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Welcome to Wisconsin Conference
United Church of Christ

Come Before Winter
by David Moyer, Wisconsin Conference Minister

 

Greetings and grace to you all in the name and the spirit of Christ.

 

Dave Moyer

Rev. David Moyer,

Conference Minister

It was a cold fall Saturday morning. I decided to get my exercise on an early morning hike in a nearby state part. I love the fall landscape of Wisconsin. There are still enough oaks and other trees with leaves long after the maples have fallen, and while their colors may be a bit less bright, they are beautiful. The fields of prairie grasses, caught in the early or late sun are golden and filter the softest of lights seems to emanate from inside them.

 

I watched the sunrise from a high overlook and then went down to Lake Mendota for a cup of coffee from the thermos in my pack as the waves were kicked up by a cold wind. It's one of my favorite views of the capitol several miles across the lake, though I usually see it from the boat launch in summer. The next time I see it, it will likely be on skis and in winter, with the lake water frozen and the wind such that even a brief pause is painful.

 

The Apostle Paul is in Rome and imprisoned, and he reaches out to his closest friend and fellow apostle, Timothy. Paul seems particularly self-reflective and lonely, feeling abandoned by former friends. He wants to see Timothy, and he asks the younger colleague to come to visit him. Perhaps Paul senses that his days are numbered, that the seasons are moving on for him.

 

"Do your best to come to me soon.... Do your best to come before winter." (II Timothy 4: 9, 21)

 

Paul's appeal is at first practical; winter will shut down shipping and if Timothy can't make the journey to Rome until then, it might be too late. Paul also has a simple request for a coat he left behind and needs for the colder months. But there is also the appeal of his need for a friend in what may be his latter days of life. "Come before winter...." Part of the preciousness of life is its finite nature. Vulnerability can highlight the value of relationships and things familiar and loved.

 

There is also the sense in which finite time urges us to claim opportunities to change or to do those things which are right and needed. We like to speak of second chances, but, in reality, there are moments in life when we can take a certain course and other moments when that course is closed to us. There are seasons in life, as Ecclesiastes tells us, and while God's grace always and ever upholds us, in human life doors close and there are seasons of winter. Many times other doors will open, but they will not lead to the same places. The new opportunities may be greater than those before us at an earlier time, or they may be more limited, but there are moments when a choice has great consequences and that choice won't come again.

 

Years ago I flew out to Pennsylvania to visit my father. He was in the hospital, but he wasn't critical. In those days, with young children, it wasn't easy to decide to spend the money to go, and it wasn't easy to squeeze out the time from work, but I went. I didn't have any premonition or anything like that, but I just wanted to see him. One week later he died. What a gift it has been to me ever since that I went at that time!

 

"Come before winter...." It should not be a fearful thing for us but simply a reminder that in relationships and in habits or practices that are not healthy or fulfilling to us, today is the day to take the steps toward reconciliation or change. A famous preacher of a couple generations ago, Clarence McCartney, would preach the same sermon on this text every year in the late fall. In it he has a story about the wisdom from a rabbi:

 

"An old rabbi used to say to his people, 'Repent the day before you die.'

 

'But,' they said to him, 'Rabbi, we know not the day of our death.'

 

'Then,' he answered, 'repent today.'"

 

Repentance, relationship repair, habit breaking, new opportunities grasped, large or small change, today is a day rich with possibility.

 

"Do your best to come to me soon. Do your best to come before winter."

 

Late fall blessings to you.

 

David Moyer

Conference Minister

 

Jesus Core
January 6-8, 2012 Pilgrim Center
Early Bird Registration Deadline December 1, 2011

   

Jesus Core is a retreat for High School Students, individually or with their church groups. Experience faith in community, meaningful worship and great music, silence and time for prayer, getting to know new people and hanging out with friends.

  • Rest from the stress of school
  • Listen to God's word
  • Connect with yourself and others
  • Find satisfaction in silence and in fun activities
  •  Be inspired by the beauty of God's Creation on Green Lake, and by workshops and discussions with adult leaders and your peers. 

