Our Ministry

Pancake Supper: Tickets are on sale now for our Pancake Supper on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Join us for pancakes, sausages, and fruit. Payment of cash, cheque or transfer required to get tickets.

Lenten Pauses: Throughout Lent, the Ministry Team will offer a time of scripture, reflection, music, and prayer online weekly. These pauses are inspired by The Hardest Part, a Group guide from The Everything Happens Project and Kate Bowler. These videos will be posted on Gower’s YouTube Channel at 10:00 a.m. on Fridays throughout Lent. The first video will be posted on March 14^th.

Bless this Lent: Join Rev. Rebecca to explore using The Hardest Part during this season of Lent. Kate Bowler and her team at Everything Happens Project offer this study. Together, we will embrace Lent as it is—raw, honest, and tender. This is the season that asks us to stop pretending we’re holding it all together. It’s a time to pause, sit with what’s fragile and unfinished, and let God meet us in the hardest parts of our lives. Thursday evenings, starting on Thursday, March 6th, at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Contact Rev. Rebecca for the Zoom link.

Stella’s Circle Pancake Breakfast for Homelessness is Tuesday, March 4 in the Lecture Hall from 7:00-10:30 am for a delicious pancake breakfast by our Stella's Brasserie to support Stella’s housing programs and services. 

ENGAGEMENT:  Whose team are you on? Your stewardship team, for once, is not asking for money! Instead, we are asking you to increase your engagement with our faith community. By volunteering for at least one of Gower’s teams. We will hand out a brief outline of each team’s purpose and the commitment involved, ahead of an “Engagement Expo” to be held during coffee hour after the service on the 16^th of March. Team leaders will be available in the Lecture Hall to answer your questions and, when you decide which team to join, take your contact details. Please, consider prayerfully how you can contribute to the ministry of our faith community!

Coffee Time Discussion: Join us on March 9^th, following worship during coffee time as we continue to discern our vision and dreams for Gower, with thoughts from the board regarding a strategic plan development in response to the ending of Vision 2025.

Confirmation Classes: Confirmation is an opportunity for individuals previously baptized to renew the vows made on their behalf in Baptism. Often, this takes place around the age of 12 or when an individual feels they can take on the vows for themselves. Based on interest at Gower, we offer separate confirmation classes for youth and adults.

At services of confirmation, opportunity is also given to those who may wish to transfer their membership from another congregation within the United Church of Canada or from other Christian denominations.

Opportunity is also given to those who have felt a particular calling of God in their life, perhaps in response to specific life experiences, when returning to active participation in a congregation after a period of distance, or simply by having their "hearts strangely warmed" and have experienced an awakening to a deeper understanding of the promises made in their baptism for the Reaffirmation of their Baptismal Vows. This process is sometimes called the "Profession of Faith."

Email Rev. Rebecca if you are interested in Confirmation Classes, Profession of Faith or Membership transfer or if you’d like more information.

Broadview 100th Anniversary Keepsake Issue: The June issue of Broadview will be a historic keepsake edition celebrating the United Church’s 100th anniversary — a once-in-a-lifetime issue filled with powerful stories, pivotal moments and reflections on the past, present and future of the church. For the first time ever, you can pre-order additional copies.  If you are interested in being part of a bulk order from Gower for this special issue, contact SuAn in the office before March 30^th, 2025. Cost per issue will range between $7.00 to $4.00 depending on the amount of people interested in ordering.

Bulletin Dedications: The Worship and Sacraments Committee invites members of our faith community to help with the cost of printing weekly bulletins. It costs us approximately $12.00 to have color-printed bulletin covers. You may dedicate a bulletin of any Sunday in memory of a loved one, in celebration of a significant event, or in celebration of a life's milestone. The name of Memoriam/Celebration/Milestone and Donor will appear in the bulletin on the specified Sunday. Please forward any donations to the church office and contact SuAn, the office administrator, during office hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. via email (gsuc@nl.rogers.com) or phone 709-753-7286 ext. 200.

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Our Community

St. James United Church Tapestry: This informal service, held on the second Sunday of each month, celebrates the strands that make us who we are in terms of faith, experience, and identity. Based on a theme, the service makes use of popular music as its “hymnbook”.  Participants explore the theme through facilitated conversation rather than a sermon and time is given for individual reflection at a series of "prayer stations". There is also now a potluck prior to the service. Potluck at 5:30 pm and service at 7:00 pm.

Cowan Heights United Church Ash Wednesday: Join Cowan Heights United Church on Ash Wednesday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. as we reflect upon the fragility of life and look towards our Lenten journey to the cross. We will receive the imposition of ashes, and share together at the communion table to be strengthened and sustained for our Lenten journey. The Rev. Miriam Bowlby is our guest preacher.

People of the Sea Service: Memorial United Church in Portugal Cove is excited to be hosting the People of the Sea Service again this year. 62 years ago George Street United Church held the first of these services to honor all those who make their living on or from the sea.  Many years before, the event was known as the blessing of the fleet as people gathered at the local wharves to bless the sealers and their ships as they headed for the front. In 1963 Rev. Naboth Winsor began to hold the service in George Street United. Over the years the focus grew to include all those who harvest the sea and those who make a living on the sea.  In 2023 George Street United was decommissioned.

Memorial United Church in Portugal Cove felt that this service was indeed an important part of our heritage and an integral part of the “sea culture” of our Province as well as our call to be good stewards of our oceans and seas. Consequently we worked with George Street United Church in transitioning this service to a new venue in Portugal Cove. We were committed to the same heartfelt heritage, history and links to the past. We were also committed to maintaining this service as “A Legacy of George Street United Church.”

Last year we held the first of these at Memorial United Church (61 years after the initial service!) It was a wonderfully successful event with guests including the Lt. Governor, Her Honour Joan Marie Aylward, representatives from Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments, sealers, fisher-people, community organizations, speakers, soloists, the Salvation Army Citadel Band, representatives from several branches of the Armed Forces, the coast guard, etc.

On behalf of Memorial United Church, it is my pleasure to invite you to the 62nd Annual Service for “The People of the Sea”. This year’s service will be held on Sunday, March 30, 2025 at 2pm. Please RSVP by Friday, March 21, 2025. Please RSVP by calling the Chair of the Board, Sid Woolfrey at 709-770-1245 or email: sidwoolfrey@gmail.com.

We look forward to your attendance at this special service celebrating the lives of those whose work is focused on the sea. A reception will follow the service.