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Thank you - This communication is made possible by your contributions to
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The next eHappenings will be sent on Friday, May 30th. The deadline for submissions is Friday, May 23. Be sure to email your church and organization events to Renee at renee@mmsucc.org.
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If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Philippians 2:2-3
Dear friends and partners in the Gospel,
It is midweek now between the Festival of the Ascension and the Holy Day of Pentecost. I've taken from my closet my only red shirt, and shaken it to make sure the folds have not turned to wrinkles over its long year's rest. The shirt is getting old, but it's still in good condition. I wear it only once a year, on Pentecost Sunday. This year I'm preaching on that day in a church where I served as pastor 40 years ago. 
The current pastor is going on vacation this week. She has thoughtfully offered me the opportunity to enjoy a visit with my old congregation for a Sunday. I will enjoy the day, and not worry too much about the technicalities of my sermon. They are a tolerant group, and they will be in good attendance, because they know that I love them and that I will want to see them, even though I've been to many other sacred places since I was here. Before church starts, if I arrive on time, I may take a walk in the churchyard nearby. If I stand in a certain spot, I can look down the rows of stones and see the names of a host of saints I knew here many years ago.
Pentecost is about the Spirit of Christ that comes to be incarnate in the people, filling our stubborn idiosyncrasies with the capacity to tell a spiritual story and point to a unity that is beyond ourselves and even sometimes seemingly out of character, but can only be experienced within the fellowship. Where it comes from is the mystery that permeates our souls.
May the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.
Allen
Allen Fluent, Acting Conference Minister
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2014 CONFERENCE ANNUAL GATHERING
Our 2014 Conference Annual Gathering (CAG) will be held on June 12-14 (next week!) at the Truman Hotel &  Conference Center in Jefferson City. We will all be gathering for fellowship, worship and yes, some business, too. Several new table vendors are joining us this year and Plowsharing will be in attendance. The bookstore will have many titles available, and see what our CAG store has for sale. Worship will be blending creativity and prayer - what a fabulous combination. Want to know what the Vision Team is up to? Now's your chance. And be sure to register with Renee and Colleen at the hotel for the Saturday faith sharing lunches. And there's so much more we're offering... It is promising to be a great and fulfilling event and we look forward to seeing many of you in Jeff City!
As of Friday, June 6th, no further reports, documents, budgets or other materials will be placed on our website. So if you haven't looked at the CAG materials, we encourage you to visit our website and check out the information that will be covered in Jeff City. Any reports revised after Friday, June 6 will be given to you during registration check-in at the hotel.
In our effort to be a greener Conference, no paper packets will be prepared for attendee's. So bring your laptop, tablet or smart phone to access the reports during the meeting. Or please print the information and bring with you in a binder.
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Bring an Offering!
If you are like many people attending a worship service, you probably come to the experience with a sense of anticipation and awareness of what is going to happen-who the preacher is, special recognitions and rituals, music that inspires and uplifts, communion. However, when it comes to the moment of offering gifts, there is sometimes a "gentle surprise"-perhaps even a fumbling for something to contribute. The Conference Annual Gathering worship team hopes that each worshipper will anticipate joyfully the opportunities to express gratitude for God's many gifts, even as we offer support for significant ministries.
When we gather in Jefferson City in a few days, you are invited to ponder giving in two separate offerings:
Friday evening opening worship offering will be for "Our Church's Wider Mission" (Basic Support). This offering is central to our covenant life. "Our Church's Wider Mission" is the lifeblood of the work we accomplish together in conference, regional and national settings.
Saturday afternoon closing worship offering will be divided between:
Global Ministries - to support our partnerships (for example, Jamaica) and for special projects supported through Global Ministries.
Marshallese Church of Springdale - this congregation recently broke ground for the construction of a much-needed building for worship, fellowship and education.
So, then, as you anticipate attending the Conference Annual Gathering, please also come prepared to bring an offering! And if you are not able to join us in Jefferson City, offerings in support of these ministries can always be sent to the Conference office.
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The Conference Vision Team wants to hear from you!
Vision Team members are making as many opportunities as possible to ask the same questions of everyone in the Conference. If you have not attended a Vision Team Listening Session in the past month or so, this is your chance.
Friday morning breakfast, 7:30 - 8:30 am
Meet us at breakfast for an hour of sharing and dialogue. With encouraging feedback received, more listening sessions are planned in the summer - hopefully at a location near you!
