Service Sunday August 9, 2026
HIGHLAND HILLS UNITED CHURCH
Minden, Ontario
SUNDAY, August 9, 2026
All are Welcome!
(For a Printer Friendly PDF version click this link)
(For Rev. Peter’s Musings PDF version click this link)
Worship Leader: Rev. Max Ward
Music Director: Melissa Stephens
Watch a video recording of the whole service using Youtube below.
THE GATHERING
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
FOCUSING ON THE LIGHT OF CHRIST
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TERRITORY In Unison
Let us, in this place, remember, acknowledge, and give thanks for Indigenous and Metis Peoples, who have been the stewards of this territory since time immemorial. Especially in this place, we honour and acknowledge the Williams and Robinson Treaties that were made with the Original Peoples. May the work of reconciliation and right relations continue among us.
THE APPROACH
CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: While our world is a storm of trouble and grief, in worship we find a time of calm and renewal.
ALL: We seek the courage of God’s word planted deep in our hearts.
One: Let us slow down in order to receive God’s truth for us.
ALL: We seek the comfort of God’s grace. Refreshing our soul.
One: Let us reflect and remember God’s promise to us.
ALL: We seek the compassion of God’s love, nourishing our lives.
One: Let us share with those around us, reminding all of God’s blessings for us even in the midst of the storms of life.
Written by Gill Le Fevre, Walton Memorial U.C., Oakville, ON
Gathering, Pentecost 1 2026, p.40. Used with permission.
HYMN: “Deep In Our Hearts” MV #154
1. Deep in our hearts there is a common vision;
deep in our hearts there is a common song;
deep in our hearts there is a common story,
telling Creation that we are one.
2. Deep in our hearts there is a common purpose;
deep in our hearts there is a common goal;
deep in our hearts there is a sacred message,
justice and peace in harmony.
3. Deep in our hearts there is a common longing;
deep in our hearts there is a common theme;
deep in our hearts there is a common current,
flowing to freedom like a stream.
4. Deep in our hearts there is a common vision;
deep in our hearts there is a common song;
deep in our hearts there is a common story,
telling Creation that we are one.
OPENING PRAYER: Spoken in Unison
Ever-welcoming God, we gather in this place of sanctuary so that we might find rest and renewal. Help us to bathe in your grace and soak in your peace. In the helter-skelter of life, we yearn for calm in the midst of the storms. May each breath we take fill us with deep stillness and abiding gentleness. Help us to cast aside judgmentalism. Empower us to let go of rigidity of thought, so that we might be open to your Holy Mystery as we ride the waves of our lives. When we find it difficult to accept the realities that are around us, grant us tenderness of being, so that we might be malleable. Let our very being be shaped in your image. We pray in the name of the one who walked across stormy waters. Amen.
Written by Laura Turnbull, Penticton, B.C.
Gathering, Pentecost 1 2026, p.43. Used with permission.
MINISTRY OF MUSIC
HYMN: “Will You Come and Follow Me” VU# 567
1 Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
2 Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?
3 Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
4 Will you love the 'you' you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?
5 Christ, your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In your company I'll go where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.
THE WORD
Scripture: Matthew 14: 22 - 33
Leader: Hear and listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
MESSAGE
Guest Speaker from YWCA
Read the whole message at the bottom of this page
OUR RESPONSE
CANDLE LIGHTING LITURGY
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and
THE LORD’S PRAYER: spoken VU#921
HYMN: “Will Your Anchor Hold” VU #675
1 Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife,
when the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
will your anchor drift or firm remain?
Refrain We have an anchor that keeps the soul
steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
fastened to the rock which cannot move,
grounded firm and deep in the Saviour's love!
2 It will surely hold in the straits of fear,
when the breakers tell that the reef is near;
though the tempest rave and the wild winds blow,
not an angry wave shall our bark o'erflow.
Refrain We have an anchor that keeps the soul
steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
fastened to the rock which cannot move,
grounded firm and deep in the Saviour's love!
3 It will surely hold in the floods of death,
when the waters cold chill our latest breath;
on the rising tide it can never fail
while our hopes abide within the veil. Refrain
4 When our eyes behold, through the gathering night,
the city of gold, our harbour bright,
we shall anchor fast by the heavenly shore,
with the storms all past for evermore. Refrain
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
OFFERTORY PRAYER: In Unison
Gracious God, we have given in response to the bounty of goodness you have given us. May you receive what we offer—our time, our talents, and our money. Bless these gifts for the work of your church, near and far. Amen.
Written by Mary Parsons, Munn’s U.C., Oakville, Ont.
Gathering, Pentecost 1 2026, p.50. Used with permission.
SUNG BLESSING Christ Has No Body Now but Yours
MV #171 vs 4
Refrain
Christ has no body now but yours, no hands but yours.
Here on this earth, yours is the work,
to serve with the joy of compassion.
Through ev’ry gift, give back to those in need;
as Christ has blessed, so now be his blessing,
with ev’ry gift a benediction, be to the people of God. Refrain
SENDING FORTH:
A TIME OF FELLOWSHIP
© Music Reproduced with permission under License number A-605748,
Valid for: 26/10/2025 - 25/10/2026; One License - Copyright Cleared Music for Churches.
