Welcome to High River United Church

which is located at the Crossing of the Highwood River

We acknowledge with respect the history, spirituality and culture of the peoples for whom this was once the sacred gathering ground of the buffalo and the healing place of the Medicine Tree, the peoples of the Blackfoot Confederacy with whom Treaty 7 was signed, including the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut'tina Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda First Nation. We recognize our responsibility, as signatories to that Treaty, to live with respect on this land and in peace and friendship with its people.

Welcome to High River United Church

which is located at the Crossing of the Highwood River

We acknowledge with respect the history, spirituality and culture of the peoples for whom this was once the sacred gathering ground of the buffalo and the healing place of the Medicine Tree, the peoples of the Blackfoot Confederacy with whom Treaty 7 was signed, including the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut'tina Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda First Nation. We recognize our responsibility, as signatories to that Treaty, to live with respect on this land and in peace and friendship with its people.

 

Our Crest

 

This insignia is a spiritual and historic reminder of who we are as a church.

Its oval shape is derived from the outline of a fish, an early Christian symbol. In Greek, the initials of the words "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour" spell the word for fish.  

 

The crest is designed in the form of a St. Andrew's Cross or X. The X is also the first letter of the Greek word for Christ

 

The four colours are used to recognize the First Nations people on whose land all United Churches sit. These are the symbolic colours of their spirituality: yellow, black, red and white.

 

The open Bible represents the Congregational Churches with their emphasis upon God's truth that makes people free. 

 

The dove is emblematic of the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:10) whose transforming power has been a distinctive mark of Methodism.

 

The burning bush is the symbol of Presbyterianism and symbolizes the indestructibility of the church.

 

 Alpha and omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet,  symbolize the eternal living God, the fullness of creation

 

The Latin words ut omnes unum sint mean That all may be one and are taken from John 17:21. The Mohawk Akwe Nia’Tetewa:neren means “All my relations”. Both phrases remind us that we are connected with each other and all creation & called to seek unity.

 

History

This United Church of Ours

The United Church of Canada was formed in 1925 as an amalgamation of The Methodist Church in Canada, The Union Churches of the Prairies, The Congregational Union of Canada and many of the Presbyterian Churches in Canada. The United Church continues to uphold the founding vision of "in things essential unity; in everything else diversity."

 

We are the High River Community of Faith, part of the Chinook Winds Region, which is part of The United Church of Canada.

 

High River United Church is under the governance of a Church Council which has teams to look after various aspects of the ministry and mission.  High River United Church is under the oversight of the Chinook Winds Region. https://chinookwindsregion.ca/

 

The General Council is the highest court of The United Church of Canada. It is responsible for legislating on "matters respecting the doctrine, worship, membership and the governance of the United Church". The council is made up of members of the order of ministry and lay members from all across Canada and meets every three years. Volunteer members of working units continue the work between meetings. General Council Offices are in Etobicoke, Ontario. The Manual outlines the polity of the United Church of Canada.

 

Purpose

What is the purpose of High River United?

As a congregation, we have spent a great deal of time reflecting on and praying about who we are to be as God’s people in this place and time.  The phrase we use the most is that we are “a community of help, home and hope.”

 

Here is our Mission Statement:  

Rooted in the love of God

and grounded in the teachings of Jesus,

High River United Church 

is a community of help, home, hope and healing

where we nurture spirits,

create caring, respectful sanctuary

and reach out compassionately.          Adopted November 22, 2004    

 

Here is our Vision Statement: 

Inspired by the Spirit and devoted to serving God, we are an active, intentional, community of faith that offers help, home, hope, and healing. We draw the circle of welcome, care and support wide and wider still.

 

We are an Affirming Church. In the spirit of Jesus' unconditional love, we open our hearts and doors to be a safe community where no one feels alone. We celebrate all people in the full spectrum of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic identity, color, race, age, ability, mental status, family composition and social and economic circumstances. We are committed to making space for all to fully participate in the worship and work of our community.

 

 We seek to be informed about the church’s role, history, and legacy of residential schools. We acknowledge our colonial history and yearn for meaningful and mutual dialogue with Indigenous peoples as we reflect upon the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and respond to the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action.

 

We embrace and acknowledge diversity, respectfully learning from others, and offering a safe space for conversation among us all.

 

Therefore, with humble hearts we pledge ourselves and our church facility in service to our wider neighbourhood by discerning community needs and seeking innovative and courageous ways to attend to them as we follow the Way of the Risen Christ.          Adopted 2023    

 

Behavioral Covenant

Our Behavioral Covenant describes our commitment to how we will work and worship together:

 

As a community of help, home and hope, and healing,               

          rooted in the love of God

and grounded in the teachings of Jesus,

 

We value COMPASSION, therefore

• we welcome everyone & seek to create a sense of belonging.
• we acknowledge the impact of our decisions upon people within our congregation, our community & around the world.
• we acknowledge the impact of our decisions upon the earth and the environment.
  
  

We value DIVERSITY, therefore

• we encourage, invite and appreciate the participation of people of all ages, backgrounds, skills and expressions of faith in our worshiping community and in our decision making.
• we welcome all ideas and points of view.
• we seek truth and wisdom through divergent view points.        
  
  

We value RESPECT, therefore

• we work to understand the beliefs, ideas & life story of others.
• we trust our point of view will be considered within the group.
• we share our views honestly and frankly in a considerate manner within the appropriate forums.
• we acknowledge that conflict does exist.
• we accept the decision made by the group.
  
  

We value COURAGE, therefore

•  

  we tackle difficult questions, discussions and situations.
• we ask the questions we have & say what we need to say.
• we seek to resolve conflict respectfully among those involved.
• we accept challenges believing that among us we have all the resources we need.

 

In our worshipping and working together, this is our covenant with each other.

adopted by High River United Church Council on November 2, 2009 &  by the Congregation on February 7, 2010