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A bi-weekly newsletter to keep you up-to-date and informed.
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Rev. Dr. Campbell Lovett, Conference Minister
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 "He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.'" The Gospel readings for the next two Sundays recount events surrounding what could be labeled as Jesus' inauguration. He has just returned to his hometown from the temptations in the wilderness. Jesus is now very clear about his place in the world as God's Anointed One. Thus, in his 'inaugural address,' Jesus echoes Isaiah's prophecy in laying out his mission of bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, letting the oppressed go free, and proclaiming the year of God's favor. Whenever there is such a bold proclamation, there is usually a significant reaction. His neighbors resented that one of their own could be so amazing and they tried to diminish his words by belittling him. Jesus only fueled their passions by giving examples of how God's ministrations often went beyond the chosen. Now enraged, Jesus' neighbors drove him out of town and sought to do him harm. It is a foreshadowing of how those in power will resent and resist Jesus' presence. Jesus did not give in or cower or relent. He stayed on message, he stayed on mission, he remained obedient to God's call. He lived out his life as God's Anointed One preaching, teaching, healing, praying, proclaiming, debating, welcoming, confronting, consoling, and calling. As Christ's church, we are expected to take part in this same mission. We are called into the church to accept 'the cost and joy of discipleship;' and, we are commissioned to reach out to the least of our brothers and sisters. In this New Year, and in this season of inaugurations, it is important for us to commit ourselves anew to the values we preach and teach - as Christian churches and as churches in the United Church of Christ- where we affirm: "God is still speaking; no matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here; never place a period where God has placed a comma." I look forward to our shared mission and ministry! With you on the journey, Campbell Lovett Jesus calls us in, sends us out bearing fruit in a world of doubt, gives us love to tell, bread to share: God (Immanuel) everywhere! Jesus lives again, earth can breathe again, pass the Word around: loaves abound! "Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ", verse 3, New Century Hymnal |
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One Conference: One Mission
March 31 - May 19, 2013
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Michigan 2 x 2
The Conference Office has been hearing from many churches regarding their community mission partnerships . Once your church has decided upon their outreach partner for
Michigan 2 x 2, please email the Conference at 2x2@michucc.org.
Information and updates are available on the Conference website: www.michucc.org .
For the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost:
One Conference, One Mission - Michigan 2 x 2!
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SAVE THE DATE!
Michigan Conference Annual Meeting
October 4th & 5th, 2013
Lodging:
Keynote Speaker:
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"How to Avoid Pastor Burnout"
"Downsize Staff Without Destroying Church"
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UCC Women of Michigan: The Gathering
"Walk in the Spirit" June 7 - 9, 2013
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The 2013 UCC Women's Gathering Brochure is Available!
The Gathering will be held on June 7,8,9 at the Kettunen Center in Tustin, Michigan. Our theme for 2013 is, "Walk in the Spirit" and we are excited that the Reverend Penny Lowes will be our keynote speaker. We also have a number of enriching workshops that you can chose from, described on the attached registration brochure. Be sure to register early as space is limited.
We will be mailing out registration forms to those who attended last year and we will also be glad to send additional registration forms to other UCC Women. Please contact either Amy McDonald at amycmu@yahoo.com or Vesta Smith-Campbell at vscampbell@cleary.edu for additional brochures.
Walk in the Spirit - Registration
Registration prints 2-pages on legal size paper (8 1/2 x 14)
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Celebrate - Share Fellowship & Well-wishes!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
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Celebrate Black History Month on Sunday, February 3, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at the Shrine of the Black Madonna Church, Detroit.
View the film "We Are Not Ghosts" and share Fellowship and well-wishes with the Gallagher's.
The program will include a coffee hour and viewing of the film "We Are Not  Ghosts", a positive view of Detroit fighting back.
This particular Sunday is also the first Sunday of Black History Month. Additionally, each Sunday during the month of February, morning worship at the Shrine will include a special tribute. On the 3rd, we will honor and pay homage to African American Women.
Following worship, the congregation and guests will gather in the Fellowship Hall for the tribute/send-off for Rev. Terry and Sinclair Gallagher; they are relocating to Aurora, Illinois (just outside of Chicago) to be closer to family - especially grandchildren. They will continue their Sacred Conversation on Justice with primary focus on social justice.
Please read the attached letter to RSVP for the days events
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Phoenix Community Church, Kalamazoo
Celebrating Love for 25 years!
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SPECIAL WORSHIP SERVICE
Please join Phoenix Community Church for a special worship service commemorating their 25th Anniversary, Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.
