Please join in welcoming Lorraine Brooks to the Missouri Mid-South Conference staff as our temporary staff accountant.  Lorraine comes to us with a wealth of accounting experience in the secular world as well as 15 years of service as the bookkeeper for Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro, California. Lorraine will be working out of the Webster Groves office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8am - 4:30pm. She can be reached at 314-918-2606.    

It's that time of year again!  The Conference office is gearing up to begin the process of obtaining your church's annual people and financial information - known as the Yearbook Reports.  Each church will be receiving forms via email and snail mail from me once they are sent by Cleveland, which should be very soon.  With the forms you'll also receive directions on how to properly complete them and how the forms should be returned to our office.  You will also have the opportunity to enter your church's information directly online into the National database, which is a huge time saver for me and the ladies in Cleveland.  We had a good return on completed forms last year, and it would be even better if the MMSUCC could reach 100% this year.  As always, I'll be available for questions by phone and email.  Thanks in advance for your cooperation and I'll be in touch soon!

Renee

The Eastern Association Program Committee will sponsor a Pastor's Appreciation Luncheon on January 24 from 11:30 to 2:00.  Ebenezer Stone Church in Gerald has graciously offer to host this year event.  This luncheon is for ALL Pastors in the Eastern Association.  Watch for you informational flyer in the mail or via email.  Call Donna Curdt at 636-634-1150 for information and reservations.

Are you, or someone you know, searching for the right internship in 2013 - summer or a year? If so, check out this one from the UCC, today!

Summer Communities of Service (UCC/Alliance of Baptists) 

Ages 21-30.  September 3, 2013 - August 3, 2014
Apply by March 15, 2013

      - Community Living

      - Service-Justice Advocacy Opportunity

      - Leadership Development with Local Congregation

      - Faith Conversations

A national network--Host churches located throughout the United States

Housing, health insurance and small living stipend provided. 
AmeriCorps Education grants available for some positions.    

Questions:  Please contact Rev. Mary Schaller Blaufuss, Executive, UCC Volunteer Ministries at blaufusm@ucc.org or 216-736-3214.

All Things New, Look What God Is Doing is the theme for Outdoor Ministries in 2013. Throughout the course of the 2013 program year, everyone is invited to come and participate in the many different outdoor ministry opportunities provide to for you at Camp MoVal and beyond. New camping programs along with many traditional programs are part of the 2013 schedule to insure that everyone has the opportunity to experience God and Creation in whole new way.

Some of the new programs in 2013 are a Grandparent and Grandchild Camp, three Day Camps in three locations to better serve our whole conference, a social justice camp based on the Hunger Games Series and many other opportunities. Camp and Outdoor Ministry is the a special time and place where all people, young and old from many different places can come together and be part of one community, one family and feel safe in a space where everyone is cared for and loved in Christian Hospitality.

The camp schedule is available on the Conference website, which gives everyone plenty of opportunity in advance to plan for their chance to get away and participate at Camp MoVal or one of our other Outdoor Ministry programs next year. If attending a program is not for you, maybe you would like to volunteer as a counselor, or director or just come and assist for a day, we can always use the extra help. We would not be able to provide the great programs without all of the volunteers that give of their selves and time to make Outdoor Ministry successful.

The camp brochures will be sent out in late January of 2013, be watching for them to arrive. Also, be watching for the launch of our new Camp MoVal website at www.campmoval.org , this will give everyone more up to date information about Camp MoVal and the Outdoor Ministry programs. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Camp MoVal office at 636-583-2730 or email the Director of Outdoor Ministries at jeremy.moval@mmsucc.org. We look forward to serving you at Camp MoVal and the Outdoor Ministries programs. Have a wonderful Holiday Season.

We Need Your Photos for the Music Photo Album   

The creation of a Missouri Mid-South Conference "Music Photo Album" is underway. We are asking each MMS congregation to share 5 random pictures of their church and congregation. To be  easily recognized, send 1 picture of your church sign which includes your church name, and 1 picture of your church building. The other 3 pictures are totally up to you, so your congregation can showcase your church's unique qualities and spirit. The pictures will be arranged randomly in a computer photo album and then put to music. The hope is that this project will be completed by the 2013 Conference Annual Gathering. Currently, only 3 congregations have provided pictures which have been used to create an example video of this project. Anyone can see the short video by following the internet link provided at the bottom of this article. We cannot stress enough that to make this project a success EVERY congregation MUST be represented. Pictures can either be mailed to the Missouri Mid-South Conference office or emailed directly to Rev. Dr. Doug Kaufman. Both the snail mail and email addresses are provided at the end of the video. Please spread the word about this project because we want each MMS church represented.  

Thanks so much! Keep The Faith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32rhDi5-Q7I