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Thursday, October 2, 2014
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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 Tuesday, October 14th. Be sure to email your church and organization events to Renee no later than 8am on 10/13.
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Allen's Message to You... 
Allen's weekly message will be suspended for a few weeks while he takes his vacation...
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Monthly Health and Wellness Tip Sheet - October
Did you know that bone and joint conditions are reported by US citizens more frequently than any other health  condition? It is estimated that these conditions occur in nearly one in two people over the age of 18 years of age.
This month Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries wants to raise awareness and encourage people with preventative information and activities as we celebrate Bone and Joint Health Awareness Month.
Today, roughly 48% of the American adult population is affected by some type of bone or joint conditions which are common reasons for chronic pain and disabilities. There are activities that one can do now to prevent problems down the road.
First, losing weight if one is overweight can make a difference in joint wear and tear. It has been demonstrated that the more weight one weighs, the more stress one places on the joints. Losing even a few pounds can make a difference. Faith community nurses work with individuals and groups to lose those few pounds that can make a difference to your joints. Click here to see entire article.
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Fall Men's Retreat at Shannondale, October 10-12
Click here for a printable brochure highlighting the weekend events and schedule for the Men's Retreat.
For further information or questions, and to register please contact Jonathan Jones at 314-608-0783 or via email jonathan@jonathanjonesconsulting.com. Cost: $60 per person, which includes your lodging and food. So what is the purpose of the retreat, and why should I attend?:  Purpose: 1) Spiritual growth 2) Fellowship 3) Recreation & fun 4) Great eating 5) Service to the Shannondale community 6) Opportunity to recharge We hope to see you at Shannondale in Ocotber for the Men's Retreat. Gather a group of guys from your church, work or office, or just a bunch of friends who want to (or maybe need to!) get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and spend a few days getting back to the basics. Back to the basics of God, fellowship and nature. See you in October!
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St. Louis Forum on UCC Marriage Equality Suit - 10/26/14
Because of the historic significance of a lawsuit brought by a mainline denomination against a State, the Missouri Mid-South Conference, the Illinois South Conference and The First Congregatio nal Church of St. Louis have invited Mr. Donald C. Clark, Jr., General Counsel of the United Church of Christ, to be in St. Louis on Sunday afternoon, October 26, 2014. Mr. Clark will present additional information, perspective and analysis regarding the lawsuit and answer questions. The forum will take place in the sanctuary of The First Congregational Church of St. Louis, beginning at 3pm and conclude no later than 5pm, with a reception following in the church's fellowship hall.
Mark your calendars and plan to attend what promises to be a very interesting, informative and spirit filled discussion relating to this prophetic action. No RSVP is necessary but would be appreciated in order to plan appropriately for the event. You may call the church office at 314-721-5060 or send an e-mail message to office@firstcongregational.org. You may also contact me if you have questions prior to the event.
Barnet M. McKee, Attorney for the Missouri Mid-South and Illinois South Conferences
314-361-0800 mike.mckee@charter.net
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United Church of Christ Statistical Profile, Fall 2014
The United Church of Christ is a dynamic, evolving movement of people and institutions across location and time. The contents of this booklet attempt to provide a deeper understanding of this movement, though what is articulated in these pages provides only a narrow view of a much broader landscape.
Statistics-basic numerical facts about a particular organization or body-present specific bits of information to assist humans in illuminating the past, realizing the present, and envisioning the future. As such, this profile provides a general statistical overview of the state of the denomination-past and present-and introduces a new feature, "Reflections," which poses questions for local church leaders to apply this data to their particular contexts, mainly for the purpose of visioning future possibilities. In addition, there are two "Special Report" sections highlighting research conducted in the past year-one on ministerial employment and compensation and the other on new congregations. As always, this report provides a closer look at church location, size, membership, ministerial
demographics, and stewardship and finances. Plus, we've included a statistical summary on the inside back cover for your convenience.
Information for the profile was drawn primarily from data reported through the UCC Data Hub annually for the production of the UCC Yearbook & Directory. Please click here to view the information. We hope you enjoy this edition! The Center for Analytics, Research and Data (CARD)
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Camp MoVal Annual Golf Tournament
Camp MoVal's annual Golf Tournament and Fund Raiser is on Saturday, October 4, with a 1:30 pm shotgun start. The funds raised from this annual event allow Camp MoVal to continually provide scholarships to anyone  interested in participating at the camp and its programs. This event also allows us to invest in making several improvements to our facilities at MoVal. Your continued support of Camp MoVal and Outdoor Ministries is allowing us to be successful in reaching out, providing outdoor opportunities, creating a safe space where all are welcome to participate and providing dynamic and life-changing programs. Please come out on October 4, 2014 and support your outdoor ministries program! You may find the registration information on MoVal's website or click here for event flyer and registration form. You may also call the camp office at 636-583-2730 . Thank you for your support!
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Fall Business Meeting of the St. Louis Association
The Fall Business Meeting of the St. Louis Association will be held on Saturday, October 4, 2014, at St. Paul' s United Church of Christ (Oakville), 5508 Telegraph Road, Saint Louis, Missouri 63129, 314-892-3332. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. Members of St. Paul's United Church of Christ will provide lunch for us as well as tasty treats as we gather in the morning. We have scheduled adjournment for 3:30 p.m.
For details please visit the Conference website for registration and materials.
