WORSHIP SERVICES
The Banff and Canmore United Church congregations have amalgamated! We are one Community of Faith on two sites.
Sunday worship is at 10:00 AM, in either Banff or Canmore (except on December 24th, see below!)
Upcoming Sundays, December 10, 17 and 31- morning Worship is in Canmore.
We hope you can join us!
on Sunday, December 24 we will have TWO Christmas Eve services:
5:30 PM in our Church in Banff (corner of Buffalo & Banff Ave)
8:30 PM in our Church in Canmore (617 Main Street)
Come as you are to this special celebration!
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.
December 13 – on Zoom; December 20 “The Longest Night” – on our YouTube channel
(contact office@ralphconnor.ca to receive the Zoom link and weekly Evensong email.)
GIVING
The Call and Purpose of Ralph Connor Memorial United Church, Banff/Canmore, is
* to nurture the spiritual exploration and growth of all our members and adherents;
* to be an intentionally inviting Christian community that seeks, welcomes and embraces new members;
* to reach out and become an agent for social justice in our neighbourhoods and in the global community.
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.
Our 2023/2024 Giving Campaign featured a Wine & Cheese Silent Auction “FunRaiser”
on the evening of Dec 1st – with a Bazaar after Worship on Dec 10th! Click here for more info.
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!
Sermon: Sunday, December 3, 2023 – Isaiah 40: 1-11 – Advent II
Sermon: November 26, 2023 – First Sunday of Advent – 1 Corinthians 1: 3-9
The Mod’s Book Squad
Sermon: November 19, 2023 – Matthew 25: 14-30
Angels of Congregations Past
Sermon: Remembrance Sunday, November 5, 2023 – Revelation 7: 9-17
Sunday, October 29, 2023 – Genesis 9: 12-17 and Galatians 3: 26-29
Sermon: October 22, 2023 – Matthew 22: 15-22
Sermon: October 15, 2023 – Matthew 22: 1-14
Sermon: Thanksgiving Sunday, October 8, 2023 – Exodus 20:1-20
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.
We are an Affirming Ministry of the United Church of Canada and we intend for our buildings in Banff and Canmore to be regarded as safe spaces for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, at all times. Here are the words of our Affirming statement:
As a community of faith on traditional Indigenous lands,
We strive to follow Christ’s example in reaching out in love and friendship to all.
We are committed to full inclusion of people, of any age, race, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure, or personal circumstance, in all aspects of our life together.
We are called, in and with the larger community, to grow in faith through study, prayer, and service; to make known God’s gracious presence; and to show loving concern to all Creation.
Foundational to our Affirming Commitments is our commitment to live into Right Relations with our Indigenous Hosts on this land. We have lifted up the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30) and Red Dress Day (May 5) with outdoor public displays at both the Banff and Canmore Churches, and celebrate that June 21 is now the National Indigenous Peoples Day. For more information about Indigenous Ministry in the Chinook Winds Region – including a Dec 16th Feast at Mini Thni – click here.
OUR BUILDINGS AND OUR CALLING
ACCESSIBILITY
Our Building Accessibility Upgrades project in Canmore is now complete –
Click here for more info, click here to donate as we finish the funding of this project!
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
We are pleased to have partnered with the Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative (BVGEC),
and the Church’s Faithful Footprints initiative, to install solar panels on the roof of our Canmore building 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.
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?
If so, click on the button below and check out GREEN EXODUS. Ralph Connor is one of the ground-level partners of this ministry!
SPACE RENTALS
Gatherings in the Church are subject to all Provincial regulations and our Ralph Connor guidelines. As mentioned above, we intend for our buildings in Banff and Canmore to be regarded as safe spaces for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, at all times.
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