Reflections on 2013

February 2014

2013 Annual Report

Riverbend United Church

Inside this issue:

Presbytery Report 2

Official Board

Report 3

2013 Statistics 4

Pastoral Care 5

Board of Trustees 5

Parish Nurse 6

Spiritual Formation 7

Columbarium 8

Outreach 8

IMAGINE RUC 9

Property & Maintenance 10

Finance Committee 11

Building Team 11

As I reflect on this past year I

recall many times when I was

inspired by the people and

the ministries present in our

congregation—the music, the

variety of gifts offered in wor-

ship, in Children’s Ministry,

by our Youth and Young

Adults, by the Women of the

United Church and their

spouses who offer fine food

and fellowship for families

recently bereaved, by the

willingness to try new things

and to venture forward in

faith.

There have been many times

when we could have chosen a

simpler, less challenging way

forward, and yet each and

every time the congregation

has decided to move forward

with our construction, by

engaging in a creative

“imagining process”, by em-

bracing a “Life Cycle Minis-

try”, by finding new possibili-

ties for mission and ministry

such as a Bereavement Minis-

try and possible Columbar-

ium, and by beginning the

discussions that are part of an

“Affirming Process” which

will help us imagine our fu-

ture together. New renters

have been found on a regular

basis and for occasional

events, too. All of this in-

spires me as we embrace these

possibilities with faith rather

than fear!

The Spirit blows and those

who sense her movement are

affected. The Spirit contin-

ues to blow through our con-

gregation—this was most

evident in the wonderful can-

tata offered by our youth and

young adults this past

Spring, by the Ensemble

whose gifts Chris encouraged

and led so they continue to

offer profound energy and

enthusiasm when they lead in

worship, by the Children’s

Christmas Cantata, and by

those who sustained our mu-

sic ministries when David

Smith was unwell and by Lois

Samis-Lund and our many

bell-ringers. We are truly

blessed by gifts of talent,

time, dedication, creativity,

and insight!

The Spirit moves in other

ways as the UCW discerned

new patterns for their life

together and in offering their

gifts of hospitality, friend-

ship, and service as Women

of the United Church. The

Walking Group offers deep

and profound support to one

another and especially those

with needs and concerns. The

Spirit Group meets twice

monthly to explore and share

their faith. The Turkey

Team offered many meals

with much enthusiasm, gen-

erosity, and grace.

The past year has been busy

for me and for the congrega-

tion. Jacqueline Hunt has

gathered around her a won-

derful team of volunteers to

assist with a variety of office

duties including updating our

database. She has been open

to a variety of rental possi-

bilities that have helped im-

prove our bottom line.

We tried one Sunday service

for July and August and the

experiment will be continued

this coming summer as we

move to one service for June

as well. Garage Sale, Photo

Directory, Golf Tourney,

Spirit Group, Confirmation

Class, Book Studies, Corn

Roast, Youth events, Sunday

evening focus discussions, and

more have kept us busy.

Chris Giffen’s decision to pur-

sue further education in the

United States presented us

with challenges around Chil-

dren’s Ministry, Sunday

Youth Discussions, Youth

Group activities, Ensemble

inspiration and leadership

… continued on page 2

Appendix I - Financial Reports:

2013 Balance Sheet

2013 Profit & Loss

2014 Budget

14907—45 Avenue NW, Edmonton, Alberta T6H 5K8

Rev. Don Koots

and Confirmation classes. So

many people have stepped

forward in faith to sustain

those ministries as we search

for a new person to inspire,

lead, mentor, and guide us in

children’s and youth minis-

tries.

We will miss the inspiration

and leadership of Jack Tow-

ers and LaVon Holgate.

They each served the local

and wider church in a vari-

ety of ways with deep con-

viction, generosity of spirit,

and solid leadership!

Change continues to be the

norm for us. I trust that the

Spirit will continue to engage

us, guide us, sustain us, and

challenge us together for the

coming months and years.

With Chris leaving, there

was a change in the rhythm

and pace of our ministry.

The coming months will de-

termine much of the direc-

tion our mission and minis-

try will take for the next

generation.

The Congregation’s adoption

of the direction described by

the “Imagine Riverbend”

process has given us a road

map to follow into the future

that is filled with possibili-

ties and great potential. The

people who give and share so

much of their time, talent,

energy and resources are a

wonderful blessing who

shape and build our commu-

nity.

We are richly blessed by so

many lay leaders who have

helped us to imagine our fu-

ture; to fill staffing gaps for

the time being; to lead our

Board, Committees, Youth,

Children, and other groups;

and those who step up week

by week so we can offer a

wide variety of ministries

and possibilities.

