Taber United Reformed Church relocating to former Lutheran church

By Heather Cameron
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Taber United Reformed Church will be moving to its new building, the former Peace Lutheran Church at 4619 56 Avenue, starting January 21, 2024.

According to Barry Beukema, pastor of the Taber Reformed United Church, the church currently meets in the old public library at 5219 49th Avenue for meetings and worship services. 

“Our meetings are almost exclusively religious,” said Beukema. “They include our worship services, every Sunday, at 10:30 A.M. and 2:00 P.M., as well as special weekday holidays such as Christmas, New Year’s Eve/Day, Good Friday, Prayer Day, Ascension Day and Thanksgiving. We hold Women’s and Men’s Bible Studies every other Wednesday and Saturday, respectively, with a community Women’s Bible Study on Thursdays, and Sunday school and catechism for children on Sundays and Tuesdays.”

Beukema says that the church wishes to invite members of the community to their New Year’s Eve Service held at 2 p.m. on December 31, 2023; and the New Year’s Day Service will be held on January 1, 2024, at 10 a.m. Further into the new year, Beukema says, there will be a Good Friday service on March 29, 2024 at 10 a.m.; an Ascension Day Service on May 9, 2024 at 7 p.m., and a Thanksgiving Day Service on Monday, October 14, 2024 at 10 a.m.

“Everyone is welcome to attend our weekly worship services, Bible studies and classes, absolutely free of charge,” said Beukema.

Most of the church’s members, Beukema says, are formerly members of the Trinity Reformed Church of Lethbridge (United Reformed Churches in North America) as its daughter church. 

Beukema says that in addition to meetings, the Taber United Reformed Church regularly takes up collections for Lethbridge Pregnancy Care, Lethbridge Streets Alive, Rehoboth Christian Ministries for the handicapped, as well as others nearby. The church, Beukema says, also has an evangelist ministering to inmates in the local correctional centre. Overseas, Beukema says, the church supports and has board members for ‘Word and Deed,’ ‘Reformed Mission Services,’ ‘Come Over and Help’ for the poor of Eastern Europe, Reformation Christian Ministries for Suriname and South America, and Middle East Reformed Fellowship. The church, Beukema says, also has Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies,  and Children and Young Peoples’ Bible classes. The pastor, Beukema says, is also the newly-installed ‘padre’ of the Taber Legion.

“We love and feel privileged to be a part of such a caring and growing community, and we look forward to reaching out to our neighbours with the good news of the only Saviour, Jesus Christ,” said Beukema. “We continue to welcome visitors to our services, whether Muslim, unchurched, or anyone else!”

For more information about the Taber United Reformed Church, visit: https://www.taberurc.com/.