COMMAntary: e-newsletter of the
Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ
  

brought to you by generous contributions
to Our Church's Wider Mission

Vol. 09, No. 31

31 July 2013

Mission Bite: from across the Minnesota Conference
from Rev. Beth Benson, Our Church's Wider Mission Subcommittee

Greetings in Christ to all the churches of the

Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ!

 

giss We thank God for each and every one of you and for your amazing generosity and care for our Conference. It is particularly life-giving during this time of transition that many of you are current on your financial gifts to "Our Churches Wider Mission (OCWM)." Our fiscal year ends September 30, 2013, so if the bliss of summer has distracted you from sending in your OCWM checks, know that there is still time to participate in the great work of Christ that we share among us. If you or your church has not yet had the thrill of taking the plunge, we hope you will write a check and dive deep into the living waters of Christ as they are expressed here in our beloved Minnesota Conference and in the wider church in its national and global settings. As God's love is expressed in us and through us, the Psalmist tells us that "...righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. God will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase."

 

Our Church's Wider Mission - Plain Talk
Our Church's Wider Mission - Plain Talk

 

It would be a great welcome aboard gift to our new conference minister if we could meet our goals by August 30, 2013... imagine the joy that would fill the hearts of our sisters and brothers on the Finance Committee if everything is in a month ahead of time!!!! Join us in praying for this outpouring of generosity!

 

                        Yours in Christ,

                        your friendly OCWM Sub-committee


 News and Information


Joys and Concerns
1. St. Luke's UCC in Eitzen, MN will celebrate its 150th anniversary on Sunday, August 11 with a celebratory service at 9:30am. An anniversary lunch will follow. The church has invited former pastors to take part in the service. All are welcome!

2. Rev. Albert W. Fenske (Al), former pastor of Community UCC in St. Paul Park and longtime professor of religion and philosophy at Bemidji State University, died on Sunday, July 28. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 10 at 11:00am at Community UCC (1145 Summit Ave, St Paul Park), with visitation beginning an hour earlier. A funeral lunch will follow the service. Rev. Fenske is survived by his wife, Edie Seefeldt. Our condolences and prayers are with the family.

3. We offer our sympathy to licensed minister Sarah Yetter on the death of her husband, Frank, after a long battle with cancer.  Sarah served First Congregational UCC in New York Mills and First Congregational Church of Staples, and remains an active leader in First Congregational UCC of Wadena.  A celebration of Frank Yetter's life will be held Saturday, August 24, at 11 a.m. at the Schuler-Johnson Funeral Home in Wadena.
Update on Pilgrims UCC in Maple Grove

We are pleased to share the good news that the perpetrator of the vandalism and anti-gay graffiti at Pilgrims UCC Maple Grove has been identified by the Maple Grove police. Following several incidents, the police chose to install a video camera. When the church was vandalized again on Sunday, July 28, the camera captured the image of a white male in a wheel chair throwing eggs at the church building. On Monday, July 29, Fox 9 News broadcast the video eliciting the public to identify the man. The police also canvassed the neighborhood with a picture of the man from the video. Neighbors identified him as a person known to live in the neighborhood of the church. The man was interviewed and confessed to the police. He promised to stop the vandalism of this church without expressing regret. He is expected to be charged within the week with a bias-related crime. We wish to express our gratitude to the Maple Grove police department for their exemplary efforts to find this person.

 

We are pleased that this faith community can move forward in their ministries without the struggle of the unknown nature of ill-will that had been demonstrated toward them by this person. Please hold this beloved community in your prayers. We pray for their ability to move past these multiple traumatic experiences. Thanks, also, to the lay leaders of Pilgrims UCC Maple Grove for their outstanding work to maintain their Sunday morning worship and other ministries while being without regular pastoral leadership.

 

It is my hope that we might also hold the perpetrator in our prayers. We pray that he might come to deeper understanding of the harm he has caused while also coming to know more fully the love which God has for all persons.