David Smith has offered his

creative, inspirational, and

leadership skills to our music

ministry for decades. His

decision to retire due to his

health struggles will be an-

other significant change to

which we will need to adapt.

We have been so blessed by

his talent and direction of

the Choir and the coordina-

tion he has done in weaving

together the tapestry that

has been our Music Ministry!

May he recover his health in

ways that bring him hope

and happiness for the com-

ing years.

It continues to be my privi-

lege to work with Joanne

Olson as our Parish Nurse,

Jacqueline Hunt as our Of-

fice Manager, Andrew Sims

as our Church Musician, and

Lois Samis-Lund as our

Hand Bell Choir Director. I

have been richly blessed by

the talents, gifts, and leader-

ship of David Smith and

Chris Giffen in all the ways

they have contributed to our

ministries and mission.

I hope the congregation ap-

preciates the dedicated and

committed leadership offered

by Bev Sawyer as Board

Chair and all the others who

do so much to bring mission

to life in our congregation!

My thanks to the Rev. Tom

Sawyer for all the ways he

has supported me and led

within our congregation this

past year!

The year ahead will continue

to be busy and challenging.

May it be that we are able to

discern and work together

that God’s grace and glory

might be revealed in what

we do together and as we live

out our faith day by day.

~ Rev. Don Koots

Reflections on 2012 (continued)

Presbytery Report

Page 2

With the support of then

Mayor Stephen Mandel, our

standing committee of Inter-

church Interfaith was the

catalyst for Edmonton being

named first Partner City in

Canada with the Council of

the Parliament of the

World's Religions. A pro-

posal has been submitted for

Edmonton to be the host

city for the 2017 Interna-

tional Conference. Mean-

time, a series of pre-

parliament events have been

planned, including a spring

event (May 1-4) at the Uni-

versity of Alberta, featuring

speakers, films and work-

shops. There was a decision

made that there would be no

increase in congregational

assessments for the coming

year.

Other initiatives included:

Partners in Ministry: appli-

cation requests are $15,000

for Campus ministry;

$15,000 for Inner City Pas-

toral Ministry; and $100,000

for Bissell Centre.

Tuxis - Youth Parliament

(ages 15-21) - is held annu-

ally Dec. 26-31 . Participants

learn about parliamentary

procedures and practise pub-

lic speaking skills. They are

housed at Concordia College

and bussed to the Legisla-

ture.

"Glad and Generous Hearts"

- the ANWC mid-triennium

event - was held Nov. 1-3 in

Red Deer.

New Ministry sponsored a

highly successful fall corn

initiative, along with

Neighbours Together pot-

luck suppers to foster con-

versation among church

leaders.

This year's No Room in the

Inn campaign was desig-

nated to support the 8 Ox-

ford Houses in Edmonton.

They provide long term, safe

and affordable housing for

men and women recovering

from addiction. The amount

raised in the preceding year

was $67,000, making a total

of about $500,000 since the

start of the project in 1999.

Camps Maskepetoon/Wohelo:

In 1956, Edmonton Presby-

tery bought 243 acres on the

north shore of Pigeon Lake.

for camps. Christian Youth

Camps Incorporated (CYCI)

was formed to run the prop-

erty. In 1958, CYCI agreed

to lease property to CGIT for

… continued on page 4

Who knew in January 2013

what we would be working

on now, one year later? The

past year has indeed been

one of surprises, with pro-

gress made on several fronts

that I believe strengthen our

ability to identify and carry

out various ministries.

The most obvious change is,

of course, to do with our

physical facilities. The lar-

ger parking lot was finally

completed in spring 2013,

and has been very well used

since then, mostly for church

but also for community func-

tions in the park next door.

Last February, the congrega-

tion decided to proceed with

the building expansion that

had been under considera-

tion for several years. This

was far from a unanimous

decision; nonetheless, once

the decision was made, it was

good to see the construction

beginning and moving along

quickly. We should be able

to start using the space be-

fore summer.

In conjunction with these

developments, requests for

use of our space have greatly

increased. The brighter,

more open basement with its

wonderful new kitchen is in

high demand, and we are

already receiving inquiries

regarding availability of our

new expansion. This kind of

community interest helps

provide revenue, of course;

but it also exemplifies our

wish to interact with our

community and to provide a

service that helps meet the

needs of its people.

We have now become used to

following services as they are

projected on the screen at

the front of the sanctuary.

This exemplifies environ-

mental stewardship in terms

of paper reduction. As well,

images can be projected,

with photographs effectively

supporting a variety of pur-

poses, thus enhancing the

mood and tone of various

services or meetings.

We can see the impact of

these physical changes.

