This webpage is for the people of the Toronto Conference for story sharing and networking. |
AN INVITATION TO VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR THE PEOPLE OF Written by John Lee for the congregations of the Toronto Conference, November, 2002
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Greetings! |
To make each
individual and congregation ‘look good’, I have planned many things. The first step is to provide a space to share
our stories and to build a trusting network among pastoral charges within the Conference.
I anticipate that this will initially
take the form of sharing the good news of individuals or congregations. Sharing our pains and problems is important as
well, however, it is more challenging until trusting relationships have been
built. But if we can humble ourselves,
this will be possible much earlier than we expect. I am certain that sharing our stories will
enhance linkages with other congregations, and will eventually allow us to feel
that we are genuinely of one body. The website I
have developed for the Conference is www.uccpeople.com,
which will act as one of a few ‘satellite’ websites within the Conference. I encourage everyone to visit this new website
that is devoted entirely to the life of the Church in Toronto Conference. It includes listings of events, opinions and
discussion, stories, related links and so much more. I welcome individuals who would like to contribute
their effort and time to further developing the site by providing editing or technical
support assistance. I also welcome those
who are willing and able to take over either whole or partial responsibility for
preserving the spirit of this website: providing a space to share our stories
and develop a trusting network. One of
the big jobs envisioned in this project would to create omnibus websites to
link all 260 pastoral charges within the whole Conference. To develop a website
for your church involves a series of preparatory steps, a few months of planning
time and a budget of several hundred dollars. Registration of a domain name and selecting an
economical and reliable server requires some practical experience and technical
knowledge. I want to help churches in
facilitating this complicated process and will assist in the initial development
of web pages (2-3 pages) for each congregation within the www.uccpeople.com website. It will help churches test out the need for a
website, while providing a concrete shape and enabling their future plans. It will also allow congregations to briefly
introduce themselves. One of the
benefits we can have through this service is to enhance the speed of developing
websites, as well as making connections to any pastoral charges at a glance, with
just one click. One of the
frequent comments I have received is, “There are not many in my congregation who
have a computer and will enjoy having such a website.” In spite of this, the primary purpose of a
website would be to let people know ‘who we are’. In this era of new communication, a website
seems to be the minimum required service provided by a church. The technical work can be performed almost entirely
by volunteers now waiting to help make this happen. Such innovation does not seek to exclude those
who do not utilize computers, but to help churches and its members cope with
the changing world and ensure connectedness as an additional way for the church’s
whole mission to be actualized in and for the world. I hope we
will get to know each other more deeply with fresh new stories and ideas, as
well as our shared histories. It is my
hope that we connect not only through stories but also through actual encounters
as a result of communication through the internet. I hope we can lift up our hidden treasures, unique
gifts and wisdom in our diverse communities of faith. I hope we can share ourselves and learn from
each other as we laugh and share pain together. This, I believe, will only be the beginning of
a celebration of life as we say to each other, “You are beautiful!” Peace and
Joy! Rev. John
Young-Jung Lee President, |
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