Priority:
Communities of Faith
The United Church of Canada Foundation is committed to supporting communities of faith
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
– Hebrews 10:24-25
Our Foundational Priorities
In 2022, the Foundation is establishing four priorities: Ideals we will use to guide our organization forward. Learn more about our other priorities by clicking the button below:
The United Church of Canada Foundation exists to support and strengthen communities of faith, because we believe that strong, stable communities are essential in bringing God’s love into the world.
Each community of faith is unique, be it a Bible study group, a camp, a congregation or another ministry.
To support this crucial work that helps fulfill God’s desires for our world, the United Church of Canada Foundation stewards hundreds of endowment funds and grants to support communities of faith now and into the future. Through the stewardship of these funds, we are honoured to help United People engage and support the ministries that matter most to them.
Where two or three are gathered together
Across Canada and beyond, dedicated and passionate United Church people work week in and week out serving their communities. As our world evolves, these communities of faith are adapting to the changing and growing needs of those they serve and can benefit from stable, sustainable, supplementary resources to live out their ministry.
We are proud to support communities of faith in the following ways:
Granting
The Foundation supports innovative, and essential projects across Canada through our extensive granting program.
Investing
The Foundation helps communities of faith steward their long-term funds
Endowments and
Long-term Funds
The Foundation enables individuals, organizations, and families to support the ministries that matter the most to them over a long period of time
Gift Funds
The Foundation enables individuals and families to support their communities of faith by making gifts of stocks and mutual funds
Towards Community
In 2021, the Foundation granted more than $750,000 through our Seeds of Hope granting program in support of 72 unique and exciting projects! From local gardens to retirement homes, to opportunities for education and connection, the ministries, people and projects buoyed by these grants are a testimony to the hopeful, Spirit- filled energy coursing through United Church communities of faith.
Supporting Innovative Ministries
Increasingly, congregations are turning to and relying on new and innovative tools in order to foster people’s faith. Thanks to a 2021 grant, children and youth in Atlantic Canada learned to play ukulele while exploring the Bible over ZOOM. This unique example of faith formation reaches beyond walls and bricks and mortar to provide solid theological and musical grounding for young people across the region.
Each year, the Foundation enthusiastically supports numerous projects like ‘Ukulele Church’. In doing so, we help create harmonious, faith-filled communities.
Supporting Churches during COVID-19
In 2020, the Foundation made a $3 million grant to the United Church of Canada to support communities of faith during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was a light shining in the darkness to communities of faith across Canada and helped to sustain them during a time where the world felt as though it was falling apart.
Recording and Preserving Church History
Producing an oral history of its church, and recording how its members have contributed to the larger community, Pitt Meadows United Church (Pitt Meadows, BC) was encouraged to develop its Church History and Volunteer Outreach Record Project thanks to a Foundation grant. The conversations between young and older folks within the congregation helped everyone recognize and celebrate the valuable contributions each person brings to the life of the community.
Moreover, the dialogue helped build a bridge that now spans three generations. The Foundation is pleased to have played a small role in the increased understanding and closer relationships that this project created.
United, we: can ensure a strong future for communities of faith
Communities of faith are the backbone of our United Church, the bedrock of the Foundation and fundamental to the future of the Church in Canada. Together, let’s ensure they remain strong and vibrant.
