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Mission Bite: from across the Minnesota Conference
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from Rev. Shari Prestemon, Conference Minister
7th Annual Fall Convocation
Equips a Bold Witness for Justice
Do you know how to identify the most urgent and relevant social justice issues in your community? Have you done the research and investigating needed to make sure the issues you've identified are really community issues and not just your "pet" issues? Does your congregation know how to engage in a meaningful, community-based response? Have you taken care to engage a variety of people with diverse perspectives in your action-planning and implementation? Or do social justice ministries and concerns of your community reside more on the boundaries of your everyday congregational life?
These were just some of the questions addressed at the Fall Convocation held October 10-11 at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, Minnesota. Approximately 45 clergy and lay leaders from across the Conference attended to learn more about "Boldly Telling Our Stories of God's Love and Justice", a topic aligned with one of our Conference's BIGs (Bold Inspirational Goals): to increase our capacity for compassionate service and prophetic witness.
Those gathered were blessed by two excellent resource persons. Steve Newcom, Director of the Center for Public Ministry at United Theological Seminary, described six different strategies for social change and offered a framework for ensuring that social justice ministries of the Church are fresh, relevant, enduring, and actionable. Ann Poston, Director of the Publishing, Identity and Communication Ministry of the national setting of the United Church of Christ, shared tips for most effectively proclaiming and enacting our commitments to social justice and peace within our community and world.
Participants were invited to consider real-life needs in their own communities during the second day of the gathering and begin a process of planning for organizing and action. Worship, facilitated by Reverends Zoe and Lanny Kuester and Clare Gromoll, grounded each day in the call of our faith to participate in the world and contribute to the unfolding story of God's creation.
Are you interested in growing the capacity of your congregation to more boldly seek God's love and justice in the world? Check out the Justice and Witness grants of our Justice and Witness Team and consider applying! You can access more information by clicking here. Help the Minnesota Conference realize our bold, inspirational goal of becoming a bold, widely known, proactive and respected public voice of Christianity in Minnesota!
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Joys and Concerns
| 1. Three ONA Congregations, including Community UCC in St. Paul Park were recently featured on the PBS documentary program, "To the Contrary" with Bonnie Erbe. This aired this past weekend, but you can watch the video anytime at www.pbs.org/to-the-contrary. Congratulations to the congregation of Community UCC!
2. Please join an informal time of worship and remembrance as we celebrate the life of Rev. Mary McNamara, former president of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. Come prepared to share with others your stories and memories of Mary and of her life and service. We will gather with Mary's local family and many friends and colleagues to give thanks for Mary and to remember her life among us here in the Twin Cities. A brief reception will follow the service. Questions may be directed to Rev. Steve Robertson, Associate Pastor at Westminster at 612.332.3421 or srobertson@wpc-mpls.org. The service will be held Tuesday, November 5, 2013, at 7:00pm in the chapel at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 Marquette Ave, Minneapolis.
3. The 125th anniversary celebration of St. John's UCC in Fairmont was recently highlighted in the national UCC publication Keeping You e-Posted. Read the article here! St. John's will celebrate with an anniversary service on Sunday, October 27 at 9:30am. A celebratory lunch will follow the service at 11:00am. Associate Conference Minister, Rev. Rick Wagner will represent the Minnesota Conference. The church address is 301 N. Main Street in Fairmont, Minnesota.
4. Rev. Emily Goldthwaite Fries will be installed as Associate Minister at Mayflower UCC in Minneapolis in a service of Installation on Sunday, October 27 at 3:00pm. Conference Minister, Rev. Shari Prestemon will represent the Minnesota Conference. Clergy are invited to robe and wear red or multi-colored stoles. A reception will follow the service. The church is located at 106 E. Diamond Lake Road in Minneapolis.
5. Peace UCC in Minnesota Lake will celebrate its 125th anniversary on Sunday, October 27. The regular Sunday worship service at 10:30am will be followed by an anniversary lunch at noon. A service of celebration will be held at 1:30pm. Interim Associate Conference Minister, Rev. Dr. Anita Bradshaw will represent the Minnesota Conference. The church address is 16 S. Park Street in Minnesota Lake.
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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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Congregation Based Organizing
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from Rev. John Guttermann, Justice & Witness Team
 PROPHETIC VOICES
Congregation Based Organizing in the Minnesota Conference
New Intern to Build Congregational Advocacy
Your Minnesota Conference Justice and Witness Team, working with United Theological Seminary (UTS) and the UTS-based Center for Public Ministry, has again engaged an intern for working with interested UCC congregations in becoming justice advocates and organizers for social change.
The intern, Kathryn Price, is a UTS student who will receive seminary credit for her work, will contact and help interested congregations learn more about becoming active organizers and advocates for social justice. This is the Justice and Witness (JW) Team's second advocacy intern and is made possible by your generous Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) donations and the budget approved for the coming year. It is part of the JW Team's ongoing response to the Annual Meeting's passage of the Prophetic Voices Resolution in 2012 (click here to read the resolution).
