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Michigan Conference
United Church of Christ
www.michucc.org
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1006
East Lansing MI 48826-1006
Physical Address:
5945 Park Lake Road
East Lansing MI 48823
Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:30a-4:30p
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Email Bulletin
July 27, 2012
Next issue scheduled for: August 10, 2012
Content Deadline: August 8, 2012
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Conference Staff
Conference Minister
Rev. Dr. S. C. Campbell Lovett
Associate Conference Minister
Rev. Cheryl Burke
Acting Associate Conference Minister
Rev. Dr. Deborah Kohler
Acting Associate Conference Minister
Rev. Sameerah Shareef
Business Manager
Bob Heisler
Executive Administrative Assistant
to the Conference Minister
Lisa Soulliere
Administrative Assistants to the
Associate Conference Ministers
Merrilyn Vaughn-Hoffman
Search & Call
Barb Paff
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Whoever you are, where ever you are on life's journey, you are welcome here!
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Brought to you by your generous contributions to
Our Church's Wider Missions
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Michigan Conference
"Connecting Our Blessings"
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 Diana Butler Bass: Three titles available at the Conference office - Early August -
We are very excited for the opportunity to offer three (3) of Diana's books available for sale here at the Michigan Conference office!
Diana shared with us, her desire for folks to have read her latest book Christianity After Religion, prior to the Conference Annual Meeting. Now you have the opportunity to read that, as well as, two (2) other popular titles!
These books will be available in early August; we will notify you the minute they are available for purchase.
Book pricing: Pick-up Shipped
Christianity After Religion (hardcopy) $16 $22 Christianity for the Rest of Us (paperback) $10 $15.50 People's History of Christianity(paperback) $10 $15.50 If you are interested in purchasing a book, please email lisa@michucc.org or call Lisa at (517)332-3511 ext 204.
Books can be purchased by credit card, check or cash. Checks should be made payable to:
Michigan Conference UCC The excitement is building...."For such a time as this." (Esther 4:14) |
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Michigan Conference UCC
Annual Meeting
Date:
October 5th & 6th, 2012
Theme:
"For such a time as this."
(Esther 4:14)
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
Special features:
- Installation of our Conference Minister, the Rev. Dr. S. C. Campbell Lovett
- Keynote Speaker, Diana Butler Bass
The installation service for our Conference Minister, Rev. Dr. S.C. Campbell Lovett will take place on Friday evening in the sanctuary of the First Congregational UCC. A reception will take place immediately following the installation.
Our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Diana Butler Bass is the author of eight (8) books including the bestselling Christianity After Religion. Diana would greatly appreciate folks reading her latest book Christianity After Religion prior to attending the meeting. Diana's bio will be available with the registration materials August 6th.
Important Hotel Information:
Please secure your hotel reservations early - the McCamly Plaza Hotel has reserved a block of rooms for our Annual Meeting at a discounted rate of $88 plus tax per night. When calling to reserve a room ask for the "Michigan Conference Annual Meeting" block (888-622-2659). This rate is only good through September 10th; afterward the rate increases to $110-$149 plus tax per night.
Hotel Parking:
- Limited free self parking
- Valet Parking available for $8 per night
- City Parking Ramp connected to the Hotel and Kellogg Arena - CASH only
REGISTERING FOR ANNUAL MEETING:
Materials will be available August 6th delivered by email to all churches and clergy (and snail mail to those without email). Information will also be available on the Conference website (www.michucc.org) and in the next email bulletin (August 10th).
Please register for Annual Meeting prior to the deadline of September 21st, 2012. If you know that you will be attending the meeting either as a delegate or youth delegate for your church or attending as a visitor - please register early so we can plan for you! We want you to have a wonderful experience in every way possible and truly appreciate your help!
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Workshops:
2012 Annual Meeting of the
Michigan Conference UCC
The Michigan Conference United Church of Christ will be holding its Annual Meeting at the McCamly Plaza Hotel (http://www.mccamlyplaza.com) in Battle Creek, Michigan on October 5-6, 2012. Highlights will include the installation of our Conference Minister, The Rev. Dr. S.C. Campbell Lovett and a number of educational sessions and keynote address by Dr. Diana Butler Bass.
The theme for the annual meeting is: For Such a Time as This. If you would be interested in presenting a workshop at our annual meeting consistent with this theme, please fill out the application below. This application must be returned no later than September 1, 2012. Space is limited this year, so please send your request as soon as possible. Applications can be emailed to Cheryl@michucc.org.
I believe that this year's meeting will be extraordinary. We look forward to your leadership and participation.
