You are invited to join Chinook Winds Indigenous Minister Tony Snow and others for the monthly Right Relations Circle. We gather for conversation, connection, and friendship as we learn how to live out the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

You can register to receive the Zoom Link HERE   If you have previously registered, you will receive the Zoom link on the day of the Circle.

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

The post Right Relations Circle Gathers on September 22, 2026 appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

Dear Family in Christ,  

Friends in Chinook Winds and Northern Spirit regional councils and communities of faith, you have been on my mind so much this year. As I listen to news stories about the drive for signatures and the resulting upcoming question about separatism on a referendum in Alberta, I know I can do little for you but offer comfort and encouragement.  

I know I am not alone in this. Faithful people in all the provinces and territories hold you, your communities and your province in prayer.  

While issues and facts get muddled in the debate around separatism, and while many people feel strongly for one side of the argument or the other, the nuance is lost in the rhetoric. But some things are plain and clear:

 As people of faith, we are called to challenge injustice and oppression so everyone can live life abundantly.  

I believe that God is at work in the lives of all humanity – immigrants, refugees, migrants, transgender persons and people of other faiths. As a church that was, and continues to be, involved in nation-building and uniting across differences, we have a sacred responsibility to love our neighbours, near and far. We do this by building respectful mutual relationships in our communities. By engaging in dialogue and action. And by calling out any form of racism.  

And therein lies perhaps the crux of the referendum: of the ten questions, five are about immigration and immigrants, a thinly veiled attempt to enshrine and justify a racist political agenda. Most of the remaining questions are crafted to raise Alberta’s provincial rights above the common, collective and national good.  

We uphold the rights of Indigenous peoples and the importance and requirement to consult with the Indigenous groups on the treaty land known as Alberta. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which Canada has endorsed, details the rights of Indigenous peoples in international law and policy, containing minimum standards for recognizing, protecting and promoting these rights.  

Importantly, UNDRIP also prohibits discrimination against Indigenous peoples and promotes their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them.  

As people of The United Church of Canada, we have been consistent in our commitment to faithful work on justice, reconciliation, repair, building systems of equity and fairness and right relations with all peoples and the planet. We won’t stop now. Division and separation from those with whom we disagree has always been the easier road than walking the path of unity amidst diversity and difference.  

In a time of increasing division around the world, my hope and prayer are that, as followers of Jesus, we will work in our communities, provinces, country towards peace and understanding. As the old hymn goes “and they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

Part of my heart will always be in Alberta; I so appreciate the uniqueness of this wild rose country. I pray for strength and clarity as you organize to educate and mobilize the community around you.  

I pray for courage as you lift up your commitment to the Common Good, where all can thrive and experience a sense of belonging.

I pray for you, for your own sense of belonging to a place you call “home,” where you can experience the fullness that life in community offers, and where your faith is the foundation of how you live in this community.  

We stand together with you as you discern your answers to the referenda questions. As you consider what a better community and a better Canada looks like for you,

I pray, as 1 Peter 3:8 says, “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”

In solidarity and prayer,

The Right Rev. Dr. Kimberly Heath, Moderator, The United Church of Canada

The post Moderator: Words of Hope & Accompaniment appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

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:

• Introduction to the AB Referendum and United Church Responses. September 2, 2026, 6:30 pm. Organized by Northern Spirit Region with presentation from Chris Mah Poy, Chinook Winds Region. You can register HERE
• The Calgary Alliance for the Common Good has a Get Out the Vote Rally on September 16th at Scarboro United Church. 7 pm MT.
• The Prepared to Drown Podcast has a four-part series on the Referendum. Find it on your podcast streaming service or via the Prepared to Drown website.
• A Chinook Winds Regional Town Hall on the Referendum and Get-Out-To Vote presentation will be Wednesday, September 23 at 2 pm.
• Calgary Area Referendum Discussion Group held monthly at Scarboro United Church, Calgary, every fourth Thursday at 10:30 -11:45 am, next one on September 24 & October 22.
• A Referendum Tool Kit is being prepared by Executive Members and will be available soon.

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

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

Five hundred youth from The United Church of Canada and the Presbyterian Church in Canada gathered at Brock University in St. Catharines’ Ontario for Collective 2026, a multi-day youth event earlier this month. Some 30 Chinook Winds youth, young adults and youth leaders participated in building community, worship and workshops with leaders from Symons Valley United Church, St. Thomas United Church and Fish Creek United Church providing leadership during the event.

