About Barrie Hill UC

Our Mission

Arising from a deeply rooted faith in God, known to us through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, we, the people of Eramosa Pastoral Charge, celebrate that we are a Christian community striving to share our faith, friendship, fun, music and other talents.

We do this through our unique rural approach to worship, Christian education, stewardship and pastoral care.

Our History

The Barrie Hill congregation has been at the active centre of rural life in these Guelph-Eramosa hills for generations. Founded in the 1830’s, the Barrie Hill congregation has historically been made up of local business persons, farmers, ranchers, labourers and rural-based families for generations.

Latterly, town and urban people have made the active Barrie Hill congregation their destination church.   The beautifully maintained and renovated building has been at the forefront of engaging the local community by being an active space for Christian worship, vital music programs, meaningful outreach, social and service clubs, and in support of local not-for-profit helping agencies.

Our commercial grade kitchen feeds many. Regular seasonal suppers, social events, music events are enjoyed by people of all ages.  Today, town and city folks understand the Barrie Hill congregation and building to be a destination community church for worship, community engagement and social events that have a rural flavour.

As an evolving, active community of faith, the Barrie Hill congregation continues to welcome and serve together with local families and newcomers.  No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome here — to explore your faith, to meet new people, and to strengthen your personal relationship with God.  We are seeking you!

Our Beliefs

The church believes that there are many paths to God. The United Church’s path is through Jesus Christ, however the church also recognizes that Christians’ understanding of this is limited by an incomplete comprehension of God; their belief is that the Holy Spirit is also at work through other non-Christian faiths.  We celebrate and wrestle with Christian faith after the biblical model.

We believe in expressing our faith as service in action – supporting, helping, feeding, funding, speaking out , welcoming newcomers,  and striving always to love our neighbours as ourselves.  We may fall short on occasion, however we keep serving in love, trust and faith.

If you are seeking, come spend some time with us in service and worship. We are seeking you! We welcome those with tons of faith, those with little faith, and those who wonder if they have spirituality and faith at all.

Our Community

We create positive change:  in ourselves, in our communities, in our households of faith in the world.

The Barrie Hill people live their faith by doing – working, volunteering, making wonderful music, barn dancing, cooking, caring, crafting and decorating, supporting, picking stones, planting Canadian Food Grains fields on donated land, welcoming tens of children to a week long, all day, summer camp experience, studying wisdom literature, welcoming the stranger and newcomers.

Whether in community with others or as an individual, we know that active, real hands- on expressions of love, support, justice, and peace are what make a difference.

Embracing peace, love, hard work and understanding that goes beyond individual belief systems and ideologies, we are creators of positive change in people, ourselves, our communities and in the world.

The ways we do it:

1. Worship, inspiration, reflection online and In-Person
2. Action and Service – volunteering and work for justice
3. Community Engagement, connection and care —caring outreach, mutual support, and social and learning groups for adults, youth, families, and children.
4. Celebrations and Rites of passage —weddings, memorials/funerals, baptism, baby blessings, coming-of-age, and child dedications.