For more COVID-19 Information click HERE
Information on ways to make Donations
For letter from our Treasurer click HERE
For PAR sign up form click HERE
For PAR cancellation form click HERE
Information on ways to make Donations
For letter from our Treasurer click HERE
For PAR sign up form click HERE
For PAR cancellation form click HERE
Burton Avenue United Church is a dynamic Christ-centred community of faith. For over 145 years, we have served the community of Allandale and the surrounding Barrie area, through meaningful worship, spiritual nurture and outreach into the community and wider world. We are inclusive, open, welcoming, willing to push the boundaries and take risks in order to be the hands and voice and heart of Christ. If you are looking for a church home where you will be welcomed, nurtured and challenged, Welcome to Burton Avenue United Church!
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EXPLORE BURTON aVENUE uNITED church
What's NEWCelebrations and Thanksgiving!!!
Please feel free to send in those things you are celebrating and those things for which you are thankful so that they can be shared through our weekly announcements. Tell us about birthdays, anniversaries, accomplishments, special activities. Please submit them by 11 am on Wednesday so that they can be included in the Thursday email. Surely God is in This Place - Without a Sunday morning gathering (in front of computer screens or in person) for awhile, you are encouraged to spend time on Sundays wondering and offering gratitude for God's presence wherever you are! Take a picture of a moment, an event, a person, a colour, a path where you are finding God's presence today! Post the picture and/or share words, poems, reflections. Help us to connect with one another and with God! I have set up a facebook group for us to share our "summer worship in the world" moments. If you are not on facebook, send your information to the church office and we will post for you. I look forward to all of us sharing the many ways we worship God while we are apart. Blessings, Andrea Wheaton https://www.facebook.com/groups/279047386710329/ I look forward to all of us sharing the many ways we worship God while we are apart. Blessings, Andrea Wheaton Staff Away - Andrea Wheaton will be away from Aug.10-Aug.16 for Continuing Education. She will be attending Rendez-vous, the online version of the UCC national gathering that takes place every three years for youth, young adults and their leaders and ministers. She will then be on vacation from Aug. 17 - Sept. 7. While Andrea is away emergency pastoral care will be covered by the Rev. Ruth McDonald (not the weekends of Aug. 14-16 and 28-30) and the Rev. Patricia Gale-MacDonald. Church Photo Directory - watch for the email with the latest version. From our Minister of Music - "Happy Summer Months! I am greatly missing you all, but I'm hoping that you are enjoying these beautiful summer days with family and close friends. As we work our way through our transition plan to where we can hold services from the church again, I would like to invite you to join me (from your homes) in a couple of hymn sings. On SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 and SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, I will be live streaming from the Sanctuary for approximately one hour. It will be a time filled with familiar and loved hymns, reflective music, and hopefully some "chat" with many of you! In order to help me put those mornings together, if you have a favourite or beloved hymn that you've been missing over these summer months and would like to belt out from the comfort of your home, please let me know by either an email (kpergau@gmail.com) or give me a call (705-717-8682). We plan to have the lyrics on the screen so you can follow along from home. These livestreams will be instrumental in helping our newly formed tech team work out the kinks in the process for Sunday mornings so that Andrea and I can hit the ground running on September 13. And speaking of our tech team, I want to say thanks to Alan McGee and Edd Taylor for spearheading this tech/live-streaming initiative! Also, I know that they are very interested in growing the team to include more volunteers to help run this new part of our service, so if you have a technology itch or are looking to learn a new skill, be sure to get in touch with either Alan or Edd. I hope to "see" you on either August 30 or September 6 (or both!) and can't wait until the days when we can be together in person again with our voices rising together in beautiful music. Katie” Givings to Date Mailing - this past week a mailing was sent with your Givings to Date record. If you do not receive this mailing and believe that you have givings to date that we should have received, please contact the church office. Youth Haven: "Backyard Campout for Youth" - On Saturday night we participated in the Backyard Campout for Youth. We had lots of fun hanging out together outside and in the tent. We talked and told tales around the campfire, roasted hot dogs, marshmallows and even cheesies! Papa dug out the charcoal grill and cooked dinner over