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2024 Thanksgiving Appeal: A Time for Abundance and Generosity
We trust you're experiencing the abundance and grace of the harvest season, and perhaps also feeling the weight and pain of our world. At James Bay United Church, we create space for the full complexity of the human experience. We strive to be a community of hope while acknowledging despair; a place of abundance while embracing simplicity; and a place of inclusion while celebrating individuality. Places like James Bay United Church are rare, and the world needs us now more than ever. Our 2024 Thanksgiving Appeal is now underway to ensure we can continue meeting the world's needs for the next 133 years. Does that sound ambitious? We hope so! We’ve set a goal of raising $10,000 between Thanksgiving and October 27. That gives us two weeks to connect with our members and friends, inspiring a sense of abundance and generosity. Now, that’s ambitious! The good news is we’re already on our way. Our board members have pledged their support, and recently our community generously responded to the call for funds to purchase chairs for the sanctuary. We nearly doubled that goal! Maybe we can do it again. Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the vital ministries we’re so proud of. Our Sunday mornings are always rich experiences, our arts ministry—including Tuesday Night Jazz at the Church—packs the house, and our thriving Thrift Shop is at the heart of our neighbourhood. Our Thursday lunches nourish and connect our community, and our dedicated maintenance crew keeps our building and grounds in great shape. Throughout the week, many partnerships fill our space with music. Did you know we’re the only church on Vancouver Island offering Healing Pathway training? We're also part of the Reconciling with Indigenous Peoples and the Land initiative, an interfaith steering group taking steps toward reconciliation. This is the work of hope. Our work wouldn’t be possible without supporters like you. This Thanksgiving, please consider topping up your giving to James Bay United Church, so hope will continue spilling out of the sanctuary and into the community. With deepest gratitude and warmest wishes, Charlotte Caron, Colleen Nichol, Franklyn Roy, Greg Powell, James Troutman, Joanne Keelen, John Carroll, Karen Halliday, Kim Keinath, and Martin Stewart P.S. We plan to offer multiple opportunities to contribute to this appeal. If we don’t hear from you by October 20, we’ll send this letter via snail-mail. To save us postage, please consider donating by then or letting us know your intentions by email. If the time isn’t right—we understand times are tough for many—no worries. P.P.S. If you'd prefer to donate by cheque, please make it payable to James Bay United Church with “Thanksgiving Appeal” in the memo line. For more infomation visit:
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Thanksgiving Appeal by Gordon Miller
Join Gordon Miller, a beloved member of James Bay United Church, as he shares his reflections on the beauty of a messy garden and the importance of making a special financial contribution to the church this fall. As part of our 2024 Thanksgiving appeal, we invite you to reflect on gratitude and consider supporting our mission to serve the community. For more infomation visit:
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