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Email Bulletin: December 21, 2012
Next issue scheduled for: January 11, 2013
Content Deadline: January 9, 2013
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Whoever you are,
wherever you are on life's journey,
you are welcome here!
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| From Conference Minister
the Rev. Dr. Campbell Lovett
Background
Jesus sent out his disciples two by two into every town and place to which he was about to go. The United Church of Christ has a deep commitment to serving in every town and place in which we are located. The Michigan 2 x 2 campaign will honor our community mission partnerships and celebrate the work we do together - as one Conference.
Building Partnerships
Each local church is invited to develop a community mission partnership - it may be with a food pantry, a shelter, a school; it might be with Habitat for Humanity, or ChristNet shelter program in Detroit, UCOM or Micah in Grand Rapids, or it might be your own food pantry, transitional housing program, or clothing ministry. Your partnership could be with a group with which you are already working, or it could be with a new group with which you have wanted to work. Your partnership could be an advocacy opportunity addressing issues of poverty, bullying or violence, or it could be the Mission 4/1 Earth program of the national setting of the UCC which invites us to green up, power down, and shout out for the environment. Some have asked if their church can have more than one community partner - the answer is, "Yes!"
Tracking Efforts
Once you have identified your community partner and designed a special project with them, then for the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost, keep track of the number of partnership hours your members put in: the numbers of hours shared, people cared for, meals served, dollars spent, or lives changed. We will track the hours and efforts on the Conference web-site, and conduct a state-wide media campaign to let our neighbors know what the United Church of Christ is doing two-by-two.
2 x 2 will demonstrate that we are one Conference, and it will begin to build the solidarity that is necessary for revitalization in all of our churches.
Next Steps
Once you have agreed upon your community partnership, please let the Conference know using our new 2 x 2 email address: 2x2@michucc.org. We are hopeful that participating churches will email by the end of January. Please email questions or concerns to the same address, and look for more information in upcoming Conference E-Bulletins!
Print-Ready Copy - Michigan 2 x 2
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The mission of The Center for Progressive Renewal is to renew Progressive Christianity by training new entrepreneurial leaders, supporting the birth of new liberal/progressive congregations, and by renewing and strengthening existing progressive churches.
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IMPORTANT REMINDER:
All of your church's 2012 contributions must be received in the Michigan Conference office by Friday, January 11, 2013.
All contributions received after that date will be credited to 2013.
If you have any questions please contact Bob Heisler, Business Manager, at bob@michucc.org or 517/332-3511 x203.
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 Michigan Conference UCC
Holiday Hours
Please note the days in which the Michigan Conference United Church of Christ will be taking time to celebrate this holiday season with our staff, friends, and families:
Office closed: December 24th through January 1st, 2013.
Staff will check voice mail and email during this time.
Offices re-open with normal business hours on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013.
May the spirit of Christmas bless you and your family this holiday season.
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In the glorious season of Advent, the Officers of the UCC share a holiday message of hope and joy.
 | | Warm Wishes for a Blessed Christmas |
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Congratulations to three (3) of our Conference Churches that applied for and received grants from the UCC Mission One Campaign and the Annual Neighbors in Need Offering!
- UCOM in Grand Rapids received $2,000;
- HELP Ministry of Ludington received $1,000;
- The Rochester Area Neighborhood House at First Congregational Church Rochester received $1,000.
Your support of Neighbors in Need really does support your neighbors in need!
For more information about applying for a grant: http://www.ucc.org/nin/resources/Grant-Application-Guidelines-2-9-11.pdf
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St. Stephen's Community Church UCC
Celebrates its 25th Annual Kwanzaa Celebration!!
This year marks the 25th Annual Celebration of Kwanzaa at St. Stephen's Community Church, United Church of Christ. In Swahili, Kwanzaa means "first fruits of harvest". This year's ceremony, "Umoja", will take place on Wednesday, December 26th from 6:00p to 8:00p. This year's program will place special emphasis on the importance of family and the important role it plays in our community's development. This year's keynote speaker is Rev. Dr. Charles Corley, Associate Pastor of Outreach and Community Development at St. Stephen's.
We are encouraging church members of all faiths, sororities, fraternities, community clubs, City and State agencies and organizations and the general public to join us as we celebrate each other and unify to promote family and community.
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
Updated: December 17, 2012
Please click on the position title for a job description and information on how to apply.
Administrative Assistant: Part Time (20 hr per week)
St. Stephen's Community Church, UCC, Lansing
Deadline to apply: December 31, 2012
Second Congregational UCC, Grand Rapids
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SAVE THE DATE!
Planned Giving Seminar - April 13th, 2013
Watch for more information!
