A sense of community always shines through

The congregants of the Rivers of Grace were hit by a devastating blow on Feb. 24. Yet, they are hoping that just as the mythological phoenix, who rose from the ashes, they will rebuild and move forward after fire destroyed the community hall of Grace United Church.

Rev. Alex Constable was very clear when we spoke — the congregation is forward thinking and will rebuild.

He is correct, the Grace congregation is all about others, about community and about the future. Their very popular 50/50 Unplugged on the last Sunday of the month has featured music from a variety of local musicians and includes tea, coffee and snacks. Even with their loss the proceeds of these events in the future will go as planned to the Digby Area Food Bank.

My tradition is not United, but I never missed a St. Patrick’s

Day celebration hosted by Grace. Rivers of Grace? Well, in response to declining attendance the United church has responded with amalgamation. That is part of the church history. I will affirm based on the data, that the United Church of Canada is the largest protestant denomination in Canada, The United Church was founded in 1925 as a merger of four Protestant denominations with a total combined membership of about 600,000 members at the time — the Methodist Church, Canada; the Congregational Union of Ontario and Quebec; twothirds of the congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Canada; and the Association of Local Union Churches, a movement predominantly of the Canadian Prairie provinces. The Canadian Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church joined the United Church of Canada on Jan. 1, 1968.

Digby’s Grace was built circa 1840 and the hall that was lost was built in 1890. These historic buildings were so very well maintained. The manse associated with the church has always been focused on community. It was formerly a family resource centre and now is a home for new Canadians who fled horrific circumstances to start new lives in our magnificent country.

The Rivers of Grace will be actively fundraising in the future. After the fire they were holding services in the Digby Heritage Centre, thanks to the generosity of the town. The Digby Fire Department has also offered their space for fundraisers that may take place.

Once again it’s not just about a building, but a community.