Hosted by Executive Minister Treena Duncan with Presiding Officer Rev. Taylor Croissant, our September Town Hall will include a time of worship, Regional Updates as well as conversations on the Alberta Referendum. Chris Mah Poy, Chinook Winds First Third and Justice Networks Coordinator, will share information and best practices on how you can engage in a prophetic, pastoral and non-partisan response with your communities of faith and wider networks during the referendum campaign and how the region will be engaging the referendum.

Please join us for these vital conversations. 

         Please mark your calendars to join us on September 23, 2026 at 2 pm MT. Register for the Chinook Winds September 23, 2026 Town Hall.

Regional representatives and ministry personnel will receive the Zoom link in their inbox and do not need to register.

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By Chris Mah Poy
 Congregations across Chinook Winds Region are hosting discussions on the 2026 Alberta Referendum. From St. Andrew’s, Lacombe (above) and Ponoka, to Calgary and Campus Ministry, people are engaging in frank, civil and action-oriented discussions on the referendum, its implications and impact on communities and neighbors. The Region encourages people to get involved by hosting congregational discussion groups, invite Chris to do small group workshops and encourage people to vote in October. Here is a snapshot of upcoming events you’re welcome to attend:

• Next learning session/civic academy will be the Ponoka Library, Ponoka AB, Thursday, August 6. 1:30-3:30 pm.
• Civic Academy, Sunday, August 9, 2026 at Hillhurst United, Calgary, 11:30 am to 12:45 pm.
• Calgary Area Referendum Discussion Group held monthly at Scarboro United Church, Calgary, every fourth Thursday at 10:30 -11:45 am, August 27, September 24.
• The Calgary Alliance for the Common Good has a get out the vote rally on September 16th at Scarboro United Church. 7 pm MT.
• A Chinook Winds Regional Town Hall on the Referendum and Get-Out-To Vote presentation will be Wednesday, September 23 at 2 pm.
• A Referendum Tool Kit is being prepared by Executive Members and will be available later in August.

If you’re interested in hosting a civic academy on the referendum or would like more information, please get in with Chris Mah Poy, Justice and Ministry Networks Coordinator.

The post Faith Communities Come Together for Referendum Conversations appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

The Rural Ministry Conference returns this fall, October 2-4, 2026! Come experience rural hospitality, inspiring theme sessions and practical workshops tuned to today’s rural ministry contexts! It’s hosted by Knox United, Three Hills and St. Paul’s United Trochu and sponsored by LeaderShift and Chinook Winds Region.

Our Theme Speaker is Rev. Dr. Catherine Smith, initiator and host of the Maritimes’ Rural Routes through the Holy. 

You’ll find Conference & Accommodation information and can register on the LeaderShift Website

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Our Sundaes on Tuesdays program started seven years ago as a way for members of our congregation to reach out into the community, providing a service to local youth. A couple of congregation members got together at coffee one Sunday after our service, the concept was discussed, and all felt it was a great idea.

The town of Carstairs has a large splash park located across the street from our church’s front entrance. It operates in the summer months and accommodates mostly young children from the very early ages of even 1 or 2 years old, to some in their teen years. In addition, there is a playground with swings, slides and other pieces that children play on.

The plan was that from mid-June, to late August, we offer free ice cream to children who are at the splash park on Tuesdays between 1:30pm and 3:00pm. Initially, the ice cream was supplied by the volunteers, with cones, and small cups for the younger children. We had a small freezer moved inside the church’s front door where the ice cream is stored. We open the doors and serve the ice cream to the children, and some parents, off the front steps of our church. The costs for most of the ice cream and supplies are nowcovered by our congregation’s community outreach program funds.

We put up a volunteer signup sheet in our coffee area at the church, and volunteers sign up to work a 1.5-hour shift on a particular Tuesday to give ice cream to children. We usually have 3 or 4, sometimes 5 volunteers each Tuesday.

Our numbers of children varies from week to week. We have had as many as 180 kids show up on a Tuesday, but average between 60 and 80 on any day during the 7 weeks we run the program. There are 3 or 4 day care centers in the community, and often the complete class from a center comes out for ice cream. This could mean 25 or 30 kids, often ages 4 to 5 lining up to get their treat. If the weather is not very nice on a particular Tuesday, we do not run the program.

The program is very popular, and not that difficult to administer and work. Many of our senior members get a great feeling of seeing all these young kids get a treat from them.

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Just a few spots left in the remaining camps this summer!

