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KANSAS-OKLAHOMA CONFERENCE

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 

 

 

                 

 

 

Look who else has a new sign... 

 

 UC of Norman

 

One of our new church starts, United Church of Norman UCC in Norman, OK, has a new sign outside of its shared ministry/worship site. It welcomes people to worship with them on Sunday mornings at 11:15am. The congregation knows that the church is not a building but is a people, and hope the photo tells that story.

 

  

 

 

 

By: Teresa Zaffiro, Development Coordinator, Ecumenical Christian Ministries at the University of Kansas

 

As the May 24th deadline for our Mabee Foundation Capital Campaign matching grant draws near, both excitement and nerves buzz in the EMC office.   

 

We are currently just under $8,000 away from making our fundraising goal for our Ministry of the Hearth Capital Campaign.

 

 

This building, which is on the local, state and national register of historic places is worthy of our care. With the funds raised from the Capital Campaign we will be able to do efficiency projects (already we have reduced our heating costs by almost $1,000 a month compared t0 2010 costs) renovate the student community housing (Koinonia) and work on ADA compliancy, along with many other projects.  This building has been a constant gathering place for social justice in our community and we are proud and excited to be able to care for this special place.

 

We are so appreciative of everyone who has supported us both financially and with their enthusiasm for the ECM.

 

If you can help us make this final stretch, send your contributions to the ECM office (1204 Oread, Lawrence, KS 66044 c/o Development Coordinator) before May 24!

 

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to celebrating with you when we have achieved this goal that has been two long years in the making!

 

 

 PULPIT SUPPLY LIST

 

 PULPIT SUPPLY LIST

From time to time churches are in need of a pastor to come and lead worship on a temporary basis.  It might be because the regular pastor is on vacation or sabbatical or it could be that the congregation is in-between pastors and awaiting their interim to arrive.  In any case, the conference minister often receives phone calls or requests for a list of names that the congregation can telephone.  To that end, Krista Betz is creating a list of persons who would be willing to receive a phone call and possibly lead worship in our Kansas-Oklahoma Conference churches from time to time.  The list will include only authorized ministers in good standing in the United Church of Christ or persons in good standing in one of our partner/formula of agreement denominations.  If you are such a person and would like to be included in the list, please email Krista at [email protected].  Let her know your name, email, phone number, town in which you reside, how many miles you would be willing to drive from there, and where your authorization for ministry/standing is held.  Thanks!!

 
  

 

 

From a Mustard Seed:

Enlivening Worship and Music in the Small Church

Tuesday, May 31, 2011, 07:00pm - 08:00pm

Small congregations can, and should, have beautiful worship! In From a Mustard Seed, a new webinar based on the book of the same name, an experienced pastor-professor and an experienced church musician will provide a model for faithful and excellent worship in congregations that average 75 or fewer people in weekly worship. This interactive webinar will offer a vision, spiritual practices and practical guidance for transforming your congregation's worship. Participants will reflect on the theology of worship and ways to enliven diverse styles of music in corporate worship. While the limitations of small congregations are obvious to their members and leaders, the possibilities for creative music and worship are often greater than we can imagine!

 

 

This webinar will begin at 7 p.m. EASTERN time and run for one hour.

 

PLEASE NOTE: All participants must have a unique login. Shortly after registering, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to obtain yours.

 

For questions, please contact Gregg Carlson at [email protected] This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Registration is $14.99 per person.
 

Click here to register!

 

 

 

28th GENERAL SYNOD

  
 

      

Planning on joining us?

      

CLERGY BOOK STUDY GROUP FORMING
 

All pastors are invited to join their colleagues in a new book study group that is forming. It's a bit loose right now, but we are hoping to gain more shape as time goes on. There are lots of great books out there to read and we hope to encourage each other to stay current on a variety of topics.

 

We have to start somewhere so the first book that we are reading is The Great Emergence by Phyllis Tickle-for a tease about the book check out http://www.thegreatemergence.com/ . Right now Ruth Bradshaw and Krista Betz have committed to meet May 19, June 2 and June 16 from 10:30am to 12noon at the Conference Office in Wichita in order to discuss the book.

