Kansas Oklahoma Conference
 United Church of Christ
 
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 e-NEWS 

          Week of June 14, 2010

 
 
In This Issue
K-O PRAYER CALENDAR
UCC PRAYER CALENDAR
ICM VISITATION SCHEDULE
COMING EVENTS
R.Y.E. 2010
CLERGY RETREAT
SPIRIT OF ART
TIS THE SEASON
ANNUAL REPORTS DUE
MAYFLOWER MAKES NEWS
KO WOMEN
LGBT COALITION
CHURCHES IN TRANSITION
 K-O Conference Prayer Calendar
 
Faith UCC, Wichita, KS - Pastor Nancy Phipps & Congregation
 
First Salem UCC, Wichita, KS - Pastor John Werner
 
Pilgrim Congregational, Wichita, KS - Rev. Ruth Bradshaw & Congregation
 
Interim Conference Minister Visitation Schedule 
   
July 1-2   Clergy Retreat, White Memorial Camp
July 16-18  Regional Youth Event, Park University, Kansas City, MO
 KO Conference and Associations Coming Events
 
Here is the link to the KO Conference Calender 
 
June 24    KO  Clergy Study Group -- Mayflower UCC, Oklahoma City  10:00 - 12:00
 
July 1 - 2   Clergy Retreat at White Memorial Camp - see details below
 
July 1           Registration deadline to the RYE 2010   
 
July 1        Deadline to submit resolutions to the conference council that
                 you want to be presented to the KO Conference Annual Meeting.
 
July 9-10   KO Conference Council meeting & retreat @ White Camp
Regional Youth Event 2010 
 Registrations are being accepted until July 1,2010
 
Regional Youth Event 2010 @ Park University in Parkville, MO

July 14th-18th
Agape: God's Love For Us All


. Don't miss this amazing opportunity to connect with UCC youth from all over the region!  Registration costs for K-O attendees is only $150.
 Scholarships are available if that poses a financial hardship.

Don't miss this life-changing opportunity! More information is available at www.rye2010.com. Registration forms and scholarship forms are available on the K-O website also.  

CLERGY RETREAT
 
Kansas-Oklahoma Conference clergy are invited to come for an overnight retreat at CampWhite near Council Grove, KS. 
 
The theme is "Parables and the Arts" and will be lead by our interim conference minister, Krista Betz.  There will be time for:
  • Scripture study of the parables,
  • Creative expressions of these lessons (drama, sculpture, drawing, and paper crafts),
  • Conversations among peers that nurture and support local ministry,
  • Experiences in God's creation (walks, boat rides, canoeing, swimming, & a camp fire)
 
The retreat begins at 1pm on Thursday, July 1 and ends at 4pm on Friday, July 2.  Cost is $50.
 
Registration forms are available from kbetz@kocucc.com or you can register online at http://www.whitememorialcamp.com/
 
 
SPIRIT OF ART CLASS - Topeka, KS
 
Hi all Adventurers....(and wanna be adventurers!!)...

I'm back from Germany with some new creative ideas I found for the Spirit of Art Experience.  Hope you can join in the next class series (even if you haven't been able to join yet!).  The next 4 classes will start on Thursday, June 24 at 1:00 and last until 3:30.

As always, all the materials are furnished and there is no experience required!  The experience enhances the creative flow for experienced artists, yet is easy to do for those without any experience...really!  Besides the fun everyone is having, participants are reporting that they have a feeling of calm after even the first class...and it lasts for days!  

Here's the line-up for this 4 class series:

June 24 -- Introduction to movement and the 
free-flow creative process with a group Floor Mandala Project. 

July 1 -- Play with polymer clay (Sculpey Clay)...We'll even bake  your creations so you can take them home.  A 3 dimensional
experience working in the luscious energy... 

No Class July 8 -- We'll miss this week (I'm leading a Summer Camp!)

July 15 -- Collage from magazines and colorful  papers and anything else you think seems interesting.  

You'll be amazed at what you can create in the energy! 

July 22 -- Wet Clay experience...remember finger painting? Be prepared to get really messy!  A very tactile way to feel the energy and nurture creative flow!

Here's more info on the Spirit of Art Experience.....
Plan to join in the fun and wonderment of the Spirit of Art Experience...participants are telling me they "feel noticeably more peaceful as a result of doing these classes...even from the very first one!"  

Enjoy summer by playing and creating....and watch  what all of that does for your sense of well-being...and how it creates the flow for what we want in the rest of our lives!  
 
We'll start by moving in flow to calming, energizing music.  You will be able to easily move in a way uniquely yours for what your body needs.  This is an ancient movement form similar to Tai Chi and with this movement, we will be building creative energy sometimes called "chi" which will also be amplified by amazing sounds from crystal singing bowls. Once we've dissolved the stresses of the
day and  have connected to creative flow, we'll dive into a fun, creative project. 
 
You don't need art experience to do any of these....or, if you do have art experience, be willing to just go with the flow and see what NEW things you might experience.  I'll teach you how to use the materials and then, just a willingness to explore is all you need. 
 
Think of this as the best thing you've done for yourself in a long time....you'll end up looking forward to the class....the fun....and the inspired feeling you'll have when each class is complete...and experience Spirit unfolding through Art.....
 