Camp Caravan is once again bringing spirit-filled day camps to communities across Calgary and Southern Alberta. Rooted in the values of Belong, Wonder, Care, and Create, Camp Caravan offers children and youth a week filled with games, music, crafts, storytelling, outdoor adventures, new friendships, and opportunities to explore kindness, community, and faith in welcoming and inclusive ways.

2026 Camp Locations:

• July 6–10 – Symons Valley United Church, Calgary
• July 13–17 – St. Thomas United Church, Calgary
• July 20–24 – Fish Creek United Church, Calgary (currently waitlisted)
• July 27–31 – Stettler and Area United Churches,
• August 4–7 – Southwood United Church, Calgary
• August 11–14 – Strathmore United Church, Strathmore
• August 18–21 – Summit View United Church, Calgary

Camp Caravan is more than just a week of summer fun—it is a place where young people grow. Through our Pathways to Leadership, children can begin as campers, move into the Junior Youth Program (ages 12–14), continue into YouthCrew (ages 15–17), and eventually become camp leaders and staff. Along the way, they build confidence, responsibility, leadership skills, and lasting connections within a caring community.

We believe every child deserves the opportunity to belong, explore, and thrive. Subsidies are available to help ensure finances are never a barrier to participation.

Whether your child is attending for the first time, returning for another summer adventure, or exploring a leadership opportunity, there is a place for them around the circle. Registration is now open, and several weeks are filling quickly.

Visit www.camp-caravan.ca to learn more, register, volunteer, or support Camp Caravan through donations and sponsorships.

Gather Round – With Love at the Center. We can’t wait to welcome you this summer!

Also, Chinook Winds Camping Minister Lisa Penzo introduces our Camp Caravan Leadership Team: McKenzie and Kaie

The post Camp Caravan: Coming to a Church Near You! appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

After serving the Bowness area of Calgary for nearly 80 years, Foothills United Church held its final worship service on Sunday, June 21, 2026. The congregation had voted to disband earlier this year.
      Sunday’s service was attended by Foothills members and participants, former ministers and friends. Worship was led by Rev. Marion Martin, Foothills and St. Thomas United Churches, Rev. Tracy Robertson, St. Thomas United Church and Rev. Dr. Karen Medland, Chinook Winds Regional Minister. Several Foothills members participated in the service, including Board Chair and Regional Representative Val Magill. St. Thomas Church members hosted the luncheon following.
       We are grateful for Foothills’ faithful witness that carries on through the lives its ministry touched and changed since 1946. May God’s peace go with the Foothills people in the journey ahead to new congregations. 

The post Foothills United: Generations of Faith & Service appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

In 1971, the Elders of the Ecumenical Council at Morley, AB called for a national Day of Prayer. This day was observed in the mainline denominations throughout the 1970s. In 1996, Governor General Roméo LeBlanc declared June 21 of each year as National Aboriginal Day after decades of lobbying and activism.
       
       The Elders’ call for the summer solstice to be solemnized for all the Indigenous lives lost and forever altered by colonialism is a solemn reminder of our shared history.

        The monthly Right Relations Circle is usually held on the fourth Tuesday of each month and will return in September. Those signed up for Right Relations Circle emails, will receive the Zoom link in your inbox. Otherwise, please register HERE  

Questions? Please email Tony Snow, Indigenous Minister, Chinook Winds Region.

Sacred Day of Prayer Video Available Below

You’ll find the Sacred Time of Prayer for Indigenous Peoples Day HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3JpwY5I_wM&t=13s

The post Recording Available: Sacred Time on National Indigenous Peoples Day 2026 appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

• Hillhurst United Church, Calgary.
• Thursday, June 25, 7 pm
• Register for Decolonizing Spirituality

The post Decolonizing our Spirituality on June 25, 2026 appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

Ministers and lay leaders in these Regions, if you know a theology student who needs financial support, please share this announcement with them. The application form is relatively simple and includes disclosing other sources of financial support as well as a reference from the current Vocational Minister or a member of your Candidacy Board.

Brenda Fawkes was a beloved and respected United Church minister who died tragically in a motor vehicle accident in September 2024. At the time of her death, she was the Office of Vocation Minister in Chinook Winds and Pacific Mountain Regions and previously worked with the Vancouver School of Theology. Her passion was nurturing wise, competent, and compassionate church leadership.

The Bursary Fund was founded to honour Brenda’s life, and to continue her ministry in raising-up and supporting those preparing for church ministry and leadership.

If you have any questions, contact Cari Copeman-Haynes, Vocational Minister for Chinook Winds and Pacific Mountain Regions.

