Worship Service, Sunday November 24th @ 10:30am

Housing for Everyone: From Rhetoric to Reality

For our 9th Annual National Housing Day Service, commemorating the 1998 declaration that homelessness had become a national emergency, the members of the Affordable Housing Team—Paula Bourner, Joan MacNeil, Thomas Jones, Bill Johnston and Jennie Koops—will speak. They will look at homelessness and the crisis of precarious and unaffordable housing that causes most homelessness and undermines the health, sense of security and well-being of several million Canadians including tens of thousands in Hamilton. We’ll range from stories to practical solutions to the moral crisis that the housing crisis exposes. We’ll also honour Melanee McAulay who stepped down this year as executive director of Sacajawea Non-Profit Housing after 32 years of service. Please plan to stay after the service for a question and answer session. We’ll provide a light lunch.

~ This service will be led by our Affordable Housing Team.   

For details about future worship services please visit the Upcoming Services page.

All are welcome to join us in-person or online.

Join a Journey Group!

What is a Journey Group?

Simply put, Journey groups mend the threads of spiritual connection. Around us swirls a shallow, frantic and materialistic culture that leaves us cut off from our deepest self, life’s gifts and needs greater than our own. Many of us are hungry to mend these sacred connections that are frayed and worn thin. Journey Groups exist to support this journey of reconnection to life, others and our deepest self. We do this work of reconnection by listening.

Fundamentally, that’s what a Journey Group is, an invitation to listen more deeply and intentionally:

  • To other people: a gift that we don’t often receive in this culture. 
  • To our own life: we are often taught to see life as a challenge that needs to be conquered, rather than a journey to enjoy
  • To our deepest selves: introspection does not have to be solitary work, and we can often hear our own inner self when sharing with others.

Are you interested in finding out more?

For the next 3 months we will be offering 6 drop-in sessions, where you can try out the style of Journey Groups, before committing to a longer, regular gathering. Come to one, try out a few or come to them all!  View the drop-in session calendar on the registration page.

2025 Annual Pledge Campaign - Oct 6 to Oct 20

Canvass Sunday kicks off on October 6th with the theme ‘Commitment to Community’.  A vibrant church community like ours relies on the many talents, volunteer hours, and, of course, financial contributions of those it serves.  The reality is we need your pledges to continue supporting the many ways in which church activities bring people together – physically, mentally, and spiritually. 

Click on the following links for:

Thank you!  

2025 Canvass Co-Chairs Ginny Megin and Leslie Brunskill

 

Nov 7, 2024: Message from the Canvass Team

CANVASS WRAPPING UP

Our sea glass quilt pattern is looking great – we’ve raised $275K with $35K to go! 

We seek to wrap up the efforts of the canvass callers and then there will be cause for celebrating our Commitment to Community.  Stay tuned!

Leslie Brunskill and Ginny Megin 
2025 Canvass Co-chairs 

Boreal – Voices of Hope Concert

with special guests, The First Unitarian Church Choir

Boreal is the magical musical collaboration of Tannis Slimmon, Katherine Wheatley and Angie Nussey. Three singer-songwriters, each with their own award winning careers.  Boreal harmonies will melt you.  www.borealsongs.ca
 
Saturday December 7, 2024
Doors open at 6:30pm. Concert begins at 7:00pm
General admission seating. Intermission, refreshment available for purchase. 
 
Purchase Tickets
Tickets are $25.00 and available for purchase online through Eventbrite.  CLICK HERE for link.  If you require assistance purchasing tickets please contact Norm at 905.627.2047.
 
Proceeds of this concert will be shared between BorealThe Dundas Folklore Centre and The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton. 

Keys to Affordable Housing

This event will be in-person and online

Friday November 15, 2024 
Doors open at 5:45pm, Housing forum 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

To join online at 6pm please use this Vimeo link.  https://vimeo.com/event/4723982

Are you worried that you or many of your fellow Hamiltonians do not have decent affordable housing? 

Come and learn the following:

– What are the impacts of soaring rents on tenants. – The real reasons Hamilton and many other Ontario cities have such a severe housing problem, although many cities in countries similar to Canada do not. – What genuine, cost-effective solutions will work. – What doesn’t work, and why. – What to do in the meantime, to rein in rents and evictions, and prevent Hamilton from becoming a city of “haves” and anxious “have nots”

Guest Speakers:  Middle and low income tenants, Dr. Carolyn Whitzman and Sharlene Henry.  (see bios in HERE)

Please REGISTER HERE for this free event.

Questions – contact: housing@uuhamilton.ca

Visitor and Congregant Engagement - Meet 'n' Greet

Resuming Oct 6, 2024, the Visitor and Congregant Engagement team invites you to stay after the service on the first Sunday each month for Meet ‘n’ Greet. This is an opportunity for newcomers and seasoned attendees to be together for an hour to get to know each other and ask questions about our church. Refreshments will be available.

Land Acknowledgement

The City of Hamilton is situated upon the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas.  This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, which was an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes.

As settlers we continue to benefit from the land and its gifts.  As settlers, we must ask ourselves how or if we have shared and cared for the earth and its gifts. Facing the truth is hard.  Truth must come before reconciliation.

seven Principles

Our beliefs are diverse and inclusive. We have no shared creed. Our shared covenant (our Eight Principles) supports “the free and responsible search for truth and meaning.”

CYRE kids in circle

Children & Youth Program

We seek an outcome of respectful, responsible, life-loving kids who are both curious and questioning and know they are valued for all of who they are and are ready to show others the same deep acceptance.

Read our most recent and past Newsletters.