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Early bird registration ends Monday, December 30 and the deadline for all registrations is Monday, January 13. The theme is “Welcoming the Second Quarter of the 21st Century” with FirstU’s Dallas Bergen as keynote speaker.  Program highlights include: Rev. Linda Thomson doing a two part workshop entitled “Where to from here” Anne Dahmer running an art workshop Lauren Renzetti doing an art workshop Colin Read offering a workshop on End of Life planning Colin Read and Rosemarie Harris creating the Sunday Service Penny Blake running the Cabaret on Saturday night This will be the 34th midwinter retreat, and it is back at the YMCA Cedar Glen Outdoor Centre, just north of ...

Winter Solstice Service with Harp Join us on Friday, December 20 at 7:00 p.m. for our Winter Solstice service, a contemplative service where we welcome the return of longer days.

Some of us may be feeling a range of emotions today as we consider what the US election means to each of us a UU. We invite you to join us for a time of reflection and being together in community. I reminded us on Sunday to take care of ourselves—to breathe, pay attention to our bodies, and know you are not alone. We are putting together a virtual meditation circle tonight to hold space for your feelings and reflections. In order to hold space with one another, we joined online on Wednesday, November 6 at 7pm. Interdependently Yours, RevJ

The congregation's Annual Spring Meeting on Sunday, May 26, 2024. This meeting was online only. The main business of the meeting was to vote on the updated Governance Bylaw as

Members are invited to an in-person regathering of leaders on Sunday, June 2, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., in the drama room at Oakwood Collegiate. This meeting is a follow up to gathering last September 30. The discussion will focus on providing information to the next minister about recent congregational successes as well as opportunities for new initiatives. Please bring a brown-bag lunch. Coffee and tea will be available. Contact Rev. Victoria for more information.

This report includes discussion of the scope of the project, its finances and architects renderings of the main spaces. Construction documents for tendering are now complete and the four-week tendering process has begun. We are waiting for some permits from the city.

The 33rd UU Midwinter Retreat will be held from the evening of Friday, February 2 until lunch on Sunday, February 4 at the YMCA Cedar Glen Outdoor Centre. Cedar Glen, located just north of Toronto, is known for its beauty and includes toboggan runs, snowshoeing, and low and high ropes courses. With the theme of Becoming Reacquainted, participants will consider all that has been challenging in recent years and the ways in which the Unitarian community can be rebuilt and strengthened. Linda Thomson, the CUC’s Congregational Life Lead for the Central and Eastern Regions, will provide the keynote, and the agenda ...

This report includes discussion of the scope of the project, its finances and architects renderings of the main spaces. Construction documents for tendering are now complete and the four-week tendering process has begun. We are waiting for some permits from the city.

As the year draws to a close and we celebrate the holiday season, we invite you to join in our festive activities. There’s something for everyone, so read on below to make your choices. This morning altar was created by those who attended the open house on November 25. Thursday, December 21, 7:00 p.m. Winter Solstice Service (In Person Only) St. Matthew’s United Church (in the Parlour), 729 St. Clair Ave. W.Join us for our Winter Solstice service, a contemplative service where we welcome the return of longer days. We will be led by Maya Ferguson-Klinowki and Donald Cole, with special guest, harpist Sharlene Wallace. Sunday, ...

Between 10am and 2pm all are invited to drop in to a Saturday afternoon Open House with Rev. Victoria in the Parlour Room of St. Matt’s United Church, 729 St. Clair Avenue West Rev. Victoria will lead a brief program at 11:30am. You can have a chat with Rev. Victoria, share a coffee with Dallas, check out Angela’s craft table for the young at heart, connect with Tanya at the Greeting Card Ministry table, enjoy snacks and Karen’s cookies…. and more! In the spirit of this month’s worship theme of generosity, we’ll also be collecting donations for The Stop, St. Matt’s food program, ...

This report includes discussion of the scope of the project, its finances and architects renderings of the main spaces. Construction documents for tendering are now complete and the four-week tendering process has begun. We are waiting for some permits from the city.

After many months of planning, estimating and revising, the renovation of 473 Oakwood is actually underway! We still have final estimates to obtain and financial hurdles to address. Nonetheless, we are taking the first physical steps toward having our new home ready  in early 2025.

Our congregation’s Annual General Meeting will be held online after the Sunday service. Registration will begin at 12:00 p.m. and the meeting will start at 12:30. The main business of the meeting will be to approve the audited financial statements for the last fiscal year and receive an update on Project 473 Renovation; other general updates will also be shared. To vote in the meeting, you must be a member of the congregation and have made an identifiable financial contribution of any amount to operating expenses in the last 12 months. For more information, check the latest First Light publication or contact the President ...

