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A bi-weekly newsletter to keep you up-to-date and informed.
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The Meaning of Membership
One of the exciting things about the United Church of Christ - United Church of Canada full communion conversations is that we are exposed to a different church experience. One United Church of Canada proposal under consideration is a new model for church membership. I am intrigued by the proposal and what it might mean in our settings. Here are the new criteria and terms for ministry:
Associate Member
"A community of faith may enter on its membership roll the names of individuals who wish to align themselves with the mission and ministry of the community of faith and the U C Canada. Associate Members shall have voice at all meetings of the community of faith but shall not vote."
Member
"Members of a community of faith are those who have been welcomed by the governing board and have affirmed their desire to
- Follow Jesus by choosing to live a life full of compassion
- Live and act in hope for God's world
- Grow in faith within (this) community of the United Church of Canada"
Professing Member
"A person may become a professing member of the community of faith with the approval of the governing board (or the community of faith) through baptism (if not already baptized) and profession of faith.
Implications
These three phases of membership accurately reflect what Diana Butler Bass spoke about at our 2012 Annual Meeting. She outlined a shift from the more standard pattern of Believing, Behaving and Belonging to a more 21st century sense of Belonging, Behaving, and Believing. The UC Canada's Associate Membership allows for those who are seeking, or even of a different faith, to participate with the mission and ministry of a congregation without having to demonstrate a personal belief in the tenets of the Christian faith. They may belong and experience and serve, which is a great introduction to the life of the church.
Membership is a bit more focused around affirming the way of Jesus in a life of compassion, hope, and discipleship. This level clearly has an understanding of pilgrimage to it. Membership is not simply agreeing to tenets of the faith but an expression or behavior of discipleship.
Professing Membership is more about believing and specifically professing the Christian faith. Members and Professing members both have voice and vote at congregational meetings.
What might these levels or expressions of membership mean in your local church setting? This would be an interesting conversation among governing boards or Deacons - and for those who are already members of your church. I look forward to discovering other ways that our ecumenical conversations can help us both to affirm what we believe and to challenge us to live in new ways.
Peace,
Campbell Lovett
Conference Minister
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REMINDER
Attention Churches: It's Yearbook Reporting Time!!
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It's time again for Yearbook data input! This year churches will input their own information directly into the UCC Data Hub.
The Data Hub is open for church data input as of January 5, 2015. We must have your information submitted prior to March 9th, 2015.
Last year Michigan was ranked 10th (out of 38 Conferences) with a 77% return rate in Yearbook Reporting - can we have your help and cooperation in a higher percentage of Yearbook Reporting for 2015?! I think we can do it! Maybe it will push us into the top 5%!
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Breaking the Chains:
Mass Incarceration & Systems of Exploitation
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Breaking the Chains: Mass Incarceration and Systems of Exploitation
Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice
Friday, April 17 - Monday, April 20, 2015
Doubletree Hotel, Crystal City | Washington, D.C.
A group from Michigan Conference UCC, coordinated by Jay Cummings and Roger Pohl, will participate in this large national ecumenical gathering, featuring workshops, networking, and lobbying on Capitol Hill.
Information about Ecumenical Advocacy Days and registration may be found at: http://advocacydays.org/2015-breaking-the-chains. Each person is responsible to register on his/her own; hotel rooms will fill quickly.
This action is based on the Proclaim Release to the Captives Resolution passed at the Michigan Conference Annual Meeting, October, 2013.
Questions - contact Roger Pohl rnpohl@gmail.com (734) 274-1108 or Jay Cummings jhcummings109@gmail.com (517) 392-0209. Participants may either fly or drive (car-pooling may be possible).
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Annual Lenten Carbon Fast
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By engaging in these activities,
you AND YOUR CHURCH
can reduce your carbon footprint. An invitation to you AND to your congregation: Please Join Us in a Lenten Fast . . . From Carbon
The 2015 daily email messages will begin on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2015 and continued through Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015.
