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1997-2021 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION & OUTREACH
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CHILDREN
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YOUTH
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ADULTS
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For more about Hillcrest activities that started during this period and continue today: select any of these headings: Hillcrest Free Community Gardens, Green Team, Bulletin Pack Deliveries, Knitting Group, Book Club, Free Computer College, Bridge Club, Dinner Theatre
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Hillcrest United Church 1997 – 2021:
What has Hillcrest been up to this past quarter century? Check the above 5 tabs for a sampling of our Christian Education and Outreach projects during the period. A small group recently gathered to reminisce about the past 25 years. The lovely booklet produced in 1996 for Hillcrest's 25th anniversary had just been digitized for the new website and we thought it important to look back at our more recent past. Ministers: 1997 - 2003 Rev. Lorna McQueen 1997 - 2004 Rev. Melaney Matheson 2003 - 10 Rev. Scott Hillier 2010 - 18 Rev. Martin Dawson 2019 - 21 Rev. Bonnie Fraser Hillcrest also hosted two student ministers during these years: Nick Phillips and Meghan King (now Hare) Hillcrest celebrated its 50th anniversary in October 2021. As much as this community has always loved to come together over a good meal, it was simply not possible amid continuing Covid Restrictions. We still managed a wonderful month of celebrations: weekly Hillcrest trivia, special hymn requests, and highlighting of our stained glass windows. The final Sunday featured wonderful reminiscences by Paul Smith and Donald Nicholson of the big church move in 1971 and a slide show retrospective. For photos & text about Children's Programs 1997-2021, scroll to the top of this page and choose the tab CHILDREN. |
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Bring Your Pet to Church was the brain- child of Rev. Martin Dawson. He organized one Sunday service each summer to be held under the trees outside the church. Folks brought their lawn chairs and beloved pets. Retired Veterinarian Dr. Bud Ings told some wonderful stories from his years in practise.
It was also the perfect service for every kid's favourite hymn 'All God's Creatures Got a Place in the Choir'! Messy Church ran for several years during Rev. Martin's time at Hillcrest. Many folks volunteered their time. Jayne Ings and Grace Dawson are remembered as valued contributors. Bi-monthly Saturday afternoons were spent with youth from the community and many volunteers. These wonderful gatherings included elements of worship, singing, crafts, games, and skill teaching, all rounded out with a meal together. The Farmers Helping Farmers Twinning Project twinned our Sunday School with Mweru Primary School in Kenya. Our students exchanged letters twice a year with our twin school and learned so much about life for children in Kenya. We also had a few slide show presentations by FHF visitors from Kenya, showing us how our fundraising was helping improve the lives of students there. Although our official twin status ended after five years, the congregation has continued to fund raise annually to support the needs of Mweru. For photos & text about Youth Programs 1997-2021. scroll to the top of this page and choose the tab YOUTH. |
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Bring Your Pet to Church was the brain child of Rev. Martin Dawson. He organized one Sunday service each summer to be held under the trees outside the church. Folks brought their lawn chairs and beloved pets. Retired Veterinarian Dr. Bud Ings told some wonderful stories from his years in practise.
It was also the perfect service for every kid's favourite hymn 'All God's Creatures Got a Place in the Choir'! |
In 1997 we welcomed two new ministers: Rev. Lorna McQueen and Rev. Melaney Matheson. Melaney oversaw Christian Education: Sunday School, youth groups, confirmation classes and adult study. The Wednesday night youth groups continued to be a great success, involving many volunteers and up to 50 children per night.
Movin' On Up was launched by Rev. Melaney to specifically appeal to youth in grades 7 and up. Melaney remembers some wonderful scavenger hunts. Some took place inside the church and helped young people get to know the building and its history better. Other hunts were community wide, with kids counting rungs on the bridge, finding items on certain shelves and certain aisles in the grocery store, etc. They also did some volunteering; delighting neighbours near the church one evening by offering to rake leaves. Youth group also included some great events and field trips: the Valleyfield Woodlot for ghost stories (with Bobby Nicholson stationed ahead of time to give the kids a scare – this being the proper follow up to a good ghost story), sledding, apple picking, sleigh rides, a winter carnival. There were tours of the funeral home, the new MacDonalds, and the RCMP station (where the kids crossed paths with boy scouts and a terrific snowball fight ensued). Captain David White even gave a tour of one of the ferries and treated the kids to treats from the canteen. For photos & text about ADULT PROGRAMS 1997-2021, scroll to the top of this page and choose the tab ADULTS. |
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DINNER THEATRE events brought us together as much in the fun of preparing as in the events themselves.
Follow this link to see photos and stories about 6 of them. |
The Good Morning Group started in the early 80s as a way for young mothers to get together and socialize. UCW members like Dot Clements volunteered to care for children in a nearby room so Moms could enjoy some much needed down time. By the time Rev. Lorna arrived at Hillcrest in 1997, this group was an older demographic meeting to share and study issues of faith and contemporary life. The group assisted Lorna with her Doctor of Ministry research project: exploring symbols of spirituality and justice through arts-based research in the context of a spiritually rooted group.
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner was (and we hope will be again post pandemic) a treasured mid-winter fund raising and community building event for many years. Folks sign up to host a dinner party. Others purchase tickets to go out for dinner. The diners find out their destination on the day of. Hosts have no idea who might show up at their door. What a wonderful way to get to know people from both Hillcrest and Sturgeon with whom one may have only a nodding acquaintance prior to the dinner. |