Grace United Church
Annual Report
2013
Mission Statement
In response to God’s call, we the congregation of Grace United Church
understand our mission is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to all
ages. Using the Bible as our guide, we are challenged to worship and
praise and celebrate God’s love and accept God’s grace, learn God’s
will, live in faith, and reach out in humble service in the community
and the world.
1
Grace United Church
4708 50th Avenue, Lloydminster, Alberta T9V 0W4
Temporary Office: 5008 47 Street
Phone 780-875-8959; fax 780-875-5850
email: graceu@telusplanet.net
web site: www. graceunitedchurch.ca
Office hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (closed noon hour)
Volunteer Staff:
Music Director: Gladys Jack
Pianist: Lois Sonnega
Organist: Jason Barnsley
Fill ins - Irene Knowlson & Linda Anderson
Ministers Emeriti: Reverend Harold Martin
Diaconal Wilma Sharpe
Serving the Community: The Congregation
Paid Staff:
Minister: Reverend Paul N. Duval
Congregational Designated Minister: Joyce Dickson
Office Manager/treasurer: Mary Laursen
Envelope Secretary/M&S treasurer: Diane Davies
Caretaker: Rusty Bell
2
In Memory
Alan Early
Barbara Tingey
Janet Kerr
Eileen Berry
Joseph Fournier
Aubrey Weishaar
John Ross
Dr. Ron Nattress
William Draves
Olinda Tindall
Andrew West
Sylvia Latchuk
Cora Rogers
Jean Hemstock
Blakely Holt
Douglas Nickless
Alfred Davidson
Lucille Kerr
Vera Martin
Gail Willment
Donna Sheppard
Frances Foote
Mabel MacKay
Jayden Boettcher
Kristopher Tavener
Nancy Stanley
Donalda Galbraith
Eva Campbell
Charles Jezowski
Beverley Robertson
John Malka
Viola Zadery
Isabel Garden
Agnes Timmins
Myrtle Turner
Anna Campbell
Kyle Martin
Sylvia Currie
Allison McColm
Eva Babb
Rhonda St. Jean
Emma Sandall
Dorothy Elliott
Percy Lavigne
Ernest Squair
Lillian Martens
Marian Brown
Eileen Thrower
3
Minister's Page
This time last year our congregation was focused on cleaning, getting rid of superfluous
furniture, books, throwing out outdated papers, filling sea cans and preparing to move
into the new offices, all in aid of vacating the church to allow for the demolition and new
construction. What a difference a year makes.
This past year has been a succession of frustrations, disappointments, opening new doors
with new contractors, re-drawing our plans to cut down our foot print, limit the size of
foundations, and eliminate expensive firewalls. We have reworked budgets, held
meetings, and looked at alternatives. All the while the UCW has hosted funeral teas at
the Legacy Centre and the Presbyterian Hall. We have held our events at the Civic
Centre, St. John's Anglican Hall and wherever we could find appropriate space. And it
has been a challenge.
The ancient Israelites Looked back on the time of King David as their "golden age".
But really in their history it was the other more difficult times when they developed the
resources and traditions that would sustain them for the long haul.
Just after the "Exodus" the flight from slavery in Egypt by crossing the Sea of Reeds, a
small band of Hebrew nomads lived forty years (a generation) in the wilderness. They
faced hunger and thirst (Exodus ch. 16 and 17). They endured their personal squabbles
and fights (Exodus ch. 18) They complained about their leaders, and they longed to
return to the relative stability of Egypt. But, they also learned. They learned to be
patient, they learned to be resourceful, they learned to persevere, and they learned to trust
one another, and trust God. They developed the traditions, values, and insights that
would guide their community after they entered the promised land.
My hope is that this building experience will teach us lessons too. We will learn that
flexibility and adaptability is a good thing. We might learn that we cannot always have
all that we want. We will learn that patience, and persistence are valuable gifts. I hope
we will learn that we are not just building a Hall to house events. We are building a
community that will reach out to Lloydminster and the region bringing the values and
traditions of our faith to the task of strengthening the ties that hold us all together.
