Ministries
Weddings
Ryerson is a beautiful and popular venue for weddings. The traditional sanctuary can accommodate up to 500 people. Perhaps more important than the physical beauty however is our warm welcome, including couples who are combining faith traditions and same sex couples.
The act of committing to a life time together is a sacred moment and in order to ensure a service that honours the joy and blessings of relationships with each other and with God we require the participation of either our ministry staff or a minister of the United Church to preside at weddings.
For wedding information please contact our Marriage Ministry co-ordinator
Betty Jarvis 604-266-4468 at least two months prior to your wedding.
Funerals
Ryerson offers a place of solace and support for grieving families. Our ministry and music staff take great care in preparing with you a service which will, with honour and honesty, assist you to say good bye to the one who has died. Memorial services can be held in both the sanctuary and the chapel. Receptions after the service can be held in the Memorial Centre which can host groups of up to 250. Two smaller lounges, the Library, and the Fireside Centre, can accommodate 40 and 60 people, respectively. Church volunteers are often available to prepare the space for a reception and to make tea, coffee and set out food supplied by the families.
For information about the facility, please contact Jean Roan (604) 266-5377 jean.roan@telus.net
Baptism, Confirmation and Transfer of Membership
We believe that God loves all God’s children; baptism is not a prerequisite for the love and grace of God to be active in the person’s life. The act of baptism celebrates the child (or adult’s!) entry into Christian community. As part of that celebration the congregation commits to support the one being baptized throughout their life. For this reason we ask that those families seeking baptism have an intention to worship with us, or with another Christian community, so that there is integrity in the vows made. Services are held at various times throughout the year. Please contact the ministry staff for information.
Counselling
Please contact the Ministers: Debra Bowman debra.bowman@telus.net, Lori Megley-Best lori.megley-best@telus.net or Brian Thorpe brian.thorpe@telus.net
Study Groups and Discussion
One of the ways we can worship God is with our minds – through active engagement with our faith and the holy, through study of Scripture and other ways in which the holy is made known (movies, books, current global concerns). Opportunities for study and discussion happen throughout the year. Please contact ministry staff (link) or see our "Getting Involved" page for more info.