Frequently Asked Questions

How has Covid changed your church’s operations?

Sunday worship services are now offered either in-person or online through our You-Tube channel (youtube.com/gracedartmouth). The easiest way to access our You-Tube channel is on our home page or most Sunday’s a link is posted on Facebook. Videos of the past services are available on YouTube.

For our in-person Sunday morning worship services, we provide some pews that are mask only. People have different levels of comfort about Covid, so we ask that you be respectful of other’s comfort.

If you are feeling unwell or have any symptoms of COVID-19, we ask you to stay home and worship online. This is a very challenging time for vulnerable people and we ask that people be mindful of others who may have different risks than themselves.

We no longer pass the collection plate but have it at the back of the church in the centre and people can drop their offering in the plate.

Some of our groups are using Zoom to meet.

Our volunteers continue our mission to feed the hungry through our work at North Dartmouth Outreach Resource Centre (NDORC) Foodbank located at Stairs Memorial United Church and Margaret’s House.

When are services?

Services are 11:00am on Sundays from September to May and from 10:00am from June to August. The service is about one hour long.

In the summer, Grace has a vacation period of about 5 weeks. At that time, St. James United provides pastoral care and the congregation of Grace is invited to join them in worship at 10:00 at the corner of Portland and Prince Albert Streets. The 2024 dates have yet to be announced.

What should I wear?

People who attend at Grace wear a whole range of styles of clothing from suits and dresses to jeans.
We do ask however, that you don’t wear scented products as we have members of our congregation allergic to scent.

Do I have to sit in a specific place?

No, really only the Choir and the minister have assigned seats. Some people may have their favourite spots but unless there is a reserved sign on it, all seats are available for use. We have pews on both the main floor and the balcony (stairs at the Ochterloney Street door and near the bathroom (short hallway off the Upper Hall)). There are some chairs at the back for people who find it hard to sit in the pews, these tend to be quite popular. We ask that if you are sitting in the pews that say “Mask only” you wear a mask.

What about standing, sitting and kneeling?

The quick rule of thumb for standing is usually for the hymns that the congregation sings, the Creed and for the Psalm (responsive reading during Bible readings) if there is one  that day. If there is something special that requires standing, the Minister usually announces it. If you find standing hard, please remain seated. At Grace we sit to listen (sermon, readings, special music that someone plays and sings) and we don’t kneel at Grace. If you find it confusing, just keep an eye on someone near you and follow what they do.

How do I know what is going on?

We sen out an e-mail Order of Service – you can sign-up for this on our website.  There are a few copies of the Order of Service with titles of what’s happening in bold at the back of the Church. When it was the congregation’s turn to read or speak, the text was usually bolded. If the Minister and congregation are to say something together usually you saw “(in unison)” after the title. If the congregation is going to sing something, either the hymn (song) is announced or its title appears on the screen.

We also have parts of the service displayed on the monitors at the front of the Sanctuary. Parts that the Congregation are to read are in the bold print. For singing, you can follow from a hymn book or can read the words displayed on screens at the front of the Church.

Do people say the prayers?

Sometimes. The bulletin may say “in unison” when we say it together or we may take turns. The prayers we have a part in are usually displayed at the screens at the front of the Church (there are printouts on the information stand if it is easier for you to read).

We all say the Lord’s Prayer together. Often the Minister will say something like “we will pray in the words that Jesus taught us” just before we say the Lord’s Prayer together. If you don’t know the words (or want to check the version- we say it with the extra two lines on the end (For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen) it is found in Voices United (red book) number 921 (top of page). Or it is also displayed on the screens at the front of the Church.

How do you do the Psalms (responsive reading during Bible readings) here?

You have the choice of reading the Psalm in Voices United (red book) or reading it from the screen. For Voices United look for the page number on the upper part of the page. The “R” for refrain is a line of song that we sing . At the beginning the Refrain is sung twice (mostly it is the Choir that  does it the first time) then the reading starts. You read the part in bold. When the “R” is reached, we all sing the refrain.

Is it okay to laugh in Church?

Yes, if something is funny, laugh. The Minister feels better when we laugh at his jokes. It is okay to cry too. Sometimes we hear things or are remembering things that make us feel sad.

Is it okay to clap in Church?

Church is changing and people will clap after the Children’s choir sings or the band has played. Sometimes the minister invites us to welcome the “newly confirmed” or “newly baptized” and we clap then. Sometimes we clap while singing.

Do I have to sing at Church?

No you don’t have to. You may feel more comfortable to be standing and have a hymn book open but you don’t have to sing. Sometimes when we are learning a new song, our Choir Director will help teach it to us and have us sing it again.

If I have to leave for something, is it okay?

