KANSAS OKLAHOMA CONFERENCE |
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K-O e-NEWS
February 7, 2012
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National Youth Event
A Message from Marah Schlingensiepen
Hello everybody,
I have had the pleasure of being on the National Youth Event 2012 Vision Team for a year and a half now, and I want to remind you that National Youth Event us coming up!
It will be from July 10th-13th at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
I can't stress enough about how great I think the location is. Purdue University is a great place for event like this! As a part of the Vision Team, I attended an on-site visit to Purdue in order to be able to
better plan where different activities should take place. I have
enjoyed every minute of being on the planning team, and I know
that NYE 2012 will be an absolute blast!
MK Asante, (who I am extremely excited for), an award-winning
author, filmmaker, and professor; will be the opening keynote
speaker. Some other speakers we have lined up so far are
Rev. Barbara Essex, Minister for Higher and Theological Education
and Dr. Marcia McFee, best known as an author and worship leader/designer. There will be many others, some of whom you may know of very well!
 | | Dr. Marcia McFee |
 | | MK Asante |
This is a time where THOUSANDS of UCC youth gather together in fellowship with one another for a few days
of service projects, worship, workshops, and lots of fun activities taking place day and night. It is a time to make life-long friends with your brothers and sisters
of the greater UCC beyond our Kansas-Oklahoma family.
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TOMORROW (Feb. 8th) IS THE DEADLINE!
BE COUNTED
COMPLETE THE UCC YEARBOOK DATA REQUEST
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YEARBOOK DATA
Every year the United Church of Christ asks each of its local congregations to send in statistical information about its membership and finances. This data is then compiled and published in an annual UCC Yearbook.
This information is crucial in tracking trends and patterns in our United Church of Christ churches which help the conferences and wider churches be more responsive and effective in their ministries.
Each local church should have received the forms and their instructions in the mail-please be on the look-out for them and make sure they get to the right person to fill out. You can choose to fill out the forms with a tried and true pen/pencil or you can choose to fill out the forms electronically. Instructions will be included for whichever procedure works best for you.
The deadline for completing the forms is February 8.
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A SPECIAL NOTE TO UCC CONFERENCES LOCATED NEAR NORTH DAKOTA:
THE YEAR 2011 PRESENTED A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES IN COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY DISASTERS IN THE UNITED STATES - YOUR CONFERENCE MAY BE ONE OF THOSE THAT IS NOW RECOVERING.
MY REQUEST IS THAT IF POSSIBLE, YOU MAKE A SPECIAL EFFORT TO ENCOURAGE OUR LOCAL CHURCHES TO TAKE A VOLUNTEER WORK GROUP TO MINOT, ND. OF THE 4,000+ HOMES DAMAGED OR DESTROYED BY FLOODS, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 2,400 PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE TO REBUILD.
PLEASE HELP TO SPREAD THE WORD. THANK YOU.
Florence Coppola, Executive, National Disaster Ministries
UCC Wider Church Ministries
700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
216-736-3211; toll free: 1-866-822-8224 x-3211
Fax: 216-736-2294
Web site: http://www.ucc.org/disaster
"National Disaster Ministries' are supported by OCWM and OGHS."
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Remember Your Neighbors
Recruiting mission trip groups for disaster recovery in northwestern North Dakota during 2012. Register today.
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Blue Springs Terrace, Inc, a member of the United Church of Christ Council for Health and Human Services, is a friendly retirement community at 312 SW 19th Terrace in Blue Springs, MO, near Kansas City, MO.
Twelve modest homes for retired UCC and DOC pastors and full time Christian workers are available for the cost of utilities and a monthly maintenance fee for house, yard care and snow removal. Each home has gas heat, air conditioning, garage, and garden space. No rent is charged. For more information call Bill Kuenne 373-868-8685
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Re-Vision for the Smaller or Part-Time Pastored Church
WEBINAR
Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 12:00pm - 01:00pm
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Many churches are experiencing the challenge of doing effective ministry under the leadership of a part-time minister. Rev. Dr. Bob LaRochelle says that for many churches this can be an opportunity to do effective ministry in a new way.
In this webinar Dr. LaRochelle will share steps churches can take to Re-vision their mission and values to be effective in meeting their unique ministry niche. How the minister can move from being a doer of ministry to being an equipper, an organzer and an empowerer of their lay people to become a priesthood of all believer.
Rev. Dr. Robert R. LaRochelle is a pastor of the Congregational Church UCC of Union, CT. He also serves as a counselor for a public high school.He is the author of Part Time Pastor, Full Time Church ( Pilgrim Press, 2010). He has a book scheduled to be released by Energion Publications in May 2012 entitled Crossing The Street. This Bob is a former Roman Catholic Permanent Deacon and has a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Chicago Theological Seminary. He has published in Congregations, The Living Pulpit, Still Speaking, Day One and Sharing the Practice.
