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

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

Vol. 10, No. 25

25 June 2014

Mission Bite: from across the Minnesota Conference 
cupcake-candle.jpg
Happy 57th Birthday 
to the
United Church of Christ!

 

We are a church of firsts!

In 1785 we were the first Protestant denomination to ordain an African American pastor, Rev. Lemuel Haynes. 1853 brought about the first ordination of a woman as a Christian minister since New Testament times when Antoinette Brown chose to serve her congregation as their pastor. In 1972, Rev. William R. Johnson became the first openly gay minister to be ordained in an historic Protestant denomination. The General Synod of the UCC went on, in 2005, to become the first leadership body of a large US denomination to support equal marriage rights for all couples regardless of orientation.  

 

We are a church of extravagant welcome!

No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here! The United Church of Christ is changing lives here in the United States and across the globe. We are a church that strives to open doors for all people, to practice radical hospitality in the many and varied ways that presents itself. 

 

We are a church of deep history!

In 1620, the early forebears of the United Church of Christ, the Pilgrims came to the New World looking for religious freedom. The early 1700s saw the Congregationalists taking one of the first stands against slavery, and the 1730s saw the predecessors of the UCC taking a large role in the Great Awakening. On June 25, 1957 in Cleveland, Ohio, the Evangelical and Reformed Church joined with the Congregational Christian Churches joined to create the United Church of Christ.  

 

We are a church of an imaginative future!  

Through our partnerships with the Center for Progressive Renewal and Vibrant Faith Ministries, through our commitment to innovation and bold, public action, and our listening ear for a still speaking God, we are leaping forward into the future.

 

Proud to be UCC!

Learn more about your UCC roots at www.ucc.org/about-us  

Why the UCC?
Why the UCC?
from the Minnesota Conference

 News and Information


Joys and Concerns

1. 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 [email protected] or 651-646-7173 if you plan to attend. Learn more about Laura Beth here.

 

2. 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.  

 

3. The United Church of Christ was recently called out in the Huffington Post as a religious organization doing good in the world. The UCC's lawsuit against the state of North Carolina argues that the state's marriage laws are a violation of the rights of clergy under the First Amendment and the principle of "free exercise of religion." Check out the Huffington Post article here - our partners, Back Bay Mission, are also given a tip of the hat! You can read more about the UCC's lawsuit here.   

Rising Waters: Flooding across Minnesota

As we are watching river and lake levels continue to rise across the state, we ask that you please keep the Conference Office informed of your status. There are many UCC churches in towns that have been greatly affected by the recent rains and rising waters. If there is something that the Conference can do assist your church, please be in touch. Email Alison Bents at [email protected] or call 612-871-0359. Our thoughts and prayers are with all across the Conference who are facing these challenging times. 

Cancelled: Carol Howard Merritt Workshop

Due to low registration, the workshop scheduled for this Thursday, June 26 with Carol Howard Merritt is being rescheduled for some time in the next program year. Details will be announced when they are available.

Note from Rev. Anita Bradshaw,
Interim Associate Conference Minister

anita bradshaw As my ministry with the Conference comes to an end, I want to say thank you for this wonderful opportunity to serve the Conference and all of you. I have enjoyed the work and been challenged to grow in my own capacities for ministry. It has been a joy and a privilege to serve along with such a wonderful staff, the Board of Directors, the many volunteers, and all of our pastors and congregations. I am excited about my new opportunity to serve Lynnhurst UCC as their Interim Senior Pastor and I leave holding all of you in my thoughts and prayers.  There are great possibilities for this Conference, its congregations and its new ministries yet to be launched. May God bless us all that we may be faithful and willing people of God.

 

Grace and Peace,

Anita Bradshaw

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.

_______________________________________________________

 

Catch a Bus for Justice! 

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 ([email protected] 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. 

Volunteer at Pilgrim Point in 2014!

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!   

 

Read Camp Co-Director Gigi's full message to volunteers

Please contact Gigi ([email protected]) with any questions about volunteering. 
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:
  1. $75 for housing per person
  2. $50 Back Bay materials fee per person
  3. $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).
  4. 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.
  5. Optional: $20 for a UCCMN Mission Trip Sweatshirt.
  6. 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 [email protected] or call 715-549-6798.


 Upcoming Events


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. 

Youth Camps at Pilgrim Point
Strengthen Your Youth Ministry -  
Go to Camp Together!
 
Six days left 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

Download the required health form: YOUTH | ADULT

Want to participate in the challenge course? You'll need to submit a Challenge Course Waiver and Transportation Release.

Find answers to common questions: FAQ for 2014.

If you have questions, please contact the PPC&R Registrar,
Zac Norenberg at [email protected] or 612-871-0359.
Sleight of Mouth Techniques
An opportunity not to be missed! In light of the recent passing of a resolution supporting dismantling racism in the Minnesota Conference, you are cordially invited to:

"Ways to Address Racist Remarks:  Sleight of Mouth Techniques"

An ASDIC Workshop in Two Sessions

 

Do you want to learn a delightful way to loose boundaries individuals have built up around "race?" Do you desire to explore additional techniques for responding to racially-insensitive remarks that we encounter in our daily interactions? Join us for a two-session workshop in July on Tuesday evenings. This ASDIC event is supported by Cherokee Park United Church. 

  • What: "Addressing Racist Remarks: Slight of Mouth Techniques" an ASDIC workshop
  • When: Tuesdays July 22 AND July 29, 6:30 to 9:30 pm (light supper at 6:00)
  • Where: Cherokee Park United Church, 371 W Baker St, St Paul 
  • Cost for both sessions: $35 (individual) to $120 (corporate staff development rate); need-based scholarships available

For further information, see Announcement and Registration Form. Or contact ASDIC at 651-224-2728 or [email protected].

The Welcoming Movement
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!

 

National Church Leadership Institute
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.

 Local Church Events


Local Church Events
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.

Want to see your event listed on this calendar? It's simple! Just email Alison at [email protected]. Thank you


 Classifieds

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

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In This Issue
Mission Bite
Joys and Concerns
Rising Waters
Announcement: Vitality Workshop
Note from Rev. Bradshaw
Faith in MN's Future
Volunteer at PPC in 2014!
Mission Trip to Back Bay Mission
Boundary Training - May 2014
Youth Camps at PPC!
Sleight of Mouth Techniques
The Welcoming Movement
NCLI
New workshops from Dr. Steinke
Local Church Events
Employment Opportunities

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