However, we have also had

some unanticipated staff

changes, the effects of which

are just as important but

perhaps less obvious. In the

spring, our Children, Youth

and Family Minister, Chris

Giffen, announced that he

would be leaving us to pur-

sue graduate studies in coun-

selling. Rather than moving

immediately to fill this va-

cancy with the same job de-

scription, the Official Board

decided to engage the con-

gregation in a thorough re-

view of our goals, priorities,

strengths and challenges

prior to determining our staff

needs. As a result of this

process, we adopted a new

model to visually express our

ministries and missions

(located elsewhere in this

annual report), and in turn

established a search commit-

tee to seek a Children and

Youth Minister. We are car-

rying on with the various

children and youth activities

thanks to some part-time

assistance from our young

adults, with support from

adult volunteers.

Then in late fall our long-

time Music Director, David

Smith, gave notice of his re-

tirement. He provided out-

standing service to this con-

gregation for many years,

but ill health has taken its

toll. A special service to ex-

press our appreciation for

David’s leadership is being

planned for March. Again, a

search committee has been

established to seek a new

Music Director. Meanwhile,

thank you to the two choir

members who have stepped

up to assist temporarily with

directing the senior choir.

Our sense of ministry and

mission have also been re-

freshed during 2013. For

many years, we have had

involvements with Bissell

and Elizabeth House. We

have remembered those in

our congregation who find it

difficult to get out and

about, and have found vari-

ous ways to support those

beyond ourselves who need a

helping hand. Two new ar-

eas have more recently be-

come a focus. The first is

development of a Bereave-

ment Ministry; the second is

to do with the Brander Gar-

dens social housing develop-

ment.

The concept of a Bereave-

ment Ministry grew from the

idea of a columbarium.

Board members first became

aware of the columbarium

possibility in spring 2013,

seeing in it both a service to

the community and a source

of financial support. With

congregational approval re-

ceived in November, we are

moving forward with this

development. However, it

has come to be much more

than simply the columbar-

ium facility. The congrega-

tion has also approved the

concept of a specialized Be-

reavement Ministry. The

columbarium would be an

integral part of such a minis-

try, but there would also be

various services and pro-

grams targeted toward those

in the congregation and the

community grappling with

end-of-life matters.

The second new ministry is

not as developed at this

point as the first. Brander

Gardens ROCKS (“Reaching

Out to Community Kids”) is

a co-operative venture

within the social housing

project north of the church

on Riverbend Road. Please

see my article in the January

29 edition of The Front

Pew for a detailed descrip-

tion. At this point, we offer

space to the group for some

of its activities, but there

may be some interest in ex-

panding our support.

Our volunteers and staff

must be acknowledged for

the work they do that en-

ables this congregation to

thrive. Don Koots, Joanne

Olson, Jacqueline Hunt,

David Smith, Andrew

Sims… we are so fortunate

to have this team provide

the steady leadership that

keeps us on course. They in

turn are supported by an

amazing number of volun-

teers. It is risky to mention

a few, for fear of slighting

others. But I must mention

two groups in particular.

… continued on page 4

Official Board Report Page 3

Presbytery Report (continued) Page 4

The ”turkey team” has pro-

vided good food and oppor-

tunities for the fellowship

that keeps us in touch with

one another; and those who

plan and carry out our whole

community worship services

every month or so help us to

experience the energy and

joy of enthusiastic worship.

There are so many others;

we need to be aware and ap-

preciative of their efforts.

I am very pleased to report

that the budget presented at

this congregational meeting

will include a small surplus

carried over from 2013. As

has frequently been the case,

substantial offerings were

received during December.

As well, our revenues from

the sale of Safeway cards

and from the September ga-

rage sale were gratefully re-

ceived. Nonetheless, it will

be a challenge to meet this

year’s expanded financial

obligations, particularly

with regard to the mortgage

for the building expansion.

Thank you to all for your

support and encouragement

as we look forward to a pro-

ductive and faithful 2014.

~ Respectfully submitted by

Bev Sawyer,

Official Board Chair

2013 Statistics Baptisms

Marriages

Deaths

Members (resident & non-resident)

Households (members & adherents)

In Memoriam

Deborah Joan Bentz Shawn Christopher McDonald

Robert Ronald Williams Marinus “Rene” den Heyer Rudolph Joseph Jarosch

Elizabeth “Betty” Lee Dersch Norman Warwick

Robina “Ruby” Murray Haig Gregory Wayne Tennant Rev. John “Jack” Towers

Willy Otto Kneisler Marjorie Amy Bishop

Margaret LaVon Holgate Barbara Metcalfe

13

5

13

396

350

the girls' camp (Wohelo).

The lease expired at the end

of December and was re-

newed this year.

