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Mission Bite: from across the Minnesota Conference
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from Rev. Shari Prestemon, Conference Minister
photos and video from Rev. Scott Keehn
Three hundred twenty-five delegates and guests from throughout the state and beyond gathered at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph last weekend for the Minnesota Conference's Annual Meeting. The theme this year was "Strangers No More," highlighted by the presence and witness of our partners from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. Attendees also had the opportunity to share in powerful worship, attend workshops on topics of interest, consider resolutions on immigration policy and anti-racism, and build the Minnesota Conference UCC community through fellowship and prayer.
One of the special opportunities at this year's gathering was the on-site production of a video featuring attendees reflecting on the question "Why the UCC?" Check that out by clicking on the video below and feel free to share it in your congregation. You'll find it inspiring!
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Why the UCC?
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Many thanks to all who attended and to all who shared their gifts in a variety of ways to make the time such a blessing. We are the Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ... together!
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| Joys and Concerns |
1. On Friday, June 6th, tenants and staff from Oak Meadows had the privilege of being in the audience of Twin Cities Live. Shown below are (front row) Joyce Conway, Marie Lorensen, Lee Olson, Agnes Swiger, Shirley Grabowski, (back row) Ruth Golda, Kim Prayfrock - staff, Dez from KS95 - co-host, Elizabeth Ries - host TCL, and Megan Longville - staff.
2. Rev. Kayla Bonewell, Associate Pastor at Peace UCC in Rochester, has seven published devotions in the 2014 July-August-September issue of "These Days: Daily Devotions for Living by Faith." Check it out here!
3. An Ecclesiastical Council for Laura Beth Gatzke will be Friday, June 27 at 2:00pm at St. Anthony Park UCC (2129 Commonwealth Ave, St. Paul). A quorum of representatives of Minnesota Conference UCC churches and clergy with standing in the Minnesota Conference UCC will examine Laura Beth to determine whether to approve her for ordination pending a call. Everyone is invited. Light refreshments will be served following the Ecclesiastical Council. To ensure a quorum, please contact office@sapucc.org or 651-646-7173 if you plan to attend. Learn more about Laura Beth here.
3. A Service of Farewell for Interim Minister Zoe Kuester will be held Sunday, June 29 at 10:00am at First Congregational UCC (406 South 8th Street, Moorhead). Rev. Kuester has served the church as Interim Minister since September 2013.
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Philippines Delegation
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Interested in meeting our guests
from the Philippines?
There are several events where you can meet and hear from the delegation from the Philippines!
Take advantage of one of these possibilities:
Sunday, June 22, 10:00am: Rev. Jesse Pagalan will be preaching at First Congregational UCC in Cannon Falls. Join him and other guests for worship and greeting after the service.
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| Faith in Minnesota's Future: An Invitation from the Conference Minister |
 On June 28 you have an opportunity to join with many others in the faith community to seek greater justice in the state of Minnesota. On that day ISAIAH will host Binding the Covenant: Faith in Minnesota's Future at the Minneapolis Convention Center, convening a statewide, ecumenical gathering of more than 1500 people and prominent elected officials in Minnesota. This is a moment when you can join your voice and your efforts with others to seek economic and racial justice for all God's children, working to build a Minnesota where the dignity of each person is respected, where healthy communities and residents are the norm, and where everyone has a pathway to greater opportunity.
1,500 people of faith working together to "do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God?" That sounds like a pretty phenomenal opportunity to me. I'll be there; I hope you will be too!*
Shari Prestemon, Conference Minister
*Find out more and register by clicking here.
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A bus will leave at 12:15PM from Mayflower UCC on June 28th to transport people to the Convention Center and you are invited to join some 70 people from Mayflower in this ISAIAH-organized event. Mayflower is inviting folks from other congregations to join them and has reserved a seat on their bus for you! Contact Dan Quillin (danquillin@comcast.net or 651.357.4538). Mayflower is located at 106 E Diamond Lake Rd, Minneapolis.
For those in SE Minnesota interested in attending the ISAIAH event, First UCC in Northfield is sponsoring a bus and invites you to join! The bus will depart from the church parking lot at 11:45AM and will return around 5:30PM. To reserve a spot on the bus, sign up at this link. First UCC is located at 300 Union St, Northfield.
