All Conference E-Mail
Maine Conference Newsletter
August 31, 2016
 




Inspiration Porn: What It Is and Why It Hurts
By Bekah Anderson

Have you ever heard that sermon about the disabled kid? You know the one.

Small child becomes disabled, parents are heartbroken, predictions are grim...

Then skip forward about twelve years and this same kid is smart, sweet, funny, an A student, an award-winning artist, etc. The message is about the love of God, the power of prayer, or maybe our Christian responsibility to serve those less fortunate. And you sat back in your pew, a tear in your eye, thinking how amazing that poor little kid you have never met must be.

That's inspiration porn.
 
2017 BUDGET HEARINGS  
COMING TO A CHURCH  
NEAR YOU



There are four Budget Hearings being held across the state in order to preview & discuss the 2017 budget prior to The 2016 Annual Meeting

(Recommended budget information will be available by close of business September 16th)
 

SACO
September 21, 2016 7PM
(Zoom will be available)
First Parish Church
12 Beach Street
Saco, Maine

AUGUSTA
September 25, 2016 2PM
(Zoom will be available)
Maine Conference Center
1 Weston Court, Suite 104
Augusta, ME 04330

BANGOR
September 28, 2016 1PM
Hammond Street Congregational Church
28 High Street
Bangor, ME 04401

AUBURN
October 3, 2016 7PM
(Zoom will be available)
High Street Congregational Church
106 Pleasant Street
Auburn, ME 04210

If you are interested in participating via Zoom Video Conferencing (web based online meeting application.)

Please register and then contact Beth Campbell at

[email protected]
(Once you have received the meeting e-mail Click Here to download application and join meeting) 

 

Transformed!
Renewed!
Alive!


2016 Annual Meeting
SAVE THE DATE
 
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2  (NRSV))

One Day Only!
October 22, 2016

Location 
Gracie Theater
Husson University
Bangor

Key Note Speaker
Rev. Chris Davies 
Coordinator for Congregational Assessment 
Support and Advancement (CASA)

Clergy and Laity Retreat
October 21, 2016
Hampden Congregational Church
Hampden 
 
Transformed!
Renewed!
Alive!

ANNUAL MEETING OCTOBER 22, 2016
Workshop Invitation
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2  (NRSV))


This year are "Celebrating Church Vitality" around our state at our Annual Meeting at Husson University in Bangor!

We would love to hear what your church is passionate about!  How have you felt the fire of the Holy Spirit in worship, service or fellowship?

If you are feeling the nudge to share your Good News please fill out the workshop worksheet from the link below and contact Rev. AbbyLynn Haskell with your interest or questions.

In the Resource Center!
(Maine UCC Lending Library)
 
Families at the Center of Faith Formation by Leif Kehrwald, John Roberto, Gene and Jolene Roehlkepartain
 
We know that parents and the family are the most powerful influence for virtually every child and youth outcome-personal, academic, social, and spiritual-religious; and that parents are the most important influence on the social and religious lives of children, youth, and emerging adults. Families at the Center of Faith Formation proposes a new comprehensive approach to family faith formation that places families at the center of faith formation and develops the family as a community of faith and school of discipleship while equipping parents (and grandparents) to transmit the Christian faith at home. Families at the Center of Faith Formation includes seven chapters rich in foundational insights and practical application:
1.Transforming Our Narratives of Families in the 21st Century
2. Understanding 21st Century Parents and Families
3. Reimagining Family Faith Formation for the 21st Century
4. Growing in Faith as a Family
5. Nurturing the Faith of Young People through the Family
6. Developing the Family-at-the-Center Approach to Faith Formation: Eight Strategies for Family Faith Formation
7. Designing Faith Formation with Families at the Center


Conference website and the Library cart are now working, or you can send requests to [email protected] or call 1-800-244-0937 or 207-622-3100. Please be aware that once you enter a search item you will be taken to a page that says "Grace Presbytery" in the upper left hand corner. You are in the right place. This is our catalog web host. The Resource Center is the lending library for the Maine Conference.

