Step 1 Done; Now Step 2

October 16, 2025

Greetings Friends,

Thank you so much for your work in filling out the first questionnaire and for attending the event following worship on October 5th.

The results from those efforts are in the second questionnaire which we offer you today. We ask that you complete and send/hand them in by October 28th so that the results can be part of the second discernment event on November 2nd following worship. As we did last time, we are offering you a light lunch. Childcare will be provided, and we promise to have you on your way home by 1:00pm.  We had approximately 70 participants at our first event, let's try to increase that number to celebrate how we will share our gifts in the new congregation.

Please check the website for your congregation to hear about more updates from the Vision and Process Teams.

God Bless, Rev. Gary

Please, take a few moments to complete the

Discovering Our Gifts Questionnaire

If you know someone who would like to complete the questionnaire on
paper, then press the button below to download a paper version to print

Exploring Our Values Responses

Follow this link to view feedback from the strengths and challenges identified in the survey.

And follow this link to view hopes and fears identified in the survey

Envision the Future

Sponsored by the Visioning Team

Values Questionnaire

The Visioning Team

A team has been created to develop an understanding of the Forest Hill and Trinity congregations’ vision for the future. They are ready for you to reach out to them so they can hear your comments and answer your questions.

• Jen Spaulding,

• Linda Nelson,

• Bruce Hannah,

• Donna Dechert,

• Katherine Bitzer,

• Mark Breathwaite
  Plus: Lynne Green, Rev. Gary Clark, Bill Cruse

Reach out to Visioning Team

Reach Out to VisioningForm

The Visioning Team, comprised of leadership from Forest Hill United Church and Trinity United Church, would like to invite you to join us in visioning this fall. As we look ahead to calling a new minister next year and as we pursue the possibility of amalgamating two churches into one, your input and participation in crafting a shared vision for our two congregations is crucial.

The first way you can get involved is by completing the first of three questionnaires that will be sent to you over the Fall. This first questionnaire asks you to reflect on and share your thoughts related to what you value about your church experience, past and present. You will also be asked to ponder and share your thoughts and hopes for the future. This online questionnaire should take about 20 minutes to complete and can be done individually and anonymously, or can be completed by a household. If you would prefer to share your responses in person or by phone, reach out to a member of the Visioning team to arrange an opportunity to do so. We ask that all questionnaires be completed by September 30th.

The Team also hopes that you will be able to attend our first of 3 congregational Visioning workshops. The first is planned for Sunday, October 5th after the service. It will be led by Rev. Bill Cruse from the Kaleidoscope Institute, who has been working with the Visioning Team over the last few months. You will be invited to examine the questionnaire responses and participate in small group discussions about the values that are illuminated in the responses. A light lunch and childcare will be provided. We will end the workshop by 1 PM.

The visioning workshop on Sunday, October 5th and the Values questionnaire provide us opportunities to explore and ponder our histories and values together. Your thoughts, ideas and feedback are important and will provide the foundation of a new vision for the future.

Sincerely
The Visioning Team

“Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.”

Amalgamation Teams Photo Directory

The Visioning Team

From left to right:

Jen Spaulding,
Linda Nelson,
Bruce Hannah,
Donna Dechert,
Katherine Bitzer,
Mark Breathwaite

Missing: Lynne Green, Tammy Rowe, Rev. Gary Clark

The Process Team

From left to right:

Scott Davis,
John Fraser,
Ellen Bayton-Walker,
Elaine Struthers

Missing: Rev. Gary Clark

Amalgamation Process Report 1

Progress Update from John Fraser

The Amalgamation Process Team (APT) met twice since the kickoff with Rev Fickling on May 25th.

Key messages for the two Congregations:
a) Diverse skills and experience within APT. We have not identified any significant gaps.
b) Team norms developing (collaboration, use of common language, respect, agendas,
minutes prepared, reviewed and approved, etc.)
c) Recognition within the team that timely communication of consistent messages is important.
 