Kathryn is working toward an M.Div. at UTS with a concentration in Justice and Peace Studies. She is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in English. You can contact Kathryn at propheticvoicesucc@uccmn.org.
For more information about Congregation Based Organizing, see the national UCC website: www.ucc.org/justice/cbco.
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2013 Children's Sabbath
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What is your congregation doing for Children's Sabbath this year?
On this year's Children's Sabbath, October 18, 19 and 20, congregations of many faiths all across our nation are committing to take action to end gun violence and child poverty. Won't you join them?
Download the 2013 Children's Sabbath Manual. This manual serves as a guide for you and your faith community to engage in year-round child and family advocacy work and to celebrate the National Observance of Children's Sabbaths weekend. We are very grateful to our good friends at Children's Defense Fund-MN for providing such great resources.
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Respectful Conversations
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Build Empathy with a Respectful Conversation
About Guns in Minnesota
Gun violence remained in the news this week and our prayers are with the Washington Navy Yard victims, their families and the shooter and his family. When difficult topics make headlines it can be almost impossible to talk about them without feeling our own temperatures rise and our own discussions get heated.
Enter the Respectful Conversations Project. Trained facilitators come to your congregation, train volunteers in how to run a neutral conversation on a difficult topic intended not to change minds, but soften hearts. Within a week of the training the conversation is held and your community is blessed by people who, according to months-later evaluations, have become more empathic listeners, more curious about others' perspectives, and more aware of their own attitudes.
Listen to Minnesota Council of Churches Executive Director Rev. Canon Peg Chemberlin's interview about Respectful Conversations on Minnesota Public Radio.
Click here to find and join a Respectful Conversation in your community. To host a Respectful Conversation in your own community, contact Tonia Johnson.This is shared with you by your Justice and Witness Team. Congregations are encouraged to attend and to consider hosting a Respectful Conversation as well!
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Clergy Clusters in the Coming Week
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Northwest Cluster: Tuesday, October 22, 10:00am
First Congregational UCC, Moorhead
The South Central Cluster will meet on October 29.
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Fall VRV Events!
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Social Media, Websites
and Technology for Congregations
 The tools of technology both fascinate and frustrate many of us. This fall VRV presents four webinars to help congregational leaders to better use these tools to promote and communicate your congregation and its story.
You may register for the webinars separately, but we encourage you to sign up for the whole package (and you get a price break!). Those who complete all four seminars will qualify for a short-term CoachShare group with Bruce Reyes-Chow, one of the foremost authorities on social media and internet use in the church.
Each webinar is $9.99. If you register for all four, you get four webinars for the price of three at $29.97.
Register here!
Once you register with the Conference, we will send you information on connecting to the Center for Progressive Renewal for the webinars. If you are unable to participate on the day and time listed, not to worry. Each webinar will be archived and you can listen to it at your convenience. The advantage to being on the live webinar is you can ask questions, but you can still get the information, whether you are on live or not.
Here are the details:
Webinar #1 Social Media: The Biggest Pulpit of Today, Part 1
October 17, 2013 - 12:00pm CDT
Facebook and Twitter are the biggest pulpits of today. It's not just about reaching kids or Millennials (though you will!), but about everyone. This webinar will introduce you to a model of curatorial leadership take your social media use from point A all the way to point Awesome.
Take-aways:
- Understand the big picture change happening in the world for organizations in a networked world
- Learn a new theoretical/theological framework for digital clergy leadership
- Get a wide-angle view of the possibilities for how you might incarnate your new role online
Webinar #2 Social Media: The Biggest Pulpit of Today, Part 2
October 29, 2013 - 1:00pm CDT
Now that you understand the big picture of how to lead using social media as a pulpit, it's time to practice. We'll walk through creating your online clergy profile and curating your church's content for the biggest impact.
Take-aways:
- Quick review of the big picture changes mandated for church by a networked world
- Create your clergy online profile
- Learn to curate your sermons, prayers, music and social justice actions so they win Facebook and Twitter
 Presenter for Webinars #1 and 2: Ashley Harness is a communications strategist with almost a decade of experience in non-profit media work. Currently, Ashley works with the digital organizing team at Auburn Seminary and provides confidential media training and counsel to clergy seeking to use media as a pulpit of the 21st century.
