‘A friendly and welcoming community of faith’
Rev. Barbara Cairns honoured to be invited to be a part of the worship family at West River United Church
Rev. Barbara Cairns has been enjoying her first few months as the minister at West River United Church in Cornwall.
She joined the congregation in July, and since then she has been meeting and visiting members of the congregation, leading weekly services and supporting a number of groups for all ages, such as the Do Drop In Coffee Time, the Faith Discussion Group, Sunday school and the youth group. In addition, she has participated in several special events such as her covenanting service, the annual Anniversary Sunday service in September and World Food Day Sunday on Oct. 15.
Cairns is also excited about this week’s announcement of Minds in Motion, a partnership between West River United Church and the Alzheimer Society of Prince Edward Island. The weekly fun and family-friendly program combines physical and mentally stimulating activities for people with early- to mid-stage signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and their care partners and connects them with others with the same experiences.
Cairns is pleased to be able to play an active leadership role in the capacity of minister, and all of this activity, she says, has been a great way to get to know people.
One of the first things that I noticed when I began at West River Church was how warm and friendly everyone was,” says Cairns.
“Another thing I noticed was how uplifting the worship is at West River. There is much to be thankful for and so much to celebrate as we give thanks to our gifted musical director, our choir, greeters, tech support and hospitality team. Each week you come together to share your gifts, and this benefits our church in so many ways.”
Cairns, who was ordained as a United Church minister in May 2015, lives in Stratford with her family. She brings more than 10 years of experience working in a variety of settings in the United Church of Canada.
Her bachelor of child and family studies and master of divinity degees have provided her with the skill set to train, run and facilitate a variety of programs, and she is looking forward to working with the folks at the West River Pastoral charge and with other faith communities in the Cornwall area.
“Sharing the good news about God’s love and grace is one of the things that we at West River are doing. We are a friendly and welcoming community of faith and share our love of God with passion, creativity, enthusiasm, integrity and joy,” she said.
“It is a team effort, and I am very grateful to be a part of this team. On behalf of the West River, I want to invite all who are searching, seeking and yearning for a sense of connection and a place to explore their faith.”