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KANSAS-OKLAHOMA CONFERENCE

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 

 
  K-O e-NEWS 

  February 27, 2013 

 
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 EMBRACE EARTH CARE WITH LOVE AND JUSTICE 
mission 4-1 logo

Are you prepared for Mission 4/1 Earth? Observe Lent by getting ready to green up, power down and shout out for the environment.

 
 
  
  
What is your congregation's plan for joining the UCC church-wide earth care initiative?  Here is a link with some valuable tools to develop a plan.    
M4-1button
  
  Send an email to [email protected]
 and share your plans.
 
 

 

 

 

 

See what

Colonial United Church of Christ

in Prairie Village, KS

 is doing in their community.

  

 

Energized by the upcoming Mission 4/1 Earth campaign, the UCC's church-wide earth care initiative beginning April 1, Colonial's Justice and Witness Committee tossed around a few ideas, like a tree planting or a party with local environmental groups.

 

But by the end of their meeting, what started out as a simple brainstorming session quickly turned into a plan for a two-day, community-wide event with a keynote address by author and environmental activist Bill McKibben.

 

 

Bill McKibben will lead a keynote address and Q-and-A session during the event via Skype.
Bill McKibben

 

 

The event will kick off April 13 when the church will have a booth at the local high school's Eco Fair. An annual event, the fair features activities and booths sponsored by environmentally-conscious companies and draws hundreds of attendees. The Colonial UCC booth will be equipped with the tools to encourage people to write environmental advocacy letters, which will count toward the Mission 4/1 Earth goal of sending 100,000 letters to government representatives.  
   

The event will continue the next day beginning with an environmentally-themed worship service at Colonial UCC, followed by a community tree planting with volunteers from the congregation and the local elementary school.

 

Last summer's drought caused the community to lose a number of trees, including a few on the church lawn, so community members can sign up prior to the event to have a tree planted on their property.

 

The day will culminate at a church dinner that evening, which will be followed by a keynote address and Q-and-A session led by McKibben via Skype. Tickets for the dinner are $20 each. 

 

** Edited from an article that appears in the UCC News

Click here to see the full post. 

 
 'Feed Your Spirit' 
 
Need a spiritual lift in the midst of a busy day?  You can find one at your fingertips on UCC. org. The United Church of Christ's new 'Feed Your Spirit' page offers readers a new variety of ways to add faith and God to everyday life. 
 
 
  
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Attention: UCC employers, clergy and lay employees,
 retired clergy and retired lay employees 
 
 
 

 

Open enrollment for the UCC Vision Benefits Plan 

will be available March 1-31, 2013. Coverage is effective at 12:01 a.m. on April 1, 2013 following receipt of a completed enrollment application along with a check for the annual premium.

The Vision Plan is offered on a stand-alone basis, regardless of participation in the UCC (Non-Medicare) Health Plan or UCC Medicare Supplement Plan. The Plan offers access to a nationwide network of eye care providers through VSP. Plan benefits include annual eye exams, prescription glasses or contact lenses as well as discounts on lens options, additional glasses and sunglasses.

Vision coverage may be purchased by: 

  1. Employers for their employees;
  2. Individual clergy and lay employees serving local churches;
  3. Retired clergy; and
  4. Retired lay employees.
 
 

BROWN GRANT FUNDS AVAILABLE
 - Funds are available, through the
Brown Endowment, for continuing education experiences for group and individual clergy (commissioned, licensed and ordained)  and for training of bi-vocational ministers. Proposals will be considered in April,
July and November.  

 
 
MESA - The UCC Ministerial Excellence, Support and Authorization Ministry Team has transitioned to a searchable database of Ministry Opportunities.
 
Beginning February 1, users of the previous Employment Opportunities Database are directed to access a new site directly:  http://oppsearch.ucc.org. 
 
Because of the diverse listings, young adults, professionals, lay leaders and retirees may be interested in opportunities that include: missionaries, camp counselors, administrative and parish positions. 
 
Questions? Contact Rev. Malcolm Himschoot
216-736-3840 or [email protected] 
  
 
"Christianity in the Balance: Integrity and Diversity - Let's get Over It and On With It."

Gaddy  

Dr. Welton Gaddy, President of the Interfaith Alliance, a national non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization, which addresses the proper role of religion in the public issues of the nation, will be speaking Friday, March 1st at 7 p.m., in the Kerr Auditorium of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. His lecture title: "Christianity in the Balance: Integrity and Diversity - Let's get Over It and On With It." On Saturday, March 2nd (9 a.m. to Noon) he will conduct a seminar, "URGENT - A Call for Progressive Religion." Seats are still available; contact [email protected] to reserve a seat ($15 registration fee). Location: United Church of Norman-UCC, 1017 Elm Avenue. We hope many of you will come.
 
  
 
 

dream    love   entrydining hall

 

As we prepare for White Memorial Camp's 50 year celebration,  we have been busy with several exciting projects for this tribute.  Some of you have been involved in the planning, some have helped with art work, and some have helped by providing photos.    The pictures you see are a few of the banners that many of you and your children worked on at camp or at annual meeting.  They will be a beautiful addition to our dining hall.  We need help choosing the 4 words that will be the messages on these banners  to complete this project.  (Each banner will have one word)   

We have narrowed it down to these options.
1.) Love, Hope, Believe, Explore
2.) Love Hope,  Believe, Dream
3.) Love, Hope, Dream, Explore

Please email Sara  [email protected] with your choice by the end of the week so we can move forward.

