United Church Centennial resources
Lots of preparations for the June 2025 Centennial of the United Church are underway, and all communities of faith and ministries in our Regional Council are invited and encouraged to make plans that suit your context and community. Read on! Bookmark this page for your home base. It has the following sections:
Regional resources; national resources; and a newsfeed with updates.
Regional resources
Regional Archivists Leanne Templeton and Erin Acland have prepared a resource to help you get started on your community of faith’s anniversary planning. Click here to download the PDF. The resource includes a list of national monthly themes. And, thanks to historian Gayle Simonson in Edmonton, we can also offer 100-word history vignettes for use in your own community! Word file: History short stories 1-8. Here are vignettes 9- 17. Here are vignettes 18-22. Here are vignettes 23-30. Here are vignettes 31-40. Here are vignettes 41-44 and vignettes 45-48 . (Word format; when you click, the file will save automatically to your Downloads folder.
Meetings and workshops: The Regional Council will continue to host planning and learning events online, and welcomes your ideas for topics.
Post your event! We invite you to use our local ministries event calendar to promote your event or invite people to your special worship service. We’ve created a 100th anniversary tag for the occasion. Have your description, location, time, and (ideally) an image around 600 pixels wide and 400 high to include.
National resources
There are many!
It’s well worth signing up for this Centennial newsletter, which will keep you up to date on emerging resources and events, the monthly themes, and more, and more.
Click here for the main website for all things centennial.
Click here for related grants.
Design materials: Click here to access lots of free visual tools, such as the Centennial logos, a PowerPoint template; banners you can have printed locally.
Worship: Several national livestreamed worship services are planned.
Click here for the June 2024 YouTube video of the national service celebrating our 99th!
Event sign up
All local and regional events should be sent to this country-wide events posting, as well as to your Regional events calendar. We know this involves twice the work, as these are two different systems, but this allows you to share your creativity with two very different audiences.
Social media: Use these hashtags in your community’s social media Centennial posts:
#UCCan100
#DeepBoldDaring
Monthly themes are covered in the Regional resource mentioned above.
Centenary events
100th Anniversary news
Arbor Week in Saskatchewan – May 2025
In 2018 the Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association (YFBTA) – also known as the Yellowhead Nature Society (YNS) agreed to promote an annual Spring Arbor Day/Arbor Week observance within the Province of Saskatchewan. Historically this international celebration had...
Two Centennial events for our Region!
Please join us for two gatherings as we honour our church's 100th birthday, and carry our journey with grace and energy into the future. These two spaces join the dozens of creative local events and worship services commemorating our Centennial. Saturday May 24 A free...
Short stories of our history for this Centennial year
Throughout 2025, we’ll be featuring very short stories about United Church history. Many thanks to Gayle Simonson, a lay member of the United Church at Southminster Steinhauer in Edmonton, an experienced history researcher, and a writer who has written for historical...
New music for our 100th anniversary
Rev Richard Hall of Wingham ON has written to the Regional Councils with a very generous gift: four original songs to be used freely across the church, including scores and sound files. Thank you for helping us honour this time, past, present and future, Richard!...
Here from the beginning: the story of Black people in the United Church
You’re invited to support a Centennial story-telling project focused on the lives and contributions of Black people in the United Church of Canada. This exhibition celebrating Black individuals’ remarkable contributions and experiences within the church amplifies...
Clarity on 100th anniversary package sent to communities of faith
In October, many communities of faith or pastoral charges received communication from Brian Arthur Brown, chair of Friends of the United Church Foundation and author of two recent books that were widely distributed to communities of faith, Keys to the Kindom and The...
Centennial photographs request!
Living Skies Regional Council Archives: Centennial Photograph Request Do you hold a favourite photograph of your Community of Faith? Tucked in boxes, albums, or on your phone, is there a picture of yourself or loved ones past that makes you smile or reflect? The...
