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God's Blessings as You Journey Through Holy Week
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Our Church's Wider Mission Supports Second Year of the New Beginnings Program
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March 11-12 Leaders' Retreat
Kicked Off the Start of the 2016 Program
New Beginnings is a program in its second year at the MN Conference, and is supported in part by contributions to Our Church's Wider Mission. The New Beginnings program is designed to help churches in need of revitalizing their ministries in the communities they serve as they face ever changing and challenging times. Churches that experience fewer people
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This Week's Spotlight on One of Our Minnesota Conference Churches - Granite Falls United Church of Christ (Congregational)
|  Granite Falls United Church of Christ (Congregational) is located in the wonderful and gorgeous Minnesota River Valley where the Yellow Medicine and Minnesota Rivers combine. They were formed in 1872. This year they will have been in continuous existence for 144 years. The settlement of Granite Falls was less than 2 years old and there were less 30 people living in the community at that time. The congregation had been meeting in the open air throughout that summer and then began worship in an abandoned log cabin with a sod roof that had been used as a school the winter before. In 1874 a church building with a steeple was begun.
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Annual Meeting 2016
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- Did you get your packet? Annual Meeting packets were sent out to all churches and all pastors with standing in Minnesota last week. If you have not received yours, please let Sandy in the Conference Office know or visit our website for the information.
- There are Youth Delegate Scholarships available for the Annual Meeting! Our Conference, through the Ashley Funds, is sponsoring youth delegates who are 13 to 19 years of age to our Annual Meeting. We're paying the full registration cost of $110 (or $80 for early sign-up). We assume your church will take care of room and board. Please take this opportunity to get one of your faithful youth to our Annual Meeting! They are vital new members leading the way for our youth in the future.
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New Camps at Pilgrim Point! Check Them Out!
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 New Camps have been created this year to focus on the needs of your congregation. Discover a camp that just might be right for one or more of your congregation's members. Pilgrim Point Camp and Retreats (PPCR) is working to revitalize all of our member churches. We're expanding access to PPCR by five weeks with new fabulous camp opportunities!
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Pray for the People of East Timor
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-Submitted by Rev. Tom Liddle
David and Goliath....Again.
The people of East Timor are again fighting the powers-that-be for a dignified future of self-determination. This time it's about the control of natural resources, which, according to international law belong to the Timorese people.
East Timor is on the Eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago, about 400 miles north of Australia. In the ocean between the two countries are oil and
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Just Peace in Palestine and Israel
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-Updates from the Working Group on Just Peace in Palestine and Israel
Our goal in the coming year is to engage our churches all over the state in conversations and actions toward supporting peace in the Holy Land. We aim to connect our churches with existing community resources,
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Upcoming Events
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- Minnesota Conference Events
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Register now for Boundary Training in April and May 2016. Two sessions have been scheduled for spring:
- Thursday, April 21 at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Hutchinson (directions) Registration is still open for this training. The cost is $50 and space is limited
- Thursday, May 5 at Parkview United Church of Christ in White Bear Lake (directions). This training is full. If you are already registered for this date and cannot attend, please be sure to let the Conference office know as there are ministers on the waiting list.
- The MN Conference is organizing a sacred journey of study and immersion to Israel-Palestine for January 9-20, 2017. An informational meeting will be held on Saturday, April 30, 1:30- 3 pm at St. Paul's UCC, 900 Summit Ave., St. Paul (PLEASE NOTE LOCATION CHANGE) with Conference Minister Shari Prestemon and trip organizer Rev. Bonnie Van Overbeke. A draft itinerary for the trip will be shared along with some other early details. Certainty about participation is not necessary to attend this meeting. Just bring your questions and your curiosity!
- "Being OPEN and AFFIRMING Changes Lives" will be held at Linden Hills Congregational United Church of Christ, 4200 Upton Avenue South, Minneapolis on April 9 starting at 1 p.m. with workshops followed by worship at 2:30 with Rev. Lawrence T. Richardson, Minister for Digital Evangelism with the church's national setting. This event is sponsored by the Open and Affirming Ministry Team of the Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ.