Phoenix Community Church was born on February 17, 1988 as a progressive church where all people are welcome. Join them as they celebrate this legacy and look to their future.
DANCE! PARTY!
Come celebrate a legacy of love this Valentine's weekend with Kalamazoo's first open and affirming (ONA)church as they observe their 25th Anniversary with all of their friends!
Saturday, February 16, 2013, 8:00-Midnight Music with T.J. the D.J.
Silent Auction
RSVP if child care is needed
$10 donation (pay more or less as able)
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It's Time to CELEBRATE "ONA" in the United Northern Association!
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CONGRATULATIONS to the Cadillac, First Congregational United Church of Christ on voting to become an Open and Affirming (ONA) church!
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SAVE THE DATE! Michigan Prophetic Voices Clergy Breakfast
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Lansing Center | 333 Michigan Avenue, Downtown Lansing
Michigan Prophetic Voices (MPV) is a statewide network of Clergy and faith leaders in Michigan. On Tuesday January 29, we will gather to prioritize the issues and actions we will take in 2013, solidify our structure and share our experiences in strengthening our own prophetic voice. In 2012, MPV Clergy sign-on letters to Governor Snyder had a major impact on defeating voter laws that restricted access to the vote and defeating a law that allowed concealed weapons to be carried into schools and places of worship. Governor Snyder has been invited to dialogue with us on these and other issues.
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High Tea & Piano Night: Saturday, February 9, 2013
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St. Paul's United Church of Christ, in conjunction with GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Education Network is sponsoring an evening of fun on Saturday, February 9 from 4 - 7 PM: High Tea & Piano Night is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy one another along side the piano accompaniment of James Morisi. Tea, coffee, sandwiches, and desserts will be served.
Suggested donation is $10.
For more information on ticket sales 'click' the Facebook Icon to visit the High Tea & Piano Night Event page.
Purchase tickets online or contact Sarah Sample LeBrell at 313.806.4176.
Following the evening of fun, another event is planned for Sunday, February 10 at 10:30 AM when we will give a UCC "Extravagant Welcome" to Sam Waugaman of the UCC National Task Force on Gay and Lesbian issues.
St. Paul's United Church of Christ is located at 26550 Cherry Hill Road, Dearborn Heights, Michigan 48127.
GLSEN is a nation-wide organization known for its K-12 anti-bullying initiatives.
Open and Affirming (ONA) is the United Church of Christ's (UCC) designation for congregations, campus ministries, and other bodies in the UCC which make a public covenant of welcome into their full life and ministry to persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. |
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WINTER-FEST Continues! February 8 - 10, 2013
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Hosted by United Church of Big Rapids
FUN, FELLOWSHIP, WORSHIP, HIGH ENERGY RECREATION!
Enjoy skiing, snowboarding, X-country skiing, reading by the fire, board games, and an evening at Ferris State University's Student Activity Center for swimming & basketball!
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VITALITY DAY! With David Plunkett & Michael Piazza
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Saturday, April 20, 2013
10:00 - 3:00 p.m.
125 S. Pennsylvania Ave.
Lansing MI 48912
Bring a group from your church for
hands on learning for your ministry setting!
Cost: $25 per person / $100 max per church
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Annual Ecumenical Lenten Carbon Fast:
February 13 - Easter Sunday, March 31
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 Make Lent an opportunity to enter into a spiritual discipline of fasting from carbon.
Over the past few years, thousands of people the world over have welcomed a day-by-day opportunity to fast from carbon as their Lenten discipline. Initiated by the UCC and endorsed by Episcopalians, people of every Christian perspective - and people who are not Christian - have benefited from this opportunity to become more conscious and conscientious in their daily lives.
Please forward this invitation to others in your congregation and to other pastors.
Beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 13, each day's activity will be cumulatively posted on this page!
"God is calling us to be the change we long to see. Let us engage the spiritual discipline, grateful for all God has entrusted to us, and trusting that with God all things are possible."
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Vital Growth Mission Area Team
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Are you interested in starting a new church?
Has God been pulling at your heart to start a new church?
Are you curious about how to start a new church?
Are you running away from a call to start a new church?
Are you wondering how to do something new with a community that includes worship, discipleship and service?
If you answered, "yes" to any of these questions, please contact Lisa (lisa@michucc.org) at the Michigan Conference for your copy of the Church Development Start Up Kit. Contact us at newchurch@michucc.org. The Vital Growth Mission Area Team is looking for clergy and lay people interested in reaching out to new communities in new ways.
