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Thursday, January 21, 2016
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Ginny's Gems 
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| | Ginny's Video Gem - Congregational Meetings |
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| | Ginny's Video Gem - Installation Service of Church Leaders |
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 GINNY'S SCHEDULE
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Location
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Date
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Description
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Houston, TX
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January 20-21
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Ginny work from Houston
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Houston, TX
| Friday, January 22 | Out/Ginny's Sabbath Day | |
Kansas City, MO
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Sunday, January 24
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Worship at St. Marks Union UCC
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Rev. Bill Rose-Heim's Installation Service, New Vision Christian Church
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Higginsville, MO
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Monday, January 25
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Western Association Committee on Ministry Meeting
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Houston, TX
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Friday, January 29
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Out/Ginny's Sabbath Day
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Columbia, MO
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Saturday, January 30
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Conference Council Meeting
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St. Louis, MO
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Sunday, January 31
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Worship at First Congregational UCC-Webster Groves
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Local MMS Conference Information & News
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Ginny's Pics
I enjoyed a wonderful worship service on Sunday, January 17 at Central UCC in Jefferson City, MO with Rev. Rushan Sinnaduray and their congregation! I especially enjoyed the flat screens Central is currently borrowing to see how those screens would fit into their worship setting. What a great idea as they transform their sanctuary! Thank you for the warm welcome and hospitality!!!
 
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2015 Friends of the Conference Fund Wrap-up
Since the end of August, The Friends of the Conference Fund - a $20,000 Challenge - is just short of $15,000. Many of you have responded, not just once, but 2 or 3 times. Your gifts have ranged from $5 to $1,000. The Conference  Council and Covenanted Ministry for OCWM met the challenge to lead the way. 57 clergy, 1 congregation and numerous individuals responded. We thank you all! The challenge is meant to signal a new beginning and lead the way into new ministries. As we begin the year, there is still time to show your confidence in the new spirit moving among us. Simply send a check to the Conference marked Friends of the Conference, or visit the Conference website. Show your support with a gift and challenge your congregation to increase their giving to OCWM in 2016. -Rev. Keith Karau, Chair
Covenanted Ministry for OCWM
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Installation of Rev. Robert Walker
The St. Louis Association of the
Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ
and Prince of Peace United Church of Christ
invite you to a worship service to install
Rev. Robert Walker
on Sunday, January 24 at 3:00 pm
Prince of Peace UCC, 4966 Towne South Rd, St. Louis, MO 63128
Preacher for the service is Don Frandsen, Pastor at St. Pauls UCC, Defiance, MO
Clergy are invited to robe with red stoles and join in the procession, please arrive by 2:30 and meet in the Education Wing. A reception will follow in the fellowship hall.
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Installation of Rev. Todd Bean
The Eastern Association of the
Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ
and St. Johns United Church of Christ
invite you to a worship service to install
Rev. Todd Bean
on Sunday, January 24 at 3:00 pm
St. Johns UCC, 945 Wolfrum Rd, Weldon Spring, MO 63304
Clergy are invited to robe, join in the procession and the laying on of hands.
A reception will follow.
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Installation of Rev. Bill Rose-Heim
You are invited to a service of installation of Rev. Bill Rose-Heim as the new Regional Minister and President of the Greater Kansas City Region of the Disciples of Christ, and a consecration of the calling to  ministry of all disciples of Jesus Christ. To be held on January 24 at 3:00 pm at New Vision Christian Church, 9101 Blue Ridge Blvd, Kansas City, MO. Bring a small plate or package of cookies to share for the fellowship following. Offering will go to provide youth scholarships to participate in the National Convocation.
Clergy are invited to bring red stoles (no robes) and extra stoles to share during the worship service with clergy who have none).
General Minister and President Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins and several other leaders from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ will be joining us for what promises to be a multi-cultural, inspiring experience.
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BEYOND RESISTANCE: AN AFTERNOON WITH JOHN DORHAUER 
Sunday, January 31, 3pm
General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, the Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, will address the topic of the Church and the 21st Century in a special event in the Memorial Hall of the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, 10 W. Lockwood Ave. 63119, on Sunday, January 31, 2016, at 3:00 in the afternoon.
During this two-hour event, Rev. Dorhauer will discuss his book, Beyond Resistance: The Institutional Church Meets the Postmodern World (Chicago: Exploration Press, 2015); field questions from audience members; and sign copies of the book, which will also be on sale.
This free event is open to the public, a gift from the First Congregational Church to our community in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of First Church, January 31, 1866.
While the event is free and open to the public, registration is required.
