Service Sunday August 3, 2025
HIGHLAND HILLS UNITED CHURCH
Minden, Ontario
SUNDAY, August 3rd, 2025
All are Welcome!
Worship Leaders: Christine Carr,
Debbie Sherwin & Rev. Max Ward
Music Director: Melissa Stephens
Watch a video recording of the whole service using Youtube below.
(For a Printer Friendly PDF version click this link)
The Gathering
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
FOCUSING ON THE LIGHT OF CHRIST:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TERRITORY:
THE APPROACH
CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: What brings us to worship?
ALL: Our concerns, yes.
One: Our experiences of community and family relationships, both nourishing and hurtful, yes.
ALL: Our stories of discipleship, how we reached and how we didn’t really try, yes.
One: How we suffer and what we have lost, yes.
ALL: Our need to give praise to God, yes.
One: In worship, we dig into it all.
ALL: We are open to God’s gifts of grace, hope, love, and life in Jesus’ name.
Written by Bill Perry, Belleville, Ont.
Gathering, Pentecost 1 2025, p.37. Used with permission.
HYMN: “Come In, Come In and Sit Down” VU #395
Refrain Come in, come in and sit down,
you are a part of the family.
We are lost and we are found,
and we are a part of the family.
1 You know the reason why you came,
yet no reason can explain;
so share in the laughter and cry in the pain,
for we are a part of the family. Refrain
2 God is with us in this place,
like a mother's warm embrace.
We're all forgiven by God's grace,
for we are a part of the family. Refrain
3 There's life to be shared in the bread and the wine;
we are the branches, Christ is the vine.
This is God's temple, it's not yours or mine,
but we are a part of the family. Refrain
4 There's rest for the weary and health for us all;
there's a yoke that is easy, and a burden that's small.
So come in and worship and answer the call,
for we are a part of the family. Refrain
OPENING PRAYER: Read In Unison
In Christ’s name, we come, O God, ready to be attentive to your voice. Help us to find that still place inside our celebration, to feel the quiet rhythm of your love, echoing the rhythms of our souls. Remind us that we are a part of your love. Remind us that all are a part of your love. Amen.
Written by The Very Reverend Richard Bott, Grace U.C., Burlington, Ont.
Gathering, Pentecost 1 2025, p.40. Used with permission.
MINISTRY OF MUSIC:
LEARNING TOGETHER:
HYMN: “Let Us Build a House” MV #1
1. Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live,
A place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace;
here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
2. Let us build a house where prophets speak, and words are strong and true,
where all God’s children dare to seek to dream God’s reign anew.
Here the cross shall stand as witness and as symbol of God’s grace;
here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
3. Let us build a house where love is found in water, wine and wheat;
a banquet hall on holy ground, where peace and justice meet.
Here the love of God, through Jesus, is revealed in time and space;
as we share in Christ the feast that frees us:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
4. Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone
to heal and strengthen, serve and teach, and live the Word they’ve known.
Here the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God’s face;
let us bring an end to fear and danger:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
5. Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard
and loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace;
let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
THE WORD
Scripture: : Matthew 18:20
&
Poem:
Leader: Hear and listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
MESSAGE:
“Creating Safe Space” – Guest Speaker – Christine Carr
Read the message below at the bottom of the page.
OUR RESPONSE
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and THE LORD’S PRAYER: (sung VU #960)
HYMN “Draw the Circle Wide” MV #145
Refrain Draw the circle wide. Draw it wider still.
Let this be our song, no one stands alone,
standing side by side, draw the circle wide.
1. God the still-point of the circle,
‘round whom all creation turns;
nothing lost, but held forever,
in God’s gracious arms. Refrain
2. Let our hearts touch far horizons,
so encompass great and small;
let our loving know no borders,
faithful to God’s call. Refrain
3. Let the dreams we dream be larger,
than we’ve ever dreamed before;
let the dream of Christ be in us,
open every door. Refrain
AFFIRMING MOMENT:
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
OFFERTORY PRAYER:
We have been blessed with abundance; we have more than enough to sustain us; we are enriched by your presence, Gracious God. We are overwhelmed by your generosity. We take this opportunity to declare, “Thank you” with our offering. Amen
Written by Fern Gibbard, Penticton, B.C.
