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Mission Bite: from across the Minnesota Conference
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from Rev. Anita Bradshaw, Interim Associate Conference Minister
 Save the Dates - VRV Events Coming Up!
Several exciting events are on the horizon in the upcoming months and more details will be forth coming, but in the meantime make note of these plans:
October - The Internet, Social Media and the Congregation - a series of four one-hour webinars focused on helping your congregation make better use of the Internet and technology in your ministry. Topics include:
- What Every Church Needs to Know about Websites
- How to Live Stream Your Worship Service
- Social Media for the Congregation and Pastors
- Marketing Strategies for Your Congregation Using Social Media
Participants completing all four webinars will have the opportunity to join a CoachShare group with Bruce Reyes-Chow, one of the foremost authorities on social media and churches and a consultant with the Center for Progressive Renewal.
November 2 - Taking Your Congregation to the Next Level
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Registration at 8:30 a.m.) Location: United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
This workshop with Michael Piazza and Cameron Trimble of the Center for Progressive Renewal will help you consider ways to engage your congregation in realizing your goals and plans for growing in vision and mission. Designed for both ordained and lay leaders, we encourage you to consider sending a team from your congregation.
January 14 or 15 - Developing Leaders in Your Congregation
9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Registration at 9 a.m.) Location: TBD
This workshop, led by Glenna Shepherd of the Center for Progressive Renewal, focuses on enabling pastors and key leadership on developing leaders within the congregation.
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Joys and Concerns
| 1. Rev. Lisa Johnson, pastor of the yoked congregations First Congregational UCC in Zumbota and the Presbyterian Church in Oronoco, will be installed Sunday, August 25 at 3:00 p.m. The service of installation will take place at the Oronoco church (located at 20 3rd St. SW). Rev. Johnson was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 2012.
 2. The Community Church of Walker was recently mentioned in the national newsletter, Keeping You e-Posted, and the local paper, the Walker Pilot. A dedicated group of stitchers recently completed 115 dresses and britches for children in need through the organization "Little Dresses for Africa." Read the story here! The women and some of their dresses are pictured above.
3. An Ecclesiastical Council for Commissioned Ministry for Dawn Carlson Conn will be held on Thursday, September 5 at 11:00am at Robbinsdale UCC (4200 Lake Ave, Robbinsdale). Lunch will follow the ecclesiastical council. Member churches and authorized ministers of the Minnesota Conference UCC will engage in a period of examination to be followed by a vote on a motion that Dawn Carlson Conn be commissioned into the ministry of the UCC. Voting will be by all clergy with standing and lay delegates from a minimum of seven churches with standing in the same formula as prescribed for other voting meetings of the Conference. To ensure a quorum, please contact the church at office@robbinsdaleucc.org or 763-537-6965 if you plan to attend. You may indicate at that time whether you will be present for lunch.
 4. "God's Garden" at First Congregational UCC in Brainerd was recently put in the spotlight of the Brainerd Dispatch. This garden in the church yard was lovingly tended by members of the church and the produce has been donated to local organizations that help feed those in need in the community. Read the article written by Pastor Linda Crowe in the Brainerd Dispatch. Rev. Crowe is pictured at right in God's Garden.
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Taizé 2014
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Taizé 2014
The Faith Formation Team of the Minnesota Conference UCC is sponsoring a 2014 Pilgrimage to the Taizé Community in France from April 3-14, 2014. The pilgrimage is for those age 29 and younger working with children and/or youth, either as volunteer or staff. The low cost of the pilgrimage is made possible by an Ashley Endowment Grant from the MN Conference UCC Board of Directors.
Criteria include:
- Age 29 or younger at the time of pilgrimage due to the restrictions from the Taizé Community
- Involvement at a MN Conference UCC congregation in faith formation or youth ministry, either as staff or a volunteer
- Provide a letter of recommendation from the minister where you are involved in faith formation and/or youth ministry
- Completion of the application
Date: April 3-14, 2014
Cost: $750 (includes flights, transportation, registration)
Registration: There are 25 spaces available with a rolling application through November 1, 2013. Applications will be reviewed by members of the Faith Formation Team.
Download the application to apply or for more information.
If you have any questions or want more information, please contact Wade Zick at wadez@uccmn.org.
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Prophetic Voices in the Minnesota Conference
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from Dwight Wagenius, secretary of the Justice and Witness Team
 The UCCers at Recent Organizer Trainings
The Conference Justice and Witness Team has advocate since the 2012 Annual Meeting for the Conference to live into its Prophetic Voices persona of working together to ... advocate for justice, peace, and integrity of creation. We base our work on a Biblical understanding of prophetic ministry and seek the knowledge and skills necessary to shape social policies in keeping with God's vision of a just and loving society.
The Team helped fund an intern from January to July 2013 to reach out to Conference congregations that may be interested in reaching into their own congregations, their communities (however they define them), and the Conference to organize for justice results-changing the world from a faith-based perspective.