  
Durable Free Medical Equipment
Lending Ministry Opportunity
 
 
Does your church have a little extra space? Are you looking for a new opportunity to do community outreach?
 
The Outreach, Justice and Witness Ministry at Old South Church, UCC, Farmington would like to help other Maine Conference churches launch this program in their communities. Two years ago OJW, Old South, adopted a free medical equipment lending program, and it has become a vital, ongoing ministry in our community, serving many folks in need of items such as crutches, walkers, commodes, and wheelchairs either short term or indefinitely. We receive calls from all over the state inquiring about needed items, but often the distance folks would need to travel to pick the items up is prohibitive.
 
We have a surplus of some items that we could donate for a startup, a successful system for volunteer management, forms and protocols which we are happy to share. For more information, or to arrange a time for us to meet with your church group, please call our church office at 207-778-0424, and leave a message at option #3 Annie's Beanpole, or email [email protected]. We would love to see this ministry spread to other communities in Maine!


 
Kairos Palestine
Bible Study Materials Available

General Synod 30 adopted a resolution entitled, "A Call for the United Church of Christ to Take Actions toward a Just Peace in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict." One of the actions steps in this resolution calls upon the UCC to study the Kairos Palestine document.
 
Using various published resources, Rev. Darren Morgan organized a three-week Bible Study, which he presented in Orono in April/May and at the Conference Center in June. These materials have been posted on the Maine Conference website as a resource to assist churches in having meaningful discussions of Kairos Palestine; to better understand the voices of Palestinian Christians; to examine the geo-political situation of the region; and to prayerfully consider the issues involved.
 
FMI: Rev. Darren Morgan, Associate Conference Minister, [email protected] .
 

Maine School of Ministry 
Fall 2016 Course Announcement
(Registration Open) 
 


The Maine School of Ministry is happy to announce the Fall 2016 Courses which can be taken either face to face in the classroom or via live feed using the Maine Conference's Zoom capacity

The Gospel and the gospels.
Early Christians tell their story
Instructor: Rev. Dr. Larry Kalajainen

UCC History, Theology and Polity
Instructor: Rev. Dr. Elizabeth C. Nordbeck

Click Here to Register - PrTh-Pb 1
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Courses are also available through
The New York School of Ministry

http://www.uccny.org/ministries/nysom/

 
(for more information on these courses, please contact Rev. Marjorie Purnine, Associate Conference Minister for Leadership Development, New York Conference UCC, 315-446-3073 x16)
 
1. Introduction to Christian Theology
2. Family Systems and Pastoral Leadership
3. Liturgy and Worship

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

For More Information on
ALL OFFERED COURSES
Click Below

The Faith Call for Civility in Politics 

Resources for Clergy and Local Congregations as pdf

 
Click Here for the Online Resources

This resource packet includes useful materials for worship services, including scripture, prayers, hymns, and sermon preparation resources.  It also includes helpful links for developing adult education programs, church school classes and youth group meetings, as well as denomination-specific resources, a bibliography, and a reproducible bulletin insert.
 
We have designed the resources to inspire churches to prepare to participate in our statewide civil discourse symposium with Senator George Mitchell on Thursday, October 20, 7:30am to 9:30am at the Best Western Hotel in  Waterville, Maine.



Labor Day Resource Packet
 

The Council has put together a resource packet for use by clergy, congregations, and small groups during the week of the Labor Day holiday.
Labor Day Resource Packet

Click Here for Online Labor Day Resource Packet





The Great Bible Experiment--Part II: 
Help Us Help Your Church!
 
 
If you missed the last email introducing The Great Bible Experiment, please take four minutes to watch the video linked here. Made possible in part by an award from The BTS Center , we have an amazing opportunity to address the many and varied concerns that people in the Northeast have about the Bible. Respectfully. In dialogue. In public.
 
This is not just an opportunity for us at MBS. This is an opportunity for churches across the region to participate in the conversation and prove to those both inside and outside your congregations that you are a place open to meeting people where they are and as they are.
 
If your church needs a good jolt of grounded and open Bible study; if you recognize that the people in your pews often have as many reservations about the Bible as those out in the community; if you want to help spread the word that the Bible is a living document with something for everyone; then help get your church involved this September.