 

Any of our clergy colleagues are invited to join us. If the distance is too much for you, we'd encourage you to either read the book on your own or start up a book study group in your area. It would be great if we could get several of these groups going across the conference so that even if we aren't all in the same room, we are still all studying and reflecting on the same material. If you have any questions, contact Krista at [email protected] or 316-686-4331.

 

 Healthy Congregations Workshop - June 11, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zion United Church of Christ in Junction City invites you to join us for a "Healthy Congregations" Workshop on Saturday, June 11, 2011.  A brochure with all the information can be downloaded here.  The deadline for registration is June 1, 2011.

 

Directions to the church are provided below.

From east of Junction City:

Take I-70 west and turn off at Exit 295.
Turn north/right (onto Highway 77) at the stop sign.
Then turn left at the second light, which is McFarland.
Turn left immediately into the parking lot of Zion United Church of Christ,
which is on the corner of Highway 77 & McFarland.

From west of Junction City:

Take I-70 east and turn off at Exit 295.
Turn north/left (onto Highway 77) at the stop sign.
Then turn left at the second light, which is McFarland.
Turn left immediately into the parking lot of Zion United Church of Christ,
which is on the corner of Highway 77 & McFarland.  
 

 

We hope you will join us.


In God's Shalom,
The Rev. Dr. Patty Brown-Barnett
Interim Pastor
Zion U.C.C.
Junction City, KS 66441

  

      BIBLE STUDY MATERIALS for UCC WOMEN:


submitted by

JoAnn Chance,

KOWF Communications

 


 

BIBLE STUDY MATERIALS for UCC WOMEN:

 

The HORIZONS Ecumenical Bible Study

for 2011-2012 is entitled:

"Confessing the BEATITUDES"

by Rev. Margaret Aymer,

which will focus on specific scriptures in Matthew and Luke, plus

others in Psalm, James and Romans, and help us learn together

what it means to speak the truth about who God is calling us to be.

 

The Bible Study is the "Spring Edition" of the subscription or

"partnership" in  "UCC Women in Mission Partners" -

part of our covenantal partnership with UCC women's ministries,

being UCC women together and supporting the missions,

leadership development opportunities, and ministries of

UCCWM.

 

Electronic individual subscriptions are $24.00.

Printed paper copies individual subscriptions are $34.00

 

Each "parnership" gives a person a copy of each of the

COMMON LOT  Quarterly publications...

a Summer edition, Fall edition, and the Winter edition

(which shares the "Women's Week" materials), and then

the Spring edition IS the large Ecumenical Bible Study

(materials written in a format to provide 9 Lessons, plus

"suggestions for leaders" for each lesson and some

additional materials).

 

Subscriptions (which should be requested soon, so that

the Bible Study for 2011-12 can be sent in the coming weeks)

can be secured by sending checks to:

   UCC WM       (UCC Women in Mission)

   and sent to:

   UCC WM

   Attn: Financial Services

   700 Prospect Ave E

   Cleveland, OH  44115-1100.

 

The study materials look to be very user-friendly and

interesting, so hope you will enjoy using them as well

as reading and sharing the COMMON LOT quarterly

materials.

 

 

 

 Reports from K-O Reps. on National Committees

 
 Jane Tedder - UCC Executive Council
Sean Weston - UCC Local Church Ministries
Leslie Penrose - UCC Justice & Witness Ministries

.  

 

ASSOCIATIONS AND CONFERENCE COMING EVENTS

Link to

the K-0

Calendar 

May 14 - K-O Conference Council Meeting, Conf. Office  10:30AM

Prayer Requests from our K-O Family

Lord, hear our prayers.

 

 

 

 

 

Rev. Robert Kasper, 93, retired UCC pastor,  passed away May 6, 2011.  Services will be held Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at Plymouth UCC, Lawrence with family visitation at 10:00AM until the service begins at 11:00AM.  Please keep his wife Shirley and the rest of the family in your prayers. 