It is a challenging task, a daunting one. We do not know exactly how it will go or where
it will lead. Let's hang on for the ride and resolve to have some fun on the way.
It is a delight and great privilege to be part of this church while we undertake to re-invent
ourselves.
Blessings
Paul
4
Central Board Chair
As Chair of the Board I have learned, listened and hopefully guided our board as God’s helper. My
year end reports usually includes a year in review, I think you will be able to read about most of our year
in all the committee reports. So I will share with you some of the highlights from Epiphany Explorations
in Victoria this past January. I listened to many speakers, who challenged our thinking and had us think
about our churches journey. There were many concerns about the United Church and many of the
mainline churches in North America; about how will they look in 10, 20 and 50 years’ time. We cannot
predict this but we can look at what we are doing in our church and see what is being called of us. Here
are 9 tips from John Pentland the Minister at Hillhurst United in Calgary:
1. Say who you are – ex using a banner on the outside of the church “ Whoever you are, Wherever
you are at, Join us on the Journey”
2. Expand your circles of Interest – spend time with the curious
3. Discern the Values – when planning an activity at the church pick three values that you want to
achieve. After the activity is complete review and see if values were met.
4. Put Faith into Action – are we an affirming church?
5. Worship that Matters – worship that appeals to everyone
6. Invest in Communication – take advantage of free advertising “Facebook, twittering, utilizing
our website
7. From Meetings to Mission
8. Pay for what you want, not what you have
9. Consider what matters most and do it
God has a plan for us and we need to be patient and listen, have our minds and hearts open and
willing to accept the plan. The journey will not be easy but the outcome will be enriching and rewarding.
Let us walk with God as he leads us on our journey.
“Walk with me, I will walk with you and build the land that God has planned where love
shines through”
Blessings,
Alison Weaver
Central Board Chair
5
Congregational Designated Minister
2013 was a year of many challenges and rewards. We had some wonderful experiences
as we gathered with our friends at the Presbyterian Church. We expanded our
ecumenical outreach in partnership with the mainline downtown churches for a great
Vacation Bible School. This proved most successful and we hope to continue.
I am always grateful for the opportunities presented before me on my faith journey. I feel
very blessed with the continuing support from the congregation and community as I
endeavor to learn and grow and share my faith. I have reconsidered the future of my
educational journey and I am considering a different line of ministry. I will keep
everyone informed as my decisions unfold. I am continuing in my studies with university
courses and find them helpful and always enlightening. I have taken several educational
courses in our community and always enjoy learning new skills and meeting new people.
My focus in 2013 was Church in Society, Christian Development and outreach/pastoral
care. I hope to continue these ministries and concentrate on developing programs for
spiritual enrichment in our congregation.
As our church continues to change and grow, I am looking forward to the new ways we
can become relevant to serve our community and help encourage people on their journey.
Blessings, Joyce
Church in Society
Church in Society is responsible for initiating social action in our congregation.
This year our congregation participated in a fundraising walk in participation with the
Lloydminster Men's Shelter. We had a team of 8 walkers and we helped raise over 25,000.00
for the operation of the shelter. A big thank you to all who helped make this successful.
We held a Lenten lunch to raise money for M&S.
We had a garden space at Bud Miller park, but it was not successful and maybe we will try it a
different year.
We sold cookies to raise money for “Remembering the Children”. This was an event held in
Red Deer to remember the children who passed away while they were at residential school.
There was a truth and Reconciliation commission hearing held in Hobbema. Joyce Dickson
and Diane Davies attended.
We sent several bags of school supplies to Jamaica with the help of our generous
congregation.
Our congregation was responsible for the homeless count station at the bottle depot again this
year. A thank you to all who took a shift for this important collection of data.
We took part in kettle shifts for the Salvation Army again this year.
Thank you to everyone who supports the social justice concerns of our congregation.
Love is a mystery that transforms everything it touches into things beautiful and pleasing to
God. The love of God makes a soul free.
