For many years, Metropolitan United Church served as the home of the Metropolitan Basketball Teams. Newly renamed the First†Metropolitan United Basketball Teams, upwards of 12 to 17 teams practice weekly in the Fellowship Hall and play at a local high school. This service is an “outreach” to the community, giving neighbourhood youth an outlet of healthy activity for six to seven months of the year.
Contact Rick and Sheila Vickery at (250) 479-0164 for more information.
The nights are long, wrapped in a wet sleeping bag, shivering from the damp and the chill, sleep comes fitfully—five or ten minutes every hour. A tree, a park bench, a doorway… these provide some shelter but safety and warmth and not common experiences for homeless youth.
First†Metropolitan United Church is one of several venues which offers night shelter for street youths each evening from November to April. It aims to provide warm, safe shelter for homeless youths aged 16 to 25 years. The coalition includes Beacon Community Services (lead agency), Cool Aid, St. John the Divine, St. Saviours Anglican, as well as First†Metropolitan United.
Volunteers are needed in two capacities:
We also launch a yearly financial appeal to ensure that we meet our commitment of $5,000 towards the operational expenses of the coalition.
To volunteer or contribute in any way, please call the site coordinators, Leslie and Bob Wilson at 250-590-4586.
Healing TouchDate: Every Monday afternoon
Location: First†Metropolitan United Church
We believe that healing is a process guided by God to restore balance and wholeness of body, mind and spirit, not only within the individual but also within relationships, community and creation. Experience and research has shown that patients experience a faster recuperation with healing touch.
Healing Touch sessions are available by appointment on Monday afternoons on the hour from noon to 6:00 pm and other times by prior arrangement. To make an appointment, phone the First†Met office and leave a message in the Healing Touch voicemail box or phone Susan Walma at (250) 361-0694. A list of the healers is posted on the Wellness notice board. Each one can give information and healing.
On the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm, the healers meet to share our experiences and to practice new and old techniques. We welcome new healer members who have training in Reiki or Healing from the Heart.
“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of”
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
First+Met has an intercessory prayer group called the Prayer Connections Team. Members are committed to praying at home during their personal prayer times for requests from the congregation and staff. Private information is kept strictly confidential.
What type of prayer requests can I make?
Health problems, bereavement, relationship issues, work-related or student concerns, financial issues, etc. – whatever concerns you.
For whom can I request prayer?
For yourself, or those you care about – family, friends, neighbours, co-workers.
How can I make a request?
For how long will my request be prayed?
Prayer team members pray for each request for one month. You may renew your request after that time if you wish.
The prayer team exists to support you in prayer, so take the leap and make a request!!
First†Metropolitan United Church continues to serve over 240 roast beef dinners each month, for nine months of the year. All inner city people are welcome to our Fellowship Hall on the Friday before social assistance cheques come out.
Volunteers are always needed to help cook and serve these meals. Call Robin Breckon at 250-472-3381 if you can help with these jobs or are interested in serving in other capacities.
Volunteers are always needed to help cook and serve these meals.Pastoral Care seeks to model the caring heart of Christ in our relationships with the members and adherents of First Metropolitan as well as those in the larger community. If someone is ill or hurting, the Pastoral team members will seeks to respond in a manner that best meets the needs of the individual.
A caring group of folk, with the assistance of the ministerial staff and our Health & Wellness Ministry:
New Vistas is a series of ‘lunch and learn’ forums for older adults in Victoria, B.C.
Older adults are invited to explore spiritual issues from an interfaith perspective and connect with like-minded souls in a peaceful, scenic setting. It’s an opportunity to make new friends and renew old friendships through lively dialogue and over a delicious hot lunch at the church.
More than 65 people attended the inaugural program in Spring 2007 series on such topics as Becoming a Wise Elder, Forgiveness, Coming to Terms with Death, and What’s Your Story? Tools for Harvesting Life. Since then, the program has been offered each Spring attracting many participants from our congregation and the broader community.
Check the events page in January for dates and topics. For more information, contact Ann affey at (250) 388-5188, Ext. 233.
First†Metropolitan United Church is active in inner-city outreach through its sponsorship of The Our Place Society (formerly The Open Door Inner City Ministry and The Upper Room Society). Our Place is affiliated with the United Church of Canada as a Community Ministry, and has a long history of support from our congregation.
Our Place has been operating from its new building at 919 Pandora Street since December 2007. It is open five days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on all holidays and during the winter it provides emergency shelter at night when conditions dictate.
Services and programs provided at Our Place are extensive. Transitional housing is provided to 45 residents until they can move on to more appropriate accommodations, whether it involves treatment or more independence. Meals are provided to residents and drop-in members of the inner-city family. Other services include hygiene and clothing, healthy snacks, computer access, library, medical support, counseling, literacy, choir, advocacy, recreation and pastoral care. The approach is to provide a hand-up, not a handout and "unconditional love in a non-judgmental way."
First Metropolitan provides both financial and volunteer support to Our Place, including leadership through the Board of Directors. Donations of clothing, food and toiletry articles are also much appreciated.
More information can be obtained from the Our Place office at (250) 388-7112 or from the web site at: www.ourplacesociety.com.
Our Place has been operating from its new building at 919 Pandora Street since December 2007.Faith in Action is a group of people from many different faith communities in Greater Victoria with a shared concern for the poor and vulnerable in our society. Our focus is to advocate for BC income assistance programs and other anti-poverty initiatives that recognize the dignity and worth of all citizens. All who share this vision of a just and sharing community are welcome to join with us.
By consultation, collaboration and consensus, Faith in Action works:
Contact Sheila Hanna at (250) 920-3662 for more information.
Kuper Island Residential School
This 45 minute video will be followed by discussion. The video explores The Kuper Island residential school, a Catholic-run school built to provide education and training for the children of the Cowichan Indian Agency and adjacent Coast Salish groups on southern Vancouver Island.
Check out: http://www.movingimages.ca/catalogue/Individual/kuperisland.html