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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, October 30.
The deadline for submissions is 10/28/15. Email events to kris@mmsucc.org.
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Allen's Message To You...
Dear Friends and Colleagues in the Gospel,
For a little more than two years, I have had the privilege of traveling with you on a journey of discovery and adaptation. I believe that in large measure it has been a spiritual journey, which I would define as a gathering stream of our many persuasions as we have grown into a larger sense of our common calling. We began by listening to one another, not always with full understanding but with the awareness that, as we search for what binds us together, each of us matters.
I remember Dick Hamm's words to us, when he came the first time to one of our annual gatherings as our process consultant. He said he had confidence in our capacity to get it right, because we had within us the language of relationship: We are a Conference that gathers three associations; that is, we are a people who "associate" and "confer" with one another to seek the truth of God. Dick urged us to remember this core definition of who we are, and to understand that being a people of mutual relationship is the core of our spiritual being.
We are so different from one another, but by and large we know we live by a common calling. In a few weeks, on Saturday, November 14, many of us will come together from all regions of the Conference to try out a new way of planning that will respect our diversity by giving voice to all who come. We will gather in groups that will represent the covenanted ministries we share, and we will work collaboratively with one another to design the ministries of the Conference for the coming year. You are invited to be there and offer your ideas.
Soon we will elect and welcome our new Conference Minister, who will bring her own set of skills and gifts for the implementation of our vision. This will not be the culmination of our journey. It will be a new gateway moment that opens upon the future that we believe God is creating in our midst.
Please pray for our Conference, give thanks for those who have worked to listen and interpret our many voices, celebrate our vision, join in the planning event on November 14, and know the feeling that God is making a new day.
AllenRev. Dr. Allen M. Fluent, Acting Conference Minister
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Call to a Special Meeting and CAPE
Call to a Special Meeting of the Missouri Mid-South Conference -
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Grace and Peace to our sisters and brothers in Christ! 
The Conference Council Executive Committee, at the request of the Conference Minister Search Team, is delighted to call a Special Conference Meeting of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ, to be held at Columbia United Church of Christ, in Columbia, Missouri, on Saturday, November 14, 2015. Registration will begin at 9:15 a.m. The Special Meeting will convene promptly at 9:30 a.m. The purpose of this Meeting will be to consider extending a call to the position of Conference Minister, based upon the Search Team's unanimous recommendation of a candidate for Conference Minister of the Missouri Mid-South Conference. This Meeting is called pending the Conference Council's consideration and approval of the recommendation. Conference Council will meet at Camp Mo Val on Friday-Saturday, October 30-31, and will consider the recommendation and will announce its decision via an all-Conference mailing during the first week in November.
This Special Conference Meeting will precede the already-scheduled Conference Annual Planning Event (CAPE)... continue article
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Installation of Pastor Van Lahmeyer
The Eastern Association of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ,
St. James UCC Charlotte and St. Pauls UCC Copper Hill invite you to the worship services to install Pastor Van Lahmeyer
at St James UCC Charlotte, 2874 Charlotte Church Rd, Owensville, MO
located on Hwy 50 between Drake and Rosebud On Sunday, October 18, with a combined worship service at 11:30 am A meal after the service in the St James Fellowship Hall and the installation service at 2:30 pm
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Installation of Rev. Dr. James Hogue
The Eastern Association of the
Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ
and Ebenezer "Stone Church" United Church of Christ
invite you to a worship service to install
Rev. Dr. James Hogue as pastor
on Sunday, October 25 at 3:00 pm
Ebenezer "Stone Church" UCC, 6162 Stone Church Road, Gerald, MO 63037
Clergy are invited to robe with red stoles and join in the procession.
A reception and meal will follow in the Church Hall.
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New Beginnings Applications Due TODAY!!!
Did you attend the New Beginnings seminar last month? If your congregation is interested in pursuing this  service, please complete the application by Friday, October 16, and return to Rev. Dale Parson. Here is a link to the Come and See PowerPoint presentation:
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Camp MoVal 2016 Schedule
Camp MoVal is excited to present you with the dates for our Camp Schedule for the year of 2016. Make sure to  mark your calendars because you won't want to miss all of the fun we will be having exploring "FEARLESS FAITH, courage in community". Contact our office to register early and be on the lookout for our new website! Also, be sure to notice, MoVal is bringing you a new Winter Camp Retreat over Martin Luther King Day weekend for 5th- 8th graders. You will not want to miss this exciting retreat. The camp brochure will be coming out at the beginning of the year and all pricing information will be included.
See you soon!
