Greenwood Living Faith Story
January 2022
“God’s Creation is our Inspiration”
As you’ll read in our history, we are a uniting community of faith. Our story includes multiple amalgamations over our sixty-year history.
We are a community of city and rural folks. We attract people from all corners of the Peterborough area to worship, work, and celebrate together.
We are a gathering of mostly older folk and a few wonderful children who are open to new ideas and share some simple common core values. We have an abundance of elders with life experiences and stories of how our faith has made a difference.
We are a small congregation with a strong lay leadership.
The Greenwood Church building is located on a-2 acre lot on the eastern fringe of Peterborough.
In Peterborough County, and the Douro-Dummer Township, the church is located just beyond Parkhill and Television Roads, at 737 Donwood Drive, off the Warsaw Road about 2 km east of the Trent Canal.
At this time, we are blessed to have two compassionate ministers, Rev. Allan Smith-Reeve who was called to Greenwood in 2016, and our appointed volunteer associate minister Rev. Bill Peacock who served the Fairview congregation for over 30 years prior to his retirement.
The ministry of music is an integral part of our Sunday services. We love to sing, led by our small and spirited choir. Visiting choristers often join us for popular cantatas to
mark the start of the Advent season and the Easter season.
We acknowledge the importance of Jesus’ Healing Ministry and have been offering healing during services. A certified healer uses Hands on Healing, (a recognized technique throughout Christian churches), on our members who want this ministry.
We have three worship teams, and Licensed Lay Worship Leaders that plan and deliver services when our ministers are unavailable. These teams meet with the minister as need arises.
Greenwood has supported the creation of the Bedford House Community Ministry from its start in 2015 both financially and as board members. The Bridges Peterborough project, a joint venture of Greenwood and Bedford House, is a grassroots group of ordinary citizens who are passionate about challenging the prevailing ways of addressing poverty. The Bridging Team model is a result.
Bridging Teams create social networks across economic lines, improve attitudes, open social and economic doors, and change the conversation about poverty and privilege. Meeting weekly, using a simple recipe of food, fun and storytelling in a safe learning environment, facilitated small groups foster a sense of belonging and support for individual growth and social change. For more information go to http://bridgespeterborough.ca.
Rev. Allan has also taken on an important role with the National Church's “Guaranteed Livable Income Network”. Churches across Canada join a growing call for a livable income for all – replacing the patchwork of inadequate social assistance that leaves so many trapped in poverty.
In 2014, as part of the amalgamation process with St. Matthew's, the congregation embraced a new focus and a new name. Taking inspiration from The Green Church Program offered by the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism, “Greenwood” has focused on adopting environmentally aware practices as well as rediscovering an eco-spirituality from the Christian and other faith traditions.
Our motto “God's Creation is our Inspiration” was adopted to represent this new vision.
As a result of this green focus, we have transformed our large lawn into a pollinator garden in support of our beehives, tended by our beekeeping team. This beautiful sacred garden offers solace to our church family, neighbourhood children and dog-walkers. The bees produce wonderful honey each year that is enjoyed by all. When possible, services have been held outside in God's creation.
Our leadership has led us to be welcoming to our members and visitors, tolerant of change and to embrace new ways of doing things.
We value inclusiveness and are educating ourselves about how to best welcome people regardless of age, race, class, gender, sexual orientation or physical ability.
The building is wheelchair accessible and has an elevator to provide access to the lower hall and washrooms which are gender neutral.
Communion is served to all adults and young people regardless of denomination or age. We have an open table and welcome all to share in this sacrament.
Baptisms, weddings and Celebrations of Life are also an important part of our community of faith and are open to all people.
Our congregation is a strong supporter of the Mission and Service Fund, usually surpassing our goal.
We have supported the Kawartha Food Share program, Y.E.S. (Youth Emergency Services), Green Up, One City, the Anglican/United Refugee Alliance, Bridges
Peterborough, Cameron House, and the Brock Mission. A hospital in Zimbabwe has, since 2004, been supported by individuals within the congregation.
The congregation also supports a prayer group, a learn to play bridge group, a book club, a pastoral care team and regular volunteers who keep in contact with parishioners without computer access.
A newsletter is produced three times annually, to keep all involved with the news of the church.
