Wednesday, June 24, 2015
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Around Your Conference

Allen's Message to You...

I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written, "The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.

                                                                        2 Corinthians 13-15

 

Dear Friends and Colleagues in the Gospel,

 

            These are the words that were spoken by Paul to the Corinthian church to encourage their contributions for a Christian community in need. Paul's message called the Corinthians to remember the lesson the Hebrew people had learned in the wilderness, when God supplied manna for the people to eat, but only enough for one day at a time. The miracle of the manna, you may recall, was that those who gathered much did not have too much, and those who gathered little had no lack of the food they needed. Thus, a basic principle of fair distribution was established for a community that was created to be bonded spiritually in mutual care.

 

            Mutual care based upon an understanding and acceptance of individual need is an essential component of our spirituality. It is our belief that we are called to work for a world where the standard of justice is neither that some should get more of what they need than others nor that everyone should receive the same amount, no matter what they need. It's like a family, where one child needs more comforting, another more motivating, another some specific sort of understanding - but all are committed to caring enough to see that each one receives what is needed for healthy growth.

 

            In a faithful society, this principle is carried out through all of our institutions. It matters to us when someone among us does not receive the opportunity to grow and develop in a healthy way. It troubles us when we discover that a gifted child is kept from realizing her potential, because of the unfair distribution of educational resources, or when some people have to work at two minimum wage jobs in order to earn what is needed for their family to survive. It troubles us because we care about those who have been unfairly treated, but it troubles us also because of what it does to the fabric of the community in which we live, because a fair society is truly mutual, as need and abundance are traded among us.

 

            These are the teachings of a community that is better than the one we presently know. God have mercy.

 

Allen
Allen M. Fluent, Acting Conference Minister
Pastor Richard (Ric) Zuch to Retire

Rev. Dr. Richard S. Zuch will be celebrating 42 years of ministry.  He will be retiring after serving 28 years at St. John United Church of Christ, St. Charles. Rev. Zuch will be released from call on Sunday, June 28 at both the 9:00 & 10:30 a.m. services.  

 

We welcome you to share your well wishes by sending cards to Rev. Ric Zuch, St. John UCC, 405 S. Fifth Street, St. Charles, MO 63301.

30th General Synod, "Unexpected Places"

The United Church of Christ 30th General Synod is about to begin in Cleveland, OH.  Listed below are the names of your Missouri Mid-South delegates who are attending:   

KarenAitkensWAClergy over 30
JoyceBathkeEALayperson over 30
OliviaBeckerWAYOUTH
DavidBeebeEAClergy over 30
BarbaraBiedensteinSLALayperson over 30 
PaulaDeSeureWALayperson under 30
ColeenFikesSLAYOUTH
JudyFioccoWAClergy over 30
James Fuller WAClergy over 30            
CarolynHeldSLAClergy over 30
JudyHertensteinSLALayperson over 30
MeredithJacksonSLAClergy under 30
StephenKingWAClergy over 30
SueLearySLAClergy over 30            
DavidMehlSLAClergy over 30            
LauraMigneroneEAClergy under 30
MarkMillerEALayperson over 30
EricMoellerEAClergy under 30
ClairnelNervikWAClergy over 30            
MarkRobertsSLAClergy over 30
UlaSaoWALayperson over 30
JeffWeyrauchEALayperson over 30

Allen Fluent and Dale Parson from our Conference will also be attending.  Please visit the UCC national website to learn and read more about General Synod, the resolutions being discussed, workshops, speakers, news, and of course, the nomination of Rev. John Dorhauer. 

We wish all of the delegates and visitors safe travels and an exciting and memorable experience at General Synod!  And watch our Facebook page for updates and photos sent directly from our MMSUCC delegates as they share their own experiences during the event.
Prayer Service TONIGHT, June 24th

Imani A.M.E. has nested within Calvary UCC for the past ten years.  Calvary stands with Imani and the A.M.E. family in their and our common loss.  A prayer service is planned at Calvary UCC, 2501 Hartland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63114 on Wednesday, June 24 at 7:00 p.m. to lift up the community and the nine victims killed in the shooting at Emmanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, SC.  The purpose of the service is to pray for comfort and strength for the people of Charleston and healing for our nation.  All are welcome. 

eRacism: Understanding and Dismantling Racism Workshop

This workshop is an outreach of the Reconciliation Ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). As one of its top priorities, Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism (PRAR) is intimately tied to the church's mission to become a church that demonstrates true community, deep Christian spirituality and a passion for justice. This initiative seeks to nurture the wholeness of the church by dismantling systemic racism and other oppressive structures.