Sincerely, Jeremy Force and Mariah Newell
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2016 Minimum Clergy Compensation Guidelines
We recommend to you the Mis souri Mi d-South "Minimum Clergy Compensation Guidelines" for 2016. The  guidelines are available below, or you may contact the Conference office and ask for a hard copy through the regular mail.
They will be helpful to church leaders considering pastoral salary and benefits, as well as to pastoral search teams and authorized clergy considering a call.
This document was prepared by the Conference Committees on the Ministry Covenanted Ministry.
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Our Friends of the Conference Challenge 2015 - Week 8
Welcome to our 8h week of the "Friends of the Conference Fund Challenge" for 2015. The goal is to reach $20,000 before the end of this year, and our current donation total is $5,200. We will continue to track the donation progress  each week in our eCourier. Thank you for supporting your Missouri Mid-South Conference!
Dear Friend of the Conference,
Thank you to all who have worked so diligently toward a new vitality for our Missouri Mid-South Conference.
The proof of this vitality begins with numbers! Financially the Conference is in better shape now than it has been in several years. Our participation at Conference events such as the Conference Annual Gathering has increased, not only in numbers, but in energy and excitement.
Congregational giving is up, as is the number of churches who are Five for Five. Five for Five churches provide intentional donations not only to Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM), but also to our four special UCC funds, which include Strengthen the Church, the Christmas Fund, Neighbors in Need, and One Great Hour of Sharing. This is a sign of commitment and vitality - THANK YOU!
Continue letter Pledge card
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Ordination of Caitie Smith
The Western Association in the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the
United Church of Christ
and
Peace Christian Church United Church of Christ
cordially invite you to the ordination of
Caitie Smith
to the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament
Sunday, November 1, 2015
5:00 PM
1801 McGee Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64108
All clergy are encouraged to wear a stole.
A reception will follow the service.
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Installation of Rev. Donald G. Wester
The St. Louis Association of the Missouri Mid-South Conference
and Faith United Church of Christ
Invite you to join in the celebration of the installation of
Rev. Donald G. Wester
as pastor and teacher
On Sunday, November 1, 2015
at 11:00 a.m.
at Faith United Church of Christ, 3 Lakeshore Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas 72204
Rev. Allen Fluent will offer the sermon
All Clergy are invited to attend and robes and red stoles are requested
Note: If you are not able to attend this service, please remember Rev. Wester and Faith UCC in your prayers on November 1.
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Installation of Rev. Paul A. Porter
The St. Louis Association & Missouri Mid-South Conference & Eden United Church of Christ
Invites you to join in the celebration of the installation of
Rev. Paul A. Porter
as pastor and teacher
On Sunday, November 8, 2015
at 3:00 pm (a reception will follow)
Eden United Church of Christ, 8920 Eden Ave., Affton, MO 63123
Rev. Jack Spratte will offer the sermon
Clergy are invited to gather at 2:30 pm, robes and red stoles are requested
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YOUTH - Conference Middle School Event
You could not, would not, want to miss a Middle School event quite like this! This year's Dr. Seuss themed retreat  will be held November 20 th - 21 st. The Conference Middle School Event (CMSE) is a tool for enhancing Middle School youth ministry in local congregations by helping youth connect with their peers from around the Missouri Mid-South Conference. The retreat will be full of all the great camp activities we love at MoVal, discussion groups, games, mission opportunities, and some Dr. Seuss fun. Check in will start at 7:00 pm on Friday, November 20 th and the event will end at approximately 5:00 pm on Saturday, November 21 st. Youth currently in grades 6 th, 7 thth, & 8 and their adult advisors are all invited to attend this life changing event. The cost is $60 per youth or adult. Scholarships are available. Please visit our Conference website for details and registration information.
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FACT Survey Results From CARD
Earlier this year the Center for Analytics, Research and Data (CARD), the United Church of Christ's research and information office, requested the nearly 5,100 congregations in the denomination to participate in the longest-running survey of congregational life in the United States.
