Links for February 23, 2025

The prayers and Christian sympathy of the congregation are extended to Linda Darwish and family following the death of her mother Najla Ghantous Darwish in Montreal earlier this week. Please keep Linda and her family in your prayers during this difficult time.

Income Tax Receipts for 2024 are available at the door. Please make sure you stop and pick yours up before you leave. If you donated through Canada Helps those receipts were emailed to you or can be resent at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/tax-receipts/ (all you need is the email address you used for your donation).

African Heritage Month in the United Church– As people of faith, we know every part of humanity is a reflection of the wisdom and the power of God, and yet all of our collective humanity has been diminished and ruptured through the enslavement of African peoples and the colonization and exploitation of those same peoples land. Chinua Achebe shares the African proverb that states, “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” It is important for people of African descent to tell their/our truths, stories and histories. It is important for all of us to protect and preserve, to celebrate and enjoy the wisdom and beauty of God in our siblings of African descent, and by doing so, know God and ourselves in a deeper way.

In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), conflict is worsening, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee. According to the UNHCR, 400,000 people have been displaced this year alone, adding to the 4.6 million already seeking refuge in North and South Kivu. To date, at least 900 people have lost their lives and the figures are expected to increase.

As people flee, some find refuge over the border in neighboring Uganda. The UNHCR Refugee Arrival Monitoring Dashboard reports that Uganda receives a daily average of 270 refugees from DRC since January 1, 2025.

During this crisis, the Global Partnership team at The United Church of Canada is centring its response on global partners. Early in February, ACT Alliance members issued a Call for Increased Support, given the rising violence and death tolls. As a member of ACT Alliance, The United Church of Canada is accompanying Église du Christ au Congo (ECC)—a Mission and Service partner—who are providing food, shelter, clean water, and mental health support to affected communities. ECC, a member of ACT Alliance, is also responding through the current ACT Alliance Appeal – CEA241.

The ACT Alliance Appeal raises funds to support displaced people, particularly women and children in the DRC. The Global Partnership team asks for you to pray for the people and partners who are in the midst of this crisis, and to donate through the Global Emergency Response Fund. (The link for donations can be found by clicking on “Links for February 23, 2025″ at www.stjamesuc.com)

Pray also for the Congolese-Canadian members of the United Church across Canada who may have family and friends who are vulnerable to the conflict.