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Wednesday, January 22, 2014
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Around Your Conference

Allen's Message to You  

 
Dear Friends and Colleagues,

            A little over a year ago, I began hearing from friends in the "Dismantling Racism" group that meets at Kirkwood UCC about a book called The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander.  Several members of the group had read the book and been engaged in a discussion of its contents.  Then, early this year, I began seeing messages from staff in other UCC conferences, describing the profound conversations taking place among church people who had read the book and were beginning to form resolutions to be brought before our General Synod concerning the forms of structural racism that continue to persist in American society.   Alexander, a professor of law at Ohio State University, states her essential thesis in these words:

 

What has changed since the collapse of Jim Crow has less to do with the basic structure of our society than with the language we use to justify it.  In the era of colorblindness, it is no longer socially permissible to use race, explicitly, as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt.  So we don't.  Rather than rely on race, we use our criminal justioce system to label people of color "criminals" and then engage in all the practices we supposedly left behind.  Today it is perfectly legal to discriminate against criminals in nearly all the ways that it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans.  Once you're labeled a felon, the old forms of discrimination - employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, denial of educational opportunity, denial of food stamps and other public benefits, and exclusion from jury service - are suddenly legal.  As a criminal, you have scarcely more rights, and arguably less respect, than a black man living in Alabama at the height of Jim Crow.  We have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.  (p. 2)

 

            It would be surprising if all of us agreed with the image portrayed in these words.  People reading books of social commentary inevitably bring our own background of beliefs, viewpoints and values to it.  That's why talking about such topics is important.  Like many of you this past Sunday, I enjoyed the hymns of liberation that have become a common component of MLK, Jr. Sunday worship in our churches ("We shall overcome," "Lift every voice and sing").  While we still have the melodies in our ears, now would be a good time to renew our commitment to racial justice and reconciliation, decide to read a book, participate in a discussion, join an advocacy effort, or pray for the beloved community.  If you're looking for a place to start, reading The New Jim Crow might be a good beginning place, then talk about it.

 

            May Martin's faith in a love that casts out fear be a known reality of your life.

 

Allen

Allen M. Fluent, Acting Conference Minister

Boundary Training at Eden Seminary, 2/14/14

A boundary training workshop, "Creating Healthy Relationships in Ministry," will be facilitated by Ms. Jane Porchey and Rev. Bruce Moeller on Friday, February 14, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm in Room 200 in the Press Building on Eden's campus. There will be a lunch break from noon to 1 pm; lunch is on your own.  The registration fee is $50.

To register, please contact Ms. Chris Davis at 314-918-2547 or email

[email protected]

 

NOTE: The 2014 MMSUCC boundary training schedule will soon be shared on our website and in the eCourier.  The committee is meeting this weekend to determine dates, times and locations.  Once confirmed, the information will be shared.   

Listen to the Voices

 

Our home neighborhood is in the midst of being rebuilt. Often we awaken to the sounds of workers, equipment, and trucks. These sounds mean growth, excitement and transformation to our community. They are welcome sounds, but a little too early sometimes.  Listening is an essential part of relating and understanding, of course. Yet it is many times the half of communication that is not done very well.  

 

Listening to the voices of many is key to the growth and development of our Conference today. Seventy-eight listening interviews have been conducted with individuals throughout the Conference during the last five months. I will be sharing the key points from these interviews with you in the coming four weeks. They will shape our action planning in the coming months.  

 

Communication was the most frequently named area of importance by 74 of 78 interviewees - or 95%. Transparent, consistent and intentional communication was cited as essential for staying connected in ministry. Individuals stated not only should important events, opportunities and dates be shared, but also inspirational news - communiqu�s celebrating and reflecting faith stories, the work of vital churches and the joys and concerns of individuals and congregations.  

 

The Conference staff has listened and heard how important communication is to you. Therefore, a new communication plan has been developed and is in the process of being implemented. Watch for new ways, new looks and more listening! Has your voice been heard?

 
Jan Aerie, [email protected], 314.918.2601
It's UCC Yearbook Time - UPDATE!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen...it's that time of year again.  Be on the lookout for your church's annual yearbook reports soon!  All necessary forms and instructions will be emailed to most churches (a few will be snail-mailed) by the end of this week or early next.  The yearbook email will be sent to the main church email address, in addition to any other emails we have in our database.  Upon receiving the information please forward to the appropriate person at your church as soon as possible for completion, whether it's the treasurer, administrative personnel, council president, pastor, etc.  UPDATE:  If your church has NOT received an email/snail mail from myself or Colleen Bender by Wednesday, January 29, please contact meWe're running a bit behind with emailing due to me being hit with the flu late last week and another round of snow earlier this week, but the reports will soon be on their way. 

