the weekly emailing
More than 50 delegates, staff, youth and visitors from the Massachusetts Conference are just returning home after having attended the United Church of Christ General Synod 2017.

Complete coverage, including photos and videos, from Synod can be found at:  www.ucc.org/news

Below are news highlights and reflections from MACUCC Synod participants.
Synod News
Jim Antal is shown on screen speaking to the resolution at Synod
Declaring the Earth is the Lord's, UCC calls for environmental imperatives for a new moral era

The United Church of Christ, noting both the urgency of climate change and the continued debate over its existence, is "raising its prophetic voice" to urge the "healing of the Earth."

On Monday, July 3, the delegates of the General Synod passed a resolution that calls on clergy across the life of the church to preach about the moral obligation to protect God's creation, and appeals to its members to lead efforts to educate and advocate for legislation to reduce the human impact on the environment. The resolution had been endorsed by the Massachusetts Conference Board of Directors.

"The climate crisis is an opportunity for which the church was born," said Rev. Jim Antal, president and conference minister for the Massachusetts Conference United Church of Christ, and the author of the resolution. "This sets the stage for engagement and hope. This is a proclamation of truth and the love of God's gift."


Read (and share!) coverage in The Boston Globe: 
United Church of Christ speaks out on climate change

United Church of Christ emphatically affirmed an Immigrant Welcoming Church

John Allen, a member of the MACUCC Immigration and Refugee Task Team, speaks on the resolution during a committee hearing 
Underscoring the love of neighbor, with several speakers proclaiming that no human is illegal, delegates to General Synod 2017 overwhelmingly declared itself an Immigrant Welcoming Denomination and called on all settings of the United Church of Christ to do the same.


Delegates voted 96 to 3 percent in favor of the Resolution of Witness, which was brought by the Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northern California Nevada, Massachusetts, and Central Pacific conferences.


Read the United Church News article

Blackmon Speaks to Southern New England Delegates


In what could be seen as a sneak peek of next year's Annual Meeting, The Rev. Traci Blackmon visited a joint breakfast of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island General Synod delegations Saturday morning, 

Blackmon, was later elected executive minister of United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries. She will be the keynote speaker at the second joint Annual Meeting of the three Conferences, being held next June in Springfield, MA.

Synod Reflections
We Try SO Hard. We Still Make Mistakes
By Tiffany Vail

What struck me the most at Synod was how hard everyone tries to live out what it means to be a multicultural, multiracial.church. They - we - try SO hard. And yet, we still stumble.



Over the course of the past week I have fallen in love with the United Church of Christ all over again. Watching the church, in all our multiple, beautiful, sometimes contentious contexts, worship, sing, pray and work together to discern our outward priorities for the next two years reminded me why this church is my home. 


The Colors of Synod





As a first-year delegate to Synod, I have the opportunity to ask some basic questions about polity and process, such as "what good does a resolution do  anyway?" Are resolutions something Synod agonizes over, only to have them ignored by the rest of the church? (I don't know about you, but I've never been a part of a church that studied, prayed, and acted in response to a resolution. That should change.) What does Synod's collective "Be it resolved" commitment mean? How are resolutions efficacious; how are they not?

In other words, so what?

Read Mark's post

Contemplation and Action in the United Church of Christ
By Matt Carriker

In the UCC, I resonated with the prophetic witness, the progressive theological stance that "God is Still Speaking", and the extravagant welcome of ALL people, regardless of who you are or where you come from.  
As Glennon Doyle echoed Saturday in her keynote during Synod plenary, "You (the UCC) are the only church that will take me."
 
So, there is much in the UCC to be proud of. Still, for any Member in Discernment who asks the question, "Why the UCC?" (or "Why any denomination?"), the answer soon becomes apparent that no denominational body is perfect.  
 
Read Matt's post



A Contemplative Progressive Navigates General Synod 2017

Thank God that the United Church of Christ is a progressive church with ears tuned, hearts aligned, and feet marching in today's social justice movements. It's the reason I fell in love with the UCC and am blessed to call it an ecclesial home; at the same time, I nourish my soul's spiritual home in contemplative and mystical streams of spirituality. Which begs the question: what is a contemplative to do at General Synod?

Registration for Confirmation Retreats Now Open
Each year, the Massachusetts Conference offers a series of Confirmation Retreats for the youth classes of churches in the Massachusetts Conference as well as other NE states.  These retreats fill quickly, so be sure to register your church's group early.

The retreats will be held:
Nov. 17 - 18,  Prindle Pond Conference Center, Charlton
Jan. 26 - 27,  Craigville Retreat Center
March 2 - 3,   Prindle Pond Conference Center
March 16 - 17, Prindle Pond Conference Center
March 23 - 24, Craigville Retreat Center
Upcoming Conference events
Sept. 21, at 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Edwards House Meeting Center, Framingham
All clergy who have joined the conference within the last year, or were unable to attend last year, are invited to attend and meet fellow clergy.
Nov. 9 - 11
Craigville Camp & Conference Center
Two day retreat intended for youth grades six and up. This is not a confirmation retreat.


See more at: macucc.org/events
Transitions
The Rev. Mr. David Wynne Hughes called to Brookfield Congregational Church, Inc. as Pastor
Effective: July 2, 2017 

Classifieds
Other Events of Interest
July 6, 7:00 PM 
South Congregational Church, UCC, Springfield

South Congregational Church in Springfield has declared itself a Level 1 Sanctuary Church, and is being pressured by the mayor, who publicly stands against this move. In light of this, an Interfaith Prayer Service has been organized to support the church's efforts.
July 9 - 12 
Simmons College, Boston
July 10 - 14
Craigville Retreat Center, Craigville, MA
 
Healthy Congregations
Aug. 25 - 27
First Congregational Church of Milton

The Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ
508-875-5233
macucc@macucc.org