CLASS TIME
1:00 to 3:30 ish

Fee:  If you pay by the class, the fee is $25 per class,  Pay for all four classes 
up front -- guarantee your space each week -- and receive a discount!...only $85 (fee would be $100 if you paid by the class!)  The class is designed as a series. The more you attend, the stronger your energy becomes and the more peaceful you will feel. Class sizes are very limited and will  be held at my home studio in Southwest Topeka.
 
Your creativity is waiting for YOU...act quickly!! 

Looking forward to serving you in your creative unfolding...
 
 Jancy Pettit
 785-608-6738 Local Topeka Number
 
TIS THE SEASON
Tis the season for Mission Trips and Vacation Bible Schools.  Won't you think about sharing your good news stories with the rest of the Conference?  Just send a photo or two and a short story about what happened, who was involved and how you saw God in that time and place for submission to the weekly email.  We'd love to see and hear about these important ministries that are happening in the conference.  Submit articles to kofocus@yahoo.com.
REMINDER:  ANNUAL REPORTS DUE 
 A reminder to the chairs of all the Commissions, Committees, Task Forces of the Conference:  annual reports are due July 1.  Please email your reports to jvincent@kocucc.com. 
  
Mayflower Makes the News 

Spring/Summer UCAN News    featuring " A Benefit Concert And Healing Prayer Worship Service for HIV+ Haitians" hosted by the Mayflower Congregational UCC, Ok. City.   
Trinity United Christian Church Youth in Worship
 
Youth and adult sponsors, having returned from the first of several week-long mission trips planned this summer to the Tennyson Center for Children at the Colorado Christian Home in Denver, CO, presented the message and assisted during worship at Trinity United Christian Church in Cheney, KS on Sunday, June 13, 2010. 
 
God's abundant love, friendship and time for fellowship and play are shared with the abused children of all ages that are served by the Colorado Christian Home.  Rev. Pat Nixon,TUCC pastor, coordinates and participates in the mission trips

TUCC Youth
 
KO WOMEN   
 
FALL  ASSEMBLY
  
White Memorial Camp
 SEPTEMBER 9-10-11, 2010.
   
 
Registration forms are posted here.
 
 
                Elaine Blanchard: Storyteller, Retreat Leader
                                    and Public Speaker

 
Remember when we sat on the porch in the evenings and talked about our day? Remember when the kids caught fireflies on the front lawn and we watched the stars come out over our heads while we told stories and laughed at ourselves? We developed a sense of community on the porch and in our swing. We learned to trust each other as we let go of the day's light and relaxed into the night.

Elaine Blanchard's stories take us to that place where we can trust ourselves and each other again.  
 
You won't want to miss this.
 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 Bible Study (for Women or any group)
  

 "Journeys Through REVELATION:  Apocalyptic HOPE for Today" by Rev. Dr. Barbara Rossing
   
Also available: 
  
"JOSHUA: A Journey of Faith" by Mary Mikhael;
 
"Jubilee!  LUKE's Gospel for the Poor" by Dale Lindsay Morgan.
 

Order from:  UCC Resources  1-800-537-3394
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
 
 
 
Believe Out Loud Power Summit  October 9-11, 2010 Orlando, FL
 The UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns in partnership with the UCC Health and Wholeness Advocacy Office are writing to share about an exciting advanced leadership training opportunity and to ask for your help and support.   The advanced training called the Believe Out Loud Power Summit will gather around 500 leaders and will focus on living into the values of extravagant welcome known in the United Church of Christ as Open and Affirming (ONA).  It will take place October 9-11, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel in Orlando , Florida .  
 
The curriculum of the training program will address such questions as, "How can I be a helpful resource to local churches with their ONA process?" "We're ONA, now what?" and "What are we going to do about the LGBT related measure on the ballot in the next election?"  
  
 -----CHURCHES IN TRANSITION-----
Cathedral of Hope, Oklahoma City, OK  
Congregational UCC, Carrier, OK. Gordon Epps is supply.  
Community Congregational UCC, Gaylord, KS. Rev. Linda Kemp is interim pastor.
Fairmount UCC, Wichita, KS   
Federated Church, Kingfisher, OK. Rev. Sam Steele is interim pastor.  
First Congregational UCC, Anthony, KS
First Congregational UCC, Great Bend, KS. Rev. Stan Crawford is interim pastor.
First Congregational UCC, Goltry, OKRev. Jane Ho has resigned, her last worship service is 7/4/2010
First United Church of Christ, Newton, KS.  Jerry Scribner is supply pastor.
Norman UCC, Norman, OK.  Rev. Warren Jensen is interim pastor.
St. Paul UCC, Eudora, KS Rev. Greg Hurd is supply pastor
United Church of the Good Shepherd, Kansas City, KS.   Rev. Art Foster is supply.
 
Rev. Krista Betz, Interim Conference Minister
Kansas-Oklahoma Conference 
1245 Fabrique                                         
Wichita, KS 67218
800-880-6466
Nancy A. Wolfe, Conference Communications Coordinator
3020 SE Virgo Ave
Topeka, KS  66605
785-806-4580
 
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