Our Conference Newsletter For Advent

December 6, 2016
The picture above was taken while I attended a National UCC Conference in San Antonio, Texas this past week, where the world is still quite verdant and green and temperatures were in the upper 70's for much of the week. As we move toward a collaboration model of doing conference work together in new ways with the Southern New England Conferences I shared a dinner out with the staff of the Connecticut Conference, as we together imagine what sort of birthing might happen in this New Year ahead. This bi-annual Conference (called AM21) gathers all of the Conference Ministers, Associate Conference Ministers, and this year, many of the Chairs of Committees on Ministry, together to share best practices around Search and Call. Part of our work together was a review of the work of the Habakkuk group which has been working on revisions and updates to the UCC Manual and Ministry for the past many months. We heard about many changes that have been included in the draft MOM document and were invited to continue sharing our questions and concerns.

I returned from a mild and green Texas to a cold and gray Rhode Island and was shocked to realize that we are in the middle of Advent already! This morning a brief reflection by Meister Eckhart from Whom God Hid Nothing helped me consider this birth that we await each year. Eckhart writes:"The eternal birth which God bore and bears unceasingly in eternity is now born in time, in human nature. St. Augustine says this birth is always happening. But if it does not happen in me, what does it profit me? What matters is that it shall happen in me."

As I move into the waiting and preparing for the birth of our Savior again this year I am invited to consider what needs birthing in me this December and what God may have in store for us in this New Year ahead... What sort of birth may need to happen for you at this season? How do we prepare for this eternal birth? May we each get ready and prepare ourselves to be awake and alert for this amazing thing that is happening all around us.
Blessings in this time of Advent. 
                          Interim Conference Minister, Rev. Barbara Libby

Survey Indicates Support for Tri-Conference Collaboration, Possible Merger
By Tiffany Vail
 Over the last past 9 months, 555 people responding to a survey have indicated their support for the concept of a greater partnership or possible merger of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island conferences. 
News Items:

Alban article: What is Innovation?
"Innovation" is a buzzword that sounds current and future-oriented, cutting-edge and idealistic, worthy of repetition and scale. We need innovation in the church; too many pews are emptying, and the church is losing (or some would say has lost) its voice in the community. Full article

General Synod Speakers
A pair of dynamic keynote speakers - a nationally-acclaimed author & activist, & an environmental leader with more than 3 decades of environmental advocacy - are on the 2017 program in Baltimore. Read more >>
  Want to be part of a Feasibility Study?

RI IPL is developing a study to assess the feasibility of developing an Energy Services Company, or ESCO, to serve Houses of Worship in Rhode Island. Also needed are Houses of Worship willing to set up a free energy audit.  If willing your church can benefit from a free energy audit and share your findings with the students at Brown's Environmental Studies class. Reply with an e-mail to donna@ ri-ipl.org. Click: To apply
 
The UCC has a wealth of scholarships for individuals in the denomination who are engaged in education, leadership, and ministry.For more information and applications. click here  
The world today has more refugees and internally displaced people than at any time since World War II. Be part of the United Church of Christ's "Still Speaking Voice" Initiative in December that will highlight Syrian Refugees. Full article
I n Our Conference:
Seekonk Congregational Church
Sat.  Dec. 10
8:30am - 10:30am
Newman
Congregational Church
Sat.  Dec. 17
4:00pm - 6:00pm
Slatersville
Congregational Church
Sun.  Dec. 18
6:00pm-8:30pm
Other Events
2016     
RI Dept. of Health
RI Convention Center  
Thurs. Dec. 8
8:00am - 4:30pm      
2017    
Trinity Repertory Theatre
Sun. Jan. 15 
2:00pm     
Harvard Divinity School
Wed. Jan. 18
Thurs. Jan. 19
8:30am - 3:30pm      
Edgewood Congregational Church 
Thurs. May 4
8:00am - 3:00pm      
ONLY 6 COPIES OF
UNITED CHURCH
OF CHRIST
2016 - 2017
CALENDARS
LEFT!!!
Call Conference Office 
401-724-7700
PLEASE ADD THESE DATE TO YOUR CALENDARS

Annual Meeting of RI, MA, & CT UCC Conferences - 6/16 & 6/17/17 Hartford, CT 
UCC General Synod  - Friday 6/30/17 - 7/4/17 Baltimore, MD
Youth@Synod - Friday 6/30/17 - 7/4/17 Baltimore, MD 
Check out Rev. John C. Dorhauer's weekly podcast on UCC.org.  The United Church of Christ General Minister and President offers these weekly messages so that "the art and practice of spiritual reflection is modeled as a priority and not just a part time avocation."To listen to this weeks podcast, click here.  
Additional Resources/ Links: 





 










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