is good until August 31, 2027.

To set it up, please fill in our cancellation form at https://forms.gle/9FWnwHJcBWYpuUYd9 Please complete this online if possible, as our office is quite busy with evacuation related issues.
Week 6 programming

We will decide about Week 6 by the middle of next week, and we will write to you as soon as we know.
What we are hoping for is a bigger choir than we planned. If you would like to sing with us in Week 6, please let us know here: https://forms.gle/vQEjA4EnPyDdbXEu9

If you are here now
You are welcome to remain. The kitchen, the beach, the labyrinth, and the grounds are all still here.
If the roads make leaving difficult, or you would rather not travel today, please talk to the front desk about more nights and we will help where we can.
If you are checking out today, please have a look at DriveBC before you go, and let the front desk know you are on your way. It helps us keep track of everyone.

Highway 97 is closed in both directions through Summerland, from Peachland south to Kickininee Provincial Park. If your road home runs north toward Peachland or Kelowna, that is the way you would normally go, and it is not open today. Everything south of us is unaffected.

Smoke, and somewhere to sit indoors
Smoke will come and go through the day.
Columbia Hall is open all day for anyone who is camping, and for anyone who would rather be inside for a while.

N95 masks are at the front desk. Please take one if you would like one, for any reason at all.

Beyond that, please go by how you feel. You know your own lungs better than any forecast does, and there is no need to push through a smoky afternoon.

If you have been evacuated
If you are under an evacuation order and you need somewhere to sleep, you can ask us here: https://www.naramatacentresociety.org/wildfire-evacuee-resources
Please pass that on to anyone you know who needs it.

If you would like to help you can donate using the link below https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/148515

Where to look
BC Wildfire Service: wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/map

Emergency Info BC: emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca
DriveBC, for the highways: drivebc.ca

If you need anything

Come and find us at the front desk. Any question at all, however small. You will not be interrupting us. It is what we are here for today.

Thank you also for your patience this morning, and for the kindness you are showing one another and our staff.

The Naramata Centre team

08/15/2026

Special screening by Zoom- Apartheid free communities. "Roadmap to Apartheid".

After a summer of gathering in a small cinema atmosphere for social justice documentaries on selected Friday nights, we invite you to join a screening from the convenience of your own home next Friday August 21. Please note that you must register individually. There is no small cinema gathering planned at SSIUC for that evening.

If you are trying to view a future month and the calendar won’t let you choose that month, you’ll have to clear your browser cache.

08/15/2026

In a deeply personal reflection, Chris Mah Poy writes about the toll of confronting rising White nationalism, anti-immigrant racism, transphobia, and homophobia. He challenges the church—particularly White clergy and church members—to recognize that racialized people cannot carry the work of anti-racism alone: What will you preach, say, and do?

Read the new blog and explore resources supporting the church’s ongoing anti-racism journey.

In this personal reflection, Chris Mah Poy expresses deep exhaustion, grief, and frustration over the rise of White nationalism, racism, and other forms of discrimination in Canada.

08/05/2026

08/04/2026

From Broadview Magazine

Violence may feel like resistance. Too often, it gives authoritarian movements exactly the story they need. Jesus offers a Third Way.

07/30/2026

Following Jesus isn't about gaining power over people. It's about surrendering ourselves to God so we can better serve those around us.

The life Christ modeled was marked by humility, self-control, compassion, and sacrificial love. He washed feet, forgave His enemies, and gave His life for others. The closer we walk with Him, the less our faith becomes about ourselves and the more it becomes about reflecting His heart.

May our lives be known not by what we demand from others, but by the love, grace, and kindness we freely give.

If these quiet reflections encourage your walk with Jesus, we'd love to have you join our free weekly devotional. Each week, we share Scripture and thoughtful encouragement to help you grow in faith, become more like Christ, and live out His love in the everyday moments of life. You can sign up through the link in our bio.

07/30/2026

Richmond Pride. Thanks for sharing Gilmore Park United Church and South Arm United Church