We mourn, with others, and pray for change

In the aftermath of the recent horrific discovery of the remains of 215 children on the grounds of the Kamloops Residential School, Indigenous Ministries and Justice at the United Church of Canada calls on all of us “to come together as people of the United Church and take the first step of mourning and remembering. For further information and prayers, we invite you to visit: https://united-church.ca/news/kamloops-residential-school-time-mourning-and-support.”

If you or someone you know needs someone to talk to, you can contact the Indian Residential School Survivors Society for counselling support available at 1-800-721-0066. People can also access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Reports: https://nctr.ca/records/reports/

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf

Jesus taught us that Love is the way to overcome religious intolerance, bigotry, and hatred. We offer our deepest sympathy for the Afzaal family and their brothers and sisters in faith who share their sense of loss. We pray that they may come to live without fear and that each of us will find peace that comes only through Love for all of our neighbours. Read more from Ian Malcolm, our Chair of our Congregation.

Who We Are

We are a vital faith community and Affirming congregation within The United Church of Canada. We believe “God’s love is for everyone.” We celebrate diversity, inclusivity and abundant life, informed by Jesus’s teaching and The Bible. We are committed to spiritual development, social justice and artistic expression. We welcome all and strive to build healthy, nurturing relationships with each other. We seek to build community locally and globally. We are located at The Spire in downtown Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Worship Services Online

SSUC’s church services will remain online until further notice. As conditions of virus infection evolve, please see the News from SSUC email for the latest information. The online Virtual Coffee Time gatherings will begin at 10:00 hr, for half an hour of conversation and fellowship. The link for this Coffee Time was sent in the News from SSUC email. See below for further information and links to the Sunday bulletins and recordings.

Season After Pentecost: Sunday, May 30, was a shared worship service with other local churches and friends. St. James (Kingston) and St. Paul’s (Sydenham) Anglican; St. Mark’s Lutheran; Chalmers and Princess Street United, and Sydenham Street United Church participated. The service can be viewed at: https://youtube.com/channel/UCWRlJZoKQxFCSk0V_Gl_xQQ

In June, we are blessed to have a series of guests lead worship. Our worship leaders are:

Sunday June 6 – Tom Megginson Being a Cultural Christian
Sunday June 13 – Dr Ruth Wilson Seedtime
Sunday June 20 – Joint Truth and Reconciliation Action Group
Sunday June 27 – The Venerable Dr. Bob Hales

Recorded weekly services become available by 10:30 hr every Sunday at: https://www.youtube.com/user/SydenhamStreet.

The weekly Service Bulletin is available here Read more.

Receive comfort and inspiration from the words, music and images of our worship leaders through recordings of Our Worship Services available here Read more.

Please contact us with comments or general questions about SSUC, the website, getting on the mailing list, etc via Email: web@sydenhamstreet.ca

Listen to reflective music by the “virtual” SSUC choir singing the anthem “No Rose Bloomed in Gethsemane“, prepared for Easter holy season https://youtu.be/NdpTgUCWV54.

Essential Workers – They are very tired physically and mentally.

We are constantly reminded about the really difficult lives essential workers have now, and had over the past year! Essential workers include workers in healthcare (doctors, dentists, psychologists, nurses, orderlies, caregivers), first responders (firefighters, police, paramedics), critical goods ( grocery store workers, food processors, warehouse workers), transportation (train, bus, truck, air crews and maintenance workers), teachers, daycare workers, financial services.

Please keep these people in your prayers as we continue to work our way through the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic!

Latest News

J oint Truth and Reconciliation Action Group planning meeting date nest Monday via Zoom (2021 06 14)
Our Building, The Spire, Still Needs Your Help (2021 06 11)
Don Robinson, long-time member and multi-faceted supporter of SSUC, has died. View more details here (2021 06 08)
SSUC Awarded Funding for 2 Job Positions: read update (2021 06 07)
On May 16, the Congregation approved a motion to call The Reverend Catherine Elsdon as new minister to serve Sydenham Street United church in a half-time Ministry, commencing Sept. 07, 2021 (2021 06 01)
Our website is constantly being updated. Explore the various menus often!