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Maine Conference Newsletter
October 12, 2016
 


2016 Annual Meeting 
Registration is Open

Register Below! 

Registration is OPEN!

Transformed!
Renewed!
Alive!

2016 Annual Meeting

 

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

Register Here 
 
 
Official Call of the 2016 Annual Meeting
 
The 85th Annual Meeting of the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ (successor to the Congregational Christian Conference of Maine; it being the 105th Anniversary of the Congregational Conference and Missionary Society of Maine; the 191st Anniversary of the State Conference, the 209th Anniversary of the Maine Missionary Society, the 187th Anniversary of the Maine Congregational Ministerial Relief Society, and the 49th Anniversary of the Maine Conference as a Conference of the United Church of Christ), will be held at Gracie Theater, Husson College, Bangor, Maine and will convene at 9:00 a.m., Saturday, October 22, 2016. Items to be voted at this year's meeting will be the:
  • Use of Proceeds from the Sale of the Rockcraft Retreat Center
  • Proposed 2017 Conference Budget
  • 2017 Compensation Guidelines for Clergy
  • Slate of Officers Elect
 
 
Walter (Ted) Ruark, Conference Clerk
Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ

In the Resource Center!
(Maine UCC Lending Library)
 
Church IT: Strategies and Solutions
by Nick B. Nicholaou
Churches use many types of computer technology on a daily basis, with new technologies being made available all the time. Your church's approach to technology is maximized when you start with learning how to develop the right IT team to lead in setting the best IT policies. For every new technology, there is a financial consideration, but there also may be a new risk or legal liability that emerges. Learn how to find the best solutions when choosing software and hardware for your church. Also, understand the best approach to train and manage staff and volunteers. In addition, discover the right strategy for using the Cloud, setting up secure networks, and data recovery for your church.

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.

  


The Congregational Church in Cumberland has installed 57 solar panels that will cover 85-90% of its electricity needs and reduce its carbon footprint by 40-50,000 pounds per year.    
 
Seven church members formed a company called
CCC Solar, LLC.  The company paid to have a solar array installed on the church roof.  Working with GreenSun Alternative Energy Solutions, 17 members of the congregation and community spent a Saturday in September hoisting and installing the solar panels onto the sanctuary roof after a smaller group of dedicated volunteers set up the wiring and the frame in August.  In about six years the company will sell the array to the church at a nominal cost.  This method allows use of the federal incentives to provide renewable energy.   The system is live and the panels are using the sun's energy to power the church.
 
Rocky Ackroyd, Founder and Owner of GreenSun, hopes to share this model with other houses of worship, schools, and non-profits to expand solar power in the area.   "It's incredible to see what this church has done for the community,"  he said.

Dori Chadbourne & Ira Hartman, pictured here, installing a panel on the roof. 
Photo credit: Lorraine Martin
 
 

 



UCC advocates put 'bodies on the line' at border wall with Mexico

Written by Connie Larkman

 

Keep on moving forward. No wall can divide us. We are never turning back.
 
The push for humane immigration reform brought veterans, advocates, clergy and people of faith to the border wall dividing the Nogales, Arizona, and Mexico communities on Saturday, Oct. 8, as part of a joint rally calling for a new model of border justice that builds bridges and relationships instead of walls and policies that create fear and division.

"In an election season where immigrants are pawns on a chessboard and talked about in shame, we are here to demonstrate our love for all people and our commitment to immigrant justice that makes sense," said the Rev. John C. Dorhauer, UCC general minister and president. "Something has to change - and until it does we will continue to demonstrate for peace and love as those who follow Jesus."

 

Getting Our BEARINGS 
 

Re-Seeing Evangelical Support for Donald J. Trump  
 
"When we see that the main issue is not just about individual poor decisions, but that there are systems in place that perpetuate human suffering, then we will likely be motivated to hold government, law enforcement, corporations, and the socially irresponsible wealthy more accountable rather than giving them a pass."
 