 

Rev. Howard Bell

Acting Conference Minister

COMMAntary Schedule
Due to staff summer vacations, the COMMAntary for Aug. 7 will be compiled and created on August 2. Please have any items you would like included sent to [email protected] by noon on August 2nd. The following week's COMMAntary (for Aug. 14) will be compiled and created by Zac Norenberg on August 13th. Please have items in to [email protected] by noon on August 12th. Following that, all will be back to normal. The usual COMMAntary deadline is noon on Wednesday and items may be sent to Alison Bents at [email protected]. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility!
Volunteers needed at Pilgrim Point Camp!

Pilgrim Point Camps & Retreats is looking for more hospitality volunteers. We are thrilled to have congregations bringing many new people to camp this summer and we want to have extra volunteers to help out. We have room in our Volunteer Housing (also known as the Boat House) for up to six people at a time. The Boat house has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a screened in front porch. Weekends are available through the third weekend in October. Email Gigi at [email protected] with the dates you're interested in.  We promise that the work is easier than this.

 

News from the Emmaus Team

In the wake of the not guilty verdict for George Zimmerman in the murder of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, the Emmaus Antiraicsm Transformation Team of the Minnesota Conference supports the statement of the UCC Collegium released last week and recommends the following events for dismantling racism. In the coming weeks, we will highlight other resources in the COMMAntary and on our website.

 

Events:

  • September 26, 2013
    Refocus the Frame: Turning the Lens on Race and Racism
    UPCOMING FILM: Saving Face, Thursday, September 26, 7 pm (doors open at 6:30) Metropolitan State University, Founders Hall Auditorium,700 E. 7th Street, St. Paul, MN 55106
  • October 23, 2013
    It's Time to Talk: Forums on Race
    For more than a decade, diverse community leaders - from business, education, arts, and community service - have come together to participate in dialogues on race and commit to eliminating racism at the annual It's Time to Talk: Forums on Race program. There are many ways to get involved, from being an event sponsor to hosting a table, from attending as an individual to being trained as a racial justice facilitator. For more information about this forum and other racial justice education events sponsored by the YWCA contact Alicia Frosch at [email protected] or click here.
  • November 15-16, 2013
    Overcoming Racism Conference

    The Emmaus Team is a regular sponsor of this annual conference organized by the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative (FREC) and enthusiastically invites members of the Minnesota Conference to attend. This year's theme is Truth Telling As A Means To Overcome Racism. The conference will be heldat Metropolitan State University, 700 E. 7th Street, St. Paul, MN 55106. For more information, click here.   
Enduring Fund Grants Available

Dear Applicant,

 

The Enduring Fund was established by Chapel Hills of Edina in 2003. The stated mission of the endowment is to provide supplemental financial support to organizations, individual and projects that work in concert of our mission as a community of faith. The process for completing an application is linked here

 

The following is a high level review of the process: 

  1. Organization completes an Enduring Fund Application Form. A member of the Enduring Fund Committee is assigned to each request and performs necessary research on the organization, proposal, etc.
  2. The Enduring Fund Committee reviews all requests. Depending on the nature of the request, the committee may ask the applicant to meet with the committee, or visit the organization for more discussion to ensure a proper understanding of the request.
  3. Recommendations on each request are made by the Enduring Fund Committee and submitted to the Church Council for final approval. All individuals and organizations making requests will receive notification in regards to the final status of their application.

For more information or to receive this application form in an electronic format, please contact the church office at 952-935-3025 or by email at [email protected]. The application deadline is August 31 for 2013 grants.

 

Sincerely,
The Enduring Fund Committee 

Peace Village
Peace Village is only two months away! I hope you are encouraging others who have a passion for children, youth, and family ministries to attend this exciting event (and you will also be attending!!).

