Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)
Greetings, all! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
There are many words being thrown around these days. The words of political promises and mud-slinging is in full force. The online discourse on Covid and other complex matters are still surging forth, often displaying a complete lack of care for others. And there are some excited and some anxious words being shared around our own planning and dreams as congregations.
It may seem like a quagmire to sludge through all of these conversations, and the meditations of our hearts might be clouded or tired from these muddy and ruddy words. In these times, make sure that you take a bit of time to sit and reflect with God. We might be tempted to just bolt right out of the gate, but in order to more faithfully navigate these pitfalls and swamps of discourse, bending an ear to God and embracing God’s presence can help.
You can hear the Word of God in our scriptures; seek out God’s words of justice for the outcast, compassion and mercy for the other, and transformative grace for us all. Bring those words into your election conversations or elsewhere. You can hear God’s Word in the caring and meaningful conversations with neighbours and friends, newcomers and congregants. And you can meditate on the ways in which God’s Word has comforted, inspired, and challenged you in the past, bringing those learnings to our time now.
And now, a quick word reiterating our worship plans. Our plan for worship this September is generally to have outdoor worship services, moving into the sanctuaries if there is bad weather. This decision was made by the joint Spiritual Growth Team along with our minister, heeding the advice of re-opening committees, congregants, and the local Health Unit. Outdoor worship at this point is still considered to pose less risks, and we hope to have some nice weather in September.
For the Brussels congregation, our outdoor services will be on the parking pad beside the church, starting at 9:30 a.m.; this is a change from our summer services, which were held at the Conservation Area.
For the Blyth congregation, our outdoor services will be beside the church building, starting at 11:00 a.m. as it was in the summer.
You are invited to bring a lawn chair and your beverage of choice to worship. If you are unable to bring your own chair, we can provide chairs from the church. You can also bring donations for our food drive. Check out more information about this and other events below:
Upcoming Events:
- Blyth is having its outdoor Fellowship Time in the Garden. This happens on Wednesdays from 10-11:30-ish, weather dependent. Bring a lawn chair and beverage of choice.
- We are in the midst of planning youth ministry activities, as well as a fall Bible study for adults. Look for further details in the coming weeks. If you have any suggestions for activities or topics, please let Alex know.
- Many thanks to our Lay Pastoral teams who are checking in with congregants and friends, and making sure that they are connected to the happenings of our congregations. If you know of someone who might enjoy a call, or who may need pastoral care from Alex, be sure to reach out!
- Many thanks to the volunteers who helped keep out outdoor services and other activities running smoothly and faith-filled during the summer. This includes those who managed the food booth at the Blyth Farmer’s Market, among others.
Upcoming Dates:
Labour Day through to Thanksgiving Weekend – Joint Mission: Food Drive for the North Huron Community Food Share. Food and financial donations can be dropped off:
- Worship services at either congregation on Sundays
- Mondays from 9-12 noon at Brussels (side door)
- Wednesdays from 10-12 noon at Blyth (Fellowship Time in the garden)
- Thursdays from 1-4 at Blyth (office door)
- For other drop-off or pick-up options, reach out to Alex or the church offices.
Wednesdays – Fellowship Time in the Garden at Blyth from 10-12ish.
Sunday Sept 12th – Sixteenth after Pentecost (Theme – Siblings in Creation)
- Brussels – Baptism of Mya Martene
- Blyth – Baptism of Hudson Hakkers and McKenzie Hakkers
Sunday Sept 19th – Seventeenth after Pentecost (Theme – God’s Weird Wisdom)
- Brussels – Baptism of Logan Edward Ellis, child of Craig Ellis and Lee Ann (McDonald) Ellis
Sunday Sept 19th – Brussels Fall Fair Parade (2:30 p.m.)
Tuesday Sept 21st – Blyth Official Board Meeting (7:00 p.m.)
Thursday Sept 23rd – Brussels Ministerial Meeting (9:30 a.m.)
Thursday Sept 23rd – Blyth UCW Meeting in Church Narthex (1:30 p.m.)
Sunday Sept 26th – Joint Service at Camp Menesetung (11:00 a.m.)
- 82190 Church Camp Rd, Goderich
- Bring a lawn chair, beverage, and dress for the weather.
- Please wear an orange shirt or other orange clothing for Orange Shirt Day, in remembrance of victims of the residential school system.
- If you need assistance getting to the camp and/or would like to carpool, contact Alex or one of the Spiritual Growth Team members.
Sunday Sept 26th – Huronlea Music Service (3:00 p.m.)
Wednesday Sept 29th – Brussels Official Board Meeting (7:00 p.m.)
Blessings and Christ’s Peace be with you all!
Alex Jebson
Student Minister – Blyth and Brussels United Churches
Email: minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com
Blyth Office Number: 519-523-4224
Brussels Office Number: 519-887-6259
Emergency Pastoral Number: call/text 705-344-3385
Brussels & Blyth United Churches 