During the pandemic our ministry has embraced the new technology of zoom, which has kept most congregants worshipping together during this unprecedented time.
We support the work of the wider church and encourage members who wish to journey into ministry.
Our core values and practices:
Eco-spirituality: The Divine Feminine, the Sacred diversity of all life, the place of humanity in the circle of life, the integrity of “All our Relations”.
Inclusivity: We are learning together how to include people from all walks of life and how to truly provide a warm welcoming and safe environment for everyone.
We open our eyes to the systemic racism and prejudices of
our heritage – and seek to learn from diverse worldviews of culture, class, and abilities.
Shared Ministry: Feeding and caring for our flock is a shared effort. Our part-time,
professional, clergy serves to support the shared leadership in worship, education,
and pastoral care.
Eco-stewardship: The way we care for our building, property, and financial investments
are an expression of our Care for the Earth.
Lightheartedness: “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly”. We love to laugh,
sing, and share our food, celebrations, and sorrows together. Worship is inclusive and
participatory.
Our vision: The 2022 agenda includes a renewed visioning process
We are joyfully excited about entering into a new chapter in our story. We find that not only are we financially stable, but we have an abundance of funds to share with partners in our local and global eco-systems.
Our partnerships are with organizations who share our core values and practices. We recognize that we cannot achieve our vision ourselves. We recognize that God’s Spirit is at work not only through the Christian church, but also through the work of so many individuals, organizations, and faith communities.
In November 2021, Greenwood's Official Board approved a motion to create a Task Team to develop an outreach policy.
The Outreach Task Team has identified five priority areas for outreach consideration. These groups are Indigenous, Global, Community and Environment that focus on our hand-up partnership approach to social justice, while the fifth group, Charity, fulfills our commitment to helping those in most urgent need.
At this exciting new juncture of being a congregation of abundance we look to how our present decisions will serve generations to come.
Our History:
Local families in the Donwood neighbourhood identified the need for a community church. Land for a new church building in Donwood was donated by Mr. Stan Wood.
The original congregation of Donwood United was formed in September of 1962. The first service was held September 2, 1962. The constitutional service of the new congregation was held on March 31, 1963.
Plans were made and in June 1964 the sod was turned. The first service in the new sanctuary was held on December 20, 1964 and the official opening and dedication followed on March 21st, 1965.
In July 1963, Donwood joined with Coldsprings and Stewart Hall to form the Peterborough Suburban Pastoral Charge. Coldsprings and Stewart Hall joined together to become St. Matthew's United Church.
This congregation decided to build a modern sanctuary. On October 29, 1967 the sod was turned and the first service was held on June 9, 1968. The proximity to a fast-growing area was the deciding factor in the choice of the church's location. In March 1985 the Peterborough Suburban Charge became known as St. Matthews- Donwood Pastoral Charge. The St. Matthews congregation enjoyed many years of worship and service to the south eastern fringes of the Peterborough community. This pastoral charge called Ministers to serve their two congregations for several decades until the two congregations amalgamated in 2014.
Fairview United, located among farmlands north of Peterborough, was built in 1872 on land donated by Mr. John Robinson. Prior to that, the congregation worshipped in people's homes or in a log school house which stood south of where the church was built. From 1855 to 1892 it was known as Robinson's Wesleyan Methodist Church. It was on a circuit including Young's Point, Lakefield, Selwyn and Bridgenorth. The name Fairview was chosen, in 1892, because the church had such a fair view. Much later, in 1968 the Christian Education building was erected beside it.
Fairview amalgamated with Greenwood United Church in February, 2019. As with many small rural congregations, the membership had aged and dwindled after decades of faithful service.
Many friendships were formed among St. Matthew, Fairview and Donwood members through such activities as the Donwood players, congregational dinners and joint summer services.
Church dinners provided the congregation with an “all hands on deck” opportunity to work together and serve meals to the people of the church and community.
The Greenwood congregation enjoys its small, well maintained church building. The sanctuary has a beautiful tapestry on the front wall, designed by fabric artist Friedel and crafted by the church women and men, which was completed in April 1981 in time for the Easter service. The chancel was renovated in 2012 and 2013.
Overall, we view ourselves as a nurturing congregation dedicated to living faithfully and being God's hands and heart in our community and beyond.
Written by members Darla Peacock, Mary Kay and Kathleen Whyte.