Yes, someone may check to see that you are feeling okay but if you have to go out because you need to go to the washroom, you are coughing and want a drink, or for some other reason, please do. If you are feeling seriously ill, please get the Minister’s attention.

Where is the nearest washroom?

If you are facing the back of the Church, go through the left door (King Street side), pass the King Street entrance, through the back part of the upper hall to a little hall off it and there are washrooms to the left (one is wheelchair accessible). There are signs.

If you need a drink, the kitchen is to the left of the little hall off the back of the Upper Hall.

If I have a baby what do I do?

Babies are always welcome to sit with you in the pews. You may also choose to use the rocker at the back of the sanctuary or walk with the baby in the space at the back. You should feel free to breastfeed. At any time during the service, you may also choose to stay with your baby in the Nursery area downstairs adjacent to the Sunday School room. There is a live video feed of the service in the Nursery. There is also a quiet room off the Upper Hall with a live feed of the Service.

Do you have children’s programs?

From September to June, the children can gather in the Sunday School room downstairs and then come up to the worship service prior to the Children’s Time or they can remain in their pews until the Children’s Time. After the Children’s Time, they leave for Sunday School in the Lower Hall. Sunday School teachers will be there, but, if you wish, you may join them downstairs and stay with your child. During the summer there are activities for children.

Where or what is the sanctuary?

The sanctuary is the place that we gather for the formal worship service. It is place with the pews (the fastened down benches). It has the pulpit at the front (the lectern at the front that the Minister usually speaks from). 

Where is the Upper Hall?

This is the big room that shares a wall (that drops down) with the sanctuary. If you come in the Church using the entrance on King Street that is near the bus stop you go right in the entry way for the Upper Hall and left for the sanctuary.

Where is the Meeting Room?

This meeting room is off the Upper Hall — last door on the left hand side (farthest away from hallway with bathroom off it).

Where is the Lower Hall?

It is directly underneath the sanctuary. If you are inside the church you can get to it by using the stairs by the Ochterloney Street entrance door (back of the Church, turn towards King Street, go through double doors, down few steps turn a sharp left and there is another door which you can go through and down the steps to the Lower Hall). There is also a set of stairs through the door to the right of the pulpit or through the door at the back left of the Upper Hall. From the outside there is a set of stairs outside off King Street.

Where is the Minister’s Office?

If you are in the sanctuary and facing the pulpit, his Office can be accessed through the two doors to the left of the pulpit. It is off the small hallway - the door with the small window.

Where is the Church Office?

Go in the King Street entrance, up the first couple of stairs and make a sharp right.

When are Office hours?

The office hours are Tuesday to Friday 9am to noon. The phone number is 902-466-3329. You are welcome to drop in. Please use the main doors on King Street. If they are not unlocked use the door bell which is to the right of the door.

You seem to have a lot of doors here. Which ones do I use for what?

For Sunday Worship, we use the doors near the sign on Ochterloney, the double doors on King Street or the King St. ramp door (automatic door opener is on the railing at the beginning of the ramp). The doors at Ochterloney are locked as the service begins for safety reasons but the double doors on King Street remain open.

For events through the week which are in the Upper Hall or the Meeting Room use the double doors on King Street (if they seem
locked or hard to open there is a doorbell to the right). For events in the Lower Hall, use the door at the bottom of the stairs off King Street.

If there is a meeting in the Minister’s Office there is a door on Ochterloney (near the Spa) which may be unlocked for that occasion. If you set up an appointment with the Minister, just ask which door would be the one to use.

See the question below about accessibility, if you need a ramp, etc.

Does the Church have a website or facebook?

Yes, the website is www.gracedartmouth.ca. The facebook site is https://www.facebook.com/gracedartmouth/. We also have a YouTube accounts which also use the gracedartmouth.

How physically accessible is the Church?

There is a ramp entrance by the driveway off King Street. There is an automatic door opener on it, the button is on the rail at the start of the ramp. For security reasons, this is not left on at all times. It is on before the Church service and often for major events in the Upper Hall. If you need this access at other times, you can phone the Church Office to make arrangements to have it open; otherwise someone can go through the regular doors and open the door for you.

On the main floor we have a wheelchair accessible washroom with an adult change table. There are no steps into the main area of the sanctuary or the upper hall, if you come in through the ramp door. The other doors have steps up to the main level.

If you are using a wheelchair and attending the service, it is probably best to be at the back where the chairs are. The floor is slanted towards the front and the aisles have to remain free.

We do not have a lift or an elevator. Access to the Lower Hall, the balcony and rooms off or it are by stairs. For the Minister’s Office, there is one step up. If this is an issue, arrangements can be made to meet Stephen in a part of the Church that is more accessible.

For people with limited sight, some of the steps around the church have been marked with a strip at the edge.

How Accessible is the Service?

