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KANSAS-OKLAHOMA CONFERENCE

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 

 
  K-O e-NEWS 
  June 26, 2013 
 
  
 

WATCH THE ACTION AT GENERAL SYNOD LIVE

Link to the schedule  here

 

 

K-O delegates that are attending:

Kaitlyn Lemley       Puritan Congregational, Drummond, OK

Jan Gian               Community Congregational, Garden City, KS

Josh Longbottom   Plymouth Congregational, Lawrence, KS

Lizette Merchan     Fellowship Congregational, Tulsa, OK

Matt Perkins          Cathedral of Hope, Oklahoma City, OK

Nancy LeDuc         Central Congregational, Topeka, KS

Edith Guffey          K-O Conference Minister

Mark VanDorn       K-O President Elect (ex-officio)

 
 
 
   Kansas Oklahoma Women's Fellowship Assembly
August 16, 17 and 18

 

 
 
   
  
  

 

"An Abiding HOPE - The Presence of God in Exodus and Deuteronomy."

 

"The books of Exodus and Deut. call us to remember that the central actor in human experience...is God."

A litany/response that was written to use with each lesson reinforces one of the central themes of the study,  "Is the Lord among us or not? - as the Hebrews in the wilderness asked.  The response shared is:

 "Yes; God was and is and will be with us forever...

Hallelujah and Amen."

 

There was a similar theme about HOPE a few years ago at our meeting, so we now are BUILDING upon that HOPE that we have in our ever-present God...

 

BUILDING it into our own ever-growing HOPE, personally, faithfully, etc. and BUILDING it in new, positive, creative ways to serve God and one another.

 

 

Click here for the registration form 

 

 

With the schedule this year, we are using SOME of our familiar plans, but we are also trying to be intentional in  trying some new things and hearing the ideas expressed so that we could add some new elements.

 

The "building of relationships" through the outdoor "trust" activities,

conversations during the "tea time" about KO Women/UCC Women, etc., and 

an extra effort to include free time for suggested and/or "free" meditative 

time while at WMC were part of the scheduling process.

 

We are also trying to BUILD HOPE by growing our KO Women

participants to continue as a body of service within the Church and our conference.

 
  
   
 
SAVE THE DATE
K-O CONFERENCE ANNUAL MEETING
"LIVING THE COMMA"
 
 
 
   
SAVE THE DATE
OCTOBER 11, 12 & 13

EMBASSY SUITES
NORMAN, OK


*** ANNUAL BANQUET
FOR AUTHORIZED MINISTERS AND MEMBERS IN DISCERNMENT
 is Thursday October 10th.  


 
Registration Fee will be $75.00 for the full meeting.
  
Room rates are $105 per night.  All rooms are suites with a seperate bedroom and a pull out couch in the living area.  All suites have a microwave and refrigerator. 

 

 

 

K-O Bylaws Section 6 regarding the process of submitting a Resolutions to be considered at Annual Meeting  
 
  
Section 6. Resolutions. All resolutions to be considered at any Annual Meeting or special  meeting of the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference shall be presented by a voting member of any church of the Conference as sponsor, to the Executive Committee of the Conference Council by July 1 prior to the meeting at which they are to be considered. The Executive Committee  may accept or reject any resolutions so presented. If the resolution is rejected, a sponsor may  present the resolution from the floor.

 

 

 

 

Peace United Church of Christ, Alma, KS

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

Our congregation was established in 1879. We still worship in the original sanctuary, although there have been numerous updates and remodeling over the years. Six years ago, the congregation voted to re-affirm our membership in the United Church of Christ, but many who did not agree elected to establish a new congregation. This has meant that we are now adjusting to being a small membership congregation with a part time ("Semi Retired") pastor. It hurts that we are not able to give to missions to the degree we once could, but we continue to be a "five for five" congregation that also supports numerous other community, ecumenical, and UCC related missions.

 

As a newly downsized congregation, we are enjoying a "family" atmosphere with close relationships and prayer partners across the generations. Happily, we have pretty much "all ages" here. Although growth is slow, several new folks have joined and become active members in the last few years, and many others are worshipping with us and participating in our faith and family. We have also established a new ministry: a weekly after school program to complement our Acolyte program. The after school program is for anyone from kindergarten through seventh grade. Some of the children remain an extra half hour for the Acolyte program, which is for third graders and up who attend worship and desire to be helpers in the congregation.

 

The after school group reads from the Bible (Contemporary English Version), shares in prayer and devotions, and enjoys games, crafts, and free time to organize their own activities. The group also has outings and overnights. Below are some photos.


 

Butterfly Exhibit at a nearby mall. 
Praire Surfing at White Memorial Camp! 

 

 

 

 Rev. John Austin, Pastor

 

Check out their website!    www.peaceuccalma.org

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 Dates for Churches to be Featured in the KO e-NEWS
  

 

In the three months that I have been with you, I have heard that we need to find ways to increase communication and our sense of being in ministry together. I can extend the invitation,but it will require all of us to actually increase our sharing and communication. This is one simple step we can take in that direction. So,please take a few minutes to find the date assigned to you and mark your calendars to remind you to participate at the assigned time.
 

Share the good news and ministry of your church with sister congregations! Churches have been assigned a date; so send in a paragraph or two about your congregation's ministry. You may feature a special event, a particular mission, anything that your church is doing well and you want to share. Your stories will encourage and inspire others; so share the good news!