January 2022
“God’s Creation is our Inspiration”
As you’ll read in our history, we are a uniting community of faith. Our story includes multiple amalgamations over our sixty-year history.
We are a community of city and rural folks. We attract people from all corners of the Peterborough area to worship, work, and celebrate together.
We are a gathering of mostly older folk and a few wonderful children who are open to new ideas and share some simple common core values. We have an abundance of elders with life experiences and stories of how our faith has made a difference.
We are a small congregation with a strong lay leadership.
The Greenwood Church building is located on a-2 acre lot on the eastern fringe of Peterborough.
In Peterborough County, and the Douro-Dummer Township, the church is located just beyond Parkhill and Television Roads, at 737 Donwood Drive, off the Warsaw Road about 2 km east of the Trent Canal.
At this time, we are blessed to have two compassionate ministers, Rev. Allan Smith-Reeve who was called to Greenwood in 2016, and our appointed volunteer associate minister Rev. Bill Peacock who served the Fairview congregation for over 30 years prior to his retirement.
The ministry of music is an integral part of our Sunday services. We love to sing, led by our small and spirited choir. Visiting choristers often join us for popular cantatas to
mark the start of the Advent season and the Easter season.
We acknowledge the importance of Jesus’ Healing Ministry and have been offering healing during services. A certified healer uses Hands on Healing, (a recognized technique throughout Christian churches), on our members who want this ministry.
We have three worship teams, and Licensed Lay Worship Leaders that plan and deliver services when our ministers are unavailable. These teams meet with the minister as need arises.
Greenwood has supported the creation of the Bedford House Community Ministry from its start in 2015 both financially and as board members. The Bridges Peterborough project, a joint venture of Greenwood and Bedford House, is a grassroots group of ordinary citizens who are passionate about challenging the prevailing ways of addressing poverty. The Bridging Team model is a result.
Bridging Teams create social networks across economic lines, improve attitudes, open social and economic doors, and change the conversation about poverty and privilege. Meeting weekly, using a simple recipe of food, fun and storytelling in a safe learning environment, facilitated small groups foster a sense of belonging and support for individual growth and social change. For more information go to http://bridgespeterborough.ca.
Rev. Allan has also taken on an important role with the National Church's “Guaranteed Livable Income Network”. Churches across Canada join a growing call for a livable income for all – replacing the patchwork of inadequate social assistance that leaves so many trapped in poverty.
In 2014, as part of the amalgamation process with St. Matthew's, the congregation embraced a new focus and a new name. Taking inspiration from The Green Church Program offered by the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism, “Greenwood” has focused on adopting environmentally aware practices as well as rediscovering an eco-spirituality from the Christian and other faith traditions.
Our motto “God's Creation is our Inspiration” was adopted to represent this new vision.
As a result of this green focus, we have transformed our large lawn into a pollinator garden in support of our beehives, tended by our beekeeping team. This beautiful sacred garden offers solace to our church family, neighbourhood children and dog-walkers. The bees produce wonderful honey each year that is enjoyed by all. When possible, services have been held outside in God's creation.
Our leadership has led us to be welcoming to our members and visitors, tolerant of change and to embrace new ways of doing things.
We value inclusiveness and are educating ourselves about how to best welcome people regardless of age, race, class, gender, sexual orientation or physical ability.
The building is wheelchair accessible and has an elevator to provide access to the lower hall and washrooms which are gender neutral.
Communion is served to all adults and young people regardless of denomination or age. We have an open table and welcome all to share in this sacrament.
Baptisms, weddings and Celebrations of Life are also an important part of our community of faith and are open to all people.
Our congregation is a strong supporter of the Mission and Service Fund, usually surpassing our goal.
We have supported the Kawartha Food Share program, Y.E.S. (Youth Emergency Services), Green Up, One City, the Anglican/United Refugee Alliance, Bridges
Peterborough, Cameron House, and the Brock Mission. A hospital in Zimbabwe has, since 2004, been supported by individuals within the congregation.
The congregation also supports a prayer group, a learn to play bridge group, a book club, a pastoral care team and regular volunteers who keep in contact with parishioners without computer access.
A newsletter is produced three times annually, to keep all involved with the news of the church.
During the pandemic our ministry has embraced the new technology of zoom, which has kept most congregants worshipping together during this unprecedented time.