The Rev. Cheryl Burke
WORKSHOP APPLICATION
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| Diana Butler Bass is coming to Southwest Michigan! She is our keynote speaker for the Michigan Conference United Church of Christ Annual Meeting, October 5th & 6th in Battle Creek. The Southwest Association Council believes Diana's writing can have a significant and positive impact on our local churches. Perhaps more than anyone else, Diana Butler Bass's research is helping mainline churches navigate the sea of change we are experiencing in religious life today. Her newest book, Christianity After Religion is a vital resource that we want to encourage all of our local churches to grapple with: "Offering direction and hope to individuals and churches, Christianity After Religion is Bass's call to approach faith with a newfound freedom that is both life-giving and service driven. And it is a hope-filled plea to see and participate in creating a fresh, vital, contemporary way to faith that stays true to the real message of Jesus." In order to get the most out of our time with Diana Butler Bass, we want to encourage each of our congregations in the Southwest Association (and Conference wide) to do three things:
- Invite key leaders in your congregation to read and discuss Christianity After Religion. Use the book as a resource to help you explore implications for being a vital congregation in the 21st Century. It is published by Harper One and is available through most online bookstores.
- Sign up to attend one of two (2) round table discussions of church leaders to share reactions, ideas and plans to incorporate her insights into the life and ministry of our congregations. The meeting on the west side of the Association will be at First Congregational Church, St. Joseph on Sunday, August 19th at 2:00p. The meeting on the east side of the Association will be at First Congregational UCC, Kalamazoo on Sunday, September 9th at 1:30p.
- Invite your leaders to attend Diana Butler Bass's keynote presentations at our Michigan Conference Annual Meeting.
For additional information, contact the Rev. Thomas Ott, Pastor of First Congregational Church, Battle Creek at 269-965-1225 or email at tom@fccbc.org or the Rev. Robert Braman, Pastor of First Congregational Church, St. Joseph at 269-983-5519 or email at drbob@fccstjoseph.org. |
| MUCCY
Five Fantastic Events - Five Outstanding Opportunities
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 UBUNTU
(oo-BOON-too)
"I am because you are"
UBUNTU, pronounced oo-BOON-too, originates in the Bantu language of southern Africa and is an African philosophy and world view focused on people-to-people relationships. "I am because you are" most simply and beautifully describes Ubuntu. Desmond Tutu further defined the term when he said:
"One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality - Ubuntu- you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole World."
What would our world look like if all people lived by Ubuntu? We hope to find out! Join us in celebrating Ubuntu by designating a Global Ministries Sunday this fall. This second annual designated Sunday enables you to present the different faces of mission to your congregation in ways that deepen and widen world views and understanding. The excitement, engagement and experience of God's global mission in our churches enlivens and revitalizes us as individuals and churches.
Materials have been collected and prepared for you to enhance your Ubuntu Sunday. Learn more about the ways your church and denomination is making a difference around the world. Worship resources - sermon tips to music suggestions; mission stories to print and mission moment videos to show; educational activities for all ages; and even a mission fair outline will get you well on your way. Consider becoming a Global Mission Church or undertaking a mission partnership using our handbooks. All are available free to you.
Join us in UBUNTU this fall on a Sunday of your choice.
The Scripture theme for Global Minstries Sunday 2012 is 1 Corinthians 12:24-27. |
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Art Exhibition in Grand Rapids
September 19 - October 7, 2012
Larger than life-size bronze busts of the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Fr. Theodore Hesburgh by Albion sculptor David F. Habicht will be on display at the Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids during ArtPrize 2012. The artworks are part of the exhibition "Art to Change the World: Confronting Oppression, Embracing the Human Spirit." The exhibit honors the role art plays as a change agent and its ability to communicate basic human rights issues. The exhibit at Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain St. NE, will be open Monday-Thursday 12-8pm, Fri-Sat 12-10pm, and Sun 12-6pm.