Six remits were authorized

by General Council (GC41)

in 2013 in Ottawa. All were

discussed and approved.

Truth and Reconciliation

Commission (TRC) - The

Residential Schools' Settle-

ment Agreement had been

reached in May 2006. The

7th and final national event

is scheduled for May 27-

30/14 at the Shaw Confer-

ence Centre in Edmonton.

Jill Spaner continues to take

part in the GC Theology &

Interchurch Interfaith Com-

mittee meetings in Toronto.

Kay Quon completed Inter-

cultural Ministry reports to

National UCW, and contin-

ues reports to Conference

UCW and as past chair of

Conference IM.

Reverend Don continues to

take part in the local home-

lessness project, "Welcome

Home". He is GC represen-

tative on the Anglican-

United Church dialogue. He

was one of two clergy from

Canada to attend the inter-

national symposium held in

Geneva, Switzerland August

16-21, sponsored by the

World Communion of Re-

formed Churches organiza-

tion (WCRC).

Please watch for Presbytery

Matters from Presbytery

Communications and the

monthly reports posted on

the Bulletin Board.

W e b s i t e r e m i n d e r :

www.uccedm.org

~ Your Presbytery

Representatives,

Rev. Don Koots,

Jill Spaner and

Kay Quon.

Board Report (continued)

Pastoral Care

Throughout 2013 the Pas-

toral Care Committee has

worked hard to build com-

munity amongst the mem-

bers of the congregation at

RUC and to support the

spiritual well being of this

faith community.

The members of this com-

mittee are: Aleta Clarke,

Beth Corus, Cathie Graves

-Evans, Maureen Helfrich,

Ron Holgate, Anne

Leighton, Linda Schofield,

and Eileen Young. The

position of Secretary was

rotated between Linda

Schofield and Anne

Leighton with Maureen

Helfrich attending Board

meetings.

The Committee believes

that strong communica-

tion from and to the con-

gregation is essential in

building a strong faith

community. The distribu-

tion of the monthly News-

letter is critical in the

maintenance of this com-

munity, and this is sup-

ported by the website and

email messages. Thanks to

Ron Holgate for his con-

tinued dedication in ensur-

ing that newsletters are

distributed.

The Committee also be-

lieves that opportunities

to meet and eat together

are important in the devel-

opment of a close, con-

nected and caring faith

community. Maureen Hel-

frich, with the support of

the Committee organized

the monthly Muffin Sun-

days throughout 2013 and

also organized the bi-

annual Meet and Greet

Luncheons. We are grate-

ful for the youth who help

us set up these events with

such enthusiasm. All

these events are well sup-

ported by the congrega-

tion both through atten-

dance and the donation of

muffins and sandwiches.

Casseroles are supplied

when requested for deliv-

ery to individuals or fami-

lies as the need arises.

Transportation has been

provided to several indi-

viduals both to the church

and around the commu-

nity.

Special thanks to Beth

Corus for supporting

through our Card Ministry

those that are sick, suffer-

ing the loss of a loved one

or under other stress.

All members of the Com-

mittee are involved in the

creation and delivery of

Christmas Gift Bags and

Easter Baskets. These are

delivered to seniors unable

to attend church services

or individuals going

through particularly

stressful times. The Chil-

dren’s Ministry created

small decorations or cards

for each bag or basket.

Many members of the con-

gregations supported the

project through donations

of “treats”. Still more as-

sisted in the creation of the

Page 5

Board of Trustees

The 2013 Board of Trustees is comprised of:

David Hitesman (since 2012);

Terry Hunt (since 2012);

Tom LaPointe (since 2000);

Marg Morley (since 2013);

Joan Robinson (since 2006);

David Turner (since 2012); and

Lynne Wolford (since 2013).

The role of the Trustees is primarily to hold title to the real

and tangible property of the congregation and ensure its

proper use and protection. The Trustees act in conjunction

with, or as directed by, the (managing) Board of Riverbend

United Church acting on behalf of the congregation.

During the year, the Trustees held two significant meetings;

the first concerning the renewal and expansion of the cell

tower lease, and the second regarding the approval of the

Church expansion and financing arrangements.

The oversight role of the Trustees relating to the church

facility and the financing of the project is an important one

considering the plans for expanding the church building, a

major commitment by the congregation. Currently, the

construction contract is being financed by way of a mort-

gage; but it is hoped that this financing arrangement can be

reduced through the issuance of Community Faith Bonds to

our congregation members. This option would provide a

better return to purchasers and would reduce the financing

costs to the congregation as a whole.