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 Brenner-Beckstead Ministries: Phoenix Community Church, Kalamazoo
Your congregation is invited to join the Phoenix Community Church, Kalamazoo on January 20, 2013 at 6:00p when they will be hosting very special guests, Brenner-Beckstead Ministries. Susie Brenner and Linda Beckstead will share music and stories during this evening worship service. This promises to be a wonderful time!
Please pass this invitation on to others! All are welcome!
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| Prelude to Lent: "Big Sing" & Retreat with John Bell
February 10-12, 2013 (Sunday - Tuesday)
First Presbyterian Church of Kalamazoo &
Transformations Spirituality Center
The festivities begin on Sunday, February 10...
...and then continue through Tuesday, February 12
Join John Bell of Iona, Scotland, for an intimate retreat discussing 'Ten Things They Never Told Me about Jesus'. We will look at the Gospels and aspects of Jesus' ministry including his understanding of women, family life, power, money and food. There will also be an opening up of his humor and we will address how the Gospels require our imagination to unlock them. During our time together in this retreat we will ponder, learn, sing and pray.
Our retreat will begin on Sunday evening and conclude with a "Fat Tuesday" lunch; just in time to return home and prepare for Ash Wednesday.
Please download the flyer and brochure!
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 SAVE THE DATES!
Association Spring Meetings announced!
Eastern Association: April 13th @ First Cong'l UCC, Romeo w/Brian Sirchio
Detroit Metropolitan Association: April 6th - Location to be determined
Southwest Association: Weekend of April 20th - Exact date and location to be determined
United Northern Association: April 27th - Location to be determined
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 First Congregational Church, Rockford: New Christian Education Wing Dedicated
Sunday, November 18th the members of First Congregational Church of Rockford dedicated a brand new Christian Education wing.
This endeavor was the vision of a church member who died several years ago and upon his passing, interest in the project was renewed.
Congregational members have the gifts of being the architect, builder and professional fund developer. We did not hire an outside fund raising firm. We took a litmus test of interest the summer of 2009 and discerned that we have members who not only believed in us taking on this long-envisioned project but they were also ready to back it with their money. READ MORE
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JOIN US! Workshop:
Inclusive Radical Welcome
The Prophetic Integrity Mission Area Team is pleased to offer this workshop on Tuesday, February 5 & Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at the Michigan Conference office in East Lansing. The workshop will run from 9:00a - 5:00p.
Members of the Michigan Conference staff, Board of Directors and Mission Area Teams will gather at the Conference office to participate in this interactive program presented by Allies for Change. Rev. Melanie Morrison, Allies for Change founder and her colleagues, Dionardo Pizana, and Monique Savage will provide the leadership. Participants are expected to attend both sessions and do weekly assignments in between. Call or email Lisa Soulliere at the Conference office to register (lisa@michucc.org or 517.332.3511). Be sure to mention which Mission Area Team you are on.
The registration fee of $25 covers lunch for both sessions. Scholarships are available by contacting Acting Associate Conference Minister Rev. Dr. Deborah Kohler ( deborah@michucc.org). [For those who have already signed up - we will contact you for your lunch choice in the New Year!]
 Allies for Change provides anti-oppression education, training, and resources for individuals committed to social change. Believing that justice work is deeply spiritual work, our programs invite participants to sharpen their tools for structural change while enlarging their capabilities for compassion, hope, and joy. |
 Sabbath Day Silent Retreat: January 27, 2013 9:30a to 5:00p
This will be a quiet day where we share the silence in a beautiful contemplative setting.
If you should have any questions about this event, please contact Patricia Stirling 517.256.8551
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Lay Leadership Development Opportunity
Lay Leadership Development (LLD), a new program presented by the STEM board, will begin this spring. The program consists of 3 free-standing components which can be taken separately although participants will gain the most benefit from engaging in the sequence.
The first segment is a one day event on Prayer and Social Action presented by Rev. Denise Griebler. Based on the belief that faith-based social action is grounded in solid spiritual discipline this workshop will help members connect those elements in ways that bring greater strength to both.
An Immersion Trip to Detroit is scheduled for summer of 2013. Working with a leadership team from the Detroit Metropolitan Association (DMA), the group will spend the day at work sites around the city. A facilitator will guide the dialog in the evening to enable participants to reflect on their experience. The goals for the day include accomplishing work tasks, relationship building, increasing awareness about the dynamics of race and poverty, and the ability to serve as mission leaders in their congregations.
The final component, Mission as Mutual Ministry, will be offered in the fall. Based on the concept that we can all learn from each other, this workshop will continue to dismantle myths of racial and cultural superiority. Participants will engage in exercises designed to heighten their awareness of how to recognize their own internalized cultural indoctrination and strengthen their leadership skills in facilitating this process with those in their local congregations and communities.
