General News and Announcements

Christmas greetings from the General Council Office.

Please note that the General Council Office and United Church Resource Distribution will be closed for the Christmas/New Year holiday period starting at 4:30 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, December 22, 2011. We will open again at 8:30 a.m. (EST) on Tuesday, January 3, 2012.

If you would like to attend a Christmas service at a local United Church congregation, please use the Find a Church feature to assist you in your search. Service times can usually be found either by visiting a congregation’s website or by contacting the congregation by telephone. Frequently service times are listed as a recorded announcement on a church’s answering machine.

In keeping with the spirit of the season, you will also find a number of recent Christmas-related postings on this website. Among these are:

• The Moderator’s Advent 2011 message, posted as a video and in English and French text.
• A link to the Moderator’s 2011 Christmas reflection, “Risking the Birth of Love,” as published in the December issue of The United Church Observer.
• A blog from the Moderator, “‘Here we are’ at Christmas” on Wondercafe.
• Advent/Christmas/Epiphany planning: These seasonal resources are offered to help with worship and program planning (e.g., a family Christmas, candle litanies, graces and prayers, offering invitations and dedications, White Gift services).
• Letters from Overseas: Reflections from United Church overseas personnel.
• Weekly Reflections for December: Opportunities to open yourself to God’s presence amidst the busyness of daily life.

With best wishes for a blessed Christmas,

• Mary-Frances Denis
  Program Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
  The United Church of Canada
  Tel: 416-231-7680 ext. 2016
  Toll-free: 1-800-268-3781 ext. 2016
  E-mail: Mary-Frances Denis