Worship
Mental Health Awareness continues
with Guest Speaker David Burke
Our guest speaker today is David Burke. He started teaching Physical Education at WESS in 2004, and moved to Wallacetown the same year. He has been a Guidance Counsellor at WESS since 2011 and started teaching Physics around the same time. At the school, he spends a lot of his time helping kids work through credit attainment, course selection, post secondary planning, and social and emotional struggles. He gets to spend a lot of his time helping develop student leaders at the school and has coached a variety of sports including Volleyball, Soccer, Football, Basketball, and Tennis. He and his wife Kasi currently run the West Elgin Warriors Volleyball club where they coach their two children, Reece and Kara.
Read what David shared with us in the Order of Service, see what all is going on at DUC in the weekly bulletin and in the Announcement Reel.
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Mother's Day & Christian Family Sunday
Have you ever thought of the story of the Prodigal Son from his mother's point of view? As we celebrated Mothers and Christian Families today, Ellen shared with us a monologue of what the Mother of the Prodigal Son may have been thinking.
Read the whole Order of Service and weekly bulletin by clicking on the buttons.
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month
We opened our service with a prayer from The Very Rev. Dr. Richard Bott, Past Moderator, United Church of Canada
We recognize, God of all life, all people, all places; that many of us continue to not understand issues of mental health - our own, and that of others’. For so many broken reasons stigma is placed upon folks living with mental health difficulties, building walls of isolation, rather than the support and love of beloved community; the support and love of radical belonging; the support and love that Jesus exemplified, over and over and over again. Open our hearts, open our arms, open the ways to knowledge and comprehension - that all your beloved children would find safe home, here. Now. Always. We ask this in the name of the One whose hands and heart always reach out, Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
The whole Order of Service and weekly bulletin are published here for you.
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Camping Sunday
Joe Richards joined us for Camping Sunday, bringing his trusty guitar and lots of camp songs.
This year's Camp Theme is "Finding Your People". Joe shared with us how he found his people through camp. Read his message and some updates on Pearce Williams Christian Camp & Retreat Facility in the Order of Service.
Catch up on what is happening at Dunwich UC in our weekly bulletin.
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Earth Sunday 2026
On this Earth Sunday, our Worship Team led us in worship including a skit adapted from one written by Edna Miller, Newtonbrook UC, Toronto, ON, and used with permission, The United Church of Canada. It was s discussion among a Narrator, The Prodigal, Mother Earth, and Sister of Prodigal Daughter.
The story of the Prodigal Son is so familiar to us that we are tempted to think it has nothing to say to us. After all, it was written, or rather spoken, by Jesus 2,000 years ago. IIt may not seem relevant today. But what happens if we substitute Mother Earth in there instead of the forgiving father. In Proverbs 8, our Bible tells us that creation was a co-operative venture of God and Wisdom, also known as Sophia, Gaia, or Mother Earth. So, let’s retell the story with Mother Earth substituted for the father and the prodigal son and brother being played by a prodigal daughter and sister. Mother Earth has two children. The younger one, the Prodigal, represents developed nations like Canada and Europe, the older child is playing the part of developing nations like Nigeria or Columbia. So, to begin our story, the younger one said to her mother . . .
You can read the whole narrative in our Order of Service.
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Recognizing Volunteers
"And when you call for me, I have already answered.
And when you call for me, I am already there."
Where would we be without volunteers?
The Reflection in our Order of Service answers this question.
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Easter Sunday - He IS risen!
He is Lord, He is Lord!
He has risen from the dead and He is Lord.
Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord.
In his message to us today, Rev. Larry shared:
"Jesus is alive, risen from the dead. We have His Word, His assurance that He will always be with and within us, the Spirit residing in our very beings, for perpetual guidance and support."
You can read the whole Order of Service, including Rev. Larry's full message using the button to the left.
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Palm Sunday & Liturgy of the Passion
Rev. Larry led us in worship today at DUC, starting with the Procession of the Palms & Choir singing "Hosanna".
Rev. Larry took time with the children to explain why we wave palm branches in worship today.
And in his message, "From Palms to the Passionate Farewells", Rev. Larry told us he "made a conscious, fairly difficult decision to preach about "Passion Sunday", a very different story from the usual focus on the parade of the palms which joyously opens with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem."
Read Rev. Larry's entire message in the Order of Service.
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Notes from Message by Rev. Therese Samuel
-born and raised in Canada -only one who was “different” in her neighbourhood -learned from an early age that there were people who would treat her differently because of her skin colour -same at seminary, only one of colour -developed a group of friends who supported, made her who she is today
-racism is alive in our society -whether intentional or overt -sometimes hard to notice
-what can we do to eliminate racism? -if you see something, say something but don’t be artificial with intentions
-eliminating racism is too big for humans but not too big for God
-all we want is life and peace
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Rev. Larry led us in worship with this message: I Can See!
You can follow Jesus and attend church regularly, and still be blind to what He's truly doing. But he meets us in our blindness, not with shame, but with . . .