As you consider mission programs and projects for your local congregation this leadership development opportunity is one designed to meet you where you are. Keep watching the Email Bulletin or contact STEM director Anne McCauslin for more details.
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Mission Connections: In Zambia with
Kari Nicewander & Joel DeJong
Kari and Joel are very excited about the work they will be doing in Zambia! Read about their arrival and the wonderful people they have met and work with everyday.
How can you support Kari & Joel? You are invited to continue supporting Kari & Joel's work through prayer and encouraged to get to know them through updates like, personal letters and emails. If you are able, please support their ministry through financial gifts. Individual donations may be made on-line at www.pcusa.org/give, or mailed to the address below. Churches are asked to send donations through your congregation's normal receiving site.
Presbyterian World Mission P.O. Box 643700 Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
On the memo line please write "Nicewander/DeJong" and ECO number E200492 (individual giving) or DMS number D507557 (church giving).
Thank you for learning about Kari & Joel's ministry. |
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Welcome New Pastors
Rev. John A. Brown is the new Interim Pastor at the Community Church in Ludington. Welcome to Michigan John!
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 Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts
The United Church of Christ is actively responding to the Hurricane Sandy damage through One Great Hour of Sharing grants. The devastation in many communities is truly catastrophic. Your help is needed. Please follow this link for up-to-date information about the damage and specific ways that you can donate:
http://www.ucc.org/disaster/hurricane-sandy-update.html
Church World Service has already donated thousands of blankets in Cuba and the United States. Representatives of CWS have said that right now blankets are their greatest need. To make a monetary donation for blankets, please check out this CWS link:
http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=blankets_main
As clean-up begins there is an increase in demand for Church World Service hygiene kits and clean-up buckets. Church World Service representatives in Lansing have told us that sending the kits and buckets directly to the CWS depot in Maryland will ensure that they get deployed much more quickly. For information about how to make and send CWS kits, please follow this link:
http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=kits_main
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Boundary Training Session Scheduled
A Boundary Training Session is scheduled for Wednesday, February 6th, 2013, from 10a to 4p. The training will take place at the Michigan Conference office - 5945 Park Lake Rd., East Lansing, MI.
Instructor: The Rev. Cheryl Burke
Cost: $35 (includes materials & lunch)
Please return the registration form with payment and lunch choice by January 24th, 2013; materials need to be ordered and time allowed for delivery. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
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Joys & Concerns:
*All of us are hurting; our hearts broken for the victims (and their families) of the tragic killings of 20 children and 6 adults in Newtown, Connecticut. Everyone wants to help in some way; to give comfort and support. While you might not be able to do what you might like in a monetary way, we all can participate by giving to each other with random acts of kindness. Hold a door or elevator for someone, tell someone "You look nice today", serve at a soup kitchen, leave cookies for a stranger, thank your child's teacher or bus driver, give out hugs and smiles.
In an ever changing, technology-based society we have so many avenues to "do good" right at our fingertips; its also nice to get back to the ole' "hands-on" approach - when you can actually "see" the response to your kindness and experience that wonderful feeling that happens deep inside... as your heart warms and glows.
I wish you peace and love this holiday season and a New Year filled with kindness and warm glowing hearts.
~ Lisa
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*Please hold in your heart and in your prayers the family of Maeola Danielson; she passed away December 13, 2012. Her funeral was held Monday, December 17th at Pilgrim Congregational UCC, Lansing. Those wishing to send messages of condolence may send them to:
Sue Rizik
3835 Fossum Lane
Okemos MI 48864
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Michigan Conference United Church of Christ
P.O. Box 1006 | 5945 Park Lake Rd. | East Lansing MI 48826-1006
(517)332-3511 | Fax: (517)339-2621 | www.michucc.org
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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 Assistant to the
Associate Conference Ministers:
Merrilyn Vaughn-Hoffman
Search & Call
Administrative Assistant to the Associate Conference Ministers:
Barb Paff
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Consider a Gift
(click on logo) |
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For more information please visit the Michigan Conference UCC website:
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The Parish Paper
"How to Use Our Five Senses During Advent"
"How to Avoid Pastor Burnout"
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Association News
Covenant:
Service of Ordination
Sunday, Dec. 30th @ 3p
for Diane White
Bethlehem UCC
423 S. 4th Ave., Ann Arbor
Detroit Metropolitan:
Eastern:
Grand West:
Southwest:
United Northern:
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- How the Funds are Used
- Fund Resources in Electronic Format
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Your Local Church
2012-13
Second Season at the
125 E. Unadilla St. |Pinckney MI 734.878.3140
Acoustic Open-Mic 5:30-7:15p; followed by Special Guests 7:30-9
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