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Volunteer at Pilgrim Point in 2014!
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 How do you plan to spend your summer? Does being of service, doing vital volunteer ministry in community with others in a gorgeous outdoor setting sound appealing to you? Our volunteer hospitality ministry makes all the difference to these events at Pilgrim Point and we invite you to fill out the 2014 volunteer application and background check form to become engaged in hands-on work with this vital ministry. You are a blessing to PPC&R, your ministry of hospitality for those who come to camp helps strengthen our community as a camp and as a Conference. Thank you in advance for your work, your time and your heart!
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Resource Center for Churches
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 For years, the Resource Center for Churches (located at 122 W Franklin Ave, Room 2, Minneapolis, MN 55404) has been closed through June and July. This year in June and July they will be open on Tuesdays from Noon-4PM, and by appointment. Read more about this change.
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| Mission Trip to Back Bay Mission | |
Minnesota Conference UCC Mission Trip to
Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi
January 25-31, 2015
We are now accepting registrations for volunteers to who want to travel to Biloxi, MS during the last week in January 2015 to do work with Back Bay Mission. What a great opportunity to do valuable mission work AND miss a bit of the Minnesota winter.
View or download the registration form.
Here are the details:
Who: Open to everyone age 14 and older. 20 spaces are available.
What: Back Bay Mission provides a variety of services to the community. We will be working on projects connected with construction, either building new or rehabbing. Skills are not necessary, but a willingness to learn and help others is key!
Accommodations: We will be staying in dorm-style rooms and will prepare all of our own meals. Everyone will be asked to pitch in with meal prep and/or cleanup.
Leaders: Bob and Barb Peterson; for 25 years they have led groups of volunteers from Minnesota UCC churches to Coahoma County, Mississippi to help build houses through Habitat for Humanity. They will continue that mission next year, as well as this mission to Back Bay.
Cost: Each person will be responsible for raising the following amounts of money for their share of the trip. It is hoped that churches and others will help cover the costs:
- $75 for housing per person
- $50 Back Bay materials fee per person
- $50 per person for food, paper products, washing detergents, and gas to travel to the various work sites while at Back Bay (This assumes that members will bring snacks/cookies/bars to share at break times and after our meals).
- In addition, each person will need to pay for their travel cost to Biloxi, which can include airfare, hotel, food and gas expense for those who drive. Help will be given to participants looking to make car pool arrangements. Estimated cost for participants who drive down and back (including one stop each way at a hotel) is about $250, assuming 4 people per car. Estimate for round trip flight: $625.
- Optional: $20 for a Minnesota UCC Conference Mission Trip Sweatshirt.
- Additional Mission Goal: To raise $10,000 for Back Bay Mission. It is hoped that the Churches in the Conference will support this mission project of the conference with additional gifts to Back Bay Mission.
If you have questions, contact Bob Peterson at rpeter446@aol.com or call 715-549-6798.
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Carol Howard Merritt coming to Minnesota
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Last chance to get in on the excitement!
Register by 4:00pm, Thursday
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Developing Vision
a vitality day with Carol Howard Merritt
Carol is the author of Tribal Church and Reframing Hope, as well as a regular columnist in the Christian Century. She has pastored churches in Louisiana, Rhode Island and Washington, DC.
 Developing Vision When a picture is developed, we employ reactions of light and chemicals, so that a personal vision can become a shared vision. As church leaders in a rapidly changing cultural landscape, we also have personal visions of what the church ought to be. How do we discern and articulate that vision? How do we share it? During this vitality day, Carol Howard Merritt will talk about some of the generational shifts, cultural evolutions, and innovative ministries that are taking place. Then, we will work together to envision what might be on the horizon for your church. Rev. Howard Merritt comes to us as a part of our work with the Center for Progressive Renewal.
Registration is OPEN!
When: Thursday, June 26, 8:30am - 3:00pm
Where: Wayzata Community Church, UCC (directions)
Registration: $35/person (includes workshop, materials, lunch)
Questions? Contact Anita Bradshaw or call 612.871.0359 for more information.