Learn more

11 Blessings and Prayers for 11 days of

Mission: 1
 

From the United Church of Christ website
 

 

That they may all be one. As all of the United Church of Christ lives into the Mission:1 project to feed the hungry and confront food-related injustice, we pray for blessings on our efforts during these eleven days.                        

             

"All sorrows are less with bread." ~Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote
 
On this tenth day of Mission: 1, we remember that for many, the journey to acquire food runs straight through a war-zone, and the ability to eat comes at the expense of someone's life.  We pray and ask blessings for those who must risk their lives for a piece of bread.

                                                         

11 blessings and prayers for 11 days of Mission: 1
The Church Renewal Program

Five Practices

 ChurchrenewalPlant 

New Dates!  New Deadline!

 

We've changed the starting date for the Church Renewal Program. 

 

The kickoff event will be January 21, 2012. 

 

The registration deadline will be January 2, 2012. 

 

For more information please visit the Wisconsin Conference website.

How Wide Is The Welcome?

by Ben Anderson
 
www.bendanderson.com

 

Ben and Dee Anderson
Ben Anderson and his wife, Dee attend the Widening The Welcome Conference
About thirty-five years ago, shortly after I began the non-profit organization Break Through Inc., I previewed a movie called "Belonging". It was about an orphanage in Mexico. A young priest was out one day walking and discovered a boy that was crying. After the priest came upon him he realized that he was disfigured from being burnt in a fire. He took pity on the boy and wondered how the other children would accept him back at the orphanage. As he walked into the courtyard with the boy, the priest was hesitant but very surprised as one of the children said -"You are my brother" and the children welcomed the boy into their midst.  

 

Three weeks ago my wife and I attended the second annual "Widening the Welcome" conference for persons with disabilities and mental illness held in Columbus, Ohio. It is sponsored by the United Church of Christ Disability Ministry and Mental Health Ministry. We heard presentations from people from all over the map and about how wide the welcome is and should be. The conference was attended by about 110 individuals from across the United States and Canada. I don't know what kind of insights and knowledge we all came home with from this conference but one thing for sure was that wherever people came from or how severe their disability may have been they were welcome. We not only experienced that welcome in the presentations and workshops but we saw it at mealtimes. We also saw the "welcome" during the evening social function when everyone was having a good time chatting, listening to music, dancing and enjoying some food.

 

( L to R- Kirk Moore, Tom Reynolds, Peggy Dunn, Alan Johnson, (front L-R, Bob Molsberry & Carolyn Thompson)  Photo submitted by Dee Anderson
( L to R- Kirk Moore, Tom Reynolds, Peggy Dunn, Alan Johnson, (front L-R, Bob Molsberry & Carolyn Thompson) Photo submitted by Dee Anderson

Widening the Welcome conference took me back to the movie "Belonging" where that little boy had been burnt and how that community welcomed him with open arms.

The conference was based on the text where Jesus told the servants to go into the streets to gather people for the banquet. (Luke 14: 12-23 "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.") The metaphor is to cast your nets wide to include everyone in the community.

 

One of the speakers talked about "Enlarging the Size of Your Tent" to include everyone and not to forget those less fortunate among us. We are called to get out of our comfort zone and include people that are not included in our everyday experiences. Widening the Welcome conference was about including everyone into the body of Christ. To welcome everyone to come and eat at the table that Jesus invited us all to come and join him.

 

The question is "How Wide is the Welcome" in your church and communities?

 

What to do if a Registered Sex Offender Comes to Your Church - Free webinar

 

November 16, 3:00 pm (CST) -
 (free)

Presented by the office of Justice & Witness Ministries, UCC

 

Presenter: Rev. Dr. Marie Fortune: Rev. Dr. Marie M. Fortune is the Founder and Senior Analyst at FaithTrust Institute. She is a United Church of Christ pastor, educator, and author of Sexual Violence: The Sin Revisited, from Pilgrim Press.

