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Mission Bite: from across the Minnesota Conference
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from Wade Zick, Associate Conference Minister
of Faith Formation for Children and Youth
Profile: The Resource Center for Churches
 Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) giving does many things. One of the concrete ways it gives back to churches that are small, medium, large, rural, metro, suburban, struggling, healthy, ONA, not ONA and all other sorts of descriptions is through free access to the Resource Center for Churches (RCC). This access is part of our overarching mission priorit ies as a conference to strengthen congregations, enrich faith formation , and provide leadership development opportunities for both the laity and clergy.
The Resource Center for Churches has a new executive director, Lizabeth Bougie, who has been helping to shape a 21st Century direction for how a resource center can be a partner in ministry for congregations and leaders in these changing times. Lizabeth wrote: The Resource Center for Churches is a place where clergy and lay people, church staff and volunteers, spark their imaginations, share wisdom across denominations and enrich their ministries. We curate and share resources: from the myriad of resources in our current environment, we help find the best and make them accessible, saving time and money. We enjoy consultation: bring us a question and we will work with you. We keep you current: check our homepage to see what's new in DVD, print, and children's books, and find a new web resource every day on our Facebook page. We help bring those new to their ministries up to speed. We provide curriculum for review. We rent labyrinths. We host conversations. We have taken care to make our physical location at the Minnesota Church Center and our site at www.rcc-mn.org accessible and welcoming.  In this challenging, exciting time for churches, the RCC offers key support, with focus on transformative resources for faith formation for all ages, justice ministries, spiritual practice, church vitality, and the emergent/missional church. Please, visit our website www.rcc-mn.org or reach us at info@rcc-mn.org or 612.870.0861/888.293.9901 to access a resource, consult with us or recommend resources that have made a difference in your ministries. Like us on Facebook. Provide a link on your website to www.rcc-mn.org. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter. And please share this with all the leadership of your church.
Thank you for your on-going support of OCWM as you are making it possible to support and partner with the Resource Center for Churches as they provide resources for all 135 of our congregations and 32,000 members!
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Joys and Concerns
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1. Rev. Shari Mason will be installed on Sunday, April 7 at 2:00pm as Pastor of First Congregational UCC in Austin. Clergy are invited to robe and wear red stoles. The church is located at 1910 3rd Avenue NW. Rev. Mason, who has served at First Congregational UCC since mid-2012, has been granted Dual Standing in the Minnesota Conference UCC.
2. Kathy Nelson, pastor of Peace UCC in Duluth and United alum, will preach at the opening worship service during United Theological Seminary's Spring Convocation: "The Church's Public Witness." Convocation begins with worship at 9:15a.m. on Wednesday, April 24th in the Bigelow Chapel at United Theological Seminary, 3000 5th Street NW, New Brighton. For more information and to register, visit unitedseminary.edu.
3. Peace United Church, Long Prairie (the merger of Zion United Church of Christ and Long Prairie UMC) has sold the Zion UCC building. Their final two worship services at that church were held on Good Friday, March 29, and Easter Sunday, March 31. The Easter service was a Service of Discontinuance and a final good-bye to a building that has served the ministries of Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church, Zion United Church of Christ, and Peace United Church since 1956.
4. The inauguration of Barbara A. Holmes (pictured at right) as president of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in New Brighton will occur on April 12, 6:30pm at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis. There is no charge, but you can find more information and online registration on United's website.
5. Joshua Linzy Fogel, infant grandson of Rev. Linzy Collins, died March 27 in California. Rev. Collins is pastor of First Congregational UCC in Glencoe. A funeral service was held on March 30. Joshua is survived by his parents, brother, sister, grandparents and other relatives. We hold Rev. Collins and his family in prayer during this time of grieving.
6. Helen Hufendick, widow of the late Rev. Harold Hufendick, died March 30 in Owatonna. Services will be held April 11 at 11:00am at The Associated Church in Owatonna. Helen served as President of the Minnesota Council of Churches, among other volunteer activities, and was named an Outstanding Leader at the 1985 UCC General Synod. An active member of Church Women United, she was recognized as Steele County's Outstanding Senior Citizen in 2005.
