Advent and Christmas Calendar 2025
Calendar Join us this winter season as we work through a justice-focused Advent and Christmas calendar, created by Rev. Lauren Sanders, Spiritual Care Manager (Prairie Band Potawatomi/mshkodéni bodewadminwen, Kickapoo Nation of Kansas/kiikaapoa, African American/Black). Together, we’ll learn about the Doctrine of Discovery and the harmful influence and impact it has had and continues to have […]
Advent Bible Study Series: Part 5
As part of the FIRST UNITED Advent and Christmas Calendar, Rev. Lauren Sanders, Spiritual Care Manager, has prepared a five-part Bible study series. The short Bible studies are to meant offer ways to engage in group or individually. The Canaanite Woman Said What She Said. The story of the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21–28 offers […]
Advent Bible Study Series: Part 4
As part of the FIRST UNITED Advent and Christmas Calendar, Rev. Lauren Sanders, Spiritual Care Manager, has prepared a five-part Bible study series. The short Bible studies are to meant offer ways to engage in group or individually. David’s Land Conquests The stories of King David’s military victories in the Hebrew Bible have long been […]
Advent Bible Study Series: Part 3
As part of the FIRST UNITED Advent and Christmas Calendar, Rev. Lauren Sanders, Spiritual Care Manager, has prepared a five-part Bible study series. The short Bible studies are to meant offer ways to engage in group or individually. Joshua’s Curious Narrative How do we make sense of the contradictions of total conquest by the Israelites […]
Advent Bible Study Series: Part 2
As part of the FIRST UNITED Advent and Christmas Calendar, Rev. Lauren Sanders, Spiritual Care Manager, has prepared a five-part Bible study series. The short Bible studies are to meant offer ways to engage in group or individually. Torah & the Promised Land What does it mean to be promised land that other people live, […]
Advent Bible Study Series: Part 1
As part of the FIRST UNITED Advent and Christmas Calendar, Rev. Lauren Sanders, Spiritual Care Manager, has prepared a five-part Bible study series. The short Bible studies are to meant offer ways to engage in group or individually. Dominion or Protect: Genesis 1:26 and 2:15 What does it mean to be made in the image […]
Advent and Christmas Calendar 2024
Calendar This winter season, you’re invited to join us for justice-focused Advent & Christmas. The Spiritual Care team has put together an Advent & Christmas Calendar, focused on Indigenous Housing Justice. Together, we’ll learn how racism, colonization, and housing systems in Vancouver/the unceded and ancestral lands of the Xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) contribute to […]
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2024
Rev. Lauren Sanders, Indigenous Spiritual Care Chaplain, has written a blog in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Rev. Sanders shares about the truth-telling and truth-listening aspects of truth and reconciliation, and how art—one of the key forms of communication—requires everyone to be a truth-listener. Art is storytelling, and art is one of […]
Decolonizing Philanthropy: Feedback for the City
“There’s no limits to what could happen with the money,” said a City Councillor recently. Oh goodness, don’t we know it. The City is exploring the idea of selling naming rights of parks and public spaces to corporations in an effort to reduce a $500 million infrastructure deficit. In a world where we’re constantly bombarded […]
National Indigenous People’s Day 2024
June 21 marks National Indigenous People’s Day, when we celebrate the history and culture of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people across Canada. To mark the day, we’ve compiled a number of resources and activities to get involved with to celebrate and for you to advance your own learning about Indigenous people. Events Reading FIRST […]