 

Learning Objectives: Registered sex offenders who are released into the community are approaching faith communities and asking to participate in worship and other activities. We know that community support is important to prevent re-offending. How can faith communities be part of an offender's support network and insure safety for the congregation? This webinar will provide:

  • A discussion of the challenge of welcoming a sex offender into your congregation
  • Overview of who registered sex offenders are and how they are monitored upon release
  • A theological and pastoral context for our response our response to an offender that is both realistic and compassionate
  • Suggestions for preparing the congregation to receive a sex offender
  • Guidelines for working with a sex offender seeking to be a part of a congregation

 

 

Bethlehem Partnership
by Bonnie Van Overbeke
 

Bright Stars Logo
 

Since 2004 Southwest Association, along with Memorial United Church of Christ in Fitchburg, has had a partnership with Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem.
 

Our goals include increasing awareness and support of Palestinian Christians, praying for and supporting the work of the Lutheran church in Bethlehem, and offering opportunities for people to travel to the Holy Land and meet people whose lives are affected by the ministry of the church. In 2003 a nonprofit organization called Bright Stars of Bethlehem (BSB) was founded to promote and spread the word about the many outreach ministries of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem that work to build hope and a brighter future for Palestine. Bonnie Van Overbeke, former pastor of Memorial UCC, and Nancy Baumgardner, a member of Memorial UCC, became members of Bright Stars of Bethlehem in order to strengthen our partnership by participating with other Christians in a common effort to support the work of the Bethlehem church.

 

Mitri Raheb, pastor of the church in Bethlehem and president of BSB, was at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Conference of the United Church of Christ. He spoke passionately about the lives of his people and the life- giving ministries of Christmas Lutheran Church; he invited us to share in the work of his church as it serves the needs of children, youth, families and the elderly in the community. It is our continued hope that congregations across the Conference will be interested in furthering their understanding of the Palestinian people and the ministry of Christmas Lutheran Church.

 

The season of Advent offers a liturgically appropriate time to remember the people who live in the little town of Bethlehem. We have written a bulletin insert for your use in worship.  If you would like someone to talk with your worship or mission committee or make a presentation to your congregation about this ministry, contact Bonnie Van Overbeke [email protected] or Nancy Baumgardner [email protected]We have a 45-60 minute presentation with video or slides for use with an Adult Education program, women's group, or mission committee. We could provide a mission moment in worship; Bonnie is also available to preach highlighting the work of the Church in Bethlehem. If your church is interested in learning more about trip opportunities, please contact us. With Christ Presbyterian Church in Madison we plan to offer a yearly pilgrimage to the Holy Land focusing on the lives, faith, and work for peace of the people in Palestine and Israel.

 

Jesus is alive in the lives of his people living in Bethlehem. We feel blessed to participate with them in the work of the church through Bright Stars of Bethlehem and we invite you to join us in this ministry.
 
Litany for Advent 

Each 1 Bring 1 - Friend Raising Sunday - Send The Wisconsin Conference Your Church's Story

 

Building on the success of last year's Friend-Raising Weekend, theEach 1 Bring 1 Logo UCC held a  "Each One Bring One  Sunday", Nov. 6, 2011, where UCC members were asked to invite friends and family to join them for worship.

 

Email your reflections to [email protected] or post on our Facebook wall

November 6, 2011

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Association
Media Contacts
 
  

Northeast: 
Bill Clyma
[email protected]
 

Southwest: 
Lois Rosko [email protected]

 

Northwest: 
Mary Jo Laabs
(Newsletter) [email protected]

 

Wendy Dittman
(website)

 [email protected]

 

Southeast: 
Tammy Wallsch [email protected]

 

Conference Events Calendar 

Rev. Bob Mutton Retirement Service
November 17
 

Knock Knock - God's at the Door
November 18-20

 
Jesus Core 
 January 6-8, 2012

 

Church Renewal Program/Five Practices
January 21, 2012 (Kickoff Event)

German Gospel Tour 
 August 7-22, 2012


For a complete listing of our events and committee meetings, please see our calendar.

Registration

Now Open

National Youth Event 2012
 

 


Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN
July 10-13, 2012
Isaiah 43:19 

 

 

More Information

 

 Youth Ministries Coordinator, Lisa Hart will have information about the Wisconsin Youth traveling to the National Youth Event available soon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cell Phone

 

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[email protected] 
608-846-7880
PO Box 435 De Forest, WI  53532