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April 18, 2011 Volume 3, issue 9 |
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Personal Finance for Christians Workshop | |
Steve Clapp will be hosting a workshop on April 29 at the Wisconsin Conference on Personal Finances. More information | |
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| General Synod 2011 |  |
 Visit the Wisconsin Delegates Facebook Group Page Orientation Session for Southeast Association Delegates:
Tuesday, May 3, 6:00 p.m. at Christ's Church in Milwaukee. 915 E. Oklahoma Avenue, Milwaukee. Dinner will be served. RSVP by 4/18. |
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10 Thoughts on the Spiritual Practice of Getting Lost: Wilderness
from ucc.org |  |
Adapted by Kate Huey from Chapter Five of Barbara Brown Taylor's book, An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith.
Barbara Brown Taylor gives new meaning to the words, "Get lost!"
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| Social Phonics Boot Camp |  | |
Thanks Grace UCC Church in Wausau for hosting a Social Phonics Boot Camp on May 12.
What is it?
Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones will guide you through the basics of the most popular social media services, including blogging, Facebook, Twitter and free broadcast media.
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National Youth Event |  |
Save The Date!
Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN
July 10-14, 2012
Registration opens fall 2012
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Events | |
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Look Who's Coming To Annual Meeting |
 | | Doug Pagitt Friday Keynoter |
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 | | Christine Busch Sunday Worship Preacher |
 | | Valerie Tutson Saturday Gathering Worship |
 | Steve Savides
Friday Drama |
 | | Susan Phillips Saturday Keynoter |
 | | Manfred Rekowski Special Guest |
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| Annual Meeting Workshops | | |
A Bible in One Hand, and iPad in the Other
About the Wisconsin Conference New
By-laws
Children's Sermons: Practical and Spiritual Matters
Congregational Based Organizing (WISDOM)
Church in the Inventive Age
From Both Sides Now - Crafting and Experiencing the Artful Sermon
G-d's Voice in Your Context
The Justice Leadership Emergence & Development (LED) Program
Leadership for Transition and Renewal
Letting a Bull Loose in a China Shop: Risking Bringing Dance Into the Order of Worship
Praise Band: Create, Develop, and Enhance Your Worship Experience
Puppets in Worshp
Safe Sanctuary
The Story in Pictures: The Biblical Pictorial Timeline
Telling Our Stories: It Gets Better - Real People, Real Stories
Telling Our Stories: Living ONA
Testimony - You Want Me To Do What?! Telling the Stories of our Faith
Using Drama in The Whole Life of the Church
About the Workshops
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Wisconsin Conference Life |
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Greetings From Our Conference Minister |
 | Rev. David Moyer
Conference Minister |
To: Members and friends of the Wisconsin Conference UCC
Greetings and grace to you in the spirit of the One who comes to bring new life and hope in the very places where hope seems to fade.
The whole staff of the Wisconsin Conference joins me in wishing each of you a blessed Holy Week, and the most joyous Easter.
As you walk through the entire week of the Passion, may Christ accompany you, so that in the moments in your own life when you experience betrayal and denial; abandonment and false accusation; abusive power and even the shadows of death, you may know with confidence that the God who was with Jesus also accompanies you and the light of God's love has the power to illuminate every shadow and show a way of grace and hope.
May Easter Day bring the gift of joy and the upcoming season of Easter offer to all of us a renewal of our trust in the transforming power of Christ's resurrection.
Much hope and many blessings.
David S. Moyer
Conference Minister |
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Invitation to Attend the 49th Annual Meeting | |
Dear Friends in the Wisconsin Conference,
You are invited to the 49th Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Conference, United Church of Christ, to be held at the Green Lake Conference Center. The dates for this year's meeting are June 10 - 12th, 2011.
The theme this year is, "One Story Told in Many Ways", based on the scripture from Isaiah 55:10-12:
"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy and be led back in peace."
Our special guests, speakers, and workshop leaders will explore the various ways we share the gospel with an ever-changing world through; technology, social networking, storytelling, music, art, drama, testimony, dance, and the written word.
We are pleased to welcome Doug Pagitt as a keynote speaker. Doug is a speaker and consultant on issues of postmodern culture, social systems and Christianity. He is the founder and pastor of Solomon's Porch, a holistic missional Christian community in Minneapolis.
Valerie Tutson will join us again this year. Valerie has been a professional storyteller since 1991. In addition to telling stories from Africa and African American traditions, she re-tells age old bible stories in fresh new ways.
Rev. Stephen Savides is well known to the Wisconsin Conference, and has written a new play just for our time together.
Members of the Conference Board of Directors will be available to discuss the ongoing re-staffing plan passed last year and the Conference Constitution and By-Law revisions, to be presented and voted on during this year's meeting.
The online booklet (go to www.wcucc.org) will give you more information on the specific workshops and faith formation offerings, as well as the whole schedule for our plenary sessions and other gatherings. As always, the exhibit hall will be filled with information, handmade items, books, cookies and coffee.
Remember - Sunday, June 12th is Pentecost! I invite you to come and experience the Holy Spirit living and moving in us and among us - as the church continues to tell the story in many ways.
Grace and Peace,
Nancy Zorn Micke, Moderator |
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Making Sense of Lent - Daily Devotionals | |
 The Wisconsin Conference is honored to have many talented ministers and laity serving the churches in our state. Our Making Sense of Lent Daily Devotionals highlight some of these talented voices.
If you are not receiving Making Sense of Lent - Daily Devotionals sent by the Wisconsin Conference, please sign up to receive them during this special time of reflection and preparation. |
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The Open and Affirming (ONA) Process at First Congregational Church UCC in Port Washington |  Over one hundred years ago, the First Congregational Church in Port Washington was founded to be "a congregation open to diversity and inclusiveness."
