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Wednesday, February 27, 2013
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Thank you - This communication is made possible by your contributions to
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 The next eHappenings event email
will be sent March 1.
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YEARBOOK REPORTS UPDATE!
If your church plans to have their reports appear in the upcoming 2013 UCC yearbook, your church's information must be entered online through the National database. The deadline is March 1.
Please click here for the directions to complete that process.
If you need the yearbook reports resent, please call me at 314-918-2602 or email renee@mmsucc.org.
Renee
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You Are Invited - Installation of Pastor Kim Brinkmann
St. Mark United Church of Christ and the St. Louis Association of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ invite you to a worship service for the installation of Kim Brinkmann as Pastor.
Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 3:00 PM
St. Mark United Church of Christ
1861 Missouri State Road
Arnold, MO 63010
636-296-6636
www.stmarkucc.org
All clergy are asked to arrive by 2:30 to assemble for the processional and are invited to robe and/or wear red. A reception will follow the service.
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Come and Celebrate Bill Kruel's Ministry at Camp MoVal
 If you have been a camper or guest at Camp MoVal over the last twenty years, at some point you have probably met or been in the presence of Bill Kruel. Bill has been the Caretaker at Camp MoVal since May of 1994 and has been a part of the ministry at Camp MoVal ever since. A celebration has been planned for Bill on March 3, 2013 from 2-4pm at Zion UCC in Union, MO. Come and thank Bill for his service in outdoor ministry and wish him well.
Bill has been on medical leave from Camp MoVal since October 2012 and has been approved for disability. As these events have unfolded, Bill and his family have moved to their river house in Gasconade and are enjoying their time together. If you wish, you may send good wishes to Bill at his new address 365 B, Gasconade, MO 65061.
Please join us to celebrate Bill's ministry on March 3 and please keep Bill and his family in your prayers as they step into their next stage of life.
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Eastern Association Pastor's Luncheon
The Eastern Association hosted 35 clergy at their annual pastor's luncheon. Many thanks to members of Ebenezer (Stone) Church, Gerald who lovingly welcomed us, set a lovely table, and served a delicious luncheon. The two guest speakers presented information about the Islamic faith - it's history, practices, and challenges in this country. Dr. Bahar Bastani, a professor of medicine at St. Louis University School of Medicine, is also active member of St. Louis Muslim community and Imam at St. Louis University Hospital. He shared specifics about the Muslim faith and helped us see similarities and differences with our Christian faith. Rev. Finbarr Dowling, pastor at St. Ignatius parish in Marthasville, talked about the intentional interfaith dialogue that has been on-going for several years between Catholic and Muslim clergy. We are grateful for the spiritual and intellectual insights presented by these guests. They were an inspiration to continue interfaith dialogues in our own communities.
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Church World Service on PBS March 21 in KC Area
The Kansas City Public Television (KCPT) station will air the Visionary program about the work of Church World Service which our CROP walk and other special giving (e.g. Blanket and Tool Sundays) supports! Please use your email or other communication networks to help spread the word to your local churches, CROP walkers and supporters, etc. This will be a great way for folks to see what YOUR congregations as part of Church World Service accomplish and what wonderful work CROP hunger walks support. Thanks! (if your congregations view other PBS stations, you or they can contact their local station to ask them to offer it.)
Here is a description from KCPT:
The new season of The Visionaries will begin airing on KCPT Thursday, March 21 at 8pm. The first and second (second at 8:30pm) episodes of the Visionaries will feature the work of Church World Service, a global humanitarian agency working to eradicate hunger and poverty in the world. Church World Service is a global humanitarian agency supported by 37 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican churches that came together to do what none of them could do alone: deliver relief, provide refugee assistance, respond to disasters, and give people the opportunity to take the lead in addressing their own concerns.
Malnutrition in a Fertile Land - The Visionaries travels to a remote
region in Honduras to showcase Church World Service's work with its
in-country partner, the Mennonite Social Action Commission. One of the
biggest challenges Hondurans face is the lack of food and nutritional
security, which has resulted in chronic malnutrition rates among children
under five as high as 30 percent in some communities. Honduras is the
third poorest country in Central America, with nearly half the population
living on less than two dollars a day. Much of its rural poverty stems
from the mismanagement of its natural resources, which has led to
deforestation and of the contamination its drinking water. In Honduras,
Church World Service works to promote sustainable agriculture and to
educate families about eating healthily and planting family gardens.