I look forward to working with our local churches again this year during this process.  I'm sure I'll be speaking with many of you on the phone or via email.  If you have question - ask me!  That's why I'm here.  I may not have the correct answer, but together we can figure it out (and always with a little help from our wonderful and very knowledgeable friends in Cleveland - they know everything!). 

Thank you in advance and let's strive for the MMS Conference having a 100% return rate on Yearbook Reports! 

Renee
2014 Conference Youth Event

The 2014 Conference Youth Event will be held on February 15-17 at Camp MoVal.  The theme is "Pray, Play and Stay Together: In God's Embrace."  The youth will connect with God in nature and fellowship, hang out with friends, experience cool workshops, enjoy awesome games and share their gifts with others.  The cost of registration is $120 and is open to grades 9-12.  Click here for further information and keep watching the eCourier for new updates!  Be sure your church is represented at the 2014 event, show your youth spirit!!! 

 

Rev. Polly McWilliams Installation 

 

The Eastern Association

of the Missouri Mid-South Conference

of the United Church of Christ

and Grace United Church of Christ

invite you to a service of worship and installation

Rev. Polly McWilliams as our pastor and teacher

 

Sunday, 2 February 2014 at 3 p.m.

Grace UCC is located at 8326 Mexico Road

St. Peter's Missouri 63376

 

Rev. Heather Arcovich, preaching

Clergy are invited to robe with red stoles and

join the procession.

 

Reception to follow...

 

For further information, contact Grace UCC

Phone: 636-240-5856

Website: wearegraceucc.org 

FaceBook: Grace UCC O'Fallon

Twitter: O'Fallon@WeAreGraceUCC

Congregational Disaster Readiness Coordinator Training - March 28-29, 2014

 

The Faith-Based Organization Disaster Initiative Committee of the Governor's Faith-Based and Community Service Partnership for Disaster Recovery, in conjunction with the Northwest Area Office of the Christian Church of Mid-America, would like to invite you and two members of your congregation to take part in a pilot training program for Congregational Disaster Readiness Coordinators (DRC's).    

 

The pilot training will be held at Broadway Christian Church in Columbia, MO on March 28-29, 2014. Adults and youth willing to help their congregations to take steps to begin or to improve plans for their congregations to survive and serve through a community-wide disaster are encouraged to attend. 

 

Training expenses are being underwritten by grants from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. Your only expenses are your travel and lodging (if needed).  The training will include information on Community Organizations Active in Disaster, Continuity of Operations Planning, and a tabletop exercise!   

 

To register for this training opportunity, please click here.  To download the brochure, please click here.   

 

For more information please contact the NW Area Office of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Mid-America at 816.632.2237 or [email protected]. 

Emmaus Homes Invitation - Mission Camps
 
Are you looking for a new experience where you can help others and feel a sense of fulfillment at the same time?  Emmaus Homes is inviting you to be a Mission Camper and work side by side with their residents and staff.  You can serve by enjoying environmental projects like gardening and landscaping and also work with the residents on their art, recreation or ministry projects.  Your evening at Emmaus Homes might be spent in quiet reflection or enjoying a group activity.  Whatever you choose to do at Emmaus Homes, your participation and service will be greatly appreciated. 

For more information on attending a Mission Camp for youth or adults, please contact Rev. Wendy Jaine Summers, Chaplain and Director for Mission Camps.  Click here for her contact info and a full description of the program.  
Open and Affirming: Blessings on the Way
 

If you are an Open and Affirming congregation, talking about becoming Open and Affirming or thinking about starting the conversation, if you want to explore how to be effective allies, this meeting is for you. Come be in conversation with others, learn what it means to be Open and Affirming and how to fully express extravagant welcome to all God's children.  If this sounds of interest to you and/or your church, join the Gateway ONA on Saturday, February 22 at First Congregational in Webster Groves at 10 am.   

 

Registration $15 per person/includes lunch or $75 per church with 5 or more attending.  The keynote address will be presented by Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson.  She is a spiritual leader, pastor, mentor and community builder who currently serves as the Gathering pastor of Extravagance UCC and the Carpenter Pastor and Teacher at Bright Divinity School, Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth Texas.