 

Who should attend? Clergy, youth and children's ministry staff/volunteers, young adults, church boards, elders, deacons andpastoral search committees. Continuing Education Units (7 CEUs) are available for clergy. Check box on registration form for CEU. 

 

Attendees will learn to: Name and understand key terms/concepts related to racism * Describe contemporary and historicexamples of institutional racism, white privilege, civil and human rights in the U.S. * Articulate a biblical foundation for justiceministry * Engage in informed dialogue about current issues of racism and reconciliation in the U.S. and in local communities * Develop personal and community-based responses to institutional racism.

 

Schedule:

Friday July 10: Registration from 4-6 p.m.; dinner at 6 p.m.; session #1 at 7 p.m. * Saturday July 11: Breakfast at 7:30 a.m.;session #2 at 9 a.m.; lunch at 12 p.m.; session #3 at 1 p.m., workshop ends at 4 p.m.

 

Sponsors: PRAR Teams of the Christian Church of Mid-America and Mid-America Center for Ministry

 

Cost:  $65 overnight; includes lodging, bedding, towels, 3 meals, materials.$40 commuter; includes 3 meals and materials.   

 

Location: Columbia College, Dulany Hall, 1001 Rogers St. Columbia, MO 65201, July 10-11, 2015

 

HURRY - Registration Due: June 25, 2015

 

Register here or online

Mission Immersion Experience to Chiapas, MX

The mission trip to Chiapas, Mexico will be an exciting immersion experience, one that has expanded my horizons and taught me to appreciate more fully the diversity of God's Creation and the wonders of God's world.  I am thrilled to be leading this experience for a third time, and I hope that you are able to go along.

 

Click here to see all of the information about the trip.  The dates are (tentatively) September 23-30, 2015; the cost is $1200 total- that includes airfare, meals and lodging for 9 days, transportation and in-country expenses.  All you would need in addition to this amount is money for souvenirs, if you wish to purchase some in the marketplace.

 

You will need a passport- I encourage you to get one ASAP if you do not have one.  Even if you don't go with us on this trip, it is always good to have a passport, for occasions such as this.  You never know when a chance to travel will arise- keep your passport up to date!    

 

Also I am sharing the journal I kept on our first trip to Chiapas.  It is rather lengthy, but you may find it interesting.  Feel free to skim it if it gets too long and boring!   There is also more information on the Bem Church website- www.bemchurch.com

 

We are hoping to have commitments by June 30; however, we can extend that deadline to mid-July if it helps.  We plan to purchase airline tickets mid-July, so commitments by July 15 would be helpful. 

 

Email or call me if you have any questions!   I hope you will be able to join us on this great experience!

Rev. Rick Oberle
Pastor, St. Johns Bem 
573.437.3698, [email protected] 
A New Awakening

The Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Conference Minister of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, has shared the following letter with colleagues throughout our Church. The letter celebrates a great interfaith coalescence around a common concern for climate change and the preservation of our planet for future generations.  Please read it, and note the broad consensus among major religious groups - Jewish, Muslim, Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians - that taking responsible action in response to climate change is a moral and ethical imperative that is rooted in the teachings of all of our faith traditions.  We hope you will hold our planet and our children's future in prayer, and that you will take the time to learn about faith-based possibilities for action, then decide what you and your congregation will do for the world our children will live in.  if you have ideas for things we can do together, please share them with our new covenanted ministry on social justice.  Let's have a conversation about this.  Thanks for everything you do.

Allen

 

Dear sisters and brothers and siblings in Christ,

 

Future generations will look back upon Thursday June 18 as a hinge moment on which creation's future turned - so long as people of faith the world over affirm God's call to our generation to join together in common witness to save the Eden into which we were born.  