Submitted by Joyce Dickson
6
Christian Development Committee
Christian Development is responsible for educational needs of the congregation. We have a
Sunday School program that uses the Whole People of God curriculum.
During the Lenten season CD organized a fundraiser for Gifts with Visions for Mission and
Service fund. We decided to raise money for bicycles for pastors in Zambia. We collected
enough money to purchase 2 bicycles. Thank you to the people who donated in making this a
success.
In March we had a healing touch open house that was attended by church members as well as
people in the community. We held a Spring Fling activity day doing crafts and games with the
children. This was followed by a potluck meal.
There was a Presbytery children's Day held on April 27th in Vermilion. Many of the youth
helped lead this activity as well as children from our congregation participated.
Our last Sunday before moving out of the church for the summer was Camp Sunday. This was
well attended and the guest speakers were Alvin Green a board member from Camp Whitney
as well as Betty Hart the Camp Director. This event was followed by a hot dog lunch and ice
cream.
We had celebration Sunday in the Presbyterian Church Where we recognized the Grade 3
students with bibles and thanked the Sunday School teachers for their contribution to a
successful year.
We have accepted 2 resignations from committee members after the end of our Sunday
School year. Loretta Mitchell and Sheila Coulter . We offer a huge thank you for the time and
dedication you gave to the committee over the years. Your talents will be missed, but we
understand the need to take a break from committee work.
Vacation Bible School was held in conjunction with our Anglican and Presbyterian friends.
This proved to be an excellent partnership with 41 children from our community participating in
our theme of Kingdom Rocks. Again a big thank you to everyone who volunteered and made
the event a success.
We held a Christmas craft day in December where we served lunch and celebrated Hannah
Hennifent's 12th birthday! We had a great time creating several different crafts which were
sold the following week and helped raise over $300.00 for our sponsor child Marta.
A big thank you to the dedicated Sunday School teachers who keep the program going.
Submitted by Joyce Dickson
7
Friendship and Visitation
Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13
Another year has passed and all our committee members, I’m sure, are reflecting back on the
many wonderful visits we have enjoyed throughout the year. We have lost several of our long
time Church members again this year. We will miss our visits with them, as well as their
wisdom and dedication to our Church.
Pastoral Care covers a wide range of Church and community ministry. We appreciate Carol
Bugiak’s recognition of special birthdays, anniversaries and graduations, by way of Happy
Cards. Pat Smith sends cards to the sick and bereaved. Thank you Pat. Prayer shawls, a
symbol of God’s love are given by our committee to those who have lost a loved one, or to
those who are dealing with a difficult situation in their life. A total of 18 shawls were delivered
this year. Many thanks to those who donate these shawls for the pastoral care at Grace. We
have many spiritual caregivers in our Church, who assist our committee, whether it be
participating in Sunday services at the Lodges and Nursing Homes, prayer chain volunteers,
or paying visits to those in need, to mention only a few.
To encourage the continuance of visiting throughout the summer months, outings were
planned and carried out with Church family members from some of the Lodges. These
excursions were well received.
Besides the usual visiting of bereaved and ill for December, the committee took on a new
project. We wrote Christmas cards to each person in the eight Homes and Lodges in
Lloydminster, and endeavored to have a visit with each of these people when we delivered the
cards. Certainly we didn’t get to see everyone, but the effort was made and there were many
very good visits. Over 40 poinsettias were delivered the week of December 16 th, to some who
needed their Christmas made a little brighter. Our Ministers, Church Secretary and Music
Director also received plants. To anyone who donated to the poinsettia project, or helped out
in any way, thank you.
We will begin a New Year with anticipation of continued fellowship with family and friends at
Grace. Our hope is that our contribution to pastoral care, will lift the spirits, and enrich the lives
of those we visit.
Irene Herring
Secretary
8
Board of Trustees
The United Church of Canada defines a Trustee as “an individual who, along with the other members of
the Board of Trustees for a congregation, holds all of the property of that congregation for the use and
benefit of the congregation as part of the United Church. Congregational property is held by Trustees;
they have the title.” Because of this responsibility, the Trustees have been closely following the
decisions and directions being considered by the Defining and Design Committee as well as by Central
Board. The Trustees are also monitoring, very closely, any indebtedness that may be created for Grace
United Church because of the proposed new construction.
