|
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you - This communication is made possible by your contributions to
|
The next eHappenings will be sent on Tuesday, March 31st
The deadline for submissions is 3/27/15 at 8am.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Allen's Message to You... Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven! Mark 11:9-10 Blessings to you,
With cloaks and leafy branches, they laid a pathway for a king. It was a mockery, of course, of the triumphal pageants that honored the passage of conquering dignitaries, no more than lesser rulers in a colonial empire, who came as pretenders to the throne of Jerusalem. "We will not need such regal trappings," they were saying. "Our true king will come in on a donkey." It was a gentle protest, but filled with symbolic power.  This first trip in, Jesus came only to have a look around. I wonder if he was still deciding his strategy for the bold demonstration the next day. But he and his followers used the moment, even then, as a time for setting the stage for his protest against the Roman occupation and the collusion of the state religion that supported it. The second visit was more provocative and dangerous than the first, when he came back to disrupt the activity of the Temple officials themselves. Jesus the provocateur is not the figure of much popular devotion, but in the Bible's story this is a crucial moment and a defining action. It gives us pause about the commonplace religion that we practice, so often far removed from the human struggles of our day. The church, at least at the beginning, was a band of people who chose to follow a man of peace who was not afraid to confront and disrupt the false peace and security of his time that concealed the terrible violent and oppressive reality of the colonial empire. He was willing to die for those who suffered under it, and for you and for me. His followers were willing to do that too. At the beginning of this Holy Week, may we remember who this man was, and what he wanted for us all. Allen Allen M. Fluent, Acting Conference Minister
|
Conference Council Nominations Being Accepted
Dear Friends in Christ, The Leadership Development Committee of the MMSUCC wants you to know we have several leadership opportunities available. We ask you, as Conference and Association members and leaders, to help us identify prospects for the following Conference Council seats (three year terms) for election at the June 2015 Conference Annual Gathering: - A. Eastern Association: Two seats
- female layperson
- male layperson
- B. St. Louis Association: One seat
The Conference is seeking a highly qualified, diverse pool of candidates for the limited number of Conference Council positions. Members shall be selected so the Council represents diverse population groups and can bring to its deliberations a variety of points of view and life experiences, as well as access to religious, cultural, educational, civic, business, technology and economic resources. Although the above list indicates layperson or clergy, because we do seek diversity in all things we do, there may be certain individuals who bring needed expertise or gifts to the Conference that take a priority. However, at all times we will maintain equal representation of our Associations. A completed 2015 Prospect Identification form must be submitted to the Conference office: renee@mmsucc.org
or you may fax your form to 314-918-2610 no later than 4 PM, on Friday, March 27, 2015. The form may also be found on the Conference website. Laura Dierberg Ayers Chair, Leadership Development Committee
|
Hello, Henry Heberlie!
 A big congratulations to Leslie Heberlie (who used to worked at our Conference) and her husband, Lucas, on the birth of their first child, Henry Heberlie. Leslie is currently the Director of Communications and Administration with Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis, which is located on the campus of Eden Seminary.
Henry was born Sunday, March 15th at a perfect 7 pounds 11 ounces and 21.25 inches long. What an absolute doll! A note from Leslie: I have been on the receiving end of much goodwill and compassion from the Eden community during my pregnancy. So many folks asked about my baby bump that I got to know wonderful new people at Eden that I didn't know before. I'm so appreciative for the kindness. Congrats again, Leslie - couldn't be happier for you!!! Welcome to the world, Henry!
|
2015 Boundary Training Dates 
Boundary training dates and locations have been determined for two of our Conference associations (Eastern and St. Louis). Please click here for the current schedule and click here for a registration form. This information may also be found on our Conference website.
Additional dates for boundary training will be announced, so please keep watching the eCourier and website for updates.
|
Ordination of Kristin K. Aardema Faigh
The Western Association
of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ
and Zion United Church of Christ Mayview
cordially invite your presence for the Ordination of
Kristin K. Aardema Faigh
to the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament
on Sunday, April 19, 2015, at 3:00pm
at Zion United Church of Christ
105 N. Mary Street
Mayview, MO 64071
Kristin serves currently as Licensed pastor at Zion UCC Mayview. Rev. Dr. Tommy Faris from Salem UCC, Higginsville, MO, will offer the sermon.
For clergy: robes and stoles (red or of multiple color) are encouraged. Please plan to gather by 2:30pm for procession.
|
MMSUCC and Saint Louis Association Sacred Conversations on Race Facilitator Training
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (NRSV): 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Sacred Conversations on Race is a church-wide initiative for United Church of Christ congregations, as we seek to confront racism in our desire to see the Church live and be as one.
Facilitator training for Sacred Conversations on Race is coming! Do you desire to be in sacred conversations about race? Do you feel led to be a facilitator in these conversations? The Missouri Mid-South Conference and Saint Louis Association are hosting a facilitator training retreat for Sacred Conversations on Race during the weekend of April 10-12, 2015. The approximate schedule of the retreat will be Friday the 10th from 5-9PM, Saturday the 11th from 10AM-6PM and Sunday from 2PM-6PM. Facilitator training will be held on the campus of Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, MO.
