Spring Tea May 15
by Joan McLeod
Spring greetings to all! It is actually here!
A Spring Tea is the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of warmer weather and how lucky that the UCW and anniversary committee are planning such an event!
It will take place at Mountain View on Saturday, May15. Only 150 tickets are being sold.
You will not want to miss this event that will help us to continue to celebrate 60 years here at Mountain View.
Tickets will be available from the church office, any UCW member or by calling Joan McLeod at 854-6916. The price reflects our 1950's theme -- $3.50.
Plan to join us and if you have a hat, white gloves and dress, we would love to see you in them, but not to worry, we will welcome you no matter what you wear.
Wanted: Volunteers
by Melville Johnson
Mountain View has an urgent need for people to fill the following positions:
- Outreach Committee chairperson
- Nomination Committee chairperson
- Three members for Finance and Stewardship Committee
- Two members for Session
- Sunday School superintendent
- Sunday School assistant superintendent
- Sunday School secretary
- Two members for Outreach Committee
- One member for Property Committee
- Church treasurer-in-training.
If you have a desire to share your time and talents, call the church office at 857-4817 and leave your name and phone number. Someone from the nomination committee Nomination will call you.
Special thanks to our three new members of Session and one new property committee member -- as well as everyone else who contributes to our church.
Anniversary events
by Allison Finnamore
Mountain View's 60th Anniversary Committee has planned many events for the upcoming months, and plans continue for other events that will carry this party right through to November!
The Ribbons of Love and Kindness continue to wind through our sanctuary, wrapping us in each other's love and kindness -- keep it up! Our monthly Memories presentations will continue during the worship services, when members of our congregation share their stories of the history we share.
In April, a Wall of Wonder poster demonstration will be held during Coffee and Conversation. Details on the date will come soon.
May 15 is the date of our Anniversary Spring Tea, hosted by the UCW and in June, the property committee will host a gardening party.
Into the fall, we'll hold special church services, invite more of you to share your stories of the church and continue to celebrate 60 years together.
Memories
by Joan McLeod
Our first service at Mountain View was the first one for Ron Maund.
We were very nervous, but Randy Hopper took us under his wing and showed us the nursery and Sunday School rooms.
This was the beginning of a 36 year long love affair with "our church."
Carolyn Smith was another important link for me as she invited me to UCW and I was so excited to have an evening with people who didn't require burping or changing.
Another early memory for me was the Mothers Morning Out. This was organized so the younger women could leave their children at church one morning a week so they could go Christmas shopping. Barb Dunfield, Grace Walters and Irene Cook are the three women who come to my mind when I think of this project. There are many more memories but these are the earliest.
Memories
by Avelon Owens
My first recollection of Mountain View was the shell of the building -- holding services etc. in the basement.
Having Cliff walk down to the building in the snow to help with the building, put in the panelling in the hall etc. We transferred from Port Hawkesbury Zion Robertson in 1953. Rev. Findley was the minister.
I taught Sunday school in the basement and after the new sanctuary was built, we moved upstairs to the hall. Cold down there!
Later, we had two classes of Sunday school at the Beaverbrook school. I taught one of them, the smaller children. One family had a young baby which, of course, came along as the mother brought the other children. Something was said about where the baby should be and the older sister replied that "the teacher can carry her, she doesn't have anything else to do," with about a dozen children under six or seven.
We also had our Christmas pageant there. David Rogers was Joseph and Kathy Adams was Mary. We had a stuffed animal which Mary was seated on and David announced very loudly, "I am Joseph and this is Mary and we're going to have a baby."
He brought down the house because he was so serious and they were about five years old.
Memories
by Judy Beach
My first memory being at Mountain View was in 1962.
My friend June (Beatty) Horsman invited me to an evening service. Rev. Garland Brooks was in the pulpit. He preached on cigarettes and how bad they are for your health. He referred to them as coffin nails. Believe he was right. I never forgot that message.
Memories
by Mary Johnson
As the wife of a military man, namely Melville Johnson, we were always moving here and there from Canada to Germany and back.