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Conference Youth Event
February 13-15, 2016 at Camp MoVal
Registration Deadline - January 27 - HURRY!
Calling all Youth! Are you attending CYE? If you are currently in the 9th-12th grade, you need to witness  "The Power of Presence" as presented by keynote speaker, Marcus Engel. "Best-selling author and speaker Marcus Engel inspires and empowers audiences nationwide. His extraordinary story of recovery after being blinded and catastrophically injured by a drunk driver challenges individuals to achieve success by making intelligent choices." Marcus Engel is a speaker with a message, a story, you will never forget!
DATE: February 13th-15th, 2016LOCATION: Camp MoVal - Union, MOARRIVAL & DEPARTURE: Check-In: Saturday, February 13th, 9:30-10:30am. Departure: Monday, February 15th at noon
COST: The registration fee is $120 per person for each youth and adult participant. You are not registered until ALL of your forms and complete payment is submitted. Registrations must be in the MoVal office by Wednesday, January 27th to ensure space availability and t-shirt. We cannot guarantee a t-shirt if you register after the deadline. Further info on our Conference website.
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Monthly Church Vitality Conversation - Conflict ManagementFebruary 17, 1pmsponsored by Center for Progressive RenewalSix individuals signed into our recent monthly Conference Church Vitality Webinar on the subject of "Change and Transformation." One of the things you missed if you were not in on the conversation was a video about becoming a "Change Manager" which our Conference coach, Sara Wilcox from the Center for Progressive Renewal, shared with the participants. Here is a link to that video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmoDpj1jtyA
 For the month of February, our Church Vitality webinar will be on the subject of Conflict Management. What if conflict were an inevitable and even transformative part of our plan to become a more vital church? This aspect of the topic is well illustrated in the following excerpt from a sermon which Sara Wilcox wrote about the passage from Gen. 32 about Jacob wrestling: But let us not run from the struggle. Let us not turn our backs. Let us believe with all of our hearts that God meets us there and here. And while we yearn for the blessing at all turns it may be good to remember that as the great prophet and theologian Bono reminds us, "Stop asking God to bless what you are doing. And get involved in what God is doing-because it is already blessed." I believe with all of my heart God is at work in our midst... in the challenges and struggles of our living and being community together and in the dreaming and imagining. If it gets uncomfortable at times, don't run. Hold on, like Jacob. Hold on for the blessing.
You are encouraged to join the Church Vitality Conversation. Our next webinar will be Wednesday, February 17 at 1 p.m. Please use the following link to enter the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone:
You can also dial in using your phone:
United States: 224-501-3312
Access Code: 945-136-925.
Please contact Scott Lohse, revlohse@gmail.com or Rayla Hogue raykayh@gmail.com with any questions or inquiries.
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It's Church Yearbook Time!
Yes, ladies and gentlemen - it's that time of year once again. I can feel the excitement (and hear the groaning) as you read this announcement regarding the annual UCC yearbook process! The UCC Data Hub opened on  Monday, January 4 and will remain open until Monday, March 7 for churches to enter information directly. If you prefer our Conference to enter your information, you must submit reports to us no later than Monday, February 29. The various information/links provided below will provide you the tools you need to complete your yearbook reports:
I can't encourage you enough to begin this process NOW, which will give you plenty of time to gather your church statistics and ask questions, if needed. For assistance on this project, contact our Administrative Assistant, Kris Scott at 314-918-2605 or kris@mmsucc.org. Please DO NOT call or email Cleveland with your yearbook questions - contact our Conference office first!!!
Thank you in advance for you cooperation and participation in this very important statistical gathering process of the UCC.
Renee
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Why I Protest
The Rev. Traci Blackmon, Acting Executive Minister of UCC Justice and Witness Ministries, noted civil rights leader, gifted preacher, pastor and teacher, delivers an extremely powerful message in this call for justice for all the children of God.
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Christian Music Festival
April 16, 2016 at Camp MoVal 
Camp MoVal is hosting another community event! On April 16 th join us for the Christian Music Festival. The concerts will be held across the road at TAMBO. We will have food, fun, and hope to raise funds to help remake TAMBO! There are many exciting things being talked about for the future of this space. Please, come spend the day out at camp and have fun with us in Christian community! All ages and all people are welcome. Please contact Mariah at mariah.moval@mmsucc.org, find our event on Facebook titled MoFestiVal, or give the camp a call for any additional questions or information at 636-583-2730. Event flyer.
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Boundary Training 2016
The Mid-America Center for Ministry has announced three the below boundary training sessions for 2016. Our Conference will determine dates for 2016 in mid-February.
