Category: About Us

Letting at First†Met

By: r.a. paterson | May 31, 2009

We make space available to support individuals and families in the important transitions in life as well as meeting the needs of nonprofit community groups.

First Met Sanctuary

Weddings

A wedding … one of life’s foremost celebrations! We would like to celebrate with you on this sacred occasion! In the presence of family and friends, couples rejoice in the God-given love they share, and call upon God’s blessing as they begin their new life as partners.

First†Metropolitan United Church has a beautiful, newly renovated historical sanctuary, offering a cathedral atmosphere for your wedding.

Constructed in 1915 of red brick in the perpendicular Gothic style, it is registered as a heritage building. The interior is richly adorned with wooden carved pews that will seat 500, a central aisle, a hand-carved Chancel, and original artifacts, all done in soft tones of burgundy, sage and heather. Expansive stained glass windows provide wonderful natural lighting. The front is spacious with an open wooden cross in modified Celtic style. When the service is over, our large wooden front doors offer excellent photo opportunities when the wedding party leaves the building.

Photo of the First Met SanctuaryThe interior is richly adorned with wooden carved pews that will seat 500

Experienced ministers will guide the preparation and officiate at your special ceremony, with attention to details and personal requests. Our gifted music director provides a wonderful range of selections for the four-manual Allen organ and/or grand piano.

FM hearing assistance provided for those who would benefit from it. The sound system is capable of tape-recording, and video recording is permitted.

For smaller weddings, our chapel provides a warm, intimate and informal setting for groups of up to 60.

Photo of First Met ChapelOur chapel provides a warm, intimate and informal setting

Following the wedding, receptions may be held in the Doreene McLeod Room or the Fellowship Hall. The Doreene McLeod Room has a small service kitchenette attached, suitable for preparing tea and coffee and serving simple refreshments.

Doreene McLeod Room kitchenetteDoreene McLeod Room kitchenette
Doreene McLeod RoomDoreene McLeod Room

The Fellowship Hall has a fully-equipped commercial kitchen and can seat up to 300 persons for a meal. It also has a stage and sound system. Church policies now permit wine, beer and cider to be served provided that you have obtained a special occasion permit, purchased liability insurance and meet the requirements of the Liquor Licencing Branch.

Fellowship Hall KitchenFellowship Hall has a fully-equipped commercial kitchen
Fellowship HallFellowship Hall can seat up to 300 persons for a meal

Meeting and Special Occasion Rooms

Special Occasions

Is your community group looking for one or more rooms to use for a special occasion or on a regular basis? First†Metropolitan United Church has rooms available during the week and on weekends, to suit meetings, rehearsals, workshops and other gatherings. The spaces available include:

  • A sanctuary suitable for presentations, music, dance or drama accommodating audiences of up to 700 with a sound and lighting system, FM hearing loops, an audio-visual system with four projectors, two plasma screens and two rear projection screens
  • A chapel seating approximately 60.
  • A fellowship hall with stage and commercial kitchen seating up to 300 for meals and 500 for presentations and other events. This hall is equipped with a gym floor and basketball hoops and is suitable for basketball, volleyball, badminton and other sports.
  • Individual meeting rooms seating from 15 to 60 people, some with attached preparation areas for coffee and tea.

There is a reasonable letting fee to cover costs of custodians and utilities, etc. Inquire about letting rooms by phoning Sharon in our church office at (250) 388-5188 ext 221.

Special Occasion
Also posted in Facilities | Tag(s): , , | Comments closed

Accessibility at First†Met

By: r.a. paterson | May 31, 2009

Several parking spots, for those who with handicapped stickers, are available outside the entrance to the church buildings on Balmoral Road. From this entrance, both floors including the Sanctuary, Chapel, all offices, classrooms, and social areas are accessible. The elevator to the second floor is located just prior to the interior (chancel) entrance into the Sanctuary.

Please note that the only areas not accessible to wheelchair users are the balcony and the Kindergarten room – the entrances to these rooms having two to four steps – as well as the washrooms located downstairs from the Fellowship Hall and from the Narthex.

There is a universal access washroom on each floor: 1st floor – adjacent to Balmoral Road entrance; 2nd floor – almost directly above next to the Social Suite (Rm. 200.)

Our Greeters, Ushers, and staff are happy to assist you in your seating and/or addressing any needs you may have.