 

On Thursday June 18 Pope Francis will issue his much anticipated Encyclical - "Praised Be: On the Care of the Common Home" - a milestone moment for people of faith the world over, uniting our voices in the call to protect God's great gift - our home - the earth.  By making climate action a pillar of his Encyclical on ecology, Pope Francis is declaring that climate change IS A MORAL ISSUE.  Indeed, acting on climate change and its impacts on communities around the globe - especially the poor and the marginalized - is a moral obligation.  You can read the English translation of the Encyclical (available Thursday morning) and find resources that will help you interpret the Encyclical here:  http://www.climatewitness.org/pope-francis-encyclical.html  Additional resources will be added as they become available.

 

Other faith leaders are joining Pope Francis' call for climate action.  Last month emergent church leader and author Brian McClaren called for "a national religious uprising on behalf of the planet."  Climate leader Rabbi Arthur Waskow is calling this a moment of "deep ecumenism" when many traditions lift up the profound wisdom and truth they share with other traditions.  This is an opportunity to join in common witness to address a shared challenge.  Read the Rabbinic Letter signed by 300 Rabbis calling for vigorous climate action: Click   
here

Thursday June 18, 2015 is also the first day of Ramadan.  Leading American Muslim organizations and teachers have this year called for "Green Ramadan," focusing on the spiritual meaning of Ramadan and its fasft that turns away from material obsessions, by acting with care for all Creation. For information on Green Ramadan, see  
http://muslimmatters.org/2014/07/02/getting-green-during-ramadan/

 

Here's a first-step response:

Ask your pastor to preach on climate change sometime in the fall.  And if you're clergy, just make a commitment to do so-even if you've already preached on the climate crisis.  Protestant climate leaders throughout New England are calling for a "New Awakening - A Season of Prophetic Preaching, Prayer and Practice."  The hope is to get at least 70% of all pastors to preach on climate change immediately following the Pope's address to Congress (September 24, 2015) as the world awaits the Paris climate talks in early December.  Here is the link for more information and to commit to preach on climate:  http://www.climatewitness.org 

 

Pope Francis, the moral leader of more than one billion people worldwide, is calling for action on climate change.  Now is the time for all people of faith to rally behind the core tenets of our faith, which include a covenant with all creatures alive and yet to be born and a moral obligation to care for all Creation - #OurCommonHome.

 

Jim

The Rev. Dr. Jim Antal

Conference Minister and President

Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ
1 Badger Rd. Framingham, MA 01702
508.875.5233 fax 508.875.5485
Fulk Anniversary Celebration Update

The plans for the 20th anniversary celebration for Jeff and Laurie Fulk are going well. Please email [email protected] if you will be joining us for the September 5, 6, 7 weekend.

However, the progress for donations for the Funtime Playground are now only at $1065. If you would like to donate, please do so soon so that we can get the playground purchased and installed by September 6. Please send donations to:  Attn: Jeannie Kramme, c/o St. Martin's UCC, 7890 Dittmer Ridge Road, Dittmer, MO 63023.    
Eastern Association Confirmation Retreat

The Eastern Association of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ invites all Confirmation students and their adult leaders to a Confirmation Retreat at the Urban Mission Experience (UME).   

 

The event will be held on Friday September 11, 7:00 pm and Saturday, September 12, 4:00 pm.  Hurry, registration ends on July 19th! 

 

Please visit the Conference website for the event flyer, information sheet, and registration form.

Vacation Bible School Decorations Available 

St. Lucas United Church of Christ will be happy to share our elaborate Everest VBS decorations with others.  They will be available free following our VBS worship on Sunday, June 28th.  It will include a full mountain backdrop, wall decorations, items to hang from the ceiling, and much more. 

If you are interested, please contact Michele Ottinger - [email protected] or by calling (314) 843-2100.    
Expanding our eCourier Readership

The eCourier is an important communication vehicle for the Missouri Mid-South Conference.

 

It is our most efficient way to let you know about Conference-wide events, like the Conference Annual Gathering, the Persons in Ministry Retreat, the Conference Youth Event, and all the activities of our camps and conferences.  

It helps us maintain a feeling of openness and trust within the Conference by making news, ministry team actions and decisions of the Conference Council available to you every week, as soon as they happen.

 

Through the eCourier, eHappenings and eConnections, worship, fellowship and fundraising events of our congregations are advertised throughout the entire Conference.  

 

And the eCourier is where we can let you know about valuable resources that you can use in your local church, like continuing education events for clergy, lectures and seminars at Eden Seminary, and webinars on church vitality from the Center for Progressive Renewal.