This week in the Bearings blog, The Rev. Danny Cortez offers insight into the support of political candidates such as Donald J. Trump, who seem to many Christians to be the antithesis of Gospel values and practices, by Evangelicals. Danny's re-seeing of Evangelical theological practice invites us all to consider the theological and spiritual roots of our regard for those who believe and live differently from us

Read More 



October:
a chance to remember, to act, and to grow!
 
October is a red-letter month for the LGBTQ community! Events give Open and Affirming churches an opportunity to celebrate our past and expand our vision for the future.

LGBTQ History Month.
Many of us take for granted the rights we've won in the past decade--especially the right to marry. But every gain was the work of courageous
activists who refused to give in. We have our own forerunners in the UCC to celebrate, and October can be a great opportunity to honor the LGBT members and allies in your congregation who led you to your ONA covenant!


Two things excite me about fall:
  1. Dressing up my dog for Halloween.
  2. Watching others sell most of their worldly belongings to fund their pumpkin spice latte addictions.
That's why me stumbling upon this meme was nothing short of a miracle.




 
That pug has style!

Anyway, back to pumpkin spice lattes.

What do they have to do with growing your church's social media?

I'm glad you asked!

If you're trying to establish a large presence on your church's social media, you need to capitalize on opportunities to join "trending" conversations. When everyone is talking about something, and you can find a reasonable way to tie it into your social media presence, you can increase your chances for engagement.

This means you could possibly interact with hundreds of thousands of people just by talking about something they happen to be discussing right now-like the pumpkin spice latte.

Head to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and  type #pumpkinspice, #psl, or pumpkin spice latte, and you will get hundreds of thousands of results.

Click Here to Read Full Get Social Blog

 
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
 
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.

In This Issue
Dear Friends:

      Annual Meeting is fast approaching and there is still time to register.  The Friday Retreat will feature the Rev. Chris Davies from our National setting. Chris coordinates Church Vitality work, and supports New Church Starts. Chris has been a Dean at Pilgrim Lodge and brings a bright and engaging spirit to all she does! She writes about herself as follows:
     Like many Maine youth and young adults at Pilgrim Lodge, Rev. Chris Davies found God at a UCC camp.  So with a vague understanding of a justice-oriented Christianity, she went to seminary at Andover Newton Theological School to gain the language and grounding with the heart-impulse that something more can come of our rituals, something like the living into the kindom of God.  She served as a local pastor in the Connecticut Conference, and dreamed of church for people like herself: millennial, queer, radically hopeful, anti-racist, visioning God's realm enacted in the day-to-day....  So in experimenting through youth ministry and formative adult retreats, she found a craving from many people for Something More.  Something Different than "the way we've always done it."  She began to bring people together through the Queer Clergy Trading Cards, and found even more excitement for what could be. 
     So, with a passion for Jesus and the many ways in which he enters the world, inside and outside of our Institutional Boxes, Chris now serves as the Coordinator for Congregational Assessment, Support, and Advancement at the National Setting of the United Church of Christ.  Among other things, her role is to support the new and renewing churches of our denomination, and help churches take a real look at where they are, so we can move forward together for the sake of the gospel.  (And she still loves connecting with God at camp.) 
            Chris is bringing to us the results of an important national survey of people under 40 on the future of the Church. Happily, the vision that arises from our younger folk is hopeful and inspiring! In the retreat, we will engage those results as they apply to our own churches and the Maine Conference, and learn together about how we can create the next version of the Church - vital, welcoming and transformational!
            On Saturday, we will address important budget issues in the context of our emerging Mission and Vision for the Maine Conference. We will hear from Rev. Davies as our Keynote Speaker - and learn from one another about Church Vitality in our Maine Churches - during a series of excellent and inspiring workshops. Our worship will be enlivened by a Jazz Trio from Second Christian Church in Kittery!! Don't miss this important and transformational opportunity to worship and work and fellowship together!
 
I look forward to seeing you in Bangor at the Gracie Theater of Husson University!
 
Blessings and Peace, Your Conference Minister, Deborah

 
 
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Beth Campbell
Maine Conference UCC
207-622-3100