Monetary donations to add strength to your vote will be accepted.  
                                                                                                               smile

Blessings,

Sara A. Shaw
Jancy Pettit
 Lori Spies


 

White Memorial Camp is now hiring for the following positions:
 

Summer Residence Counselors
Summer Day Camp Counselors
Head Cook
Assistant Cook
Dishwashers
Yard Keeper
Maintenance

Interested in volunteering as a Jr. Counselor please contact Sara.
You must be at least 15 years of age.  
 
If you are interested please send a resume to [email protected] or call for more information. 620-767-5165
 
Playing for God in the Flinthills,
Sara A. Shaw, Director
White Memorial Camp
and Conference Center
620-767-5165




The New Season of "The Visionaries" on PBS



 
TO:        Judicatory and Local Church Leaders
FROM:  Rev. Dr. Jane Fisler Hoffman

Dear Colleagues,
 
I am excited to let you know that on March 21, 2013 our KCPT public television station will air the Visionary program about the work of Church World Service which our CROP walk and other special giving (e.g. Blanket and Tool Sundays) supports!  Please use your email or other communication networks to help spread the word to your local churches, CROP walkers and supporters, etc.  This will be a great way for folks to see what YOUR congregations as part of Church World Service accomplish and what wonderful work CROP hunger walks support.  Thanks so much and many blessings to you......Jane

Here is a description from KCPT:

The new season of  "The Visionaries"  will begin airing on KCPT Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 8pm
 
The first and second (second at 8:30pm) episodes of the Visionaries will feature the work of Church World Service, a global humanitarian agency working to eradicate hunger and poverty in the world.

Church World Service is a global
humanitarian agency supported by 37 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican churches that came together to do what none of them could do alone: deliver relief, provide refugee assistance, respond to disasters, and give people the opportunity to take the lead in addressing their own concerns.
 

K-O PRAYER CALENDAR
 

 *The Congregation of United Parish of Lenora - Lenora, KS


*The Congregation of First Congregational UCC, Anthony, KS


*Sara Shaw and family - White Memorial Camp Director - Council Grove, KS

 

UCC CALENDAR OF PRAYER
 

 UCC PRAYER CALENDAR

K-O UCC CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Link to

the K-0

Calendar 

 



K-O Women -- Save the Date 
Spring Celebration Day on Saturday, MARCH 23rd
                                 Immanuel UCC - Ellinwood, KS
                            Details will be in the next K-O eNews  

 
Apr 19 - 20, 2013 - Brueggemann Lectures   9:00a.m.-12:30 p.m. Host Church: First Christian Church,  220 South Webster, Norman, OK

  

Apr 20, 2013 - United in Celebration -hosted by an association of 

western and central Kansas Oklahoma Conference Churches at
St Peter's UCC in Inman ~~ 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM  Lunch included.
Details to follow. 

 

 

 


 
We know there is a lot of things going on around the Conference.  Let us
know.  If you have something you want to share, please send it to us at [email protected]


Additionally, if you have a committee meeting coming up, please let us know.   
K-O INTERIM CONFERENCE MINISTER'S SCHEDULE
 
Feb 27:

March 4:

March 6:

March 7:

Mar  11:


Mar13-15
:


March 24:


Central Congregational Search Committee, Topeka, KS

Meeting with Sara Shaw and Camp Consultant

First Congregational Church Search Committee, Manhattan, KS

Kansas City Clergy

Meeting with Cleveland Staff Re Transitions

Conference Minister and Collegium Retreat,
Henderson, Indiana

Rosedale United Church of Christ, Rosedale, KS


K-O CHURCHES IN TRANSITION
 

Central Congregational UCC, Topeka, KS ~ Rev. Scott Kenefake is interim pastor

 

Carrier Congregational UCC, Carrier, OK ~ Rev. Gordon Epps is interim pastor.

 

First Congregational UCC, Anthony, KS

 

First Congregational UCC, Centralia, KS

 

First Congregational UCC, Goltry, OK ~ Rev. James White is pulpit supply 

 

First Congregational UCC, Great Bend, KS ~ Julie Shields is pulpit supply 

 

First Congregational UCC, Manhattan, KS ~ Rev. Victor Force is interim pastor

 

First Congregational UCC, McPherson, KS  

 

First Congregational UCC, Onaga, KS

 

First Salem UCC, Wichita, KS

 

Open Table UCC, Owasso, OK

 

United Church of Norman, Norman, OK ~ Rev. Warren Jensen is interim pastor

 

Zion UCC, Junction City, KS. ~ Rev. Patty Brown-Barnett is interim pastor

 

 

QUICK LINKS
 

 Archived e-NEWS emails 

 

United Church of Christ

 

Kansas-Oklahoma Conference  

 

White Memorial Camp and Conference Center 

 

Kansas Ecumenical Ministries

 

Oklahoma Conference of Churches

 

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CONTACT INFORMATION
           

   Edith Guffey, Designated Conference Minister

    Kansas-Oklahoma Conference 
    1245 Fabrique                                         
    Wichita, KS 67218
    800-880-6466
    [email protected]     
   
Sara Shaw,
Camp Director     
1271 South 1050 Road
Council Grove, KS 66846-8520
620-767-5165 (Camp Office)     
620-202-0311(Cell)            
620-767-7244 (Fax)  [email protected]
 
    Kelli Moore, Office Associate
    1245 Fabrique
    Wichita, KS, 67218
    800-880-6466
    [email protected]

Nancy A. Wolfe, Conference Communications Coordinator
785-806-4580
[email protected]


 
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