We support the work of the wider church and encourage members who wish to journey into ministry.
Our core values and practices:
Eco-spirituality: The Divine Feminine, the Sacred diversity of all life, the place of humanity in the circle of life, the integrity of “All our Relations”.
Inclusivity: We are learning together how to include people from all walks of life and how to truly provide a warm welcoming and safe environment for everyone.
We open our eyes to the systemic racism and prejudices of
our heritage – and seek to learn from diverse worldviews of culture, class, and abilities.
Shared Ministry: Feeding and caring for our flock is a shared effort. Our part-time,
professional, clergy serves to support the shared leadership in worship, education,
and pastoral care.
Eco-stewardship: The way we care for our building, property, and financial investments
are an expression of our Care for the Earth.
Lightheartedness: “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly”. We love to laugh,
sing, and share our food, celebrations, and sorrows together. Worship is inclusive and
participatory.
Our vision: The 2022 agenda includes a renewed visioning process
We are joyfully excited about entering into a new chapter in our story. We find that not only are we financially stable, but we have an abundance of funds to share with partners in our local and global eco-systems.
Our partnerships are with organizations who share our core values and practices. We recognize that we cannot achieve our vision ourselves. We recognize that God’s Spirit is at work not only through the Christian church, but also through the work of so many individuals, organizations, and faith communities.
In November 2021, Greenwood's Official Board approved a motion to create a Task Team to develop an outreach policy.
The Outreach Task Team has identified five priority areas for outreach consideration. These groups are Indigenous, Global, Community and Environment that focus on our hand-up partnership approach to social justice, while the fifth group, Charity, fulfills our commitment to helping those in most urgent need.
At this exciting new juncture of being a congregation of abundance we look to how our present decisions will serve generations to come.
Our History:
Local families in the Donwood neighbourhood identified the need for a community church. Land for a new church building in Donwood was donated by Mr. Stan Wood.
The original congregation of Donwood United was formed in September of 1962. The first service was held September 2, 1962. The constitutional service of the new congregation was held on March 31, 1963.
Plans were made and in June 1964 the sod was turned. The first service in the new sanctuary was held on December 20, 1964 and the official opening and dedication followed on March 21st, 1965.
In July 1963, Donwood joined with Coldsprings and Stewart Hall to form the Peterborough Suburban Pastoral Charge. Coldsprings and Stewart Hall joined together to become St. Matthew's United Church.
This congregation decided to build a modern sanctuary. On October 29, 1967 the sod was turned and the first service was held on June 9, 1968. The proximity to a fast-growing area was the deciding factor in the choice of the church's location. In March 1985 the Peterborough Suburban Charge became known as St. Matthews- Donwood Pastoral Charge. The St. Matthews congregation enjoyed many years of worship and service to the south eastern fringes of the Peterborough community. This pastoral charge called Ministers to serve their two congregations for several decades until the two congregations amalgamated in 2014.
Fairview United, located among farmlands north of Peterborough, was built in 1872 on land donated by Mr. John Robinson. Prior to that, the congregation worshipped in people's homes or in a log school house which stood south of where the church was built. From 1855 to 1892 it was known as Robinson's Wesleyan Methodist Church. It was on a circuit including Young's Point, Lakefield, Selwyn and Bridgenorth. The name Fairview was chosen, in 1892, because the church had such a fair view. Much later, in 1968 the Christian Education building was erected beside it.
Fairview amalgamated with Greenwood United Church in February, 2019. As with many small rural congregations, the membership had aged and dwindled after decades of faithful service.
Many friendships were formed among St. Matthew, Fairview and Donwood members through such activities as the Donwood players, congregational dinners and joint summer services.
Church dinners provided the congregation with an “all hands on deck” opportunity to work together and serve meals to the people of the church and community.
The Greenwood congregation enjoys its small, well maintained church building. The sanctuary has a beautiful tapestry on the front wall, designed by fabric artist Friedel and crafted by the church women and men, which was completed in April 1981 in time for the Easter service. The chancel was renovated in 2012 and 2013.
Overall, we view ourselves as a nurturing congregation dedicated to living faithfully and being God's hands and heart in our community and beyond.
Written by members Darla Peacock, Mary Kay and Kathleen Whyte.