Communication will be: 
a) pushed
i.  verbal (Minute for Amalgama􀆟on during church services), email (eblasts)

b) pulled
i.  “Amalgama􀆟on Corner” (Fireside Room) and through FHUC and TUC websites

c) two way
i.  we’ll develop a feedback capability on the websites so people can ask questions
ii. Listening Circles in the fall to provide a forum for discussion.
iii. One on one via pastoral care
iv. Phone calls / email into the office

d) Creation of the project 􀆟meline via a “bottoms up” process
a. Review all available sources of information for relevant tasks
b. Supplement with tasks specific to each congregation and the nesting arrangement
c. Allocate each task to a project phase (before the vote, the vote, a er vote and before amalgama on date, post malgama on.
d. For each task, determine what needs to be done, how long it will take and dependencies
e. Build a schedule

e) Some aspects of this amalgamation initiative will be easier than most because    Trinity divested its building and chattels in 2018. The only Trinity employee is Adam Cresswell, and that relationship ends December 31. All other services are provided to Trinity by contractors (Pastoral Care, Webmaster, choral scholars). Some of the “dating awkwardness” has been resolved with the nesting relationship in place since February 2024.
This doesn’t mean It will be easy.

f) WOW Region formally notified that due diligence on a possible amalgamation on is underway.

g) No hurdles identified that require intervention on by Amalgamation Steering or leadership teams within each congregation.

h) Strong commitment to transparency in communication within teams, between teams, with Steering and indeed,
with all stakeholders.

i)  Agreement that while amalgamation is likely and there are some who say ‘Just get on with it” the due diligence process needs to be respected so the congregations vote with eyes wide open.

j) There is a sense of urgency within the team but also recognition that there are several stakeholders (United Church, WOW Region, Canada Revenue, financial institutions, etc.) that may not share the urgency)

k) Rev Gary’s participation in both the Process and Vision teams is useful to facilitate knowledge transfer.

l) Holy Currencies – we keep the concepts in mind during our discussions

m) Technology
a. Set up “Amalgamation Corner” within the FHUC and TUC websites and an intake process for questions
b. Sharepoint site to store documents of record (store once, use everywhere)
c. E-blast will be able to link to documents
d. Consider the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) I to process discussions, Vision sessions, minutes, amalgama on doc to see what insight might emerge. Creating a vision statement and crafting a new name will be a challenge – AI might provide a useful starting point.
 
Questions 
a) While the nesting experience has been positive, how do we encourage more meaningful
conversations between the congregations?
b) Would it be worthwhile to post pictures of Trinity leadership in the foyer?
 
Future meetings 
a) 27 August (Process Team)
b) 3 September (joint meeting with Vision team to review scope and mandates)
c) Joint meeting of Trustees (not yet scheduled)
 
 
 
Relevant sources identified to date 
a) Notes from Rev Fickling kickoff (25 May)
b) WOW – Covenant Commission – Amalgamation – Steps for Beginning Well
c) UCC – Ensuring proper amalgamation of your Church from a compliance perspective
d) UCC – Ensuring proper close out of your Church from a compliance perspective
e) TUCC – Amalgamations and Mergers – last gasp or new ministry?
f) WOW – Proposed Agreement of Amalgamation
g) WOW – Congregational Property Transactions
h) UCC – Manual
i) Trustees Handbook

Start Thinking Amalgamation

The Steering Committee was originally formed, last year, to oversee the Nesting Process. This year, when our two congregations authorized an Amalgamation  Process, the Steering Committee was asked to support the work of the Visioning  Team and the Process Team and to hold both teams to a tight timeline. 

The members of the Steering Committee, the Amalgamation Process and the Visioning Process are listed at the end of this update. Feel free to approach any of them with your input or questions. 

Members of the two processes have each met twice since the initial "kick off" presentation to them on May 25th by Rev. Chris Fickling about his congregation's experience with amalgamation. Both processes or teams are making good progress on defining their role and the scope of their responsibilities. They are planning congregational consultations for the early Fall 2025. In addition, ongoing updates at Sunday services, a bulletin board in the Fireside Room and a website presence are being arranged to keep everyone informed at a more detailed level.

Graham Brown
Chair, Trinity Board

The Steering Committee:

• Rev. Gary Clark,

• Diane Dunseith,

• Rob Steele,

• John Fraser,

• Lynne Green,

• Barb Hill,

• Graham Brown
  

The Amalgamation Process Team:

• Rev. Gary Clark,

• John Fraser,

• Ellen Bayton-Walker,

• Scott Davis,

• Elaine Struthers
  

The Visioning Process Team:

• Rev. Gary Clark, 

• Bruce Hannah,

• Donna Dechert,

• Jen Spaulding,

• Katherine Bitzer,

• Linda Nelson,

• Lynne Green,

• Mark Breathwaite,

• Tammy Rowe