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BERTHA DAYTON FUND
The Michigan Conference Vital Growth Mission Area Team awards six (6) grants each year for up to $2,000. These are available for aiding and assisting rural, small town or village UCC churches in the state of Michigan and in the support of their pastors and families. Fund applications and information can be found on the Michigan Conference website (www.michucc.org) under Vital Growth. REMINDER: Fund applications are due Sept. 15th. |
 Back Bay Mission Adult Work Camp April 7 - 13, 2013 Join United Church of Christ members from the Michigan Conference to participate in a week-long work camp in Biloxi, Mississippi at Back Bay Mission. This vital mission of the UCC has been serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the wider church community by faithful witness for social justice and compassionate service to the poor and marginalized for the past 89 years. Volunteer workers are the core of the mission's success. Rev. Penny Lowes and Dean McMinn are the Michigan coordinators for this event. (Questions? Contact Penny: revpen@comcast.net) The cost of the one week experience is $250 per person plus travel to and from Mississippi. (Part of this $250 is considered tax deductible.) The $250 fee includes: $10 registration fee, $75 Housing Fee, $50 Materials fee, $100 food and incidentals, and a t-shirt. Car pools will be formed to make the two-day journey with a one night hotel stay each way, leaving April 5 and returning to Michigan April 14. Persons may also plan their own transportation. The nearest airport is Gulf Port, Mississippi. New Orleans is 90 miles away. Generally the work week takes place from Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with Wednesday afternoon reserved to explore the beautiful Gulf Coast region. We will also plan to have dinner out at local restaurants at least once or twice during the week. (Think shrimp, oysters and gumbo - yum!) Accomodations are new, modern, and air conditioned with dormitory style sleeping, five shower bathrooms for men and women, laundry room, comfortable lounge area with big screen television, dining area, large industrial kitchen and internet connection. April is a beautiful time to be on the Gulf. Capable professional contractors guide our work with the motto "one nail driven today is one less nail driven next week." Quality of work is preferred over quantity. There are tasks persons of multiple cpapbilities. There is a place for you! There will be an opportunity for some to volunteer at the Micah Center on site. Rev Terri Bracy (St. Paul UCC, Warren) will head up the kitchen staff and she will need help with local shopping and meal preparation. Breakfast, sack lunches, and dinner are inclusive. There will also be an opportunity for volunters to lead daily devotions. Other ideas and activities may arise! To find out more visit www.thebackbaymission.org then click on"housing recovery", then "work camp NEW policy for 2013." We have 20 reserved spaces. Registration is now open. Please send a $100 registration fee to "Rev. Penny Lowes, c/o St. Paul UCC 31654 Mound Rd., Warren MI 48092. Make checks payable to St. Paul UCC with "Back Bay Mission" in the memo. Final payment of $150 per person will be due February 1, 2013. Application forms, including a skills inventory, will be provided after your registrations have been received and prior to the trip to Back Bay. We look forward to a rewarding and life-changing experience with you in Mississippi next year! |
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Boundary Training:
Offered Wednesday,August 22nd
Michigan Conference UCC Office
5945 Park Lake Rd.
East Lansing, MI 48823
Sign up for the next session of Boundary Training - led by Associate Conference Minister, Rev. Cheryl Burke.
The cost is $35 and includes the training booklet and lunch. The session begins at 10:00a and ends at 4:00p. Certificates will be presented at the conclusion of training.
Please see the registration form below - we thank you in advance for returning your form prior to the deadline of August 6th; workbooks need to be ordered in advance and lunch preparations made.
Completed registration forms and payment should be mailed to our post office box:
Michigan Conference UCC
P.O. Box 1006, East Lansing MI 48826-1006
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Joys & Concerns ~ | |
Please keep in your thoughts and prayers the family of the Rev. George Fisk (Southwest Association), who passed away July 16, 2012, after a long illness at the age of 92. Cremation has taken place. Family visitation will be at 1pm, Friday, August 10, followed by a memorial service at 2pm at the First Congregational Church of St. Joseph, MI. Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Dey-Florin Chapel, Florin Funeral Service of St. Joseph. Memorials can be made to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation (alzinfo.org() or the First Congregational Church of St. Jospeh. Please share messages, memories, or photos at www.florin.net. His wife Jean, died in 2001 at the age of 85. He is survived by four children, eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, a sister-in-law, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father Earl, mother Marion, brother William, sister Charlotte Astor and granddaughter, Rachel Fisk.
Full Obituary
Please keep in your thoughts and prayers Pastor Lorraine Boucon (Grand West Association) who has been very ill and recently hospitalized. |
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 CAMP TALAHI Retreat & Nature Center |
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MI Conf Office
Associations
S.T.E.M.
Mission Area Teams
SING Groups
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Association News
Covenant:
Detroit Metropolitan
Ecclesiastical Council for:
Connie Simon
Sunday, August 26, 2012 @ Time TBD
Fellowship Chapel
Detroit
DMA/EA Joint Fall Meeting
Saturday, September 29th
Location TBD
Eastern:
Grand West:
Southwest:
Ecclesiastical Council for:
Greg Briggs
Sunday, August 26, 2012 @ 3p
Congregational UCC
Galesburg
United Northern:
Pilgrimage Retreat
August 24-25, 2012
Lake Louise Retreat Center
For more info/questions please call (989)785-5164
UNA Fall Meeting
"Creative Worship"
September 21-22, 2012
Atlanta Congregational UCC
RE-MEMBER Adult Mission Trip
October 12-20, 2012
Traveling to the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota
Cost: $550
For more info/questions please call (989)785-5164
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:
>Organist/Accompanist position available
The First Congregational Church in New Baltimore, Michigan is seeking a full-time qualified church organist/accompanist. A resume and audition is required; candidate must have own reliable transportation. If interested please send your resume to:
First Congregational Church, UCC
Attention: Music Committee
36223 Alfred Street
New Baltimore MI 48047
Questions: Contact the church office (586)725-0909.
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"What Message Are We Sending About Giving"
"Keys To Growing A Small Church"
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CLASSIFIED
FOR SALE -
Well maintained Kimball Baby Grand Piano. Excellent for a home, school or church. Click link above to see pictures. |
Disaster Recovery Volunteers |
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Consider a Gift
(click on logo) |
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