On February 3, 2013, a special congregational meeting was held to ask the Board of Trustees to request
approval from Presbytery for the demolition of a portion of the Church, construct a new facility in its
place and to seek approval of the financial plan. A letter was subsequently written to Presbytery and this
was hand delivered by Bill Luchynski as Chair and Vic Juba as Secretary to the Presbytery Meeting held
on February 9, 2013. Later that evening, we were advised that our construction and financial plan had
been approved.
On the financial side, the Board of Trustees accepted a recommendation from Joel Den Haan that,
should a loan be required, that the Royal Bank be used for that purpose. We, also, consolidated some
of the different accounts at the Credit Union as had been recommended by our Auditor. The purpose of
the Future Development Fund is now well defined and a new account, referred to as the “Legacy Fund”
was created which will accept donations and bequests.
At year end, the number of Trustees remains at ten.
Respectfully submitted,
Vic Juba, Secretary
Legacy Gifts Committee
Committee members are; Bill Luchynski, Vic Juba, Donna Arie, Lynn Manners, Linda Anderson, John
Mitio, Ted Haas, Marilyn Young
The Legacy Gifts Committee is a new committee to Grace United Church. 2013 saw much work done to
establish and define it as a part of our committee structure. This included having the Operational Policy
become part of the Manual of Administration of Grace United Church. The Legacy Gifts Committee is
designated as a sub-committee of the Stewardship Committee however, it does its own reporting to
Central Board and has its own bank account.
The Legacy Gifts Fund currently holds approximately $186, 000.00 all of which has come from the
David Jones Estate. A plaque in memory of David Jones, to reflect his work and interest in our church,
is currently in the church house office and will eventually be placed in the new facility.
The committee has just finished creating two brochures which are available for the congregation. One is
LEGACY GIFTS GIVING FOR THE FUTURE which describes Legacy Gifts and how they can be left
to the church and what they can be used for. The second is LEGACY GIFT FUND GRANT
GUIDLEINES. This brochure gives information on applying for grant money from this fund. The semi
annual closing dates for applications are March 1 and September 1. All disbursements from the fund are
governed by the Legacy Gifts Policy and will be used for development and enhancement of the ministry
of our church, financing capital projects and funding outreach programs.
Respectfully submitted
Marilyn Young, Chairperson
9
Property and Maintenance
It was one of those strange years where, although the Property and Maintenance Committee were active,
they had little to do. The anticipated demolition of the old part of the Church did not materialize so we
continued to use an improvised system of rain water catchers to deal with a leaky roof.
Perhaps the most significant achievement during the year was the removal of asbestos from various
portions of the building. Unfortunately, the asbestos removal contractor was not all that responsible
with the net result, in our estimation, that some parts of the building were destroyed or damaged
unnecessarily. A lot of cleanup and some repair was essential before we were able to resume use of the
Sanctuary.
We are starting to wonder whether our heating boiler was manufactured on a Friday afternoon. Ever
since it was installed in 2006, it has been a continual source of trouble. It was particularly bad this late
fall/early winter and took many hours of soulful searching and repair before it began performing
reasonably well. Our thanks go to Bill Luchynski who spent countless hours trying to determine the
reason for our problems.
A review of our insurance coverage was made in concert with our Insurance Broker. It seems that
liability coverage seems to be gaining more and more prominence thus it was thought prudent to
increase our “Director’s and Officer’s Liability” insurance.
Our Chair, Alan Anderson resigned, at year-end, and we have also lost several other committee
members. A meeting will be scheduled in the new year to welcome some new members.
Respectfully submitted,
Vic Juba, Secretary
10
Worship Committee
The Worship Committee consists of Wallie Barnsley, Jason Barnsley, Gladys Jack, Diane
Mabbott, Alexis Reiber, Len Long, Ev Long, Rev. Paul DuVal and Joyce Dickson.
