| Contact Info
Jo Ordway
515-277-6369
In this Great Big World, YOU make a difference! I am so thankful for my new position of Office Manager and Assistant to Conference Minister at the Iowa Conference UCC. YOU have been so good to me already, and I have only been here for three weeks! God blessed me ten times over to allow me to work for and with YOU. Please feel free to contact me at jo@ucciaconf.com or call at any time. I look forward to getting to know YOU!
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| Family losses...
Last week, we had asked prayers for two of our UCC familes:
1) Virginia Stiles passed away on Saturday, September 11 and services were performed on Wednesday, September 15.
2) Lynn Butterbrodt's husband Ross passed away on Friday, September 10 and services were performed on Wednesday, September 15.
Our prayers and wishes are with you. May you have special memories of your loved ones in your heart forever. |
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A Clergy Day Apart - CANCELLED...
CANCELLED but will be rescheduled - A Clergy Day Apart that was scheduled for September 29th will be rescheduled. We will keep you posted on the new date. |
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Jubilee - September 19th!
Jubilee Sunday is September 19th, part of the Stand Up Against Poverty Weekend.
Jubilee Sunday is an opportunity for communities of faith to focus on the biblical principles of Jubilee and the need for additional debt cancellation for some of the world's most impoverished countries. For more information or to download the 2010 bulletin insert or worship guide, click here. |
| Investing Responsibly...
United Church Funds is hosting an investor conference in Chicago on October 22-23-- a conference designed to strengthen the investment-related confidence of lay leaders (and pastors) in our conference's churches and organizations. The conference begins with plenary speakers and participants' choices of three different workshops from a selection of topics lead by experts in the field.
Registration closes September 20th, so register NOW for UCF's October Investor Conference, Investing Responsibly in Challenging Times. |
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Prayer and Act for Peace...
On September 21st, churches and communities throughout the world will participate in the International Day of Prayer for Peace. The World Council of Churches is encouraging churches to highlight Africa as a thematic focus for 2010 to mirror the focus of the final year of the Decade to Overcome Violence. |
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Eastern Iowa Association meeting...
Reminder that Sunday, September 26th at 3pm, Eastern Iowa Association will meet at the UCC Congregational church in Dubuque for their Fall Association Meeting.
Registration begins at 2:30pm. |
Opportunity to Learn...
*Why the Emergent Church is Good News for Progressive Congregations on September 27th at 7pm (ET). Phil Snider and Emily Bowen, pastors at Brentwood Christian Church in Springfield, Missouri, will offer an introduction to the emergent church and help participants learn how their congregations can experience great hope, encouragement and renewal by embracing the emergent conversation. Registration.
*Church Planting 101 on October 4th at 7pm (ET). This is a 5-week online course led by Rev Cameron Trimble, now the Executive Director of the Center for Progressive Renewal. She most recently served as an advisor to the Congregational Vitality and Discipleship Team of Local Church Ministries for the United Church of Christ, and as Associate Conference Minister of Church Development in the Southeast Conference of the UCC. In her ministry in the national setting, Rev Trimble was responsible for the development of national strategy for birthing new churches. In her conference setting, she directly oversaw the birthing of churches throughout the Southeast Conference. Each setting has given her a unique perspective on the challenges of cultivating leaders equipped to meet the needs of the future of mainline Protestantism. Tuition is only $249, and registration is available now at www.progressiverenewal.org. |
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Fresh ideas for Advent and Christmas...
How can you find fresh ideas and renewed enthusiasm for preaching during this important church season?
The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary presents Online Continuing Education for Pastors and CLPs with lead Dr. Annette Bourland Huizenga, Assistant Professor of New Testament University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. "Immanuel, God is with Us: Preaching Advent and Christmas, Year A", is a six-week online seminar beginning October 4th.
This study focuses on the lectionary Gospel reading for Year A and provides:
* Scholarly input based on recent considerations of Matthew from Dr. Huizenga,
* Sermon and teaching suggestions (including resources from music and the arts), and
* Thought-provoking online discussions with other preachers in the course.