 Ten of us attended organizer training this summer-Rev Eliot Howard, Linden Hills UCC, at a training organized by TakeActionMN, and nine others at an ISAIAH-based weeklong training in Mankato just last week-Rev Todd Smith Lippert (lead pastor) and Rev Carolyn Fure-Slocum (member and Carleton College Chaplain) from First UCC Northfield; Rev Emily Goldthwaite Fries new Associate at Mayflower UCC, Minneapolis; Rev Kathleen Remund of Living Table UCC, Minneapolis, UTS, etc.; Kathryn Price, UTS, who will serve as Justice & Witness justice intern for the coming year; Aaron Lauer, UTS Center for Public Ministry, J&W intern mentioned in first paragraph above; Cecilia Baxter, Linden Hills UCC, Minneapolis, UTS, etc.; Thom Haines, Mayflower UCC, Minneapolis, "Gold Fever" documentary, national UCC Justice and Witness board, etc.; and Dwight Wagenius, Mayflower UCC, Minneapolis, J&W Secretary.
We now know about one-to-ones, propositions, power organizations, agitations, power analysis, etc. We are transformed! It may or may not be obvious. If you are serious about knowing how, please ask. We each have a vision, and will work with you on your vision and a UCC vision. You will be hearing from us.
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Enduring Fund Grants Available
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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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 chapelhillsucc@gmail.com. The application deadline is August 31 for 2013 grants.
Sincerely,
The Enduring Fund Committee
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2014 Heritage Grants Available!
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2014 Heritage Grants available from St. Paul's Family Resources Foundation
The St. Paul's Family Resources Foundation is happy to announce that Heritage Grants will be awarded this fall for programs in 2014. We invite UCC congregations in the 7-county Twin Cities Metro area to submit applications for funding of innovative programs for seniors and/or their caregivers. As UCC congregations revitalize, we would like to help support the revitalization of their programs for seniors.
The Heritage Grants were offered for 4 years in a row, from 2008 to 2011. We took a leave of absence for 2 years and are now happy to be back.
Please note that changes have been made in the way the Heritage Grants are offered. We have moved the deadline for receipt of applications to one month earlier (September 30th) so that we can announce the awards while churches are doing their 2014 budgeting. We also are making the grants available only for UCC churches in the 7-county Metro Area, so that we have an opportunity to get to know congregations and their programs for seniors. Our maximum award will be $5,000.
Application materials are available on the Conference website.
More information regarding this announcement, please contact:
- Eric Kehle, President, St. Paul's Family Resources Foundation, 651-770-5127, emkehle@msn.com
- Rebecca Galkiewicz, Secretary, St. Paul's Family Resources Foundation, 651-490-0316, rebeccag@usfamily.net
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Clergy Clusters in the Coming Week
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There are no clergy clusters in the coming week.
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Registration Now Open!
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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.
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Fall Conference Youth Events - Register Now!
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Fall Middle School CYE
"Follow me! Discipleship Today"
October 4-6, 2013
Pilgrim Point Camps & Retreats
Alexandria, MN
Registration is now open!
Fall High School CYE
"God's Big Table: Conversations on Race"
Guest Speaker: Dr. Barbara Holmes,
President of United Theological Seminary
October 18-20, 2013
Pilgrim Point Camps & Retreats
Alexandria, MN
Registration is now open!
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Boundary Training - Register Now!
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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.
There is still time to register for September 24 at the reduced rate - the fee increases on September 10. Sign up now!
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PPC&R Summer Camps
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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 Download the brochure for more information about the keynoter, breakout sessions, schedule and other general information. __________________________
 Pilgrim Point Camps & Retreats will be available weekdays this fall for clergy and church program staff to use for personal and small group retreats. There are 10 rooms in the Lodge for individuals/couples and a 3-room Boat House for small groups. - Cost - By donation ($0-20/night suggested donation to help offset utilities, maintenance & administrative costs)
- Food - On your own (catering available by Luther Crest for groups and a kitchenette for individual use is in the Boat House)
- Space available starting Sunday, August 18 through October (Most weeks are open Sunday after 3pm through Friday at 11am)
Available for your use on site: - Labyrinth
- Walking trails
- Wireless Internet
- Kayaks & canoes
- Coffee maker & hot water heater
- A couple bikes (better to bring own)
Bring your own bedding & food. Guests are expected to clean-up after themselves in individual living spaces before departing and to help keep communal spaces clean. If you have questions about date availability or logistic issues please contact Zac at zacn@uccmn.org . If you have site or program questions, please contact Gigi at ggmarie58@gmail.com. |
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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.
- Wednesday, August 21: GLBT Marriage Issues, Parkway UCC, Minneapolis
- Thursday, August 22: Farmer's Market, Cottage Grove UCC
- Sunday, August 25: GLBT Marriage Issues, Parkway UCC, Minneapolis
- Sunday, August 25: Community Sunday, Clark Memorial UCC, South St. Paul
- Thursday, August 29: Farmer's Market, Cottage Grove UCC
- Sunday, September 1: Evensong Service, St. Paul's UCC, St. Paul
- Wednesday, September 4: Fare for All Express, Hazel Park UCC, St. Paul
- Thursday, September 5: Farmer's Market, Cottage Grove UCC
- Sunday, September 8: MissionFest, St. Paul's UCC, St. Paul
- Thursday, September 12: Farmer's Market, Cottage Grove UCC
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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