And, now, we get to meet each other! My role as your part-time Senior Minister for 2023–24 is to be a resource for worship, to support and supervise staff and programming, and to partner with your congregational leadership to facilitate changes and transitions. I’m looking forward to working with you!  And I have to admit, I’m a bit daunted by all that is happening, too!

After many months of planning, estimating and revising, the renovation of 473 Oakwood is actually underway! We still have final estimates to obtain and financial hurdles to address. Nonetheless, we are taking the first physical steps toward having our new home ready  in early 2025.

A message from the Interim Minister Search Team: We are excited to share our Ministerial Team and plan for the 2023–2024 interim year. As we shared previously, we did not find an official “interim minister,” but we feel proud and enthusiastic about the team approach to serving our congregation starting in late August. Each of the individuals below will fill a key role for us this year and help us prepare for the next phase of interim ministry before we begin the search for a settled minister. Introducing our Ministerial Team for 2023–2024 Rev. Victoria Ingram will serve as our part-time Transition Minister. ...

You are invited to join the Congregation’s Annual Budget Meeting. It will be hybrid: in-person at OCI and on Zoom. Registration will begin at 11:45 a.m.; the meeting will start at 12:30 pm. The main business of the meeting will be: consider a motion that removes the restriction that a member must be 18 years old to vote; read the background to this motion here. to approve the 2023-24 budget; elect members to the Board and Nominating Committee (see biographies below); hear an update on Project 473 Renovation; To vote in the meeting, you must be a member of the congregation and have made an identifiable financial contribution, ...

On June 11, we bid goodbye to Rev Shawn Newton, who has served as minister to our congregation since 2007. Read the announcement of the transition. Read the Order of Service for the Farewell to Rev Shawn. Photos of the event will be posted to FirstUnitarianToronto.org/photos-farewell2023. Rev Shawn has been called to minister to the Unitarian Congregation of Vancouver in the fall.

Please check your inbox for an email with the subject “Your giving statement from First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto.” The emails were sent on February 23 at about 1:15 pm. If we didn’t have your email address, we will send the receipt by paper mail. If you have questions or issues, please contact Donations@nullFirstUnitarianToronto.org

Rev. Shawn Newton, our Senior Minister since 2007, announced on January 13, 2023 that his time as our minister will come to an end on June 11. At the same time, Rev. Lynn Harrison, our Minister of Spiritual Care, announced that she will be retiring from parish ministry in the fall. Read letters from Rev Shawn, Rev Lynn and our Board President, Tanya Cothran.

The Nov 6 meeting will be online only on Zoom: FirstUnitarianToronto.org/zoomFallMeeting. Registration will begin at noon; the meeting will start at 12:30 pm. The main business of the meeting will be to approve the audited financial statements for the last fiscal year and vote on the Project 473 Renovation Budget; other general updates will also be shared. To vote in the meeting, you must be a member of the congregation and have made an identifiable financial contribution, of any amount, to operating expenses in the last 12 months. For more information check the latest First Light publication, or contact the President of ...

Read other posts about our renovation We invite you to participate in Project 473, First’s Capital Campaign. Your contribution will help First build a modern, accessible, and environmentally sustainable new home and a much-needed community space at 473 Oakwood Avenue. Learn more about our journey to 473 Oakwood and Project 473.

Save the date, Sunday, November 6, 2022, for an important congregational meeting to be held on Zoom and in person at Oakwood Collegiate. The congregational meeting will start after the regular Sunday service. We will decide whether to go ahead with the proposed renovations to our new new home at 473 Oakwood Ave. Members may vote if they have made an identifiable financial contribution to our congregation’s operations within the past twelve months.

Sunday, September 18 is the first time that we will be meeting in the auditorium at Oakwood Collegiate Institute, 991 St. Clair Ave. West, at the corner of St Clair West and Oakwood Ave. Please plan to join an important Congregational Conversation after service on September 18, to learn about and discuss the latest cost estimates for the renovation of 473 Oakwood, options for funding the project, and choices to be considered. This meeting will be in hybrid format (onsite and online). Presentation Package (please read before meeting) Feedback Form

We are looking forward to resuming in-person services with a service at 473 Oakwood for one Sunday only, September 11, 2022! The service will be held at the back of the building. We’ll be under the covered space on the Robina Avenue side, where there is a very small parking lot. Stay after the service for an in-person Guided Tour of 473 Oakwood. Sign up for a tour time when you get there.  Children are welcome on the tour with a supervising adult. Please note that the basement and second floors are not currently accessible for people using mobility devices. (They ...

