GC45

GC45 Shining Waters Regional Council Report for Summer 2025

Origin: Shining Waters Regional Council

The Shining Waters Regional Council (SWRC) Meeting theme for this past year was “Sanctuary: Towards a Kindom of Peace, Justice and Reconciliation”. This has been a challenging three years for the regional council, communities of faith and The United Church of Canada. We continue to walk through the post-pandemic reality together. It has taken many months for many communities of faith to recover from the challenges of the pandemic, with many other communities facing a new reality. The pandemic did afford opportunity for many communities of faith to experiment and meet in new and innovative ways, including continuing hybrid worship and meetings.

Church in New and Creative Ways:

Staff and volunteers have worked countless hours preparing, changing, experimenting, and succeeding in continuing as Church in new and creative ways. As an Executive, we have heard stories of sacrifice, perseverance, hope, success, and also deep fatigue and we have also heard stories of worry, stress, frustration and struggle. As a region, as community, we give thanks and we continue to be on a long journey together; we celebrate the resilience of our churches and the expression of the Gospel in many new and creative ways.

SWRC has supported, worked with, and considered The United Church of Canada Strategic Plan, in partnership with the regional council Executive and Commission work. Our four regional council Commissions, specifically the Communities of Faith, Pastoral Relations, Intercultural and Diversity and Social Justice and Ecological Commissions, have supported, challenged, and considered specific work of the regional council.