For persons with hearing impairments, our regular amplification in the Sanctuary is augmented by an FM system. You may be provided with "ear plugs" or for those who have a "T" device in their hearing aids, a "loop." At present this system is not available for the Chapel or other areas of the church.

First Metropolitan is a smoke-free, scent-free church. Please note while we do our best to accommodate the special needs visitors, we cannot guarantee to meet every need. We have a family room available to those with special sensitivities. Please dress appropriately for the season in layers so that you can adjust your clothing for comfort.

Also posted in Facilities, New to Us? | Tag(s): | Comments closed

Share Your Gifts

By: r.a. paterson | June 1, 2009

Donate Now Through CanadaHelps.org!

First†Metropolitan United Church is a large, active community that reflects its calling to love, honour, worship and serve God through programs that reach inward to foster spiritual growth and outward to help meet the needs of our neighbours and others in the world beyond. It is through the contributions of you, our members, adherents and friends that we can live out that calling. Your support allows us to maintain the wide array of programs we presently offer, add new programs to serve urgent, emerging needs within the church and community, and update our church facility to meet existing and emerging needs.

Whether it is your regular or one-time financial contribution or your skill as a musician, singer or performer, your friendly smile to greet newcomers, your warmth and empathy, your aptitude as a baker, cook or gardener, or your ability to type, photocopy, write or create graphics, you can share your gifts with other members of First†Met and the broader community by:

  • Contributing financial support to the church. Many of our members use offering envelopes or Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR) which have the benefit that your givings can be recorded and a donation receipt issued for Income Tax purposes (see the NOTE, below for more information) at the end of the calendar year. To receive offering envelopes or inquire about PAR, contact Carol in the church office at (250) 388-5188, ext. 223. You may also make regular or one-time financial donations online using your credit card through our Canada Helps button above.
  • Our "Strengthening First Met" Stewardship Campaign, now in its third and final year, will end in December 2009. You can still contribute by calling Carol at the number above. Replacing a large portion of the operational funding provided by the Stewardship Campaign Account, will be a renewed emphasis on regular giving. Our newly appointed Stewardship Committee has fomulated and will be implementing a phased annual plan to fund our Mission, its programs and the needs of the Church. Analysis is now being done on the results of a Survey done in April / May. Initiatves arising from the Survey will be introduced in late Summer and early Fall.
  • Volunteering your time assisting with services, with hospitality or with one of the many activities within our church community and in the broader Victoria community.
  • Considering a gift to the church through your estate or a life insurance policy (add link to PDF file on bequests). For more information see the First†Met Foundation page.

Note

Under the Income Tax Act, a taxpayer is entitled to a tax credit in respect of donations made to a number of organizations. Gifts of $200 and less will produce a tax credit at the rate of 17%. If gifts exceed $200 in a year, the excess will give rise to a credit at the rate of 29%. The credit rate is multiplied by the amount of the gift/donation and the product is then deducted the tax otherwise payable. The value of the credit is effectively increased by about 50% when provincial tax is taken into account. (from the "Canadian Book of Charities," 2004)

Category: About Us | Tag(s): | Comments closed

Our Mission Statement

By: r.a. paterson | June 7, 2009

We are a community called to live our lives as witnesses to God as known through Jesus. We invite others to share our Christian journey as we seek to be a transforming presence in our city and the world.

Our Values:

  1. To love one another unconditionally as God loves us.
  2. To value each person’s uniqueness and the gifts of community.
  3. To actively care for and live with respect in Creation
  4. To nurture Christian spirituality and justice-seeking in ways that foster personal growth and creative interaction.

Our Vision:

  1. To be an alive, welcoming and inclusive Christian community for all ages.
  2. To enter into worship that draws us closer to our Creator, enabling us to be active followers of Jesus in our communities.
  3. To nurture transformation through spiritual practices and learning that reconnect us to our Source and empower us to be salt and light in the world.
  4. To reach out with compassion and respect , seeking justice and healing within our church, our community and beyond.

Priorities for 2009 – 2010:

  1. Transformational Worship in diverse forms.
  2. Care for those in times of major life transitions.
  3. Engagement and nurture of children, youth and adults under 45.
  4. Outreach and justice-seeking within our community and world.
  5. Financial viability and accountability.
Category: About Us | Tag(s): , , | Comments closed

Church Executive and Council

By: r.a. paterson | June 8, 2009

Working in the Spirit

2008 governance council group portrait
 
» 2008 Annual Report (PDF/48 pp/900 KB)

We have a partnership among ordered ministers, staff associates, administration staff and volunteer leaders to carry out our mission as a centre of spiritual growth and active discipleship. The governance of the church, carried out in accordance with the bylaws of the United Church of Canada has five essential functions:

  1. Policy development and accountability
  2. Leadership development
  3. Spiritual oversight
  4. Church management
  5. Property, trusts and investments

These functions are carried out by the teams and committees of the church.

