History of Kanata United Church
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Kanata United Church (KUC) was constituted on Sunday May 7, 1967, with 77 Charter members, in the new planned bedroom community of Beaverbrook in March Township. We met for 20 years in the local community centre and schools before deciding to develop our own church building as a physical presence and resource in the community. Our building at 33 Leacock Drive was dedicated on February 8, 1987. We have made our building available to many outside groups and improved its accessibility (handicapped entry door and washroom, enhanced sound system). We now acknowledge that we gather on unceded Algonquin territory and give thanks for the First peoples who lived and loved this land before us.
We have been open to a variety of Worship styles and experiences over the years. Throughout the years, our adult choir as well as our youngest voices in the Sounds of Joy and our Intermediate choir inspire us with song. We have a tradition of putting on biblical musicals and Christmas pageants and benefit from having a KUC band. Our love of music led us to welcome the donation of a grand piano (1989) and to purchase a pipe organ (1995).
From its beginning, lay volunteers have provided leadership for our children in Sunday School, for youth groups and, earlier in our church life, for mid-week groups. Growth and a busy congregation led us to call a second Minister for Christian Education and Community Development in 2000. Today our second half-time Minister nourishes our children in Kidsown on Sunday mornings and supports a variety of youth related initiatives.
As community, we support and nurture each other through pastoral care in our times of distress, anxiety and grief. We have dedicated the stain glass window, Spring, to the memory of our children.
KUC has been a place to explore, question and learn about faith and spirituality. We hosted six Ministerial interns on their faith journey in the 1980s and 1990s. We have a long-standing Bible study group and have organized lectures, retreats and book studies. We work to create relations with other faith communities and to find our way towards truth and reconciliation with our Indigenous peoples. We are open to new ways to explore our spirituality.
From its earliest days, KUC has been active in reaching out to support the wider church and meet local needs. We helped set up a Kanata branch of Amnesty International, volunteered for many years at the Mission downtown, supported local food cupboards, long term care facilities, Tablet to Table monthly lunches, many are involved in the local refugee sponsorship group and many other ministries. We have organized Habitat for Humanity trips and supported our young people on GO and ECHO Projects of social action. Several of our major fundraisers have become community outreach events, such as our annual Book Fair; flea market and mushroom compost sale. Our space is available for rental and supports many community events. During the COVID-19 pandemic, KUC embraced online worship which continues as an option for many today.