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Second Thought
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Rev. Joanne Thomson
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by Rev. Joanne Thomson
My first thought when I heard that bombs had gone off in Boston was, "Is everyone ok?" And after I knew that our people were safe, my second thought was: "How dare they attack my city." (David Ortiz expressed this much more eloquently a few days later.)
It isn't that one disaster, whether human-caused or natural, is more important than another. It isn't that some victims are more deserving of help than others. Things like this are wrong, no matter where, how, or to whom they happen. It's just wrong for human life to be overturned by violence.
Those tank-like vehicles were driving the streets of the neighborhood where I'd lived when I was a pastor in Cambridge. That's where the second thought, the "how dare they," came from. And I have been wondering about this, about what it means for us as individuals to belong to and to identify with something beyond our own selves. But I could also see that it mattered that it was my hometown this time.
This is a good question for Christians to wrangle with. We have put on Christ. We were baptized into a bigger, broader, deeper story than what belongs to us individually. It's a mystical identity that both transcends and incorporates everything that's part of our humanity--our individuality, our families, race, gender, nationality, all of it. How is it possible for our identity in Christ to become as real and compelling for us as our families, our jobs, our politics?
Read more
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The Lay Academy Comes to Life
Lay Academy participant Gary Hueppchen created this wonderful video for the Lay Academy. Check it out!
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Keep Learning: Attend the Online UCC History and Polity Class this Fall
Taught by Dr. Martha Ann Baumer, this course is an introduction to the United Church of Christ, appropriate for any person interested in its history and polity, with an invitation to explore further.
Topics include:
- The United Church of Christ Today
- Covenant Commitments and Basic Ideas
- How We Got This Way, Parts I and II
- Ministry
- Worship
- Common Life, Basic Texts
- Current Concerns
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Discernment Workshop
What shall I do with the longing in my heart to serve Jesus Christ?
Friday, November 8, 2013
10:00am-3:00pm
Wisconsin Conference Trost Center
Registration fee: $55.00 (includes lunch)
The journey of Christian discernment can be as joyful and fulfilling as it is frustrating and confusing. Am I called to be a pastor? Do I need credentials? Is ordination for me? What are licensing and commissioning? What process grants word and sacrament? Are there alternatives? Am I called to become a more mature Christian, to simply live out my baptism with integrity? What does it mean when God sets up shop in your heart? Who can help me? And how is that done?
Join us for a day of exploration and discussion with Dr. Martha Baumer. Dr. Baumer, former professor at Eden Theological Seminary, pastor from the Wisconsin Conference, previous Conference Minister in Illinois and life-long, committed Christian has worked with many people in discerning what a call to ministry might sound like and where to seek help in unfolding God's intention for their lives. Register online
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Strive for Pastoral Excellence: Communities of Practice Peer Support Groups
Join the more than 70 Wisconsin pastors who participated in the 12 inaugural Communities of Practice. Pastors all over the state found wisdom and support from colleagues gathered into community.
Communities of Practice Peer Support Groups will:
- Be facilitated by a seasoned pastor or experienced therapist
- Focus on the practice of ministry and the pastor's vocation as leader
- Encourage peer support, care, and reflection
- Meet monthly for a 2 1/2 hour session, September through May
- Include eight to ten participants per group
An open house will be held on September 5, 2013, for those interested in learning more about this program. Read more about this program and RSVP for the open house here.
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Minot Still Needs You
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Minot Flood 2011
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Long-term flood recovery is ongoing in Minot, North Dakota. There are 100 homes still in need of repair--long term recovery is indeed a long term process. It has been almost two years since the floods and the work to repair continues. Consider a volunteer trip to Minot. More information
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Adventure Available Here
Are you or your children or grandchildren looking for an adventure this summer? Looking for a place that your family can gather and your children can be who they truly are? Visit Pilgrim Center and Moon Beach. There are still spots in our family camps at Moon Beach, youth camps at Pilgrim Center, and spots in specialty camps, including Single Parent Family Camp at Pilgrim Center, Pilgrim Con, a new version of our popular Harry Potter Camp with all the exciting activities of the past, plus more genres including Star Wars, Marvel and DC Comics, as well as other fantasy worlds. It is also not too early to start planning your fall with golf and biking weekends, quilting gatherings, cooking workshops, and men and women's retreats being held at your outdoor ministry sites. Regardless of your age or place on your faith journey, visit ucci.org and register for camp.
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St. Stephens UCC Pastor Missy Holdorf Receives Awards
St Stephens Church in Merrill is proud to announce that one of their pastors, Michelle (Missy) Holdorf, is the recipient of the coveted 2013 United Church of Christ Seminarian of the Year Award. Pastor Missy also received the First Congregational Church McDowell Scholarship from the Wisconsin Conference.
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Renew Your Congregation
What can you do to help your congregation make the turn toward vitality and renewal? Find out through the Church Renewal/Five Practices Program. More information
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Marilynne Robinson to speak
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Register for Lay Academy
Registration is available for Lay Academy Faith Foundations (Year 2) and Lay Ministry Skills (Year 4). For more information and to register, view the Lay Academy webpage.
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Kent Ulery's Blog
Interim Associate Conference Minister Kent Ulery writes a blog: Rooted in Faith and Practice.
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The Rev. David S. Moyer Endowment for Outdoor Ministries
Help others experience the joy of God's natural world. In honor of Dave's retirement, an outdoor ministries endowment has been created. Give today!
InformationOnline giving
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Conference Events Calendar
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Got News?
Let us know! If you have something you'd like considered for publication in Wisconsin Conference Life, please send it to Nola at [email protected]. |
PO Box 435 DeForest, WI 53532 |
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