UPDATE - The United Church of Canada in Slave Lake, Alberta

The United Church is and will remain a strong presence in Slave Lake through the ministry of St. Peter’s Ecumenical Church. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with St. Peter’s Church and its minister, the Rev. Leigh Sinclair. Please join us in expressing our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to the whole community of Slave Lake following the wildfire that has devastated this community of 7,000 in May. We invite you to include St. Peter’s in the weekly prayers of your faith community. You may now send cards, letters or donations for the congregation directly to St. Peter’s Ecumenical Church at 508 7 Street SE, Slave Lake, Alberta, T0G 2A3. Cheques should be made out to “St. Peter’s Ecumenical Church”.

We continue to support St. Peter’s and the community of Slave Lake as they heal and rebuild, as we work with Rev. Sinclair with appropriate measures and expressions of support and solidarity. Work to complete the new church building has begun again, and people are slowly returning and rebuilding. Rev. Sinclair tells us that progress is being made to enable residents to move ahead.

If you so choose, you can still donate to either the Red Cross www.redcross.ca, The Salvation Army www.ab.salvationarmy.ca, or The Edmonton Emergency Relief Society www.eerss.ca - all of whom have been and are still doing exceptional, ground level work to support all people devastated by this fire.

In the meantime, the agencies linked above are doing outstanding work with individuals, families, and the community in general in Athabasca, Westlock, and the Edmonton area. Please include in your prayers these dedicated, compassionate workers, as well as all those still fighting fires in Alberta.

“We are not alone. Thanks be to God! AMEN.” (from The New Creed)