These photos show members of our congregation, as
well as guests that gathered with us today, talking around 'kitchen tables'.
Everyone is invited to go home to their own kitchen tables and ask these questions to
family and friends - those that go to church and those that don't!!
Each week this page will be updated with new questions - so come and join the conversation
at the George Street United Church Kitchen Table!
This website is one way that we want to extend the
conversations beyond the doors of our church. If you have any responses to the
questions above, please feel free to email our minister at revkelly@georgestunitedchurch.com
The link above is a video of the Rev. Kelly
Hudson's sermon of Sunday, 04 February 2007.
What do
you need, to feed your spirit?
Encouragement,
warmth, a good ear, intelligent ideas, caring, laughter, enjoyable actions, constructive
offerings
Good music
Inspirational message
Quiet time
Wonderful old church
Very friendly, family oriented, young people coming, up to help the church later on
I enjoy the volunteering work at the soup kitchen and the church gives me the opportunity
to help the less fortunate
Keep the youth involved through singing
Welcomed with open arms
Appreciated
Less formal worship that could still be meaningful to traditional adherents
Be aware that there are many theological points of view in the United Church of Canada
To feed my spirit I like to have a lively service with a chance for dialogue sometimes in
the service – I need music as well!
Going to church, family and friends
Prayer and friendship
Going to church
By singing – hymns of the faith
Old Fashioned hymns – songs of the gospel, old fashioned tunes would be nice,
sermons,
gatherings like this
It is as if I have another family, I have a lot of friends here
Stories, uplifting, current accounts of people making a difference and wondering about my
role in uplifting others.
Words that motivate, encourage – sort of a call to ‘arms’ or ‘helping
hands’
Fellowship through coffee time, a variety of services that meet the needs of a diverse
church congregation,
the need to feel fulfillment through outreach (both in our community and beyond)
A sermon that is relevant to everyday life with its stresses and challenge
I need a sermon that speaks to my life ie philosophy and message relates
Fellowship, prayer and worship in the presence of God’s people!
What does,
or what can George Street do to feed you?
All of the above
Sermons on website a good idea
More relaxed morning worship – getting better all the time
Gave me the opportunity to return to church and an atmosphere where I feel more
comfortable with
God and the services provided by the church
Provide a family atmosphere
Youth involvement brings a fresh and renewing spirit to church
Involvement
By making sure everyone feels included. In as
much as possible to provide an opportunity for people to serve to best of their ability if
they want to
As a visitor to your church I was impressed by your spirit of hospitality and your choirs
– adult and youth – a wonderful spirit of worship and joy! Thank you!
That these points of view (the varied theological views in the UCC)
Can be open to new experiences, new challenges and open to what new people can bring
Attending church
Love
Keep giving – reaching out
Worship for the soup kitchen patrons – bring them into the sanctuary for a special
service and don’t pass the plate also invite all people with roots at George Street
UC to a special celebration service
It’s a caring church
The soup kitchen is a blessing to a lot of people
The Sunday school has improved over the years – the children have a lot of fun
It is a very friendly church and we have a good minister
It is a friendly church – I like everything about it
I like it here, I’ve been coming for 66
years
Sermons that are informative but also challenging: that ask, are you doing this? Could we do this?
And ways that we are doing this now! A
good thing! Fellowship through coffee time, a variety of services that meet the needs of a
diverse church congregation, the need to feel fulfillment through outreach (both in our
community and beyond
More lively organ music, played louder during the last verse of hymns
A loudly played hymn at the end of a service as parishioners are leaving
Need more young families to join our church
Would there be a benefit if church services were at 10:30?
Carry on with the present programs, it like the study options that are short term (Lenten
study) I’d also like the morning service to be substituted in the evening once in a
while (ie once every 2 months)
George St and the UCC especially
should be more vocal and provide a strong voice pertainint to the global warming,
the environment and the less fortunate in our world
And if the
ministry of George Street is a potluck, what can you bring to the feast?
My money,
energy, constructive action, warmth, encouragement, interest in others
Me
As I am not retired I would like to give more of my time, nevertheless, I try to
concentrate in areas of fund raising (parking lot, suppers etc.)
My time and efforts
It is important for lay leaders to be aware of the need to be useful and feel accepted
Some new insights, maybe
I can bring my voice, my talents which are more than just singing. I can bring a new or different way of how we
worship each Sunday
Friendship and laughter and love
Place flyers in hotels and businesses informing them of special services at Goerge St UC,
senior services on Saturday, old fashioned style, financial resources, volunteer with
fundraising
Leadership, organization, frankness
Bring energy, some time (but there’s never enough L), hopefully bring others who may be looking for a church community (family
and friends)
I’ll bring myself and my interest in keeping our church strong. I will volunteer for the things I feel I can
contribute and am interested in
We can all bring our talents and our experiences to share our vision with our congregation
KITCHEN
TABLE CONVERSATIONS
February
11, 2007
Please reflect on these questions during the week and invite your
friends, neighbours and acquaintances to participate in a conversation with you!
How
do you offer thanks for the abundance in your life?
In
your experience of a changing society and the place of the church, what attitudes might
keep George Street United Church, from being open to new or different possibilities?
What “attitudes of abundance” do you see at George Street United Church
and how can you encourage and support them?
How do you offer abundance in your
life?
-
prayers
-
expressing positive
thoughts and thanks with others
-
try to be a good Christian
and helping others
-
by prayer and giving
-
with gratitude and prayer
-
by giving donations to the
less fortunate
-
by making life a little
easier for some people, especially by praying for them
-
by prayers and giving to
others
-
in prayers, helping others
and giving to charity
-
by thanking God and praying
and try to help others with donations
-
you have to thank God every
day and every night
-
thank God for blessings
-
reaching out to others
-
visiting sick friends to
cheer them up
In your experience of a changing
society and the place of the church, what attitudes might keep George Street United Church
from being open to new or different possibilities?
-
there are people in the
congregation tat don’t want change
-
concern about not having
enough money and not being open to creative ways to fund initiatives
-
the demographic situation
prevents us from investing heavily in your or young adult initiatives
-
unwillingness to change
-
keeping closed minds - being judgemental and non accepting
-
by not being inclusive
– ie: “the Old Boys Club”
-
indifference – used to
the old ways
-
unwillingness to change,
for some but I think change has to come and we need to get more of the younger family
members interested in the church
-
more positive thoughts
-
try to bring more people
and some family members to attend
-
not being open to new ideas
What ‘attitudes of
abundance’ do you see at George Street United Church and how can you encourage and
support them?
-
people are always willing
to bring food and share
-
Soup Kitchen is showing
concern for the residents of downtown
-
Moving forward with
exterior repairs and trusting that the money will come. Eg the roof campaign
-
Soup kitchen
-
The choirs
-
Rev. Kelly, Andrea and
Wendy
-
Seniors’ Ministry
-
By Hanging IN!
-
Social contacts
-
Helping the less fortunate
(The Soup Kitchen)
-
Togetherness, welcoming new
members
-
Help where help is needed
-
By attending more services
and getting into some of the activities
-
Friendship and willing to
help where we can
-
Friendship, caring for each
other, helping