On Saturday, April 30, First Unitarian won the 2021 CUC Shining Lights Award for the You’ve Got Mail project. The Shining Lights award celebrates UU congregations and communities with stories of inspiration and high capacity to sustain our lights, now and in the future. The You’ve Got Mail Project, led by Barb Wentworth in memory of her son Mark Jorgensen, matched members of the congregation with those living with a developmental disability at New Visions Toronto. Members sent in notes or interesting postcards to brighten the lives of their pals during the lockdown in 2020-2021. Congratulations to Barb and the team on this ...

Our last in-person service at 175 St Clair West was held on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Our stained glass tower was dismantled and put into storage soon after. We moved out of this building at the end of June. We will move into our new home at 473 Oakwood Ave in early 2024. In the meantime, we will hold online services for the summer and move to hybrid services (in-person and online) starting in September at Oakwood Collegiate Institute.

How We Protect Your Personal Information The Board is inviting input on a new Privacy Policy. First Unitarian collects personal information required for our operations; we don’t share it; we take steps to protect it; you can request a review at any time. Please send questions/comments by January 15 to Karen Dunk-Green.

Watch members of the Toronto First Unitarian Choir sing O Come All Ye Faithful and Joy to the World. Members recorded themselves individually and were then combined for this video, which was recorded for Christmas 2020.

Please join us online for our holiday services:     Solstice Vespers: Monday, December 21 at 7 pm.     Christmas Eve Candlelight Service: Friday, December 24 at 7 pm.      If you would like to sing along with our Resident Musicians, you can access the lyrics to the carols. More information at Connect to our Online Services. Note that there will be no service on Sunday, December 26. Watch the Toronto First Unitarian Choir sing O Come All Ye Faithful and Joy to the World (recorded for Christmas 2020)

In light of the rapidly rising Covid case numbers in this fifth wave of the pandemic, our leadership team has decided to suspend the in-person option for our upcoming services. While there is much that remains uncertain about the severity of this wave, the impact on day-to-day life over the coming days and weeks is shaping up to be significant, with particular concern, of course, for the well-being of our healthcare system. We will continue to monitor conditions and guidance from public health officials to gauge when we can return to offering an in-person option to those who wish to gather ...

The Annual Fall Congregational Meeting will be an held online on October 24 starting at 12:30 pm, with registration beginning at 12 pm. The main business of the meeting will be to approve the audited financial statements for the last fiscal year; other general updates will also be shared. Reading materials are available in First Light. To vote in the meeting, you must be a member of the congregation and have made an identifiiable financial contribution, of any amount, to operating expenses in the last 12 months.

Our new home will be at 473 Oakwood Avenue, in the heart of Oakwood Village, near Vaughan Road and the new Eglinton LRT line. It was built in the 1960’s as a postal sorting station. We will move in in 2024 after it is renovated to suit our needs. At a formal congregational meeting on September 19, 2021 we voted unanimously in favour of purchasing this property. The sale is now complete. Learn more about our journey to 473 Oakwood.

Members are encouraged to attend a special Congregational Meeting on September 19, 2021 at 12:30. There will be an important formal vote about the future of our congregation.

Members and Friends are invited to attend a congregational conversation today at 12:30. Find the link in Friday’s First Light.

  Read an update to this message (August 27) An Update from the Congregational Safety Advisory Council – June 22, 2021. Earlier this year, the Board of Trustees appointed the four of us (Dr. Donald Cole, Occupational, Environmental and Public Health Medicine Consultant; Prof. Susan Bondy, Epidemiologist with University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health; Tanya Cothran, Chair of the Committee on Shared Ministry; and Rev. Shawn Newton, Senior Minister) to advise the congregation’s leadership on best practices as we move closer to gathering in person for Sunday services and other activities. We are guided in our work by the ...

Our Annual Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, June 6 at 12:30 pm. Registration will be required, and will begin at noon. Connect to the meeting on Zoom. At this meeting, we will review audited financial statements for the 2020/2021 fiscal year, as well as the budget for the upcoming 2021/2022 fiscal year (July to June). There will be election of Trustees to the Board of Directors and members to the Nominating Committee, as well as updates about Real Estate, the CUC AGM, and Refugee Sponsorship. All members and friends are encouraged to participate. Several motions will be presented. Visitors are ...