Make this your Congregation's Lenten discipline!
2015 is the fifth year that we will provide a day-by-day opportunity to fast from carbon as a Lenten discipline. Initiated by the UCC and endorsed by other denominations and faith groups, people of every Christian perspective - and people who are not Christians - have benefited from this opportunity to become more conscious and conscientious in their daily lives. Ash Wednesday (February 18, 2015) invites us into the season of Lent - a time within the church year to acknowledge that we are mortal, limited. Lent awakens us to hope in God whose "steadfast love endures forever" and to struggle against everything that leads us away from the love of God and neighbor. The Lenten disciplines of repentance, fasting, prayer, study and works of love are guides for returning to the steadfast love of God. During Lent we confess our mortality, our limits and our vulnerability so that we might be transformed and become the new life God calls us to be. READ MORE
Congregations that participate are encouraged to gather weekly to share their experiences, support one another, compare notes, share resources and pray.
This invitation is being emailed to pastors all over the country by UCC Conference Ministers and by our "bishop" counterparts in numerous denominations. Our experience is that Christians the world over - from every denomination - will participate in this carbon fast.
God is calling us to be the change we long to see. Let us engage this spiritual discipline, grateful for all God has entrusted to us, and trusting that with God all things are possible. SIGN-UP HERE
The Rev. Dr. Jim Antal
* Conference Minister and President * Massachusetts Conference, UCC
The Rev. Ms. Barbara Libby
* Interim Conference Minister * Rhode Island Conference, UCC
The Rev. Dr. Lynn Bujnak
* Conference Minister * Vermont Conference, UCC
The Rev. Mr. Rick Cowles
* Interim Conference Minister * Maine Conference, UCC
The Rev. Mr. Gary Schulte
* Conference Minister * New Hampshire Conference, UCC
The Rev. Mr. Kent Siladi
* Conference Minister * Connecticut Conference, UCC
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VITALITY DAY 2015
Saturday, March 7th, 2015
Conflict Transformation
Speaker: Thomas K. Chu, Esq.
1509 E. Court Street
Flint, MI 48503
Thomas K. Chu is a trusts and estates attorney who uses the transformative approach to mediation in his practice to aid his clients and their households to gain clarity and a higher quality of communication and relationship around their estate and healthcare plans. Prior to launching his solo practice, Thom served for 18 years on the church-wide staff of the Episcopal Church in congregational development, faith formation, and ministries with young people with a focus on creative approaches to conflict, followed by a one-year consultation with the United Church of Christ evaluating its ministries with youth and young adults in 2008-2009. His practice is based in Manhattan and Bridgehampton, New York.
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Technology and Church Vitality Workshop
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 How technology supports church vitality, including worship PowerPoint, video/sound, Google, social media, demographics, and much more.
When: Sunday, January 25, 2015
3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: Bethel United Church of Christ
6650 Elizabeth Lake Rd.
Waterford, MI 48327
Cost: Free!
Event Flyer
Sponsored by the
Michigan Conference UCC
Vital Growth Mission Area Team
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SAVE THE DATE!
Festival of Faith
Keynote Speaker: Lillian Daniel
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Lansing, MI 48912
In preparation for the Festival of Faith, participants are encouraged to read our keynoter's most recent book. Lillian Daniel's book, When "Spiritual But Not Religious" Is Not Enough, is available through your local library, your favorite bookstore, or your favorite on-line retailer, including:
Barnes & Noble
Books A Million
Indie Bound
Registration information will be available soon!
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2015 Shari Prestemon Social Justice Internship
Applications Available
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Back Bay Mission is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for the 2015 Shari Prestemon Social Justice Internship!
The Shari Prestemon Social Justice Internship provides a member of the United Church of Christ between the ages of 19 and 35 with a unique opportunity to participate in a 10-week summer program (June 8-14 August 2015) tailored to their interests. Drawing on the Mission's long experience in community engagement and advocacy for justice, the internship will nurture participants' passion for social justice and develop their appreciation for the church's role in seeking social justice.