We got involved in the church wherever we went and Mountain View was no different. We arrived here in July 1977 from Cornwallis N.S.
Barbara West arrived at our house to welcome us as a neighbor and invited me to UCW.
I slowly got involved in the unit Deborah. What a great group of ladies. I have continued working with them and have filled many positions from leader to kitchen maid.
Rev. Ron Maund was the minister when we arrived and asked Jean Yeomans if she would visit this new family to see if we were interested in church.
Knock-knock, who is at the door but Jean with her friendly smile. When she came, I was in the living room, as were Melanie and Tony.
We chatted for a few minutes and Melville was no where in sight. He was busy in the basement and never came up. I think Jean thought he must be out or flew the coup. She teases Melville to this day about staying hidden.
We did go to Mountain View and from Jean's visit, we also gained good friends with Jean and Gordon and many more.
Melville and I have been on many committees and each one a challenge.
Melanie and Tony attended church with us. Tony loved working in the country store with Randy Hopper at the Fall Fun Fair. Melanie also helped and has continued her church work too. Now, our granddaughter Sabrina is in Sunday School and is volunteering in nursery.
We have had wonderful ministers since coming here. Rev. Ron left and started Pastoral Care Department at the hospital. He asked for volunteers from the church to work with him and Marg Surrette and I answered the call. Marg has since died and Ron retired. I’m still there after 24 years.
We have met many friendly people and our journey has brought us lots of work at the church, but the joy and satisfaction has out weighed the work.
Mountain View has been a memorable journey and I hope it all continues whatever path it may take in the future.
Memories
by Heather Horsman
I've only been a member of this church for three years.
When I first arrived, I was warmly greeted by Debbie Ellison, who's smile was genuine and her eyes sparkled! I knew I was in the right place.
My mom had been inviting me for some time, but it took me some introspection before I chose to come to Mountain View. I spoke with Rev. Mary, but then she went on maternity leave. Rev. Frank Curtis stepped in and less than a year later, I was baptized and confirmed!
Almost 17 years prior, my life changed, so I was celebrating this time when I called out for God to help me with my life. I've been revisiting my maps ever since.
Joining the outreach committee just seemed natural, I've never thought about it much beforehand, but found a fun group of people there too!
Mountain View continues to surprise me as I meet new people and work with them.
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Celebrating 60 years together
by Allison Finnamore
Coming up with a theme for the Courier can sometimes be challenging, but there are times like this -- when Mountain View is in the midst of celebrating 60 years together as a church family -- when a beautiful opportunity presents itself and waits to be seized.
When this edition of the Courier started to take form, I wondered what the response would be to asking for your first memories of the church. But I was anxious to open the question to you and see where the spirit led you -- and what led you to join our family.
I was pleasantly surprised when almost immediatly after the announcement of this issue's theme and pending printing, contributions started to arrive in my inbox (many of you guys usually wait until the last minute to submit contributions!).
And you didn't stop -- the contributions kept coming and coming.
As I read through your memories, I found that each of you reminded me of my own memories of Mountain View -- you were my Sunday school teachers, youth group leaders and elders at my confirmation. Later, you helped cook and serve the meal when Dale and I were married here. Then, you stood and promised to help us raise our children when they were baptized at Mountain View. We've shared late night meetings, countless cups of coffee and even more laughs. We haven't always agreed, but like our own blood relatives, we know that regardless of our views, we're still family.
The faith journey that we share is the connection that brought each of us to this place -- whether you've been coming to Mountain View for 60 years or today is your first visit. And it's that faith journey that keeps us connected as we create new memories.
This issue has definitely set a record for submissions, and I'm proud that so many of you have found the writer within and contributed your memories to this special publication at this festive time. There is a lot of reading in the pages ahead as so many of you have shared your wonderful stories.
I hope you enjoy the walk down memory lane with your family.
From the desk of Rev. Mary Anningson
by Rev. Mary Anningson
What a wonderful idea to share memories of our experiences of Mountain View United Church.