Events organized by the Worship Committee include:
 Music appreciation for our musicians and those helping with our music ministry.
 Lenten Luncheons.
 Grad Sunday for grade 12 graduands.
 Seder meal.
 Good Friday.
 Flowers at the Mother’s Day service.
 All Saint’s Sunday – reading the names of those who have passed on.
 Music of Christmas
 2 Christmas services.
During, the asbestos removal in our hall, services were moved to the Presbyterian Church hall
in June. Services in July and August were held jointly with the Knox Presbyterians in their
sanctuary. In September, services moved back to our own sanctuary. This transition went
smoothly and we thank the congregation for their cooperation during this time.
As of writing this report no firm arrangements have been made for services during the
construction of the church addition.
Our head usher, Eric Simpson, has stepped down from organizing our ushers each Sunday.
We thank Eric for his excellent work and ask if anyone is interested in assuming this role.
Our audio system has been upgraded with microphones being replaced for the choir. Further,
upgrades are needed for the microphones at the lectern. Thanks to Jason for his work on this
project.
Communion is held on the first Sunday of each month and we have had 8 Baptism this past
year.
There are many people involved in organizing a Sunday service. Special thanks to all those
involved in our music program especially Gladys Jack, our Music Director. Willeen Boyce and
Fran Lundquist for preparing communion bread and grape juice. Jeanette Kile for phoning the
servers. Eric Simpson, head usher for organizing ushers each week. Our office staff that print
the order of service. Greeters and coffee makers for making everyone feel welcome. Your
efforts are appreciated!!
Submitted by Chair Len Long, Worship Committee
11
2013 Statistics: Baptisms - 13 ; Funeral and Memorial services – 48, Weddings – 8; members
removed by certificate of transfer – 1; members received by certificate of transfer – 3;
members by profession of faith – 0; members removed by death – 9.
Baptisms: Tessa Weber, Isabella Gray, Heath Nasby, Spencer Gervais, Ryder Bulgin, Stella
Hardy, Ethan Marchand, Ryan Going, Eric Taylor, Cooper Weighill, Andre Timbury,
Emilie Labuke. Julia Nerbas
Marriages: Tamara Connolly & Curtis Paterson; Jennifer Frelich & Christopher Marenger;
Kabrie Luchynski & John O'Handley; Jillian Teasdale & Brandon Schesnuk;
Rebecca Anderson & Bradley Larsen; Taryn Holtby & Brennan Schachtel;
Kyla Eger & Shawn Van Metre; Glenys Laing & Corey Kyle.
Music Ministry
The year 2013 was a bit of a challenge due to moving and storing reams of music and
music related items –Thanks to the men of our congregation, it happened with very little
hassle—then the repeat to move back—we may do another repeat depending on the
construction and its challenges; never the less—thankfully, we did this cheerfully, knowing
what the outcome will eventually be. Thanks to our Presbyterian friends we were able to
continue most of the music programs.
This year our program consisted of 2 bell choirs( Celebration / Grace Ringers) Grace
Choir, Kidz Praise, e Pic Ups, and new this year are two Ukulele groups lead by Meri Kieksi.
We had many individuals take part as well. We are very fortunate at Grace to have so many
pianist/ organists involved: Lois Sonnega, Jason Barnsley, Irene Knowlson, Linda Anderson,
Alice Robinson & Bob Smith. Leaders in the music program are Jeanne Smith ( Kidz Praise)
Meri Kieksi (Ukuleles) Brenda Ellison (Pic Ups) Gladys Jack (Choir /Bells) Bev Webb
(assistant). All the above groups share their music at worship services and when possible in
the community.
God’s gift of music is for sharing—it’s our universal language—thank you to all who took
part in 2013!!
Submitted by
Gladys Jack
Director of Music
The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great
success. Special thanks are due to the minister's
daughter, who labored the whole evening at the
piano, which as usual fell upon her.
