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Wednesday, February 4, 2015
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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, February 13th. Please email your church, organization or agency event to Renee. The deadline for submissions is 8am on 2/11/15.
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Allen's Message to You... And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. Mark 1:39 Dear Friends and Colleagues in the Gospel, Jesus was an exorcist. We may not like it, we certainly don't like talking about it; but there it is, plainly written in the Gospel lessons for this Sunday and last. In the beginning days of his ministry, Jesus did only two things: he proclaimed the message and he cast out demons. The word he preached was clear enough: The time has come. The Realm of God is at hand. Repent and trust this good news (Mk 1:15). Your life will be better if you do, because, if the demons of life are to be driven out, living in anticipation of the Realm of God is a good way to do the driving. The idea of exorcising demons sounds like it comes from a remote, superstitious past. Those who talk about demons afflicting them today are rightfully held suspect, at least until they give some reasonable definition of what they're talking about. We think it may be a bit of bad food, or high fever, or, if extreme, a psychotic episode, perhaps - but surely not an evil spirit. Some of us have realized, after hearing many accounts, that the only people who seem to get afflicted by demons are those who believe in them; so as long as we don't believe we're free of the worry. By and large, this attitude serves us well. Like most people today (except for movie producers), I have no interest in reclaiming the world of demons and devils that once inhabited the collective consciousness of many human communities. I'm interested, though, in some of the strange characteristics of those demons that appear in Mark's first chapter, and wonder if Mark's description of their nature might have some application to religious communities today. For example, I notice that the demons seem to inhabit people who are religious, that they seem to know what they're talking about, that they act as witnesses to Jesus, and that, in spite of such virtues, Jesus wants to silence them. I think I may know some people who resemble that image, so maybe I ought to take this story more seriously than I did at first. How about you? Have you ever known (or been) somebody who knew a lot and recognized Jesus and got the doctrine right but got the spirit wrong? Have you ever cherished a lovely religious memory until it became a witness against a needed change? Have you held in your heart an image of Jesus that was fruitful for you but  excluded others from the Gospel's message? Have you ever searched and stretched the verses of Scripture for texts you could use to prove your point in argument against others? Of course you have! So, regretfully, have I. Celebrate with me, if you will, the day we recognized the demons that possess us still, the things that keep us from advancing God's Realm and finding a new shalom in the company of God's broad family of people. Let us understand one another about this very human sin we hold in common. Then let's work on our demons together, like Christians always should: Repent (that is, turn in humility to God) and trust the good news of God's promised Realm so much that we find ourselves already living within its gracious power. Allen Allen M. Fluent, Acting Conference Minister
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Ordination of Matthew D. Frierdich
The St. Louis Association
of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ
and
St. Lucas United Church of Christ
cordially invite your presence for the ordination of
Matthew D. Frierdich
to the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament
on
Saturday, February 7, 2015, at 2:00 PM
St. Lucas United Church of Christ
11735 Denny Road
Saint Louis, Missouri, 63126
Matthew will serve as chaplain at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Rev. Shelly Tilton from Saguaro Christian Church of Tucson, AZ will offer the sermon.
A reception in the Fellowship Hall will follow.
For clergy: robes and stoles are optional, please plan to gather by 1:30 PM for procession.
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Welcome to Our Newest Staff Member!
Among the most important goals of the Missouri Mid-South Conference is providing a welcoming atmosphere for  people who contact us in person or by telephone and offering effective channels for information about Conference happenings, resources and opportunities. In order to expand our capacities in these areas of our common life, the Executive Committee of the Conference Council authorized the development of a new office staff position that is beginning in February. The new position replaces a part-time position with a 32-hour per week employee, serving as our administrative assistant and receptionist.
We are pleased to announce that Kris Scott has joined our Missouri Mid-South Conference staff in this new position. Kris's first day was Monday, February 2, and has regular office hours from 9 to 4, Monday through Friday. She comes to us with experience in data entry, and customer service, and has worked as an executive assistant and receptionist. Kris is a graduate of Lindbergh High School and has completed coursework at St Louis Community College. By next Monday, Kris will have an email address (kris@mmsucc.org) and her direct phone line is 314-918-2605. We are already enjoying her presence at the office and are also thrilled to have more helpful hands to serve you and our Conference.
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Changes at Our Conference 
This Friday, February 6, our Conference will be undergoing computer/telephone/office changes. A few of us are moving our offices within the Conference, so computer and telephone access will be unavailable for several hours (if not all day) on Friday until those connections are changed, tested and restored. Therefore, you may not be able to leave a phone message or receive an immediate email reply. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience and ask for your patience this Friday. We are hopeful everything should be "back to normal" by Monday. Thank you.
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Annual MMSUCC Women's Retreat
Save the date! The Annual Women's Retreat will be held on May 1-3, 2015, at our own Camp MoVal. This year's theme is "Under the Shelter of God's Wings", with the leaders of Sue Ulmer and Devoree Crist. 
