Sunday, June 14, 2026 - Inspired, Resilient, Diverse
June 14, 2026
Deborah Laforet
“Inspired, Resilient, Diverse”
Let us pray. May the words from my lips and the meditations of my heart be guided by your
Spirit and be words of wisdom for this day. Amen.
The United Church of Canada’s “Toward 2035” project, a project to discuss strategic directions
and strategies for the next decade, states that communities of faith, if they want to thrive in our current
context, need to be Inspired, Resilient, and Diverse. Is this how you would describe St. Paul’s? As we
go forward, into a new space in the fall, what might it look like to be an inspired community, a
community that is resilient, and one that is diverse?
Let’s paint a picture. Let’s paint a picture of St. Paul’s towards2035. Because I’m the one with
the microphone, you’ll hear a picture that I have designed. It will include some of what we have
discussed as a congregation and at the Board level, but, I invite you to remember that this is only a
preliminary picture and that there is lots of room for conversation, imagination, and Spirit.
In September, we will be doing ministry in a new space. It won’t look like a traditional church.
In fact, we will have to work at making it a space we can call sacred and worshipful, and still be flexible
enough to be used by non-faith groups. In this space, we will worship, hold children’s and youth
programming, have office space, book studies, seminars, workshops, and the occasional dinner or
potluck. Because we are leasing more than 11,000 square feet though, there will be a lot of space not
being used, during large parts of the day.
Now, the Board has already talked about moving away from the church as a rental business. We
don’t see this as a part of our mission and we want to have deeper relationships with the people in our
building. We are more interested in finding partners who will share this space with us. In fact, instead
of a large sign out front advertising St. Paul’s United Church, we might call it, “Speers Road
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Community Hub,” which includes St. Paul’s, Halton Black Voices, and any others who want to join us.
We’ve talked before about moving away from being the centre of the wheel, to being one of many
spokes. It’s possible we might have have a Speers Road Community Hub Board, that includes all the
major partners, who help make the major decisions and discern the direction of this Hub.
With the church name on the lease though, we get to start the process of deciding with whom we
want to partner. The call of the United Church is to Deep Spirituality, Bold Discipleship, and Daring
Justice. Our mission as a community of faith in Oakville is to Connect, Transform, and Engage. Our
Affirming Vision is to create a space where all can belong. All of this can be our guide as we determine
with whom we want to partner.
For example, we have already invited Halton Black Voices to join us. They will be applying for
grants so they can help pay for the space they use. Halton Black Voices is an organization that matches
our values. They are intentionally creating a safe and a brave space for Blacks in our community. What
about a food bank? It could be a good fit, as long as they align with our Affirming values and are open
to all kinds of families and circumstances. If Wesley needed space in Halton, we could enter into
conversation with them, knowing they match with United Church values. With our partners, we might
agree to rent space once in a while. Someone has mentioned that Halton CAS may need space for
meetings. Pflag, which is a volunteer organization, and one with which we have a relationship, doesn’t
have space in Oakville. Might we offer space to them as needed, free of charge? There are lots of
possibilities and opportunities, and being open to conversations and recommendations, and the will of
the Spirit will be very important as we make our way forward.
Imagine a space that is used seven days a week, most days and nights, by our community, a space
people might begin to see as a place that meets the needs of this community - physical, mental,
emotional, and spiritual.
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I said when I started that the United Church believes communities of faith, in order to thrive in
our current context, need to be Inspired, Resilient, and Diverse. Might the space we create be a space
that inspires, where people want to come and join in its mission and be a part of the work? Might this be
a space that can be resilient, weathering the ups and downs of our economy, politics, contextual change?
Might this be a space of diversity, one where all can enter and feel safe, warm, welcomed, and where
they might feel they can belong?
When I see a rainbow flag, when I encounter a progressive flag that further connects with those
who are trans, non-binary, and Black, Brown, and indigenous, I tend to have one of two feelings. I
might feel that this flag has been put up with no awareness of what it truly means to be open to all
people and that it is only a a facade to fool people into thinking it’s a safe space, a tool to make people
think there’s an understanding of what it means to welcome all people. Many corporations and political
figures, and yes, even faith communities, will wave flags, knowing it’s a trend that’s important to their
clients, members, and constituents, and sometimes, it works because people want to believe these spaces
and these people hold values of acceptance and inclusivity. Believe it or not, though, those who really
need these spaces, those who have felt the brunt of discrimination and oppression, can tell when it’s not
genuine. They know if it is only a mask. They can sense hypocrisy.
The other feeling is one of authenticity. You can sense when you walk into a place whether
people really want you there, especially if you are someone used to being given the side eye, or who are
used to having people walk away when they’ve decided you’re just too weird or too difficult to
understand, and who know when people are being artificially polite and friendly. People can also sense
good intentions. They are not looking for perfection. They just need a space that strives
to be aware, that puts their words into actions, and that is, in general, a loving and compassionate space.
In this letter to the Ephesians that we heard today, we hear,
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“I plead with you, then, in the name of our Redeemer, to lead a life worthy of your calling. 2 Treat one
another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness, and patience, 3 doing all you can to preserve the
unity of the Spirit through the peace that binds you together.
We are blessed to be in a world of such diversity. The wonder of creation in its many shades and
varieties is what makes it all so breathtaking. Being a part of a community that also is blessed with
many shades and varieties is also beautiful and breathtaking, and as the writer of this letter states, it is
living in selflessness, gentleness, and patience that brings us together in Spirit and is the peace that binds
us together. In all our diversity, we are also one Body and one Spirit, called to hope, and called to create
God’s kin-dom on earth.
We also heard in this letter,
“Let us then be children no longer, tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine, or
by human trickery, or crafty, deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, let us speak the truth in love, and grow to the
full maturity of Christ, the head. 16 Through Christ, the whole body grows. With the proper functioning
of each member, firmly joined together by each supporting ligament, the body builds itself up in love.”
Speaking the truth in love, growing to the full maturity of Christ, the whole body grows. The
whole body might grow in numbers, but also, and more importantly, in faith and in love. Our faith, and
the love we share, and the guidance of the Spirit is what will guide us as we move toward being an
inspired, resilient, and diverse community of faith, firmly joined together by each supporting ligament,
the body builds itself up in love. How beautiful!
Let us, for the final time, pray together a prayer written for the Towards 2035 project.