CommuKNITy is creating a stash of knitted bits to be used for a future bombing project. Many people besides the collective members have contributed and it is exciting to see how interested and enthusiastic people are when they hear about the project. Some are simply delighted by the idea of
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After a service many people often share with me that they appreciated the music in the service. I try to have a conversation about them about what music impacted them and why. Is it familiar, some of their favourites, the style, the context, the content? Many also ask who chooses
Continue readingYes, Lets… The Spiritual Arts Collective Project of Robertson-Wesley United Church, Edmonton, Alberta. Reverend Karen Bridges put down her blue pen and picked up a red one. Presently, she put down the red pen in favor of a black one. And then, back to red. When she noticed my raised
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The Spiritual Arts Collective The experience at the ISM Congregational Projects Seminar has left a deep imprint on our Spiritual Arts Collective project, on our ministry here at RWUC and on my life. I remember the first day we gathered and Martin Jean, the director of the Institute of Sacred
Continue readingRobertson-Wesley is 1 of 7 churches from across North America that was chosen to attend the Yale Institute of Sacred Music Congregation Projects Summer Seminar in June 2013. Rev. Karen Bridges, Tammy-Jo Mortensen and Casey Edmunds will be heading to Yale where we will work together with the other chosen
Continue readingRev. Jim Allan I want to tell you about mySabbatical. Firstly, what is a sabbatical? Well, in its origin, it is the Sabbath, the seventh day, when God rested after creating the world, so it is a day of rest. The idea was extended to the years of our lives,
Continue readingOn October 23, ten congregation members joined with Rev. Karen Bridges and pod coordinators Tory Bachmann and Colleen Ouellette in a conversation about fundraising. We considered the differences between pledging, campaigns and fundraising; discussed the strengths and weaknesses of our current fundraising practices; and expressed our hopes and dreams for
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The Robertson-Wesley carillon has been chiming out tunes, tolls, and peals since it was installed by the Schulmerich Company in the east room in 1961. It is not a carillon that is played with a keyboard and actual bells, but the sound is made instead by semantra (rectangular metal bars
Continue readingIt has been 22 years since I attended church. After a few Sunday morning ‘drive by stalkings’ of R-W United, I finally found myself inside the church. FYI – I grew up as a member of a fundamental Baptist style(‘brethern’) church. People here are nice and not pushy at all.
Continue readingSo often our experience of church is one of gathering with a large group of people some we recognize, some whose names we know, and occasionally some we have served on a committee or have participated in a program with, but by in large we really don’t know the people
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