The Church Exists for Mission in Jamaica... Guatemala... Mexico... Congo... China... Everywhere
Revitalizing our Conference-wide mission involvement is a goal of many. Join in a discussion about your interests for next steps in global mission
Friday lunch, 12 noon - 1:00pm
Come to the Hotel restaurant for an hour of planning about mission action.
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Mural at Second Congregational UCC in Memphis
The below image is the central panel of a mural depicting the Trinity at Second Congregational United Church of Christ in Memphis, Tennessee. In it, Christ ascended seems wholly complete, having lost the particularity of his earthly form and become a figure of Divine Humanity in God.
Second Congregational UCC occupies a small brick church located across the street from Lemoyne Owen College, a UCC-related historically black college that continues to serve an essential mission of providing quality higher education in the urban context.
Allen
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The Woven Web Or Why Our Church is Autonomous, Yet Connected
Every spider weaves its own web. The web is everything to that spider - its means for survival, its home, shelter, source for meals, etc. The spider when creating the web, first sends out a spinner-thread, catches a breeze and aims for a solid surface in which to land and attach that thread. Once attached, the next thread must be attached at another solid point and so on. Where would the spider be if that web were not attached to something firm and rooted?
Once the web is woven, the spider can sense web movement acutely. Yet it knows the difference between when the  web is lifted by the wind and when an insect gets caught in the web. It can sense the size of the insect; and when there is a larger (a person?) danger to the web.
Our churches are like the spider's web: each church is unique - it has its own life, style and membership. Yet the congregation's "web" is attached to rooted surfaces - it must be in order to achieve what it needs. Like a web, it is interconnected to the community, other churches, the Association the Conference, and the denomination. When it is not, far less "nutrition" comes its way, attachments become fragile, and the possibility of damaging winds always lingers.
While each of our churches is autonomous, each gains from its interconnectedness - through resources, mission partners, collective projects, support in times of transition and financial need, not to mention the larger family of faith which can do so much more when it works together. Most importantly our Church is firmly connected to our Firm Foundation -Jesus Christ our Lord.
What are some of the connecting points of your congregation?
Jan Aerie,
jan@mmsucc.org 314-918-2601
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Installation Service for Rev. Mauri Peaco
Good Shepherd
United Church of Christ
invites you to the Installation Service of the
Reverend Mauri Peaco as theirPastor & Teacher
Sunday, June 8, 2014
3:00 p.m.
3115 Elm Street
St. Charles, MO 63301
www.goodshepherducc.net
Jan Aerie, Minister of Strategic Innovation,
Missouri Mid-South Conference, preaching.
Clergy are invited to robe (red)and join the processional
Please stay for cake, coffee and fellowshipafter the service.
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Health and Wellness - June Tip Sheet
Wear Blue! It is Men's Health Month - a time to heighten awareness of preventable health problems and encouragement for early detection and treatment of diseases that affect men and boys. Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries joins the work to make men and boys healthier. Do you know that men die higher rates than women from the top ten causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and strokes. One of the issues is that men tend to avoid screenings and delay treatment. However there are simple steps that men (and women can encourage) to take to make their lives healthier. First, get the proper annual screenings for testicular and prostate cancer. A primary care physician can provide proper screenings at the right age. Spouses and partners can encourage screenings be done on a regular basis. Secondly, know your numbers - blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and heart rate. Knowing what your numbers are and having routine screening can prevent and early treat many problems. Faith Community Nurses can and do provide these simple screenings. Thirdly, move more and lose the stress. In these beautiful June days and nights, it is easy to find the place to walk and enjoy the day with another. Talking and walking can provide an outlet for the day to day stress that occurs. Moving just 30 minutes a day and talking with another about the day's events can decrease the stress and add years to one's life. For more tips and how a faith community nurse can help with celebrating Men's health month, contact Rev. Donna Pupillo, at dsmith-pupillo@eden.edu
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Illinois South Conference Clergy Day
All Missouri Mid-South clergy are encouraged to attend the Illinois South Conference Clergy Day - A Gathering of Authorized Ministers. Open to all Ordained, Licensed, Retired, Active clergy. The event will be held on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Zion UCC, New Baden, IL.
Topics will include: Constructing a 21st Century Theology with Professor Damayanthi Niles, Professor of Constructive Theology from Eden Theological Seminary; and Ministry Matters, Ministerial Excellence, Support and Authorization Team (MESA) Information about The Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers and the New Ministerial Profile.