Read the entire Order of Service, including Rev. Larry's Message.
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"Holy God, reveal your presence to us this day as we journey this path with your Son. Through all of life's trials and tribulations your Word sustains us for the journey ahead. Send your Spirit upon us that we might listen, discern, and take heart. Be near us this day and may your Word with us stay and dwell with us forever. Amen"
With these words, Rev. Larry led us through worship on the Third Sunday of Lent and the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
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Second Sunday of Lent, led by Rev. Larry
"In this season of Lent we seek repentance and hope during these forty days of fasting and penance, preparing ourselves to witness once again Jesus’ journey to the cross."
Read Rev. Larry's entire message in the Order of Service.
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First Sunday of Lent.
Dunwich's morning worship was led by
Guest Minister, Rev. Alana Martin.
Scripture passages included Matthew 18:1-5:
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven in which Jesus said,
"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."
We were challenged to explore how we welcome children
into and involve them in our worship.
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Transfiguration Sunday - Led by Rev. Larry
How does light transform our world every day? We should welcome the dawn's new light into our world every day! How do you welcome the arrival of the sun each morning? How do you welcome the Son into your life?
Order of Service is in the button to the left.
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Today’s theme, led by Rev. Larry, is "Light"
Isaiah 9:2 "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned."

Read the whole order of service and check out the weekly bulletin
for what is happening at Dunwich United Church.
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Today’s theme, led by our Worship Team is
Character & Integrity.
It is said that “The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.” The problem is, God knows it all!
The following passage is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi and Lao Tzu
Carefully watch your thoughts,
for they become your words.
Manage and watch your words,
for they will become your actions.
Consider and judge your actions,
for they will become your habits.
Acknowledge and watch your habits,
for they shall become your values.
Understand and embrace your values,
for they become your character.
Concern yourself with your character,
for it becomes your destiny.
Read the whole order of service and check out the weekly bulletin
for what is happening at Dunwich United Church.
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Loving Creator God, we come today from the busyness and the darknesses of our lives, stepping out from the lack of light into the brilliance of your presence, knowing that You are God’s present to us. Open our minds and very essences to realizing that Your radiance and warmth, Your joy and glow are ours for the asking, that Your words serve to bless and guide us, and that Your sacrifice has purchased for us an undeserved boon of God’s Grace. Let our service today, and Your Holy Words, kindle anew the flames within us, to sustain us in the hours and days to come, so that our glow can also be beacon of all that is good in you, to others and to the world. Amen.
This prayer was to be offered in worship this morning but our service was cancelled due to weather. The Order of Service, including the Reflection, is here for you to read.
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"What Are You Looking For?"
For each of us, in each circumstance, it may be something different. But more importantly, focus on your answer to the question. Is it something for your relationship, life, work, as a Canadian, as a Senior, as a congregation, or as a faithful follower of Jesus?
From John 1:38: When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’
They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’
He said to them, ‘Come and see.’
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"It was likely a warm day when Jesus went to the river to be baptized. But it's winter here, so just imagine, for a moment, Jesus trudging through the snow with everyone else, down to the river where John the Baptist is frantically chopping at the ice, trying to break through. He can't, so he finally gives us and uses snow . . ."
These are the opening words of Rev. Larry's Message on the day we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus.
The entire message and order of service are here for you to read at your leisure.
Click on the Order of Service link to the left.
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Happy New Year!
On the Sunday of Epiphany let's join together
and celebrate!
The Magi were drawn to Jesus' birthplace
by a light in the sky.
Many years later, we are here,
drawn to celebrate Jesus in our lives.
We pray for peace in our homes, our communities,
and our world.
The Peace of Christ be with you all.
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On the first Sunday since Christmas we reflect on the idea that Jesus' light is like a porch light. His light is always on for every person who has ever felt lost, alone, or afraid. His light is on for those people who need to find their way home to Him. His light is on for everyone who needs a new beginning. They just have to follow His light, a soft golden glow on a cold night.
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"A Promise of Love:
God is love. Jesus brings God's love to mankind. "
This was Rev. Larry's message to us.
The whole order of service,
including this full message, is here for you to read.
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Arise and celebrate, good news of deep joy is here! The warm glow of the Divine lightens our hearts. Here we are together. We are not alone. We gather on this third Sunday in Advent with gratitude and overflowing generosity, blessed multiple times by our "give-away" God. we are witnesses to JOY!
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Wake up! It's time to get up and get ready!
Get ready? Get ready for what?
Rev. Larry, in his message to us today, encourages to get ready for the coming of our Saviour,
as a baby to be born in humble beginnings,
bringing HOPE to all the world.
And so we wait.
As Advent begins, we await the coming of the Lord.
On this first Sunday of Advent,
know we are people of HOPE.
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Reign of Christ Sunday & 7th Anniversary
Rev. Larry welcomed us all into the midst of this faithful congregation, celebrating its 7th Anniversary of its current unitedness, but also commemorating the decades of members of our predecessor churches, years, and an abundance of faith, service, and following or loving Creator God.
