The word ‘unprecedented’ has lost all its meaning. The changes we’re seeing in the world are happening so fast that none of us can keep up with it. It’s upsetting, it’s unnerving and we’re challenged to keep up.

Poll after poll tells us that people are feeling uncertain, lacking community, spiritually hungry and isolated. We have something to offer as church, but we struggle to know how to meet the needs of those outside of our four walls. If there was ever a time when the world around us needed us, it is now. But how?

Join us for our annual general meeting where we will explore what it means to be Christian community for such a time as this. We welcome speakers who will help us find ways forward including:

• Rev. Dr. Morgan Bell discussing what evangelism could mean in the United Church context
• Rev. Tori Mullin who will delve into public opinion research and how we might use it
• Analysis of the ‘Mystery Visitor’ project done within our Regional Council
• Looking at the big picture, strategic planning and how we might reshape the future toward 2035
• Learning about some spiritual practices and putting them to use

All are welcome to register and join us for this two-day gathering of learning, discerning and sharing. Voting representatives will be given cards for those moments when decisions are required, but all are welcome to participate, discuss and engage.

La version en français sera disponible la première semaine de mai

Eastern Ontario Outaouais Regional Council Meeting

May 29-30 2026 In Such A Time As This

Draft Agenda

To access a PDF version of the agenda, please click here.

Friday May 29^th

8:30     Registration table opens. Coffee, tea and muffins will be available.

9:15     Gathering Time – Music

9:30     Opening Worship

9:50     Opening motions

10:00   General Council – Report and Sharing

10:20   Opening Theme Presentation

10:50   Break

11:05   Accountability Reports (Report Book, President, Executive Minister)

11:25   Financial Report

11:40   Proposals

12:00   Lunch

13:00   Panel: Evangelism in Diasporic Community contexts of the UCC

14:15   Canadian Bible Society, Emmanuel College

14:45   Health Break

15:05   Multifaith Housing Initiative Update

15:20   Keynote: Evangelism and invitation from a United Church perspective, in a time such as this

16:20   Report on Strengthening Invitation “Mystery Guest” Visits

16:40   Nominations Team

In the evening, we will have dinner and there will be a sing-a-long introducing new hymns from “Then Let Us Sing.” The sing-a-long is currently planned for 7 pm.

Saturday May 30^th

8:15     Coffee, tea and muffins available upon arrival. (Registration table opens for those attending Saturday only, or who are picking up a headset.)

8:45     Gathering Time – Music

9:00     Opening Worship

9:10     Keynote: Evangelism and invitation from a United Church perspective, in a time such as this

9:55     Small Group Discussion

10:15   Strategic Plan

10:45   Break

11:00   Vision Keepers: Big Picture Questions

11:45   Prayer Practice

12:00   Lunch

13:00   Gathering Music

13:15   Lectio Divina

13:30   Finding Faith Survey – What we’ve learned

14:30   Health Break

14:45   Congregational Resourcing: Toward 2035

15:10 Thanks and closing motions

15:30   Closing Worship: including the covenanting with Executive and Leadership Teams

16:00   Departure

La version en français sera disponible la première semaine de mai

Our theme speaker will be the Rev. Morgan Bell. He will be speaking about Evangelism in a Time Such as This. Morgan is the Director of United Church Studies at Montreal Dio. The Faculty and Staff page for Montreal Dio shares: “As an ordained minister in The United Church of Canada, Morgan has served in pastoral, youth, and music ministries in congregations across Ontario. Alongside his ministry, he is completing a PhD in Theological Studies at the Toronto School of Theology, where his research focuses on Karl Barth’s doctrine of the Trinity, political theology, and the intersection of doctrine with issues of gender and justice. He has taught at theological schools in Canada, including the Atlantic School of Theology and Vancouver School of Theology, and contributes actively to the life of the wider church through writing, teaching, and public speaking.”

Finding Faith Survey – Rev. Tori Mullin

This interactive workshop digs into why faith matters to us, the way it impacts our lives, and the lives of our neighbours. Sharing research completed by the United Church of Canada in 2025, participants will hear some of the top concerns average Canadian experiences which a community of faith can directly impact. Explore how these learnings can shape the culture of invitation we foster in our communities of faith.

Information about other speakers and workshops will follow soon!

Trinity United Church in Smiths Falls is wheel-chair accessible throughout most parts of the building. (The exception being the choir/chancel area at the front of the sanctuary.)

There is an elevator which goes to up to the sanctuary (where the meeting will be held) as well as down to the hall (where we will have meals). An operator will be available throughout the AGM. Please use the door on Market St. North to enter the building. There is a wheelchair accessible and gender neutral washroom on the upper level off of the sanctuary, as well as on the lower level in the hall.

As usual, we will have headsets available for translation and amplification. We encourage everyone to use these.

For the parts of the meeting which are in the sanctuary, we will have some chairs available as well as the pews. These are cushioned chairs, and there are some with arms as well as some without arms. Many of the pews also have cushions. There is a spot available near the front where a section of pew has been removed to create a good space for someone using a walker or wheelchair.