There are print offs of the service available at the back of the Church for people who have vision issues. There are hearing assist devices available for the service. Please pick up your hearing assist device when you arrive at the audio-visual booth at the back of the Church.

What is a sacrament?

A sacrament is a formal religious act or ceremony that is sacred as a sign of a spiritual reality. In the United Church, we celebrate two sacraments: communion and baptism.

What is communion?

This is sometimes called the Eucharist or the Commemoration of the Lord’s Supper. It is symbolic of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made that establishes a new relationship between God and God’s people. It is a remembrance of the Last Supper when Jesus took bread and wine and blessed them and said to his disciples that these were his body (bread) and blood (wine).

Do you use wine for communion? 

No, we use grape juice.

I am not confirmed, can I still take communion?

Yes. All we ask is that you love God.

I belong to another denomination, can I still take communion? 

Yes, we believe that there is an “Open Table”. Communion is not open only to those who attend the United Church but to all those who love God.

Can my child take communion? 

At Grace, our children take communion. We leave it up to the parent(s) to decide if a child is ready to take communion.

I am allergic to wheat; will this be a problem for communion? 

Gluten-free bread is provided during communion. The gluten-free bread is either in a paper cup or glass dish to separate it from other bread or is available on a separate plate.

Do we come up to the front to take communion?

Grace does communion in two different styles. The traditional style has the bread and the grape juice delivered to people in their
seats. The people wait to eat or drink together. The “Methodist” style has people come to the front and pick up bread and grape juice from the servers and consume it there. If you cannot move easily to the front, the bread and juice will be delivered to you at your seat.

I would like to get my child or myself baptized, what should I do?

Please speak to Stephen Fram, our Minister. He will want to meet with you.

I would like to get married, what should I do?

Please speak to Stephen Fram, our Minister. Grace likes the couple to make a commitment to attend at least three church services before the wedding and participate in pre-marriage counseling. At least one person of the couple should be baptized.

Do you marry same gender couples?

Grace doesl marry same gender couples. The wedding policy and expectations for the couple are the same as for opposite gender couples

If I would like a visit from the Minister what should I do?

You can either call the Church (466-3329) or fill out the small folder with the picture of Grace on front that is at the end of each pew. Take one of those; fill it out and place it into the collection plate.

If I would like to participate in the service what should I do? 

If you would like to read, contact the Chair of the Worship Committee (see list of contacts or leave a message at the Church Office - 466 -3329. If you would like to join the choir or offer the gift of music, contact Malcolm Bradley, our organist and choir director, (ask at Church or leave a message). You can also contact the Church office to be directed to people who arrange drama, coffee and conversation after the service, and greeters or ambassadors.

I don’t have any money to put in the collection plate, is that okay?

Yes, God understands. We are not passing the collection plate but have it at the back of the Church. Just go pass it.

I have money to put into the collection plate, how much should I put in?

That is always a hard question to answer. What people put in varies according to their circumstances. Please consider that it takes about $250,000 per year to pay staff, heat, lights, run our programs and help in our community here and the world.

I would like a receipt for the money I put in, what should I do? 

There are envelopes in the rack near the King St. door and usually in the back/front cover of Voices United (red hymn book), there is an envelope that you can use to put money in for collection. You can write your name and address on the envelope, and this will be used to mail you a tax receipt. Tax receipts are usually generated early in the year, so you will have yours for income tax time. If you drop off a cheque at the church, make sure that we have your name and address separate from the cheque - put it on an envelope that the cheque is on. You can also use e-transfer (gracefuds70@gmail.com) and put your name and address in the message section.

I come on a regular basis. Should I get envelopes or something for offering?

We have two options.

1. You can ask for envelopes (by calling the or by filling in the small folder at the end of the pew and placing it in the collection plate) and a set will be provided. Money or cheques made out to “Grace United” can be put on the envelope. Please indicated how you would like the money divided to local church expenses, to the National Church Mission and Service Fund and/or for the building Fund. If you have other special donations that can be written in Other.
   

2. The other option is PAR — Pre-authorized remittance (giving). Arrangements can be made to have a certain amount withdrawn from your bank account every month. If circumstances change, you can change the amount. If you arrange to use PAR, but feel uncomfortable not putting something in the collection plate on Sunday, we offer Pre-Authorized Remittance cards for your use. These are found in a little box on the stand at the back of the church (to the left and above the Visitors’ Book). You can take one of those and put it into the collection plate. PAR helps the church manage its budget as your offering comes in every month. To go on PAR , there is information on the small folder with the picture of Grace in the front that is at the end of each pew. Take one of those, fill it out and place it into the collection plate. There is also information about PAR at the information stand at the back of the sanctuary. Martin Walker is our Envelope Secretary so you can discuss how to set up PAR with him. Leave a message at the church office for Martin.