7. We have received word of the death of Rev. Susan Adams on Sunday, March 17. Rev. Adams served as Associate Pastor of Federated Church in Fergus Falls and of Union Congregational UCC in St. Louis Park. She was also a chaplain at Fairview Southdale Hospital before serving as a missionary with the UCC Mission Board in Japan, teaching English at Kobe Jogakuin University and Niigata University. In 2007 she retired to her home in Carmel, CA. A full obituary is available here. Rev. Adams is survived by her daughters, and brothers and sister. Remembrance services will be held at the Community Church of Monterey Peninsula.
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2013 Annual Meeting:
Behold, I am doing a new thing!
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By the end of this week a mailing will be leaving the Conference Office containing the following items:
- Amended and Restated Bylaws for the Minnesota Conference: Because of substantial changes in the organization of the document, it is not possible to provide a "redlined" edition showing every alteration. Instead, accompanying these draft bylaws is a summary statement of the proposed changes. It may help you to know that the last "major overhaul" of our bylaws was more than a decade ago. A generous offer of pro bono counsel by our Conference Attorney made this the right time to undertake thorough review and revision. The document you are receiving is the result of repeated examination by the Board of Directors and feedback received during several webinars held earlier this year. We believe that the result is a set of bylaws that will serve this Conference well. To facilitate a constructive process at the Annual Meeting, we welcome your questions and concerns in advance of the meeting. Send them to the Conference Minister at Karenss@uccmn.org.
- Resolution Urging Divestment from Fossil Fuel Companies: This resolution submitted by the Massachusetts, Southwest, New York and Central Atlantic Conferences of the United Church of Christ (UCC) is going to General Synod 29 to be held June 28-July 2, 2013, in Long Beach, California. Those who prepared the resolution have urged other entities of the UCC, including other conferences and local churches, to add their endorsement to the resolution. Mayflower UCC has done so, as has the Justice and Witness Team of the Conference. The Board of Directors considered the resolution, lent its support and forwards it to the Annual Meeting for consideration. You are receiving with the resolution a set of "frequently asked questions." The Board has asked the Justice and Witness Team to help in educating about this resolution prior to the Annual Meeting. Watch for updates in COMMAntary.
- 2014 Compensation Guidelines for Authorized Ministers: These guidelines are reviewed annually by the Professional Development Subcommittee of the Committee on Ministry and represent an effort to honor and value authorized ministers and to create an environment of best compensation practices for the ministers and ministry settings of the Minnesota Conference.
You can get a sneak peek at these documents today by following the links above. Also, don't forget to register today to attend this year's Annual Meeting! There's only one month left to nab the early registration fee - don't delay!
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Behold, I am doing a new thing!
We know that Bold New Things are taking place across the Minnesota Conference UCC and Bold New Things are happening in our congregations.
Accordingly, we invite you to share the Bold New Things going on in your congregation, particularly as they relate to our Conference's Bold Inspirational Goals:
- Equip clergy and laity to lead
- Create and sustain healthy, vital congregations
- Strengthen faith formation across the generations
- Increase our capacity for compassionate service and prophetic witness
- How are YOU developing leadership?
- In what ways are YOU inspiring the attitude that "Membership Means Ministry"?
- How is YOUR CONGREGATION reaching out to its neighbors, both local and global?
- What are YOUR intergenerational program offerings?
- What are YOUR CHILDREN teaching you about faith development?
- How is YOUR CHURCH providing compassionate service or being a prophetic witness?
Bold New Things may be big or small.
Either way, Bold New Things help us all!
Send us your stories of the Bold New Things being realized in your church family. Some of them will be reported during plenary sessions at the Annual Meeting. Others will be compiled for wider sharing. The Bold New Things your church is now doing may well inspire not only the churches in our Conference but also churches throughout the United Church of Christ!
