Upcoming Themes: Pentecost 1 and Pentecost 2, 2026

Does one of these things capture your interest? Do you find yourself considering worship materials you have that would connect with these themes? If so, this is your invitation.Please send your thoughts, an article (about 700 words or less), worship materials, or anything that seems to connect with these themes. Thank you!

Apologies and Forgiveness

Gathering Pentecost 1 2026
Submit contributions through GatheringWorship.ca by September 1, 2025

An apology is not as simple as offering an “I’m sorry.” Forgiveness is not a quick response of “It’s all right.” As a church and as a country, we are being called upon to offer apologies as we are confronted with thousands of unmarked graves of Indigenous children buried at residential schools, as well as the truth of racism, sexism, and anti–LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit attitudes and actions.What does it mean to offer a genuine apology? Individuals who have personally experienced abuse may be urged to forgive their abuser, but how can they? And what does it mean to do so? This issue will explore what apologies and forgiveness mean, especially within the Christian faith, and what we have learned about the challenges of offering apologies and forgiveness from our personal experiences.

Why Sunday School?

Gathering Pentecost 2 2026
Contributions through GatheringWorship.ca by December 1, 2025

Many generations grew up with Sunday school as part of church life.Yet did it accomplish what we thought it was accomplishing? We are experiencing the reality that many other activities compete with Sunday morning or that families just want one morning at home: Church attendance among young families has shrunk dramatically.The burgeoning children’s programs of the sixties and seventies are history.So, what do we do now? As John H.Westerhoff III once asked, “Will our children have faith?” What do we provide for those children and families who do choose to attend? Share with us your ideas and experiences.