Webinar #3 Website Basics for ChurchesNovember 7, 2013 - 7:00pm CSTYour website is truly the front door to your church. People will have visited your website before they visit your building. Learn the basics you need to have to make your church website attractive, informative and easily found. Webinar #4 Live Streaming Worship Services for ChurchesNovember 21, 2013 - 12:00pm CSTIt used to be only mega-churches with million dollar budgets could live stream their worship services over the web. A lot has changed recently and this webinar is designed to show you inexpensive (even free) tools that will help you stream your worship services to the world.  Presenter for Webinars #3 and 4: Mike Mitchell has significant experience doing media & communication in the corporate world. Most recently he had founded Progressive Church Media which develops media resources for progressive, accepting and affirming congregations. An increasing number of progressive-minded churches are using video and multimedia to make their worship services more engaging and seeker-friendly. Each webinar is $9.99. If you register for all four, you get four webinars for the price of three at $29.97. Register here! __________________________ Taking Your Church to the Next Level: Where Do You Want to Go? November 2, 2013, 9:00 am-3:00 pm Registration at 8:30 am United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Cost: $30.00 (includes lunch, breaks, all materials, and access to archived videos of all presentations) Teams of three or more from a congregation get to bring their pastor for free. We often talk about taking your congregation to the next level and that is great. Of course, this assumes you know where your congregation is and where you want to go in terms of your life cycle. Come and explore the life cycle of a congregation and strategize how you move your congregation to a place of vitality for your congregation. Presenters: Michael Piazza from the Center for Progressive Renewal  Rev. Michael Piazza currently serves as President of Hope for Peace & Justice and the Executive Director of Church Multiplication for the Center for Progressive Renewal. He is also the Senior Pastor at Virginia-Highland Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Can't attend on November 2? You can still access the presentations by registering for the virtual participation option. Each of the presentations will be recorded and streamed over the internet. Your virtual participation registration will get you each presentation for the cost of $15.00. You will also be able to receive the handout materials electronically.
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FourTHursdays
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 We hope you can join our gathering of faith formation leaders to eat together, share resources, and learn fresh ways to engage ministry.
Justice-Minded & Jesus-Following
Thursday, October 24th, 11:30-1:30p.m. Minnesota Church Center, Assembly 2 122 West Franklin Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55404 RSVP Today!
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Gold Fever Screening
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Justice & Witness Team & Mayflower UCC
to host Gold Fever: Global Screening Day Event
at Riverview Theater Minneapolis
Documentary film screening part of a
worldwide discussion on mining harms
On October 24, Minneapolis will join dozens of communities worldwide to screen Gold Fever, an "eye-opening and inspiring" documentary about the arrival of Goldcorp Inc to a remote Guatemalan village.
The screening, presented by G Project and co-hosted by the Minnesota Conference Justice and Witness Team, Mayflower UCC's Global Justice Advocacy Team, Witness for Peace, and many other organizations will take place at the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis at 7:00pm on October 24. Admission is $10, and the public is welcome. Following the screening of the film, Thom Haines, Executive Director at G Project, will host a discussion of the film.
Dozens of groups, large and small, will screen Gold Fever around the world on or about October 17. For a map and details of the campaign visit: www.goldfevermovie.com/screening-day
For trailer, screenings and more information: www.goldfevermovie.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/goldfevermovie.com
Contact: Thom Haines thom.haines@comcast.net
Executive Director, G Project
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Celtic Spirituality Pilgrimage of Ireland
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 Celtic Spirituality Pilgrimage of Ireland
May 6-16, 2014
Explore an ancient spiritual tradition that embodies care for creation, embraces differences, provides seeds of resistance to empires, and finds the sacred in all that is.
Led by Rev. Kiran Young Wimberly & Rev. Dr. Tim Johnson. $300 deposit due by November 24, 2013. For complete itinerary, description, cost and registration information go to www.CherokeeParkUnited.org.
For questions or to have information mailed, contact Rev. Tim Johnson, pastor of Cherokee Park United Church, St. Paul at 651-227-4275 or cpuc@usfamily.net.
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Shift UCC Anniversary Celebration!
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All are welcome to join Shift UCC, the Minnesota Conference UCC's first ministry connection, as it celebrates its first anniversary!
Sunday, November 3, 12:30-2:30pm
Anniversary Celebration and Fundraiser Brunch!
Mendota Heights UCC
680 Hwy 110, Mendota Heights, MN
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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.
- Thursday, October 17: Reading Rilke (with Mark Gustafson), Mayflower UCC, Minneapolis
- Saturday, October 19: Elder Law Series: Estate Planning, First Congregational Church of MN UCC, Minneapolis
- Sunday, October 20: Bauman Fine Arts Concert Series: Barra!, Hazel Park UCC, St. Paul
- Sunday, October 20: Yesterday Once More: A Tribute to the Carpenters, Living Table UCC, Minneapolis
- Thursday, October 24: Reading Rilke (with Mark Gustafson), Mayflower UCC, Minneapolis
- Friday, October 25: Women's Work in the Early Church & Why It Matters to Us Today, Plymouth Congregational, Minneapolis
- Saturday, October 26: Elder Law Series: Estate Planning, First Congregational Church of MN UCC, Minneapolis
- Saturday, October 26: Italian Night! Parkway UCC, Minneapolis
- Sunday, October 27: Monroe Crossing in Concert, St. Paul's UCC, St. Paul
- Wednesday, October 30: Fare for All Express, Hazel Park UCC, St. Paul
- Sunday, November 3: Reducing Stress in Your Family Life, Plymouth Congregational, Minneapolis
- Sunday, November 3: Evensong Service, St. Paul's UCC, St. Paul
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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