the hot coals. We read stories in the tent and in the boat. We were lucky enough to get in most of our planned activities before it started to rain. It rained all night long and we were thankful to have a tent that kept us warm and dry. The rain was a good reminder of why we were camping out. The youth sleeping rough in the streets while they wait for a bed at Youth Haven don't have the luxury of a tent to shelter them. Thank you to everyone that supported us by making a donation. We were the top Individual fundraiser and the top Fundraising team. Team Burton raised $720 for Youth Haven. In total $1945 was raised. If you would like to support the cause you can still make a donation till August 31st. Help us help Youth Haven reach their goal. Christine Nayler Also, Youth Haven is in need of men's summer clothing at this time. Update about Return to In-person Ministry - On Wed., July 8 the Church Board Executive approved the first part of our Safe Re-opening Plan for the Building and In-person Activities. The team planning for the full return to the building has carefully developed safety protocols that will be updated and added to as we live out our mission and ministry in the midst of the continued Covid-19 pandemic. In caring for our community and all God’s beloved world, we have a responsibility to ensure that our building and our activities are safe for all and to be part of creating safe space in the wider community. Click Letter Regarding Return to In-person Ministry and Safe Re-opening Plan and In-person Activities for all the details. Sunday Worship is on a Summer Break - we are not continuing any online worship gatherings or beginning any in-person worship until September. Instead, we are inviting you to consider different ways to spend your "Sunday worship" time during the summer. Look around you and wonder how God is present in your midst whether you are enjoying a walk, gardening, birdwatching, having a backyard distanced visit with friends, or making phone calls to others in our church family. Send the office an email about the places and ways you are spending time with God. Or watch one of our previous recordings that you may have missed. Click on our YouTube channel link and choose a video to watch or re-watch. Administrative Assistant Position Help us drive our mission statement of … “To know God through Jesus Christ, and to reflect God’s love as the church in a changing community and world”. With over 145 years of history in the Barrie area, Burton Avenue United Church, is seeking an Administrative Assistant to join our dynamic team! The work takes place from the BAUC office and runs Monday through Friday 9-12 noon with the possibility of expanded hours. The position reports to the Minister of Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care and while the main focus is to support that role, the job also entails providing support to other team staff, the Church Board and our growing Congregation. Below are the key skills we are looking for:
For a more detailed job description, click here. Interested applicants, should email their resume to baucapps@icloud.com (with subject heading “BAUC Admin”) Deadline for submissions is end of day, Friday, August 21, 2020. We thank all applicants but only successful candidates will be contacted. ONGOING News
Church Office - There is someone in the office to answer phones and emails on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays from 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Need to talk? Listening Post Barrie is Listening! The goal of our listening is to offer another person unconditional love and humanity, even if it is only for a brief moment. Would you find it helpful to share your story and be heard during this time of physical distancing? Do you know someone who would like to be heard? The volunteers with the Listening Post Barrie are ready to listen through 3 phone lines every Friday from 1:30-3:30 pm! We start on July 17. Our phone numbers are. 705-230-6656, 705-230-6161 and 705-230-6078. Call the first number between 130 and 330 on Fridays. If it is busy... call the next and so on. Our volunteer listeners are not crisis counsellors, but we are people trained in the art of active listening. We are available to offer connection and support through the gift of deep listening. 2020 continues to be a challenging year! - At the Board meeting on July 8, approval was given to replace the flat roof on our building. Property & Administration had been monitoring a number of leaks on the flat roof and recommended that we now need to go ahead with the replacement. The Stewardship committee is looking for volunteers who are interested in joining a temporary team to help with fundraising for this project. We already have a few ideas/plans in the works and are looking for more input. Think of this as a way to re-connect with others in our church family. Nothing like a project to help us to remember that we are united! We see this as an opportunity for you to participate in the life of your church while you are waiting to return to the building that we are missing and we will return to soon! If you are