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Reconciliation in Action

Advent and Christmas Calendar 2023

Date 26 Oct, 2023

Category Ministry, Reconciliation in Action

Calendar

This Christmas season, you’re invited to join us for a justice-themed Advent. The Spiritual Care team has put together an Advent Calendar to help us start the work of Call for Justice 18.17 from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Call 18.17 states: “We call upon all governments, service providers, and educators to fund and support the re-education of communities and individuals who have learned to reject 2SLGBTQQIA people, or who deny their important history and contemporary place within communities and in ceremony, and to address transphobia and homophobia in communities (for example, with anti-transphobia and anti homophobia programs), to ensure cultural access for 2SLGBTQQIA people.”

Advent and Christmas Calendar 2023:

Advent and Christmas Calendar 2023

The calendar runs from December 3 to January 5 and features daily actions to help us along the journey to fulfilling Call 18.17. This important work is part of our commitment to putting reconciliation into action and advocating for justice for MMIWG and 2SLGBTQQIA.

Please join us by participating in these daily actions. Each Friday, Lauren Sanders, Indigenous Spiritual Care Chaplain (Prairie Band Potawatomi/mshkodeni bodéwadminwen, Kickapoo Nation of Kansas/kiikaapoa, African American/Black), will host a Zoom session (link in the calendar) to provide a safe space for deeper discussions.

Learn more about why this Call for Justice is important.

You may also want to download our Advent and Christmas Liturgy for this year.

Advent and Christmas Liturgy 2023

Date 25 Oct, 2023

Category Ministry, Reconciliation in Action

Candle Lighting Liturgy

This year’s Advent and Christmas Candle Lighting Liturgy is available for download below. The liturgies were prepared by Lauren Sanders, Indigenous Spiritual Care Chaplain for FIRST UNITED (Prairie Band Potawatomi/mshkodeni bodéwadminwen, Kickapoo Nation of Kansas/kiikaapoa, African American/Black), and Rev. Peter Sanders, Pastoral Advisor.

Advent and Christmas Candle Lighting Liturgy 2023:

https://admin.firstunited.ca/app/uploads/2023/10/2023-Advent-and-Christmas-Candle-Lighting-Liturgy.pdf

You may also want to download our Advent and Christmas calendar for this year.

FIRST UNITED Supports Calls to Search the Landfill

Date 21 Jul, 2023

Category Reconciliation in Action

The families of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran are calling on the Manitoba government to search the Prairie Green landfill for the remains of their murdered loved ones. FIRST UNITED echoes their calls, and stands in solidarity with Indigenous families, activists, and leaders asking for justice for all missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG).

One of our core values is social justice and we strive to put reconciliation into action as an organization—this is why we’re joining the calls for government action, even provinces away. Justice and reconciliation have no borders. Taking action against injustice is all of our responsibility, whether in our backyard or across the country.

We invite you to be an advocate too, to speak out and apply pressure to the Manitoba and federal governments to look for Morgan and Marcedes and return them to their families.

How you can take action:

Read Manitoba, do the right thing. Search the landfills by Tanya Talaga: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-manitoba-do-the-right-thing-search-the-landfills/

Read Reclaiming Power and Place: the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/

Write to Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, asking her government to action a search at the Prairie Green landfill: https://www.gov.mb.ca/minister/premier/index.html

Visit the United Church of Canada Facebook and Instagram to download and share social media graphics including Facebook page banners, and profile pictures. https://www.facebook.com/UnitedChurchCda

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