~ Tom LaPointe,

Chair, Board of Trustees

baskets and bags as well as

the visitation of many indi-

viduals. These bags and

baskets were a way to reach

out and remind those that

Riverbend United Church

was thinking of them.

Thanks to all of you for

your sharing and caring.

To all of those who deliver

newsletters, provide trans-

portation, bake muffins and

casseroles, make sand-

wiches, greet on Sundays,

participate in our Christ-

mas and Easter visitation

programs, a heartfelt

THANK YOU.

~ Maureen Helfrich

In 2013, I served the mem-

bers of Riverbend United

Church in the capacity of a

part-time Parish Nurse.

For this staff role, I was

contracted for an average

of 10 hours per week over

11 months. This role nicely

integrates with my roles as

Professor, Faculty of Nurs-

ing, University of Alberta

and Associate Teaching

Faculty at St. Stephen’s

College.

The broad categories under

which my parish nursing

activities mainly fall in-

clude:

a) Integrating Faith and

Health,

b) Health Education,

c) Health Counseling,

d) Referral Advisor,

e) Health Advocate,

f) Developer of Support

Groups, and

g) Volunteer Coordina-

tion.

My specific activities

change on a week to week

basis but always aim to-

ward promoting the overall

health (spiritual, emo-

tional, social, physical) of

individuals, families and

the entire congregation,

especially in times of life

transitions. At times spe-

cific actions on my part are

required and at other times

I work to support all of

you, the congregational

members, in carrying out

actions that promote your

own health and well-being

and that of others among

us. We live in community

and health is best lived out

within that context.

During the past year, my

parish nursing ministry

may have appeared to indi-

viduals, groups, and the

congregation as a whole

when I:

Participated in

weekly ministry

team meetings

(offering continu-

ity in times staff

transitions)

Participated in

weekly worship

services (mainly at

the 10:30 worship)

Co-planned and co-

led a healing ser-

vice and a Sunday

summer worship

service

Planned and led

worship services at

retirement centres

as needed

Supported indi-

viduals and fami-

lies through home,

hospital and long-

term care facility

visits

Met with health

ministry commit-

tee members to

develop plans for

2013 and 2014

Coordinated with

the Pastoral Care

Committee for the

distribution of

cards to individu-

als/families and for

Easter and Christ-

mas basket deliver-

ies

Contributed to the

Front Pew, the

Website, and the

weekly announce-

ments when appro-

priate

Offered support to

the “Spirit Circle”

that meets to ex-

plore and support

spiritual growth

Worked with the

“Turkey Team” to

provide food and

fellowship at 5

community build-

ing events

Organized and led

a two session book

discussion (June 5

& 12) for 16 people:

You Could Live a

Long Time: Are

You Ready? by

Lindsay Green

Organized a Car-

diopulmonary Re-

suscitation (CPR)

class for 13 people

(held in early 2014)

– this added 13

new people for a

total of about 33

who have been

prepared in CPR

and the use of the

Automated Exter-

nal Defibrillator

(AED) in the nar-

thex of our build-

ing.

2014 promises to bring a

whole array of new health

ministry opportunities. I

look forward to working

with you as we continue to

build a healthy and vibrant

faith community!

~ Sincerely,

Joanne Olson, PhD, RN,

FAAN

Parish Nurse

Parish Nurse Page 6

Art in the Park

Community Corn Roast

September 21, 2013

Health Committee

The Health Committee of

Riverbend United Church

exists to support the ongo-

ing work of the Parish

Nurse.

At the end of 2013 the

Health Committee re-

quested completion of a

confidential Health Needs

Assessment to assist it in

identifying and delivering

programming needs for the

coming year.

~ Diana Kemp

Chair, Health Committee

Page 7 Spiritual Formation

We experienced significant

change in 2013 with the de-

parture of Chris Giffen, our

Youth and Family Minister.

Chris brought many gifts to

the congregation of River-

bend United in the three

years he was with us. He

helped us to explore different

styles of worship and music

and always did so with an

enthusiasm which was infec-

tious. Whilst we miss him,

we wish him every success as

he continues on his faith ad-

venture.

Children’s Ministry: We

welcomed Molly Spaner

as Children’s Ministry

Coordinator in Septem-

ber 2013. In December

we were blessed to have

the children perform a

Chri stmas Cantata

which was a very mean-

ingful worship experi-

ence for all who at-

tended.

Confirmation: There are

six youth attending con-

firmation classes which

are led by Doug Spaner

and David James. The

confirmation class or-

ganised a service of

Spiritual Healing and

Wholeness in December.

It was disappointing

that this service had

such low attendance as it

provided a wonderful

oasis to refresh the spirit

when all around was so

busy. Please consider

supporting the confir-

mands when they offer

the gift of worship, you

won’t be disappointed.