- Olivet Christian Church, Columbia, MO, Saturday, April 30, 2016, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- First Christian Church, Sedalia, MO, Saturday, September 24, 2016, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Both sessions will be facilitated by Rev. Donna Rose-Heim. Donna is an ordained Disciple minister and has  served both in congregations and on regional staffs. She has been an installed pastor and has served as a transitional interim in several settings. She now serves as a consultant, speaker, trainer and writer. She serves as lead instructor for the Mid-America Region in providing Boundary Training for clergy.
- Fellowship Christian Church, Kansas City, KS, Saturday, October 1, 2016, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
This session will be facilitated by Rev. Bruce Moeller. Bruce is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ with authorized standing in the Eastern Association of the Missouri Mid-South Conference. He has served on the Committee of Ministry, the authorizing body for ministry, of the Eastern Association of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the UCC.
Cost is $70 per session. Registration form and flyer. - Eden Theological Seminary will host a boundary training session on Friday, February 5, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Cost is $50, and the facilitator is Rev. Bruce Moeller. To register for this event, please contact Ms. Chris Davis at Eden Seminary, cdavis@eden.edu or 314-918-2547.
As a reminder to all authorized clergy in our Conference - if you choose to attend one of the above boundary training sessions, it is your responsibility to provide a copy of your completion certificate to our MMS Conference office so your record can be updated. Proof of boundary training attendance every 3 years is required to maintain your standing.
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New Advertising Guidelines - Items for Sale/Free
Beginning this week, items that are offered for free or for sale within the Conference (i.e. robes, pews, hymnals, books, etc.) will now be advertised in our eHappenings eblast. (You are currently reading the eCourier).
As a reminder, the eHappenings is our Conference eblast which shares the upcoming church/organization/agency events occurring within our surrounding area and from our national office in Cleveland. The eHappenings is emailed each month on the 15th and then again on the 30th or 31st.
Please send your future events, as well as any items you care to advertise, to Kris at kris@mmsucc.org. Thank you.
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National UCC Information & News
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Installation Services for the Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer
UCC General Minister and President
The General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, the Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer, will be installed in a progression of three installation services throughout the denomination. All are invited to attend these services of celebration!
- April 15 at Riverside Church, New York
- April 16 at Trinity Church, Chicago
- April 17 at Plymouth Church, Seattle
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Health And Human Service Sunday
January 31, 2016
CHHSM
What is Health and Human Service Sunday? 
Each year, the United Church of Christ designates one Sunday - usually the last Sunday in January - as a day to recognize the ministries in health and human services provided by the members of the Council for Health and Human Service Ministries as well as those supported by our local churches, ministries which respond to human need with compassion and justice. This Sunday is an opportunity for congregations to lift up our common ministry of healing and service to others in Christ's name. Some local congregations might choose to observe Health and Human Service Sunday on a different date, especially on the anniversary of the founding of a ministry with which they are engaged, but the importance of lifting up these special ministries which call forth the best in UCC members is not lost whenever the observance is held. Feel free to use any of the resources offered here, or create others appropriate to your experience. Continue article/printable version.
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An Overview of UCC Authorized Ministers
by Rev. Dr. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi
Director, Center for Analytics, Research and Data (CARD)
The United Church of Christ is comprised of over 5,000 congregations and nearly one million members. For these congregations and members, there are roughly 5,800 leaders serving within local churches. These ministerial leaders are authorized as holding ordained, licensed, dual, or ordained ministerial partner standing. In addition, members in discernment (those in the authorization process) and individuals with no UCC standing who are laypersons or who may be ordained by other traditions also serve as pastors of UCC congregations. Interestingly, over 80% of all UCC authorized ministers are classified as ordained ministers in full standing.  Including retired ministers and Pastor Emeriti, there are presently over 10,000 ordained ministers in the UCC. About 5,000 of these ordained ministers are currently employed and serve within ministry-related settings, including local churches but also hospitals, colleges and universities, global mission areas, militaries, prisons, conferences, associations, and denominational offices.
On the whole, authorized ministers in the UCC reflect an increasingly aging population. When all active authorized ministers were considered, over half were age 60 and above and nearly one-third were 50-59, making 83% of all active ministers age 50 and above. When measuring changes over time, the number of pastors and co-pastors under 60 has decreased significantly in the last decade. What authorization does your pastor hold? What other settings might they have served prior to being called to your church? Within which approximate age range do they fit? Think about the individuals who have previously served as pastors of your congregation and their authorizations, previous calls, and age demographics when beginning and ending their ministries with your church. Do you notice any patterns? Are they similar to these larger statistical trends? Demographics help us to track trends over time, and they provide us with the bigger picture. They can also be helpful when thinking about the particular needs and challenges of the local church, especially as the picture of authorized ministry changes over time.