Please contact Josh Gibson for lodging reservations. The facilitator training is collective, throughout the entire weekend, so attendance all three days is necessary. Leon Sharpe, who has extensive involvement in anti-racism training, will be the trainer. There will be a cost associated with the facilitator training, and scholarships are available. This training is available to lay persons as well as clergy. Please contact Josh Gibson at 314.918.2601 or josh@mmsucc.org if you are interested in becoming a facilitator for Sacred Conversations on Race.
|
Western Association Annual Meeting 
|
Spring Convocation at Eden Theological Seminary
Eden Theological Seminary's Spring Convocation will take place April 7-8, 2015 on Eden's campus at 475 East Lockwood Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119. Christian faith and practice are centered on the table. This year's convocation speakers and events focus on various dimensions of how growing, eating, and sharing food engage with important theological traditions and issues of social justice.
Eden's annual Spring Convocation is an opportunity for pastors and laypeople to listen to and interact with outstanding biblical and theological scholars. We encourage you to attend and reconnect with friends and colleagues while sharing in the community life of Eden Seminary.
When we focus on food we attend to God's creation, ecology, the equitable distribution of resources, our relationships with one another, the diversity of human culture, and the gamut of human experience from great banquets to famine. Food grounds us in what it means to be God's creatures and reminds us of God's earth and God's provision for us. Food connects us with how we create community, in either just or unjust ways.
To go directly to registration www.eden.edu/springconvocation15 . Convocation speakers will be featured on Eden's website www.eden.edu in the days and weeks to come. Please click here for a bulletin insert.
We look forward to seeing you on Eden's campus this spring!
|
MMSUCC Conference Open House, April 7, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
If you are planning to attend Convocation at Eden Seminary, be sure to stop by your MMS Conference office on  Tuesday, April 7 and visit us during our Open House! Our office is conveniently located on the campus of Eden Seminary - lower level of Schultz Hall, 483 E. Lockwood Avenue, Suite 15.
We'll have snacks, soft drinks and plenty of smiles to greet you upon arrival. It's been 4 years since we moved from the "white house" to our new and ever-so-lovely digs in Schultz Hall, so it's the perfect time to take a quick tour if you've never visited us before. We hope to see many familiar faces and also meet some new friends, too. Several members of our Conference staff - Allen, Renee, Lorraine, Josh and Kris - will all be here to greet you. So please visit and allow us the opportunity to tell you how much YOU are appreciated as a member of our Missouri Mid-South Conference!
|
UCC Leaders Journey to Jefferson City for Children on Holy Wednesday
Local UCC clergy and children's mission executives will lead a Deaconess delegation to Jefferson City for Missouri's Annual Child Advocacy Day on Wednesday, April 1. The group includes
Michael Brennan, CEO of Every Child's Hope,
Darlene Sowell, CEO of Neighborhood Houses, 
Rev. Norma Patterson, pastor of Good Shepherd of Faith UCC,
Rev. David Gerth, executive director of Metropolitan Congregations United,
Rev. Traci Blackmon, pastor of Christ the King UCC and
Rev. Donna Philips of the St. Louis Association Council.
Holy Wednesday, the center of our most sacred week, presents two intriguing engagements. Investing the best of her resources in a caring rite of preparation, Mary anoints the head and feet of Jesus with costly oil. While later in an act of betrayal, Judas Iscariot accepts thirty pieces of silver to deliver him to his demise. The intriguing becomes scandalous when we consider that both were called his friends.
Limited seats are still available on the bus exclusively for UCC members. RSVP today to Alex Stallings at Deaconess Foundation: alexs@deaconess.org.
|
Annual MMSUCC Men's Retreat & Women's Retreat
The Annual Men's Retreat will be held on May 1-3 at our own Shannondale Community Center. Please click here to view the brochure and registration form.  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. Please click here to view the brochure, which contains a registration form and further information. Please mail your check/registration to: MMS-UCC Women's Retreat Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries 483 East Lockwood Ave, Suite 106, St. Louis, MO 63119 Please make checks payable to MMS-UCC
|
Final Tally for Yearbook Reports
The 2014 yearbook process has ended, and I'd like to thank all of the churches which participated. Please click here to see the final list of churches. 97 churches in our Conference turned in reports to our office or entered their own information into the data hub, which is about 66%. Here's the breakdown by association: - Eastern = 36
- St. Louis = 34
 - Western = 27
The information gathered from the yearbook process is used in a variety of ways within the United Church of Christ. If you are wondering why your church should participate in 2015, please read the following article "Eleven Reasons Why Reporting Your Church's Annual Data Is Important." And if your church wasn't named on the list in the above paragraph, please encourage your UCC pastor or treasurer to complete the forms next year so your church can be included in this nationwide process.
I want to thank Kris Scott, our new Administrative Assistant, who tackled the yearbook process with professionalism and gusto! Your work on this project was highly appreciated.
Thank you again to each MMSUCC church that made the choice to participate! - Renee
|
Quote for your week... Your Inner Thoughts 
If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.
- Lao Tzu
|
|
|
|
|
Employment postings will run for one month, unless otherwise specified.
Part-Time Administrative Assistant, St. Philip's UCC, South County, 3/19/2015
We are looking for someone who is friendly, can type 40 wpm, and has strong computer skills and an eye for detail. To view the full job description (includes work hours, salary and benefits) and application instructions, please visit www.stphilipsucc.com and click on "Employment Opportunities" on the red toolbar.
|
|
Contact Us
|
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. |
|
|
|
|
