Welcome to our weekly eblast, the Missouri Mid-South Conference eCourier. We are a collection of 140+ local congregations in the United Church of Christ denomination covering the geographic region of Missouri, Arkansas, and Memphis, TN.
No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.
We believe in extravagant welcome. This is why we insist that God's communion table is open, not closed, and God's gift and cla  im in baptism are irrevocable. We advocate justice for all. Our congregations extend hospitality as a sign of God's inclusive love. We teach that evangelism - offering bread to those in search of it - is God's mission. Our perspective is global, not provincial. We work with - not against - people of other faiths. Why? Because God is still speaking,
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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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Cleveland, OH
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5/27/16
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MESA Training
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Weldon Spring, MO
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5/29/16
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Worship at Emmanuel UCC
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5/30/16
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Office Closed;Memorial Day
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6/3/16
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Out/Ginny's Sabbath Day
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Owensville, MO
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6/5/16
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Worship at St. Johns Bem
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Columbia, MO
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6/8-11/16
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Conference Annual Gathering
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Houston, TX
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6/13-15/16
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Work from Houston
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6/17/16
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Out/Ginny's Sabbath Day
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Columbia, MO
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6/18/16
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CoM Covenanted Ministry Mtg
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St. Louis, MO
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6/19/16
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Preach at Samuel UCC
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Springdale, AR
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6/22-23/16
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JRD Marshallese Mtg
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6/24-7/9/16
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Vacation
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Dale's Schedule
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Location
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Date
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Description
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5/30/15
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Office Closed;Memorial Day
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California, MO
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6/5/16
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150th Anniversary California UCC
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Columbia, MO
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6/8-11/16
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Conference Annual Gathering
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Weldon Spring, MO
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6/12/16
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Preach at Emmanuel UCC
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Independence, MO
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6/14-16/16
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Tyler Connoley Training
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Springdale, AR
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6/19/16
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Preach/baptism at JRD Marshallese
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Independence, MO
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6/21-22/16
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Tyler Connoley Training
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Springdale, AR
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6/23/16
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JRD Marsallese Mtg
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6/24-30/16
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Vacation
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7/1-10/31/16
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Sabbatical
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2016 Conference Annual Gathering, REGISTER!
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Registration for the Conference Annual Gathering is NOW OPEN!
Our 2016 theme is
"Gathering at Our Table...For Such a Time as This 3.0!"
Date: Thursday, June 9 - Saturday, June 11, 2016 Location: The Holiday Inn Executive Center, Columbia MO
REGISTRATION DEADLINE - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1!
There are only 5 days left to register at the base price of $190.
Registrations received after June 1 will increase to $225.
The 2016 CAG schedule is now available here. Registration FormsPlease use the below form to register for the event, which may be completed on your computer:  CAG REGISTRATION FORM (Word) If you prefer to fill out your registration by hand, please use the below form to print and complete: As in year's past, we are offering several registration options with various pricing for your convenience. Everyone attending CAG must register through the MMS Conference office. To pay for your CAG registration online with a credit card, please visit our secure website partner - Vanco Services. This same link may also be found on the homepage of our Conference website. Click the link in the upper right hand corner - "Click here to Donate or Register for an Event." Hotel ReservationsTo make your hotel reservation at the Holiday Inn Executive Center, please click here. This link is preset with the discounted group code of CJ6 (don't change or remove) and hotel rate of $102.95 per night during CAG. If you use another website or link to make your reservation, the discounted price cannot be guaranteed. If you wish to call the hotel to make your reservation, please use their local number 573-445-8531, and mention UCC. If you use a toll-free number for the hotel, the discounted rate cannot be guaranteed. The registration deadline is Wednesday, June 1st! Please be respectful of this date as meal counts need to be shared with the Holiday Inn. Registrations received June 2 or later will be charged a late fee, as stated on the form - no exceptions. All of the above information may also be found on the 2016 Conference Annual Gathering website page of our Conference website.|
Special Music for Ginny's Installation Service
In preparation for our installation service, Ginny asked the Rev. Dale Peterson, her childhood Music Minister (who is a prolific composer) to choose one of his anthems to be sung at Ginny's installation service. He chose, "No Hands, But Yours," adapted from the words of Teresa of Avila. Paul Westcott will practice this anthem with the CAG choir. If any choirs would like to practice before then, please contact Kris Scott for a copy of the anthem. Conference Choir
For those who wish to be part our the Conference Choir at CAG, please visit www.stantons.com and enter the below code numbers in the search box or click on the links to hear the chosen music: |
Table Vendor InformationIf you are interested in attending the event as a table vendor, or if you know of an agency/organization that would be interested, please use the following forms. Contact Renee Cordes with any questions: Letter of invitationRegistration formSocial Media for CAG 2016
Let's set social media on fire during CAG 2016! Keep in touch with friends, clergy, family, and share all of the events, photos and awesomeness of the MMS!!!
Twitter: #CAG2016mms and #mmsucc
Email: CAG2016mms@gmail.com
Facebook: CAG2016
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We look forward to gathering together in Columbia, MO this June!
Printable flyer to share at your church or in your bulletin.
In preparation to bring you the best Conference Annual Gathering possible, our office staff requests your patience in responding to emails and phone calls. We are carrying an extreme workload during this time of year, so please know we understand your request is important and we will respond as quickly as possible.
Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you in Columbia! |
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National Youth Event - Register for Transportation by May 27 - TODAY!!!