Music: Our music minis-

try continues to thrive

through the choir, bell

choir and music ensem-

ble. As well as our an-

nual community Christ-

mas Carol Sing we en-

joyed a fund raising con-

cert hosted by the music

ensemble with proceeds

going towards equip-

ment.

Special Worship Services:

We again held our Ash

Wednesday, Good Fri-

day and Easter Sunrise

services. On Christmas

Eve we held four ser-

vices. In June we held a

special whole commu-

nity worship to say fare-

well to Chris Giffen.

Whole Community Wor-

ship: The 10.30am wor-

ship on the third Sunday

of every month (Sept-

June) is designated a

whole community wor-

ship service. The music is

led by the Ensemble and

there is a small but dedi-

cated group of volun-

teers who plan the wor-

ships. This is an oppor-

tunity to experiment

with new styles of wor-

ship and we have en-

joyed children’s stories,

slideshows and new mu-

sic to name but a few.

Youth Group: The youth

group continues to flour-

ish. We again enjoyed a

wonderful Cantata in

May, a Shrove Tuesday

supper and delicious bib-

lical cakes. This year the

youth planned their

Christmas Eve service

themselves and did a

wonderful job. On Satur-

day nights they continue

to enjoy many activities

including skating, tobog-

ganing, swimming, make

a movie night and

church sleepovers, as

well as hosting the Pres-

bytery wide Halloween

dance which is a high-

light for all the Edmon-

ton youth groups.

Vacation Bible School:

This year VBS took

place in the first week in

July and was led by

Chris. The theme was

“Create with Creation”

with 9 children in atten-

dance.

Volunteers: We are ex-

tremely fortunate to

have such a wonderful

group of volunteers who

make sure everything

runs smoothly. From

preparing the commun-

ion elements, being an

usher, decorating the

Sanctuary, leading con-

firmation and youth

Sunday morning discus-

sions, teaching the chil-

dren; the list goes on and

on. In particular we

have been blessed this

year with individuals

who have stepped up to

help whilst we search for

a Children and Youth

Minister. To each and

every one of you who

give your time and tal-

ents to Riverbend

United Church. THANK

YOU!

We continue to look for new

members of the Spiritual

Formation committee. We

are so blessed that our faith

community continues to

thrive and looks for ways to

spread the Good News. Our

worship and ministries con-

tinue to grow and evolve.

Won’t you consider helping

us continue on this journey?

~ Carolyn Miller

Page 8

Outreach Committee

The Outreach Committee

had the usual two main

events this year:

Father's Day Lunch at

Bissell Centre – For this

event, we accept dona-

tions of sandwiches,

vegetables, fruit and des-

sert from the congrega-

tion for over 300 guests,

these being primarily

adults who live in the

inner city.

Volunteers from the con-

gregation attend the

church service at the

Bissell Centre and then

serve lunch to the atten-

dees. All seem grateful

and certainly no one ever

complains about the

quality or variety of

food at this event.

The Outreach Commit-

tee really appreciated

the fact that so many

volunteers signed up to

donate food, time and

energy. We also appreci-

ate the fact that several

families came as volun-

teers to celebrate Fa-

ther's Day together with

us and 300+ more

friends.

Elizabeth House Christ-

mas Party - This is a long

-term Women's Shelter

that assists women

who have social or sub-

stance abuse challenges

but are ready to work

towards starting a new

life.

Donations of 11 custom-

made baskets for women

who have moved out of

the house and of 24

stockings for current

residents were shared at

a dinner at Elizabeth

House.

T w o n e w g r o u p s

(including The Youth

Group) donated baskets

this year. Both members

of the Outreach Commit-

tee and other interested

folk from the congrega-

tion attended this fun

event.

Judi Cook also worked hard

at soliciting donations of

household goods for the new

Nigerian family in our con-

gregation.

T H A N K Y O U A N D

THANK YOU AGAIN to all

who donated items or time to

these worthwhile endeav-

ours.

The Outreach Committee

continues to look for ideas

for worthwhile projects that

extend beyond Riverbend

United. Please let us know if

you have ideas.

~ Joan Robinson

Columbarium Committee

A Committee was formed on

August 24, 2013 to evaluate

and investigate the incorpo-

ration of a Columbarium in

the expansion of RUC.

Members included R. Serne

(Chair), L. Wolford, K.

Quon, J.Enns, E. Mustonen,

T. Sawyer and J. Hunt.

Five meetings were held and

a report made to the Board

and to the congregation at

large.