» See also: First†Met Governance Chart (as of March 2008) (PDF/1 pg/34 KB)

The congregation makes decisions on matters of policy. The Council is responsible to the congregation for the administrative functions of the church. The full council meets four times a year. Council executive meets monthly to assist in the day-to-day management of the church. The Executive consists of the chair and vice chair of council, two ministry team chairs, the lead minister, chair of the board of trustees, and the chairs of the finance and administration, property and ministry and personnel committees.

The council leadership for 2010 is:

Council Executive Name Telephone
Council Chair Andrea Swan (250) 592-2881
Vice Chair Vacant  
Recording Secretary Ellie Jansen (250) 598-3296
Finance and Administration Gordon Thompson (250) 590-3597
Ministry & Personnel – Chair Rennie Warburton (250) 592-9161
Ministry – Co-Chair Moira Nasim (250) 383-0400
Ministry – Co-Chair Barry Rolston (250) 652-5501
Property – Chair Jim Lauder (250) 380-9065
Stewardship – Chair Herb Pitts (250) 595-9979
Trustees – Chair Jan Drent (250) 598-1661
Committees
Finance & Administration Gordon Thompson (250) 590-3597
Information Technology Todd Glover (250) 386-9402
Ministry & Personnel – Chair Rennie Warburton (250) 592-9161
Mission & Service Representative David Wright (250) 389-0854
Presbytery Representative Ron Hunter (250) 920-0149
Property – Chair Jim Lauder (250) 380-9065
Stewardship – Chair Herb Pitts (250) 595-9979
Trustees – Chair Jan Drent (250) 598-1661
Teams
Ministry – Co-Chair Moira Nasim (250) 383-0400
Ministry – Co-Chair Barry Rolston (250) 652-5501
Archives & Heritage – Leader David Chamberlin (250) 382-0634
Children, Youth & Family (Advisory) – Chair Jan White (250) 479-6951
Communications – Leader Barry Rolston (250) 652-5501
CSD / Worship – Leader Gail Thompson (250) 590-3597
Epiphany Explorations – Leader Joan Mason (250) 595-0507
Health & Wellness / Pastoral Care – Leader Patti Buchanan (250) 479-6438
Hospitality – Interim Leader Moira Nasim (250) 383-0400
Library – Leader Denise Holmen (250) 370-5085
Music – Leader Mona McGill (250) 519-0651
Newcomer’s  – Leader Merle Nicholds (250) 361-0064
Outreach – Leader Janet Gray (250) 478-5066
U.C.W. – Co-president Joan Dowse (250) 652-9766
U.C.W. – Co-president Marie McKee (250) 592-7238
Also posted in Governance | Tag(s): | Comments closed

First†Met Foundation

By: r.a. paterson | June 10, 2009

First Met Foundation Logo

Have You Considered the Church in Your Will?

To ensure that yours is a lasting gift, please include a bequest to the First†Metropolitan United Church Foundation.

What Is It?

The First†Metropolitan United Church Foundation

  • holds trust funds
  • invests these funds
  • makes grants
  • assists the work of the church

The Foundation includes: The Memorial Endowment Fund and The Memorial Stabilization Reserve. Both The Memorial Endowment Fund and The Memorial Stabilization Reserve are "endowments" – only the interest is disbursed. Contributions thus become perpetual gifts, or legacies. They enable the church to extend its work beyond the provisions of its general budget. Grants are made for funding initiatives on requests approved by the Directors.

Applying for Grants

Application forms are available from the Foundation. Generally, the earnings of the Memorial Endowment Fund are for initiatives such as:

The earnings of the Memorial Stabilization Reserve are available to offset church deficits.

Contributions

The Foundation receives bequests, memorials, and special gifts and incorporates these resources into a trust.

