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Strong UCC Presence During MLK March for Racial Justice
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Members of Lyndale UCC in Minneapolis gather in support of #BlackLivesMatter during an MLK March through St Paul this past Monday.
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During this week when we have remembered the sacrifice and witness of Martin Luther King, Jr and when we join in Prayer for Christian Unity, we celebrate the commitment of the United Church of Christ to combating racism in our time. The Collegium of Officers of the UCC has prepared a Pastoral Letter on Racism which might be shared as a whole or in part with your congregation. In the Minnesota Conference, we are following up on an anti-racism resolution approved at our 2014 Annual meeting to bring more intentionality to our anti-racism discussions and work together. And on this past Monday, many members and clergy of local UCC congregations joined in the Black Lives Matter march in St. Paul, offering a witness of presence and protest. How is your congregation responding to the call for racial justice? May God bring boldness and courage to our witness!
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National Religious Leaders Condemn Anti-Immigrant Vote in the U.S. Congress
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National faith leaders have mobilized together to oppose the anti-immigrant vote passing the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2015 in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Rev. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister, UCC Justice and Witness Ministry, released the following statement: "The United Church of Christ is committed to supporting immigrant families in their quest for just immigration policies. Last year, we fully supported the executive action to provide relief from deportations for as many as five million undocumented people. We are deeply disappointed and troubled by the short-sighted and mean-spirited action of the House of Representatives which disregards the core values of our faith traditions to love our neighbor and welcome the stranger. The attempt to outlaw deferred action for parents and children sets a dangerous trend and we will stand strong in opposition to any attempts to rollback just administrative relief measures. Our journey toward justice will continue as we accompany our immigrant neighbors in their yearning to keep their families together."
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Board of Directors Report | January 2015
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The Board's January 10th meeting was hosted by Plymouth Congregational Church. Rev. Dr. Paula Northwood, Minister for education at Plymouth, welcomed the Board and led a time of prayer.
Sandy Lindahl from Ackley Consulting presented a draft of the case for support that will be used to conduct a campaign feasibility study. The case outlines two priorities: the Leadership Initiative and Pilgrim Point Camp. The Leadership Initiative, with a goal of $3,307,500, would expand our current programs in order to equip lay people and ministers to serve in these changing times. The goal for Pilgrim Point Camp is $5,218,500, which would ensure the long term sustainability of the camp's physical site and life-changing ministry.
Click here to keep reading.
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Church on the Move: Reframing Hope
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Reframing Hope - ONLY 5 DAYS TO REGISTER!
When: Saturday, January 31st (9:30am Registration & Hospitality; 10:00am-3:00pm Program)
Who: Lay leaders, authorized clergy, ministry teams
Cost: $10/person (includes lunch!)
Registration Deadline: Monday, January 26th
This is a great "clergy day away" but not only for clergy - for all people who care about the church. Hear what others are saying: "Carol speaks elegantly and eloquently about the blessings of keeping the treasures of inherited Church even as we move, in our times, toward new ways of being a Church." - Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence. Find out more information on this event.
Register Now!
**Bring a team of 5 people and your 5th is free!**
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Joys and Concerns
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- Plymouth Congregational Church will honor retiring Senior Pastor James Gertmenian this coming weekend. On Saturday, January 24, there will be an open house from 2-4pm at the church (1900 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis). On Sunday, January 25, a farewell service will be held at 10:30am with a reception to follow. Rev. Gertmenian, who was ordained in 1972, has served Plymouth Congregational Church since 1996.
- An Ecclesiastical Council for Terese Tomanek (a member of Peace UCC in Duluth) will be held Thursday, January 29 at 11am at Falcon Heights UCC (1795 Holton St., Falcon Heights). A free-will donation lunch will follow. To ensure a quorum for the ecclesiastical council, please contact Falcon Heights UCC or call (651) 646-2681.
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Notices
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- SAVE THE DATES FOR BOUNDARY TRAINING!
Registration expected to open later this week.
If it has been 3 years or more since you have taken Power and Boundary Training, required for all ministers (unless exempt), there will be two training sessions in the coming months: - Tuesday, February 24 at Rosemount United Methodist Church
- Tuesday, April 14 at First United Methodist Church in Sartell
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Celebrate Seminary Sunday on February 22nd (or any Sunday that works for your congregation)!