 

Please hold our K-O Office Associate Judy Vincent and her husband, Richard, in your prayers. Richard will be having heart bypass surgery on May 10, 2011.  If you would like to send a card of well wishes or prayers of support, send to their home at 1101 E Marion Road, Wichita, KS 67216.

 

Also, Judy will be in and out of the office as she provides care to Richard during this time, so please be patient with her in terms of returning phone calls and emails. If there is something that needs urgent attention, please contact Krista Betz at 316-686-4331 or [email protected].

K-O PRAYER CALENDAR
 

 

 

 

 

 

St. John's UCC- Baldwin City, KS~~Rev. Lewis Hinshaw, Interim & Congregation

Pilgrim Community - Leavenworth, KS ~~Rev. Elizabeth Nicks & Congregation

Mr. Kel Penny, Campus Ministry - East Central University, Ada, OK
UCC CALENDAR OF PRAYER
 

 UCC PRAYER CALENDAR FOR MAY 2011

K-O INTERIM CONFERENCE MINISTER'S SCHEDULE
 

 

May 15  Zion UCC, Kansas City, KS for the service of farewell for Rev. Kevin Olsen

 

May 22 Midland UCC, Nickerson, KS for the service of farewell/retirement of Rev. Bob Smith

 

May 29  First Congregational UCC, McPherson, KS

 

 

Krista would be happy to visit your congregation.  Call her  at 316-686-4331 to schedule a date.

K-O CHURCHES IN TRANSITION
 

 

Cathedral of Hope, Oklahoma City, OK  Rev. Joe Meinhart is interim pastor
 
Church of the Good Shepherd, Kansas City, KS 
Rev. Art Foster is serving as stated supply

Congregational UCC, Carrier, OK   Rev. Gordon Epps is interim pastor 
 
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, Centralia, KS 
Pastor Scott Caulley is supply pastor.
 

First Congregational UCC, Great Bend, KS 
Rev. Stan Crawford is interim pastor.
 

First Congregational UCC, Goltry, OK 
 
First Congregational UCC, McPherson, KS 
Rev. Constance Lunn is interim pastor
 

First Congregational UCC, Onaga, KS  
Pastor Scott Caulley is supply pastor. 
 

Highland Trinity UCC, Newton, KS 
Rev. Bill Hickerson is supply pastor

Immanuel UCC, Ellinwood, KS

Midland Community UCC, Nickerson, KS  Rev. Bob Smith has announced his retirement.  His last Sunday leading worship is May 22.

 
St John UCC, Baldwin City, KS  Rev Lewis Hinshaw is supply pastor

 
St. Paul UCC, Eudora, KS  Pastor Rodney Nitz is supply pastor
 

 
St. Peter's UCC, Inman, KS 

 

United Church of Norman, Norman, OK Rev. Warren Jensen is interim pastor.

 
Zion UCC, Junction City, KSRev. Patty Brown-Barnett is interim pastor

 

Zion UCC, Kansas City, KS  Rev. Kevin Olsen has announced his resignation effective May 31.  His last Sunday will be May 15.

QUICK LINKS
 

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United Church of Christ

 

Kansas-Oklahoma Conference  

 

White Memorial Camp and Conference Center 

 

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CONTACT INFORMATION
           

   Rev. Krista Betz, Interim Conference Minister

    Kansas-Oklahoma Conference 
    1245 Fabrique                                         
    Wichita, KS 67218
    800-880-6466
    Sara Shaw, Camp Director
   
620-767-5165 (Camp Office)
   
620-202-0311(Cell)
   
620-767-7244 (Fax)
   
1271 South 1050 Road
   
Council Grove  KS  66846-8520
   
[email protected]

 
    Nancy A. Wolfe, Conference Communications Coordinator
    3020 SE Virgo Ave
    Topeka, KS  66605
    785-806-4580

 
Our Church's Wider Mission is the lifeblood of ministry and mission in the United Church of Christ.  Your contributions to this offering make this weekly e-communication and much, much more possible.  Thank you for your generous support!  Our covenant as local churches, associations, conferences and the national setting of our denomination is made evident through this mission together.