Now completed, the Faith Communities Today (FACT) survey, will give local churches insights to help them grow-information and trends on membership, programming, youth and young adult ministries, vitality and use of  technology. A webinar will be shared on October 21 - Event flyer. This is the fifth FACT survey, which began in 2000 as a series of research surveys and reports about congregational life. The Cooperative Congregations Studies Partnership, a multi-faith group of religious researchers and faith leaders from 25 different Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Bahai faith groups, publishes the report. The survey provides information about local church programs and mission giving, and gives congregations a glimpse of their own mission life compared to what other UCC churches are doing to help pastors and congregations gauge what they do within the wider church. For instance, the 2010 FACT survey concluded that congregations with "strong, permanent leadership, that enjoy joyful, innovative and inspirational worship are more likely to experience growth." Some of the factors of growing churches were their geography in the South, having more weekly worship services, and communicating a clear sense of mission and purpose. "It can help with mission planning, vitality planning, it creates a benchmark to see where the UCC is as a whole and where their church fits in that spectrum," said Rev. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, director of CARD. "We'll also have some of the results published in our statistical profile for 2015." Lizardy-Hajbi, who serves on the FACT steering committee, had a hand in designing some of the specific questions on young adult ministry. For each survey, there is a subset of questions on special topics, such as young adult ministries, congregational vitality and the use of technology in all aspects of congregational life.
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One 2015 MMSUCC Boundary Session Remaining
There is one upcoming MMSUCC boundary training session in November:
ST. LOUIS - Friday, November 7, 2015 - First Congregational UCC - Webster Groves, MO - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
10 W. Lockwood Ave, St. Louis, MO 63119
Facilitators: Ms. Jane Porchey and Rev. Bruce Moeller
Please visit our Conference website for further information and to register, or contact Kris Scott at 314-918-2605 or kris@mmsucc.org.
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Eden Seminary Bookstore - New Hours 
Bookstore hours have been changed temporarily until the appointment of a new Bookstore Director.
The Bookstore's new hours are:
Monday - Thursday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
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Free Church Pew Cushions Available 
St. John UCC in Manchester has the following free cushions: 30 (120x15), 7 (100x15), 2 (81x15), 2 (40x15) and 1 (71x15). They are made of a soft velvet.
Whoever would like the cushions will need to pick them up. If you are interested, please contact Rev. Kevin Gregory at 636-391-6655 or kevin@stjohnmanchester.org.
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Free Risograph Printer Available
FREE RISOGRAPH PRINTER Model RN 2030 with Manual. The machine is 20 years old, last used in 2011 and it worked well. You must be able to pickup the printer on your own.
Call for specs and details: Linda Zappe at Immanuel UCC, 221 Church St.,Ferguson, MO 63135, 314-521-7324.
This announcement will not be shared in future editions of the eCourier, so please call today if you are interested.
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Free Church Organ Available
Rev. Mary Ann Lawrence, previous Pastor of St. Matthew UCC and current Chaplain of Brooking Park SNF, knows a resident with a church organ they would like to donate. The resident who owns the organ is going into hospice and more space is needed for a hospital bed and other equipment.
The organ is not a small spinet, and it originally retailed for $18,000. It would be perfect for a church - might be too large for someone's home. If anyone is interested, please contact Mary Ann at 314-680-2796.
This announcement will not be shared in future editions of the eCourier, so please call today if you are interested.
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Employment postings will run for one month, unless otherwise specified.
St. John UCC, Part-time Organist/Pianist, 10/14/15
Position Summary: St. John UCC is seeking an experienced, team oriented professional with a passion for sacred music and a heart for Christ. This person will be responsible for playing both the organ and piano during all worship services, accompanying the choirs during rehearsal and performance, and offering support to the rest of the music staff. During the program year, our choirs rehearse weekly and perform regularly during Sunday morning services, annual Christmas and Good Friday Cantatas, and for other special events. To see full job description, click here.
Christ Church UCC Maplewood, Part-time Administrator, 10/2/15
This person will work during times of absence/vacation of our current Administrator. The successful candidate would possess a working knowledge and experience with the Powerchurch software program. Hours can be flexible, during the periods of need, but are typically 9am to noon, Monday through Friday. Please contact Ron at
rgaus15496@gmail.com
for more information.
Union Communion Ministries, Part-time Executive Director, 10/2/15
A church-related, neighborhood-based outreach agency. Average time commitment is 20 hours per week. Requirements: Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years administrative experience in human services, skill with diverse populations. Resumes to Union Communion Ministries Search, 826 Union Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63108, FAX (314) 367-8174, or markleerobinson@gmail.com. Application review will begin on September 8, 2015.
Parkway UCC, Part-time Music Director, 9/17/15
Parkway United Church of Christ, a faithful and progressive, warm and inclusive congregation at Ballas & I-64 seeks a part-time (approx 10 hours/week) Music Director for our Informal Worship Service. We invite you to visit our website, parkwayucc.org and the national website, ucc.org to find out more about us. If you feel that we could be a good fit for you and your gifts, please send a cover letter and resume to employment@parkwayucc.org. This is a great opportunity!
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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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