All right, all right, I know what you're thinking...



Alas, it is true. I took a break from Get Social this summer, Kermit, and you may sip all the tea you want, but I feel refreshed.

Let's get back into it, shall we?

Here are three ways you should make sure your church announcements are social media friendly.

1. Emphasize church and event hashtags often.
  A hashtag is the primary way for your congregation to connect on social media during a church event. If you don't promote your event hashtag frequently before an event, the chances of people using it are unlikely.

Make sure you incorporate hashtags into your weekly announcements, especially if some of those announcements are featured on your church's social media pages. The savviest social media folks will be grateful you thought ahead and might even help you draw a greater crowd to your event with their social media networks.

(And while we're talking hashtags...make sure your event hashtag isn't too long. There's nothing worse than trying to tweet during an exciting moment of an event but being forced to give up on the tweet because the hashtag is difficult to spell or remember.)

 
2.  Create "special features" for social media users at your church...

 
Getting Our BEARINGS 
 
 
 

Looking Back on Bearings: A Retrospective on The Blog's Second Year

September is upon us, which means that  Elizabeth Drescher and Alyssa Lodewick are busy preparing Bearings for its third season of publication. But before we head into the future, it's important to know where we've been. 
 
If you are a new reader who desires insight into what the  The BTS Center's award-winning blog  is about, or if you're a longtime audience member who wishes to revisit some of your favorite posts, we've put together a literary retrospective  for your reading pleasure. It contains a baker's dozen of the most popular pieces published in Bearings last season. Enjoy. read more
 


Desk Calendars Are In!

There are a limited number of
extra calendars left to sell.


 

  
That's right, the Desk Calendar has returned to an 18-month format (July 2016 - December 2017). Shipping in June 2016.

Includes: Complete lectionary readings for every Sunday * special mission offering dates * special observances * Directory of national staff
 
    Please Contact Anne Hodgman at
[email protected]
for more information 
 
Help Wanted/Classifieds
POSITION OPENING:  
DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
 
 
The Bar Harbor Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, is looking for a part-time DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION, starting in the fall and averaging 15 hours a week, including Sundays.  We're looking for a person of faith who is devoted to nurturing faith and fellowship in our diverse congregation by coordinating Christian Education programs, from nursery care to Sunday school, from youth groups to programs for adults.  The successful candidate will be an effective communicator (including computer skills, familiarity with social media, and strong interpersonal skills, including skill and enjoyment working with children) who can recruit and support volunteers, ensure our compliance with safe church practices, and is (or will be) First Aid and CPR certified.  In addition to a compelling salary and a fun, collaborative, and creative work environment, the Church offers support and training opportunities, and is open to non-traditional staffing models.  Applicants should send a letter of interest, along with a current resume, to Bar Harbor Congregational Church, 29 Mount Desert St., Bar Harbor, ME  04609, or by email to
[email protected].  Applications will be accepted until August 15 or until the position is filled.

 

Organist/Accompanist/
Choir Director 
 
The Foreside Community Church, United Church of Christ in Falmouth, Maine seeks to hire one or two talented music professionals to direct and expand our music programs.  we are an Open and Affirming congregation of about
200 which values music as a key element of our worship experience, and enjoys a variety of musical forms and styles.
We are searching for individuals with strong musical skills and experience in the church environment who bring creativity, a desire to collaborate, communication and leadership skills, and an energentic and engaging personality.  We are open to considering someone who desires an Organist/Choir Director position, as well as considering dividing the role and hiring an Organist/Accompanist and a separate Choir Director.
For more details on the job(s) and more information on our church, please visite www.foresidechurch.org and our Facebook page.  Interested candidates can submit questions and send a resume and references via email to the Music Search Committee at [email protected] 
 
ORGANIST and/or CHOIR DIRECTOR
 
Old South Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Hallowell,
tel. 207.622.1220,
http://oldsouthhallowell.org/
  • Positions available as soon as suitable candidate is found
  • Salary based on ability and experience
  • Submit a letter of interest, resume and contact information for 3 references electronically to [email protected] or via USPS to Music Search Committee, PO Box 508, Hallowell, ME 04347.
  • Applications close when a suitable candidate is found
  • Job description available on website
  • Hook and Hastings tracker pipe organ with 13 ranks
 