Please send your stories (250 words), photos, and videos to Alison Bents, Administrative Assistant to the Conference Minister by April 15: alisonb@uccmn.org or 122 W Franklin Ave #323, Minneapolis, MN 55404
Your contribution to our Minnesota Conference UCC is greatly appreciated!
Rev. Dick Fylling, Annual Meeting Planning Work Group
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Reserve your spot at Pilgrim Point for 2013!
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 Congregations are invited to sponsor a week or weekend of their own at Pilgrim Point! We provide twice daily all-camp, cross-generational programs, worship support for the Vespers leadership (once a day as an all-camp event), amazing meals and hospitality. You will still have plenty of time for relaxing, playing at the beach or ball field and creating your own experiences!
Download the reservation form here, and GET TO THE POINT!
On the reverse of the form, please find procedures on how to make a successful reservation. Please read through this carefully before submitting your application. Contact Zac Norenberg (zacn@uccmn.org) if you have any questions.
Here is what is currently available:
- July 12-14 (Available: Lodge, Campground)
- July 26-28 (Available: Annex, North Shore, POEM Cabins)
- August 9-11 (Available: Annex, North Shore, Campground)
- August 23-25 (Available: North Shore, Campground)
- August 30-Sept 1: (Available: North Shore, POEM Cabins)
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Working to prevent gun violence
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Take Five: Bringing Compassion and our Prophetic Voice
to Gun Violence Prevention
from Rev. Eliot Howard, pastor, Linden Hills UCC, Minneapolis
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me;
Let there be peace on earth,
The peace that was meant to be.
-Jill Jackson/Mark Miller, circa 1955
If there are to be expanded background checks and other sensible anti-gun violence legislation enacted in Minnesota this year, there are only six weeks left in which to act for its passage. What's most needed from here to mid-May is very basic:
More men, women, and teens contacting their legislators - calling for action in support of what are now popular legislative proposals to diminish gun violence. A phone call, a post card, or email can be completed in just a few minutes. To encourage engagement by church members, Linden Hills UCC and several neighboring churches held "Take Five" events. Members and visitors spent roughly five minutes at coffee hour cell-phoning, postcard-writing or emailing their state legislators to request action on anti-gun violence legislation; special mention of the need for universal background checks.
Don't know your legislator? Click here to get acquainted! Even if your church does not do a "take five" event, do contact your legislator.
The Linden Hills story: Over the past seven years, members of Linden Hills UCC along with members from neighboring churches have attended vigils for those lost to gun violence. With members of neighboring churches, members of Linden Hills UCC have made and shared dinner with grieving parents and siblings. The churches have raised money to help cover burial expenses.
"Take Five" is a simple way of being proactive in the effort to curb gun violence and the agony that comes with it. At Linden Hills, members and visitors welcomed the opportunity to participate. For more information about this idea, contact either Rev. Eliot Howard (eliothoward@msn.com 612-597-5533) or Justice and Witness Team Co-Chair, Rev. John Guttermann (intpasj@mac.com)
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A Resolution to Divest from Fossil Fuel Companies
| One item on the agenda at the Annual Meeting is a Resolution to Divest from Fossil Fuel Companies. The premise for the Resolution is that if fossil fuel companies fulfill their purpose, the climate change, already far advanced, will render the earth inhospitable to life as we know it. The resolution urges all entities of the UCC to divest from fossil fuel companies. The Massachusetts Conference UCC prepared the resolution for action at this summer's General Synod. They asked all UCC entities - conferences, associations, congregations, et al., to endorse the resolution, to divest, and to engage in other strategies to combat climate change. The Minnesota Conference Justice & Witness Team endorsed the resolution, urged adoption by the General Synod, and asked the Conference Board of Directors to endorse the resolution and bring it to the Annual Meeting, which the Board did. In each COMMAntary from now to the Annual Meeting we will provide information and answer questions about the Resolution. You may read the resolution and an accompanying FAQ document here. If you have other questions, would like additional resources or a speaker, contact the Justice & Witness Team at mnconfjusticewitnessteam@gmail.com.