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There is an important and powerful progressive Christian movement in America and it includes churches from across many denominations. This movement enlivens congregations and communities and gives witness to God's goodness, justice and grace. Music is an essential element of this movement. The harmonies, rhythms and melodies inspire, express and fuel the movement and its people. The music of the movement includes at least three "canons" - a classical music canon, a spiritual/gospel canon and a contemporary canon. The progressive Christian movement is blessed by its engagement with the full range of these musical canons. This year's Brueggemann and Kulenkamp lectures at Eden Theological Seminary's Spring Convocation will take up the Music of the Movement.
April 2-3, 2013 Join us to think, talk, sing, listen and
celebrate the movement and its music! or contact Kathy Thomas, Coordinator of Events
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 LIFE at Eden Theological Seminary- March 15-16, 2013
Enrich your Lenten Journey with a LIFE retreat in March.
Certificate Course: "Exploring the Presence of God: Thinking Theologically."
Led by Dr. Damayanthai Niles.
Some of the questions we will explore include: What difference does it make how we think about God? Or whether we think about God at all? What difference does it make where we get our ideas?
Or "Jesus Through the Centuries" led by Dr. Travis Ables. This course will examine the way Jesus Christ has been understood throughout history, focusing on depictions of Christ in art, culture, and worship as well as theology. We will discuss how the Christian faith has drawn from many sources in culture to understand the person of Christ, and how this process continues today.
For more information or questions contact Jill Schantz at: Jill.Schantz@eden.edu or to register: Eden.edu <Programs> <Life at Eden>
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 Camp MoVal Lenten Work Day Come join us for our annual Lenten Work Day at Camp MoVal on March 23 from 9am to 3pm. Work projects will include general site cleanup, pool cleaning, cutting and splitting firewood, screen repair, maintenance building cleanup and organization, trail maintenance and much more. All are welcome to come and participate, please make sure that anyone under 18 comes with an adult chaperone. We also ask that you please let the MoVal office know in advance of your attendance to make sure we have enough food for all of our volunteers and so we can plan an effective and efficient work day. I thank you in advance for your support of Camp MoVal and our Outdoor Ministry programs. It is your support that makes our ministry possible. To confirm your presence at the Lenten work day, please email Jeremy Force or call the Camp Office at 636-583-2730. |
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Called To Serve?
Find opportunities online. Search by keyword, Conference, or type of position: Volunteer - Missionary - Musician - Summer camp staff - Pastorate - Chaplaincy. The Spirit moves in many directions! Take a look! http://oppsearch.ucc.org
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MISSION 4/1 EARTH ALERT...
Official Kick-Off Event of the
Launch of Missouri Interfaith Power & Light
Please join us March 7, 2013 for our official launch at Grace Episcopal Church in Kirkwood, MO. We will be learning how two local congregations "greened" their buildings while celebrating our commitment to being stewards of the Earth. Please RSVP to missouriipl@gmail.com
http://www.moipl.org/index.html |
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Friends of Emmaus "Mission to Mission"
 As many of you know, we are currently in need of new quilters for our Annual Quilt Auction held at Emmaus Homes Marthasville on Sunday May 19. One of our newer donors are the inmates at the Vandalia Missouri Women's Prison. The prison has a Restorative Justice Program the inmates participate in to repay society. It is a unique relationship and we are inspired by their efforts.
The spring festival is a daylong celebration with food and activities and culminates with the famous quilt auction conducted by the Brehe Auction Company. Quilts may be viewed at their website www.breheauction.com. If you know of any other organizations that we can contact regarding donating quilts, please contact Betty Shrum at 636-566-6236 or email her at bkb6699@aol.com.
We appreciate your assistance in helping this worthy fundraising event succeed.
Sincerely,
Betty Shrum
Quilt Auction Chair
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 Now that Lent is underway, take some time to ponder what Jesus means to you.
The Jesus Diaries: Who Jesus Is to Me from The Stillspeaking Writers' Group is a collection of 9 personal essays to guide you on your Lent journey. With relatable themes like "Inconsistent on Jesus," "Not Ashamed of Jesus," "Saved Early by Jesus," "The Giver of Second Chances," "There's Something about Jesus" and more, this 48-page book is also suitable for small-group discussion during Lent.
Click here to download FREE questions for reflection and discussion!
Purchase The Jesus Diaries for just $9.95!
Download our FREE online Lent daily calendar! It's based on Spring Cleaning 2013 Lent Devotionals from The Stillspeaking Writers' Group, but whether or not you were able to get Spring Cleaning before we were "cleaned out," this Lent calendar will creatively nurture your spirit during this holy season.