Interns are generously provided for while at the Mission. Interns have the cost of their travel to and from Biloxi covered by the Mission, stay in Mission housing while in Biloxi, and receive a stipend to cover living expenses. During their time at Back Bay Mission, interns will work in each program area and engage in reflection with Mission staff.
APPLICATION
Completed applications and all supporting materials should be sent to: Kenney Washington, Director of Client Services, Back Bay Mission, 1012 Division Street, Biloxi, MS 39530, or emailed to kwash@thebackbaymission.org with the subject line 'Shari Prestemon Internship' no later than March 1, 2015. Notifications will be made by March 31, 2015.
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The Shower of Stoles Exhibition
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The Shower of Stoles is a collection of hundreds of liturgical stoles representing the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith. These religious leaders have served in thirty-two denominations and faith traditions, in six countries, and on three continents....
See attached flyer for more information about this fascinating project.
The Shower of Stoles - Flyer
Happenings 2.0 & Growth Committee
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NEW Employment Opportunities:
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Are you currently looking for employment?
Check out our list of employment opportunities!
Newest opportunity: Director of Music Ministries - First Congregational UCC, Kalamazoo
Click the blue link below for a current list of available employment opportunities! |
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The Dream of Justice (DOJ) Calendar and "Issue of the Month"
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DOJ Newsletter - February 2015
WE ARE THE DREAM OF JUSTICE ("DOJ") group of the Michigan Conference of the UCC ("MCUCC"). Last Fall the MCUCC passed a resolution to help put an end to the "racialized" Criminal-Justice/Mass-Incarceration system. The DOJ is the group formed by the Michigan Conference UCC to implement the resolution. This racialized criminal justice system impacts disproportionately on people of color; the impact is intentional and has racist roots. Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness, provides important information about this latent but real racism in the U.S. This book has opened-the-door so we can clearly see the ongoing racism.
Read more about the on-going work of the Dream of Justice Team and learn how you can get involved.
Follow the link below to read the resolution and sign the Statement of Support.
Resolution and Statement of Support
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Activities that reflect VITALITY!
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The Vital Growth Mission Area Team is requesting photos of your congregation participating in activities that reflect vitality. These photos will be collected throughout the year to be displayed at the next Annual Meeting.
Please send high resolution photos to pastorpegf@gmail.com and include your church's name and the activity. Thank You!
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Winter Fest 2015 will be held the weekend of February 6 - 8, 2015 at the United Church of Big Rapids. Please share this information with your youth!
WINTER FEST - About Us
SAVE THE DATE - Flyer
Youth Registration
Adult Registration
Combined Group Registration |
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Church World Service
Employment Opportunity
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Dear Colleagues and Supporters:
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UCC Women of Michigan proudly present
The Gathering 2015
"Dance in the Spirit"
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SAVE THE DATES! June 12, 13, 14, 2015
Tustin, Michigan
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Boundary Training - Sessions available in 2015!
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Boundary Training sessions are available in 2015! To register for upcoming sessions click on REGISTER.
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Jesus Seminar - On the Road
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First-Century Jesus Movements 
April 17 - 18, 2015
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Emerging Christianity was rife with conflict and controversy. Why and how did it grow, succeed, and become unified? Scholars of the Jesus Seminar will examine the diversity in early Christian belief, explore the impact of class, ethnicity and gender on early communities, and ask what role Constantine and the Roman Empire played in shaping Christianity. What can we learn from the diversity of the past? What does it suggest about the possible configurations Christianity might take today? READ MORE
Joanna Dewey, Ph.D., Graduate Theological Union, is the Harvey H. Guthrie, Jr., Professor Emerita of Biblical Studies at the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the author of several books including The Oral Ethos of the Early Church (2013) andMark as Story (3rd ed., 2012).