Please see the event flyer to register and other details.
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Update on Colleen, our Office Assistant
As you may remember, we announced two weeks ago that Colleen Bender had accepted another job and would be leaving us. Well, there's been a change of plans and now Colleen has decided to stay on at our Conference office! She'll be with us at CAG helping with registration, so please stop by and introduce yourself if you haven't already met. It's always nice to put a face with the voice you hear on the phone. So "welcome back" Colleen!!!
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Ordination Service for Dana Schindler
The St. Louis Association
of the Missouri Mid-South Conference
of the United Church of Christ
and Eden United Church of Christ
cordially invite your presence to the ordination of
Dana L. Schindler
to the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament
on
Sunday, June 22, 2014, at 3:00 p.m.
Eden United Church of Christ
8920 Eden Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63123
All clergy are asked to arrive by 2:30to assemble for the processional
and are invited to robe and or wear red.
A reception will follow the service
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Our Amazing Congregations
Telling the Good News is what we are about as Christians. We also know that everyone loves a story. This new and regular feature of the e-courier will tell Good News stories of our MMS congregations. These remarkable and not-so-remarkable acts of faith will inspire you. We also want to hear and share your stories. Send your amazing congregation's story to Colleen Bender at our Conference office: colleen@mmsucc.org
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The Country Church that is Going to Town
As we move into Pentecost, it is an especially joyful time for St John's, Bem, MO Church, as the power of God's Holy Spirit is very evident in this place, filling us up and enabling us to work toward realizing God's Kingdom even  more, right here in Bem.
There are many exciting endeavors taking place, and one of those has been in our music program. For many years, we expected our church organist to do two jobs- organist and choir director. This has been a great expectation, and had been met with limited success. But this past fall, we decided to take a leap of faith and hire a temporary choir director. One of our expectations for that position was that the choir director put together a Christmas Cantata for our congregation; an offering we have not had in a long while. We enjoyed a moving cantata offered to God's glory, which was well-received. The congregation was so moved by that season of special music that the congregation contracted with her for the spring as well. On April 27 another special cantata was enjoyed, celebrating the resurrection.
This has sparked a renewed interest in music at Bem Church, and one of our members is currently organizing special music for each Sunday during the summer. Bem Church members and friends are coming forward to get on the schedule for solos, duets, instrumentals and other offerings. As we go through summer and head into the fall, we anticipate an increase in ways that we worship through music; and are even looking into purchasing a "Clavinova" for use in worship!
Bem Church is also reaching beyond its walls. This June the congergation will sponsor a second trip to Chiapas, Mexico to participate in mission work with INESIN, our mission partner through Global Ministries. Last fall, a delegation of 10 people from three Missouri Mid-South Conference congregations traveled to Mexico. This time, the church is sponsoring a delegation of 12 people from six different churches!
Bem Church is..."the Country Church that is Going to Town!"
For more information, look at the Conference Annual Gathering, or on the church's website http://www.bemchurch.com/ about future plans for our Conference relationship with Chiapas.
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The Process of Miracles
At times, miracles occur over a continuum of time. Something starts momentum which builds and builds. Your giving each week in worship starts a movement each and every week - just as it is said the flutter of a butterfly's wings create movement halfway around the world. Like these miracles: 
Some children attend church with their parents for many years. The call to mission or ministry is known early for a few of these children. Several of our Conference college graduates have gone into global mission and ministry because of their learning over the years in the church.
The Conference Annual Gathering (CAG) will be held in ten days. Much behind-the-scenes work has been done by volunteers and staff over the past year to plan and prepare for this important weekend.
New models for pastors' transitions is being explored in Conferences and nationally in the UCC.
Our Church Works Miracles!
OCWM: creating miracles every Day.
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Prayer Time
We, as a Conference, are finding new ways to be prayerfully mindful of each other. We are also building and deepening our relationships. This new feature which will appear in the eCourier weekly, is one way of attaining this goal. Each week three (in random order) congregations, their pastors and other clergy, will be named, inviting your prayers during the week. We will rotate through the entire list of churches and clergy in one year. Please join us and share with others in the power of collective prayer.