interested, please contact Carol Bartlett at or Sandy Davidson via the church office. Masks for Sale - I am making and selling fabric face masks. I have 2 sizes available (child and adult) and several colours and fabric designs. These masks have a wire insert for fitting around the nose and a pocket area where you can add a filter if you wish. They are available for pick-up or delivery (in Barrie). They are $10 each with 100% of sales going to Burton Avenue United Church. To order, please email Cate F.D. through the office or directly if you have her contact info. Thank you to all the people who who have ordered masks. Your support has been amazing! Thanks, Cate. Weekly Tuesday Talk at Ten - is on a break for the summer. Instead why don't you phone someone in our church community or plan a physically distanced visit. David Busby Street Centre - the centre is in need of the following items: men's summer clothing, cash donations and food staples for making sandwiches on site. Message from the Barrie Native Friendship Center - Hello Everyone, It’s been such a treat to receive seedlings throughout the month of June. In addition, for the generous support of growing advice, lumber for garden beds, and pots. For those who I have met, and for those that I’ve yet to meet, it’s been a reward to help coordinate this project, especially during a time where there is less connection. This project has helped to generate connection and relationships to foster, across communities, and with nature. I have to give thanks to Selene Taylor for being the key to this project, it is her ideas and dedication that has pushed this project forward. Food security is a primary concern with many of our community members. Having connection to land is another barrier. While some people have access to a backyard to plant, many are growing from balcony’s or indoors. Once again, thank you for your time and interest in this project. It’s amazing to see how many people became involved. We actually have a surplus of seedlings, so we will plant some at our garden as well as extend the gift to community partners – it’s a project that keeps growing. Look forward to familiar faces in the future. You are welcome to check out the BNFC garden on Facebook at “Nookmisim Gtigaan – Grandmother’s Garden”. Be well, Miigwetch! Church Leaders Acknowledge the Racism in Their Midst: In response to the demonstrations across the United States and Canada in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Anglican Church of Canada, and The United Church of Canada have issued a joint letter. Moderator Richard Bott calls on White members of the church “to commit ourselves to this work, for everyone’s sake.” The Black Clergy Network of The United Church of Canada invited us to a time of online worship, prayer, and reflection on issues of anti-Black racism across our country and in our church . If you missed it, the recording of that service can be watched so that you can worship with them and lament, hope, and be reminded of the need to act against racism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHJYOdEPK2w Camp Awesome - Shining Waters Regional Council invites you to Together Apart: Seize the Day as Camp Awesome goes online this year for a fun and educational line up of programming for your child. We hope to see you there! Programs include:
Weekly or Monthly Offering - An email was sent with details from the Treasurer about how you can continue with donations if you wish to do so. The information is also on our website. If you need help finding this information, please contact the church office. Burton Ave United in Broadview Magazine, June edition - several people have mentioned the picture and article about The Listening Post featuring Rev. Ruth McDonald. The article was written by our own Julie McGonegal. There is also a mention of our congregation in an article on Growing Congregations. Click here to read more. Pastoral Care - many of us have been keeping in touch through phone calls, emails and even snail mail. What a blessing it has been that we can still connect to one another in those ways. This has been a good time for so many of us to get to know others in our church that we did not yet know! Remember that Pastoral Care is a ministry that all of us share and need to participate in, however we can. Whether you are making contact or receiving contact, we are caring for one another. Whether you are on the prayer list or you are praying for those on the list, we are caring for one another. Whether you are listening to someone's concerns or you are voicing your worries, we are caring for one another. As we continue to be apart, we will need to continue to stay in touch and care for one another in all the ways that we can. Youth Inc. Burton Buddies – if you need contact information for your buddy so that you can send a card, a drawing, a message, please contact the church office. Virtual Camps (In the Region and Beyond) Camp Big Canoe Camp Everywhere! A new program from Camp Big Canoe that is delivering interactive and active virtual camp activities for children! Some of the awesome Camp Big Canoe Staff Family have teamed