JOIN US FOR A "FREE" WEBINAR
Title: New Church Strategy - Michigan Conference UCC
Date: Thursday, January 31, 2013
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Join Rev. Cameron Trimble for this timely presentation and discussion.
REGISTER NOWAfter registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
System Requirements -
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Mac-based attendees
Required: Mac OS X 10.5 or newer
Mobile attendees
Required: iPhone, iPad, Android, phone or Android tablet |
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Celebrate Seminary Sunday on February 24th!
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Why Celebrate Seminary Sunday?
Our UCC seminaries are filled with faithful, committed students seeking the skills and wisdom necessary to lead the church in the 21st century. Our congregations need these students. In our region, we are blessed to have three fine UCC seminaries - Chicago, United, and Eden. Each of these seminaries provides quality education for pastors and lay leaders, and they provide research and resources that serve the entire UCC.
How to Celebrate Seminary Sunday
- Lift up our UCC seminaries and seminarians in prayer, in mission moments, and in your bulletins.
- Post materials about Chicago, Eden, and United Seminaries on bulletin boards.
- Include a special prayer or litany in your service.
- Show a five-minute CUE Seminaries DVD.
- Include a gift to CUE Seminaries in your church budget or to take up a special offering.
- DVDs, bulletin inserts, posters, and offering envelopes are available CUE Seminaries website: http://www.cueseminaries.org/
Please join us on February 24 in celebrating the current and future leadership of the UCC by celebrating and supporting Chicago, United, and Eden Seminaries.
For more information and resources, please contact Kiely Todd Roska, CUE Seminaries Director, (651) 255-6121 or kiely@cueseminaries.org.
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Prophetic Integrity Mission Area Team - UPDATE
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The Prophetic Integrity team met in January to finalize the Peace & Justice grants awarded in December 2012 and review priorities for 2013. A list of grant recipients is located below.
In addition to plans to update the guidelines for resolutions for our Annual Meeting and timelines for the 2013 grant process, we have increased our involvement in the Michigan Prophetic Voices (MPV) coalition. This work is consistent with our general focus on advocacy. Commissioned Social Justice minister, Karen Holcomb-Merrill informed us of some legislative priorities we can anticipate in the coming year, including the reinstatement of the state Earned Income Tax Credit. Eliminating this tax benefit puts many Michigan children and their families into deeper levels of poverty. MPV is taking this and the reduction of violence as two of its top three priorities for the upcoming year. The PI-MAT hope to hold an Advocacy Day to help pastors and key lay leaders in outreach ministry to find confidence in claiming their prophetic voices and to share details of how we might better follow the legislative process in Lansing to help pass a state budget which is more supportive of people at the economic margins. Watch for details about this and our Inclusive Justice Radical Welcome workshops.
2012 Grant Recipients |
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CAMP TALAHI - Registration now OPEN
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Welcome to the 2013 Camping Season
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Sr. High Youth Director: 1/4 Time (10-12 hours per week)
Second Congregational UCC, Grand Rapids |
PRAYERS...
Please remember in your prayers, the family of Alice Lampkin; she passed away on Sunday, January 13, 2013. Alice was very active in the Detroit Metropolitan Association (DMA) helping out in the DMA office from time to time. She was a dear friend to many; Elsie Claggett will remember Alice as "always upbeat and cheerful, having a great laugh and how she enjoyed cookies". From Rev. Penny Lowes, "Alice was a beacon of light throughout her life; she loved Christ and our UCC. She will be missed and long remembered." Funeral services were held on Friday, January 18th at the Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ in Detroit.
Please remember in your prayers, the family of Murdale Leyseth, a former Associate Conference Minister in the Michigan Conference, and former Conference Minister in Minnesota. She passed away at the age of 88 on Sunday, January 13, 2013 at her home in Brandon, Vermont. Murdale was the first woman appointed as a Conference Minister in the United Church of Christ, serving in Minnesota from 1981 to 1989. She is survived by her husband, Elwin, daughter, Dorothy, and son, Bert. Funeral services were held on Thursday, January 17th at Grace Congregational United Church of Christ in Rutland, Vermont.
Please remember prayers of healing and strength for Marcia Lacker (DMA) who took a fall recently, and broke her hip. She had surgery and is now recovering at home. Prayers of strength, healing, comfort, and courage go out to you Marcia!
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5945 Park Lake Road | P.O. Box 1006 | East Lansing, MI 48826-1006
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