Virtual Voices 135th Edition Virtual Voices The Video E-Newsletter of Mount Royal United Church for Friday March 17th 2023 Welcome to our one-hundredth and thirty-fifth edition of the Mount Royal United Church Video E-Newsletter. You will find the video at the bottom of this message. If you have any news items or information you think we should be including in an upcoming e-newsletter, please send your suggestion to newsletters@mountroyaluc.ca
we will do our very best to put it on for you. A quick reminder that our Sunday Service is live streamed from the sanctuary beginning at 10:30 AM and can also be watched later on the church website. The Prelude will begin at 10:05 AM with music and the announcement slides before the service begins
with Rev. Stuart. This video will be produced and sent out weekly on Friday morning with all the important things from our faith community. We plan to keep them short so you have time to drink a cup of tea or coffee while you watch. We hope you have a very good day today. Best Regards, Newsletter Committee Message from the Chair of Council - Susan Fowler Hi and welcome to the announcements for the week beginning March 17th for Mount Royal United Church, Moncton. Happy St Patrick’s Day! The big news this week is, of course, the Annual Meeting happening Sunday during the worship service. It will be livestreamed and hopefully people in the sanctuary will remember to speak from a microphone so that everyone worshipping in person and online will be able to hear clearly. A huge thanks to Terry Foreman who has agreed to Chair the meeting in my absence, unless there are numerous nominations from the floor and a vote is required. Wouldn’t that be exciting and a huge change! There will not be a program downstairs for the children but the pew packs will be available so please plan to bring your children along as usual. We welcome some hubbub. I sincerely hope as many people as possible will attend in person and plan to stay afterwards for the chilli contest. It will be a great meal and some fun with the voting on who makes the best chilli. Rev Stuart does an awful lot of bragging about his recipe. Let’s see how his cooking holds up against Terry Foreman and friends. A basket will be at the table as you enter the social hall for your free will offering. Thanks Terry and Rev Scott for organizing this time of fellowship and fundraising. Please come and show your support and interest in your Community of Faith. We had a few delays, beyond the control of our very dedicated Office Administrator, Emily around the production of the Annual Report. Apologies that it was not distributed earlier. The Annual Report was sent out electronically on Wednesday, March 15th. Please reach out to Emily before 2PM on the 17th if you are needing a copy emailed prior to the meeting on Sunday. A limited number of paper copies will be available on Sunday AM and a paper copy can be obtained by contacting the office if you require one in that format. We are trying to save money and trees by limiting paper copies but want you to read it in the format that works for you. Please take the time to read all about the life of Mount Royal. In particular, you will see the report of the Visioning Committee. It will not be discussed in any detail on Sunday. Jennifer Smith will provide an overview of the work of the Visioning Committee and encourage you to attend the planning session scheduled for May 6. Please do what you can to attend this critical discussion on the future of Mt Royal. We received some really cute thank you notes from Bessborough, Hillcrest and Ste Bernadette Schools for our White Gift support of them in December. We gave grocery gift cards to help them with their breakfast programs. Be sure to check those out. They will appear in slide announcements and may be available for your viewing soon on the Bessborough door bulletin board. That support is especially appreciated as the need in schools is great and costs continue to go up. Other Council highlights from this week include the decision to drop the mandatory mask wearing for singing and moving around and in the building in general. Of course you are still welcome to wear a mask if you wish and can even ask to be seated away from people not wearing masks if that would make you feel more comfortable. Just ask a welcomer if you need assistance. We hope to have some fundraisers this spring to help ease the deficit. Plan now for a rummage sale in April, a Smiley Faced pancake breakfast, and an evening of music provided by the joint choirs of Visions United and Mount Royal. Stay tuned for all the details. And look for a grocery gift card sale before Easter as well. Do you have fundraising ideas? Please share them with Terry Foreman or any member of Council. Other activities this week include Tai Chi, Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, Craft Group Tuesday at 10 AM followed by the Lenten Book Study at 1:30 PM. Choir practice is happening on Wednesday evening and bridge happens Thursday at 1:00 PM. The next Kids Korner program downstairs happens on March 26th. Birthday celebrations this week include Dana Beers, Nick Smith, Elizabeth Blakney, Lisa Morris, and Lily Montgomery. Best wishes to these folks and anyone else celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special occasion. Non perishable food donations are always welcome and can be left in the wooden bin inside the Bessborough door. The “I Wonder” box is still at the back of the sanctuary for your questions. Pop in your burning questions about the United Church, its beliefs, the meaning of a scripture passage or anything else that causes you to wonder. Chignecto UCW Annual Meeting, including a memorial service, happens March 25th from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM at the United Church Regional Office, 21 Wright Street, Sackville. “Finding Our Way” is the name of the program. We have a bit of advance notice about the upcoming Maritime UCW Annual Meeting happening at Visions United on April 28th and 29th. While the meeting is more than a month away, the deadline to register is March 28th. The theme is “Living Tuned and Turned, Face to the Son” with Rev. Alice Finnamore. The cost is $45 which includes 2 meals. This will be a time for spiritual enrichment and fellowship and is open to all UCW and friends as their guests. Please contact Ellen Close for more information at 506 854-8620. Don’t forget you can participate in a two-evening information session in April on thriving churches in the post pandemic time. For details contact me, Emily in the office, or Marlene MacLeod. Your support is needed more than ever as the finances are in a challenging position. Please give as you are able and come out to all of our upcoming fundraising events and plan to invite a friend. Spread the word about the things you like at Mt Royal and be sure to let me or other members of Council know what you wish we would consider doing differently. We want to be sure to support all those people able to attend worship and activities in person as well as those who join remotely for whatever the reason. Thanks for the privilege of serving as Council Chair these past 4 years. I know your incoming Chair will also appreciate your support. And be sure to tell all the members of Council who have served that you appreciate the hard work they have done on your behalf. They are a dedicated group. Your fresh ideas and willingness to help out in many ways are welcomed. Take good care. 
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