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Mission Bite: from across the Minnesota Conference
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from Rev. Kathleen Remund, member, Living Table UCC, Minneapolis
Minnesota Conference Churches Attend
Binding the Covenant
On Saturday, June 28th, 130 members of UCC churches gathered with 1,500 other faithful Minnesotans to express their solidarity with a faith agenda of racial and economic equity. At "Binding the Covenant: Faith in Minnesota's Future," people of faith from African-American, Latino, urban, suburban, St. Cloud, and Greater Minnesota communities gathered to unite in a new covenant of love to transform our state.
 Led by clergy and lay leaders from ISAIAH's core congregations, we entered into a sacred commitment to stand with one another to ensure that all of Minnesota's laws put people first. During the late afternoon, Governor Dayton attended and was interviewed on stage by four individuals who have been directly and adversely affected by unjust economics, housing foreclosures and anti-immigrant practices. They shared their personal stories and their vulnerability. These are the people we pledged to stand with - emphasizing the importance of genuine relationships over specific issues, policies or elected officials.
 Rev. Emily Goldthwaite Fries, Associate Minister at Mayflower UCC, Minneapolis, said, "As a minister, Binding the Covenant, was powerful for me because I know how seldom clergy of such diverse denominations truly stand together. We represent widely differing theological and life experiences, and to pray together on one stage in the presence of powerful elected leaders sends a message that our people are not to be regarded in categories such as the 'women's vote,' the 'black vote,' or the 'Christian vote.' We are people who share one another's ultimate concerns and we are the strong body of Christ in our communities. We have much more power than we have ever exercised to bring about the realm of God in this land in the form of justice and equality."
 Binding the Covenant was not just a day-long event but the launch for the Prophetic Voter Campaign. Throughout the summer and into the fall, members of congregations throughout the state will be working to sign up 15,000 "prophetic voters" who agree to unite around the values of economic dignity, racial equity, and whole and healthy communities. This is a commitment that members of the Minnesota Conference should consider seriously and prayerfully. With this number of pledged prophetic voters, we could begin to turn the tide in Minnesota toward a community of much greater economic and racial justice.
 Among the Minnesota Conference churches represented at Binding the Covenant were: Cherokee Park United Church, St. Paul; Community UCC, St. Paul Park; First Congregational Church of MN UCC, Minneapolis; First UCC, Northfield; Living Table UCC, Minneapolis; Mayflower UCC, Minneapolis; Robbinsdale UCC, Robbinsdale; and UCC, New Brighton. Conference Minister, Rev. Shari Prestemon represented the Conference as a whole.
As one of the day's UCC delegates remarked, "At first, I thought, do we want to give up a nice Saturday for a meeting? But very early in the day, it became clear that we needed to be there to create justice in this state for our grandchildren. We were right where we needed to be."
Our Minnesota Conference UCC contingent at Binding the Covenant
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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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Dementia-Friendly Congregations?
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Dementia-Friendly Congregations?
88,000 Minnesotans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease. As more of us age, that number is growing. In addition, we are living longer and find ourselves in need of more support. Communities of faith need to be prepared to be supportive.
If you are interested in being a Dementia-Friendly Congregation convene a team and contact Helen Jackson Lockett-El at 612-230-3345 for additional information. You will participate in a community assessment, develop a work plan, implement a plan specific to your congregation, and evaluate your progress.
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8th Annual Fall Convocation
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Leading Through It:
Transforming Conflict for Constructive Change
September 25-26, 2014
Christ the King Retreat Center, Buffalo, Minnesota
"We don't know how to have a healthy fight."
Is your church mired in conflict, faced with dwindling resources, and trying to cope with increasing pressure and stress on the lay leaders and pastor? Then, this convocation is for you!