Prayers for June 8 - 14, 2014
Churches
Columbia UCC, Columbia, MO
Eden UCC, St Louis MO
Country Club UCC, Kansas City, MO
Retired Clergy
Rev. W. Dale Starr
Rev. Jack Seville
Rev. Robert Cantrell
Rev. Armin Klemme
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Christianson Native Craft Workshop at Shannondale
Now in its 40th year, this exciting event offer hands-on folk art, craft experiences, and demonstrations in a family-  oriented setting. The workshop has given hundreds of persons, young and old, a chance to learn talents in an Ozark forest setting and take home beautifully handcrafted items. Classes are held at Shannondale Community Center's Timber Lodge, our very own UCC haven. The workshop will be held on July 27 - August 1, 2014 - be sure to register soon.
For more information, contact Phil and Judy Jones at 618-493-6371 or email cncwdirector@gmail.com. Visit the craft website for even more info! Brochure 1, Brochure 2, Registration form.
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eHappenings Date Correction
June 8, Organ Recital, 4 pm
Dr. Raymond Landis, Director of Music at First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, will perform a recital commemorating the 20th anniversary of First Church's Casavant pipe organ.The organ was given to First Church by Jan and Katy Ver Hagen in memory of their Son, David. Music will include works by Bach (Trio Sonata in Eb and the Passacaglia and Fugue), Franck (Cantabile), Gigout (Toccata in B minor), Messiaen (Outburst of Joy), and Bolcom (Sweet Hour of Prayer). For more information call 314-962-0475. The concert's free will offering will jointly benefit the Music Ministry of First Church, and the Sunshine Cultural Arts Center in East St. Louis. There will be a reception following the concert.
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Employment postings will run for one month, unless otherwise specified.
Director of Admissions at Eden Seminary, 6/4/14
The Director will oversee the student recruitment and admissions process for all degree programs. The Director of Admissions will be responsible for developing a pool of prospective students, assisting prospective students through the discernment process leading to an application and helping admitted students make the transition to enrollment. Preference will be given to candidates who have a theological education and experience in admissions. The search will commence immediately and continue until the position is filled.
A résumé, a cover letter expressing interest in the position and detailing relevant professional experience should be sent to: Office of the President, Eden Theological Seminary, 475 East Lockwood Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 63119. Electronic submissions will be accepted. Email to: dstauffer@eden.edu
Part-time Child Care Provider at Parkway UCC, 6/4/14
Parkway United Church of Christ seeks part-time childcare provider for infants to two years of age during Sunday services 8:45am to 12:15pm and Wednesday evenings for choir practice. Other special holiday events and meetings may be included in job description. Applicant should be a mature, responsible, and caring individual and certified in Infant CPR training, or agree to take the training for certification at the expense of Parkway UCC within two months of employment. Applicant must agree to submit to a background check and complete Personal Disclosure Form. If interested, please submit resume to Carol Cobb, CE Convener @ Parkway UCC 2841 N. Ballas, Town and Country, Missouri 63131 or employment@parkwayucc.org
Administrative Assistant at Eden Seminary, 6/4/14
Eden Theological Seminary is seeking an Administrative Assistant for its Advancement Office. This position reports to the Vice President for Advancement and serves the Advancement Office as a whole. Duties include processing donations, preparing correspondence, maintaining files, updating database records, coordinating production of mailings, managing office activities, processing travel and purchasing paperwork, and serving as a receptionist for the office. The successful candidate will have a proven track record in an administrative position, preferably in a not-for-profit fundraising office, along with proficiency in Microsoft Office and database software. Please send resume and cover letter to: Advancement Office, Eden Theological Seminary, 475 East Lockwood Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63119. Electronic submissions will be accepted. Email to advancement@eden.edu
Chaplain at Cape Albeon, 5/21/14
Cape Albeon is seeking a part time chaplain, 20 hours per week. For further information and to apply, please contact Carol DiSanza at cdisanza@standrews1.com.
Faith Community Nurse at St Peters Evangelical UCC, 5/7/2014
St. Peters Evangelical UCC, a church in North County, is seeking someone to work with the congregation and clinic every other Saturday. 3 years of experience as registered nurse in either home health, public health or community health preferred. 22 hours per week. Send resume to dpupillo@faithnurses.org.
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Contact Us
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Missouri Mid-South Conference United Church of Christ 314-962-8740 or 877-877-5884 Email renee@mmsucc.org to submit information for a future issue. Not all submissions may be used in future eCouriers. |
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