I have heard many a tales of the first meetings in the tent and then the school, the bricks that were sold to raise money for the hall, how the church community met in the hall until the sanctuary could be built, many catered dinners...wonderful and amazing stories of faithful people working to create a community right here on the corner of MacBeath and Connaught.
My first memory of Mountain View, of course, is my interview to become minister here with you. I was captivated by the art work in the parlour. In particular, the picture of Jesus in the boat with the disciples calming the storm, donated by Alan and Alison Dixon. It gave me great confidence to have that biblical story literally in front of me as I talked with the search committee about the ministry needed here at Mountain View. The art work also gave me an indication of the generosity that I would find here among the people of this congregation.
After my memories of the interview my mind turns to images of people. Kind and generous people who throughout my years of service here have inspired me and taught me about faith and sharing. I bet there aren`t too many of you who know about some of the generous gifts offered to me...each Sunday there are throat lozenges in the pew where I sit when I am not in pulpit, occasionally candy and coffee cards are "dropped off," there is water every week in the pulpit, notes and pictures from the children, the baby showers you gave for my children, clergy appreciation, cards and letters when I have been going through difficult times personally, words of encouragement that come from out of the blue but always at the right time, and of course lots of hugs! You have no idea how much of a difference those generous gifts of time, thought and caring make in my life here at Mountain View.
My mind also fills with memories of loved ones for whom I have had the privilege of presiding at their funeral. Many dearly loved people, integral parts of the woven fabric that make up this congregation. We continue to add to this fabric as our congregation develops.
We are blessed to have our memories. Blessed to have so many people here to share our lives with and experiences. I hope that within the pages of this edition of the Courier, the memories you read from others help you to be flooded with other memories of people, times of service, joys, laughter and sharing.
I thank God, for the ministry that has been done here and I look forward to the ministry that is yet to come.
In Christ`s service,
Mary
Report from the chair of the board
by Brian Affleck
I was just going through some recent e-mails to be sure I had done everything I was supposed to do and noticed the one from Allison, our courier newsletter editor, saying the deadline for contributing times to the next edition was March 31st and that the theme this time is memories of Mountain View. That got me thinking about what I might write.
I have worn many hats around the Church over the past 22 years or so that I have been attending Mountain View. I remember being a new adherent and being visited by Nan Leger who was the visiting elder for my area of town back when we moved here.
I also remember Melissa as a fussy baby with colic and how difficult it was to concentrate on the visit and have in the back of my mind that the baby may be a disruption any moment. Nan was most welcoming during that visit and during another visit very soon after from the minister, who was Gordon MacBeth at that time, I discovered that he and my mother had attended Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown together and that we knew many of the same people on the Island. Suddenly Kim and I felt right at home.
 The next memory I have is of Gordon coming to visit again and telling us he had this great idea for a couples club. He was having some trouble finding leadership for it but he had another couple who would be helpers if we would as well. We agreed not knowing he had told the other couple the same thing, trusting that once he had gotten us together, God would take care of the rest and he did.
We had a large group of a dozen couples or so that was very active for a while. Each couple would take turns hosting events at their homes.
Soon I was contacted by the nominating committee to serve on Session and I have continued to serve in that capacity for most of the years since.
I wasn't shy in front of a crowd, but meeting new people one-on-one wasn't the most comfortable thing for me. With the support of the rest of the session members, I learned that with Gods help, I could do things I thought I couldn't. I fondly remember visiting people like the Thorntons, the Dunphys, the Bauers and Marjorie LeBlanc.
I also remember a tough time when Kim and I had just had a son added to our family and then I had a job loss and how much it meant to have Gordon and the student minister at the time, Allistair, come and take me to coffee to talk and how much that meant to me.
I served on the finance committee for a while and now, in addition to chairing the congregational board, I continue to be a session member and serve on the Visions United Committee as one of your representatives. And, I help out where ever I can with things like greeting and counting and sound and computers and the web site.
The board is busy as always with the day-to-day business of running the church. It is often routine, like deciding to renew music copyright licences, but from time to time, there are exciting developments. And there are always challenges.