While Dunwich United Church was born in 2011 with the amalgamation of three churches: Chalmers United, St. John's United, and Wallacetown United,
our 7th Anniversary represents our move to our
fully-accessible building in 2018.
We are blessed!
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This Sunday's Service is Children's Sunday, and the message is clear: all children need encouraging words that will build them up, not tear them down. As responsible, faithful people, we need to listen, pay attention, learn, and work towards making things right.
Videos used this week:
Encourage One Another https://youtu.be/SHa51GW5eoo
Power of love https://youtu.be/hNS_D-pw8y4
A Message to Bullies (2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT6hSFAsrhY&list=PPSV
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Videos used in today's service:
Highway of Heroes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsCVlM1CSPU&list=RDIsCVlM1CSPU&start_radio=1
Pittance of Time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kX_3y3u5Uo&list=RD2kX_3y3u5Uo&start_radio=1&t=42s
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Through the generosity of Dunwich UC Church Family, we collected a car-load of warm clothing and other supplies as well as a cash donation of $923.55 all for Grace Cafe. Mike Toth, CEO at Grace Cafe was our guest speaker.
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Rev. Larry offers this Meditation and Prayer
CASA Meditation and Prayer October 16, 2025
‘All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey, I’ve been for a walk, on a winter’s day.’ California Dreamin’ has probably been the last thing on our minds, as we have been living through a seemingly endless summer in recent weeks. But this morning is colder, greyer, and the Blue Jays are flocking to our feeders for food, while we hope that those other ‘Blue Jays’ can pull this series out of the fire. We hope too that our economy and the various conflicts around the world can be brought back from the brink, as is seemingly being done this week in the Middle East with the truce in Gaza and Israel. We pray for all whose lives have been harmed, as they struggle to return to where their homes once were and to rebuild their lives.
The theme of our United Church of Canada Pentecost Worship this year has been enriched with ‘Creation Connections’ that are keeping us ever mindful of our roles as caretakers for this planet, and for all of God’s Good Creation. We may at times feel quite lost in this hectic, rapidly moving society, with an overwhelming daily dose of bad news in the media, which inevitably saturates our conversations and our mindset. On Thanksgiving Sunday I read a children’s version of the story of Noah, the Flood, and the Ark. I described the animals, the boat, and the flood, with its ceaseless rains, but gave only passing notice to why God chose to ‘start over’ with his experiment of humanity, with the glowing, ever repeating rainbow left as the ongoing symbol of God’s promise to never destroy the earth through flooding ever again. Any flooding which is occurring at present is the direct result of human’s interference with nature. I cried when I read yesterday about the current dead state of the world’s coral reefs.
We Christians are people of HOPE. We have already been saved through our deep faith and belief in Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. While we can and do contribute to the many humanitarian efforts in our area and around the world, to buffer and reduce the suffering of others, in every way that a person can suffer, we must always lead with our hearts and minds, fervent prayers, then our hands, feet and pocketbooks.
Let us pray,
Heavenly Creator God,
The birch which I can see from my window,
Stripped now of all but a few tenacious, clinging, yellow leaves
Its white bark already standing, a skeletal, ashen reminder of
The inner strength and resilience which will come to life again,
In another season,
On another day,
Once the frigid, all-consuming blasts and snow of winter have done their best
To bury all of the land with pristine, sparkling, snowflakes,
Each uniquely gorgeous, crystalline and oh, so very temporary.
In so much of our existence we feel, like these frozen flakes,
We too feel temporary, tentative, and transient.
Overwhelmed by the signs of death all around us,
As the leaves lose their chlorophyll, glowing with radiant crimsons,
Yellows, tangerine, amber and auburn,
Fearing the small death that is to come,
An annual ritual or dance,
Forgetting that in the nuts buried by the squirrels, in the seeds that fall
From the dying blossoms and crops,
Therein lie the kernels, the pits, the sources of new life,
Life that will find its genesis in the coming months,
Following a time of stillness and seclusion,
Perhaps some claustrophobia and isolation…
We truly become SAD with the shorter days and the longer nights,
The colder temperatures which slow the world and the snowbanks which
Muffle sounds, the cacophony of this world.
Let us relax into this stillness, this silence, this imposed restraint,
And dream, hope, and prayer for renewal, regrowth, and rebirth,
Centered in the Hope that gives our lives and existence meaning,
Our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour,
The ultimate seed which died on a cut down tree, both cut down
In their prime, but with a deeper, mysterious, purpose,
Which buoys and inspires us all, if we will but listen, think, and believe.
On Sunday, October 5, Wesley-Knox UC in London, hosted an introduction to our
new hymn book Then Let Us Sing.
They included 15 new songs.
Here is a video of the event.
This week's full reflection is
restricted by copyright.
For a complete copy of this week's reflection please email our church secretary at [email protected]
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