Gathering, Pentecost 1 2025, p.47. Used with permission.
SUNG BLESSING VU #402 vs 4
4 We are one as we hear,
as we hear, heart and hand unite;
in the word we receive
there's a sense that God is light.
We are one as we leave,
as we love, we are loved;
and we seek justice in God's ways
as we move together from this place. ©
SENDING FORTH:
A Time of Fellowship
© Music Reproduced with permission under License number A-605748, Valid for: 26/10/2024 - 25/10/2025; One License - Copyright Cleared Music for Churches
Thank you for inviting me here to speak today. It is an honour to speak to such a committed and
inspirational congregation.
I was asked to come here today and speak with everyone about creating safe spaces, This is a
topic very close to my heart, as it was something that was very much lacking when I was a
young person growing up in Haliburton County. As individuals and as a community, I believe we
have made great strides since I was a teen, but we are making those strides because of people
and organizations like yourself, who are pushing for change.
Change is not easy and it takes a lot of hard work, self-reflection, and unlearning. That is why I
consider it an honour to speak to you today - because you have shown that you are undertaking
that learning journey and pushing for the change that needs to happen.
Before I talk about how to create safe spaces, I want to tell you a little bit about my story, as I
believe it underscores the importance of why this is necessary.
Growing up in Haliburton County, I was not a part of the church community until my later
Elementary years. My famiiy was not religious, but.wtren my best friend moved away, I found
myself in a new group of friends, who were all avid churchgoers. As a result, I began learning
about religion and attending their church. I was fascinated. I loved the idea of a benevolent God
who accepted me for who I was and who I could speak with and search for guidance. I became
active in the church's youth group, which I attended until I graduated from High School. ljoined
KFC (kids for Christ) at Archie Stouffer and in High School, I continued to attend the High
School church club, the Waiting Room. Church and religion was a huge part of my life and I
have many positive memories from that time in my life. However, it also did considerable
damage.
As a young queer teenager, sitting in what I believed was my safe and accepting space, I
listened, week in and week out, to how gay people were going to hell. How it was a choice, and
if you chose to be gay, you would be punished. How, if I accepted those feelings developing
inside of me, it would mean that I would lose my friends. My community. My safe space.
That meant that I treated my sexuality like a choice - if I buried those thoughts and feelings deep
enough inside myself, I would be safe. I could pretend they didn't exist. I would continue to be
accepted and loved.
Our teenage years are supposed to be where we learn who we are, independent of our parents.
Where we learn what we like, what we are interested in, where we learn about ourselves. What I
learned in my teenage years, listening to my friends and church talk about sexuality, was that I
had to bury every piece of who I am deep down inside myself where I couldn't see it or touch it.
That everything about myself was wrong.
Believe it or not, that doesn't create a healthy environment for developing into adulthood as an
emotionally mature adult.
I had to take on the process of digging through the emotional trauma of burying every piece of
my identity. Of feeling like every emotion I felt was wrong. And this is a process that I am still
working on today. Thanks to this experience, it wasn't until my thirties that I began to feel safe
enough to begin unpacking who I am and to begin accepting myself.
This is why what you are doing here is so important, and why continuing to learn and do better
is essential. Because if you don't, future generations of youth will learn to hate themselves.
Future generations will grow up without a safe space. Future generations will learn to work
against who they really are. Everyone deserves a safe space, and I am very proud of this
congregation for not only recognizing that, but taking strides to ensure it happens.
You are teaching the world - youth and adults - that they don't need to pretend to be someone
else to be accepted. That God's love isn't conditional based on their sexuality, gender identity,
skin colour, or how well they fit into a mold.
Unfortunately, as you may be learning, creating safe spaces isn't as simple as declaring: this is
a safe space! Creating safe spaces requires commitment and effort. Which you have already
shown by inviting me here today.
When creating a safe space, one of the most crucial elements is visibility. Unfortunately, you are
working against a system that has historically oppressed queer or minorities. Therefore, you
have to prove yourself as a safe and welcoming space. By being visibility accepting and open,
people will know they can come here and be accepted for who they are.
