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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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In many of our Michigan Conference churches, November is the month to celebrate a Stewardship Sunday or a Consecration Sunday. There are three points about stewardship that I would like to emphasize as we consider these special Sundays in the lives of our churches.
¨ When we give to God through our churches, we are not giving simply to meet a budget.
¨ We are called upon to give from an understanding of God's abundance in our lives.
¨ We give cheerfully and hopefully.
We give to God through the church as an act of faith. Budgets are helpful guides to channel our collective gifts toward mission and ministry, but we do not give simply to meet budgets. Instead, we are called beyond budgets to give faithfully, to help recognize and proclaim that God's Realm and Reign are breaking forth in our midst. If we give only to meet a budget then we are never challenged to fully give and our faith is limited. Give faithfully.
God is a generous God of abundance. God has blessed us with incredible gifts. Stewardship calls us to see the abundance that is ours and to give proportionately in return. If we view our lives and all therein from a sense of scarcity, however, we are tempted to hoard and hold back; we become fearful of sharing. Give from a sense of God's gracious abundance in your life.
Scriptures remind us that "God loves a cheerful giver," and that "it is more blessed to give than receive." To give grudgingly does not honor God or the church - and blessings will not abound. We share our gifts of time, talent, and treasure with joy. Give cheerfully.
On your special Sunday of stewardship and consecration, as you make a financial pledge, or an estimate of giving, or a love offering to your church, prayerfully consider making it faithfully, abundantly, and cheerfully!
With you on the journey,
Campbell Lovett
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November is Adoption Month
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Michigan Department of Human Services
Visit us online to learn more about our programs: www.michigan.gov/dhs
Stay connected - follow us on Twitter: @MichiganDHS
Mission: Improving the quality of life in Michigan by providing services to vulnerable children and adults that will strengthen the community and enable families and individuals to move toward independence.
Vision: Compassion. Protection. Independence.
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Installation in New Baltimore - corrected information
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*CORRECTION - The installation of Rev. Henry Brinker will take place on Sunday, November 10th at 3:00 p.m.
Rev. Sherry Schacht will be the preacher. Clergy are invited to wear their robes and red stoles. Lite refreshments will be served following the service.
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The United Church of Christ Ministerial Profile is changing! New technology was developed this year to better meet the needs of authorized ministers, conferences and calling bodies.
The new profiles portal goes live on January 31, 2014, already winning praise for being responsive, timely, strategic, and user-friendly. If you have an approved profile as of January 31, 2014, (heretofore known as a vintage profile), it will continue to be honored until the criminal backgrouwn check expires. Anyone with a current criminal background check may choose to incorporate it into a brand new profile.
All authorized ministers are invited to add information as a searchable "Snapshot" in the profiles portal during the first quarter of 2014. For more information on the new Profile and Snapshot, see: www.ucc.org/ministers/profile/.
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SAVE THE DATE for "Festival of Faith"!!
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Please mark April 26th, 2014 on your calendars!
Join the Michigan Conference United Church of Christ and the Christian Church Disciples of Christ Michigan Region for "Festival of Faith" (formerly known as "Love of Leadership").
Keynote Speaker: The Rev. Dr. Frank Thomas 
Former Pastor of New Faith Baptist Church, Matteson, Illinois, which, under his leadership, grew from 57 members to 3,500, Dr. Thomas now serves the largest Disciples congregation in the United States. A strong believer in education and a teacher in the Master of Divinity, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Preaching programs in several seminaries, Dr. Thomas is the author of "They Like to Never Quit Praisin' God: The Role of Celebration in Preaching". He currently serves as Co-Executive Editor of The African American Pulpit.
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Immigrant Welcoming Congregation
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Local pastor pens meditations to
"Soothe Your Soul"
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"Soothe your Soul"
MEDITATIONS TO HELP YOU THROUGH LIFE'S PAINFUL MOMENTS 
"Author Rev. Margaret Vredeveld knows firsthand the sorrow and anguish of a loved one's passing. In April of 2001, her youngest daughter, Sheri Joy, died at the age of twenty-eight of ovarian cancer. During that time, Vredeveld served as her daughter's spiritual guide while continuing to pastor her congregation; she soon came to realize that she had come to a better understanding of difficult times her parishioners faced."
"Filled with words to calm the spirit and uplift the heart, Soothe Your Soul offers reflections and teachings to guide people through some of life's most trying times and experiences."
Rev. Margaret Vredeveld is an ordained United Church of Christ pastor who served her congregation in Clare, Michigan for fourteen years.
Soothe Your Soul is currently available through Abbott Press.
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UCC Women of Michigan:
The Gathering ~ June 6, 7, 8, 2014
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You are cordially invited to
THE GATHERING
June 6, 7, 8, 2014
"O SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG;
SING TO THE LORD, ALL THE EARTH!"
Tustin, Michigan
Keynote Speaker: The Reverend Penny Lowes
Registration forms will be available after the first of February through your church, the Conference Email Bulletin or by contacting Amy McDonald amycmu@yahoo.com or Vesta Smith-Campbell vscampbell@cleary.edu.
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Our Church's Wider Mission
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Our Church's Wider Mission is one of the ways that our Conference congregations participate in the mission and ministry of the wider church. Recently, a special letter was sent to every local church with an invitation to budget for OCWM in next year's budget.