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St. Louis Association Mission Funds Outreach Application and Criteria
Dear Mission Partners, Congregational Leaders, and Pastors,
 It is pleasure to serve you in supporting your work in caring for those in our community. The Outreach Committee in dialogue with the St. Louis Association Council has new criteria it is using to approve agencies and congregational outreach programs for funding support. Not only will we fund existing mission agencies through our ongoing supporting grants but support new projects for funding through one time grants for initiation of new multi-congregational mission projects.
Think creatively what your congregation can do with other congregations in the St. Louis area to care for others in meaningful ways. The application must be received by April 1st.
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Western Association Annual Business Meeting
The Western Association Annual Business Meeting will be held on Saturday, April 20th, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Ivanhoe United Church of Christ, 6512 Woodson Road, in Raytown, Missouri. The featured speaker for the day will be the Rev. Dr. John H. Thomas, former General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. Dr. Thomas will speak and preach on building covenant relationships, and we will receive a new church, Peace Christian Church UCC/DOC into membership in the Western Association. More information will be forthcoming, but please place that Saturday date on your calendars and we look forward to seeing you in Raytown.
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Send Us Your Photos!
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, less than 20 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.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0oMt9NthQs |
Men's Retreat at Shannondale - May 3 - 5, 2013
Join other men from the Conference for a weekend filled with:
1) Spiritual growth
2) Fellowship
3) Recreation & Fun
4) Great eating
5) Service to the Shannondale community
6) Opportunity to recharge
Click here for the event flyer with additional details.
COST: $60 per person - Includes Lodging & Food
LODGING:
Dormitory-style air-conditioned bedrooms. Please bring your own bedding & pillow. Camp sites & camp sites with electrical hook ups are available.
MEALS:
Meals will be family style at Timber Lodge.
WORK PROJECTS:
Work projects will depend on the number of men & the skills of the men attending. Please let Jonathan know what specific skills you can provide.
Contact Jonathan Jones at (314) 608-0783 or jonathan@jonathanjonesconsulting.com.
$20 deposit is requested by April 21st.
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Women's Retreat, May 3-5, 2013
Meet Me at the Well and Water Our Souls 
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Mission4/1 Earth MMSC Kick-Off Event April 13 & 14 at Shannondale
Mark your calendars and plan to come and participate in the official kick-off celebration of Mission 4/1 Earth 50 Great Days of Engaged Environmental Stewardship on Saturday April 13 and Sunday, April 14, 2013.
Saturday, April 13 (1pm to after dark):
Bluegrass music; BBQ dinner; campfire; crafts that are ecologically friendly; Reps from Dept. of Conservation; demonstrations on things like composting/bee keeping/raised bed gardening/ etc.-all dependent upon who/what is available. For the Booths we want to encourage churches to show what they are doing (prairie restoration; food justice; community gardens; etc); River/Trash clean-up; Shannondale is donating a tree to every congregation.
Sunday, April 14, 2013 (morning)
Worship; the theology of Mission 4/1 Earth; music; Q & A
We are delighted to announce that the MMSC Conference Council indicated its support of the national and conference-wide Mission 4/1 Earth Campaign of our denomination by planning to hold its next regularly scheduled meeting at Shannondale Community Center and Camp on April 12-13. They are planning to participate in this signature kick-off event.
Plan on joining your conference leadership at a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Contact: Dr Marc A. Wessels, Associate Conference Minister, for more information email marc@mmsucc.org
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 Persons In Ministry Retreat
Save the Date
Please mark your calendars for the 2013 Persons In Ministry Retreat, September 16-18 at
The Resort at Port Arrowhead, 3080 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Lake Ozark, MO 65049. The theme of the retreat will be "Honest to God Prayer: Being Still while in Motion" and will be led by Kent Ira Groff.
Kent Ira Groff is a spiritual companion for journeyers and leaders, a retreat director and a writer poet living in Denver, Colorado. Honest to God Prayer is his tenth and newest book. Others include Facing East, Praying West, prayer poems from his time in India, What Would I Believe If I Didn't Believe Anything?: A Handbook for Spiritual Orphans, and Writing Tides, which he uses with classes in Denver prisons.Dr. Groff is founding mentor of Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development, Camp Hill, Pa. With experience as a pastor of congregations, a chaplain, and a seminary teacher, he describes his work as one beggar showing other beggars where to find bread.