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Getting Ready for General Synod!
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Head over to www.ucc.org/synod for all the information that you need to learn more about the big event, to study up on pre-synod details, and to get yourself registered!
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Mission 4/1 Earth!
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Friends and Colleagues,
Mission 4/1 Earth is here and I hope that you, your family, and your church and Conference are already planning to participate. It is exciting that the United Church of Christ is leading this effort during Eastertide to focus on the care of our precious earth. Our future, and that of our children and grandchildren, will be affected positively or negatively by the choices we make today.
I want to let you know my personal commitment for these 50 days of earth consciousness. I will commute to and from our downtown Cleveland offices by walking, biking and using public transportation instead of my car. Additionally, I will participate in cultivating the community garden at my home church, South Haven United Church of Christ in Bedford, Ohio. And, like many of you, I will be planting trees and writing letters as those opportunities present themselves.
We know we can reach - and hopefully exceed - our three goals: 1,000,000 hours of earth care, 100,000 trees planted, and 100,000 earth-care advocacy letters written. It's easy to do and to record your contributions toward these goals. Just go to www.ucc.org/earth for all the information you need to be fully engaged in Mission 4/1 Earth. Please feel free to share this site with others. After all, we never know who is out there looking for an opportunity to participate in God's mission.
Thank you! I look forward to seeing what we can do together as the United Church of Christ.
Peace and Eastertide blessings,
The Rev. Geoffrey A. Black
General Minister and President
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ONE UNITED CHURCH on a shared resurrection witness for Planet Earth during 50 great days of greening up, powering down, and shouting out.
- 50 days, 1 million hours of earth care
- 50 days, 100,000 trees planted
- 50 days, 100,000 letters to leaders
Join the journey: 50 days - Easter to Pentecost
www.ucc.org/earth
Click here to report your participation!
Click here for all of your Mission 4/1 Earth resources! Worship resources are available here too! Excellent.
Let's get planting! The UCC, in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, offers special ways to plant trees in your community and across the US. Order your gift trees today for planting locally.
Don't forget to share the Mission 4/1 Earth video with everyone!
 | | Take time to Care FOR the planet during Mission 4/1 Earth |
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Become a Congregation of Care
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We are all aging together, regardless of our age. As baby boomers get older, America is facing an unprecedented demographic shift. And although most people want to avoid talking about and making decisions about the end of life, the consequences of inaction can be grim. Graceful Journey offers a way to have those conversations, and to make decisions on the basis of deeply held religious beliefs, surrounded by a caring community of faith.
Graceful Journey is a project of the Minnesota Council of Churches in partnership with Honoring Choices Minnesota. It is designed to help people think about the decisions that need to be made at end of life, to offer the tools necessary to talk about and make those decisions, and to encourage congregations to provide the care needed to make the end of life a graceful journey.
Minnesota Council of Churches has trained Graceful Journey Faith Ambassadors who are certified Advance Care Planning Facilitators. Faith Ambassadors are available to deliver two 90-minute presentations or four 45-minute adult education sessions, and can coach your church as it becomes a Congregation of Care.
Are you interested in a presentation, or in learning more about becoming a Congregation of Care? Fill in this interest form.
Please contact Helen Jackson Lockett-El at (612) 230-3345 or helen.jacksonlockett-el@mnchurches.org with any questions.
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Clergy Clusters in the Coming Week
| Twin Cities West Cluster: Thursday, April 10, 12:00pm
Parkway UCC, Minneapolis
Northern Cluster: Will not meet this month
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Retirement Celebration
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Conference-wide celebration of the retirement of
Conference Minister, Rev. Dr. Karen Smith Sellers
May 5, 2013, 5:00-9:00pm
Silverwood Park Great Hall
2500 Cty. Rd. E, St. Anthony, MN
Cost: $35/person
Includes appetizers, dinner and a program in Karen's honor
Register: www.uccmn.org/transition
Need hotel accommodations? Blocks of rooms are available at two local hotels. Mention "United Church of Christ" when you call in your reservation. To ensure our rates, please call no later than April 14.
