Regional Council
Shining Waters
1 King st , Toronto ON M9N 1K8
https://Centralwestonuc.ca
Theme or Focus
Everyone is Welcome to the Table
Expected Launch Date

What did you do?

Central United Church celebrated the 100th birthday of the United Church of Canada with three events: 

  1. June 1, 2025: Our table was placed at the entrance to our church before our Sunday Church service. People from the neighbourhood could find balloons, sidewalk chalk, crafts, bubbles, and free coffee and snacks. We spoke to people walking by our church, and we had informative bookmarks to hand out with information about our church. We had an interesting historical display of our church and community from 1925. At the start of church, we carried the table into the church and served communion.
  2. August 24, 2025: Noah’s School Backpack Programme Assembly Day. Using the tables at the church, our volunteers assembled 250 backpacks from donated items. All backpacks were distributed to children who visit WAES—which is a very busy food bank that runs out of the main floor of our church. The children had backpacks and supplies to use on their first day of school.
  3. November 23, 2025: Outdoor table at the entrance to our church. WKNC—our drop-in centre—joined us. It serves more than a hundred people a day on its many tables in the basement of our church—providing food, comfort, socialization, warmth, and services such as showers, washing, computers, personal items, clothes, and clinics with professionals. Just before the Sunday service communion, we carried the table into the church and served communion on our decorated table.

Why did you do it?

We used the table as a symbol of the table of Christ and the communion table. We wanted to send the message that “All Are Welcome at Our Table.” We wanted to incorporate some of our outreach partners such as the WAES food bank and the WKNC drop-in centre in our events. Our church has been serving Weston for 204 years, and been a part of the United Church of Canada for 100 years. Our history and our continued outreach was important to emphasize in our public image. But we also wanted to show our neighbours that we are a vibrant church community and that they are welcome to join us on Sunday mornings. All Are Welcome at Our Table!