 

But none of that matters if we don't get the eCourier into the hands of as many of our members as possible.  So here's how you can help us expand our readership in three easy ways:

  • First, just forward the eCourier that is sent to your church office or pastor to the full email list of your church every week. It's as simple as that. In less than two minutes a week, you can do this, and together we will have expanded our coverage to thousands of UCC members.
  • Second, we know that some people in each of our churches prefer to read our eCourier in paper form. We think they should be able to do this, and there is no reason why they can't. All it takes is for someone in each of our congregations to copy and paste from their email, print it, and then make a few copies and place them weekly in the narthex of their church. It's good information for visitors too, when they come for worship and want to take something home about the larger church.
  • And third, since the eCourier is also posted to Facebook, you can easily share the information with everyone you know. 

So help us please. Communication is an important job. We'll try to keep it current if you'll help us share it.

 

Thanks,

Allen and Renee

 

And a BIG thanks to St. Lucas, St. Philips and Allen Fluent for sharing the eCourier last week via Facebook!   

MMSUCC Boundary Training

New boundary training dates have been announced.  Please visit our Conference website for further information. 

Quote for your week... 

The more we care for the happiness of others,   
the greater is our own sense of well-being.

- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
   
 
Employment Opportunities
 
Employment postings will run for one month, unless otherwise specified. 
 

Executive Director, 6/24/2015

Full-time contract beginning January 1, 2016 to serve as Executive Director for the Mid-America Center for Ministry (MCM). The primary responsibility of the Executive Director is to lead in the fulfillment of the school's mission to Equip congregational leaders for Christian ministry. To that end, the Executive Director serves as the primary advancement officer and is responsible for increasing student enrollment, providing effective and efficient administration, and ensuring vision attainment for the Mid-America Center for Ministry.

Qualifications:

  • An active, demonstrable Christian faith
  • Passion for equipping congregational leaders
  • Proven advancement and fundraising skills
  • Proven administrative and team building skills
  • Effective and inspiring speaker
  • Strategic thinker, planner, and implementer
  • Person of high integrity (background check will be conducted)
  • Congregational leadership experience preferred
  • Strong ecumenical orientation

Complete job description available here. Compensation: Renewable annual contract up to $60,000 (plus benefits package) depending on education and experience, plus potential annual performance bonus.

Send r�sum� and letter of interest by September 1, 2015 to Mid-America Center for Ministry, P.O. Box 104685, Jefferson City, MO 65110-4685. Phone: 573-635-1187 Email: [email protected] 

Executive for Business Development, 6/13/15
United Church Funds recently posted a job opening and we would appreciate your help. Click here for the position description for an Executive for Business Development. We are seeking a well-qualified investment sales professional. 

 

If you know of any people in your conference that would interested in considering this important position, we would appreciate your sending this position description to that person or sending his/her name to me, Don Hart,

[email protected].

 

In addition, if you know of people in your conference with institutional investment experience that might be interested in serving on the United Church Funds investment committee and/or board of directors, I would appreciate your sending me those names also. I appreciate the work you do in your setting of the United Church of Christ and your assistance in identifying people as described above.

 

Part-time Communications Coordinator, 6/13/15
Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church, 9450 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO, is hiring a half-time Communications Coordinator, who will manage the creation and implementation of a marketing and communications plan to promote the ministries of Ladue Chapel, with a particular focus on computer-based and social media communications.  Interested persons should email a resume to [email protected].

Part-time Building Manager, 6/13/15 

Pilgrim Church is seeking to hire a part-time building manager to oversee custodial staff, maintenance/repair, and use of the building, Some evening/weekend work. Contact [email protected] or 314-367-8173 for more information. Pilgrim is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

 

Music Associate, 6/13/15 

Peace United Church of Christ, a progressive Protestant congregation of 350 persons, seeks a director for adult chancel choir and instrumental ensemble, as well as organist. This position is about 10 hours/week. If interested, submit a letter of intent, professional resume, and a recording (tape or MP3) of your accompaniment and choir conducting skills, to Darcy Swanson at e-mail [email protected] or postal address 204 E. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, MO 63119

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Missouri Mid-South Conference United Church of Christ  314-962-8740 or 877-877-5884  
 
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