Contributions may be directed to:

The First†Metropolitan United Church FOUNDATION
932 Balmoral Road
Victoria, BC
V8T 1A8

Additional contact information:

Also posted in Governance | Tag(s): , | Comments closed

Staff Profiles

By: r.a. paterson | June 11, 2009

Also posted in Meet the Staff | Tag(s): | Comments closed

Allan Saunders

By: r.a. paterson | June 11, 2009

Lead Minister

Photo of Allan Saunders

Allan delights in stories — the stories of people’s lives. Stories of unexpected turns, challenges encountered, tough decisions made, love and friendship offered, lives renewed. He listens to those stories for hints of insights gained…insights about the nature of our souls and the nature of our God.

Allan believes in a God who is full of surprises and full of grace…a God who comes to us in countless ways…a God whose eternal nature is shown to us especially in a common carpenter from Nazareth. Jesus befriended the outcast, preached Good News, taught and lived a life of blessing, suffered the Cross and now is risen that we might be an Easter people.

Seeking to walk in Jesus’ way and rely on his companionship, we discover gifts: faith for the journey, hope that sustains us in times of limbo, and love that is both resilient and miraculous. A community of faith such as ours offers infinite opportunities to explore and attain these spiritual resources.

Allan values a church which celebrates the diversity of people, where all are welcomed and there is creative programming for every age. He enjoys preaching, and is glad to share in leading worship in a variety of styles. He plays guitar for the children’s songs and in the contemporary FM band.

Allan came to First†Metropolitan in the summer of 1999, following 22 years of ministry in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. While ministering with the Sturgeon Creek congregation in Winnipeg, he also had been elected President of the Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. Highlights of his term as President included coordinating the church’s response to the Red River "Flood of the Century" and an all-day festival to mark the Ecumenical Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women, attended by 3000 persons.

Allan studied for the ministry at Emmanuel College, Toronto School of Theology (University of Toronto), and was a Visiting Scholar at Andover Newton and the Boston Theological Institute.

His interests include nature, hiking, music, guitar, art, current affairs, travel, kayaking, drama.

Also posted in Meet the Staff | Tag(s): | Comments closed

Gordon Cann

By: r.a. paterson | June 11, 2009

Minister of Pastoral Visitation and Outreach

Photo of Gordon Cann

Gordon Cann was born in Louisbourg, NS and graduated from Mount Allison University with a B.A. Before going on to Pine Hill Divinity Hall, Halifax, he served as a lay preacher for a year at Grace Methodist Church, Bermuda. He has a M. Th. from Atlantic School of Theology.

Ordained by the Maritime Conference, he was settled in the Newtown-Waterford Pastoral Charge (a five point charge near Sussex, NB). He was an assistant minister at Danforth United Church (now Eastminister), Toronto and Westboro United Church, Ottawa. Then, he was minister at St. Andrew’s Norwood, Saint-Laurent (Montreal), Knox, Lower Sackville (Halifax), McDougall and Ebenezer in Edmonton. He retired in 1999 and moved to Sidney in 2003.

He is married to Ann (Morrison) and they have four children and nine grandchildren.

Between January 2007 and March 2008, he was interim Pastoral Care Minister at First†Metropolitan. He is known for his gentle sense of humour, his compassion and his dedication to the needs of our homebound members. He and Ann have been members of First†Met for five years.

Also posted in Meet the Staff, Outreach, Pastoral Care | Tag(s): | Comments closed

Megumi Matsuo Saunders

By: r.a. paterson | June 11, 2009

Staff Associate, Children, Youth, Young Adults and Family Ministry

Photo of Megumi Matsuo Saunders

Born as a third generation Christian in Nara, Japan. Megumi (pronounced: Meg-a-me) has lived across Canada over the last 24 years, to arrive in Victoria in the summer of 1999. Her focus here is on Sunday School. She has vast teaching experience. She loves being with children and people who are interested in nurturing children. Megumi likes to use popular education as an important teaching method including drama, music, games, crafts, etc. Megumi believes children’s faith journey begins at a very early age and it is very important to nurture their spirituality. This helps build their own identity and faith which will sustain and encourage their life journey in adulthood.

Besides children’s issues, Megumi is involved in women’s issues in the global context. She believes her role is bridging ministry by helping people from different backgrounds to see things from the perspectives of others. i.e. Lay and Ordained/Commissioned ministers, different generations, cross-cultural, male and female, ecumenical, interfaith and global, sexual orientation, rural and urban. She seeks to bring dialogue, understanding and respect of differences to bridge the gap between people and work together towards the common good.

Also posted in Meet the Staff | Tag(s): | Comments closed