Allen's Message to You  

Dear friends and colleagues,

 

Grace to you and peace!

 

Next week, our Conference will be engaged in prayerful conversations about our life together.  We'll touch upon the sorrows and joys we have experienced, our hopes and dreams, and, most importantly of all, our discernment of the ways that God is calling us in the days to come.  Please notice that these gatherings are not a part of the Vision Team process, which will be holding events in the early part of next year.  Next week's gatherings are for grounding us spiritually, so that we can look into each other's eyes and reclaim our sense of identity as companions on a common journey.

 

We will gather in Washington and in Bem, St Louis City and County, Columbia and Kansas City, in six 90 minute meetings over a period of three days.  We will turn to God together, seek healing in one another's presence, and consider what it means to walk together into a future we still only dimly see but that we know is held precious by God.

                

For me, such conversations are sacred time.  I think of them as worship at its core, and as opportunities to encounter God in the surprising moments of insight that arise in the midst of informal sharing.  In a world where talk is often "made-in-the-media" trivial and communication devolves into talking points and sales pitches, it is deeply satisfying to come together as people who share deep convictions and talk about things that matter most.

                

As we gather, we will be mindful of the work of our individual congregations, living and serving in communities of spiritual hunger and physical and emotional need.  We will remember our wider church family, reaching out in the global context to innocent victims of war and oppression, hunger and homelessness, floods, typhoons and earthquakes.  We'll give thanks that, through our personal efforts, our financial support, our prayers and our testimony, all of us are there (and all of us are also here).  That's what makes it so important that we come together.  We need to see one another, and experience for ourselves the neighborliness of those who share the road.

 

Yours in the fellowship of Christ,

Allen

Allen M. Fluent, Acting Conference Minister

 

Conference Conversations with Allen Fluent, Acting Conference Minister, are scheduled as follows:   Click on each church/location for directions/map:    Tuesday, November 19, at 10 AM, at St. Peter's in Washington  Tuesday, November 19, at 7 PM, at St. John's-Bem in Owensville (dinner at 6 PM-please see below article for specific driving directions)    Wednesday, November 20, at 10 AM, at St. Paul in St Louis city   Wednesday, November 20, at 7 PM, at Parkway in St. Louis county  Thursday, November 21, at 10 AM, at Columbia   Thursday, November 21, at 2:30-4:00 PM, at Salem in Higginsville  Thursday, November 21, at 7 PM, at Country Club Congregational in KC. Friday, November 22, at 9:30-11:00 AM, at Blue Springs Terrace   Please note that an effort has been made to spread these conversations geographically as widely as possible, but some congregations will still find it difficult for their members to attend because of distance.  We specifically invite those in other areas of the conference to contact the Conference office to ask about times when Allen or other members of the staff team can come for a visit or to share in a similar event within your cluster of congregations.

 

Your friends and colleagues of the UCC wish Tommy and Salem UCC peace and joy! 

A Call to Assist Typhoon Haiyan Victims

On November 21, I'll be sleeping on the street to show homeless youth that they're not alone. It will be cold and dark. But for one night, I can give up the comforts of home knowing it can bring warmth and hope to young people who need it most.

Each year 2 million children face homelessness in this country, including more than 2,000 youth sleeping in vacant buildings and under bridges in St. Louis tonight. As the largest service provider to homeless youth in North America, Covenant House does its part to address this issue. Covenant House Missouri (CHMO) is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth in the St. Louis area and beyond. They empower these youth to live independently and become contributing members of our community. This great organization is led by one of our own UCC members, Sue Wagener.

I am participating in the Sleep Out to bring awareness and support to these homeless youth by raising money to help Covenant House continue its life-saving work for these youth who have nowhere else to turn.

Help them by giving to support my effort today.. It is fast and easy - you can make your tax-deductible donation online by simply clicking on this link that will take you to my personal page. If you prefer to send a check, please make it payable to Covenant House Missouri, reference my name and "Sleep Out" in the memo line and mail to: Covenant House Missouri, 2727 N. Kingshighway, St. Louis, MO 63113.

Three United Church of Christ congregations will be hosting this year's Jazz Nativity in the St. Louis/Washington, MO areas: 

• Saturday, December 7th at First Congregational UCC, Webster Groves -7:00pm
• Sunday, December 8th at Parkway UCC, St.Louis County - 2:00pm  
• Saturday, December 14th at St.Peter's UCC, Washington - 7:00 pm (STL poster) 

2014 MMS Conference Directory Updates

Eden Seminary Annual Christmas Concert

The newly-formed group of diverse church leaders, equally distributed from all three associations, has come together in prayer and dialogue to seek God's discernment for our common mutual ministry together in the life of our conference.  Their first meeting was held November 4, with a second planned in December.

Dr. Dick Hamm, our visioning resource leader from The Columbia Partnership, shared that the ultimate question is not "What do we want the Conference to become" but "What do we feel God is calling the Conference to become."  This is why 'discernment' is such an appropriate part of visioning.  For corporations, it is okay to talk about what individuals want them to be; for churches, we need to be discerning what God wants us to be.

 

The team learned from Dr. Hamm the special challenges that exist in middle judicatories, such as Missouri Mid-South Conference, and that are found across all denominations today in this new post-modern era of the Christian Church.  Whether one or a dozen conference ministers and staff are in place, the workload and stresses of an inherited hub-and-spoke model will be insurmountable as we seek to achieve faithful growing and transformation.

Dick Hamm replied that getting folks ready for change is 90% of the battle; while most of us start midstream, with the change and no readiness.  The readiness part is so crucial.  He often counsels folks to not look at one year plans but  5-7 year plans that provide for readiness and that provide the time needed for deeper systemic change. 

 

Hamm distinguishes between technical change and adaptive change.  Technical change is when you address a specific need (put out a fire); adaptive change is when you look at the entire system and come up with a systemic approach.  He also talked about building trust, nurturing faith, and developing the spiritual nature of the body.  He reminded us that this is worshipful work, and not just bureaucratic or administrative work.  An adaptive change will be sought and discerned that includes all ways our congregations, cluster, association, covenanted ministry teams, and faithful folks interact.  

 

The Vision Team looks forward to hosting listening sessions in the early parts of next year to hear all visions and views across the conference.  Keep watching the eCourier for more information!

 

Paul Koch, Chair