12
The U.C.W. Chairperson's Comments
The UCW has had an interesting and challenging year, as the whole church has had. Because we had
moved out of our church home in June, many changes occurred.
Our Spring Garage Sale went well, as usual, but the Fall Sale had to be cancelled. In its place, a group of
industrious souls held a “mini-garage sale” at Gladys Jack’s home, and gave the funds raised to UCW.
We thank them for their hard work!
Our church was fortunate to have our wonderful friends at Knox Presbyterian Church who took us in
and allowed us to use their hall for church services, funeral lunches and UCW events such as the :Lunch
With the Bunch”. We thank them most sincerely for their hospitality.
We look forward to the commencement of construction on our new facility and having a new hall and
kitchen, etc. so we can get back to our full programs and events.
My wish for you all comes from a card we received this Christmas:
“Peace in your heart,
Joy all year through…
Love now and always,
Blessings to you!”
Respectfully submitted
Elizabeth A. Davidson, Chairperson
13
Fair Booth
The 2013 Grace United Church Fair Booth Committee was busy little beavers once again this
year. We had a crew of men & women help put a metal roof on the Fair Booth, do some
shelving, move some windows, as well as the big job of cleaning the booth, baking pies and
cooking chili & taco meat, in preparation for the 10 days of sales for Colonial Days and the
CPCA Chuckwagon Finals. We also had a crew of youth for the Grandstand sales.
We were very fortunate to have exceptionally great weather, hungry crowds, and cash
donations, enabling us to make a whopping $35,000.00 presentation to Grace United Church!!
Thanks to everyone for your time & talent to help make this past year an astounding success!!
We are losing a few committee members, so if you are interested in being a part of this great
team, please contact Deb Lundquist. We are always very grateful for the help, as this is a
major fundraising project for the Church!
Please mark your calendars with the 2014 dates of Colonial Days and the CPCA Finals:
Colonial Days ~ July 9 – 12, 2014
CPCA Finals ~ August 13 – 17, 2014
Plan on volunteering your time for the upcoming 2014 season!
Respectfully submitted,
Deb Lundquist
2013 Fair Booth Committee Member
Time & Talent Fundraiser Auction
The Grace United Church Time & Talent Fundraiser Auction Committee is a fun committee to
be a part of, due to the short-term time commitment and it occurs every other year. We had an
awesome group of ladies again this year, and we all bring different strengths, so it makes for a
dynamic team!
Our 2013 Fundraiser Auction event was very successful this year, due mainly to the generosity
of our Congregation, our friends and family, and the community of Lloydminster and
surrounding area. We amazed ourselves when we were able to present to Grace United
Church $44,237.27!! It is truly amazing what can be accomplished with some teamwork and
the Grace of God behind us! Thank you one and all!
Respectfully submitted,
Deb Lundquist
2013 Time & Talent Committee Member
14
STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE
On behalf of the Stewardship Committee, we would like to thank you for being a partner in the ministry
of Grace United Church. Your financial commitment is vital to meet the needs of our congregation and
the wider church.
This has been a challenging and rewarding year at the Grace. This has been a year of music, fellowship,
and has consisted of many successful events like the Salad Smorg, Fair Booth, Time and Talent Auction
and others too numerous to mention.
Marilyn Young and John Mitio from Stewardship are presently involved in the new Legacy Gifts
Committee. The Operational Policy that was developed in 2012 has been integrated into the Manual of
Administration of Grace United Church. The committee has also drafted two Legacy Gifts Brochures.
During the year, two Stewardship letters have been issued to the congregation. The second Stewardship
letter issued at the end of the year also contained a Pledge Form and a PAR form. To date a total of 35
Pledge Forms have been received.
We appreciate your kindness and generosity and we hope you will prayerfully consider a pledge in the
near future.
Respectfully submitted,
John Mitio
Faith
Faith is the force of life.
Tolstoy
The steps of faith fall on the seeming void
and find the rock beneath.
John Greenleaf Whittier
When you hoist the sail of faith
It is the wind, not the sail, that counts.
15