Donation cut-off for 2023: 10am Wednesday, December 20th

Our last bank deposit of the year will be done at 10am on Wednesday, December 20th.  Cash and cheque donations received after that deadline will not be deposited until the new year (and will therefore not show up on 2023 tax receipts, but will appear on next year's tax receipts).  

Electronic donations (via eTransfer or credit card) are deposited immediately.  Therefore, electronic payments can be received through December 31st, and will appear on your 2023 tax receipt. 

The cut-off deadline only applies to cash and cheques.

Christmas Eve

6pm Evening Service

We’re holding an evening service on December 24th, instead of our usual morning service.  This family-friendly service will feature traditional stories, carols, and candles — followed by apple cider and treats.  We hope you can join us!

Reminder: There will be NO 10:30am service that day — just the evening service at 6pm.

Christmas Hampers

Again this year, we collected Christmas hamper donations for families and youth in need in our area.  We collected a large basket full of items that will be dropped off at Family Services North Shore on December 11th.

Thanks to all who contributed items!

Cash donations can always be made directly to Family Services HERE.

NSUC Closures (due to snow or other conditions)

On rare occasions, Sunday Services and other NSUC events may be cancelled due to extreme weather conditions, loss of electricity, or other emergency situations.  When this happens on a Sunday morning, the decision will be made prior to 8 am. 

Safety First

Our number one concern is for the safety of our congregants.  We recognize that there are many factors that determine the safety of driving in inclement weather conditions, including:

  • The temperature -- and whether it’s rising or falling

  • Wind conditions

  • Rate of snowfall and buildup of accumulated snow

  • Road conditions

  • Road closures

  • Type of vehicle (front wheel drive, four wheel drive, etc.)

  • Vehicle tire type and condition

  • Level of experience the driver has with driving in snow

  • The presence or absence of electricity in the area

  • And more!

Therefore, it is not possible for us to have a “one size fits all” recommendation when it comes to emergency situations and inclement weather. 

NSUC Policy on Cancelling Sunday Services

We leave it up to individuals to determine whether or not they feel comfortable coming to NSU events considering all of the factors listed above.  When Sunday Services are cancelled, other events scheduled on that day will also be cancelled. 

Communication

When Sunday Services are cancelled, we will use a variety of ways to communicate the closure to the congregation, including:

  • Posting a message on the Home Page of our website.

  • Sending out a mass email to the members and friends on our eBulletin and newsletter distribution list. 

  • Changing the message on our phone’s answering machine to announce the closure. 

  • Encouraging “word of mouth” communications. 

Although we have no official “phone tree”, we encourage members and friends to communicate with each other via phone about closures, especially those who may not have online or email access to the information. 

It is possible that unforeseen situations may prevent the above methods of communication, in which case we will do our best to communicate the closure to congregants using whatever means we can. 

Our Policy on Cancelling Other NSUC Events

Other NSUC events may be cancelled due to inclement weather conditions at the determination of the event leader.  It is generally the responsibility of the event leader to communicate the cancellation with the participants.  

Social Justice Workshop: Sun. November 26th

The Workshop will be on Sunday November 26th from 12 noon to 1:30 pm.

A vital congregation is like a small village: nurturing and caring for the people within its walls, as well as to the communities that surround it.

Our Board has decided to focus on an Environmental action issue and a Social Justice issue so as to not spread ourselves too thin. Barb Kroon is the Board Member liaison with the Environmental Action Team, and Elain Duvall is the Board liaison with the Social Justice Team. Alison Nixon has offered to help the Social Action Team focus attention on the issues we as a church think are most important.

After church on Sunday November 26th, Alison will lead us in a short workshop to determine a Social Justice "Mission", for the congregation. She hopes that by the end of the workshop we will have determined a Social Justice Focus, and have some early ideas of ways we can support that focus.

In preparation for this important work, Alison asks that you consider various Social Justice Causes — AND  hold them lightly. Be prepared to change your mind and embrace others' ideas as we all listen deeply to each other.

There will be sandwiches available after church that day, which you can bring up to the Sanctuary (along with tea and coffee) for the workshop .

November's Outreach: Food Stash

Each month, 100% of our offering plate collections (unless otherwise noted) are given to a nonprofit organization whose mission is in line with our values. We call this “Outreach”.

During the month of November, we collected $1,553.09 in donations Food Stash, a Vancouver-based nonprofit that collects over 100,000 pounds of food per month that would have gone to waste, delivering it to charity partners and households weekly. Learn more at their website: https://www.foodstash.ca/