Community Presentation
Highland Hills United Church
August 9, 2026
You don’t have to look much further than your news feed to learn about the dangers women face in public. But for many women, the most dangerous place to be is home.
In Canada, 44% of women and girls who have been in an intimate partner relationship report experiencing abuse. Women are four times more likely than men to be afraid of their partner, and 80% of women who experience domestic violence never report it to the police.
Here in Ontario, between November 26, 2024 to November 25, 2025, 43 women were lost to femicide.
More personally, 4 out of every 10 women experience violence in a relationship. This is our mothers, daughters, sisters, colleagues and friends.
Thankfully, here in Minden, women have YWCA Peterborough Haliburton when home is no longer safe.
My name is Tina Thornton, and I am the Director of Philanthropy at YWCA Peterborough Haliburton. Thank you so much for allowing me to speak to you all today.
The statistics tell us that women living in rural areas are at greater risk of experiencing domestic violence. The rates of family violence in remote and rural Canadian communities is on average 2 times higher than the rest of Canada and intimate partner violence is 1.8 times higher in rural and remote communities. Further, the rate of gender-related homicide in Canada is more than 2.5 times greater in rural areas, compared to urban areas. Thankfully, YWCA is right here in your community supporting families when they need us the most.
At YWCA, we know that simply providing shelter to women escaping domestic violence is not enough. True support means walking alongside a woman as she moves from fear to safety, from trauma to healing, and from control to independence.
We call this HER Journey of Care—a wrap-around support model that includes our programs and services, free of charge, to our clients.
Her journey often begins with a call to our 24-hour crisis line. In this moment, our focus is safety. We work with her to create a personalized safety plan for herself and her children, outlining steps that she can take to stay safe while deciding what comes next.
She may also seek support through our START program, which runs weekly on Mondays. START brings together as many as 12 local agencies in one place, allowing her to quickly access reliable information and resources so that she can make better-informed decisions based on her personal situation.
And, if she decides that staying at home is no longer safe, we can help her and her children access our secure emergency shelter. Since 2006, the YWCA Haliburton Emergency Rural SafeSpace (or as we affectionately call it – HERS) has provided emergency accommodation and professional support to women, with and without children, fleeing gender-based violence. Here, she will find private suites, nourishing meals, professional and compassionate aid, and the safety needed to begin rebuilding her life.
Once she is safe, we can help her begin healing. Through our Court Support program, trained staff can assist her as she navigates the family court system, supporting her through matters like custody, restraining orders and divorce.
And, when she is ready, our Transition and Outreach counsellors work with her to process trauma, recognize her strength, and build skills needed to avoid returning to unsafe situations. Breaking the cycle of abuse is critical—not just for her, but for her children and future generations.
As she prepares to move forward, should she need to flee her community (as is so common in these cases), our second-stage RGI housing at Centennial Crescent is there. Here, we have over 35 RGI townhouses that range from 1 to 3 bedrooms. Women typically stay at Centennial for up to 2 years, and it is here where she can truly begin reclaiming independence and plan for more longer-term stability.
After settling into a new home, she can access our Thrive Hive program. Here, she can find support in learning financial literacy, job searching, accessing post-secondary education, parenting and communication skills, and so much more.
And for those who dream of returning to school, the Hazel Education Bursary provides $1,500 and $2,500 in educational bursaries to women who have experienced violence and want to strengthen their economic stability.
With over 135 years of dedicated work, YWCA has the experience needed to truly make a difference in the lives of women and their children. HER Journey of Care programming is the result of over 40 years of learning from women fleeing domestic violence. Without a comprehensive plan including safe shelter AND supportive counselling, many may simply return to their abuser, lacking the confidence to see another path.
From April 1st 2025 to March 31, 2026, YWCA assisted 10 women and 4 children at HERS for a total of 449 safe nights. We supported 138 additional women at the Women’s Centre in Minden where we provided 424 hours of supportive counselling. We helped 23 women complete housing applications and 9 women find safe shelter outside of HERS and we answered 1587 crisis support calls. This is work that we are doing right here in your community – supporting some of your more vulnerable residents.
Without a wrap around support model, many of these women and children would still be in an abusive home, not having the support needed to break free.
We know that, on average, it takes women seven attempts to leave an abusive relationship permanently. Thankfully, YWCA’s free programming through HER Journey of Care will be there, offering support and respecting her decisions, while guiding her to keep herself and her children safe.
Financially, it can be tricky for YWCA to assist all of the women and children that need support. While YWCA Peterborough Haliburton does receive funding for about 70% of our work, this leaves 30%, or up to $1 million dollars each year, to be raised through the community.
That’s just one of the reasons why I am so grateful for opportunities like this where I get to share details of our work. Simply put, we need financial support from community members such as yourselves in order to continue supporting 100% of the women that need us, when they need us. And when you support YWCA in Haliburton, you can rest assured that 100% of your donations will stay right here in Haliburton County – assisting your neighbors, your colleagues, your friends and YOUR community.
Thank you again for this opportunity!