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The Missouri Mid-South Conference has chartered a bus for the National Youth Event (NYE) 2016, which will be held at Walt Disney World in Florida. NYE participants that would like to ride with the conference should email Alysha Petry at apetry@zionunion.org by May 27 to ensure your space is saved. Even if you have already rented vehicles for transportation, please consider this option. There are several benefits to riding down as a group, including getting to know one another as a conference. If we have less than 40 riders, vans may be substituted for the charter bus. Youth and their adult leaders/chaperons will have first priority as riders. The bus departs on Monday, July 25 and will return to the St. Louis area on Sunday, July 31. At this time we ex  pect the price per person to be $200. We are seeking monetary support from our associations and individuals in the conference to help lower the price. Please contact one of the following for questions or more information:
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Help for ONA Churches Fighting Anti-Trans Laws
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North Carolina was just the tip of the iceberg: in state after state, proposed  laws are targeting the trans* community and carving out broad "religious exemptions" that allow private businesses and public offices to discriminate against LGBTQ Americans in employment, housing and public accommodations (including restaurants). The right to marry wasn't the end of our journey towards equality and freedom! This excellent toolkit published by the National LGBTQ Task Force helps ONA churches respond to this challenge! And you'll find more information on the Coalition website, including a list of LGBTQ advocacy groups in your state!
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Congregational Vitality with CPR - ReVision
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The Center for Progressive Renewal has rolled out a great new opportunity for congregational Vitality. It is called reVision. This is a year long journey that  begins with a period of focused worship, intentional small groups and spiritual practices designed to get congregations into their hearts for real discernment. This is followed by a Convergence Summit to bring everyone together to determine what God is saying to this church about what it can do in this community today. Proposal teams then take these dreams and ideas and prototype initiatives for the congregation to give feedback before implementation.
You can have an opportunity to learn more and ask questions at two upcoming free webinars, both will feature the same content so choose the one that works best for you.
The first webinar will be Wednesday, June 8 at 2:00 p.m.
Please register for reVision for Congregational Vitality on Jun 8, 2016 2:00 PM EDT at:
The second webinar will be Thursday, June 16 at 4:00 p.m.
Please register for reVision for Congregational Vitality on Jun 16, 2016 4:00 PM EDT at:
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Upcoming "Be The Church" Contest
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In an effort to help foster more connection between the national setting and local churches, the UCC Resources team has put together a "Be the Church of the Month" contest, based on the popular "Be the Church" message and associated identity items introduced last year.
In a monthly email to churches and via social media, they will pull out one of the "Be the Church" statements ("Protect the environment," "Reject racism," etc.) each month and ask churches what they're doing in that area by sending info, photos, and/or video.
A monthly winner will be selected as "Be the Church of the Month" and feature that church and its work on UCC social media and in UCC News. The winning churches will also get a BTC banner or other BTC product. If all goes well, the contest will continue for the next 8 months, starting in June. They'll be looking for ways to recognize churches of varying sizes and accomplishments, and hope this will be both inspiring and fun. Check out the other available graphics in the Still Speaking Toolkit 2.0. More info to follow!
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Clergy Information Review Forms - LAST CHANCE
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Over a month ago the annual Information Review 2015 forms were sent to all authorized clergy within our Conference. The majority received the form via email, which can easily be completed on your computer. For those without an active email address, the  form was mailed to your home/church. This annual form is required for all clergy, both active and retired, in order to maintain your standing within the Missouri Mid-South Conference UCC. YOUR FORM IS NOW OVERDUE!
You may also find your respective Association form below:
Eastern Association IR form
St. Louis Association IR form
Western Association IR form
The Minister Codes for your review:
Ordained
Licensed
Commissioned
As you are aware, "All Authorized Ministers are expected to participate in....Information Reviews in order to maintain their authorization" (United Church of Christ Manual on Ministry, Section 8, page 9). This instrument is a means for ministers to not only participate in the Information Review process, but to update your personal contact information, and to remain in touch with each of you.
If you have any questions regarding the form or code, please contact your Committee on Ministry.
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The Rev. Dr. Ginny Brown Installation Invitation
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UCC Supports Farmworker Justice - Wendy's Boycott
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May 13, 2016
Written by Anthony Moujaes
 The United Church of Christ Board of Directors is asking members of the denomination to support a justice call for farmworkers by skipping the drive-through lane and boycotting Wendy's restaurants.The farmworker-led Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) has launched a national boycott of the fast-food chain in response to the company's decision to reject a request to pay a one-penny-per-pound premium on tomatoes. Preceding Wendy's Annual Shareholder Meeting, thousands of people of faith around the country are expected to join the Wendy's Boycott National Day of Prayer on Monday, May 23.
Through a resolution on May 12, the UCC Board of Directors endorsed a boycott of Wendy until it joins the Fair Food Program. The UCC has long supported the CIW-a community-based organization of Latino, Mayan Indian and Haitian low-wage immigrant workers based in Florida -in a Fair Food Program campaign for better wages and working conditions, which Wendy's has avoided for more than a decade. Continue article |
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Contact Us
|  Missouri Mid-South Conference United Church of Christ
483 E. Lockwood Avenue, Suite 15, St. Louis, MO 63119-3168
877-877-5884 / 314-962-8740 / 314-918-2160 fax
www.missourimidsouth.org
Email Renee Cordes for future submissions. Not all submissions may be shared in future eCouriers, eConnections or eHappenings.
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In This Issue - 5/27/2016
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Weekly Podcast by the Rev. John Dorhauer
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African American Women in Ministry Event
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Member in Discernment Event
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