Comfort Inn, Brooklyn Center, $79/room: 763-560-7464
Crowne Plaza, Minneapolis North, $92/room: 1-800-481-3556
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In addition, our final goodbye for Karen is during the June 7-9 Minnesota Conference UCC Annual Meeting. A brief program will be part of the Friday evening plenary, followed by worship, then a reception beginning around 9pm. Our liturgical release of Karen from the Minnesota Conference happens during worship, Sunday, June 9. The Annual Meeting takes place at the College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, MN. Check www.uccmn.org/annualmeeting to register for the Annual Meeting.
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Spring Middle School Youth Event
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Spring Middle School Youth Event:
God is Still Speaking, Part II
May 3-5, 2013 @ Pilgrim Point Camp
Join conference middle school youth (grades 6-8) with our awesome musician, Hans Peterson, for a weekend retreat on beautiful Pilgrim Point in Alexandria, MN.
Register Now!
Early Registration by April 15: $75 youth, $50 adult
Registration after April 15: $85 youth, $60 adult
Deadline for ALL Registrations is April 29
Download the Authorization Form: YOUTH - ADULT
Note: The Authorization Forms are interactive.
This event is for middle school youth (grades 6-8) and their adult leaders. All attendees are expected to be active participants in the entire event. Check-in will begin at 6:30pm on Friday, May 3rd (dinner will not be provided Friday evening, so eat before you arrive). The retreat will conclude at noon, Sun, May 5th.
Questions? Email Zac at zacn@uccmn.org or call the Conference Office at 612-871-0359.
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Save the Date: Annual ONA Worship Celebration
|  Annual Open and Affirming Worship Celebration
April 14, 2013
hosted by Union UCC of Elk River
Workshops at 2:30pm
Worship at 4:00pm
Rev. Ben Guess of the UCC's Local Church Ministries is preaching, and a choir from St. Anthony Park UCC will provide music.
Minnesota Open and Affirming Celebration:
celebrating the United Church of Christ's
extravagant welcome
Worship will include an acknowledgement of all the "Open and Affirming"ministries within the Minnesota Conference, with special music provided by the choir of Saint Anthony Park United Church of Christ in Saint Paul and preacher Rev. Dr. J. Bennett Guess, Executive Minister for Local Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ national setting.
Workshop options will include: "A New Way of Doing Church" presented by Rev. Lawrence T. Richardson along with members of Shift UCC in Mendota Heights and "Sing Out " presented by Gigi Nauer, Music Director for Pilgrims UCC in Maple Grove.
You can download a poster for this event here!
Marc Blakesley has created a beautiful video celebrating the 40 ONA congregations of the Minnesota Conference UCC. You can watch and share that here!
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PPC&R Summer Camps
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We are pleased to announce that we have opened registration for youth camps at Pilgrim Point for summer 2013. Register now to join other Minnesota Conference youth for a fun-filled week while enjoying this magical place of ministry. Both youth camps are directed by David Becker, Youth Program Director.
Radical Hospitality
at Pilgrim Point Camp
Middle School Camp
July 21-26, 2013 (Sunday through Friday)
Cost is $315/person until May 1, then $340/person
Register here or online at pilgrimpoint.org
Senior High Camp
July 28-August 3, 2013 (Sunday through Saturday)
Cost is $340/person until May 1, then $365/person
Register here or online at pilgrimpoint.org
Eco-Justice Training
August 11-14, 2013
Women's Retreat
September 20-22, 2013
Note: Middle School Camp is for youth currently in 5th-8th grade. Senior High Camp is for youth currently in 9th-12th grade.
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Save the Dates
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Boundary Training has been scheduled for 2013. Dates are:
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at First Congregational UCC in Alexandria.
Tuesday, September 24 at Normandale Hylands UMC, Bloomington.
To register, go to events.minnesotaumc.org where it is listed as "Living the Sacred Trust." Choose "other" for district and church.
