gray logoApril 15, 2010
E-Communique
Iowa Conference of the United Church of Christ
Tony StoikDear Friends,

8:45. Thursday night.
 
I just left one of our churches after a 2-hour committee meeting. I'm on my way home. Behind me, in the east, the lights of the last city I drove through are a glow on the horizon. Ahead of me, the memory of an early spring sunset has left a rose-colored stain across the bottom of the western sky. With luck, I'll be home by 10:30. Nine hundred and fifty miles and 65 hours later, the week that began before dawn on Sunday morning when I left for Algona, is finally beginning to wind down.
 
           It's been a long week, but a typical one. Not just for me, but for all the traveling staff of the Iowa Conference. Among the three of us, Ron, Jonna and I provide support for 179 churches and 270 authorized ministers spread out across 56,000 square miles. For Nicole, it's even worse. Her portfolio includes the entire state. All of this makes for long hours and long drives.
 
           I think I speak for all my colleagues, however, when I say that I wouldn't change it for the world. We love this work and we consider it an honor and a privilege to be your conference staff. But as long and hard as we work on your behalf, it is you, the people of our churches and the dedicated, capable and faithful ministers who serve them, that are the real strength of the Iowa Conference. You chop the wood. All we do is hold the lantern.
 
           Keep those axes swinging!
 
Tony Stoik
Associate Conference Minister for Western Iowa

 
Special request from Doug and Liz Searles:
Dear friends and prayer partners:

We write to ask for your special prayers for Poland in your services.

We can only witness and imagine the deep anger and sorrow for the past that already greeted  April 10, the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre of 20,000 Polish nobles, intellectuals, and others. Russia already was being viewed with blame and sometimes even hatred as a result of their responsibility for the massacre. The 2010 event today was to help bind up deep and longstanding wounds. Poles and Russians were hoping to commemorate the tragedy together, with compassion and dignity.

Then the plane crash.  Instead of binding wounds and opening hearts, this day will add another grim chapter to Katyn history and remembrance.

There are too many ironies to mention.  At the last minute, President Lech Kaczynski generously invited many of his closest friends and advisors to come join him on the plane and witness the great and important moment. As a result, every single journalist was bumped to another flight to make room for the dignitaries.

The most important thing in the immediate present is to hold up in prayer the families of the deceased,
Polish people at home and abroad, and those surviving and acting in the Polish government. Will you join
the concert of prayer?

In Poland, there is a full week of mourning.  The churches and town squares already are packed with mourners. Vigils will continue day and night throughout the week. In the streets, the most commonly heard expression is: "Dlacego?" "Why?"

Churches are full, masses for the dead already are in progress, requiems are being broadcast on TV.  So many hearts are heavy and in need of God's healing. Please pray that the Great Consoler will bring peace to the troubled and will enliven minds and spirits with hope and the desire for reconciliation, even in the midst of these trying days.

In the name of the Resurrection and the Life !!
Liz and Doug Searles
Lodz, PL

Help the UCC launch our new internet ad campaign!
We have this invitation from Edwards UCC in Davenport: The April 16 debut of a new video, "The Language of God", is a first for the UCC, relying exclusively on social networking and the church's best communicators, its own members, to spread the message.
 
We're asking you, the members and friends of Edwards UCC, to set aside that morning - April 16 - for unparalleled texting, Twittering, Facebooking and emailing of this new spot.
 
Edwards will have the spot on our website home page just minutes after the National Launch.
 
Please visit our site: www.edwards-ucc.org at launch time Friday and view this exciting new video.
 
Then share it with everyone you know! Thanks to you and countless others, millions will receive a counterculture message about a Stillspeaking God - a word of inclusion, justice and welcome.

Lightning follow-up
You'll be glad to know that our Central City church's insurance is paying for most of the damage to the bell tower after its THIRD lightning strike! 

April 26-28 Congregational Leadership Series
"The Simpler You" is the topic this year at three sites around Iowa, being offered by Grand View University's Center for Renewal.
Augustana College April 26-27
Cedar Rapids April 27-28
Des Moines April 28-29. $125/congregation. 
You can see a YouTube video of the presenter, Bob Sitze, here. Go to our Continuing Education pageto find out more.

Spring Clean-up at Pilgrim Heights
Spring clean-up day is May 7-9 this year.  Meals Provided
(light breakfast, sandwich lunch, and cookout dinner)!
RSVP: by Monday, May 3rd with dietary needs, skills of volunteers, and special or specific project requests, to: (641) 492-6165 or ContactUs@PilgrimHeights.org

Iowa Conference Annual Meeting
LOTS of information is now available on our web page. You can register, look at the list of workshops, see the youth agenda, request childcare, and much more! The Annual Meeting is June 11-12 at Grinnell College; if you register before April 30 you get an early bird discount!

Regional Youth Event
Regional Youth Event, or RYE: 13 weeks and counting! Wouldn't it be great if more of our young people came to know the power of God's love? The theme of RYE is "Agape: God's love for us all!" Send your youth to RYE to further explore this great gift. Great price. Reasonable driving distance. Powerful message. Phenomenal opportunity for youth to network in our great UCC community. It's not too late. Go to the Iowa UCC website, youth page to find registration forms. Contact Nicole Havelkaor call 515-277-6369.