up with creative, insightful, fun and wacky camp-style programs designed to encourage positive social interaction. There is live and interactive programming every weekday at 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 8pm; Saturdays at 11am and 1pm; special events on Sundays at 7pm. There is even a trivia night for all of you parents, alumni and staff every Friday at 8pm. http://www.campbigcanoe.ca/campeverywhere/ GO Project Children’s Camp (Monday/Wednesday/Friday), 11 am – 12 pm Grade 1 – 6 GO Project Virtual Youth Drop-In (Tuesday/Thursday), 2 pm – 3 pm Grade 7 + Website: https://thegoproject.ca/virtual-camp/ Youth Haven All residents have been moved to a motel for their health and safety and that of their staff. The shelter will remain open for EMERGENCY services only. If you wish to make a donation, please contact Youth Haven (705-739-7616) WEEKDAYS between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to arrange a time. Donations will be accepted WEEKDAYS between 10 a.m and 6 p.m. Items they currently can accept are pre-packaged foods including snacks, cleaning supplies such as hand sanitizer/soap, as well as unused board games/puzzles. Financial donations can still be made online at youthhaven.ca Email Updates - We are corresponding to the congregation through Mailchimp. The email comes from the church office email address and is the easiest way for us to send updated information. Check your junkmail if you are not receiving these emails. Or perhaps the office does not have your correct email so send a quick note to burtonaveunitedchurch@outlook.com And if you wish to be removed from the email list, you can unsubscribe. Fraud Prevention Even with this terrible virus with us, there are people out there who are trying to scam money from people using this COVID-19 situation. Please go to www.antifraudcentre.ca for all the different type of fraud scams and how to protect yourself. If you have been scammed please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. |
lend a helping hand
Barrie Food Bank - is in need of juice, jam and toilet paper.
Busby Street Centre - needs toiletries, toilet paper, coffee, sugar, cream, powdered milk, peanut butter, oatmeal, juice boxes, granola bars, tear top pastas and soups and bottled water. Or sign up in the foyer to make/deliver sandwiches to the Centre on Wednesdays. Youth Haven - They need school/work snacks, Mr. Noodles, pasta (not spaghetti) Chef Boyardee type meals, soups, canned veggies/fruits, deodorant, socks, underwear. Items are used in the shelter and provide food packages to youth living on their own. Donations can be dropped off at 22 Wellington St. E. Listening Post Barrie We nurture listeners and create spaces in Barrie where people can be heard one-on-one with compassion, respect and in confidence because listening is a gift for both the sharer and the listener. To volunteer email Ruth McDonald at listeningpostbarrie@gmail.com. The Open Hands Mission Team is supporting a number of projects in Nicaragua including the building of a school. Donations in support of the Nicaragua Mission should be made payable to "Open Hands United Mission. ON THE WEB Please email blindalleyarts@rogers.com for corrections, changes, or additions to the website. Burton Avenue United Church Facebook Page Please feel free to invite your friends and family to like the page and join us at our events. https://www.facebook.com/BurtonAvenueUnitedChurch/ On Going
Nametags – If you would like a nametag or you need a new one please sign up in the foyer or let the office know. Children & Youth can have nametags too. If parents prefer just first names on the children’s tags let us know. And remember to wear your nametag. It helps us get to know one another.
Resource Corner - Both the Affirm Team and the Truth & Reconciliation Committee have compiled books and other resources that you can borrow or keep. On the bulletin board right outside the sanctuary the Outreach Committee have posted information about Mental Health Awareness – take any flyers or information that you need. Car Pool to Church – Are you able to occasionally offer rides to church for those needing them? We are wanting to collect a list of those able to offer rides. If you wish more information or are able to offer rides, please speak to Andrea Wheaton. Parking Lot - Did you know that on Sundays there is parking on the other side of the school next door to us? There is also the lot behind the school which can be accessed from Cumberland St. or there is now a road from our lot to it. Please leave the parking spaces closest to the church for those who have difficulty walking a further distance. People with hearing aids!! The sanctuary is equipped with a loop system which works with your hearing aids. You must have a “T coil” installed and activated. Set your hearing aid to “T coil”. Notice to Church Members and Guests Our services and events may be photographed or videotaped for the purpose of informing our members or the public. If you have a concern about your image being used in these situations, please let us know. |
Photo used under Creative Commons from pstenzel71