Devoree Crist and Susan Ulmer are spiritual directors in the St. Louis area. They are grateful to share space with five other spiritual directors on the campus of Eden Theological Seminary for the ministry of companioning others in their walk of faith. Their Opening to the Sacred Retreat Ministry has been active for 5 years and includes Rest for Your Soul, Opening to the Sacred Series, Days of Reflection. Calm within Chaos and more. Those who have attended are individual groups, clergy, churches, retirement communities, women's groups and recently Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries. They offer safe space with the Holy and learn ways to be open to the grace of God abundantly and freely given. Both are active members of their congregations, Peace UCC and Webster Groves.
Please click here to view the brochure, which contains a registration form and further information.
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Camp MoVal 2015 Summer Brochures
The 2015 Summer Camp Brochure will soon arrive in your mailbox! Over the next week all of our churches, campers and families should receive their 2015 Summer Camp Catalog. This year's theme is "Power Up, Living in the Spirit". Campers will learn how to live as a follower of Christ powered by the Holy Spirit. Camp MoVal  continues to provide quality Christian education and faith formation, in addition to many camp activities, outdoor education and faith building exercises for all who visit and participate.
New programs for the 2015 season include a camp for college students and young adults during the summer season, along with a winter camp experience for junior and middle school age campers. MoVal prides itself on developing new programs to meet the needs of all. If there is an activity you would like to see added to our program schedule, please let us know.
Camp MoVal is an accredited organization of the American Camp Association. This means Camp MoVal maintains the highest level in camping standards and delivers very high quality programming and ministry in a safe and sacred space. For more information, extra brochures/registration forms, or to volunteer, please contact the camp office at 636-583-2730. You can also visit our website www.campmoval.org, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
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Ordination of Janice Barnes
The St. Louis Association
of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ
and
the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, UCC
cordially invite your presence for the ordination of
Janice Barnes
to the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament
on
Sunday, March 1, 2015, at 3:00 PM
First Congregational Church of Webster Groves
United Church of Christ
10 West Lockwood Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri, 63119
Jan has been called to the pastorate of Trinity United Church of Christ, Saint Louis.
The Rev. Carol Shanks, of Bethany United Church of Christ, Cahokia, Illinois, will offer the sermon.
Music by the First Church Music Ministry and the Rainbow Bluegrass Pickup Band.
A reception in Memorial Hall will follow.
For clergy: Robes and red stoles are encouraged, please plan to gather by 2:30 PM for procession.
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Health and Wellness Tip - Heart Health Month
As an instructor of cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures in the community, I tell the story of how my grandmother and father were resuscitated by family members, only to die of heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Every year, one in four deaths are caused by  heart disease. Women are more likely to delay treatment and subsequently die from a heart attack. This is due to the fact that often the symptoms are different for women than men.
In the course I teach, I stress to the women and men who love them that they can have 21 different symptoms with a heart attack. I remind that in February the American Red Cross has the Red Dress campaign to educate women and the men who love them about the symptoms of heart disease.
Heart disease can often be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Communities, health professionals and families can work together to create opportunities for people to make healthier choices. Click here for complete article.
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The Brown Endowment - Supporting Pastoral Education
If you're a dedicated member of the UCC, active in your local church, and responding to a call to ministry, you may be eligible to become a Brown Scholar. If you're a leader in a regional ministry, your organization may be eligible to receive Brown funds to offer continuing education and ministerial support. If you're preparing for international ministry through Wider Church Ministries of the UCC, you may also be eligible for support from The Brown  Endowment.
In December at the Authorizing Ministry in the 21st Century event (AM21), Nelson Murphy made an announcement about changes in the application process for Brown Scholarships. The intent is to make the funds more widely available and to be consistent with the changes that have taken place in the life of the church related to multiple paths to ordination while honoring the intent of the generous donors, Helen and Richard Brown.
The application process is now open and the deadline for applications is February 15; and all supporting documents must be received by March 2. The Browns were particularly concerned about pastoral leadership from communities of color, so we should be proactive in encouraging all MiDs to apply, but especially persons of color.
The application process is online and can be easily accessed by clicking here, and please click here to view a brochure for further information.
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First Book From FTE and Chalice Press Partnership on Ferguson, Due Out By One-Year Anniversary
The faith-rooted justice work in Ferguson, Missouri, following the tragic shooting death of Michael Brown will be the focus of the first book published in a partnership between Chalice Press and the Forum for Theological  Exploration (FTE). The book is scheduled to be available in July 2015, in time for the one-year anniversary of the event that sparked the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, Associate Dean for Contextual Education and Assistant Professor of Christian Education at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, is writing the first book. An active and visible presence in Ferguson and the St. Louis area since the shooting, Gunning Francis is collecting interviews with faith leaders who have been instrumental in the response in the weeks and months following.