Do you have more questions about accessibility? Is there a way we could remove any barriers to your participation in the meeting? Please feel free to contact Natalie Matkovsky (NMatkovsky@united-church.ca).

We will have an equity monitor at the meeting, and this person will be identified at the AGM.

Public Transportation: Smiths Falls has a Via Rail station, which is 1.6 km from the church. The congregation of Trinity Smiths Falls has kindly offered to give you a ride from the train station if you are arriving by train. Did you know that EOORC re-imburses travel expenses, including public transportation? Please keep your receipt and we can re-imburse up to what we would have paid for mileage by car.

Carpooling: Carpooling is a great way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as making new friends (or catching up with old friends). It also helps us to lower meeting expenses. EOORC offers the General Council rate for travel expenses. We can offer 2 cents extra per kilometre for each additional passenger in your vehicle.

Parking Lot: St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church has generously allowed us free use of its parking lot. They ask that we use the side of the parking lot near the road, leaving the parking spaces closest to their church available for folks visiting their church. The Catholic Church is very close to Trinity United Church, where our meeting will be held.

On-Street Parking: There is lots of parking throughout downtown Smiths Falls, but please note that many spots have a two or three hour limit. The Town of Smiths Falls has kindly agreed to suspend enforcement of the 2 hour limit on a few streets closest to the church during our meeting. *This applies only to a few streets and of course you still can only park in regular parking spots.* While we cannot save this parking (it is public parking available to anyone in the town), we are asking that EOORC folks who can walk a block or two park further away and save this parking for folks who need a nearby spot. If you would like to use this closer parking, please contact Natalie Matkovsky (NMatkovsky@united-church.ca) for more information about which streets and which time will not have 2-hour parking enforcement, as well as any other details you would need to know.

Hotels: There are several hotels in Smiths Falls, including The Hotel Rideau (suites), the Econo Lodge and the Best Western. EOORC has not reserved a block of rooms at a particular hotel, as there are many options in Smiths Falls. You may wish to book early to ensure that a room will be available, should you require one.

We will have coffee and tea available on arrival and at some of the break times. (There will also be muffins and fruit in the morning on Friday.)

A meal plan is available and includes lunch and dinner on Friday, as well as lunch on Saturday. The cost for the meal plan is $60, which can be paid in cash or by tap on the Friday morning.

Menu: Lunch on Friday will be sandwiches, pickles, veggies and desserts. Dinner on Friday is lasagna with salad and buns, along with a variety of cakes for dessert. Saturday lunch will be a casserole with salad and desserts. (Note: This menu is a draft and could be edited.)

Special Diets: At each meal, we will have options that are vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free. If you would like one of these options, please note this on your registration. You are welcome to contact NMatkovsky@united-church.ca if you have questions about the menu. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate other special diets. If you have a particular diet and would like to bring your own food, we would be happy to provide fridge space and you are welcome to use the microwave. (Please do contact NMatkovsky@united-church.ca in advance to ensure we’ll have enough room in the fridge.)

You are always welcome to bring your own food to the meeting. If there is a special reason why you need fridge space or microwave use (ex. storing baby food or milk, storing medications, food allergies or intolerances, etc) please contact Natalie Matkovsky (NMatkovsky@united-church.ca) in advance of the meeting or indicate this under “accessibility” on your registration form. Otherwise, if you are bringing your own food, we ask that you please bring food in a cooler or which is shelf-stable. There is only one microwave and limited fridge space, so unfortunately we can’t make this available to all meeting participants.

I would like to sign up for just one meal. Is this possible? The meal plan is for all three meals. Unfortunately, we cannot separate the meals. Trinity United Church is in downtown Smiths Falls and there are a variety of restaurants nearby (including fast food options like Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Subway, as well as a number of excellent local restaurants available for take out or dine in). If you are not choosing the meal plan, you are welcome to bring your own meal from home (please see above note about fridge space), bring a take-out meal back to the church hall, or dine out and come back to the meeting afterwards.

Everyone is welcome to attend! Please be sure to register, even if you are just coming for one day or part of the day, so that we can have enough chairs and refreshments for everyone.

EOORC members (including ministry personnel and elected lay representatives can vote.

Would you like to have display space/have a table at the event? Please contact Natalie Matkovsky (NMatkovsky@united-church.ca).

We will have worship – including hymns, scripture and prayers – at many points throughout the AGM.

Trinity Smiths Falls has an outdoor Labyrinth, which they have graciously invited us to use. If would like to take a moment to walk to labyrinth, you are very welcome to do so.

A Healing Pathways team will be offering soaking prayer at lunchtime on Saturday, and you are welcome to come and be prayed for before or after you have your lunch.

A chapel space and chaplain will be available at the meeting.

There will not be a children’s program or youth program at the AGM. However, children and youth are very welcome to attend the meeting. Trinity Smiths Falls has an unstaffed nursery with some toys, as well as a nearby room called the “Upper Room.” This room is separated from the sanctuary (where the meeting will take place) by some glass, and there is a speaker which can be turned on so it is possible to hear what is happening in the sanctuary. You are welcome to bring some toys from the nearby nursery into this area so that children would have a larger play space. There are also some tables and chairs. (Of course, as always, children are welcome in the main part of the meeting too!)