These days, it is the work of the Visions United Committee and others who are exploring other options for the future of Mountain View that excite me. Dreaming about possibilities for the future is always exciting and whatever decisions the congregation makes, we will have spent a lot of time examining what it is God is calling us to do. For me, that is what is most exciting.
Challenges right now are the lack of chair persons for the nominating and outreach committees and vacant positions on several committees including the Sunday school superintendent position. Also of concern is the note from the finance committee in a recent bulletin that we are already almost $2,500 behind our budgeted envelope giving for this year.
Pretty much business as usual and with a lot faith and prayer, we will celebrate our successes.
Session report
by Brian Lowe
As I write this, it is Holy Week and we are preparing ourselves for the dark days before the Good News of Easter Sunday. When you read this, Easter Sunday will have passed and we will be back to our "normal routine."
We are reminded, however, that the Easter message must continue to be spread. The Session, as the committee responsible for the spiritual side of church life, continues to try to find and act on our responsibilities.
I have mentioned in the past that it is our hope to soon again begin visiting folks at their homes on a regular basis. Hopefully, we can have that started in the fall.
At our March meeting, we were pleased to welcome three new members to the Session, Heather Oakey, Gwen MacRae and Grant Purves. Heather and Grant are both new to Session responsibilities. Gwen has served in the past and we are happy to have her years of experience to draw on as we move forward. We learn that as Christians, we are a serving people, and I am grateful to those who have chosen to serve by becoming part of the Session. There are still several vacancies in various areas of church work at Mountain View. Are you ready to serve?
Session has asked the congregational board, through the property committee, to have another pew removed from the sanctuary and replaced with padded seats for those folks who are not able to sit in the hard pews.
Since this was not a budgeted item when finance drew up the 2010 budget, it was suggested that we ask the congregation members if they would like to make a donation to help raise the money for this project. We are planning to purchase 16 chairs for $60 each. If you would like to make a donation to this project, just put your donation in an envelope marked "sanctuary chair project," write your envelope number on it and put it in the offering plate.
Outreach report
by Sheila Huntley
The Empty Chair
A: "I'm looking for a Chair."
B: "There's a chair over there."
A: "Where?"
B: "Over there!"
A: "But it's bare!"
B: "Yes,but it's a chair."
A: "I don't want a BARE chair. I want a CHAIR;
a person to Chair our Outreach Committee. We HAVE a bare chair!
We have a wonderful Outreach Group and they all have a job to do
but no one to Chair."
B: "Well, that's not a problem. There are people in the Mountain View Congregation
just lining up to lead you !"
A: "Oh, then I am looking for the LINE."
I know our CHAIR is out there.
Is it YOU ?
Outreach has continued to add projects to our long list and at least one of them should appeal to you. Contact the church office at 857-4817 to speak to someone about what we do.
We have 12 members and there is room for many more. Many members of the congregation and friends help us by giving their time, tithe and talent and we thank you so much.
In March we invited members of Outreach and Mission and Service Committee from Humphrey,Wesley and Stilesville United Church to our meeting to exchange ideas and get to know them better. It was a very successful evening!
Outreach is very busy making "new" memories for Mountain View United. We would love to have you join us.
Library
by Judy Beach
Come visit our library and look on the new book shelf. There are lots of new reading fiction and non-fiction-Congregations, spirituality/devotions, parenting, crafts, plays etc. Visit our regular shelves as there is very interesting reading there as well.
Visions United Report
by Craig McGregor, chair of VU Communications Committee
2010 has been and will continue to be very busy for the VU committee and the four congregations.
The VU visioning subcommittee is working hard on putting congregational feedback from the March 27 and March 28 forums into the united vision that will be presented in May. The visioning subcommittee will also be including feedback from the services and workshops below and from any future events.
On April 18, each congregation will be having an interactive worship service and workshop to make sure that this united vision belongs to everyone, not just a committee. Be there and be heard!
On April 25, subject to formal board or council approval, there will be a joint service at Wesley Memorial at 11 a.m. The clergy, worship committees and music directors are working together to ensure another uplifting, exciting, Spirit-filled joint worship.