Office Administrator Needed 
Christ Church, 
Kennebunk Maine

Christ Church, Kennebunk, Maine is a Federated Church affiliated with both United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church.   The successful candidate will oversee our Church Office, be responsible for all aspects of its operation, including welcoming, assisting visitors, church members and coordinating tasks with Church Committees and Officers. It will be necessary for this person to possess excellent organizational, problem-solving and interpersonal skills, be self-motivated, and equally adept at working both independently and collaboratively. This person will have effective computer and website management skills, as well as proficiency with Microsoft Office programs, including Excel and Publisher, and possess the ability to learn new programs as necessary. Basic bookkeeping tasks are also incorporated into the position, which includes managing Payroll. The ideal candidate will possess some experience in all of the above areas and will be comfortable working in a key position within a progressive faith-based community church environment. 
 
Particulars 
Part time: 15 hours per week
Salary: TBD
Reports to: Pastor

Please send resumes to
Christ Church
PO Box 87
Kennebunk, ME 04043
Or
 
 
 
Phippsburg Congregational Church, UCC
10 Church Lane, Phippsburg, Maine
An Open & Affirming Church

 

HELP WANTED:
 
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
 
8 hours per week, flexible scheduling / parent's hours

The Union Church of South Bristol is Looking for an
Organist/Choir Director 
 
The Union Church of South Bristol is looking to hire an Organist/Choir Director to start in the beginning of September.
For more information please contact Linda Brunner, Music Committee Chairperson at 207-563-3915
 
Christian Education Coordinator and Teacher

First Congregational Church of Wiscasset, UCC in Wiscasset, Maine seeks a creative and dynamic out-going, capable person with a background in the Christian faith, to serve as its Christian Education Coordinator and Teacher. The applicant should relate well with children of all ages and be able to develop and implement educational programs with the pastor and Christian Education Committee for youth and beyond that teach and model the teachings of Christ.

Contact: Submit resume, cover letter
and 3 recommendations to:

Sarah Joyce and Mary McKinney,
Chairs of the Christian Education Committee
First Congregational Church of Wiscasset
PO Box 350
Wiscasset, ME 04578.

Position Available 
Woodfords Congregational Church 
Portland, ME 
 

 
DIRECTOR OF FAMILY MINISTRIES
Woodfords Congregational Church (Portland) seeks a Christian educator with a passion for working with youth and families for a part-time (12 hrs/week) position as Director of Family Ministries. The Director will spend 50% of the time directing Christian education for children and youth and 50% leading and participating in fellowship programs and opportunities for youth and families. A Bachelor's degree, experience in Christian ministry/biblical studies or related field, the ability to work collaboratively and 3 years of relevant experience are required. The position also requires the Director to be on site on Sundays. Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to [email protected] by July 21, 2016. Please reference "Director of Family Ministries" in the Subject line of the email.
 
In This Issue
 

August 30, 2016
Written by
Anthony Moujaes

As part of its vision of becoming a social action church, Trinity United Church of Christ is taking a unique approach to sacred conversations on race - focusing on the issue in a 12-step program aimed at addressing the racial divide in its community of Concord, N.C.
Each Wednesday for the past six weeks, Trinity UCC hosts a Racists Anonymous meeting, inviting anyone to come in to discuss racism or their racist tendencies from a spiritual perspective.
"It really goes back to the UCC Sacred Conversations on Race that started about nine years ago," said the Rev. Nathan King, Trinity's pastor. "More recently, with the escalation of violence in our society, particularly against black men, we had to do something. We were coming into church every Sunday and we were praying for someone who had died in a tragic way perpetrated by violence."

Please Click Here for Full Article
 
 
 Quick Links 


Maine UCC Conference

Pilgrim Lodge  

 

Grace Street Ministry 

 

The Alcyon Center

National UCC

The BTS Center  


Join Our Mailing List
Beth Campbell
Maine Conference UCC
207-622-3100