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FALL 2024
Uplift Gathering
The 2024 uplift: Audacious Hope conference for youth, young adults and those who lead them, took place July 3–7 at Brock University in Saint Catharine’s, Ont. The event was co-hosted by The Presbyterian Church in Canada and the United Church in Canada, and included over 300 par ticipants.
Throughout the fun-filled week, events took place that included games, music, a dunk tank, so- cializing, and meaningful wor- ship and presentations. Uplift- ing Rendezvous was an activity that offered a fun way to see old friends while building exciting new relationships and memories through play. Early Energy Flow was a morning activity that got everyone pumped up for a day full of workshops and learning throughout the campus. With a variety of topics to choose from, the youth, young adult and leader- ship streams were kept busy as
participants learned new skills and gained useful information, all while making new friends. Late- night snacks, games, dancing and mingling provided everyone with a safe, comfortable space to build relationships.
Each day was filled with learn- ing, fun and worship. The preach- ers at daily worship were Adele Halliday, Anti-Racism and Eq- uity Lead at the United Church of Canada, and the Rev. Mitchell Anderson, lead minister at St. Paul’s United Church in Sas- katoon, Sask. And each night, musicians, actors and worship leaders led worship in many lan- guages and styles.
The uplift community sup- ported Weavers of Hope with a special offering. Weavers of Hope is a project that was born out of the Seminario Evangelico de Teo- logia in Matanzas, Cuba. Over 20 years ago, women from the com- munity gathered at the seminary
to weave and knit with yarn and needles provided by seminary do- nors. Over time, this has provided circles of friendship and much- needed financial resources that assist the women in supporting their families. The uplift commu- nity supported Weavers of Hope through financial donations or gifts of yarn and thread. A vari- ety of beautifully made jewelry, home goods and pieces of art, all handmade, were also available for sale. In total, the community raised $1,041.30 through offer- ings, sold $519 in merchandise, and received many yarn and thread donations. Praise God!
Workshops during the event in- cluded topics such as practicing peacemaking, songwriting and spoken word, global LGBT ad- vocacy, and artistic expressions. The variety of workshops offered was highly praised.
PCC and UCC par ticipants en- joyed each other’s company dur-
ing their final night together, which included grooving to a “silent” dis- co, laser tag and glow-in-the-dark games and activities. Par ticipants scattered the halls with glow sticks and face paint, laughing and sing- ing, making new memories.
One last home huddle took place to wrap up the final day when the Presbyterians were alone as the United Church event was one day shorter. Adele Hal- liday and Mitchell Anderson re- capped on the week’s events, preachings and lessons, pointing out how the week at uplift 2024 was comparable to a picnic,
where everyone slowly came to- gether and brought something to the table and shared their knowl- edge, experiences, love and wis- dom with each other.
Thank you to everyone who helped make uplift 2024 such a success, including guest speak- ers, workshop leaders, volunteers and national office staff. Thank you to all those who shared their skills, knowledge and a help- ing hand throughout the week to make sure participants left happy and hopeful. And until next time, this isn’t goodbye, it’s “I’ll see you again soon.”
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