On Thursday May 20, 2021 Sharing Sacred Spaces Toronto invited the world to spend some time with the members of First Unitarian Toronto, as we took a virtual tour and had a chance to talk about our faith and our community. Our virtual tour was crafted by the very talented Kim Saltarski, and is filled with wise words from our ministerial team and members of the congregation. Watch our video (34 minutes).

The CUC National Conference will be held Friday, May 14 through Sunday, May 16, online via Zoom. There will be opportunities all weekend to engage in both the serious and silly sides of the conference, including engaging workshops, networking sessions, social events, and other great activities. The opening 7:30 pm ET session will provide a short review to refresh our memories, and then the floor will be opened to questions and conversation, hosted by Rev. Anne Barker. Anne Barker’s Confluence Lecture. “A New Premise” is now available, presented in three parts which you should watch individually, taking time after each to complete the associated readings ...

Join Dallas as he hosts six bi-weekly Monday night documentary viewings and discussions. No registration is required. Participants will need access to Zoom and a (free) Kanopy account, which you can set up at torontopl.kanopy.com using your Toronto Public Library card. (You can also connect through another public library or post-secondary institution. If you already have a Kanopy account, ensure that you save some of your free monthly viewings for our sessions.) Feb 22 Strange Fruit   Watch Movie  –   Read Review March 8 All I Can Say   Watch Movie   –   Read Review March 22 Monk   Watch Movie   –   Read Review April ...

A group of members and friends shared an exciting mix of performances of song, poetry, stories, and visual arts aligning with themes of character, winter, slowing down/turning inward, acceptance of self/circumstance, and hope, including the video Coffeehouse Celebr-art!

Unitarian Universalists across the country held a National “Sharing Our Faith” Sunday Service.

Bring something new to brighten the lives of people who are locked down. This winter, send a cheery note or an interesting postcard to those living with a developmental disability at New Visions Toronto.  You can also check out the Youtube Story of Mark and me.  Your commitment? Mail in 2 letters a month for 2 months. Email Barb Wentworth barbwentworth@nullfirstunitariantoronto.org to get more information and to get matched up with your pal at NVT. In April 2022, the You’ve Got Mail project won the 2022 CUC Shining Lights Award. Read more …

A group of members and friends shared a live and online exciting mix of performances of song, poetry, and stories aligning with themes of character, autumn/winter, slowing down/turning inward, acceptance of self/circumstance, and hope.

For our September 13, 2020 Water Communion service, Dallas Bergen created a Slide Show of still images and short videos from members’ contributions showing our many connections to water, spanning the many ways in which water is central to our lives, from the mundane to the majestic, with Adam Sakiyama’s rendition of Peter Mayer’s beautiful hymn Blue Boat Home.

This letter was sent to the First Light mailing list on September 8, 2020. Dear friends, We hope this letter finds you well amid the difficulties of this disturbing time for all. It has been uplifting to see so many gathered online for summer services, often outside enjoying the weather as well as the gifts of our wonderful ministerial team. As we enter the fall season, we know you have questions about our plans for the rest of the year. Here are some updates: We do not plan to return to the building until at least January 2021. Our rationale is as follows:Much ...

Travel across the country this summer without ever leaving home. Nine congregations and groups are hosting special Sunday Summer Services, and you’re invited! Get more information about all CUC events.

At our June 28, 2020 Congregational Annual Meeting we joined an alliance of nearly 240 organizations by passing this resolution: “We resolve to officially endorse the principles of a Just Recovery for All“.

On June 25th, 2020 more than 100 UUs joined Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed (a former minister of this congregation), Dr. Wilburn Hayden, and Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana to learn more about anti-Black racism in Canada and within our UU Community. Each speaker shared their personal and professional perspectives, which were insightful and often raw. This was followed by breakout sessions for all attending to discuss what they had learned during the evening, and what they found to be hopeful in the midst of so much pain and protest. Overwhelmingly, participants commented that they were moved, often to tears, by the experiences and ...

On Sunday, June 7 our congregation ordained the Reverend Ben Robins to the Unitarian Universalist ministry. He is currently working with the Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough. This moving ceremony was the first ordination to take place online in Canada. Learn more about UU Ordination from the Canadian Unitarian Council and the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Dear First Unitarian Family, Effective March 13, 2020 and for the foreseeable future, we will not be gathering in person. All of the congregation’s worship services, religious education, programs, and meetings will take place on online platforms (or by phone) or they will simply be postponed. Following the guidance of Toronto Public Health and Health Canada, to protect the health and well- being of our congregation and the wider community during the COVID-19 pandemic, the board and staff of the congregation have decided, to the degree possible, to move the life of our congregation online. On Sunday at 10:30 am, join our worship team for ...