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Free Grief Conference: The Masculine Side of GriefThis free conference is an opportunity for men and women to understand how values often associated with  traditional masculinity (independence, strength, and action over emotion) impact how men, women and families cope with loss. Speaker, Chris Frey, will explore how the masculine side of grief can bring positive energy to coping with loss, how it can create blocks to grief and how both genders can use creative strategies for healing. Event will be held on October 18, at Mercy Hospital, Von Gontard Conference Center, 615 S. New Ballas Rd., St. Louis, MO 63141. Doors Open for Registration: 8:30 A.M. Registration and Continental Breakfast: 8:30-9:00 A.M.Conference: 9:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M. Please call or e-mail Leslie Peasel at 314-373-7025 or llpeasel@bethesdahealth.org to register the names and phone numbers of each attendee. Consider your voicemail message as an RSVP. You will not receive a return call unless requested. Deadline to register is Friday, October 17. Please register early, as space is limited. Event flyer.
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What Are We Doing in Ferguson?
Your STL Association Council wants you to know that from the very beginning of the events in Ferguson, 
UCC folks have been there offering succor, help where needed and marching for JUSTICE. You may not have been aware of the UCC response yet it has been there. We are very thankful for those who have been there and also for those who have been supporting and praying for our UCC efforts.
We are putting various methods in place, we want you to know that you can contact the Conference office to get on a special mailing list if you want to be directly involved. Some of what we will definitely need is: folks for an advisory board who have had anti-racism/oppression training; folks who may not have had training but have a profound desire for racial healing; and folks who are willing to mobilize for dialogue, marches and other gatherings. If you wish to be involved in either way, please call Josh Gibson, Student Intern, at the Conference office: 314-918-2601 or email josh@mmsucc.org.
Informational flyer Church bulletin insert
-submitted by Rita Hill
Interim President, SLA
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Conference Middle School Event
The Conference Middle School Event will be held November 21st - 22nd at Camp MoVal. All youth in grades 6th - 8th  are invited to attend this awesome retreat along with their adult youth leaders. The fun will start on Friday evening at 7 pm and we will conclude the retreat at 5 pm on Saturday.
Sheltered Reality will be our special guests on Saturday to not only share their music and message with us, but to teach us how to create music together. We will also have plenty of time to enjoy the fun activities of Camp MoVal.
Registration information is available on the Conference website. The deadline to register is November 4th. If you have any questions, please contact Alysha Petry at apetry@zionunion.org or Cathy Pettibone at cathypettibone@gmail.com.
Don't miss out on this great retreat!
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Weekly Prayer Time
Please keep the following churches and clergy in your prayers during this upcoming week:
Prayers for October 5-11, 2014
Churches
St Paul UCC - Hermann, MO
St Peters Evangelical UCC - Billings, MO
Federated UCC - Dawn, MO
Retired Clergy
Rev Harley Krieger
Rev I David Thompson
Rev George Sonneborn
Rev Charles Gackstetter
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Connect with the UCCOSSN
What's the UCCOSSN? The United Church of Christ Office Support Staff Network is available to help bring about dignity, respect, and fair compensation for all United Church of Christ Office Support Staff. So if you work at a church or for an association, you are already a member of our group. Whether you handle the bookkeeping, administration, finances, communications, answer the phone, organize meetings, type memos, or all of the above - either full or part-time, or if you volunteer at your church - you are already a member of our group and we want to connect with YOU! So I invite you to check out our UCCOSSN Facebook page and encourage you to not only Like it, but to follow and watch for daily/weekly postings ranging from inspirational to humorous. I'm posting for the month of October, so be sure to check it out!  We also have a website that offers information about next year's meeting in April, 2015. The site is still in development, but it's online and growing each month. And if a yearly meeting, Facebook page and website weren't enough to hold your interest, the UCCOSSN now also offers a quarterly newsletter featuring articles written by our Communications Team on various subjects. If you'd like your name and email added to the newsletter list, send me an email and I'll get you registered and also send you a copy of our last newsletter from August. As the newly elected Vice Chair of the UCCOSSN, I am proud to represent this group for the United Church of Christ and raise awareness for the work we do each day. Join us and be active within YOUR network! Thanks, Renee
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Vision Team Update
Your Conference Vision Team is eagerly moving forward to offering a complete "future story report" to be received  by the Conference Council and the Conference at large at a forum in the coming few months. The 2020 Vision will be shared in a fun manner, with formal hard copies distributed, along with time for plenty of dialogue and discernment. Vision Team representatives have been in close contract with DCM Search Team representatives who mutually rejoice that the Spirit appears to be bringing us in one accord on both fronts with synchronized timing. We look forward to continued cooperation as God draws us all forward together. As always, feel free to contact me or any Vision Team member if you have questions. Blessed!
Rev. Dr. Paul Koch
Vision Team Chair
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Employment postings will run for one month, unless otherwise specified.
Executive Director, Tall Oaks Conference Center, 9/17/2014
We are looking for a dynamic and dedicated Executive Director who will oversee and lead the operations (budget size of $865,000) and programs of Tall Oaks Camp and Conference Center on a year-round basis. The Executive Director oversees the management of daily functions, program quality, facilities, volunteer and staff development, fundraising and collaborations with community agencies in meeting the needs of its members and program participants. The Executive Director will operate the facility in accordance with the policies, procedures, and standards established by the Regional Board of the Greater Kansas City region, Tall Oaks Ministry Board, and IACCA (International Association of Conference Center Administrators) (see below). This position will involve early morning, weekend, and on-call responsibilities. See full job description here.
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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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