East End United has chosen “God bless us… EVERYONE!” as its Advent and Christmas theme, a nod to the enduring tale of A Christmas Carol. It’s a sad truth that the story’s themes of indifference toward those living in poverty remain as relevant as ever.

But there’s a stubborn flicker of hope in that story too—the promise that even the hardest hearts can be changed. Literature mirrors scripture with the promise that, with Divine help, we can strive to be better.

181 years since Dickens first penned those words, it can feel like we’ve hardly made a dent in building a world where everyone has enough—not just to get by, but to flourish. And yet, if there’s a will to change things, we can still make it so.

We gather to worship Sundays at 10:30am at our Eastminster Campus & online, and Thursdays at 6:30pm at our Glen Rhodes campus.

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OUR LOCATIONS

GLEN RHODES CAMPUS
(at the East End Food Hub)

1470 Gerrard Street — Coxwell & Gerrard

EASTMINSTER CAMPUS
​(at the Danforth Multifaith Commons)

310 Danforth Avenue — Danforth & Chester

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SUNDAY WORSHIP - DECEMBER 1, 8, 15, 22, 10:30AM
EASTMINSTER CAMPUS & ONLINE
Join the East End United community as we explore what it is to be a people of faith in this beautiful and broken world. With a dedicated choir, heartfelt preaching, and programming for children, you are very welcome to bring the deepest and most authentic parts of who you are to worship. We can't wait to meet you.


THURSDAY WORSHIP - DECEMBER 5, 12, 19, 26, 6:30PM
GLEN RHODES CAMPUS
The Spark​ is an informal and intimate worship service centred around a simple meal of soup and bread.


COOKIE WALK - DECEMBER 1, 11:45AM
EASTMINSTER CAMPUS
Need some treats for entertaining? We have you covered. With homemade cookies baked with love by members of the congregation, there is something for every sweet tooth. Fill a box. You're all set.
8in x 8in x 2.5in for $20.00.  9in x 9in x 2.5in for $25.00.


NEIGHBOURHOOD CAROLLING - DECEMBER 11, 6PM
GLEN RHODES CAMPUS
Join the East End United Choir as we sing our way through the Coxwell & Gerrard neighbourhood, collecting food for Nourish East End.


A CHRISTMAS CAROL - DECEMBER 15, 7PM
EASTMINSTER CAMPUS
The East End United Choir, guest musicians, and special guests present this dramatic reading of Charles Dickens' classic commentary on indifference towards those experiencing poverty and the ever present opportunity for hearts to change. Admission by donation. Tax receipts available for amounts over $20. Doors open at 6:30pm.  Find the event on Facebook here.​


BOOK CLUB - DECEMBER 17, 7PM
EASTMINSTER CAMPUS
We more deeply explore the full work of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
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BLUE CHRISTMAS - DECEMBER 19, 6:30PM
GLEN RHODES CAMPUS
As part of The Spark worship service, we explore the more tender and complicated feelings of grief and loneliness that can take root this time of year. 


CHRISTMAS EVE FAMILY SERVICE - DEC 24, 5:00PM
GLEN RHODES CAMPUS
An early service for children, families, and the young at heart! Come and hear a very old story told in a new way. We even have dinner covered and hope you'll stay for pizza after the service!
 

CHRISTMAS EVE CHOIR SERVICE - DEC 24, 7:30PM
EASTMINSTER CAMPUS
O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining. It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.  With the East End United Choir and the sacrament of Communion (where every single person welcome), this is always one of our most anticipated services of the year.

 
COZY CHRISTMAS EVE WITH REV. BRI-ANNE - DEC 24 10PM
ONLINE
Wear your Christmas jammies or cozy Christmas sweater. Bring your warm beverage of choice. Request your favourite carols.  Along with the Resistance Church online community, Rev. Bri-anne sings us into Christmas during this laidback online service.

WhO IS EAST END UNITED REGIONAL MINISTRY?

We are not all the same.

We come from different backgrounds. Different kinds of families. Different experiences of the world.

However, many of us share some things in common.

We are a community of seekers, with a sense there is something greater than ourselves. We root this spiritual seeking within the story of Jesus:

WE SING OF JESUS,
A JEW,
BORN TO A WOMAN IN POVERTY
IN A TIME OF SOCIAL UPHEAVAL
AND POLITICAL OPPRESSION.
HE KNEW HUMAN JOY AND SORROW.
SO FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS HE
THAT IN HIM PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THE PRESENCE OF GOD AMONG THEM.
WE SING PRAISE TO GOD INCARNATE.
-A SONG OF FAITH (2006), UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA

​We are a community who believes that "love" and "faith" are action words.  We are deeply committed to the welfare of our neighbours, both locally and internationally. All of God's beloveds deserve to be fed, sheltered, honoured, and cared for.

East End United has many outreach programs. Out of the Cold runs Fridays through the winter months, serving hot meals and offering showers and a place to sleep for those experiencing homelessness.  Nourish East End offers a variety of food security programs including our Wednesday food bank and monthly community dinners. We've sponsored dozens of refugee families as they've come to call Canada home and raise money for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank through our Danforth Grow Hope initiative. 

Knowing charity models addressing the needs of underserved communities are often flawed, we also advocate for changing the systems that force people into poverty in the first place.

Last fall, East End United hosted 30 asylum seekers from African countries. They lived in our Eastminster Campus until they were able to find more stable housing. You can read more about our guests in this article from Broadview Magazine.

​We sing of God’s good news lived out,
a church with purpose:
faith nurtured and hearts comforted,
gifts shared for the good of all,
resistance to the forces that exploit and marginalize,
fierce love in the face of violence,
human dignity defended...
We sing of God’s mission.
-A Song of Faith (2006), United Church of Canada

East End United is proud to be recognized as an Affirming Congregation (2S & LGBTQIA+ positive) within the United Church of Canada.   To become recognized, the congregation must go through a rigorous process of studying its practices, policies, and attitudes toward inclusivity – not just about gender and sexuality, but also around racism, ableism, classism, sexism, and many of the other artificial labels that attempt to segregate us one from another and from God.  As a congregation, we’re committed to the P.I.E. Principle: being Public, Intentional, and Explicit about our theology of God’s love and inclusivity of all persons in our community of faith. 

Divine creation does not cease
until all things have found wholeness, union, and integration
with the common ground of all being.
As children of the Timeless One,
our time-bound lives will find completion
in the all-embracing Creator.
In the meantime, we embrace the present,
embodying hope, loving our enemies,
caring for the earth,
choosing life.
-A Song of Faith (2006), United Church of Canada