Our UCC seminaries are filled with faithful, committed students seeking the skills and wisdom necessary to lead the church in the 21st century. Our congregations need these students. In our region, we are blessed to have three UCC seminaries - Chicago, United, and Eden. Each of these seminaries provides quality education for pastors and lay leaders, and they provide research and resources that serve the entire UCC.
How to Celebrate Seminary Sunday:
- Lift up our UCC seminaries and seminarians in prayer, in mission moments, and in your bulletins.
- Post materials about Chicago, Eden, and United Seminaries on bulletin boards.
- Include a special prayer or litany in your service.
- Show a five-minute CUE Seminaries video during worship.
- Include a gift to CUE Seminaries in your church budget or to take a special offering.
- DVDs, bulletin inserts, posters, and offering envelopes are available on CUE Seminaries website.
If you would like someone from United Theological Seminary to visit your congregation to help with worship leadership for Seminary Sunday, please contact Kathleen Remund, Director of Church Relations, or call (651) 255-6112. The seminary will do its best to accommodate each request!
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Faith in Action: Aligning Financial Practices with Spiritual Values
Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light will be hosting an event at Mayflower UCC, 106 Diamond Lake Rd, Minneapolis on Thursday, January 29 from 6:30-8:30PM that follows up on the 2013 Conference and General Synod resolutions urging divestment from fossil fuels. We will address environmental justice, divestment, reinvestment, impact investing, inspirational stories and practical tools. Find out more information and RSVP.
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HABIT: a program for people with a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment Information Session
Run by the Mayo Clinic, the HABIT program is aimed at preventing or delaying dementia. It builds on existing strengths and recognizes that procedural memory, otherwise known as 'habit,' can be exercised, promoting the highest level of function and independence.
The requirements for participation are:
1. A diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment;
2. A study partner willing to go through the program along with the participant;
3. Ability to participate in the research program for two weeks, April 20 - May 1 for four hours each day at Plymouth Church, Minneapolis;
4. Ability to travel to Rochester before April 20 for a pre-program evaluation;
5. Ability to travel to Rochester six months after the program for a one day booster.
To have this program we will need a minimum of 20 people with the diagnosis of MCI, each with a partner (a spouse, partner, adult child or good friend) to participate. There is no cost to participants. Find out more about it at an Information Session on Thursday, January 22, 2015 10:00-11:30am at Plymouth Church.
- Clergy clusters in the coming week:
- Northwest Cluster: Tuesday, January 27, 10:00am
First Congregational UCC, Moorhead
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Upcoming Events
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- Minnesota Conference Events
- Church on the Move, New Brighton UCC, January 31, 2015
- "God's Love Story...a continuing testament", Minnesota Conference Open and Affirming Celebration, St Paul's UCC, February 14, 2015
- Minnesota Conference Youth & Faith Formation Events
- Winter High School Youth Event, Camp Koinonia, South Haven, March 13-15, 2015
- 4th Thursday Leader Gathering, MN Church Center, Minneapolis, January 22, 2015
- Our Whole Lives (OWL) Facilitator Training, Levels 7-9/10-12, Mayflower UCC, Minneapolis, February 27-March 1, 2015
- OWL Facilitator Training, Levels K-1/4-6/Adult/Young Adult, Pilgrim Point Camp, Alexandria, May 29-31, 2015
- National UCC Events
- Global Opportunities
- Philippine Immersion Trip: April 30-May 14, 2015. This trip offers participants an opportunity to broaden their understanding of our global realities as well as deepen their commitment to greater well-being in the context of our highly globalized world. In this exposure-immersion trip, participants will have the opportunity to live with Filipino people, listen to their stories, learn about movements, share faith and hopes, engage in dialogue, and explore ways of solidarity. Moreover, participants will be exposed to the Philippine context, the life and ministry of the church, and global interconnections. Cost: $2,950 (includes airfare, lodging, meals, transportation in the Philippines, honoraria and other expenses). If interested, please contact Rev. Dr. Eleazar Fernandez, efernandez@unitedseminary.edu or 651-255-6131.
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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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Copyright © 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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