Arriving to perform immediately after appearing in the Goderich Celtic Festival, Avondale United Church is honoured to invite Cape Breton Celtic duo, Rachel Davis and Darren Mcmullen to their performance space for a concert, Monday August 10, at 7PM.  

Rachel and Darren have been working together for over a decade, to bring their Cape Breton inspired Celtic music to life through the use of incredible vocals, fiddling, and guitar and banjo playing. Their debut album entitled “Home.” was released in 2024, and is a testament to their Cape Breton roots, artistry, and longstanding partnership in music; “Home” was also the winner of the 2024 Music Nova Scotia Award. 

This concert is brought to you by Avondale’s Music Series Planning Team in partnership with the Goderich Celtic Roots College and Festival, where Rachel and Darren are both teaching, and performing in the festival.  

Tickets to this not-to-be-missed concert are $20.00, and are available for purchase online via Ticketscene, or through Avondale’s church office. 

The Music Series Planning Team is absolutely elated to host Rachel and Darren on August 10, adding: “We are delighted that Rachel and Darren will be stopping in Stratford to perform, and we cannot wait to hear their award-winning musical stylings.”  

Avondale’s Ham and Strawberry Supper tickets are $25 each. The proceeds from ticket sales go towards Avondale’s ministries. These tickets sell out quickly; be sure to get yours early! 

The dinner will be served at Avondale United Church (194 Avondale Ave. Stratford) from 4:30PM-6:30PM, with take-out orders available for pick-up,  those same times. 

The set menu is as follows: ham, pasta salad, carrot salad, coleslaw, bun, strawberries, ice-cream  (with cake in place of ice cream for takeout orders), Tickets for this not-to miss meal are on sale from: May 20- June 15, in the Avondale Office (519-271-7946), between 9AM-3PM Monday-Thursday

Following the first installment of “Community Conversations: Building Resilience in Children, Youth, and Adults” on March 25, by Zoom, Avondale United Church, Stratford, The Huron-Perth Centre for Children and Youth, The Kiwanis Club of Stratford, and the Canadian Mental Health Association Huron-Perth are back to offer the public another session on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, from 7:30-8:30PM via Zoom. Although this session is a continuation of some concepts learned in the first session, you need not have attended the first session in order to benefit from this one; as well, the featured teachings of the evening will differ from those of the first session.

Please register for this virtual session by scanning the QR code on the poster, or by following the registration link   Please register no later than Monday, June 8, 2026. We look forward to sharing an educational evening on community resilience with you!

On Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 8:30AM-12PM, Avondale United Church will be hosting a Community Food Drive in connection with the Stratford House of Blessing. The Food Drive will take place in Avondale’s back parking lot (please enter off Huntingdon Ave). Non-perishable food items are accepted. The Stratford House of Blessing will not be present on site, however, food donations will be divided between Avondale’s Foodshelf, and The Stratford House of Blessing’s Foodbank respectively. 

If you are looking for a way to contribute to the goals of our local foodbanks, this is an excellent way to join your community, and to give back. Tax receipts will be issued for monetary donations, and pop and hotdogs will be made available by donation. 

Some sought after food items for both foodbanks include: granola bars, cereal, instant coffee, peanut butter,  canned fruits and vegetables, cans of condensed soup, tuna, and pasta sauce. 

We would love to welcome you in supporting this initiative, and would love to connect with you on June 6. 

Sunrise Service 8:30 am in the Scout Garden

Regular Sunday Service 10:00 am in the S

Please join us on Sunday, March 29, here at Avondale, at 5:15PM, for our March community meal!

All are welcome, and the meal is free to the public.

Do you wish to learn more about renowned social work scholar, Dr. Michael Ungar's theories on the "9 Things Every Child Needs to be Resilient?"

Do you wish to discuss how resilience is a helpful tool at all stages of a person's life? If so, please join us on Wednesday, March 25, from 6:30-7:30PM via Zoom, to watch a short video of Dr. Michael Ungar himself, explaining his concepts, a time for group discussion, and finally, a time to speak with licensed mental health professionals.

If this sounds like something you are interested in, please visit the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../reg.../bSH99RKjTWGpQGqQJJVN5A... or scan the QR Code on the poster, by Monday, March 23.

Hope to see you there!

with Stratford Symphony Orchestra & Stratford Concert Choir