Visitations were made to

existing facilities in Edmon-

ton and Saskatoon. Legal

conditions and appropriate

forms governing columbar-

ium operations and financial

considerations were re-

viewed. The Committee pre-

sented a unanimous opinion

that if the present finances of

the church could support the

additional construction cost

of a columbarium that the

Board should approve this

venture. The only caution

made by the Committee was

not to expect major initial

revenue from the columbar-

ium due to contingency

funding requirements for

maintenance and operations

of the columbarium.

A separate committee will be

necessary for the administra-

tion of the RUC Columbar-

ium when fully operational.

~ R. Serne

Parking lot dedication service

IMAGINE RUC 2013 Page 9

With the loss of Chris Giffen as our Children, Youth and Family Minister, the Official Board felt it would be wise examine

and analyze the dreams, goals, strengths and challenges of our congregation, and asked Corrina Chetley-Irwin to design

and lead this process. Under her leadership, surveys were completed, paper gardens were constructed in the sanctuary,

interviews were conducted, information was analyzed, and results were discussed. From this process, a series of recom-

mendations were formulated to guide the work of the congregation over the months and years ahead.

Two immediate outcomes were clear: the congregation clearly expressed that hiring a new Children and Youth Minister is

a priority, and also accepted the “Life-Cycle Ministry Model” as its guide in decision making and program development.

Other recommendations will be incorporated into the work of our various committees as we move forward.

~ Respectfully submitted

Bev Sawyer,

Official Board Chair

2013 started off with the ap-

proval of the building exten-

sion and the renewal of the

Rogers cell tower lease. The

crosses on the cell tower kept

coming off so Rogers took

them all off and did replace

them later in the year with

painted on crosses rather

than fastened on crosses.

They look attractive now.

Dan Madi of Burly Boyz

continued to clear the snow

off the new parking lot and

stock piled the snow on the

south west corner of the lot.

By the end of the winter it

was a sizable pile, but it

saved the cost of hauling the

snow away. Mark Destaca-

mento Cleaning Service con-

tinued to clear the sidewalks

of snow and clean the church

(vacuum and clean the car-

pets, clean the toilets, clean

and wax the floors, take out

the garbage, cut the lawn).

We had to replace the vac-

uum head up stairs.

During 2013 the following

events/projects occurred:

We had several minor

natural gas leaks in May

and had them repaired,

(small leaks in the pipe

joints going into two

furnaces and the hot wa-

ter heater)

a City Flood Prevention

Inspection was com-

pleted in May. We fol-

lowed up with a final re-

contouring of the land-

scaping, developed two

swales, build up the

l an d s c ap e t im b e r s

around the church

(except for the west side

where the new addition

was to be constructed) re

-seeded the lawn and laid

a new step at the back

door with extra drainage

and raised the retaining

wall around the step.

The Fire Marshal

wanted us to have the

retaining wall further

out from the back door,

so we did that. We raised

the air conditioners and

put a new base under

them to prevent settling.

All this was completed

over the summer.

In early July the Fire

Marshal came again and

recommended there be

no storage in the stair

wells and requested re-

pair of the emergency

light switch. They also

asked that the back step

retaining wall be ex-

tended out one meter.

This was all completed.

The garden shed was

moved by O’Hanlon

Paving to the south east

corner of the parking lot.

A foundation had to be

prepared with landscape

timbers and a form made

for the gravel ramp.

Lynn Wolford donated a

basketball hoop so it is

located by the shed.

During the spring the

trees and shrubs were

watered by Brent Skin-

ner until we found out

the landscape company

that put them in was

also watering so Brent

stopped and let them

finish for the summer.

Stucco was added

around the wall of the

back step. Cedar chips

were put under the trees

on the south.

I had many helpers with

the landscaping and re-

contouring the land as

well as preparing the soil

for seeding including:

Terry Lemiski, Tom La-

Pointe, Owen Bamford,

YiYi Datar, and Rick

Pawluk.

We installed new ceiling

tiles in the basement,

thanks to the help from

Tom LaPointe, Marvin

Severson, Terry Lemiski

and others. Jim Schetzle

helped fix a furnace that

was leaking.

New window blinds were

installed in the base-

ment, and the speakers

from the sanctuary were

installed in the basement

along with a new ampli-

fier, audio and visual

cables (sound and visual

can be broadcast from

upstairs to downstairs).

A wireless microphone

was donated by Brander

Garden Rocks courtesy

of TD’s MusiCounts

program.

Rogers built an exten-

sion onto the cell tower.

The City of Edmonton

did a final inspection of

the basement renovation

and electrical.

Construction of the

Church extension was

started. A key lock was

installed. A tree had to

be removed along the

new parking lot as it was

going to fall and hit one

of the new lamp posts

that lights the parking

lot.

