Prairie to Pine Regional Council

09/06/2026

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“As I have read the Gospels over the years, the belief has grown in me that Christ did not come to found an organized religion but came instead to found an unorganized one. He seems to have come to carry religion out of the temples into the fields and sheep pastures, onto the roadsides and the banks of the rivers, into the houses of sinners and publicans, into the town and the wilderness, toward the membership of all that is here. Well, you can read and see what you think.”

~Wendell Berry, “Jayber Crow”
RIP WENDELL

Icon: “ Christ in the Wilderness”

Prints, Prayer Candles and Digital Downloads: kellylatimoreicons.com

09/03/2026

It’s photo time! And note the details about the good range of photo topics.

📸✨ Calling All Shutterbugs! Submit Your Photos for 2028 Canadian Church Calendar!

Submissions for the 2028 calendar are now open. If you're considering submitting, here are some ideas.

We’re looking for photos of United Churches:

🙌 Interior shots of people: at worship, church events, the choir singing, architectural details, altar displays, the communion table, a filled baptismal font, etc.

🌿 Exterior shots of churches: not just church buildings but also community gardens, architectural details, greening projects, outdoor services, social justice events, etc.

🌱❄️🍂☀️ Remember to include winter, spring, and fall shots too.

We’d love to see photos of churches from all the provinces and territories across Canada!

📷 We print a photographer credit and offer a $100 honorarium for each photo chosen, and we’ll send you a copy of the calendar once it’s printed.

🗓 Deadline for submissions: January 17, 2027.

👉 Find out more and submit your photos: https://united-church.ca/community-and-faith/get-involved/submit-your-photos

09/02/2026

A very complete update from the Indigenous church. Please share!

September 30 is an important day for all of us. Every child matters. Every survivor needs to be heard. Every respectful public contribution helps push back on anti-Indigenous racism. Thank you to all who are making plans and supporting local groups.

Resources to support your work are posted on the homepage and Indigenous rights pages of our regional council website.

Forty years after The United Church of Canada’s 1986 Apology to Indigenous Peoples, more than 100 people gathered in Sudbury to remember, witness, and recommit to the work of reconciliation. The Rev. Kellie McComb reflected on attending the original Apology as a member of the 31st General Council ...

08/31/2026

A great opportunity for all who serve in rural and remote contexts! Come join people who share your ministry context and supporting one another. Bonus: southern AB hospitality!

This conference is for Lay Leaders, volunteers and Clergy whose church life and work is rooted in a rural setting. Come experience rural hospitality, inspiring theme sessions and practical workshops tuned to today’s rural ministry contexts!

08/28/2026

Friends, this series and indeed all NCTR learning spaces are so rich. As we prepare for the National Day (and Week) for Truth and Reconciliation, please share this and other spaces. Let’s help each other get on the journey and stay on it.

08/27/2026

Praying for the people and lands of Nepal, Tibet, and China who faced this appallingly violent and sudden flood likely caused by the collapse of part of a glacier. Thank you to the wider church for a prayer to help us find words in the face of this devastation.

A devastating flash flood in northern Nepal has killed hundreds of people and left hundreds more missing after a sudden surge of water and debris swept through communities near the Nepal–China border. At least 24 Canadians appear to be among the missing. The disaster has destroyed numerous homes, buildings, and critical infrastructure in the region.

God of Creation,

We live in a world where beauty and danger are found.
Hear our prayers for the people of the Nepal and China border region and the visitors, workers, and tourists
who have been affected by a devastating flash flood,

Bring healing to those who are injured.
Comfort those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods.
Strengthen with your presence
all who are numb with fear and distress.
Guide those who are searching for loved ones
and those anxiously waiting for news.

Be near those who are grieving,
and bless them with your peace.

Grant tenderness, strength, and wisdom
and to all who are working to rescue and care for those in need.

May we be moved by compassion
and share willingly and generously
in the relief and recovery of your much-loved people.

Amen

(Adapted from Celebrate God's Presence, pg. 564.)

[Photo: Pixabay]

08/24/2026

“Our Lady of the Journey”
The second icon in a series of images with the same name, “Our Lady of the Journey” was inspired by a trip to the St. Ines mission while visiting our dear friend Br. Jeff and the Novices of the Franciscan Novitiate community in California. Tucked behind a corner is a tiny statue called “ La Pereguina” or “The Pilgrim”. The date it was created and artist are unknown, however the community called it ‘Our Lady of the journey’ It got me thinking about all of the women in the world on a journey who are seemingly and often quite literally, in the wilderness. Refugees fleeing to safety, young women walking miles upon miles for drinking water, and Mother’s trying to find shelter and a better life for their families. A mother grieving the loss of of a child. The gospel imagery of the Mother Hen isn’t used enough. These mothers are signs and images of the tender love, care, beauty, and presence of God.

“Invisible God, by the power of your love you make present the bodies of the invisible, the poor farm worker, the foreigner, the refugee, the dead. Show us such a presence, as through them you promise to give us your presence. Make us visible; make us real. Make us capable of feeling so we may think make us capable of tears so we may laugh. Make us your visible people, your light, your joy. Amen

Signed Giclee Prints and Prayer Candles: kellylatimoreicons. Com

08/18/2026

This may be a very challenging focus for many. It’s a topic many in Canada would far rather ignore, or use as a reason to blame or dehumanize. Misinformation about harm reduction is everywhere. So is the lived impact of addiction- but we so often won’t talk about that. Please pray and reflect on what your community of faith can do for this Sunday.

In case you missed it: In August 2025, General Council 45 supported the resolution for a Harm Reduction Sunday to be observed across the United Church.

Harm reduction services and supports for people who use drugs are increasingly under threat across Canada. Yet communities of faith are called to respond to the toxic drug crisis with care, dignity, and hope.

For many working in harm reduction, the situation seems quite bleak.

Rev. Jeffrey Dale invites us to consider: does it ever get better? And how can our communities help make “better” possible?

The United Church of Canada will mark its first Harm Reduction Sunday on August 30, 2026.

Find out more and explore the sermon starters and prayer developed for this important day:
https://united-church.ca/blogs/round-table/does-it-get-better-invitation-participate-harm-reduction-sunday

[Photo credit: Pixabay | James Ronin]

08/17/2026

NOW is the time to "take 5" and put thought into your community of faith's stewardship plans for the fall. Sign up to get access to resources, coaching, engaging questions, and a renewed spirit of discipleship. Make your energy, engagement AND money work for you - that's just my two cents! Take a course and see for yourself! For more information, contact Sarah Giles, Growth & Stewardship Animator at [email protected] or get more information and sign up here: https://churchx.ca/local/shop/catalog.php?id=19