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2013 Certification School - Scholarships Available
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May 19-24, 2013 | closing retreat Nov. 8-10, 2013
This course includes 50+ hours of instruction, all textbooks, six webinars, coaching and ministry plan projects. May classes take place at Pilgrim Point Camp in Alexandria, MN and the November retreat in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Registration Cost: $2,000
Register Now! | Click here for more info.
Scholarships of up to $800 are available thanks to the Ashley Endowment of the Minnesota Conference UCC. You can download the scholarship application here. For more information, contact Zac (zacn@uccmn.org) in the Conference Office.
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Our Whole Lives Trainings Available
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REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a sexual education program with resources written by professional sexuality educators that equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information to help them make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. OWL provides not only facts about anatomy and human development, but helps participants clarify their values and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.
More information about OWL is available here.
The Minnesota Conference UCC, in partnership with the Prairie Star District UUA, has established the following OWL Training Courses:
Middle School/High School Training
(for grades 7-9 and 10-12)
May 10-12, 2013 @ Pilgrim Point Camp
Elementary and Young Adult/Adult Training
(for grades K-1, 4-6, Young Adults and Adults)
May 10 & 11, 2013 @ Pilgrim Point Camp
Register Online or
Get more information about the trainings.
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VRV Annual Meeting Pre-event!
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The Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ announces a special
Vitality*Renewal*Vision Pre-Event with
Tony Robinson, UCC author, consultant and voice for vitality asks...
"What's God got to do with it?"
Connecting Theology and Congregational Vitality
Friday, June 7th, 9:00 am to noon
(Annual Meeting begins after lunch)
College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph MN
$30 per person; register online:
www.uccmn.org/annualmeeting
Come Thursday to enjoy an evening of dinner and worship with the Minnesota Open and Affirming Gathering, hosted by the Open and Affirming Ministry Team. Meals and housing are available through the ONA Gathering registration.
Questions? Contact maritak@uccmn.org
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Building the movement to end poverty
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"BUILDING THE MOVEMENT TO END POVERTY"
MONDAY, APRIL 15, 7:30-9:00 PM
Willie Baptist, poverty scholar-in-residence with the Poverty Initiative at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, will discuss the Bible, economics, poverty and change strategies. Baptist is committed to raising up generations of leaders dedicated to building a social movement to end poverty, led by the poor. Join us for an exploration of how the intersection of grassroots organizing and social theory is building a movement to end poverty.
No charge, but Registration required. Click here for more info.
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United Theological Seminary Spring Convocation
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Spring Convocation | April 24-25, 2013
"The Church's Public Witness"
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, in collaboration with the Center for Public Ministry*, presents this year's Spring Convocation, exploring the role of faith communities and their calling to do justice - from theological, prophetic and practical perspectives.
Check the website (www.unitedseminary.edu) for program details and information about presenters and panelists:
- Sarah Bellamy, Penumbra Theatre, presenter ("Theatre as Public Witness")
- Jennifer Butler, Faith in Public Life, keynote presenter and panelist ("The Path to Irrelevance" & "Finding Our Way Back")
- Eleazar S. Fernandez, United, presenter and panelist, ("Letting Justice Roll: God in Public")
- Steven Newcom, Center for Public Ministry, panel facilitator (panel topic: "The Place of Public Ministry")
- Paul Slack, ISAIAH, panelist
Whether you are active in ministry or exploring your own spiritual path, join us for this invigorating topic.
Costs: $45-$120. Space is limited; register now!
*The Center for Public Ministry at United Theological Seminary is dedicated to equipping the church to be a powerful and sustained force for social justice.
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Local Church Events
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Check out all the events happening at our local churches across Minnesota on our Local Church Events Calendar! You can surf around the calendar to see what's coming up across the Conference. Just click on the title of the event in the calendar to get more details.
Would you like your events to appear on this calendar? Just email Alison Bents at alisonb@uccmn.org. Simple as that!
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Employment Opportunities
| Check out the Employment Opportunities portion of the Minnesota Conference website. Click here to see the listings.
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