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| Register now for Boundary Training |
Living the Sacred Trust:
Boundary and Ethics Training
Who: Clergy and Lay Leaders
When: Tuesday, September 30
Where: UCC New Brighton (1000 Long Lake Rd, New Brighton)
Register: Registration is open! Space is limited. To register, click on link and event listed as "Living the Sacred Trust." Choose "other" for district and church.
Download the flyer for more information.
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Youth Camps at Pilgrim Point
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Strengthen Your Youth Ministry -
Go to Camp Together!
Last Day to Register: July 2, 2014
Whether you have one youth in your church or many, attend camp together for an unforgettable ministry and life-changing week! You won't want to miss out on the adventure course, our Lake Ida water slide, (NEW) day of mission experiences, vespers and excellent food. Adult church leaders attend camp with their youth and serve as the camp staff/counselors for the week. This program shift is designed to help get your church youth ministry going into high gear!
Youth Camp Week 1 | July 20-25, 2014
Youth Camp Week 2 | July 27-Aug 1, 2014
Youth cost: $350
Adult Church Leader cost: $100
Find answers to common questions: FAQ for 2014.
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| Webinar on Grant Writing |
Grant Writing - June 24 at NOON
Learn strategies for finding and obtaining grant funding for various projects your congregation wants to engage in to provide stronger ministry. Cameron Trimble is the Executive Director of the Center for Progressive Renewal.
Register Here!
webinar is $9.99
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. You will have the opportunity in registration to sign-up for already archived webinars. 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.
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The Welcoming Movement
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Open and Affirming congregations have tripled since 2003. Today, more than 5-million Americans are members of Welcoming churches. These are congregations that have made it formal policy to welcome and affirm people of all sexual identities and gender expressions. How did these churches navigate that spiritual journey?
On Thursday, June 26th at 8PM CST, join in an interactive online screening of the PBS documentary "The Welcoming Movement", featuring ONA churches in Arizona, Washington D.C., and our very own Community United Church of Christ in St. Paul Park, Minnesota. Pastor Oby Ballinger of Community UCC and his husband Javen Swanson, Interim Director of the Institute for Welcoming Resources at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, will be on hand during the OVEE screening to answer questions. And the online discussion will continue at the conclusion of the program.
Join us at http://bit.ly/WelcomingPBSscreening on June 26th at 8PM CST, and consider sharing this announcement in your church bulletins. Thank you!
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National Church Leadership Institute
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The Center for Progressive Renewal's annual National Church Leadership Institute is back this August 7th-10th in Atlanta. During these three days, you can have access to the brightest practitioners and creative experts from across the country who are changing the Church as we know it so it meets the world's greatest needs. You will hear from over a dozen leading experts on everything from building digital ministries to pastoral resilience to running the "business" of church. And because you're part of the MN Conference, you get 10% off with this discount code: minnrocks. Learn more at NCLI14.org. |
New workshops offered by Dr. Peter Steinke
| Dr. Peter Steinke has developed three workshops athat are being offered here in Minnesota!
- Bridgebuilder Training - August 25-27, led by Dr. Steinke
- Bridgebuilder is a resource of trained lay and clergy who assist congregations in reconciliation and healing. The six-step process includes interviews with congregation leaders and other members, interviews with staff, gathering of information and preparations for a follow-up plan.
- Click here for more information.
- Click here for a registration form.
- New Visions - August 28-29, led by Dr. Steinke
- Healthy Congregations Leadership Training, October 30-31, led by Pastors Bill Strom and Roger Schwarze
All workshops will be held at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota.
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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. Just click on the title of the event in the calendar to get more details. - Wednesday, June 18: WOW: Billy McLaughlin with Don Shelby, Wayzata Community Church
- Sunday, June 22: Concert & Potluck Fundraiser, Living Table UCC, Minneapolis
- Sunday, June 22: Preach Off! Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester
- Wednesday, June 25: WOW: Tonia Hughes with Billy Steele, Wayzata Community Church
- Wednesday, June 25: Evening Fellowship: The Flemming Fold, St. John's UCC, Faribault
- Wednesday, July 2: WOW: Ipso Facto, Wayzata Community Church
- 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, ongoing: Transgender Support Group, Peace UCC, Rochester
- Every Thursday, ongoing: Farmer's Market, Cottage Grove UCC
Want to see your event listed on this calendar? It's simple! Just email Alison at alisonb@uccmn.org. Thank you!
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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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