The post Helping Future Ministry Leaders Flourish: Brenda Fawkes Bursary appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

Northminster and St David’s in Calgary have come together—two congregations, now one people—not by accident, but through significant planning and the mysterious and grace-filled movement of God. As their Ministry Plan says, “We have not lost who we were; instead, we have become more of who we are called to be.” Like the Body of Christ spoken of in scripture, these churches brought their distinct gifts, histories, strengths, and dreams—and together, they have become something more whole, more vibrant, and more alive. “Together, we are becoming the church the world longs to see.”

How it All Began

Just before the start of the pandemic, Northminster came to understand that their building was creating a significant yearly deficit, and they were afraid of the impact on their small but vibrant congregation. After working with UCC resource staff and local consultants it was determined that selling was the best option. Despite fears around whether or not they could be a church without a building, they thrived during COVID and soon realized they could take the leap toward a new way of being the church. Around the same time, St David’s was facing a vacancy after the retirement of their long-serving minister. In early in 2022, then Chinook Winds Region’s Pastoral Relations Minister, Rev. Dr. Stephen Harper, proposed they consider a two-year partnership to support each other through ministry vacancies and the need for a building. A Partnership Committee was formed with representation from each church along with Stephen and Northminster’s minister Rev. Nancy Nourse. Since May 2022, the churches have shared worship and programs (while maintaining separate governance and finances until amalgamation). They blended traditions and staff, tried new projects together, maintained ministries and committees of each church, and found ways to be a church in partnership. Thanks to a renewal of energy and ideas, within two years both congregations overwhelmingly realized they were better together and it was suggested this relationship become permanent.

Regular reporting and consulting with the congregation took place. In the winter months of 2025, numerous gatherings were held about hopes for the future, and discerning core values and how they aligned with the values of Jesus. From there, a Ministry Plan emerged through a great deal of prayer, congregational reflection, and the guidance of the Spirit.

The Name…Summit View United Church

“Summit View” is rooted in the geography that shapes the community, from the nearby Nose Hill and the Rocky Mountains to the west. It reflects a desire to look forward, envisioning a bold, inclusive future. Like climbing a mountain, the amalgamation has brought individual paths into a shared journey, and Summit View symbolizes this unity and convergence. The name also resonates spiritually, connecting to mountaintop experiences in faith, and moments where God’s presence is known and life is renewed.

The Calling

Together, four Core Values were determined: “Growing, Inclusive, Spiritual, Community”. Along side this, there is always the consideration of the congregation’s guiding question: how do we be a vibrant United Church presence in northwest Calgary? With the Ministry Plan along with a new Mission Teams model of governance, the core values are articulated and upheld.

Highlights to Celebrate

– Since amalgamation, they are seeing familiar faces return, new people—including young adults—discovering the church, celebrating the joy of 13 new members and 5 baptisms, and experiencing a renewed energy where people are eager to say yes—to opportunities, to serving, and to being part of something life-giving unfolding among them.

– Summit View established a Business Plan to name the financial priorities and stewardship long-term of current investments and funds coming from the sale of Northminster’s building.

– A surplus of combined assets from both legacy churches in the amount of $400,000 is being directed to Chinook Winds Region.

– In their commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, a gift of $50,000 will be sent to the Healing Fund of the United Church of Canada.

– A commitment to Young Adult ministries as well as lifting up their location to U of C and their partnership with Campus Ministries is a priority in the Ministry Plan. A memorandum of understanding has been signed which includes an annual $20,000 donation to Campus Ministries for the next five years.

– Summit View plans to grow its ministry team from 1.5 FTE to 2.5 FTE in the fall of 2026, as well as add paid leadership for livestream/tech, and is looking long term at enhancing children and youth staffing.

In the spirit of stewardship there is an understanding that the financial resources are tools to ensure Summit View remains a vibrant church for the long term. This is not an endowment to sit on, but a living resource to be used wisely—for possibilities not yet imagined.

Reflecting on Uniqueness and Exploring Common Ground

As Summit View takes their first steps, they recognize this is not the end of a journey but the beginning of a new chapter. The United Church of Canada’s Toward 2035 vision names both the challenges on the horizon and the opportunities before the church and is very much an affirmation of the work completed to date.

As Summit View grows into its new identity, there is also the possibility of becoming catalysts for collaboration both within and beyond the congregation. In the years ahead, they will explore intentional partnerships—with other United Churches and community organizations—that allow the sharing of resources, wisdom, and energy. The journey of amalgamation has already given the unique experiences built on shared gifts, and Summit View believes these learnings (successes and challenges) are not theirs to keep, but to offer as encouragement to others. In this way, the Summit View story may contribute to a lasting legacy in northwest Calgary and beyond: one that demonstrates the benefit of working together for faithful witness in the world.

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