 

Also available - Workshops around various issues and concerns including: Initiating ONA Conversations;  Biblical Perspectives;  the ONA Process; Transgender; Youth, GLBT Legal Issues; Bisexuality; Advocacy...and Featuring Resources; Resource People; Displays, Fellowship, Food, and Fun!

 

Click here for more information and the registration form.  Deadline for registrations is February 20th! 

Donations Request for PET International and Dr. Anil Henry

Sisters & Brothers in Christ, Greetings!

 

In the summer of 2012, Columbia UCC had the joyful and inspiring privilege of meeting and hearing from Dr. Anil Henry of Mungeli Hospital in India.

 

One of our members was so engaged by the story of Dr. Henry's work that she spoke to the local branch of PET International (www.petinternational.org), which makes and distributes Personal Energy Transportation devices (hand-cranked carts) for those with mobility limitations living in impoverished areas.

 

Excited by the opportunity to expand their outreach, PET International agreed to donate 180 PET devices to Mungeli Hospital; Dr. Henry is ready to receive and distribute them.  This fills a shipping container going by sea to the port of Chennai, India, then transported overland to Mungeli.

 

Dr. Henry is able to fund, through donations, the overland transportation in India.  We need to raise about $4,407.00 to cover shipping by sea, so Dr. Henry can receive the PET devices and distribute them to those in need.

 

Working with Rev. Dale Parson, Associate Minister of the Missouri Mid-South Conference UCC, we decided to contact Dr. Henry's supporters and friends, particularly those he met during his 2012 visit.

 

We invite members of the Missouri Mid-South Conference to make a contribution toward the ocean-shipping cost of $4,407.00.  We hope to receive all donations by the beginning of March.

 

Columbia UCC will receive and hold all contributions in a designated account, and write one check for the cost of shipping.  We will also record and share with Dr. Henry the names of individual and congregational contributors, and publicly acknowledge this partnership effort.

 

I would be happy to answer questions via email, and I look forward to the successful completion of this great cooperative work.  I hope that you and your congregation will be part of it!

 

With peace and joy,

 

Rev. Steven E. Swope

Pastor, Columbia UCC 

SLA Ministerium Schedule for 2014

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The SLA Ministerium will meet on the following days in 2014 - Wednesdays from 10-11:30am, however May is an evening meeting. 

 

February 12 - 'Love's Moral Framework', Prince of Peace UCC (host: Lois Yatzeck)

March 12 - Every Child's Hope (host: Julie Jennings)

April 9 - Joint Neighborhood Ministries, Epiphany UCC(host:Mary Albert)

May 14 (evening) - Neighborhood Houses at Caroline Mission (host: Darlene Sowell)

June 11 - St John's Community Services (host: Johnniest Henry) 

July 9 - Isaiah 58 (host: Brenda Booth)

August 13 - Doorways (host: Justine Craig-Meyer)

 

For further information about the St. Louis Association Ministerium, please contact Rev. Kevin Cameron at Parkway UCC.  314-872-9330 or [email protected].   

Get Real, Finding Your True Self in Jesus at Camp Moval  

The 2014 Outdoor Ministry theme is "Get Real, Finding Your True Self in Jesus." Campers and participants will explore the teachings of Jesus and how Jesus himself is a role model and what it means to be a true friend. Please see the Outdoor Ministry Program Schedule - use it to plan your summer and how you would like to spend this upcoming summer at Camp MoVal.

 

The camp brochure will be mailed to campers and churches in mid-January and registration will start February 1. Please do not forget about our new age group bracketing and age relevance for attending programs. Starting in 2014, grade level requirement will be the grade campers are going into. We know that for many years this has been a confusing issue and we want to use standard approach to grade levels. There will also be a transition in the summer of 2014 for high school seniors as we create new programs for college students and young adults.

Also, do not forget that Camp MoVal will be going through the accreditation process with the American Camp Association during the summer of 2014. Camp MoVal is also looking for a variety of qualified staff to fill its summer camp staff positions.  If interested or need more information, please contact Jeremy Force, Outdoor Ministry Director.

 

There are still some available dates if you would like to have someone from Camp MoVal come and share with your church, cluster or association. If you would like to schedule a visit or have any questions, please call the camp office 636-583-2730. You can also find us on the web at www.campmoval.org or follow us on Facebook. 

