Worship Services at Fairlawn Avenue United are on Sunday mornings at 10:30am in our sanctuary, with Minister the Rev. Dr. Cameron Watts; Associate Minister Rev. Jean Ward; Eleanor Daley, Director of Music; and the Fairlawn Avenue Senior Choir. If you’d like to revisit any of our online worship services, please visit our website worship page or YouTube channel.

Plan on staying for coffee after the service on St. Patrick's Day, Sunday March 17. Doug MacNaughton will offer a Coffee Hour Concert (the first of what we hope will be more) featuring Celtic Music (of course!).  

Join Rob Metcalf for this 10-week series of Tai Chi Monday afternoons at 3:15pm to 4:30pm, January 8 - March 18. (Please note – there is NO CLASS on Monday, February 19 - Family Day ). To register or for information, please contact Rob at . This gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance.  Tai chi is often described as “meditation in motion,” but it might well be called “medication in motion.” There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. You don’t need to subscribe to or learn much about tai chi’s roots in Chinese philosophy to enjoy its health benefits, but these concepts can help make sense of its approach: Qi — an energy force thought to flow through the body; tai chi is said to unblock and encourage the proper flow of qi. Yin and yang — opposing elements thought to make up the universe that need to be kept in harmony. Tai chi is said to promote this balance.

UPDATE:  Gathering on Tuesday, December 17, 2024 has been CANCELLED. The next gathering is Tuesday, January 21, 2025. We have 2 women’s spirituality groups where women meet monthly to contemplate life’s questions and support each other. Women’s Spirituality Group II meet monthly on the third Tuesday (September - June) from 1:00pm – 2:30pm in the chapel. If interested, please reach out to Sue Ennis at:

Quarterly online meeting of Fairlawn’s Governing Council. Governing Council is the body of volunteers elected by the Congregation to ensure that the Fairlawn Forward Mission expressed by the congregation is fulfilled in diverse and effective ways , and that the operations of Fairlawn Avenue United Church are carried out responsibly and in support of that Mission.  The full Governing Council meet approximately four times per year.

Online Tuesday evenings 7:30pm - 9:00pm March 5, 12, 19 & 26 REGISTRATION REQUIRED We will be using material from the book “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen” by David Brooks, as well as several video interviews with the author and of course our own lived experience. His book is a practical, heartfelt guide to the art of truly knowing another person in order to foster deeper connections at home, at work, and throughout our lives. It is not necessary to have read the book but I know several of you have already read it and can assure you that it is well worth getting a copy. I provide weekly material to read, questions to ponder and always some poetry as well to help us in our conversation. As David Brooks observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.” And yet we humans don’t do this well. All around us are people who feel invisible, unseen, misunderstood. In How to Know a Person, Brooks sets out to help us do better, posing questions that are essential for all of us: If you want to know a person, what kind of attention should you cast on them? What kind of conversations should you have? What parts of a person’s story should you pay attention to? Come and join us in what promises to be a lively conversation about the importance of good questions, heart felt listening and the value of being truly known.

Participate in Fairlawn's Field Trip to the ROM's  "Death : Life's Greatest Mystery" special exhibit on Wednesday March 20. The plan for the morning is to meet at the entrance of the ROM at 10:00am, then proceed to the self guided exhibit as a group. Approximately one hour would be a good amount of time to explore, before we head to the ROM Druxy's Cafe where we will find a space to chat and have, no doubt, a lively discussion.

October 2024 -> Please note the Prayer Shawl Ministry is meeting in October off-schedule on Tuesday, October 22 at 1:30pm in-person and off-site.  For details, please contact Jan Schlee at The Prayer Shawl Ministry knitters meet the third Wednesday of every month (September - June) at 1:00pm to 2:00pm online to knit and chat. Prayer shawls are offered to Fairlawn members, family and friends in need of support and comfort, or to celebrate a special occasion. The knitters work on their own time on these cozy, warm shawls that serve as a tangible reminder that one is not alone. Please contact Jan Schlee at  if you would like to participate in this Ministry or if you know of someone who would appreciate receiving a shawl.

In-person Wednesday afternoons 2:00pm - 3:30pm March 6, 13, 20 & 27 REGISTRATION REQUIRED We will be using material from the book “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen” by David Brooks, as well as several video interviews with the author and of course our own lived experience. His book is a practical, heartfelt guide to the art of truly knowing another person in order to foster deeper connections at home, at work, and throughout our lives. It is not necessary to have read the book but I know several of you have already read it and can assure you that it is well worth getting a copy. I provide weekly material to read, questions to ponder and always some poetry as well to help us in our conversation. As David Brooks observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.” And yet we humans don’t do this well. All around us are people who feel invisible, unseen, misunderstood. In How to Know a Person, Brooks sets out to help us do better, posing questions that are essential for all of us: If you want to know a person, what kind of attention should you cast on them? What kind of conversations should you have? What parts of a person’s story should you pay attention to? Come and join us in what promises to be a lively conversation about the importance of good questions, heart felt listening and the value of being truly known.

Volunteers gather weekly on Wednesdays from 2:00pm - 4:00 to sort the donations of books received.  This volunteering opportunity includes lifting and moving of books. If you would like to volunteer for the Book Sale, please reach out to co-ordinators Tom & Kathy Salisbury at .

There has been a change of schedule starting November 2024 - the Explore Spirituality (ES) Council will meet online on the fourth Tuesday of each month (November - June) from 4:00pm - 5:00pm.  If you have any questions or would like to be involved in this ministry, please reach out to Rev. Dr. Cameron Watts via email to:  or . Please note - there will be no meeting in December 2024.

Our pastoral visitation ministry provides support and compassion for those who may occasionally experience difficulty in their lives and supports our senior members when they can no longer regularly attend church. We send cards and flowers and keep them connected to Fairlawn through phone calls and personal visits. If you have any questions or would like to be involved in this ministry, please contact Kathy Salisbury or Elaine Pitts at .

Wednesdays at 7:30 pm, we gather online for Christian Meditation. In the summer months, we will meet monthly:                        July 3, 2024                        August 7, 2024                        September 4, 2024 This group is open to anyone who is interested in Meditation at any level, or are curious. All are welcome. Please email moderator, Patrick Sullivan, at  to receive the Zoom login details.

The Senior Choir of Fairlawn Avenue United Church is an auditioned group of approximately 35 members, including an 8-member professional core. The Seniors sing every Sunday from September through June at the 10:30am worship service, and are responsible for an introit, two anthems and all other service music. The Senior Choir practice weekly on Thursday evenings at 7:15pm – 9:00pm in the Sanctuary.