The Manitou Intentional Learning Community is excited to welcome the Very Reverend Stan McKay, former Moderator of the United Church of Canada, to lead a workshop entitled “Reconciliation: The renewal of a covenant” exploring the spirit and intent of treaties and an Indigenous philosophy of life – “All My Relations”.

Wednesday, April 7th @ 7pm

Register for the Zoom workshop by clicking on Register.

Registration closed

McKay was born on Fisher River First Nation, a Cree community in Northern Manitoba and attended Fisher River Indian Day School and Birtle Indian Residential School. After ordination he served in pastoral ministry in Norway House and Fisher River, as national co-ordinator of Native Ministry, as the Director of the Dr. Jessie Saulteaux Center and from 1992 to 1994 as Moderator of the United Church of Canada. He is presently working to build cross-cultural relations and participating in dialogue addressing injustices resulting from colonial history.

McKay featured in the 2017 documentary film Truly and Humbly: Memories of the first Apology directed by Dr. Hoi Cheu of Laurentian University that traces the memories of those present at the 1986 United Church Apology to First Nations People. In the film, McKay suggests that our relationships with each other and with creation are broken, and that non-Indigenous people have much to learn from Indigenous philosophies of life.

Join us for a three week book study of

Birth of Jesus for Progressive Christians

by Donald Schmidt

Monday, November 30, December 7 & 14 @ 7pm

via Zoom

Publisher description:

“The Christmas story most people know comes from pageants, carols, or perhaps a television movie or two. But what we recall – and what many people seek to replicate each year – is an odd mixture of the two quite different stories contained in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, with certain pieces almost always present (even though they are not in the Bible at all) and with others sadly missing. The point of those versions of the story seems to be to nurture a warm, fuzzy feeling that leaves us cooing over a baby so we can then put the whole thing away as soon as possible after December 25 and get back to life as usual. But that’s not what the gospel writers had in mind.

To some extent, each of us fashions our own version of the “Christmas story.” Over time, as our associations and identification with that story grow, it can feel very uncomfortable and even disrespectful to disrupt or question that story. Any yet these reactions can be instructive, for they beg larger questions about what’s really important: the biblical narratives; or the traditions that have gathered around them, layered them, and at times obscured them; or the meaning all of this may have for your lives today?

Birth of Jesus for Progressive Christians is a five-session study guide that invites readers to explore the birth of Jesus with a new perspective. This will open up wonderful times of conversation within small groups, but also provides inspiration and guidance to how the birth story of Jesus is still relevant and important in the life of the church and its people today. ”

Click register below to sign up for the book study.

Registration now closed.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Ebooks can be obtained at Woodlake Books.

Contact manitouintentionallearning@gmail.com with any questions.

MANITOU INTENTIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY

INVITES YOU TO THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING FOLLOWED BY

Lessons from Lockdown:

Creating community in the midst of the pandemic

Wednesday, November 18^th, 2020

Via Zoom 6:30 to 8:00pm

If you have questions, please email Gillian at manitouintentionallearning@gmail.com.

Guest Speakers:

Lisa Blais, Trinity United Church, North Bay

Connecting Community through Song and Story

Christina Boggs, Trinity United Church, Capreol

Rendez-vous Reimagined: A virtual community of faith celebrating bold faith, brave space and brazen grace

Rev. Erin Todd, Grace United Church, Sudbury

Soul Strong: Body, Mind, Spirit – a unique approach to whole-person wellness

Stephanie Voyer, Director, Rainbow Camp

Rainbow Online Connection (ROC): Creating virtual community for 2SLGBTQ+.youth

Time for discussion and sharing: What have you learned about the meaning and nature of community during the pandemic?

Activist Alphabet author Donna Sinclair will offer readings and conversation about why and how we might try to live out God’s call to live with respect in Creation. Webinar participants in Northern Ontario might be especially interested in some anecdotes described in this book —  many of the people involved will be familiar.  Faith communities can be far more influential that we sometimes think in the now-enormous struggle to care for our lovely and threatened planet. Questions, comments and opinions will be welcome.

Monday, October 19th, 6:30-8pm via Zoom

Register by contacting Gillian Schell at

Donna Sinclair

As a long-time senior writer with The United Church Observer, Donna won many national and international awards, among them news coverage and editorial courage. She is a recipient of the A.C. Forrest Memorial Award for excellence in religious journalism from the Canadian Church Press.

Donna is the author of more than a dozen non-fiction books, most recently Activist Alphabet (Wood Lake Books). She is a Fellow of Huntington College in Sudbury, and has an honourary doctorate from Queen’s University in Kingston.

Now retired, Donna continues to write occasionally for Broadview magazine and others. She is a long-time and active member of St. Andrew’s United in North Bay, and  also a committed member of the Indigenous Solidarity Team of the North Bay and Area Mission Cluster, United Church of Canada.

Activist Alphabet is available from Wood Lake Publishing or from the United Church Resource Distribution Centre.