 

The first date below is the date your church has been assigned and will be featured; the 2nd date the information needs to be submitted; send it early if you like! Send your information to [email protected]

Edith Guffey
K-O Conference Minister

 

 

Anthony, First Congregational

July 2; due June 28

 

Drummond, Puritan Congregational Christian

July 9; due July 5th

 

Athol, First Congregational

July 16; due July 12 2

 

Baldwin City, St. John's ,

July 23rd; due July 19

 

Bern, Friedens

July 30th; due July 26th

 

Carbondale, Community

August 6; due Aug 2nd

 

Centralia, First Congregational

August 13; due August 9th

 

Cheney, Trinity United Christian

August 13; due August 9th

 

Council Grove, First Congregational

August 20; due August 16th

 

Ellinwood, Immanuel

August 27; due August 23rd

 

Eudora, St. Paul's

August 27th; due August 23rd

 

 
 
 
 
UCC Health Plan Contribution Rates to Remain Unchanged for 2014 Plan Year  

 

 

Grace to you and peace!

The Pension Boards-United Church of Christ is pleased to announce that 2014 contribution rates for UCC Health Plans, which include the UCC Non-Medicare Health Plan and the UCC Medicare Supplement Plan with Rx, will remain unchanged from 2013 levels. The 2014 Plan Year begins on January 1, 2014.
 
We hope this early communication will assist those churches/employers and self-pay participants that have already begun preparing their 2014 budgets.
 
Please feel free to contact me directly by email at [email protected] or toll-free at 1.800.642.6543, ext. 2870, if you have any questions or need additional information.
 
Thank you for your service to the United Church of Christ.
 
Sincerely,


Frank Loiacono
Director, Health Plan Operations

  

 
   
 
  
K-O PRAYER CALENDAR

 

  • Rolling Hills Congregational, Salina, KS ~ Pastor William C. Brown and Congregation
     
  • Community UCC, Carbondale, KS ~ Pastor Bill Kraus and Congregation
     
  • St. Paul UCC, Eudora, KS ~ Pastor Rodney Nitz and Congregation

 

UCC CALENDAR OF PRAYER
 

 UCC PRAYER CALENDAR

K-O CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Link to

the K-0

Calendar 

 

  

 

 

 

June 27, 2013 Thad Holcomb's last Veggie Lunch as Campus Minister 11:30am to 1pm at ECM. In addition to his retirement, we will also be celebrating his 73rd birthday, which is on June 30th. 

  
Because this is a special Veggie Lunch, the coordinators have decided to make it a potluck meal. The Veggie Lunch volunteers will be cooking as always but they are also requesting that you bring food to share

 

 

July 16, 2013: 10:00am -- Clergy Cluster - North Central Region

                                           First Congregational UCC, Manhattan

 

July 21, 2013: 1:00pm -- Clergy Cluster in Tulsa -- Fellowship Congregational UCC

 

August 24, 2013:  11:00am Clergy Cluster conversation Holyrood,  St. Paul's UCC

 

  

K-O CONFERENCE MINISTER'S SCHEDULE





  

June 26th -- Leave for General Synod

 

June 28-July 2nd -- General Synod Long Beach, CA

 

July 7 -- Rosedale Congregational

 

July 11 -- Personnel Committee

 

July 14 --  Installation Christy Alexander, Council Grove

 

July 16 -- Clergy cluster Conversation, First congregational Manhattan

 

July 20 --  Conference Council

 

July 21 -- Fellowship, UCC Tulsa

 

July 21 -- Clergy Cluster Conversation Following worship Fellowship, Tulsa

 

July 22 -- Committee on Ministry Subcommittee A (Authorization)

 

July 23 -- Events Committee

 

July 28 -- Worship/First Congregational Great Bend

 

July 28 -- Evening Meeting Community Congregational Garden City

 

July 30 -- Scholarship Committee

 

August 2 -- Foundation Board Meeting

 

August 5- 19 --  Out of the office; will check email and voice mails; use cell phone for emergencies  (440) 759-0031

 

August 20-22 -- Continued follow-up on disaster recovery with UCC and Disciples Disaster Ministries Staff

 

August 25  -- Plymouth UCC, Lawrence

  

 

K-O CHURCHES IN TRANSITION
 

Carrier Congregational, Carrier,  OK 

 

Central  Congregational Church, Topeka, KS

 

Church of the Open Arms, Oklahoma City, OK

 

Fellowship UCC, Tulsa, OK

 

First UCC, Newton, KS

 

First Congregational, McPherson, KS 

 

First Congregational Church, Manhattan, KS 

 

First Congregational, Stockton, KS

 

New Basel UCC, Abilene, KS

  

QUICK LINKS
 

 Archived e-NEWS emails 

 

United Church of Christ

 

Kansas-Oklahoma Conference  

 

White Memorial Camp and Conference Center 

 

Kansas Christians United

 

Oklahoma Conference of Churches

 

Campus  Ministries in Oklahoma and Kansas

Cameron University, Lawton, OK 

East Central University, Ada, OK

University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS

University of Tulsa (United Campus Ministries) Tulsa, OK

Wichita State University, Wichita KS

 

Find us on Facebook

CONTACT INFORMATION
       
Edith Guffey, Conference Minister
Kansas-Oklahoma Conference 
1245 Fabrique                                         
Wichita, KS 67218
800-880-6466
   
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]
 
Nancy A. LeDuc, Conference Communications Coordinator 
785-806-4580
[email protected]


 
Our Church's Wider Mission is the lifeblood of ministry and mission in the United Church of Christ.  Your contributions to this offering make this weekly e-communication and much, much more possible.  Thank you for your generous support!  Our covenant as local churches, associations, conferences and the national setting of our denomination is made evident through this mission together.