Here are some reflections from some of our participants:

I enjoyed Collective because it brings youth from all over the country together. It also shows us that there are many different ways you can do worship. Also, these kinds of events let young people socialize outside of school. – Hope B., Scarboro United Church

I believe that Collective is important because it allows for the connection of youth and young adults across Canada, while also giving the opportunity for us as United youth to mingle, learn, and understand our differences and similarities with the Presbyterian youth. I enjoyed Collective because it had allowed me to meet many new people across both churches and the country. Letting me make new friends, and see old ones. I am extremely grateful to have the chance, and the opportunity to be able to these events, across the wider united church, and I am grateful for the donors who were able to let me attend. Thank you! –Lexie W., Airdrie United Church and Chinook Winds Youth Council.

Events like collective are important because it brings a community of like minded people from different ecumenical partners together for a fun week, while also raising awareness of global partners and issues that we can support. – Sophie P., Fish Creek United Church and Chinook Winds Youth Council

We are so grateful to the donors and leaders who helped regional youth participate at Collective. Special thanks to Symons Valley United Church, St. Thomas United Church, Knox United Church, Fish Creek United Church and Scarboro United Church, as well as our individual donors. These events are fantastic places of connection and formation, and we’re so thankful for the continued contributions to youth ministry.

The post Building Belonging: Collective 2026 appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

For its last week, August 17-21, 2026, Camp Caravan happened in two places at once, at Summit View United Church and Fish Creek United Church in Calgary. It has been a wonderful way to bring our travelling summer season toward its close—with more games to play, crafts to create, songs to sing, friendships to make, and plenty of laughter still to share.

At both locations, our theme, Gather Round – With Love at the Center, continues to remind us what Camp Caravan is all about: Invite • Include • Belong • Share • Celebrate. Even in the final days of summer, there are new campers to welcome, new conections to make, and new memories to carry with us.

Fun, Fundraising & a Couple of Very Good Sports!

There has also been a little extra holy mischief happening at Summit View United Church this week!

Summit View put a modern spin on the classic dunk tank with a fun fundraising challenge in support of the Camp Caravan No Barriers Bursary Fund.

A huge thank you—and congratulations—to Rev. Bill Booth and Rev. Eva Biederman for being such good sports and volunteering to be the targets… we mean, getting in on the fun!

Thank you to the Summit View community for dreaming up such a creative way to support Camp Caravan, and to everyone who participated, cheered them on, and donated. It was a wonderfully playful way to support something at the heart of Camp Caravan: ensuring that financial circumstances never have to be a barrier to a child experiencing camp.

We’re also grateful for the 2026 Hosting Churches including – Symons Valley United Church; St. Thomas United Church; Fish Creek United Church; Stettler and Area United Churches; High River United Church; Southwood United Church; Strathmore United Church and Summit View United Church.

To learn more or support Camp Caravan, visit camp-caravan.ca.

Check out some photos below from the summer to soak up and celebrate the fun, connections, songs and laughter.

Please click on a photo to enlarge it and to scroll through the gallery

The post Camp Caravan Finishes Summer with a Splash appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

Back in 2023, a partnership of Communities in Action, Oyen Family Community Support Services and the Handi-Bus Association applied for and received a grant from Healthy Aging Alberta to purchase a van and provide a much-needed service for seniors to support their aging in place. Since November 2023, the service has provided 753 rides to medical appointments both distant and local and 1,120 locally for basic needs and social outings.

The service encompasses 6000 square kilometres of rural and remote communities such as Oyen, Empress, Cereal, and Acadia Valley Big Stone, Youngstown, Chinook, Sedalia, New Brigden, Esther, and Sibbald.

The van’s exterior recognizes those who have contributed to the vital transportation program including the United Church.

The post Oyen United: Helping Rural Seniors Stay Connected and Independent appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

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.

The post Join Us for the September 2026 Town Hall 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

The post Register today for Rural Ministry Conference, October 2-4, 2026 appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

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.

The post Carstairs Bancroft United: Serving Sundaes on Tuesdays appeared first on Chinook Winds Region.

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.