- Make Me an Instrument, a UCC Gathering of Music and Mission, will be held on Sunday, April 17 at 4 p.m. at Mizpah UCC in Hopkins. Choirs and musicians of Edina Morningside, Mizpah, Parkway, and Union UCC Churches will hold a benefit concert for the Global Ministry in East Timor of Rev. Tom and Dr. Monica Liddle. A freewill offering will be taken.
- National UCC Events
- National Youth Event (NYE) is scheduled 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. The Minnesota Conference is arranging a delegation for this event.
- Sacred InterSexTions - Bodies, Culture, Sexuality & Spirit is a retreat offered by the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ at Oak Ridge Conference Center near Minneapolis/St. Paul, March 31 - April 3. Speakers are Rebecca Voelkel and Phil Porter. You can register online for this event.
- Join the UCC in St. Joseph, MN for the National ONA Gathering on June 7-9, 2016. You can register online for this event.
- For more information on Global Ministries, connect to their weekly update.
- Shepherding the Shepherd brings together UCC clergy in their 20's and 30's from all over the national for renewal, connection, and growth. Check out the details of their next gathering June 21 - 23 in Wallingford, PA.
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Joys & Concerns
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- Arthur Abel, father of Pastor Richard Abel of St. John's UCC in Fairmont, died March 15, 2016. Services were held on March 21. Our condolences to the family.
- Rev. Joh Guttermann, whose ministry is among immigrants being detained for deportation, would be thankful to be remembered in prayer as he undergoes treatment for brain cancer.
- Rev. T. Michael Rock, pastor at Robbinsdale UCC, is currently having chemotherapy. He would appreciate theprayers of Minnesota Conference clergy and laypeople. Visit his Caring Bridge site for updates.
- An Ecclesiastical Council for Deb Braun will be held on Wednesday, March 30 at 11 a.m. at Union Congregational UCC in St. Louis Park. Lunch will follow the ecclesiastical council. After a period of examination, there will be a vote on a motion that Deb Braun be approved for ordination 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. To ensure a quorum for the council, please RSVP to the church at 952-929-8566 by Monday, March 28. With your reservation you should indicate whether you will be present for lunch.
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Anna Larson will be ordained and then installed Sunday, April 3 at 1:00 pm at Circles of Faith UCC in Waubun. (directions). A celebratory lunch will be served at noon, before the ordination service. (Please RSVP for lunch by Monday, March 28th to Anna at 218-473-3111 or 507-995-4667). Clergy are invited to robe and wear red stoles. Anna Larson, a member of Cherokee Park United Church in St. Paul,has served Circles of Faith UCC as a licensed minister since 2014.
- Dona Maiden, mother of Rev. Daniel Maiden, pastor of Granite Falls UCC and First Congregational UCC in Montevideo, died on March 19. Funeral services will be on Friday, April 8 at 11 a.m. at St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Paul. Our condolences to the family.
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Notices
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- Chicago Theological Seminary announces RIOTcon 2016: Mapping a Movement, its annual spring conference on April 15 and 16. Early registration for this runs through April 1.
- Training in Appreciative Inquiry will be offered April 12 - 14 at Mt Olivet Retreat Center in the metro area. Several from the Minnesota Conference have received this training through Rob Voyle with the Clergy Leadership Institute.
- The United Church of Christ has made an announcement about a new Creation Care Challenge. The goal is to challenge churches to either start an environmental ministry or take an existing ministry to the next level. They have developed five suggestions on how churches can do this. Take the time to find out how your church can be involved in the Creation Care Challenge.
- Scholarships for UCC Students at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities are available. Is someone in your congregation considering seminary? UTS has scholarships available for UCC students who are intending to serve in congregations and ministries of the United Church of Christ and are enrolled as full-time students at UTS.
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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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