Being the early church is part of our local church history. Not only was this the first Congregational church in Port Washington, this was the first Congregational church in Ozaukee County. This was also the first church in Port Washington to hold all of its services in English.
The words of our Church Covenant proclaim, "Depending upon the teachings and life of Jesus for inspiration and guidance, we promise to seek to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves."
For as long as anyone can remember, the First Congregational Church in Port Washington has described itself as an open and inclusive community of faith.
Again, for as long as anyone can remember, men and women have shared leadership roles in this church. The position of Moderator always alternates between a man and a woman. The Sacrament of Holy Communion has always been "open to all who seek to follow in the way of Christ, both children and adults."
With this history and background in mind, its makes sense that officially declaring ourselves to be a Safe Sanctuary, Accessible to All (A2A) and Open and Affirming (ONA) was nothing more than a formality. All of the congregational votes were unanimous.
The primary reason that the congregation never voted to adopt these designations in the past is that the Church Council didn't think it was important, because our church's identity is fairly well known within Port Washington.
In recent years, however, the Church Council became aware that more and more people are searching for churches online and that these formal designations really matter when it comes to letting people know that we are an open and inclusive community of faith.
Once we saw the light of the 21st century, the process moved very quickly. |
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Strengthen The Church - A Special Offering |
 STRENGTHEN THE CHURCH provides funds to develop new congregations and to encourage renewal in established churches. One half of "Strengthen the Church" offerings remains in the Conference to support church development and renewal right here in Wisconsin. This year we want to highlight intentional renewal partnerships between the Conference Church Renewal and Development Team and two congregations:
Grants from the Conference have allowed Ebenezer UCC in Sheboygan to add staff that has expanded programs that have led to growth. The congregation recently engaged in a new building program to provide space for new ministries.
Middleton Community UCC relocated in 2005 and built a new building in a growing edge of Middleton and Madison. The grant to Middleton has provided for a "coach" who has worked with a team from the congregation to develop programs in evangelism, welcoming, strategic planning, worship, and incorporating new members. The church is welcoming new folks and is excited with the challenges of being a growing congregation.
Wisconsin Goals for STC in 2011:
- Every congregation receive a STC offering
- Raise $50,000 in STC in 2011, 1/2 for the national church and 1/2 for the conference
- Each congregation set a goal of raising at least $1.00 per member for STC
All pray for the growth of new congregations and a renewal in all our Wisconsin UCC churches.
Choose your offering date. We are suggesting a "Season of Strengthen the Church" between Easter (April 24) and Pentecost (June 12). Choose a Sunday to receive the offering when you anticipate the greatest response. Some churches are choosing Mother's Day (May 8). Churches may choose other Sundays: their church anniversary, the UCC's anniversary (June 25) or Thanksgiving Sunday (November 20).
Promotional Items for the 2011 Offering
Look for your Strengthen The Church materials from the Wisconsin Conference to arrive in your church via USPS mid-May.
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Orion Family Services Celebrates 10th Anniversary |  Orion Family Services, a member of the Council of Health and Human Service Ministries recently celebrated its 10th anniversary as a member. Orion Family Services provides residential treatment services through group homes and foster care and also offers critical outreach and family therapy services to people in their own communities and their own homes. Orion is proud of the tradition of partnership with UCC churches throughout the state. |
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Business Manager to be Honored Lay Women at General Synod 28 |
 | Vicki Graff
Business Manager |
The Wisconsin Conference is proud to announce that Vicki Graff, Business Manager to the Wisconsin Conference will be honored at the General Synod 28 at a luncheon honoring lay women.
Her faith leads her to be continually thoughtful of her family, friends, and co-workers as well as those in her community who are in need. In her work setting she provides special events for her co-workers birthdays and special moments. She is faithful in visiting and making contact with those who are sick. Vicki cares deeply for other persons and seeks what is good for them. She plans for lunches and days out for colleagues.
Vicki has been a constant advocate in her local church for a commitment beyond the congregation to OCWM and to special mission projects, asking the church to see a wider sphere of faith and service. She and her family are personally generous in their own support of these type of ministries. Her work is as the financial manager of the ministries of the Wisconsin Conference. As a manager of budgets and investments and properties, she works hard to save costs and create efficiencies, but the great thing about Vicki is that when it comes to mission or to advancing the church or moving it into new ministries, she sees her task as an advocate and as one whose job it is to find the money or means to make these things possible. As a budget manager, when new ideas are on the table, she says, "Yes, let's find a way."
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News From CUE Seminaries |
 Chicago Theological Seminary is excited to offer a Master of Arts in Religious Leadership degree program beginning Fall of 2011. The two-year degree is designed to prepare women and men for service in a range of religious, faith-based, community and advocacy settings with concentrations in: Interfaith Engagement, Social Transformation, Spirituality and Pastoral Care, and Word and Worship.
We encourage all those interested in pursuing lay ministry or strengthening the theological dimensions of their work to learn more: www.ctschicago.edu/marl
Visit Cue Seminaries Website |
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How Many Chairs Will You Need This Easter? |  MissionInsite, a demographics tool offered to Congregations of the Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ has several tools to help you predict just how many you will need. Their newsletter, Discovery Zone has several tips. |
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Sincerely,
Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ |
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As witnesses to God's love in Jesus Christ, the Wisconsin Conference serves with congregations, pastors, laity, and wider church partners to
- provide networks of clergy support
- engage laity in spiritual growth and leadership development
- establish and renew congregations
so that the people will respond to the Spirit's call, grow in faith and discipleship, and participate in God's transforming work of peace and justice. |
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