Come to:
- Learn the art of utilizing conflict as a vehicle for constructive change
- Boost your leadership skills amidst challenging times
- Discover ways to strengthen your personal and professional conflict management
- Attend to the individual dynamics in conflict situations
- Discover resources on understanding conflict from a congregational perspective
- Gain tools for achieving personal and congregational resiliency in the midst of conflict
- Experience fellowship and peer support in a gorgeous, Minnesota lakeside setting
Registration is open!
Deadline: September 12, 2014
Download a flyer here.
When: September 25-26, 2014
Where: Christ the King Retreat Center, Buffalo, MN
Who: Authorized ministers, congregational staff, lay leaders, seminary students
Cost: $75-85* for authorized ministers; $115-125 for all other participants
Questions? Contact Alison Bents in the Conference Office at alisonb@uccmn.org or 612-871-0359.
*Reduced cost for ministers made possible by a generous grant from the Richard and Helen Brown Endowment Fund of the UCC.
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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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| 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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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.
Can't make it to Atlanta?
If you can't make it to Atlanta this year for the National Church Leadership Institute, you can still learn, network and be a part of the experience from the comfort of your home or office. We will be streaming the main sessions of the conference online. You can log in as the sessions are going on, or you can view them later through our website. Register as a virtual participant now!
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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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Sami Rasouli to Speak: Crisis in Iraq
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Sami Rasouli to Speak: Crisis in Iraq
When: Thursday, July 17 at 7pm
Where: Spirit of St. Stephen's Catholic Community
2201 First Ave S, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sami will share his experiences in Iraq, his insights into the current
turmoil there and its underlying causes, the role of the U.S. in Iraq and
the Middle East, and the aspirations, hopes and dreams of ordinary Iraqi people.
Sami Rasouli is an Iraqi-American who lived in Minnesota for many years before returning to Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion. He returns to the U.S. several times each year to help build people-to-people bridges.
Organized by: Twin Cities Peace Campaign, Women Against Military Madness
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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 9: Fare for All Express, Hazel Park UCC, St. Paul
- Wednesday, July 9: WOW: Ashleigh Still and Nate Sabin, Wayzata Community Church
- Friday, July 11: Film: The Hurricane, Living Table UCC, Minneapolis
- 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
- Wednesday, July 23: WOW: Michael Monroe, Wayzata Community Church, Wayzata
- Wednesday, July 30: WOW: "House Blend" with Charles Lazarus, Taylor Robert and Tapestry
- 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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Development Officer
| | The Minnesota Conference UCC is seeking a part-time Development Officer. Please share this post with friends and colleagues that might be interested!
Primary Duties:
- Lead donor cultivation, engagement and growth
- Manage and grow direct response program for Annual Fund
- Develop and implement a donor/supporter communications and marketing strategy, forming a case for giving to the Conference
- Coordinate efforts with other Conference fundraising
- Grow sustaining/monthly donor program
- Manage and evaluate fundraising-related technology
- Encourage board and staff involvement in fundraising
Education/Experience:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent plus three to five years of experience and/or demonstrated interest in developing and managing financial development strategies
- Practical understanding of and commitment to the core values of the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ
- Track record of measurable results of identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individual donors
- Experience in grant writing desirable
- Demonstrated ability to manage self with limited supervision
- Demonstrated excellence in verbal and written communication skills
- Demonstrated skills in problem solving, planning and evaluation Competencies
- Good interpersonal skills, enthusiasm, flexibility and a willingness to function as part of a team
- Ability to relate well to the diverse constituency of the Minnesota Conference: donors, staff and volunteers
- Open to those with a theologically progressive view of Christianity
Skills/Abilities:
- Proficiency in social media and Microsoft Office (Word, Publisher, Excel, Outlook)
- Familiarity with SAGE/Abila Fundraising software
- Access to car and ability to drive
Additional Requirements: Must be able to pass a criminal background check without restrictions
Additional Info: A full job description is available here.
How To Apply: Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, résumé, and three professional references by July 16 to Rev. Shari Prestemon, Conference Minister at sharip@uccmn.org.
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