When someone walks into this building, they need to know they are welcome, before waiting for
a sermon or an individual to tell them as much. This can be done many ways - hanging pride
flags, putting a safe space sticker on the door, having representatives that attend Pride festivals
or events. Whatever the method, ensuring you are visibly welcoming is the first step in ensuring
people know that when they walk through these doors they will be welcome.
When creating a safe space, another crucial step is the language that you use. You may notice
that I am using the word queer, a word historically used as a slur. This is because many in the
queer community are reclaiming the word, taking back the power it had. Words have power, and
using them effectively can say a lot about who you are and your beliefs.
As a teacher, I work hard in my classroom to ensure I use inclusive language, and many of my
techniques can be adapted to any public space. On the first day of school one of the first things
I do is have students answer questionnaires so I can get to know them better. This includes
asking their pronouns. Even if 98% of students don't need that question, it lets everyone know
that it is a safe space, and that is an expectation that I like to set immediately. When I speak
about families, I use examples from all types of families. When I teach pronouns in French
class, I include how to use nonbinary pronouns in French. By using examples and language that
include everyone, everyone knows that they are welcome. These ideas can be adapted to any
space, whether or not you are teaching youth. By showing examples of different families, by
verifying pronouns, by celebrating Pride month or including diverse texts in book clubs, you are
showing the world that you are accepting and inclusive.
In the classroom, not only does this let my students know they can be themselves, but it
normalizes it. Because, even if the world sometimes portrays the opposite, there is nothing
abnormal about being queer, trans, or any other colour of the rainbow.
What these things also do is stop others from destroying your hard work in creating a safe
space. If a student walks in my classroom and sees a Pride flag, and hears inclusive language,
then they know without me saying a word that hate speech will not be tolerated. Visible
inclusivity stops hatred in its tracks before it can gain a foothold.
Visible inclusivity in a church environment can take many forms. My Aunt is married to her wife,
and lives in PEI. They are heavily involved, as a lesbian couple, in their local United Church,
and my Aunt's wife often delivers the sermons. She is also qualified to perform marriage rites.
By including queer people in your services and community, you are showing others that you are
accepting.
This acceptance can be shown in a church through many actions - inclusive bible studies;
support groups for queer people or their families; advocacy or attending Pride celebrations. As
long as the actions are visible and inclusive, people will see the acceptance being offered.
Unfortunately, no matter what steps you take, hatred will always exist. When you put yourselves
out there, being visibly accepting of everyone, it creates a target. That also means that you must
be ready to accept that hatred. To accept the vitriol that could be sent your way. 77% of sexually
and gender diverse youth in Canada report being the target of bullying within the last year for
who they are. They are also 2x as likely to describe their mental health as poor, and twice as
likely to consider taking their lives. By being visibly accepting, you may receive hatred, but those
are the people you will be helping. To those people, you are offering a shield for them to stand
behind. You may take some of the hatred, but they will feel safe and protected. The work you
are doing is important enough to stand against the hatred and let love and acceptance prevail. lt
can Iiterally be life-saving.
As an affirnring church, you are stating that you welcome everyone, regardless of who they are.
I have spoken today about queer people, but as an affirming church, this includes everyone who
may feel they are a little different. Minorities. Neurodivergent people. Even people who just like
to go against the trends in society. lf I see a Black Lives Matter sticker in a window, I know that
they are welcoming to everyone, not just Black People. lf I see a church set up a booth at a
Pride event, I know that they are welcoming not just to queer people, but anyone who feels a
little bit different,
What you are doing here is important because everyone feels different. The reality is there is no
normal. So by being an affirming church, you are creating a space where every single person
knows they are accepted. But this takes hard work^ This takes everyone in this room being
aware of how they speak, of what language they are using. lt takes the church being aware of
what they are promoting. lt takes actionable steps to show the world that you are accepting of
anyone and creating a visibly safe and welcoming atmosphere. But this is work that saves lives.
It is the work that lets that 13-year old know that who they are is okay. lt is the work that lets
every person, regardless of who they are, know that religion is a space where they are not only
welcome, but celebrated for who they are.
Thank you for what you are doing and for inviting me here today to be a part of it with you.
