WORSHIP SERVICES
Sunday worship is at 10:00 AM, in either Banff or Canmore.
We will worship in Banff (102 Banff Ave) on Sunday October 1, followed by a food-equity awareness luncheon.
On October 1 we will also be marking World Communion Sunday and Orange Shirt Day
On Sunday, October 8, 15, 22 and 29 – worship is in Canmore
We hope you can join us!
Sunday services are video-recorded and uploaded to the Ralph Connor Canmore Banff YouTube Channel
EVENSONG WEDNESDAY
~a mid-week oasis of silence, chant, word and song~
A contemplative gathering on Zoom, Wednesday nights at 7:15 PM, from Fall until Spring.
Evensong will resume on October 4th on Zoom.
(contact office@ralphconnor.ca to receive the Zoom link and weekly Evensong email.)
GIVING
Thank you to everyone who supports our ministry in time, talent and treasure!
To make a financial donation, or to learn more about methods of giving, click on the button above.
If you wish to sign up for, or update your Pre-Authorized (PAR) giving, the form is here .
Many of our givers use PAR and its consistent cashflow is a great help!
Sunday, September 17 – Green Exodus
Sermon: September 10, 2023 – Romans 8: 12-27
Sermon: Highland Games Sunday, September 3, 2023 – Exodus 3: 1-15
Sermon: Sunday, August 27, 2023 – Exodus 1:8 – 2:10
Sermon: August 20, 2023. Genesis 45: 1-15
Wildfire assistance
Sermon: August 13, 2023 – Genesis 37: 1-28
Sermon: August 6, 2023 – Genesis 32: 22-31
Sermon: July 30, 2023 – Genesis 28: 10-19a
INCLUSION
AFFIRMING MINISTY and a commitment to RIGHT RELATIONS
In the same way that Jesus reached out to all people, our faith community is called to be open and inclusive.
As a congregation residing on treaty 7 lands, we continue to seek ways to be inclusive of all people of the Bow Valley,
regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, cultural background, education level, mobility challenges… ALL people!
We are delighted that both Ralph Connor and Rundle Memorial United Church, Banff, went through the Affirming Process so our amalgamated Community of Faith in Banff/Canmore is an Affirming Ministry of the United Church of Canada.
Within and alongside our Affirming Commitments, we are actively engaged in Living into Right Relations
with our Indigenous Hosts on this land. We honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30) with outdoor public displays at both the Banff and Canmore Churches. See our Right Relations page for more information.
To learn more about our strivings to be a place of safety and inclusion, please go to our Affirming Ministry page. We look forward to Canmore’s Pride celebrations in mid-September and Banff’s in early October!
OUR BUILDINGS AND OUR MISSION
ACCESSIBILITY
For years, we have wanted to make our Ralph Connor Church building more accessible to more people.
Construction on accessibility upgrades in Canmore began February 2023 and are now complete! We returned to Sunday Worship in Canmore on June 4th. Click here for more info, click here to donate as we finish this project!
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
An important part of our calling as Christians, is to be wise and faithful stewards of this planet. With this in mind, Ralph Connor was pleased to partner with the Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative (BVGEC), and the Church’s Faithful Footprints initiative, to install solar panels on our roof in 2021. To learn more about the building upgrades already made to lessen the carbon footprint of our building,
and to see the amount of solar power being generated, click here.
And… congratulations to BVGEC on being named a 2023 Emerald Award Winner!
To learn more about the Rundle Memorial building in Banff, click here!
AMALGAMATION –
Banff & Canmore now ONE COMMUNITY of FAITH
As of January 1, 2023, Rundle Memorial United Church in Banff and Ralph Connor Memorial United Church in Canmore
amalgamated to form ONE United Church Community of Faith on two sites (Canmore and Banff).
The name of the amalgamated Community of Faith is Ralph Connor Memorial United Church Community of Faith.
Click here for more information and here for the final AGM reports of the two congregations.
GREEN EXODUS
Are you astonished by the beauty of the world – especially the Bow Valley corridor?
Are you wanting to assist with the empowerment of community as you engage with lessening our ‘carbon footprint’?
Do you have a Spiritual/Religious connection with Nature?
Are you wanting to join with others in restoring this planet to health?
If so, click on the button below and check out GREEN EXODUS.
Ralph Connor is one of the founding/participating organizations of this initiative, along with other partners in Calgary and south Alberta. Click the button below for event information.
Sarah Arthurs from Green Exodus preached at our September 17th service in Canmore: see https://youtu.be/abXh_rzvsY4
SPACE RENTALS
Gatherings in the Church are subject to all Provincial regulations and our Ralph Connor guidelines.
Banff’s main spaces for rentals are the Lonsdale Lounge and the Sanctuary. Please inquire through our Banff office, 403.762.2075
In Canmore, we have Gordon Hall, the Kitchen, a room upstairs, and the Sanctuary. Our newly-installed lift/elevator and an accessible washroom have greatly enhanced the accessibility of the building. Click the button below for more info!
Communicable Disease Safety Plan
We support all public health regulations to limit the spread of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases, and are thankful for the widespread opportunity for vaccination. Our most recent guidance document is here.
As various cold bugs continue to make their rounds and as new COVID variants appear in the fall of 2023, please be mindful of the health needs of others, and their choices around the continued use of masks.
Recognizing that some people are not yet comfortable with close-quarters gatherings,
our “Ralph Connor Canmore Banff” YouTube channel will continue to have recordings of our Sunday services – click here –
and our Wednesday night Evensong gatherings are generally held on Zoom, as noted above.
STAY CONNECTED: Newsletter and Directory
Each week on Friday the Church Newsletter is emailed directly to your inbox. Sign up here!
Church members and adherents are encouraged to sign up for the ICD Online Directory – a Church Directory you can access from your phone, tablet or laptop! For more information – to sign up, or to activate your profile once you have signed up – click on the button below.
Our Banff Campus (Rundle Memorial UC) is located at 104 Banff Avenue, Banff, Alberta
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 1086, Banff AB T1L 1B1
Our Canmore Campus (Ralph Connor Memorial UC) is located at 617 Main Street, Canmore, Alberta, see below.
Mailing Address: PO Box 8901, Stn Main, Canmore AB T1W 0J3