For 2014, the Conference Board of Directors, Mission Area Teams, and Conference staff are looking forward to working hard with you to fulfill our shared Mission Statement: "For Christ's sake, equip the clergy and the churches for faithful leadership and effective ministries...." Some of the ways we equip are by:
- Supporting churches in the search and call process, and in times of transition;
- Convening prayer groups for clergy and training for lay leaders;
- Offering Vitality Days to encourage churches in their efforts of renewal;
- Addressing social concerns, promoting ecumenical dialogue, and relating to the wider church;
- Offering stewardship programs and providing scholarships for seminarians, clergy, and local churches.
In addition to the OCWM invitation, a "Friends of the Conference" campaign letter will be mailed in early November. This campaign is the opportunity for individuals to support the mission and ministry of the Michigan Conference.
Thank you to all our local churches that support OCWM and the special offerings of the United Church of Christ; and thank you to so many individuals who also support the work of the wider church.
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Doing Our Own Work: A Seminar for Anti-Racist White People
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March 7 & 8, April 4 & 5, and May 2 & 3, 2014
First Congregational Church - 145 Capital Avenue, NE Battle Creek, MI 49017For 20 years, Doing Our Own Work has provided a unique context for white people who seek to deepen their commitment to confronting and challenging racism and white privilege. Offering more than 40 hours of "class time," Doing Our Own Work equips white people with the analysis, skills, and tools needed to be more effective anti-racist allies with people of color and to help bring about institutional change. People from communities all across North America have taken part in this intensive seminar. Here is what some of those participants say about the experience: - "I participated in this seminar in 2005-06 and it continues to be an inspiration for my work as an anti-racist white person. The work continues. I highly recommend this seminar for all who are ready to go deeper in their understanding of racism and white privilege." - Rev. Cheryl Burke
- "Doing Our Own Work is life-changing. It has affected my choice of where to live, what do with my life, where my priorities lie, everything."
- "Doing Our Own Work gave me a broader and deeper knowledge of anti-racism, white privilege, my people's history, and the way oppression functions."
The Doing Our Own Work seminar is designed as a supplement to, not a substitute for, contexts where people of diverse races and ethnicities discuss and strategize together how racism can be challenged. MORE INFORMATION
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IMPORTANT NOTICE: 2013 Contributions
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All of your church's 2013 contributions must be received in the Michigan Conference office by Friday, January 17, 2014.
All contributions received after that date will be credited to the year 2014. Please be sure your remittance forms are clearly marked.
If you have any questions, please contact Bob Heisler, Michigan Conference UCC Business Manager at bob@michucc.org or by calling 517/332-3511 x203
Thank You!
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Employment Opportunities:
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Description: Provide for the pastoral needs of residents, their families and staff.
Description: Work with the Associate Pastor and the Christian Education committee to provide, plan, organize, and direct the Christian Education programs for infants to 5th graders; to train lay leaders for the task of teaching and leading in shared ministry to the children.
Description: Responsible for planning and implementation of the youth ministry program for middle school (6th-8th grades) and high school (9th-12th grades) and is under the direct supervision of the Christian Education Coordinator.
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About Eden Theological Seminary
Eden, one of the seven seminaries of the United Church of Christ, is called to strengthen the life of the church by educating women and men for ministry, enlivening critical reflection on faith, and supporting bold Christian discipleship. Welcoming and inclusive, Eden's deep commitment to work ecumenically with other denominations that form the progressive Christian movement is reflected in the diversity of our students. Twenty different denominations, 21 states, and 9 countries are represented by Eden students this year. A rigorous academic program, combined with significant opportunity for practical ministry experience with our broad partnership of congregations and agencies, helps Eden to be faithful to our educational mission. For more information about Eden please visit us at www.eden.edu.
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"E-Newsletters: Worth More Than You Know"
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Michigan Prophetic Voices: Rally At the Capitol
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Wednesday, November 13th, 2013 
Michigan Prophetic Voices is a statewide initiative uniting clergy to strengthen their voice. MPV uses faith values to positively impact state and local policy, youth violence, education cuts and struggling homeowners. Founded in 2012, MPV was convened by the Flint Area Congregations Together (FACT), with support from the national PICO Network and co-sponsored by the Michigan Organizing Collaborative.
Registration, orientation and training for the event begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Central United Methodist Church located at 215 N. Capitol Avenue - just steps away from our state capital.
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Center for Progressive Renewal 
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 Webinar - Incorporating Video into Your Church Outreach Efforts
Thursday, November 21, 1:00pm - 2:00pm EASTERN TIME
Topics will include:
- An overview of the types of video tools available, including options for steaming video
- An in-depth look at a set of free tools available from Google which make it easy to promote your ministry with video - right from your desktop
- Ideas for creative uses of video for ministry, including ways you can use video to actively engage the youth of your church as "digital evangelists."
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Please hold in your hearts and in your prayers, the family of Karen Friday who passed away Friday, November 1st, 2013 after a brief illness. Karen was a member of the UCC Women of Michigan and most recently served as their Corresponding Recording Secretary. As most graciously put by Linda Smith, "The world has lost one of God's wonderful gifts but I'm sure they are rejoicing in heaven to have her back home." A funeral was held Wednesday, November 6th at the First Congregational UCC in Owosso.
Please hold in your hearts and in your continued prayers, the Rev. Sherry Schacht and her family (Eastern Association; pastor of First Congregational UCC, Romeo). Continue to lift her up in your prayers for strength and courage; determination and faith; and for LOVE and comfort.
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5945 Park Lake Road | P.O. Box 1006 | East Lansing, MI 48826-1006
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