Stay tuned for more event details!
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 It's Not Too Late!
Have you considered submitting an oral history for the 50th anniversary Oral History Project? The deadline for video submissions is fast approaching. We have a small team of volunteers who have recorded a number of short videos during the past year, but we may be missing representation from your area of the conference about topics that are important to you. Consider participating in this special project. Read more at http://www.missourimidsouth.org/#!oral-history-project/chnn
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Upcoming Events
(Please see the latest issue of eHappenings for church events)
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Upcoming Conference Minister Preaching
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Part-time Coordinator of Youth & Children's Ministries for Hope Church
Hope United Church of Christ (6273 Eichelberger St., St. Louis, MO 63109) has a part-time opening for a Coordinator of Youth and Children's Ministries. This position averages 10 hours a week (including Sunday) and is under the supervision of the church pastors. The Coordinator of Youth and Children's Ministries, in conjunction with church staff, the Youth and Children's Ministry Team, and church volunteers, will be responsible for the organization of a comprehensive ministry program for children birth - 18 years. Qualification requirements include: a high school diploma and previous experience with Christian Education/Sunday School or an educational background. In addition, this position requires excellent communication and organizational skills, basic management skills, the ability to work with children and families of the church and willingness to lead. Satisfactory background check required. Cover letters and resumes are due to the church by March 22nd, attention Search Committee.
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Nurses Needed
Deaconess Parish Nurse Ministries is seeking two professional registered nurses to serve in two UCC congregations in St. Louis. One 10-hour unbenefitted position in UCC church in Maplewood and one
4-hour every Saturday to work in a newly formed clinic at UCC church in North County.
If interested Rev. Donna Pupillo at Deaconess Parish Nurse Ministries 314-918-2596.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marketing and Publishing Assistant Christian publishing house in Webster Groves seeking permanent part-time help (24 hours a week) to: write advertising copy, manage website data and email lists, file and organize paper and electronic files, proofread and create and analyze spreadsheets and work in other aspects of publishing. Excellent writing and organizational skills required; experience in Constant Contact, HTML, Photoshop, and Microsoft Office a plus. Send resume to: Lynne Letchworth, Vice President and Associate Publisher at lletchworth@chalicepress.com by February 8, 2013,or mail to Lynne Letchworth-Job Opening, Chalice Press, 483 E. Lockwood Ave., STE 100, St. Louis, MO 63119. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Church Administrator - Spirit of Hope Metropolitan Community Church - Kansas City, MO Spirit of Hope Metropolitan Community Church in Kansas City, Missouri is seeking candidates for a Church Administrator. We are a 150 member affirming congregation with a specific outreach to the LGBT community. We are looking for an individual with the drive and motivation to facilitate, supervise and provide leadership for the day-to-day operations of the church. This individual will assume administrative responsibilities for the church, including data maintenance and basic bookkeeping functions, as well as provide support and assistance to the Senior Pastor and Board of Directors with community outreach and communications. Appropriate candidates will have prior experience in an administrative field, preferably in a church setting. Candidates should also have prior experience managing, motivating and leading other team members. This is a full-time exempt position, and the individual should specifically be available for work on Sundays. A complete job description is available upon request. Interested candidates should make inquiries and submit a resume (including salary expectations and references) to spiritofhopemcckc@yahoo.com.
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Conference Deacons
 The Conference Deacon program has been in place since September 2011.
The purpose of the Conference Deacon Program is to recruit and commission more than 60 individuals-both lay people and clergy (retired and clergy who are not currently serving in parish positions)-to visit the congregations of the Conference on behalf of the Missouri Mid-South Conference. Our goal is to have the deacons' visit each church assigned in our Conference 2 times a year in order to:
- bring greetings on behalf of the Conference
- offer a word of thanks for OCWM participation
- encourage giving to OCWM and the special offerings of the UCC
- most importantly, build relationships and strengthen the connection between the local and wider church.
This was an ambitious undertaking. Currently we have recruited approximately 35 deacons. Based on the success of this program and the requests from churches not currently assigned a deacon, we hope you will prayerfully consider the importance of this connection between the local and wider church and consider volunteering. If interested, please contact Joyce Bathke by phone at 314-409-2929 or email joyce.bathke@redcross.org .
Click here to visit the Conference website and read the full Conference Deacon program description.
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Contact Us |
Missouri Mid-South Conference United Church of Christ 314-962-8740 or 877-877-5884 |
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