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Bi-Vocational Ministry Conference
April 15-16, 2016 at Epworth By the Sea on St. Simon's Island, Georgia
MESA and its predecessor bodies have long been a part of Professional Church Leaders (PCL), an annual convening of ecumenical denominational leaders. PCL is pleased to announce that it will host a conference, "Bi-Vocational Ministry in the 21st Century," April 15-16, 2016 at Epworth by the Sea on St. Simon's Island, Georgia.
This conference is designed for bi-vocational ministers and for governing body and judicatory executives, with workshops and keynotes at a beautiful location. Registration is now open! Contact Elizabeth Dilley ( dilleye@ucc.org) if you have any questions. http://events.uccpages.org/bivocational2016.html
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Polity Conference - "Mission, Church Polity, and the (Dis)Unity of the Church,"
Sponsored by MESA of the United Church of Christ
April 18-20, 2016 at Princeton Theological Seminar
MESA will make available a limited number of scholarships - up to $250 each - to help support applicants whose papers are accepted to attend the conference: "Mission, Church Polity, and the (Dis)Unity of the Church," 18 - 20 April 2016, at Princeton Theological Seminary. In return, we would ask that you make your paper available to MESA to share with other teachers and learners of UCC History, Polity, and Theology. Please send your request for scholarship assistance once your paper has been accepted. You may send the request directly to Kathy Clark ( clark@ucc.org). Conference information can be found at: https://protestantpolitystudygroup.wordpress.com.
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2016 UCC Clergywomen Leadership Event
April 18-20, 2016 in Carefree, Arizona
The 2016 UCC Clergywomen Leadership will host an event April 18-20. The theme is "Preparing for, Stepping Into, and Sustaining Our Leadership." Keynote presenters are 2015 Antoinette Brown Award winners the Rev. Traci Blackmon, the Rev. Sharon Ellis Davis, and the Rev. Martha Spong.
The event will take place April 18-20, 2016 (noon to noon) at the Carefree Resort and Conference Center in Carefree, Arizona. It is designed for any UCC clergy who identifies as female, and will provide a mix of plenary sessions, smaller group times (for networking, mobilizing, and learning from one another), and free time to refresh and be energized by the beauty of Arizona. The $100 registration for the event includes housing in single rooms and four meals during the event, additional discounts are provided for Antoinette Brown Society Members ( click here to join). Child care will be provided.
The website for the event and the registration portal can be found here: http://events.uccpages.org/clergywomen2016.html.
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This communication is made possible by your contributions to OCWM - Our Church's Wider Mission. Individual or group donations welcomed!
Click here to donate today.
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The next eHappenings will be sent on Friday, January 29th.
The deadline for submissions is 1/27/16. Email future events to kris@mmsucc.org.
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Employment postings will run for one month, unless otherwise specified.
St. John UCC, St. Charles, MO - Part-time Organist/Pianist, 1/21/16
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. To apply, contact Sarah Price, Director of Music and Worship Arts: sprice@stjohnucc.org.
Zion UCC, Florissant, MO - Part-time Communications Director, 1/8/16
Zion UCC is seeking a salaried Part Time Communications Director (average 7 hours a week) to manage all aspects of communication at Zion and Peace Tree Spirituality Center. This includes all forms of physical, digital, and analog communications. Some of the duties include: updating and managing the websites and social media; basic graphic/meme creation; maintaining online calendars; editing/producing monthly newsletter and weekly bulletins. Ability to communicate well over multiple media is an absolute must. Extensive experience with social media and web-based programs required. Skills in web design/management strongly desired. Please see full job description and how to apply.
Zion UCC - Florissant, MO - Part-time Property Manager, 1/8/16
Zion UCC is seeking a salaried Part Time Property Manager (average 7 hours a week) to manage all aspects of the physical buildings and grounds located in association with Zion and Peace Tree Spirituality Center. This person will be responsible to ensure all buildings are maintained for immediate usage to include arranging for the rental of the facilities. Some of the duties include: working with the custodian to ensure the spaces are clean and ready for use; upkeep properties and grounds; open and lock buildings for guests; coordinate with contractors, inspectors, etc. for work needed. Reliable and independent persons can succeed in this position. Please see full job description and how to apply.
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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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