Week 1 (October 4): Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew
Week 2 (October 11): Advent 1
Week 3 (October 18): Advent 2
Week 4 (October 25): Advent 3
Week 5 (November 1): Advent 4
Week 6 (November 8): Christmas Eve/Christmas
Registration Fee: $200.00 Online Learning Certification Fee: $75.00 All participants in this course must participate in our Online Learning Certification Course, an easy introduction to the use of our distance learning technology. If you have already been certified for a previous course or program, you do not need to take this again. Registration deadline - September 27Space is limited. CEUs are available. To register, call Dana Weitz at 563-589-3691 or email UDTSContEd@dbq.edu. |
| Discover and deepen God's presense...
Pause in the midst of your busy life to praise God and renew your call to Christian vocation.
Pilgrimage is a series of three retreats for discovering and deepening our sensitivity to God's presense in our lives, for sharing our journey with others, and for strengthening our discipleship in the world.
WHO: All Welcome
WHEN: Pilgrimage 1 & 3, Fri, Oct. 15th - Sat, Oct. 16th
Pilgrimage 2, Fri, Oct. 15th - Sun, Oct. 17th
FEE: Pilgrimage 1 & 3 -- $65 per person
Pilgrimage 2 -- $130 per person
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Exploring our Call to Youth and Young Adult Ministry
Bring mature dreamers and young visionaries to the Fall gathering of the Central Association to engage in a reflective process facilitated by Rev Nicole Havelka, associate conference minister for youth and young adult ministries of the Iowa Conference UCC.
You'll get to worship, pray and share stories on October 10th with friends in United Church of Christ from the association! Don't miss it! Registration is due by October 6th; send email to Deanna Shorb at shorb@grinnell.edu. |
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Evangelism in the Community E.vent...
This E.vent is specifically designed for the urban/suburban churches of all sizes with an emphasis on letting the smaller membership churches know that there will be workshops that will address their issues, concerns and afford tools for strengthening current and developing new ministries.
Workshops will highlight best practices of urban/suburban churches, provide usable tools that can be implemented immediately and provide engaging learning and networking opportunities for the members of the churches. Facilitators are local church pastors whose congregations are engaged in successful ministries.
This conference will be empowering churches from all across the U.S., so that our churches, our conference and the UCC can grow, Grow, GROW and be the Vital church God is calling it to be today and in the future.
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Senior High Convo...
On November 12-14, there is a Senior High Convo - A Huge Gathering for High School Students of All Denominations at Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells.
Features: praise and worship with the Sidewalk Prophets and speaker Greg Speck.
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United Theological...
Look to United to engage your faith and life this fall!
Featured events are the first three classes of the semester for the Academy for Vital Christianity which focus individually on Christianity, worship, and the Bible:
1) "Narrative Resources for Pastoral Counseling" offered through the Institute for the Support of Pastoral Ministry and led by Christie Cozad Neuger,
2) a Religion and the Arts event honoring former president and emeritus professor of religion, society and the arts Wilson Yates, and
3) Fall Convocation with keynote Peg Chemberlin, executive director, Minnesota Council of Churches. For more information, go to United's Web site, www.unitedseminary.edu. Questions? Contact Renee Flesner at rflesner@unitedseminary.edu or 651.255.6138. |
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Ministries...
You may receive continuous updates from our Global Ministries - Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ by visiting http://www.globalministries.org/
Special dates, events, and a listing of missionaries available for your churches are shared through this website. |
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Go Green...
People of faith across Iowa are caring for God's creation by solving climate change in their own homes and saving money in the process. The 'Cool Congregations' stewardship program's goal is to provide you with the tools you need to make a difference in your homes, congregations, and communities.
Events this fall are in Pella, Iowa City, Cedar Falls, Decorah and Urbandale. To learn more about the events and Go Green ideas, visit www.iowaipl.org/cc_calendar.html. |
| HELP NASHVILLE!
Early in May of this year torrential rains caused massive flooding in the Nashville area. The Long Term Recovery Committee (LTRC) is now moving forward with receiving volunteer work groups to assist with repairing homes in the Nashville area. We are grateful to the Brookmeade UCC for their willingness to provide housing for work groups; additionally, we have access to other housing if Brookmeade is not available in the week a group would like to come and work. Pam Small of Evansville, IN has agreed to serve as our long term volunteer coordinator to register UCC groups.
This is a major effort and currently the Nashville LTRC plans to be at work at least until August 2012. Below is a link to the UCC site that includes information about the floods; and registration information. More than 2,000 families and individuals are in need of assistance to be back in their homes.
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September 17, 2010 