Unique Miracles

 

Each and every snowflake is unique. So is every miracle. It is not possible for us to imagine or create a miracle, but we can be a part of one or many! Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) miracles are unique in so many ways:

  •  Books were supplied for a young seminary student in Lesotho, South Africa, who was just ordained to her first parish.
  •  A clickable online map allows us to search and view locations of all the churches in the Conference.
  • Grants come back to our Conference to local church community projects, and individuals in need.
Our Church Works Miracles!
  OCWM: creating miracles every day.
Monthly Health and Wellness Tip Sheet - January

Each month we will share an article from the Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries, courtesy of Rev. Donna Pupillo.  The topics range from preventing heart disease to recognizing the signs of alcoholism.  Each article contains many helpful suggestions and preventative measures which you can incorporate TODAY to begin living a healthier, happier and longer life.  And to learn more about each topic or for further information, you may contact Donna directly.  Strive to make 2014 your healthiest year ever - mentally, spiritually and physically.  We hope you enjoy this year-long series of articles. Here's to the start of a great year!

JANUARY - At the beginning of each New Year, countless people make New Year's resolutions to improve their health. Some resolve to lose a few extra pounds. Others want to add exercise into their daily routine. But not too many weeks pass, and the resolutions made for a healthier lifestyle are broken. Old habits die hard, or at least that is how the saying goes.

 

Instead join Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries in celebrating "Healthy Weight and Lifestyle" Month. Healthy Weight and Lifestyle celebration is a welcome antidote to the dieting and binging that typically starts the New Year. It focuses on 3 Healthy Living Tips, which are easy to do and help everyone get and stay healthy for a lifetime.

 

First, being active with others in a community, such as a church, mosque or synagogue, promotes relationships that are deep, rich and full of meaning. Loneliness and depression can be lessened by engaging others in a community of faith as you exercise.  Indeed, exercise is more fun when it is done with others. Finding a walking buddy or exercise partner improves the accountable of those who struggle to do exercise alone.  Many communities of faith have ongoing exercise programs such as walking, yoga or arthritis exercise. It is in those programs that people gather together to not only improve their bodies but stimulate their spirits and minds. 

 

Click here to continue the article and for a printable version.          

 

Attention clergy and churches - the Health and Wellness survey we mentioned last week has been postponed until further notice.   

FINAL Reminder - Name Change for Deaconess Parish Nurse Ministries

EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2014, THE DEACONESS PARISH NURSE MINISTRIES IS NOW:

 

Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries - New Name, New Logo!

Please make certain that any listing or reference to our organization January 1, 2014, or after appropriately and  

accurately reflects the new name of the organization.

Church Furnishings Available
 
Church of the Open Door UCC has closed and they have a variety of church furnishings available for free to any church that can make use of them. 

Some of the items include: Contemporary style altar (with paraments for all seasons) and pulpit, altar candlesticks and candle lighters, offering plates, communion ware, and office furniture including a corner computer desk. Some kitchen items are also available, such as silverware, pots and pans.

 

If you're needing or looking for something, please call Susan King Forbes at 314-605-6671, she might just have it!  If you know of another church that might need any of these items, please let us know.   
Quotes for Your Week - All Different, All One

We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same. 
- Anne Frank

Freedom is the right to live as we wish.  
[and freedom is equally the right of others to live as they wish] 
- Epictetus

Justice means minding one's own business and not meddling with other men's concerns.
- Plato

We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.
- Kofi Annan

We are all different - and we are all one. Take time to understand, and to appreciate.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
   
Employment Opportunities
 
Employment postings will run for one month, unless otherwise specified. 

Music Director, part time, Parkway UCC 

Parkway United Church of Christ, a faithful and progressive, warm and inclusive congregation at Ballas & I-64 seeks a part-time (approx 8 hours/week) Music Director for our Informal Worship Service.  If you feel that we could be a good fit for you and your gifts, please send a cover letter and resume to [email protected] 

by Friday, January 24th and we will send you a job summary. This is a great opportunity! 

 

Secretary, part time, Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries (1/22)  

Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries is looking for a secretary to work in the office 20 hours per week, with no benefits. The person must be reliable, trustworthy and self-directed. Duties include data base management, program and board support, along with day to day operations for the agency. Must have excellent written and oral communications, as well as computer skills in various platforms and programs. If interested, please send a resume to Rev. Donna Pupillo, at [email protected].

 

Conference Quick Links
 
Contact Us

Missouri Mid-South Conference United Church of Christ  314-962-8740 or 877-877-5884  
 
Email [email protected] to submit information for a future issue.  Not all submissions may be used in future eCouriers.