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KANSAS-OKLAHOMA CONFERENCE
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
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 | Prayer Requests from our K-O Family |
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Lord, hear our prayers.
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Mrs. Atina Hanna, 75, of Manhattan, passed away Friday, May 13, 2011.
Atina was a member of First Congregational Church in Manhattan, KS and had been an active participant in the K-O Conference until health issues limited her.
The memorial service will be held Tuesday, May 17, at 4:00 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that any memorial gifts be made to the First Congregational Church or the Flint Hills Breadbasket. Cards and/or contributions may be sent in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
Rev. Robert Kasper, 93, retired UCC pastor, passed away May 6, 2011. Services were held Tuesday, May 10, 2011. Please keep his wife Shirley and the rest of the family in your prayers. Cards may be sent to Shirley at:
1429 Kasold Dr., Lawrence, KS 66049
Please continue to hold our K-O Office Associate Judy Vincent and her husband, Richard, in your prayers. Richard had 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 kbetz@kocucc.com.
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K-O PRAYER CALENDAR
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ˇWelborn Community - Kansas City, KS ~~ Rev. Joe Biscoe & Congregation
ˇTrinity United Christian- Cheney, KS ~~ Rev. Pat Nixon & Congregation
ˇ James Rix - President, Central Association
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| UCC CALENDAR OF PRAYER |
| CLERGY BOOK STUDY GROUP FORMING |
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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 kbetz@kocucc.com or 316-686-4331.
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From a Mustard Seed:
Enlivening Worship and Music in the Small Church | | | |
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Tuesday, May 31, 2011, 07:00pm - 08:00pm | | | |
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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 david@progressiverenewal.org 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! | |
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Healthy Congregations Workshop - June 11, 2011 |
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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
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28th GENERAL SYNOD |
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 Planning on joining us? |
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Disciples of Christ TEAM 2 Workshops
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Disciples of Christ TEAM2 Workshops Announced
The KS region's training and educational event, TEAM2, is August 26-27.
TEAM2 workshops will include the following:
Stewardship of Accumulated Resources;
Disciples Stewardship & the Jubilee Fund;
Re-visioning the Pastoral Relations Committee;
Parish Nursing; Lay Pastoral Care;
Spirituality of Stewardship;
Understanding the Generations;
Global Mission;
Raising Up Leaders: the Call to Ministry;
The Stewardship of Leadership: Doing it Right;
Intentional Interim Ministry;
The Family Budget; and
Youth Sponsors Training.
For flyer, schedule of events, workshop descriptions, and registration form go to the TEAM2 page on the website.
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JUSTICE WITNESS MINISTRIES COMMISSION REPORT
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Since February 5, 2011, a lot has happened both challenging and encouraging for the mission of the JWM commission. In Lizette Merchan's report below, you can read about the work taking place in Oklahoma. She is energetic, knowledgeable and committed to social justice work - the good news!
In Kansas, with Lizette's help on some issues (immigration especially) we have worked with the Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty to abolish capital punishment in Kansas. We came close, as we did last year, but could not quite accomplish abolition. We have good motivation and momentum that continues as we meet today.
UCC members in Wichita participated in a demonstration at a local gun "show" to voice our concerns and ask for specific actions at the city, state, and national level. A "Virginia Tech" takes place as 34 people are killed by gunfire each day in the U.S. and even by enforcing the laws on the books that number could be lowered.
The war against immigrants continues in both Oklahoma and Kansas, and around the country with new legislation enacted re: voting laws, schools, driving licenses, and a general distrust of migrant or immigrant persons. We still back the Dream Act and hope that it will soon be the law of the land. I had the opportunity to attend a Border's Conference in San Diego and Tijuana in Feb. sponsored by the UCC and Disciples. It focused on the U.S./Mexico border issues of poverty, environmental disasters untended to, the drug cartels and the violence.
Legislation affecting women's health care issues is raging throughout Kansas and Oklahoma. Not only the constitutional right to abortion but other services provided by agencies like Planned Parenthood are being threatened and/or eliminated.
We cannot forget some other issues: unemployment (9%), 2, 3, maybe 4 wars we are fighting at the same time, health care, our rural community needs, the rights of the differently-abled, the staggering inequality between the incomes of the top 1% and the rest of the U.S. population (we rank right there with Uganda!), and the specific concerns of the lesbian and gay community in our churches and across the country.
In light of all of the above, we are anticipating perhaps the most divisive, militant, and racist, presidential campaign in a long time. We, as the church, are called to be faithful in our belief and vital in our presence - a critical presence - to create a peaceful and productive dialogue to enlighten our minds and our congregations to the possibilities for positive change and a healthy nation.