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Celebrate Seminary Sunday on February 22nd
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Celebrate Seminary Sunday on February 22nd
(or any Sunday that works for your congregation)
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 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 during worship. (you can order a hard copy or view it right from our website: http://www.cueseminaries.org/Main/Video.
- Include a gift to CUE Seminaries in your church budget or to take a special offering.
- DVDs, bulletin inserts, posters, and offering envelopes are available CUE Seminaries website: http://www.cueseminaries.org/
If you would like someone from Chicago, United, or Eden Seminary to visit your congregation to help with worship leadership for Seminary Sunday, please contact:
Chicago Theological Seminary: Martha Stocker, mstocker@ctschicago.edu or (773) 896-2433.
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities: Kathleen Remund, kremund@unitedseminary.edu or (651) 255-6112
Eden Theological Seminary: Bryce Krug, bkrug@eden.edu or (314) 918-2617
Each seminary will do its best to accommodate each request. For general information and resources about CUE, please contact Kiely Todd Roska, (651) 255-6121 or kiely@cueseminaries.org
Please support the current and future leadership of the UCC by celebrating Chicago, United, and Eden Seminaries by celebrating Seminary Sunday!
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"Let Your Life Speak"
Soul Collage Retreat
Friday, February 6th: 6:30p - 9:30p
Saturday, February 7th: 9:00a - 5:00p
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Led by Anita Smith Buckwalter, experienced Spiritual Director and Certified Soul Collage Facilitator.
Take a mid-winter break. Give yourself time to Listen to your Soul and the guidance it has to offer through the tool of Soul Collage.
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Camp Talahi Retreat and Nature Center 6458 Richardson Road Howell, MI 48843
Registration for summer 2015, A Call in the Wilderness is now open! Early registration ends on April 15, 2015 so sign up today and save!
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BACK BAY MISSION
CALENDAR FOR MISSION TRIPS OPEN FOR 2016
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Biloxi, MS - January 5, 2016 - Back Bay Mission, a community ministry of the United Church of Christ, has opened its mission trip calendar for 2016.
Supervised by dedicated Back Bay Mission staff, mission trip volunteers work in a variety of Mission programs, including housing rehabilitation, the food pantry, and the Micah Day Center. Volunteers also have the chance to work at their sister organization, Loaves and Fishes. The wide variety of ministries at Back Bay Mission ensures that there is always something for volunteers to be involved in.
Volunteers also have opportunities for education, fellowship and teambuilding. The Mission has an accomplished record in housing rehabilitation services that is unparalleled in the region and is one of the most highly respected and utilized volunteer programs in the United Church of Christ.
For more information on volunteer opportunities at Back Bay Mission, please visit their website - http://www.thebackbaymission.org/ - and look under the Get Involved menu tab. To reserve a date for a mission trip, please contact the Mission's volunteer coordinator by email at volunteercoordinator@thebackbaymission.org.
The minimum age for volunteers is 14.
Depending on group size and scheduling, some dates for 2015 may be available as well.
Back Bay Mission is a community ministry of the United Church of Christ dedicated to the eradication of the sting of poverty and its effects on individuals and communities. The Mission meets the urgent needs of those suffering from poverty and its effects while building pathways to social justice. It leads the way in delivering services, creating collaborative solutions and transforming lives through mission immersion experiences.
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"Our Future Pastors - Assessing the Pipeline"
"How to Avoid the Potholes on the Road to Retirement"
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Items for Sale or Donation: NEW ITEMS!
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You never know, you just might find something you have been looking for! Check out our list of items for sale or donation from local churches.
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Congratulations!
Congratulations to Pastor Katie Nix (First Congregational UCC, St. Joseph, MI) and her husband Eric as they welcome their second child.
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Please hold in your hearts and in your continued prayers, the Rev. Sherry Schacht and her family (Eastern Association; retired pastor). Please continue to lift her up in your prayers of strength and courage -determination and faith - and for LOVE and comfort.
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