Tuesday: February 21 at NOON Eastern
Cost: $9.99
| | | Contact For more information contact Gregg Carlson ~ gregg@progressiverenewal.org | |
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 To fellow Christians, Pastors, and Denominational Leaders, Make Lent an opportunity to enter into a spiritual discipline of fasting from carbon. Last year, over 6,000 people in every state and 14 countries participated in a daily invitation to fast from carbon as their Lenten discipline. Initiated by the UCC in 2011, endorsed by Episcopalians in 2012 and promoted in countless places the world over, here's our hope: If you're a pastor -SIGN UP... and: ˇemail this invitation to the people in your parish, tell them you'll be participating, AND ˇconvene a weekly Lenten discussion focusing on the Carbon Fast. MAKE THIS YOUR CHURCH'S LENTEN PROGRAM! ˇAnd if you're part of a local clergy association, email it to your colleagues, too. If you are a denominational leader -SIGN UP... and: ˇemail this invitation to the pastors in your region, AND ˇemail this invitation to your regional colleagues who lead other denominations. AND FOR ALL WHO MAY PARTICIPATE: For hundreds of years, Ash Wednesday (February 22, 2012) marks the beginning of a time when Christians engage in spiritual disciplines involving repentance, fasting, prayer, study and works of love. Living as we are at a time when our actions - along with the actions of only a few generations - have threatened creation as we know it by the excessive burning of fossil fuel, it is fitting to engage in a spiritual discipline of fasting from carbon. Click here to join us as we commit to fasting from carbon during Lent. Yes... we are on Facebook! Beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 22, each day's activity will be cumulatively posted on this page. Click here to go to the Facebook page. Let's make protecting God's creation by reducing our carbon footprint as fundamental a spiritual discipline as prayer. The Rev. Dr. Jim Antal * Conference Minister and President * Massachusetts Conference, The Rev. Dr. Chuck Barnes * Conference Minister * Rhode Island Conference The Rev. Dr. Lynn Bujnak * Conference Minister * Vermont Conference, The Rev. David Gaewski * Conference Minister * Maine Conference, The Rev. Gary Schulte * Conference Minister * New Hampshire Conference, The Rev. Chuck Wildman * Interim Conference Minister * Connecticut Conference, An initiative of the New England Regional Environmental Ministries, United Church of Christ |
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K-O PRAYER CALENDAR
 First Congregational UCC, Centralia, KS Pastor Scott Caulley, supply pastor and Congregation.
Plymouth Congregational UCC, Lawrence, KS Rev. Dr. Peter Luckey, Sr. Pastor Rev. Josh Longbottom, Associate Pastor |
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UCC PRAYER CALENDAR
CLICK ON THE COMMA
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LINK TO K-O ANNUAL CALENDAR
CLICK HERE |
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February 19, 2012~
Central Association Ecclesiastical Council for John Werner
3pm at First Salem UCC, Wichita, KS
March 24, 2012 ~
Oklahoma Association Ecclesiastical Council for Lori Walke
K-O Conference Council Meetings
February 11, 2012 - Wichita
May 5, 2012 - Wichita
July 20-21 at White Memorial Camp
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SAVE THE DATES FOR ASSOCIATION SPRING MEETINGS!!
April 14
Oklahoma Association Annual Meeting
April 21
Central and Western Association Annual Meeting at Garden City, KS
April 28
North Central Association Annual Meeting
April 28
Eastern Association Annual Meeting
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Interim Conference Minister's Schedule
February 11 ~
KO Council Meeting
February 12 ~
Oklahoma City
Community Organization Founding Convention
February 13-16 ~ vacation
February 19 ~
Carrier Congregational UCC, Carrier, OK
February 26 ~
Peace UCC, Alma, KS
March 11 ~
First Congregational UCC, Great Bend, KS
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**Congratulations Midland Community United Church of Christ in Sterling, KS. The congregation has called Judy Conners as their permanent pastor. Judy had been serving as a supply pastor.
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Central Congregational UCC, Topeka, KS ~ Rev. Scott Kenefake is interim pastor
Carrier Congregational UCC, Carrier, OK ~ Rev. Gordon Epps is interim pastor.
Community Congregational UCC, Gaylord, KS ~ Rev. Linda Kemp is interim pastor
Community of Hope, Tulsa, OK
First Congregational UCC, Anthony, KS
First Congregational UCC, Great Bend, KS ~ Rev. Stan Crawford is interim pastor
First Congregational UCC, Goltry, OK
First Congregational UCC, Manhattan, KS ~ Rev. Victor Force is interim pastor
First Salem UCC, Wichita, KS ~ Pastor Myra Sorrell is serving as supply pastor.
Highland Trinity UCC, Newton, KS ~ Rev. Bill Hickerson is supply pastor
Immanuel UCC, Ellinwood, KS ~ Rev. Katrina Palan is interim pastor
Open Table UCC, Owasso, OK ~ Rev. Melinda Foster has announced her resignation and her last day leading worship is May 19, 2012.
Puritan Congregational Christian Church, Drummond, OK. ~Rev. Matt Perkins is supply pastor
St John UCC, Baldwin City, KS ~ Rev Lewis Hinshaw is supply pastor
St. Peter's UCC, Inman, KS~ Rev Christine Edwards is the interim pastor
United Church of Norman, Norman, OK ~ Rev. Warren Jensen is interim pastor
Zion UCC, Junction City, KS. ~ Rev. Patty Brown-Barnett is interim pastor
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Rev. Krista Betz, Interim Conference Minister
Kansas-Oklahoma Conference
1245 Fabrique
Wichita, KS 67218
800-880-6466
kbetz@kocucc.com
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
kofocus@yahoo.com
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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