We realize that we cannot do everything but we want to be responsive to ALL OF OUR CONGREGATIONS especially with justice and peace issues. As always, we encourage congregations to receive a Peace Offering each year (perhaps on Martin Luther King Sunday) and to receive the Strengthen the Church offering both of which help with financing peace and justice efforts locally, at the conference level and nationally. This is an especially important time for us to meet the challenges of grace!!! A time to work together for the greater good.
"A self-sufficient human being is subhuman. I have gifts that you do not have, so consequently, I am unique-you have gifts that I do not have, so you are unique. God has made us so that we will need each other...."
- Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Respectfully submitted by Rev. Michael Poage, co-chair, JWM Commission. Members: Chris Moore, Nancy Phipps, Richard Curby, Nathaniel Batchelder, Lizette Merchan, Lucia Orth, J.F. Wickey.
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Justice and Witness Organizer (J&WO)
of the Justice and Witness Commission,
Kansas-Oklahoma Conference
The Vitality Ministries within our conference are in the making NOW!
Ministry programs include: Food 4 Kids, Yoga, Fair Trade fairs, Alcoholics Anonymous groups, ESL and Spanish classes, Clinic of Justice for workers,
mission trips, community gardens, and many more.
How do these programs relate to vitality within our churches? Some of our churches in the K-O Conference have already found out what it means to put their faith into action!
In January, the J&WO was present at Plymouth Congregational Church (Lawrence, KS). This K-O church provided a sample for vitality from within, and from resources outside, with its Hispanic leadership through the Sálvame church. I met with its Justice Coalition coordinator of ESL and Spanish classes at Plymouth Church, Hispanic/Latino minister and their volunteers.
Community Gardens at Open Table, UCC (Owasso, OK) and Community of Hope, UCC (Tulsa, OK).
Some churches have adopted the resolutions approved at our last Annual Conference and are hard at work-offering group studies, lectures, sermons and workshops to create awareness to be the change we all want to be in the world, and more.
Participation in the Social Justice training hosted by the Tulsa YWCA chapter-provided by the Center for New Community (current director is a UCC minister). Training by our Natl. office --Justice & Witness Ministries and its Justice LED effort in March.
Maintain Immigration Resolution K-O Conference Web site (wwwuccjustice.org) and Facebook updates. OK Compact and Resources efforts with Lawrence Action Network for Diversity L.A.N.D.
Also maintain Web site, Facebook updates (Rev. Mike's trip to Sebrenica, San Diego-The Romero Center, and OKC Peace House updates)
Ongoing networking with Oklahoma Health Equity Campaign (Oklahoma Health Dept.)
Coordinated Fair Trade Store meeting between Fellowship UCC, Community of Hope UCC and Langston University-facility, logistics, etc.
Led initiative for Langston University (Tulsa, OK) and Fair Trade-Nicaragua ministry to share a booth at Christmas and on other identified dates. Working with Langston students for potential travel to Nicaragua over the summer.
Continuation of monetary and logistic resources (J&W Organizer awarded this church a $500 grant in 2009) from First Congregational UCC Great Bend along with First Presbyterian Church to support their Holiday Fair Trade store for its 2nd year (Mary Ann June).
Some congregations have gone outside the walls of their buildings and invited the outside world to help their ministries of food for kids, use community gardens to grow produce for HIV/AIDS families in need, or support paying fair wages and host fair trade fairs with fair trade communities.
Are you one of them? Do you have leaders within and don't know how to put a comma instead of a period to your community?
Find out more through the work of the Justice and Witness Commission and the Justice and Witness Organizer. Here's how: Contact Rev. Lizette Merchán Minister for Justice and Witness @ Community of Hope, UCC. Justice and Witness Organizer. www.uccjustice.org.Follow us on Facebook. Or email us @ revlizette@cohope.com. Tel: 918- 845-4477
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ASSOCIATIONS AND CONFERENCE COMING EVENTS |
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Link to
the K-0
Calendar
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May 30 ~ Memorial Day - Office Closed
June 4 ~ Vision Task Force meeting 10:00AM
July 1 - 5 ~ General Synod
July 4 ~ Independence Day - Office Closed
July 15-16 ~ K-O Council Retreat at White Memorial Camp
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| K-O INTERIM CONFERENCE MINISTER'S SCHEDULE |
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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. |
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PULPIT SUPPLY LIST |
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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 kbetz@kocucc.com. 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!! |
| K-O CHURCHES IN TRANSITION |
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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, KS. Rev. 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. |
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| QUICK LINKS |
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| CONTACT INFORMATION |
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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
wmcucc@tctelco.net
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. |
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