OUTREACH  

          The Northminster United Church Outreach Committee provides opportunities to help those in need within our community and the wider world. The Committee coordinates projects and activities which encourage the congregation to expand its focus as we think about and help others. The Outreach Committee also provides leadership in advocacy and education, striving to bring attention to current and emerging social justice issues.

Ongoing Outreach Programs:

St. Vincent’s Kitchen

Northminster is one of many local churches that provide assistance to St. Vincent’s Kitchen, a community restaurant that serves low cost and nutritious meals in a dignified way to the needy and hungry of Durham Region. On the fifth Saturday of a month the Northminster team (about 40 people) cooks and serves the meal. If you would like to be involved in this important ministry, please contact Ruth Holtz.

Simcoe Hall Settlement House

Each week donations of canned food are brought in by individuals as part of their gifts and offerings. These donations go to the Simcoe Hall Settlement House food bank, just one of many important services provided by Simcoe Hall to families and children in need.
For more information call 905-728-7525 or write to info@simcoehall.com.

Canadian Foodgrains Bank

In 2007 Northminster United Church partnered for the first time with Knox United Church in Belgrave, Ontario. Funds raised by Northminster are put toward seed and fertilizer, and the output is matched 4:1 by CIDA. By 2008, almost $3000 was raised by the congregation, which covered the cost of planting 58 rows of corn.

Ten Thousand Villages

In 2008 Northminster held its sixth annual Ten Thousand Villages Sale, also known as our Upside-Down Thanksgiving celebration. An assortment of beautiful hand-crafted items from around the world are consigned to the church for a one-day sale held immediately after the church service, and 100% of the proceeds from the sale are returned to Ten Thousand Villages.
For more information on Ten Thousand Villages, visit their website at www.tenthousandvillages.ca

Habitat for Humanity

Northminster has just recently become involved with the local South Durham branch of Habitat for Humanity; in the summer of 2008 we provided lunch to the volunteers on the build site for the first time. We hope to have many more opportunities to support Habitat for Humanity.

White Gift Sunday

Each December, on the second Sunday of Advent, the Outreach Committee coordinates a special offering that is received in support of many local organizations, including Oshawa’s Gate 3:16, AIDS Committee of Durham, The Refuge, Cornerstone, YWCA, Denise House, and Simcoe Hall Settlement House. Food, toys, clothing, and financial support are distributed to assist these dedicated organizations in their mission.

United Church of Canada – Mission and Service Fund

The congregation of Northminster United Church also makes a substantial financial commitment to the United Church of Canada’s ministry through the Mission and Service Fund. Our commitment in 2008 is $43,000.

Outreach meets at 7:30 pm on the second Tuesday of each month at a member’s home. Please contact the church office if you would like more information, or wish to attend a meeting.

Annual Outreach Programs:

Each year the Outreach Committee identifies a social justice theme for the congregation to focus on. Often the work of the United Church of Canada leads us to this theme, but the work of KAIROS and other organizations also guides and informs us.

Past Programs

2007-2008 - Examining Empire (United Church of Canada, social justice initiative)

Many members of the church participated in the six sessions devoted to examining the role and impact of “Empire” in our current society. From book discussions (Jesus and Empire, Ecology at the Heart of Faith), to movie presentations (Richard Horsley’s Manufactured Landscapes) to a 100-mile pot-luck dinner inspired by the popular book, we learned of our complicity in “Empire”. More importantly, we discussed what changes we can make in our day-to-day lives which will result in small but far-reaching changes that positively affect others and the environment.

2006-2007 - Mission and Service Fund World Development and Relief (WDR)
The United Church works in partnership with churches and agencies that have established strong community development programs. These community-based programs focus on agriculture, water access and quality, community health, education, childcare, youth work, and HIV/AIDS prevention. The United Church is committed not only to responding to immediate needs in a crisis situation, but also to doing long-term work as communities rebuild and re-establish.

2005-2006 - Waterfocus (United Church of Canada) and Life Before Profit Kairos Campaigns
Many believe that water is a sacred gift connecting all life. Free and equal access to water is a gift under threat throughout the world. At Northminster the education and awareness campaign focused on the topics of water privatization, which can deny the basic human right of access to clean water, the safeguarding of our local watersheds and the examination of water usage in our households, including bottled water. At our annual Outreach Sunday we welcomed guest speaker Suzanne Elston, a renowned Canadian environmental author and broadcaster. She gave us a stimulating message about water and how it relates to our lives as Christians.

2004-2005 - AIDS Beads of Hope Campaign
The Beads of Hope Campaign was launched as a two-year emergency response appeal, which ended on December 1, 2004. Thousands of volunteers across Canada became involved in the campaign. There were thousands of local initiatives: workshops, speakers, worship services, concerts, dinners, rock-a-thons, loonie challenges, theatrical productions, quilts and contacts with Canadian AIDS Service organizations.
A petition containing 40,000 signatures was tabled in Parliament. Two million dollars were raised to support global partner HIV/AIDS programs, in part through the sale of 45,000 beaded pins that were handcrafted by women affected by AIDS in Africa.