 

 

Here are the details:

October 3-4, 2013

Congregational Church of San Mateo, San Mateo, CA

 All information can be found here: www.ucc.org/peacevillage 

 

Registration is only $50, and scholarships are available for travel and other needs. Please locate the scholarship form on the website and share it with others-there are funds available.

 

Come experience an intergenerational, transformational model of ministry for children, youth, families, and whole congregations!


 Upcoming Events


Clergy Clusters in the Coming Week
Southeast Cluster: Tuesday, August 6, 11:30am
Peace UCC, Rochester 

Registration Now Open! 

Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ
is proud to present the 7th Annual Fall Convocation
BOLDLY
TELLING OUR
STORIES OF
GOD'S LOVE
AND JUSTICE
October 10-11, 2013
Christ the King Retreat Center
Buffalo, Minnesota
with Ann Poston and Rev. Steve Newcom

The Vision for the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ proclaims the Big Inspirational Goal: to be a bold, widely-known, proactive and respected public voice of Christianity.  

 

In this Fall Convocation we will work together toward the envisioned future in which we Boldly tell our stories of God's love and justice inspiring state and national leaders, as well as news media, to seek our comment and counsel on issues of peace, justice and faith. 

Register Now!

Single room: $95*  |  Double room: $85*

 

*A generous grant from the Mayflower Foundation (Mayflower UCC, Minneapolis) makes a 50% reduction in the registration fee possible for all attendees of the 2013 Fall Convocation. 

Boundary Training - Register Now!

Boundary Training has been scheduled for Tuesday, September 24 at Normandale Hylands United Methodist Church in Bloomington. To register, go to events.minnesotaumc.org where it is listed as "Living the Sacred Trust." Choose "other" for district and church. For a flyer and more information, click here

PPC&R Summer Camps
First Annual Deaf Family Camp 

August 11-16, 2013  

For any deaf family seeking an intergenerational faith experience in an outdoor setting - the UCC church is an open, affirming, progressive denomination where ALL are welcome!

 

2013 Camp Fees:
Children 3 and under FREE  | Adults $230  | Ages 4-18 $200

 

Women's Retreat

September 20-22, 2013

A Grateful Heart

Join women of the Minnesota Conference UCC for a weekend of renewing old friendships and making new ones - all while experiencing the God-filled beauty of Pilgrim Point Camp and the unmistakable presence of the Lord.  "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exalt in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High." - Psalm 9:1-2
Register Now! Cost $90/person
Download the brochure for more information about the keynoter, breakout sessions, schedule and other general information.
Disaster Preparedness Webinar

Join the Emergency Response Team of Church World Service on Tuesday, August 6, at 2pm EST for "Disaster Preparedness," a webinar that will discuss important details often overlooked while preparing for an emergency.

 

The Emergency Response Specialists will discuss what to expect when disaster strikes. Individuals and families are often not aware of the important steps during relief and recovery, leaving many hopeless in the wake of a disaster. For this reason it is important to know where to turn in an emergency. From Disaster Case Management (DCM) to Emotional and Spiritual Care, this webinar will inform you of the important details to consider, keeping you from becoming a disaster "victim." Click HERE to register. 


 Local Church Events


Local Church Events
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 [email protected]. Simple as that!


 Classifieds

Employment Opportunities
Check out the Employment Opportunities portion of the Minnesota Conference website. Click here to see the listings.

giss
In This Issue
Mission Bite
Joys & Concerns
COMMAntary Schedule
News from the Emmaus Team
Grants Available
Clergy Clusters
Registration Now Open!
Boundary Training
Deaf Family Camp & the Women's Retreat
Disaster Preparedness Webinar
Local Church Events
Employment Opportunities

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UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns 

 

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Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ

 

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Congregational Vitality 

 

Right now: Have you been catching up on your reading this summer? 

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Justice & Witness Ministries 

 

Right now: Are you participating in Community Supported Agriculture? 

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Council for Health and Human Services Ministries 

 

Right now: Registration is now open for the 75th CHHSM Annual Meeting! 


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