With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

                                                            Acts 4:33-35

Dear friends and colleagues in the Gospel,

            What is striking about this story in Acts is how impossible it sounds (and is) in the conventional world we think we are living in. The shared life of Christ's risen Spirit provides an image of the messianic age that is ushered in by the Word of God's salvation, an event that is inconceivable in ordinary time. The story calls to mind that earlier definitive tale of God's care being shared among the Hebrew people as they experienced God's grace in the wilderness. We are reminded too of the grace of God that changes our own lives and transforms our world into a place of possibility, even in the midst of the world's many crucifixions. The greatness of the story is that it re-calls us to the shared mutuality of grace that God intends for us.   

            As any parent knows, there are many ways to look at the idea of fairness, each with its own sense of precision. My wife Nora used to have one of our daughters divide their desserts into portions, and the other take the first piece. By and large, it was an effective strategy; but it didn't resolve all the issues. Many are the rationalizations for human distinctions.

Indeed, societies through the ages have created volumes of support for the division of property and the applications of the law. Some say that the community's apportionment should be based on equality and others would make the divisions based on what each one contributes (or how smart one is, or what position one holds on the social hierarchy, or what race, what sex, what nationality, and on and on). But when it comes to manna in the wilderness or sharing the resources in the early church, God's sense of justice is very clear and very personal: everything is shared and is distributed according to every person's need. This isn't just a way to divide things up, and it isn't just a political philosophy; it is the way the God of salvation calls us to live as neighbors.

May the testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus bring all of our churches to a transforming experience of neighborly grace.

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.

All authorized clergy, both active and retired, within the Missouri Mid-South Conference should have received their 2014 Information Review form and Minister Code via email or snail mail on March 2.  The forms are to be returned to our Conference office by this Friday, April 10.  

• Eastern Association
• St. Louis Association
• Western Association

Below are the Minister Codes for your review:

• Commissioned
• Licensed
• Ordained

Our Church's Wider Mission = OCWM 

Miracles.  

Whatever the letters mean, OCWM is simple - it sums up all that we are and do as a people who call ourselves the United Church of Christ. It's not just about money spent in ways that excite or bore, that we like or don't. It is at the heart of our connecting with each other and the ministry of Christ. It is how we share resources to be the church in many differing settings. It is how we hold each other accountable as lay and clergy alike.

It is the means by which we can function effectively...

               Connecting to each other

               Connecting to the wider church

               Connecting to the resources that we need to be church.

The Covenanted Ministry for OCWM wants to help tell the many stories of Our Church's Wider Mission to help us understand and work together. It takes all of us to use our time and energy and share our financial gifts. So... because it is hard for us to understand, our team wants to share stories of what OCWM does, how our dollars are spent, how we are better because we are many different parts in the body of Christ.  Keep watching the eCourier for future articles!   

Your OCWM Covenanted Ministry,

Keith Karau-Chair, Karen Boyd, Ken Ulmer, Adam Smith, Joyce Bathke and Renee Cordes

Christ is Risen; Christ has Vision!  At the close of Matthew's Gospel, the resurrected Christ presented us a beautiful benediction but also a Great Commission for us to carry on God's plan for our faithful community. 

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:19-20 NRSV  

Reading the Commission carefully, our "action items" include evangelism, education, local and global outreach, administering the sacraments, proclamation, and giving reassurance that the Still Speaking God and Still Living Christ will guide our steps now and everlasting.

Groundbreaking Ceremony on April 18   

St. Peter's United Church of Christ in Ferguson, Missouri is proud to invite you to the groundbreaking for the construction of its new Ferguson/Dellwood Community Resource Center, on April 18, 2015 at 10:00am with a reception following.  This center has been in the plans for over a year.   

The center is to be located at the east end of the current building and will be a center of family services for the Ferguson/Dellwood neighborhood.  The center will include two medical exam rooms,  office space for community service organizations, a small chapel, a large classroom and storage for a commodities pantry.  It is hoped that construction will be completed in seven months.  St. Peter's UCC is located at the intersection of West Florissant road at Stein Road, in Ferguson.   

Conference Annual Gathering Schedule   

Please click here to see the current schedule for our MMSUCC Conference Annual Gathering, June 4-6, 2015. 

The theme for this year's event is "Rebuild, Restore & Renew", with each day centering on a different and pertinent topic woven within the theme.

Our CAG planning team has been diligently working to bring you a vibrant, relevant and exciting meeting this year.  We are hopeful you will find the chosen theme/topics timely and also engaging.  There will be multiple opportunities for business, worship, conversations, learning, sharing and perhaps a better understanding of ourselves and how we view and communicate with each other.

Our Conference Annual Gathering will be held at the  Columbia Holiday Inn Executive Center.

Prices, registration and hotel reservation information will be sent within the next few weeks (we know you are anxious!)