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Church Yearbook Update
All churches have received their yearbook documents via email or snail mail. If your church has NOT received yearbook information, please see the below documents:
IMPORTANT: Several of you have questioned the second page on Form G - Local Church Report regarding the Expenditures section. After sending your inquiries to Cleveland, I was informed yesterday that the Local Church Report should not have had the "Total OCWM (A+B+C)" field listed, therefore, please ignore this one particular entry. All of your church's contributions will be provided to National by our office, which we do each year. So any monies your church has sent to our Conference, whether it be for OCWM, NiN, Strengthen the Church, Christmas Fund, etc., have all been recorded by Lorraine and will be uploaded into the National data hub for you. I hope this helps to clarify your questions, and thank you to those who have been proactive in the yearbook process thus far!
The other question I am being asked is "How do I log into the data hub?" Your User Name is our Conference number, which is 38, followed by your church or pin number. You can find your church/pin number in the MMS Conference directory or UCC Yearbook. The Password is password if you are logging in for the first time, and you will be asked to change it for future log in's. Please refer to the above Church Instructions link to further assist you. And remember there are many great video tutorials available from Cleveland to help you with every step of the yearbook process.
Churches have until March 9th to enter yearbook info into the data hub. If you need our Conference to enter your yearbook information online, your reports must arrive at our office no later than February 27th, which will give me time to enter all of the information.
We hope to see all of our churches participate in this annual reporting process. The National office uses this data to create a variety of statistical documents which are shared across the entire UCC. Thank you in advance for your cooperation - Renee
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"Black Lives Matter" Banners 
LAST CALL - We still have a few banners available to share. If you would like to obtain a banner to display at your church, please email Renee at the Conference office or call her directly at 314-918-2602. The banners are free and being shared on a first come, first served basis - one per church, please.
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Quote for your week... humility
Pride makes us artificial, and humility makes us real.
- Thomas Merton
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Employment postings will run for one month, unless otherwise specified.
Office Administrator/Bookkeeper, Webster Groves Christian Church (DOC), 2/4/2015
This is a part time position (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Tuesday through Friday - 20 hrs per week), at Webster Groves Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 1320 W. Lockwood Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122,
and requires knowledge and facility with bookkeeping procedures and software, website management, Microsoft Office (including Publisher), as well as strong interpersonal and organizational skills, the ability to work with a team, and to keep confidences. Successful candidate will have minimum of Associate degree or comparable experience in accounting/bookkeeping and general office skills. $18-$20 per hour, as per experience. Please send inquiries, resumes and references to jeffmoore@wgcc.org
Church Accompanist/Pianist, Kirkwood UCC, 1/29/2015
The Accompanist will play piano to support ensembles, soloists, and congregational singing during worship; and provide musical interludes throughout the worship service, as needed. S/he will play for all choir rehearsals, and rehearsals with small ensembles and soloists. This individual will prepare music for musical elements of worship services to include the prelude, postlude, offertory, and distribution of elements during communion.
Qualifications:
Experience as a church accompanist; College degree in music is desired.
Proficient in playing the piano and sight reading music.
Proficient in playing choral parts in open score format for rehearsal/teaching purposes.
Ability to work effectively on a team.
Ability to play the organ, a plus.
Ability to transpose or write music, a plus.
Experience working with Directors of Music in a church setting. Please send all inquiries to Donna Bay at donna@kirkwooducc.org. Deadline for submitting resumes is February 3rd.
Chaplain, Cape Albeon, 1/15/2015 For more information, please contact Carol DiSanza, Executive Director at cdisanza@standrews1.com or 636-431-2010.
Administrative Assistant, St. John's UCC, Chesterfield, 1/15/2015
This is a part-time 25-30 hour a week position. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter and go-getter who works effectively on their own as well as part of a team. Great typing, filing, written and verbal communication skills,
along with attention to detail and the ability to multi-task, while remaining calm in varied situations. Experience with Microsoft Office, Planning Center Online and Pro Presenter computer experience highly preferred. Past experience in a church environment preferred. Other duties: Prepare weekly church bulletin. Prepare reports, correspondence, fliers, announcements, and other materials. Maintain membership directory and various email lists. Manage office and order office supplies. Coordinate and schedule volunteers for office and Sunday service. Facilitate Vendor and maintenance personnel for property, equipment repairs, installations, and special events (i.e. wedding parties, picnic and course workshops, retreats and special events.) Other duties as needed.
Resumes only, no calls please. Please submit a job specific cover letter and application to:
stjuccccareers@yahoo.com For more information on St. John's U.C.C. visit us at www.stjohnsuccchesterfield.org
Church Music Director, Friedens UCC, 1/5/2015
Friedens United Church of Christ in St. Charles, MO, is seeking a part-time choir director/organist, and/or contemporary worship leader. Candidate should have a varied music background and experience in both traditional/contemporary worship, but job may be split into two positions. Preferable skills include pipe organ, piano, keyboard. Approximately 10-12 hours per week; salary commensurate with experience. If interested, please e-mail resume to churchadministrator@friedens-ucc.org, or mail to 1703 Old Highway 94 South, St. Charles, MO 63303.
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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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