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,
|
|
Ginny's Gems
|
Ginny recorded this video 2 weeks ago when she was in Houston. Her very neighborhood has received more flooding in the past few days but Ginny's house in okay. May we hear the "Tender Beauty of Nature."
Ginny brings greetings from her backyard in Houston, Texas, where there have been terrible floods in the recent month. She was able to attend yoga at her neighborhood studio for the first time in a long time because the flooding damaged the floors of the studio and had to be closed for 3 weeks.
As Ginny's yoga teacher prepared everyone for class, she talked about, "the tender beauty of nature," and how it can be beautiful with spring flowers blooming and then, in an instant, it can be dangerous and scary. Ginny appreciated that description and has used it as her prayer mantra for the past few days. The Tender Beauty of Nature. Nature is both tender and beautiful. When we are made vulnerable or tender, God's beauty deep within us begins to surface. And when there is great joy blossoming from our being, we must be vulnerable or tender to the rest of nature around us. Our churches and the Missouri Mid-South Conference can be described with this mantra as well. In one moment, we have joy and happiness that our ministries are fulfilling God's vision. And then in the blink of an eye, a conflict arises, a member dies, an event devastates the community, and the church is made vulnerable to the dangers of nature around and within them. And isn't that the theme of the stories in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures? Jesus is resting in a boat with his disciples; finally experiencing a time of rest and relaxation. And then suddenly a storm so fierce crashes onto them, leaving them vulnerable and afraid? The Tender Beauty of Nature is that God breathes into us God's Love when we are joyful and when we are made vulnerable by pain. Our challenge is how we live into the Tender Beauty of God's Nature? Perhaps by taking the time in between the storms to appreciate God's goodness in the chirping of birds, the joy of children, and the embrace of a church member. That is the Tender Beauty of Nature. This day and forevermore. Amen.
|
|
Ginny's Schedule
|
|
Location
|
Date
|
Description
|
|
6/3/16
|
Out/Ginny's Sabbath Day
| |
Owensville, MO
|
6/5/16
|
Worship at St. Johns Bem
| |
Columbia, MO
|
6/8-11/16
|
Conference Annual Gathering
| |
Houston, TX
|
6/13-15/16
|
Work from Houston
|
|
6/17/16
|
Out/Ginny's Sabbath Day
| |
Columbia, MO
|
6/18/16
|
CoM Covenanted Ministry Mtg
| |
St. Louis, MO
|
6/19/16
|
Preach at Samuel UCC
| |
Springdale, AR
|
6/22-23/16
|
JRD Marshallese Mtg
|
|
6/24-7/9/16
|
Vacation
|
|
|
Dale's Schedule
|
|
Location
|
Date
|
Description
| |
California, MO
|
6/5/16
|
150th Anniversary California UCC
| |
Columbia, MO
|
6/8-11/16
|
Conference Annual Gathering
| |
Weldon Spring, MO
|
6/12/16
|
Preach at Emmanuel UCC
| |
Independence, MO
|
6/14-16/16
|
Tyler Connoley Training
| |
Springdale, AR
|
6/19/16
|
Preach/baptism at JRD Marshallese
| |
Independence, MO
|
6/21-22/16
|
Tyler Connoley Training
| |
Springdale, AR
|
6/23/16
|
JRD Marsallese Mtg
|
|
6/24-30/16
|
Vacation
|
|
7/1-10/31/16
|
Sabbatical
|
|
2016 Conference Annual Gathering, REGISTER!
|
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
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER AT THE BASE PRICE OF $190.
Registrations received after June 1 will increase to $225. Registration closes at 5pm on Friday, June 3. To view CAG reports/documents, please visit our Conference website. Check for updates next week before printing.
Questions about registration? Please contact Kris or Renee as soon as possible. Time is running out! 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 regular price registration deadline is Wednesday, June 1st - TODAY! 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. If you are in need of refund, please contact Renee at the Conference office. Refunds will be handled after CAG. 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
|
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! |
|
The Rev. Dr. Ginny Brown Installation Invitation
| |
|
Help for ONA Churches Fighting Anti-Trans Laws
|
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!
|
Congregational Vitality with CPR - ReVision
|
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:
|
Upcoming "Be The Church" Contest
|
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!
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Conference Office -
CAG Schedule
| |
|
Weekly Podcast by the Rev. John Dorhauer
| |
|
African American Women in Ministry Event
| |
|
Member in Discernment Event
| |
|
|
|