On May 2, the vision will be presented at each congregation, followed by town hall or small table group meetings in the two weeks following. On May 16, there will be a confidence motion related to the vision and continuation along the path towards the creation of a new congregation.
Even after its presentation and approval, the vision will continue to evolve along with us. Over the next several months there will be joint services and workshops to decide, as congregations, which things in our vision are the most important, which should be done first and more.
There is much soul-searching work to be done -- let’s do it together!
Memories
by Bob Dixon
When I first came to Moncton in 1996, I had agreed to join the Salvation Army and attend the church of preference for my wife, Judy. However my roots in the United Church kept drawing me back and I began to insist to Judy that we should at least attend the United Church every second week.
When I first attended, Rev. Gordon MacBeth was the minister. I knew him before he became the minister of Mountain View, when he worked at the Maritime Conference office of the United Church in Sackville.
I remember him as a very honest and very friendly and very dedicated minister and family man. His honesty was reflected in one of his sermons, when he told us that he had stopped for a red light at the corner of Mountain Road and Connaught, which has a double set of lights to accommodate the traffic coming out of Churchill.
Even though he was stopped at the first red light and there was no traffic ahead of him or coming out of Churchill, and the cars behind him were honking and waving at him to move up to the first red light, he absolutely refused to budge until both lights turned green. Now that’s what I call an honest law abiding citizen.
I was saddened when I heard that he had died suddenly at a fairly young age.
Four or five years after that, I was pleased to transfer my membership from the Sackville United Church to Mountain View. I was inducted by Rev. Mary, whose sermons keep me coming back for more.
Memories
by Gerry MacEachern
My memories of Mountain View start with services in an Army Bell Tent. My mother, Margaret MacEachern, was one of the founding members, so although not very old, I was exposed to Mountain View from Day One.
When it was decided to build what is now the church hall, I remember going door to door selling little red paper bricks for 10 cents each. This was a fundraiser to pay for the bricks on the new building.
Other memories include:
- Sunday School classes where Mrs. Leaman was the teacher. She always had a bag of cream chocolates for us. Perhaps it was she who helped me develop my "sweet tooth."
- Junior Choir where Mrs. Evelyn Rogers (Donna Love-Melanson's mother) was the choir director.
- Belonging to Cubs and Scouts and going on Saturday morning hikes to the gravel pits and beyond at the end of West Lane. We usually had a fire and cooked our lunch (usually a can of beans) over -- and sometimes in -- the fire. If you didn't put a small hole in the can before placing it in the fire, a small explosion usually resulted with few beans left in the can.
- Annual turkey suppers where we served more than 300 people.
- Hi-C which was a youth group of teenagers.
- Men's Choir when we had 20-25 men participate.
These are but a few of my favourite memories of Mountain View and as the song goes "Those were the days"
Memories
by Nan Leger
Our family of five children, all 6 and under, my husband and I first walked up the steps of Mountain View in late September 1960.
The welcome we received made us feel right at home.
Our older children were whisked off to Sunday School classes and we were quickly introduced to many friendly faces.
Rev. Garland Brooks was the minister at the time and he was to baptize two more of our babies by 1964.
With so many young children, it took several years before I became involved in church work.
First, I was asked to become a "Girls' Work" convener. This was a new position, with no concrete description, but meant I needed to attend Christian Education meetings. This lead to assisting in Vacation Bible School and more meetings to arrange this.
As time went on, I became a Sunday School teacher, C.G.I.T. leader, member of UCW, Session and numerous other positions. I've never looked back and never complained that I've "done my share" when asked to help out.
The Courier
a publication of
Mountain View United Church
85 MacBeath Avenue
Moncton, N.B. E1C 6Z3
Phone: 506-857-4817
Mountain View United Church is located at the corner of MacBeath and Connaught Avenues. Services are at 10:25 a.m. on Sundays.
Mountain View is a scent-free, smoke-free facility with wheelchair access and audio enhancement for people with hearing difficulties. Nursery and Sunday School care is provided and everyone is welcome.
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