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OCWM in Action: Leadership Retreat Speakers Discuss Race Relations with Native Americans
|  At our 2013 Annual Meeting, delegates passed a resolution calling the Conference to new commitment in the work of anti-racism. Since then, one expression of that commitment has been to devote significant time to creating a deeper understanding about the experience and roots of racism. Our annual Fall Leadership Retreat provided one more venue for this understanding to be deepened.
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Fall Clergy Convocation - REGISTER NOW!
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Fearless Faith, Prophetic Church:
Reclaiming the Subversive Way of Jesus
Join us at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, MN for a special time for our Conference's clergy leadership to gather in a beautiful setting, enjoy fellowship with each other, and reflect together on our ministries, our calling, and our challenges.
Who: Minnesota Conference UCC clergy & church leadership
When: Thursday, October 8 at 1:30PM until Friday, October 9th at 3:00PM, MUST REGISTER BY THIS FRIDAY, 9/25/2015!
Where: Christ the King Retreat Center, Buffalo, MN (directions)
Cost: $75-85 for Authorized Ministers; $115-125 for other persons
Our keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers, will be leading us through our time together. He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, the Distinguished Professor of Social Justice at Oklahoma City University, the best selling author of seven books, a widely traveled lecturer and preacher on behalf of Progressive Christianity, and an award-winning columnist for the Oklahoma Gazette, and National Public Radio.
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Minnesota Conference Global Partnerships Team Responds to the Refugee Crisis in Europe
| The Global Partnerships Team met on September 12, 2015 and discussed the refugee crisis in Europe. We share the concerns of the churches  of the Minnesota Conference, the National Church, and our Global Ministry Partners regarding the human suffering and our need to respond. We encourage our member churches to assist in the support of vital refugee work by giving to the UCC International Emergency Relief Fund earmarked "Syrian Refugees"; to Global Ministries; or to Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM), and One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS). Gifts can also be sent to the Conference earmarked "refugee support".
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Church on the Move is BACK! Register Now
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How do we express an extravagant welcome within our diverse culture? Come find out at this Fall's Church on the Move event!
What: Church on the Move Extravagant Welcome
When: Saturday, October 24 (9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
Where: Peace UCC, Rochester
Guest Speaker: Jin S. Kim, founding pastor of Church of All Nations in Minneapolis
Workshop Leaders: Rev. Norma Rae Hunt of St. Paul's UCC in St. Paul discusses the "Turnaround Church!" How did they do it? Discover. Rev. Steve Boorsma, ACM of our Minnesota Conference presents "Who Do You Say I AM?" A discussion on developing positive first impressions for your congregation from the web to the narthex.
Cost: $10/person includes lunch
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Practicing Medicine in East Timor
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 The Minnesota Conference has been blessed to engage in global ministries in a variety of ways through the years. Now we have a wonderful opportunity to financially support the missionary appointments of two of our own, Rev. Tom and Dr. Monica Liddle (members of Peace UCC - Duluth).
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-By: Rev. Tom Liddle
About a year after we had been in Timor on the last assignment, I met a young man I'll call Jose. Monica and I were at a Christmas youth gathering doing some workshops on health education and HIV prevention. Jose was one of the youth leaders. I could tell right away he was someone with burgeoning leadership capacity. Over the next year, I got to know Jose much better through
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Joys & Concerns
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- Rev. Howie Tobak will be installed Sunday, September 27, at 3:00 p.m. as pastor of First Congregational Church UCC in Winona (161 W. Broadway). Clergy are invited to robe and process. A light supper will follow the service of installation. Please RSVP to the church via email.
- Mizpah UCC in Hopkins has called Rev. Zoe Kuester as their new Senior Pastor. Zoe, who was ordained by the Minnesota Conference UCC in 2012, was most recently Interim Pastor at Roberts Congregational UCC in Roberts, WI. Congratulations to Rev. Kuester and Mizpah UCC!
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Clergy Clusters
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Clergy Clusters in the coming week:
- Southwest Cluster: Thursday, October 1, 11:30 a.m. at First Congregational, Mankato
- Northeast Cluster: Thursday, October 1, 11:30 a.m. at First Congregational, Brainerd
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Upcoming Events
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- Minnesota Conference Events
- Fall Clergy Convocation: Join us at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, MN on October 8 & 9 for a special time for our Conference's clergy leadership to gather in a beautiful setting, enjoy fellowship with each other, and reflect together on our ministries, our calling, and our challenges. Our keynote speaker will be Rev. Dr. Robin Meyer. Deadline for registration is THIS Friday, September 25.
- Back Bay Mission Trip: The Minnesota Conference UCC is sponsoring a mission trip to Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi January 31-February 6, 2016.
- Church on the Move: Join us at Peace United Church of Christ in Rochester on October 24 from 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. as we look at Extravagant Welcome.
- Regional UCC Events
- Messy Church helps brand churches as welcoming places for children and families who are unchurched or unable to attend regularly on a Sunday morning. This Inspiring Models of Ministry Event will be held at McFarland United Church of Christ in MacFarland, WI on November 8, 2015.
- National UCC Events
- Creating Sacred Space: A Discussion: this panel discussion will be live streamed from Cleveland on October 27.
- National Youth Event (NYE) is schedule for July 26-30, 2016 at Walt Disney World in Florida. Mark your calendars! We encourage local churches to begin the fund raising process early. Registration to open in the coming months.
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Notices
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- ASDIC Metamorphosis is pleased to announce a community racial dialogue circle for Fall 2015. There will be ten Saturday morning sessions from September 26 - December 12 and this is open to everyone. For details, view their flyer.
- Living the Sacred Trust: Boundary and Ethics Training is being offered on Thursday, November 12 at Hylands United Methodist, 9920 Normandale Blvd, Bloomington. Space is still available but is filling quickly. This training satisfies the requirements of the Minnesota Conference Committee on Ministry for clergy. If you are unsure whether your boundary training is due for renewal, please contact Marita in the Minnesota Conference office. For more information and to register, view their flyer.
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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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