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I keep hearing the phrase “Toward 2035” but what is it!?

Toward 2035 is a hope-filled strategy for the future of our church. Grounded in reality and inspired by our discipleship call, this whole-church strategy engages leaders from across the country, from elected volunteers to national and regional staff, to local leaders.

Over 3,000 folks across the church have been engaged in presentations, meetings, and workshops on Toward 2035 so far. But, this whole-church strategy means we need to engage the whole church in conversation and prayer! Visit the Toward 2035 page on united-church.ca to watch a video message and call to pray from the Moderator, explore small group resources and prayer materials.

As we look forward to a new year this is a wonderful time to engage your community in one or both of these Toward 2035 resources (see Downloads):

  • Host a Congregational Conversation – this downloadable 2-hour presentation comes with everything leaders need to facilitate a group conversation about Towards 2035.
  • Take time to engage in a Listening Prayer exercise – this resource provides leaders with a script to guide participants in an imaginative encounter with Jesus

If you would like help exploring Toward 2035 with your community of faith please reach out to your Growth Animator, Tori Mullin, at tmulln@united-church.ca.

“Toward 2035 – a Prophetic Voice?”

Transfiguration Sunday 2 Peter 1:16-21

Today is Transfiguration Sunday – the day when the disciples, Peter, James, and John, saw Jesus rise into the air, and to the left and right of him stood Moses and Elijah – representing the Law and the Prophets from the Old Testament. Our reading this morning comes from the second letter of Peter, which was added to the books of the Bible in the 4 th century. There is differing opinion on who authored both 1st Peter and 2nd Peter. You might be familiar with these words from the first letter of Peter, “Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands … Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together,paying honor to the woman as the weaker sex.” (1 Peter 3: 1,7) In the second letter, Peter goes back to this moment of the transfiguration – a moment of transformation for him – as he connects Jesus with the prophetic tradition of the Old Testament. Look at these rather remarkable words about the prophetic message: “So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” (2 Peter 1:19.) The Venerable Bede, an English monk from the Middle Ages, commented on this passage, “In the night of this world, so full of dark temptations … what would become of us if we did not have the lamp of the prophetic word?”1

On February 15th, Transfiguration Sunday, Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Cunningham offered this sermon on Toward 2035 at Trinity United in Uxbridge. “Transfiguration is not my strong suit, but the 2 Peter reading found a hook for the Toward 2035 document – specifically whether or not we can consider Toward 2035 a prophetic document. And if so, how do we, as a church, respond. I do believe that T2035 is prophetic.”

Continue reading Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Cunningham’s sermon by clicking this LINK.

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