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Mission Bite: from across the Minnesota Conference
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from Christopher Marlin-Warfield, Back Bay Mission
An Update from Back Bay Mission
 Back Bay Mission is always busy serving the poor and marginalized of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the people of the United Church of Christ. We are especially pleased to tell you about three exciting developments over the last few months.
First, the Mission has hired a new settled executive director. Kaye Harris began her tenure on July 1, 2014. She brings more than twenty years of experience in non-profit administration to the Mission. This includes experience as executive director of the New Orleans Coalition for Open Governance (New Orleans, LA), executive director of social services in the office of the public defender (Pascagoula, MS), and executive director of child and adolescent programs at the Village for Families and Children (Hartford, CT).
Second, the Mission has welcomed the first two Shari Prestemon Social Justice Interns. Diarra Molock is a student at Goucher College in Baltimore, MD, where she studies history with a concentration in Asian Studies. Bethany Beaver is a student at Heidelberg College in Tiffin, OH, where she studies political science and religious studies. Both of the interns came to the Mission on June 9, 2014, and will work in all of the Missions ministries until they depart on August 15, 2014. They are also both journaling about their experiences at Back Bay Mission and select entries from their journals are available on our website: thebackbaymission.org.
Third, you may recall that the Mission opened HomePort - a permanent supportive housing program for homeless and disabled veterans - in 2013. Since that time, the arm of the Mission that operates HomePort - the Gulf Coast Housing Initiative (GCHI) - has become its own 501(c)(3) organization. The Mission still maintains a close relationship with GCHI as its fiscal agent, and Mission volunteers continue to work on GCHI projects.
One of the those projects is HomePort II, which officially broke ground earlier this year. HomePort II is a set of apartments that will increase the reach of the HomePort program, providing housing for six additional veterans and bringing the total capacity of the program to eight.
Of course, we couldn't do any of this without the tremendous support of our partners in the United Church of Christ, including the Minnesota Conference. Minnesotans gave more than $18,000 in 2013 and almost $6,000 in the first half of 2014 to support the ministries of the Mission.
If you would like to learn more about the exciting work that the Mission is doing, please visit our website or join us on Facebook (facebook.com/backbaymission). If you would like to learn how you can support the Mission, or how you can have a Mission representative visit your congregation, please contact church relations associate Christopher Marlin-Warfield by email at chris@thebackbaymission.org or by calling 228-243-5322.
Thank you for all that you do to strengthen neighborhoods, seek justice, and transform lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and beyond.
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| Joys and Concerns |
1. We are saddened to pass the news that longtime friend of the Minnesota Conference, George Toren, died peacefully in his home on Saturday, June 28th. George's wife, Marian, was one of the early moderators of the Minnesota Conference, and the couple was heavily involved in the life of the Conference through their church, St. Paul's UCC in St. Paul. Our prayers and condolences are with the Toren family. Notes may be sent to the family of George Toren at 2025 Stanhope St, Carmel, IN 46032.
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Welcome Rev. Steve Boorsma!
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 We are very pleased to announce that the Reverend Steve Boorsma will join our staff as Associate Conference Minister in late September. Steve comes to us with 19 years of parish ministry experience, currently serving St. Peter United Church of Christ in Lake Zurich, Illinois. He has been thoroughly engaged in the work of the Fox Valley Association in Illinois, serving consistently on the Committee on Ministry and serving for a short time as the adjunct Association Minister while the settled Association Minister was away on sabbatical.
The newly revised job description for the Associate Conference Minister position that Steve will be assuming includes an enhanced focus on finding ways to more fully invite all of us into Conference-wide opportunities for hands-on mission and prophetic action. The position will also continue to provide support to congregations in the southern half of the state, staff the prophetic witness teams of the Conference, work with the Vitality Team and spearhead new church development and renewal.
Conference Minister Shari Prestemon says about Steve, "He is humble and unassuming, extremely personable, devoted to the pastoral and outreach ministries of the Church, and deeply respectful of the local church setting and its lay and clergy leaders. I very much look forward to welcoming Steve to our Conference staff team and to benefitting from the many gifts he will share with us."
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Rising Waters: Flooding across Minnesota
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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 alisonb@uccmn.org or call 612-871-0359. Our thoughts and prayers are with all across the Conference who are facing these challenging times.
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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 UCCMN 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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from the Cornerstone Fund
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The Cornerstone Fund Invites You to:
Invest, Borrow, Learn
 Summer greetings to you from the Cornerstone Fund, a financial ministry of the United Church of Christ. The Cornerstone Fund is your partner in helping to manage the resources that support the ministries we share in the UCC.
The Cornerstone Fund invites you to:
INVEST-Any member of the UCC, congregation, association, conference, or related ministry may invest in a "term note" with the Cornerstone Fund and receive a competitive fixed rate of return. Investments are available in terms including 6, 12, 18, 30, and 60 months as well as a "demand account" in which your money is available when you need it. The "Church Builder Bonus" on a 60 month note is a creative way for persons to give to their church or other UCC ministry and receive a "bonus" rate of interest. (Please see our website at www.cornerstonefund.org for information.)
BORROW-The funds received from investors are then turned around and made available to ministries of the UCC as loans. Adjustable rate, fixed rate, and revolving lines of credit are all types of borrowing available through the Cornerstone Fund. Loans may be for new construction, remodeling, energy efficiency upgrades, and program or mission initiatives. Loans are secured with real property. The Cornerstone Fund works with congregations and other ministries to insure that financial plans are well-developed when borrowing funds and rates can help a ministry maximize money for mission. Your investments in the Cornerstone Fund have a direct impact on helping UCC ministries grow.
LEARN-The Cornerstone Fund has a variety of workshops and seminars for pastors and lay leaders that help participants understand church financing and management to the end of strengthening the mission of your congregation and all the wider settings of the United Church of Christ.
For further information on the Cornerstone Fund or to learn more about scheduling a workshop, contact Rev. David Moyer, Mission Interpreter for the Upper Mid-West Region or go online at www.cornerstonefund.org.
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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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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. |
Sleight of Mouth Techniques
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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
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When: Tuesdays July 22 AND July 29, 6:30 to 9:30 pm (light supper at 6:00)
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Where: Cherokee Park United Church, 371 W Baker St, St Paul
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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 margeryotto@gmail.com.
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Faith Action Vigil
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Interfaith Coalition on Immigration
SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2014
2:30 - 3:00 PM
Ramsey County Adult Detention Center
425 Grove Street, St. Paul MN
FAITH ACTION VIGIL #58
THIS MONTH'S HOSTS: Faith Mennonite Church, Minneapolis
COME, PRAY, SUPPORT
Sponsor: interfaithcoalitionimmigration@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. Just click on the title of the event in the calendar to get more details. - Wednesday, July 2: WOW: Ipso Facto, Wayzata Community Church
- Wednesday, July 9: Fare for All Express, Hazel Park UCC, St. Paul
- Wednesday, July 9: WOW: Ashleigh Still and Nate Sabin, Wayzata Community Church
- Sunday, July 13: Sunday School Event: Proclaiming the Story Workshop, Living Table UCC, Minneapolis
- Sunday, July 13: Evensong Services with Folk Harp and Dulcimer, St. Paul's UCC, St. Paul
- Wednesday, July 16: Film: Chasing Ice, St. Paul's UCC, St. Paul
- Wednesday, July 16: WOW: Sara Renner and Friends, Wayzata Community Church, Wayzata
- Wednesday, July 16: Evening Fellowship: Michael Cotter, Storyteller, St. John's UCC, Faribault
- 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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