COMMAntary E-Newsletter, Vol. 10, No. 43
October 29, 2014
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Mission Bite: Transformational Learning
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from Rev. Dr. Susan Allers Hatlie, Director of Pastoral Education, Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches
One UCC pastor came back to the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches (GMCC) to do Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) after years in ministry because he wanted to increase his skills in offering pastoral care to people struggling with addiction and living into recovery and sobriety. He had been mentoring an ex-offender who was living the Twelve Step way of life. His church had AA and Al Anon meetings in the evenings. When he did a unit of CPE with his placement at Hazelden it was not as relaxing as most of his previous sabbaticals but he said his growth was tremendous.
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Church on the Move: Owatonna
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Bluegrass worship - best practices "speed dating" - wisdom on making your church a thriving church - AND
a chance to network with your Minnesota Conference UCC neighbors!
What could be better?
Come joint the entire ministry staff of the Minnesota Conference for this special opportunity designed to offer new ideas, deepen your faith, and strengthen our ties. Registration deadline is Tuesday, November 4 - just seven days left to register!
Where: Associated Church, 800 Havana Rd, Owatonna, MN
When: Saturday, November 8; Registration @ 9:30am,
Program from 10:00-3:00pm
Who: Lay leaders, authorized clergy, ministry teams Cost: $10/person; includes lunch. Bring a team of 5 and your fifth person comes at no cost!
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Give to the Max Day is coming!
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 Mark Your Calendars for November 13th, and remember the Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ on Give to the Max Day! The Minnesota Conference is looking forward to your participation on Give to the Max Day coming up on November 13th.
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Joys and Concerns
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- An Ecclesiastical Council for Charles Owens will be held Thursday, October 30 at 11:00am at Union Congregational UCC (3700 Alabama Ave, St. Louis Park, MN), with lunch to follow. A period of examination will be followed by a vote on a motion that Charles Owens be ordained into the ministry of the United Church of Christ. Voting will be by all clergy with standing and lay delegates from a minimum of seven churches with standing in the same formula as prescribed for other voting meetings of the Conference. To ensure a quorum, please RSVP to the church at 952-929-8566 or info@unionslp.com. Anyone who wishes to have lunch following the Council is requested to so indicate with the RSVP. Find more information about Charles here.
- The Conference Office has learned of the death on October 6 of Rev. Leonard Stark, who served Peace UCC in Duluth from 1968-1973. During this time, the congregation built its current sanctuary and expanded its peace ministry. A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 1 at 2:30pm at Pleasant Hill Community Church in Pleasant Hill, TN. A full obituary is available here.
- As noted in an email to ministers in the Minnesota Conference last week,Rev. Ed Reinhardt died October 22 in Faribault. Rev. Reinhardt served churches in Michigan and Iowa before accepting a call to St. Luke's UCC in Faribault, Minnesota. He later served as interim pastor of the UCC churches in Freeborn, Dodge Center and Millville. Funeral services were held in Latimer, Iowa on October 25. A full obituary is available here.
- Mary Shaffer will be ordained Sunday, November 9 at 2:00pm at Mayflower UCC (106 E Diamond Lake Road, Minneapolis). A reception will follow. Clergy are invited to robe and wear red stoles.
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Notices
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- The General Minister and President Search Committee of the United Church of Christ, on which Conference Minister, Shari Prestemon, is a member, is requesting your prayers and your thoughtful consideration of who might best serve the UCC in this extraordinary way and lead us into the future.
 | General Minister and President Search
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- Unexpected Places! The Call to the 30th General Synod of the United Church of Christ has been issued, and registration is now open! Make plans to head to Cleveland this June with thousands of your fellow UCCers! Read the call now, and sign up!
- Back Bay Mission: Last opportunity to volunteer for the Back Bay Mission trip January 25-31, 2015. We have 23 volunteers now and can take 8 more volunteers. The deadline to notify Back Bay of the number of volunteers who will be traveling to Biloxi, Mississippi is November 15th. The cost of the trip is $175 plus the cost to travel to Biloxi, food, motel, gas and/or plane fare. If you have any questions, please contact Bob Peterson (rpeter446@aol.com) or 715-549-6798. If you are interested in volunteering, here is the link to the application form. Please email or mail it to Bob Peterson, 1200 McKinley Dr, Hudson, WI 54016.
- Clergy clusters in the coming week:
- Twin Cities East Cluster: Wednesday, November 5, 12:00pm
St. Paul's UCC, St. Paul; Guest Rev. David Moyer will speak about the mission of the Cornerstone Fund, a UCC resource for congregations - Twin Cities West Cluster: Wednesday, November 5, 12:00pm
Parkway UCC, Minneapolis; There will be a discussion on the subject of Best and Worst (Ministry) Ideas - Southwest Cluster: Thursday, November 6, 11:30am
United Church of Mapleton, Mapleton - Northeast Cluster: Thursday, November 6, 11:30am
First Congregational UCC, Brainerd
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Upcoming Events
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- Minnesota Conference Events
- Bewildered by the seemingly never-ending conflict in the middle east? Come to hear from Daoud Nassar, Palestinian Christian, in a call for justice and reconciliation on his tour of "Steadfast Witness." More info available here. Three of our UCC sites are hosting Mr. Nassar - make plans to be there!
- Sunday, November 2, 9:30am - Macalester Plymouth United Church, Saint Paul
- Tuesday, November 4, 7:00pm - United Theological Seminary, New Brighton
- Sunday, November 9, 8:30 & 11:00am - Mayflower United Church of Christ, Minneapolis
- Church on the Move: Owatonna, Associated Church, Owatonna, November 8, 2014
- Minnesota Conference Youth & Faith Formation Events
- National UCC Events
- Regional Events
- CTUL Action with Contracted Retail Janitors, CTUL Office, Minneapolis, November 1, 2014 (The MN Conference UCC voted in 2011 to support CTUL.)
- Faith Action Vigil #62, Dia de los Muertos; Ramsey Co. Detention Center, November 2, 2014
- Immigration Hopes/American Dreams: A Film Series and Presentations by Rev. John Guttermann; Augustana College, Sioux Falls, October 16-November 19, 2014. Click here for more details.
- Does God have a future? Why it matters now: Jesus Seminars... on the Road; Plymouth Congregational, Minneapolis, November 7-8, 2014
- Mark your calendars, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL) will be having a week of action, November 28 - December 5 to work toward improving working conditions and wages for workers in Minnesota.
- Local Church Events
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Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ | www.uccmn.org 122 W Franklin Ave, Suite 323, Minneapolis, MN 55404 |
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The Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ (UCC) is the state-wide organization that equips UCC pastors to lead, supports congregations, engages in transformative mission and witness, and guides youth and adults on their faith journeys. Get involved. |
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