~ David Galbraith

Property & Maintenance Page 10

Groundbreaking

September 10, 2013

Basement foundation

September 26, 2013

Significant progress

December 13, 2013

Page 11

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee’s

program was largely linked

to the Building Implementa-

tion Team in 2013 and its

activities in regard to devel-

oping the building expansion

project.

The main projects included:

completion of the park-

ing lot and making final

payments (huge thank

you to Brent Skinner for

leading the Building

Committee since incep-

tion);

holding a successful

capital fundraising cam-

paign that ended in 2013

and netted $200,000 in

new pledges;

getting congregational

approval in March for

developing a financing

plan for the final phase

of the building project;

discussing the concept of

the columbarium and

taking it to the congre-

gation for its further

consideration in August;

discussing the concept of

Faith Bonds with the

congregation in March

and receiving approval

for developing a Faith

Bond program in Au-

gust;

developing the financing

plan and submitting it

to the board and congre-

gation for approval in

August;

offering, receiving and

approving bids (for

Board consideration) for

the building expansion

construction;

appointing Matthew

Schoenhardt as the

building project man-

ager;

celebrating the ground-

breaking for the new

building expansion,

writing a third grant

application to the pro-

vincial Community Fa-

cilities Enhancement

Program for another

$125,000 donation to

support the building

expansion; and

selecting an interior de-

sign subcommittee and

an interior designer to

choose the colour pallet

and the furnishings for

the new expansion.

Members of the committee

in 2013 were: Bev Sawyer,

Christine Ens, Lynne

Wolford, Jill Spanner, David

Gailbraith, Erik Mustonen,

David Hitesman (completed

term) and Brent Skinner

(completed term).

Members of the ad hoc Fi-

nancing sub-committee

were: Tom LaPointe, Terry

Hunt, and David Turner.

Members of the ad hoc Inte-

rior Design sub-committee

are: Christine Ens, Lynne

Wolford, and Michelle Rum-

bold.

~ Respectfully submitted

David M. Olson, chair

Building Implementation Team

Construction on the expan-

sion is well underway and

g o i n g r e m a r k a b l y

smoothly. Thank you to

everyone for their patience

during construction. We will

soon be back and find that

our new normal is even bet-

ter! The scheduled date of

substantial completion – ob-

taining an occupancy permit

– is 31 March 2014 and my

current forecast is that while

we might miss this by a week

or two, it is a negligible

schedule slip in terms of the

entire project.

While we will be able to get

into our building this Easter,

certain seasonal issues will

need to be corrected after

spring has firmly arrived.

On the cost front on a total

budget of $1.22 MM, includ-

ing consultant and contrac-

tor fees, we will be slightly

over budget in the range of

3%. The only surprise to me

as a professional is the size of

the cost overrun – I firmly

expected a larger one. Fixed

-price contracts are a guaran-

teed minimum cost and our

project carried less than 5%

contingency. While I am

getting well versed in saying

“NO” to congregational re-

quests in order to contain

costs, certain things either

had to be done or just made

common sense. Reasons for

the likely minor cost overrun

include: some existing pre-

conditions that had to be

investigated and addressed

such as a partial sewer line

blockage; minor scope items

that were missed but needed

such as a central vacuum

system; functionality im-

provements such as a photo-

copier-storage room; and, pre

-building for the columbar-

ium to obtain construction

synergy and overall cost sav-

ings on this congregationally

approved second project.

All-in-all the project is basi-

cally on-time and on-budget.

A special thanks to Jacque-

line Hunt, whose daily

“minding of the shop” sup-

port in this project has been

fantastic!

~ Matthew Schoenhardt

Upstairs meeting

room area

January 2014

Page 12

Riverbend United Church

14907- 45 Avenue NW

Edmonton, Alberta

T6H 5K8

The mission of Riverbend United Church is to celebrate the Good News of

Jesus Christ, to embody the Good News for the world, and to welcome

one another in the name of Christ.

Donald E. Koots Congregational Ministry

Joanne Olson Health Ministry

Andrew Sims Music Ministry &

Accompanist

Lois Samis Lund Music Ministry,

Handbells

Jacqueline Hunt Office Manager

Bev Sawyer Board Chair Laurie Simonar Chair Elect Lynne Wolford Past Chair Finance David Olson Ministry & Personnel Doug Spaner Members-At-Large Dennis Allen Christine Ens Erik Mustonen Outreach Judy Cook Pastoral Care Maureen Helfrich Property & Maintenance David Galbraith Secretary Carolyn Miller Treasurer Jacqueline Hunt Youth Council Rep. Emily Severson Women of the United Lynne Wolford Church

RUC Official Board & Staff

Check out our new website

at :

www.riverbendunited.org