West Hill is a people, a place, and an idea. Growing out of the Christian tradition, we are a community living out a progressive faith, striving to make a positive difference in our own lives, the lives of others, and the world.
Based in Scarborough Ontario, we have supporters as close as our neighbourhood and all over the world. You belong with us! Connect with us in person, on the web, or here. We look forward to the journey with you.
West Hill United -- Church That's Out There
Moved by a reverence for life to pursue justice for all, we inspire one another to seek truth, live fully, care deeply and make a difference.
Want to contribute? Email the webmaster.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at 08:23PM Next Sunday, May 20th our own John King will explore with us the topic of silence in our lives. As a retired teacher John has a life-long interest in history, philosophy and energy therapy. During his time with us he'll share his thoughts and suggestions on how "silence" can be a powerful, non-invasive and interesting " tool " for the journey.
Please plan to join us a we welcome John to our pulpit.
Monday, May 7, 2012 at 04:50PM On Sunday May 13, 2012, we welcome Tash Jeffries to our pulpit at West Hill. Tash is a recently published author and organizational consultant. She says of herself - I am driven by one passion and purpose - to help people live vibrantly, fully self expressed and true to who they are. Please join us as she shares her vision of how each of us as individuals can have a huge and profound impact on the globe.
Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 03:03PM 
Our virtual community is important to us and we want to see it continue to thrive. Here's an opportunity to help.
Are you looking to give back to West Hill? Are you comfortable with technology and social media? West Hill is looking for a volunteer to work with the webmaster to create and post the video and audio podcasts of the “meditations” (aka “sermons”) each week following the service.
Ideally, the volunteer should be comfortable with social media and blogs, be familiar with video and audio editing software, be sensitive to privacy issues, be committed to this very important outreach component of our services, and demonstrate good judgment. The time commitment would be approximately 1 to 1.5 hours a week, perhaps a bit more at the beginning as you become familiar with the responsibilities. If you are intrigued and would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact Dana at webmaster@westhill.net.
Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 02:40PM 
The April/May issue of West Hill's newsletter, The Saltshaker, is now available here. Inside you'll find interesting articles and the scoop on upcoming and past events.
Monday, April 30, 2012 at 09:44AM We are very pleased that Catherine Dunphy will join us on May 6th as our Guest Speaker.
Catherine is a communications professional, a writer and the secretary for the Board of Directors of the Clergy Project - a safe haven for active and former clergy who do not hold the supernatural beliefs of their religious traditions. Catherine will share her thoughts and views with us.
Please plan to join us for what will be a most interesting and inciteful service.
Following the service a light lunch will be available that fits well with the begining of our baseball season.
Monday, April 30, 2012 at 09:38AM The reading on Sunday April 29th, was an adaptation of the psalm of the shepherd, one which has, for generations and generations, offered solace, guidance, and strength to those whose lives are rimmed with mountains of sorrow and fear. It is part of the Christian lectionary and was read before millions of our sisters and brothers in a great Sunday morning wave that sweot around the globe. We, too, are part of that wave and share an adaptation of the psalm, its essence distilled and offered here.
Watch Gretta's reflection on the Psalm. The text of the reading is reproduced below.
A Psalm of Love - an adaptation of the psalm of the shepherd
With love as my guide, I shall not want.
It makes of my days a green pasture;
it leads me to ponder still waters;
it restores my soul.
Love offers me paths that bloom with its truths.
Even though I walk through the darkest valleys,
I fear no ill;
for love is with me;
its presence and strength -- they comfort me.
Love lays a table before me
that I might invite and serve my enemies;
it calms the anxiety of my mind
with the sweet oil of the heart;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall flow from me
all the days of my life,
if I but build each one
with the words of love
my whole life long.
Offered as wisdom for the journey
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 08:35PM 
Signed copies of Amen are now available to order directly from West Hill United Church. Just follow the link for all the details.Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 07:31PM A Walk for Peace, Respect and Friendship is planned for Saturday April 28, 2012 at 2pm in Caledonia, including speeches, a potluck, live music, games, activities and discussions.
For over 200 years, until the 2006 land reclamation or occupation at Douglas Creek Estates, in Caledonia, the Six Nations have pursued settlement of their grievances by conventional means only. For seven generations the Six Nations have waited for the courts or negotiations to work. To no avail.
The Walk for Peace, Respect and Friendship on April 28th, is an opportunity to show support for the Six Nations People by bringing our communities together in a peaceful call for our treaties to be honoured.
Click here for more information and all the details.
Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 10:06PM 49th Shelf is a one of a kind resource for discovering, discussing and indulging Canadian books.
On March 21st they interviewed Gretta on spirituality vs. religion, prayer as a placebo and how to become an agent of change. In the interview you can sample a little of what Gretta has offered in her new book "Amen".
Friday, March 23, 2012 at 03:38PM 
Birth of the Book - A CelebrationOn Sunday April 1, 2012, West Hill is pleased to celebrate with Gretta on the release of her latest book, Amen: What Prayer Can Mean in a World Beyond Belief.
Please join us at 10:30 am, West Hill United Church for a special celebration, book signing and reception.
Purchase a copy of Amen through the West Hill Kiosk and win a gourmet dinner with Gretta.
Pre-order your copy by March 11th by placing a $5 deposit (cost the book is $30, tax included) and you will receive a ballot for the contest and a signed copy of her book at the launch on April 1, 2012.
Closing Date for preorders and contest: Sunday, March 11, 2012
Contest Draw Date: April 1, 2012
Book Price: $30 (inc. tax)
For more information, email the church office or call 416-282-8566.
Prayer is an essential part of the daily lives of many people. Some believe it connects them with God, a cosmic force, the universe or life itself, and that it can change circumstances or bring them comfort, protection and peace. Others engage in the act of prayer as a traditional ritual from which they neither demand nor expect results. Many who pray cannot imagine living without it. For many others, however, prayer has no significance in their lives at all. Having left a practice they once knew or matured without religious intervention or instruction, the idea of praying regularly might be considered by these individuals as nothing more than a waste of time. In Amen, Gretta Vosper, United Church minister and author of the controversial bestseller With or Without God, examines these diverse positions in the light of the harsh realities of unanswered prayer, the secular critique of supernatural intervention and the need for a deep sense of ownership for the suffering in the world. With characteristic honesty, she calls the reader to submit the tradition of prayer to the test of integrity. Can we draw from it useful principles for addressing human and global needs? Or is it safe, and maybe even more effective, to get up from our knees and live out the answers we seek?